In this podcast, Ken Pyburn calls in by Skype from Portland Oregon to describe the purpose of the Saturday February 28 meeting to consider forming a senior village for Bainbridge Island.  Ken is the main guest speaker for that event.

As Ken explains, a senior "village" isn't a physical neighborhood -- it's a virtual neighborhood. It's an organization that provides a wide range of services that will help seniors age in place in their homes.  Villages provide the services that seniors outgrow their willingness to do or their ability to do as they grow older.

Ken has recently retired from chairing the board of directors of "Villages Northwest", which is a group of eight senior villages growing in the Portland Oregon vicinity.

The February 28th meeting will take place at the Waterfront Community Center (sometimes called the Bainbridge Senior Community Center). The village proposal is the brainchild of Sue Barrington of the BI Parks and Recreation District staff for the Center.

For more information about the meeting on senior villages, have a listen to Sue's remarks on What's Up podcast 116 from February 19th: "Learn about the Villages Movement Feb 28 and the Community Center".

Credits: BCB host and publisher: Barry Peters; BCB audio editor: Tim Bird.

Have nothing to do on a Friday night? Come on down to the Bainbridge High School where the two High School Jazz bands will be performing in their annual community Swing Dance! In this episode of Bainbridge on Campus, Finn Mander interviews the Bainbridge High School band director, Chris Thomas about the upcoming Swing Dance. To name a few points of their conversation, they discuss the origination of the classic Swing Dance, which has been around far longer than most of us can remember, as well as dance styles associated with the two High School Jazz bands. You will also have the opportunity to listen to one of this year’s Jazz bands!

The High School Jazz band has had a very successful history over the past few years, including being asked to play at Governor Jay Inslee’s inauguration in 2013, and winning prestigious awards in local Jazz competitions such as the one they visited recently at the University of Washington where they placed third in finals.You’re in for a treat on Friday night, so make sure you pick up tickets at www.bainbridgebands.org, or purchase a ticket for $15.00 at the entrance to the High School commons at 7:00PM. While you’re at it, don’t worry about your hunger or thirst as refreshments will be provided!

All proceeds will benefit the band program.

From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-120-march-events-at-the-library/

In this podcast episode of What's Up Bainbridge, library staffers John Fossett and Tressa Johnson invite listeners to visit the Bainbridge Library to hear four special guest speakers during the month of March.

Norm Hollingshead will give a series of lectures on great opera singers, playing musical excerpts from his collection of rare recordings. This is an opportunity to hear some pieces of music you wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Part of Library U, Bainbridge Public Library’s lifelong learning program, Great Singers is sponsored by KRL, with funding support from Bainbridge Island Friends of the Library.

Cesare Siepi - 2-4pm, Saturday March 7

Fritz Wunderlich - 2-4pm,Saturday March 14

Montserrat Caballe - 7pm, Monday March 30

Glenda Pearson, head of Microform and Newspaper Collections for UW libraries, will present a slide talk on how Seattle area newspapers covered the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Exclusion.  Entitled “Our Japanese to Enemy Aliens: Incarceration and the Role of the Local Press,” this talk is part of a series of activities taking place this month in conjunction with BPA's production of Snow Falling on Cedars.

Glenda Pearson 7-8:30,Tuesday March 10

Rebecca Tumicki - Yemen Diaries.  Rebecca will share stories and photos from her 2005 travel experience in Yemen. This informational presentation -- about a place currently off limits to local travelers due to political strife -- is partly sponsored by The Traveler store on Winslow Way. 

Rebecca Tumicki 7:30-9 PM, Wednesday March 18.

Ann Lovejoy -  What Do You Know: Knowledge Explorations Led by Community Experts. Bainbridge’s own Ann Lovejoy will share her abundant gardening expertise on all things garden: preparations,  planting, pests, seed starting and saving -- all with a maritime Northwestern slant.

Ann Lovejoy 7-9pm, Wednesday March 25.

