From BestofBCB.org...

In this 5-minute podcast interview, instructor Nancy Lewars entertainingly describes how she originated her Liberation Laughter Class after studying improv and improvisational exercises.

You are invited to join her beginning class at the Senior Center in Waterfront Park, in Winslow, on October 6 at 2pm.  There's also an ongoing class that you can join starting Friday October 3 at the same location. Her original class has been popular for three years.

In this podcast interview with BCB volunteer radio host Joanna Pyle, Nancy describes what goes on in class. Liberation Laughter is not about competing or being eliminated or winning or performing.

Nancy's teaching skills create an atmosphere wherein the group activates play and laughter that enlivens and enlightens participants and observers. The group becomes their own audience appreciating and supporting each other's uniqueness in a totally non-judgmental play for grownups!

Classes are free, but donations for the Senior Center are accepted. Register at the 50+ Center by calling 206 842-1616 or visiting the website at http://www.biseniorcenter.org/

Membership in Senior Center, for individuals over age 50 costs only $12 per year, and it includes, at no extra charge, a periodic newsletter describing a large range of events and activities.

By email, inquire at info@biseniorcentr.org or stop in at the Waterfront Park Center on any weekday.

Credits: BCB host: Joanna Pyle; BCB audio editor: Barry Peters; BCB intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative

From BestofBCB.org...

Open Mic Science is a monthly "science cafe" presentation -- in an informal pub atmosphere -- on an interesting topic in science by a local scientist who is carrying out work in that field.

In this podcast, we meet retired oceanographer Michael Dagg, who is the organizer of Open Mic Science on Bainbridge Island, and who describes the topics for the next two first-Monday-of-the-month 8pm sessions of October 6th and November 3rd.

The Treehouse Cafe in Lynwood Center makes a pleasant room available for these free public gatherings that typically attract 30 to 50 folks. You can come a few minutes before the 8pm event, purchase your favorite beverage from the bar and enjoy it during the informal talk and Q&A.  No advance booking is required.

The October presentation will be given by Dr. Phyllis Stabeno, a Physical Oceanographer at the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) in Seattle. She is co-leader of NOAA's Ecosystems and Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (EcoFOCI).

For the past 25 years, she has worked on physical oceanographic, climate and ecosystem projects in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. The Bering Sea is one of the most abundant and economically significant fisheries in the world, and is therefore studied extensively.

She is the lead investigator for a mooring array that has monitored important biological, chemical and physical properties of Bering Sea water for about 20 years.

Recently she has focused on climate change impacts on the subarctic seas around Alaska.

On November 3rd, the presenter will be Dr. Jeremy Mathis, a Marine Chemist at the Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Jeremy is currently located at the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) in Seattle working on aspects of carbon dioxide flux from the atmosphere to the ocean, and he is a leader of various professional groups in his field. That evening he will talk about how the intrusion of human-generated carbon dioxide into the ocean (Ocean Acidification) affects marine life, ocean biochemistry and ecosystems.

Open Mic Science is based on the principles of Cafe Scientifique -- and is committed to the public understanding of science. As the Bainbridge group’s website says, “Intellectual curiosity required. No specific science knowledge needed.”

Credits:  BCB host: Barry Peters; BCB audio editor: Stuart Stranahan; BCB intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative.

This October you'll be traveling with the stars at the Bainbridge Island Public Library!  

 On October 4 from 3-4pm, meet Judy Rantz Willman and Kris Day, daughters of Boys in the Boat Joe Rantz and Chuck Day, for some reminiscing about that 1936 Olympic crew. And on October 8 at 7pm, join vacationers Richard Benjamin, James Brolin and Yul Brynner at a futuristic amusement park in the movie Westworld.

This month's Ferry Tales will feature NYT Notable Book winner Tatiana Soli's novel, The Lotus Eaters, and Norm Hollingshead will preview the opera Don Giovanni on October 14.

... which is not to say the library has nothing to offer on a more earthy level: John Barutt will be giving a 60 minute workshop on Composting Basics at 1 pm on October 10th.

Listen here as the library's Tressa Johnson and John Fossett offer BCB host Joanna Pyle more tidbits about these and other October library events, or visit http://www.bainbridgepubliclibrary.org/events-calendar.aspx for more information.

Credits: BCB host and studio tech: Joanna Pyle; BCB audio editor and composer of “What’s Up” music splash: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; Podcast art: artopia creative. 

For a Sunday out on the farm, enjoy the 27th annual Harvest Fair.  In this podcast episode, Wendy Johnson, the executive director of the Fair’s organizer -- Friends of the Farms -- is here to tell us about it.