Visit www.krl.org or call 842-4162 to familiarize yourself with our weekly and monthly programs, and remember: our library is so much more than books!

Credits:  BCB host, writer, audio tech and editor Joanna Pyle; BCB publisher Diane Walker.

In this episode of “What’s Up Bainbridge,” BCB host Miles Schneiderman is joined by singer and guitarist Joel Underwood and bassist Tres Cozine of local music act The Haus Band.

Joel and Tres talk about the style of music they play, reveal how they got together, and discuss their musical roots and influences.

The Haus Band performs live every Wednesday night at 7:30 pm at the Alehouse on Winslow. The Alehouse is located at 500 Winslow Way East, near the intersection with Route 305, and next to the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA).

Credits: BCB host: Miles Schneiderman; BCB audio editor: Tim Bird; BCB social media publisher: Barry Peters

The subject of this podcast is the local "gypsy jazz" band -- Ranger and the 'Re-arrangers'. They evoke the spirit of a Paris cafe and the raucous energy of a gypsy campsite.

At the heart of their sound is Ranger Sciacca's violin.  The band’s repertoire includes swing standards, traditional gypsy melodies, the music of Django Reinhardt, and Ranger's unique originals.

Ranger and his father Michael formed the group in 2006, after returning from a Django Reinhardt festival in France. In the years since, the band has released 3 CDs and played over 500 shows.

Violinist Ranger Scacca is at the heart of their sound. He and his father are descendants of Sicilian immigrants who played jazz in New York early in the 20th century. Ranger began playing violin at the age of six.

The band includes two guitarists including his father Michael, a percussionist, bassist, and 5-string mandolin.

Ranger and the 'Re-Arrangers' will be performing on Bainbridge on Friday, March 6th at the Island Gallery, 400 Winslow Way East, during the 6-8pm  ArtWalk. No charge.

Then, at 7pm on Saturday, March 21st, they will perform at BIMA -- the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art auditorium. This performance will also feature renowned guitarist Neil Andersson.

In 1993, Andersson co-founded the seminal gypsy jazz band Pearl Django, eventually recording 10 albums with the group. He is one of the Northwest's premier guitarists, and was elected to the Northwest Music Awards Hall of Fame.

The BIMA concert will feature selections from the Ranger and the 'Re-arrangers' repertoire of American swing standards, traditional gypsy melodies, and the music of Django Reinhardt. Violinist Ranger Sciacca will provide the counterpoint to Andersson’s guitar.

Admission is by donation and space is limited. For reservations, email the band. Find information on the band's website.

Credits: BCB host: Nancy Soulé; BCB editor, Finn Mander; BCB publisher: Barry Peters.

From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-116-villages-movement-feb-28/

In this interview Sue Barrington, manager of the Waterfront Park Community Center, invites the community to a conversation about creating a Village, which is  a  group of like-minded people in a geographic area who come together to figure out and develop the resources they will need to age comfortably in their own homes.

The local Village movement is part of a rapidly growing national movement, with over 135 open Villages nationwide and another 150+ in development. This event will introduce community members to the many things that a Village is, and the many things it might be were Bainbridge Island to adopt this idea. 

Ken Pyburn, a speaker of national recognition will be leading the conversation. A long-time leader in the Intentional Aging movement, Ken has researched purposeful aging since its inception. He has served as Board President for Second Journey, an organization dedicated to finding community in the second half of life, and is active with Sageing International. 

In addition to a long and distinguished career working for IBM, he has been Board President and Executive Director at several California branches of Habitat for Humanity. Having been active in community service for almost a half century, he continues to volunteer with Habitat, Compassion and Choices, and the Hunger Coalition, among others. 

You are invited to an elucidating presentation along with interactive dialog, and potentially the start of something fresh, new and powerful for Bainbridge Island. 

Credits:  BCB host, writer, audio tech and editor Joanna Pyle; BCB publisher Diane Walker.

The 1994 best-selling novel by Bainbridge author, David Guterson, about the beginning of the Japanese exclusion in 1942 on Bainbridge Island, has been adapted for theatre. (It had previously been adapted to film in the 1990s.)

The theatre production will be performed at Bainbridge Performing Arts from March 13 to March 29.

In this podcast, director Kate Carruthers talks about the challenges and excitement in bringing this historically based novel to the stage. The story takes place on Bainbridge Island, with characters that actually lived through this period in our community’s history.

In this interview, Kate tells us about how many community organizations and schools are using  this production as an opportunity to learn more about Bainbridge Island’s unique history during this period through numerous events before and during the production’s three-week run.

David Guterson will be speaking informally before the Sunday, March 22nd matinee performance. After the Sunday matinee performances, cast members and Bainbridge Islanders who lived through this period on Bainbridge and in interment camps will also speak informally.

Tickets are on sale now at the Bainbridge Performing Arts (BPA) website.

Credits: BCB post: Channie Peters; BCB audio editor, Tim Bird; BCB social media publisher, Barry Peters.

Great music and great beer go hand in hand – and this is literally what happens every Wednesday night at the Bainbridge Island Brewing Company’s Tap Room.

Hear Ethan J. Perry describe the scene on this podcast.

Every Wednesday, local musician Ethan J. Perry and the Remedy Band set up shop in the corner of the tap room for ‘Music to our Beers’ –  two sets of tunes, including a jam with willing members of the audience.

BCB host Gary Bedell talked with Ethan in the BCB studios and learned about his songs, his band, his sound, and how a typical Wednesday night goes at the Brewery.

In this podcast, listen for a special musical treat, as Ethan plays a recording of a new song he is working on for their next album.

So, what is their sound like? The band describes their music as ‘Americana Indie Technicolor Jazz’.  And Jaimie Hawkins, an independent music reviewer, said of their music,  “[it's like] riding a horse through a desert in space.”

Music to our Beers is on Wednesday nights, 7:00-9:00PM, at the Bainbridge Island Brewing Company, 9415 Coppertop Loop, in Bainbridge. See the Brewing Company website.

Learn more at the Ethan J. Perry website

Credits: BCB host: Gary Bedell; BCB editor: Tim Bird; BCB publisher: Barry Peters. Music credit: May the Sun (Come Ever Shining), written by Ethan J. Perry.

From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-0114-bso-at-bpa-february-28-march-1/

Ever heard a timpani concerto?  Probably not - they are rare.  But on February 28th and March 1st, the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra will be performing a rare and rousing timpani concerto to celebrate their new timpani.  The energy and percussion will, indeed, raise the roof!

In this podcast interview, BSO conductor Wes Schultz tells BCB host Channie Peters about the exciting modern American pieces that will be part of BSO's upcoming concert. Through the generous support of the Fletcher Bay Foundation, the orchestra will be showcasing  their brand new set of timpani in American composer Michael Daugherty’s thrilling concerto, Raise the Roof!,  performed by Gunnar Folsom. 

Pulitzer Prizewinner Kevin Puts' Millennium Canons will have its Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra debut, and closing the performance in grand fashion is Beethoven’s Chorale Fantasy featuring the BSO, Mark Salman on piano, and Anne Pell and the Amabile Choir. Singing of strength, unity and joy, this masterpiece is the perfect end to this unique program.

There will only be two performances at Bainbridge Performing Arts: Saturday February 28 at 7:30 pm and Sunday March 1 at 3pm, with a pre-concert chat Sunday starting at 2:15. Tickets are on sale now at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org.

Credits:  BCB host and audio tech Channie Peters; BCB audio editor Tim Bird; BCB publishers Diane and Chris Walker.

Diane Bonciolini and Gregg Mesmer have been making beautiful glass together as Mesolini since 1977.  Earlier this year, they were named Island Treasures for 2015 by the Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council.