It’s on Sunday September 28 from 11am to 5pm at the Johnson Farm, on Miller Bay Rd south of High School Rd.

Imagine an event with treats like these:

 - Listen to six live local bands

 - Enjoy apple cider fresh from the fair orchard

 - Shop at the farm stand for fresh, local produce

 - Attend a seminar on local food topics

 - Enjoy yummy food with a focus on “local”

 - Talk with local master gardeners

 - Sample local beverages at the beer and wine garden

 - Take a tractor or horse-drawn wagon ride

 - Enter the pie contest (enter by 11:30 pm)

 - For children: Enjoy pony rides, face painting, and ride the land slide

 - Join in the Friends of the Farms raffle to win great prizes

 - Or simply take in seven hours of sumptuous local food and music while sitting on a hay bale, enjoying a beautiful day in the country

Think about the history of this Johnson Farm event.  In 1888, Andrew Johnson purchased 80 acres of farmland on Island Center Hill that produced vegetables, fruit and butter for local residents. Mr. Johnson successfully operated the farm from through the early-20th century. After World War II, his son Harvey introduced grapes, fruits, nut orchards and beekeeping. When Harvey died, neighbors collaborated with the City of Bainbridge Island and the Trust for Public Land to purchase nearly 15 of those acres to preserve them for public agricultural purposes.

Sponsors for the event include: Mercury Michael - Bainbridge Homes; Brown Bear Car Wash; Island Cool Frozen Yogurt; Riddell Williams; Ace Hardware; Bainbridge Gardens; Guy Dunn; and local farms: Bainbridge Vineyards, Butler Green Farms, Laughing Crow Farm, and Heyday Farm.

Diane Landry and the team from the Sustainable Bainbridge Zero Waste project will be on hand to help everyone compost and recycle, to keep the farmland attractive.

The Johnson Farm is at the intersection of Miller Bay Road and Johnsonville Road, one-quarter mile south of the western end of High School Road.  See: https://www.google.com/maps/@47.632297,-122.554227,18z   For more information, viist the Friends of the Farms website at http://friendsofthefarms.org/what-we-do/harvest-fair-2

Credits: BCB host and editor: Barry Peters; BCB intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative

It’s your story and you’re sticking to it (maybe)! In this podcast, Field's End Story Slam creator/organizer Wendy Wallace tells BCB host Channie Peters about the plans for this year's slam. The fourth edition of this popular Bainbridge Island event will take place this coming Tuesday, September 23rd, 7 pm at the Treehouse Cafe in Lynwood Center.

Ten island storytellers will be telling 5-minute personal stories based on the theme of Vice. Panels of volunteer judges from the audience will then rate the storytellers on story structure, performance and format (e.g., that pesky 5-minute limit).  

The storytellers draw numbers to determine their speaking order, and the judges don't know the stories in advance, so there is a lot of unpredictability -- which is, of course, part of the fun -- and prizes will be given to the three winners with the highest points. 

If you have a story to tell, sign up by sending an email to info@fieldsend.org. And even if you don't, come join the audience at Treehouse Cafe for what promises to be a very entertaining community event. 

No reservations are needed, and there is no charge, but a $5 donation (benefit to Field's End) is recommended. Attendees must be over 21, as the storytelling happens in the Treehouse Bar.  And warning: get there early, as the seats go fast!  

For more information, visit http://www.fieldsend.org/events.aspx

Credits: BCB host and studio tech: Channie Peters; BCB audio editor: Barry Peters; composer of “What’s Up” music splash: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; Podcast art: artopia creative. 

Imagine a place where artisans, crafts people, and creative folks with diverse forms of expression all share a well-equipped physical space.  And imagine calling that space a BARN -- which also stands for Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network.

You needn’t imagine for long, because you can see it for real this Saturday Sept 20th from 1-4pm.

As you’ll hear in this podcast, BARN board member Catherine Camp describes this Saturday’s free open house -- called a “Saturday sampler” -- at the BARN’s large interim facility. It's a bright yellow building near the corner of Valley Road and Sunrise Drive, just north of Bay Hay and Feed, in Rolling Bay.

Even though the BARN organization is relatively new (about 2 years old), its activities are already quite diverse. They have furnished their well-equipped artisan work center and are supporting open studio time. They are also performing community service projects with creative craft work, and conducting classes, tutoring and mentoring.