Their familiar installations -- the Beach Glass Quilt on Winslow Way; the artwork at Rotary Centennial Park; and the installations at the Bainbridge Library and at The Waypoint across from the Art Museum -- are easily recognizable for their signature fused glass style.

For Diane and Gregg, their community spirit is evident in all they do -- from teaching and coaching at the public schools to leading the glass workers at the Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN).

Each of them has contributed many hours and materials to our schools, designing murals and teaching kids the joy of working together creatively.  They have introduced scores of people to the art of glass through classes and joint community projects.

Always eager to support other artists and nurture new talent, Gregg and Diane were also founding members of The Studio Tour and part of the core group that established the Working Studio Group.

Their latest effort includes support of the BARN, a nonprofit that has an interim multi-faceted facility at Rolling Bay and is seeking fund and build a new center for community creativity focused on craft and invention.

Gregg and Diane are excellent examples of artists who have created a sense of community around their work.  Get to know them better in this intimate BCB interview on Who’s on Bainbridge.

And visit the Mesolini Glass website.

Credits: BCB host and audio editor: Sandy Schubach; BCB social media publisher: Barry Peters; Photo Credit: Tony Johnson Photography.

In this podcast, BCB invites two leaders of HRB -- Housing Resources Bainbridge -- to discuss one of Bainbridge Island’s most critical and perennial needs, namely, affordable housing.

HRB board member and past president, Charlie Wenzlau, comes to this conversation with the expertise of being a local well-regarded architect, planner, and longtime advocate for enlightened housing policy for our City and community.

Joining Charlie is HRB’s executive director, Mark Blatter, who came to Bainbridge after leading Seattle's agency for preservation of historic properties and real estate development.

At Housing Resources Bainbridge (formerly named “Housing Resources Board”), the mission is to preserve the diversity and vitality of Bainbridge Island by providing and maintaining affordable housing opportunities in the community.

During this 20-minute conversation, the topics include:

• Describing HRB and its role
• Examples of HRB housing-related services
• A description of HRB’s projects, most especially Ferncliff Village, on 6 acres of land donated by a consciencious Bainbridge resident, where Phase 1 resulted in 24 single-family detached homes being completed in Fall 2013, all of which are now occupied
• The award-winning housing ordinance adopted by the City Council and advocated by HRB: the Housing Design Demonstration Project (HDDP)
• A discussion of the City’s 14 acres of undeveloped Suzuki land, at the corner of New Brooklyn and Sportsman Club roads
• Reasons why HRB considers the Suzuki parcel to be a particularly auspicious site for a project that involves a mix of affordable housing and other uses
• Ways in which the HRB mission of diversity and community vitality relate to affordable housing
• The topics addressed by Charlie Wenzlau and Mark Blatter are timely, and focused on critical needs and issues of the Bainbridge community.

Credits:  BCB host, editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters.

From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-113-dear-editor-feb-21-22/

Listen here as Island Theatre board member Steve Stolee tells BCB host Diane Walker about the founding of Island Theatre in 1994 and the group’s plans for their 20th anniversary season.  

In honor of their anniversary Island Theatre will be offering a retrospective of previous productions, beginning with Dear Editor, a staged reading of selected letters to the Bainbridge Review from the 1930’s through the 1970’s. 

First performed by IT in 2004, Dear Editor includes letters on such vital – and recurring – Bainbridge issues as dogs in Winslow, what to do about newcomers, rowdy teenagers, all-island government and, of course, the ferries. 

Central to the play, however, are letters for and against the exclusion of Bainbridge Island’s Japanese residents during World War II, as well as letters for and against their return to the island at the end of the war. 

Dear Editor will be offered at the Bainbridge Island Public Library on Saturday and Sunday, February 21 and 22 at 7:30 pm.  This performance is free to the community, with donations gratefully accepted and refreshments provided.  

For more information about this and other Island Theatre plans for their 20th anniversary, please visit www.islandtheatre.org.