As a community center for artisans, the BARN in Rolling Bay is offering a very wide range of artisan and craft pursuits, including:

- fiber arts and weaving

- glass work

- jewelry making

- print making

- a writing studio

- electronic and technical arts (such as 3D printing and laser carving)

- kitchen arts

- metalworking, and

- woodworking

The BARN financially sustains itself through memberships, but it also offers occasional drop-in events and special events with a per-visit charge.  It offers classes for the public, guest speakers and workshops.

The BARN's collaboration space in Rolling Bay is an interim location. BARN has recently purchased two acres of land just off 305 and Madison Avenue, near the Christmas tree farm north of New Brooklyn. Nationally recognized architect Johnpaul Jones (who was lead designer of the The Waypoint in Winslow) is designing a purpose-built new quarters for the BARN, for Asani to bring into reality.  Asani is known for the green-built Grow Community, and the new building cluster that includes the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

Bring your curiosity and creative energies to the BARN this Saturday from 1-4pm in Rolling Bay.

Credits: BCB host: Annie Osburn; BCB editor and intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative.

Fifteen months ago, the City of Bainbridge Island swore in new Police Chief Matt Hamner.

In this 29-minute podcast interview, BCB’s Barry Peters explores in detail with the Chief the policing needs of our community, and how the Chief sees the issues that pertain to community policing for Bainbridge Island.

The interview is an open, personable and candid conversation with Chief Hamner and explores many current issues facing the City, the Chief and the police department.

The questions answered by Chief Hamner in this Community Cafe conversation are:

• Looking back on 15 months as Chief in Bainbridge, what is a typical favorite experience  :45

• How are you doing on your goal of building community trust for the police department 1:30

• When you applied for the job, what were your initial impressions of Bainbridge as a community 2:44

• Do you see a sense of community among Bainbridge residents 3:50

• What are your comments on Officer Ziemba’s nomination for a crisis intervention award 5:28

• How did you cope with staffing challenges — 4 retirements and two injured officers with limited duty 7:45

• What do you look for in an applicant for the Bainbridge police department  9:01

• What does “community policing”mean for your department 11:56

• Is it about officers being on bike and on foot? 13:45

• How do Bainbridge policing and crime rates compare to Mercer Island 15:36

• What are the factors that shape how many police are needed for Bainbridge 17:58

• Do we have an officer specializing in relationships with the schools?  19:22

• How many police officers should Bainbridge have?  20:54

• What is the status of the effort to create a more adequate police headquarters building 22:02

• What is a good model for citizen feedback, oversight and citizen advice?  23:54

• What were the goals when hiring a Deputy and a front desk person for the public 27:30

• If a resident wants to give feedback to the Chief, how should they contact you ?  28:10

• Thanks and extro 28:38

Credits: BCB host and editor: Barry Peters; BCB intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative.

If you're a budding author and have been considering self-publishing your work, you'll definitely want to attend the upcoming Fields End presentation on independent publishing.  

At 7pm on Tuesday, September 16th, three successful local authors will be sharing their experiences in the world of independent publishing at the Bainbridge Island Public Library.

In this episode, BCB host Annie Osburn speaks with Caroline Flohr, Bainbridge Island author of Heaven’s Child, about her experiences with independent publishing.

Flohr, along with fellow authors Wendy Hinman and Benay Nordby, will share “The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Independent Publishing.”  Wendy Hinman is the author of Tightwads on the Loose: A Seven-Year Pacific Odyssey. She is an inspiring speaker on following our dreams wherever they lead. Benay Nordby is an active community volunteer and author of The Full Ripened Grain: A Memoir of Healing and Hope.

Learn more about “The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Independent Publishing,” and other Field’s End events, at www.fieldsend.org.

Credits: BCB host and studio tech: Annie Osburn; BCB audio editor and composer of “What’s Up” music splash: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; Podcast art: artopia creative.

To age - or not to age? Well, actually, we have no choice.  But we do have many choices in how and where we age. To find the right fit for each individual is a matter of balancing personality, environment and other considerations.

In this interview, Dr. Jeannette Franks, gerontologist and retired University of Washington professor of social work, tells BCB host Channie Peters about the talk she will give on September 20th in downtown Winslow.

The talk is intended to help us understand and navigate the many complex choices that are available in later life. It's entitled, “Making Your Last Move: Changing Homes or Not,” and is an offering of the Bainbridge Island Parks and Recreation District’s "50+ Programs".

From the BI Parks & Recreation District’s catalog: “This talk will inform you of your options, choices, and possibilities you may not otherwise consider. It will give you tools & checklists for improving your choices about where to spend the last decade or two of your life, highlight affordable options, suggest thoughtful downsizing, help with hiring help, finding resources, & getting your ducks in a row for your last years.”

Dr. Franks’ talk will be based on her latest, soon-to-be-published book, "To Move or Stay Put". Once it is released, the book will be available at the Bainbridge Public Library, at Eagle Harbor Book Co., and from the University of Washington bookstore.

There is no charge for the talk, which will be 10 am to noon on Saturday, September 20th at the Waterfront Park Community Center, 370 Brien Drive, off of Bjune Drive.

For more information and to register, call 842-1616.  While registration is encouraged, it is not essential.

Credits: BCB host: Channie Peters; BCB editor: Tim Bird; BCB intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative.

Playwrights, quilters, musicians, dancers, artists -- come join the fun! Listen here as Sue Barrington, Manager of the Bainbridge Island Waterfront Park Community Center tells BCB host Joanna Pyle about her plan to offer two courses in creativity for seniors this fall.

Building on her 25 years as an arts educator at the high school and college level, and her work with senior center nonprofits in Sedona, AZ, Barrington has melded her teaching experience and passion for the arts with her intense interest in the aging process and cultural gerontology to create two exciting programs: Creative Crones, and The Wabi-Sabi Artist.

Creative Crones will provide a weekly gathering for women to celebrate their creative spirits and support one another in the arts. This class is about viewing women of advancing years as both powerful and fertile--albeit in new ways. Whatever your artistic passion, you'll find the group becomes a wonderfully supportive opportunity to share your life and work with other like-minded souls. 

The class will run Fridays from 9-11am for 12 weeks, beginning September 19. Cost for the course is $60.00.

Unlike Creative Crones, The Wabi-Sabi Artist will be open to men as well as women, and will offer readings and art projects to practice creativity in a variety of ways while exploring our nature, our interests, and our spirituality.

Wabi-Sabi has to do with recognizing things as they age and reflect the passage of time -- a lovely metaphor for the aging artist in each of us. The class will run Thursdays from 9 - 10:30am for 12 weeks beginning September 18th. Cost for the course is $60.

"The Senior Center here is remarkable," says Barrington. "Thanks to the collective commitment of resources between the City of Bainbridge Island, the Park District, and BISCC, the quality of life for our community¹s seniors is inspiring."

To learn more about the Senior Center and these classes, visit http://www.biseniorcenter.org

Credits: BCB host and studio tech: Joanna Pyle; BCB audio editor: Tim Bird; "What's Up" music splash: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; Podcast art: artopia creative.  

In this episode of What’s Up Bainbridge, BCB host Sonia Scaer interviews Reed Price, the communications director and past president of Bainbridge Island / North Kitsap Interfaith Council. The subject is the upcoming Compassion Games event from September 11th to 21st.

Our local Interfaith Council is an association of many different faith groups in the Bainbridge Island / North Kitsap area, sharing, respecting and celebrating different religious traditions 
and seeking common, faith-based ground to work together for the good of our community and beyond.

The Compassion Games are a worldwide celebration aimed at turning the Golden Rule into the Golden Reality. The annual event, which is practiced in countries around the world, celebrates ongoing compassionate activities and is intended to inspire more everyday instances of caring activities. It's called a "coopetition" - part competition, mostly cooperation - because helping each other is the best way to win!

During the event. participants might engage in activities such as performing a Random Act of Kindness or become a “Secret Agent of Compassion” and receive a secret mission for each of the eleven days of the event.

The Compassion Games are motivated by the same spirit as the Charter for Compassion, which was founded by UK religious scholar Karen Armstrong to encourage cities, schools, communities and faith organizations to restore compassionate thinking and action to religious, moral and political life.

The Charter for Compassion was given a widely publicized start when Karen Armstrong was awarded a major prize for her powerful 2008 TED Talk: "My Wish - A Charter of Compassion" https://www.ted.com/talks/karen_armstrong_makes_her_ted_prize_wish_the_charter_for_compassion

Here in Bainbridge, the closing ceremonies for the 11-day Compassion Games will be held at the Waterfront Park in downtown Winslow on Sunday, September 21st at 5pm. There will be music, fun and awards!

To learn more about how you can participate in this year's September 11-21 games, visit http://binkinterfaith.org/compassion-games

Credits: BCB studio tech and editor: Barry Peters; BCB intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative

In this podcast, we learn about an upcoming September 17th evening meeting at City Hall. The purpose is to discuss plans for a cycling and walking trail along Route 305 north of Winslow Way, and a potential east-west connection across Route 305 by footbridge or tunnel.

In this interview with the City’s Engineering Manager Chris Hammer -- and with the citizen volunteer Chair of the Sound to Olympics Trail Committee, Don Willott -- the goals of the new grant-funded project are explained.  For years, citizen volunteers on the Non-Motorized Transportation Advisory Committee, like Don, have worked with the City to develop proposals and grant applications.  In this case, a design and construction grant has been federally funded, and the options for the trail design will be explained at the September 17th public meeting.

As Don Willott says, some people think that non-motorized transportation projects are solely about cycling routes. In fact, the safety of walking routes is also part of this project. An important part of the strategy is to construct portions of the trail in a separate area parallel to the road -- and a crossing under or over the highway -- thereby creating a safer off-road walking or cycling experience for adults and children.

One long-term goal is to build a south-to-north route that connects Pugel Sound (at the ferry terminal) with the the Olympics.  This early phase of that project covers the stretch from Winslow Way to High School Road, past the Vineyard Lane residential community.

Another long-term goal -- identified 10 years ago in a transportation study of Winslow -- is to provide an east-west connection across Route 305 for pedestrians and cyclists. That connection could take the form of a tunnel on the north side of the Winslow ravine just south of the Vineyard Lane community.  Another alternative would be an elevated foot and cycle bridge over the highway in the vicinity of Winslow’s Knechtel Way.

At the meeting, attendees will have a chance to hear from the design teams that have been developing alternative designs for the south-to-north and the east-west elements.

This project is made possible by a federal grant under the Transportation Alternatives Program that addresses alternatives to conventional transportation projects for vehicle traffic. The funding is for both design and construction of a segment of the south-to-north trail from Winslow Way to Vineyard Lane.

The public meeting is at City Hall at 7pm on Wednesday September 17th.

Credits: BCB host and editor: Barry Peters; BCB intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: Dogfish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative.

In this episode of What’s Up Bainbridge, BCB host Sonia Scaer interviews Ann Strickland, Music & Art Director of Grace Episcopal Church, about the 2014 Fall Concert Series in September and November.

The Fall Concert Series is held in the Grace Church sanctuary. And, as most musicians who have played there can attest, it’s an amazing space to play and hear music.  The concert series is promoting local musicians and is a celebration of the work Rector Bill Harper has done on Bainbridge. He will be retiring in spring 2015.

Here's the lineup: 

 - September 12: St. Paul de Vence  (stpaulband.com)

 - September 28: Eli West (cahalenandeli.com)

 - November 14: Zach Fleury (ziibra.com/zach-fleury)

All of the musicians are from the Pacific Northwest. The Bainbridge Island locals are Benjamin Doerr and Zach Fleury.

Concert tickets are on sale online. Tickets can be purchased individually per concert or as a set. In addition there is a no-host bar with special wines; light bar snacks are included in the ticket price.

Tickets and information are available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/798995

All concerts are at Grace Church: 8595 NE Day Rd, Bainbridge Island, WA.

Doors open at 6:30pm with a cocktail hour. The shows begin at 8:00pm. All ages are welcome.

For this and other events at Grace Church visit their website at http://gracehere.org

Credits: BCB host: Sonia Scaer; BCB audio editor: Barry Peters; BCB intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: DogFish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative.

In this podcast, our guest is Autumn Strong of PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap. She describes Wagfest 2014 -- a fun day for families and canines at Battlepoint Park on Sunday Sept 7th from 11am to 6pm.

This year is the fifth for Wagfest and promises to be bigger and better than ever. Local celebrity judges will cast their votes for waggiest tail, pet-owner lookalike, milkbone stacking, best costumes, and fastest weiner racing dog.

At "Adoption Alley" you can peruse a number of adoptable dogs who are currently being cared for by area rescue groups. New events this year include a parade of dogs, agility courses and loads of children’s activities.

Also new this year is the “Go-Dog-Go 5-K Fun Run.” This is a casual, pet-friendly run. Runners, joggers and walkers of all ages and levels are welcome. If you like, you can register online in advance to start a team ... or join one.

And there's food. Crepes, BBQ and other items from local vendors will be located throughout the park, so you can plan to stay all day.

PAWS hopes to raise $10,000 this year. Funds from the day’s activities are used to spay or neuter and provide veterinary assistance for dogs whose owners can’t afford it.

By attending this fun event, you can help seniors and low-income families retain their pets and be responsible pet owners.

More information about the event is found at https://www.crowdrise.com/WagFest2014

Credits: BCB host: Cristie Thuren; BCB studio tech: Channie Peters; BCB editor and intro music: Tim Bird; BCB ferry music: DogFish Bay Studios; BCB podcast art: artopia creative.