Credits:  BCB host Diane Walker; BCB audio tech Barry Peters; BCB audio editor/publishers Diane and Chris Walker.

Kate DiCamillo is the author of numerous books for young readers, and she’s coming to speak at the Bainbridge High School commons in a free talk co-sponsored by Eagle Harbor Books. In this podcast, she describes the subject of her talk -- which will be mostly directed toward 4th graders and parents of children of all ages.

Kate is a Newbery Award winner and the Children’s Book Council National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015.  Kate is also currently serving as the Ambassador designated by the Library of Congress. She is using this role to raise national awareness of the importance of young people's literature as it relates to literacy, education, and the betterment of lives -- young and old -- through stories that connect us.

Her free presentation at Bainbridge High School Commons from 7 to 8pm on Thursday, February 26th, will attract both children and adults and will focus on how “Stories Connect Us.”

She emphasizes the need for people of all ages to read aloud to each other.

After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, a bitter winter helped inspire “Because of Winn-Dixie” — her first published novel which became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor.  Her second novel, “The Tiger Rising”, went on to become a National Book Award Finalist.

Her latest novel, “Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures”, was released in Fall 2013 to great acclaim, including five-starred reviews, and was an instant New York Times bestseller. It features an exciting new format — a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations. It was widely acclaimed and honored.

This West Sound Reads event is co-sponsored by independent bookstores in Kitsap County and the Kitsap Regional Library system. The event is free and open to the public. Customers who purchase DiCamillo's books in advance at Eagle Harbor Book Company or Liberty Bay Books in Poulsbo will receive a ticket for two with priority seating at the no-charge event. Bainbridge High School is located at 9330 High School Rd.

Credits: BCB host: Nancy Soule; BCB studio tech and publisher: Barry Peters; BCB audio editor Tim Bird.

David Hager describes the 20-year-old Bainbridge music tradition known as Seabold Second Saturday, where notable acoustic musicians -- and open mic volunteers -- enliven the intimate venue of the former one-room schoolhouse at Seabold Hall.

On Saturday, February 14, the main act is the Celtic band "Thistle."  The group performs music from Ireland, Scotland and North America on guitar, fiddle, bouzouki, flute, tinwhistle, pipes, and percussion.

The Seabold open "mic" (with no mic) show starts at 7:30 PM with the Thistle immediately following.  Those who want to sign up to perform put their name in the hat no later than 7:15 PM (first come first served).

In this podcast, David, who has been the organizer of this activity for about half of its 20-year history, describes the excellent acoustics of the hall and the ability of the audience to get up close to the performers.

The all-acoustic sessions occur monthly on the second Saturday. Many of the featured Acts are world class performers, as are many of the open mic musicians.

A suggested $5.00 donation is accepted at the door, but open-mic performers and kids are not expected to contribute.  Refreshments are available. Seabold Second Saturdays is an all-volunteer, non-profit disorganization.  Historic Seabold Hall is located at 14451 Komedal Rd NE, at the north end of the island.

To receive a once-a-month email announcing the next performance, contact David Hager by email.  For more info, visit the Seabold Second Saturday website.

Credits: BCB host and publisher: Barry Peters; BCB audio editor: Chris Walker.

From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-110-history-of-english-feb-17/

Why are “knight” and “night” pronounced as if they were spelled the same?  How did the English language take on the international prominence it has today?  Why is it the most widely used language on the Internet?  

Former high school English teacher Tom Challinor will answer these and other questions as he shares his passion for the history of the English language at the Fields End Speaker Series, February 17 from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Bainbridge Public Library.

Challinor is currently the Director of Bainbridge Performing Arts’ Shakespeare Society, and his enthusiasm for and knowledge of the evolution of the English language informs not only his teaching, but also his acting and directing.  For his Fields End Lecture he will be explaining how the changes undergone by the English language up to Shakespearean times in the 16th century affect the way English is spoken and used today.  

Admission to this and other Fields End Lectures in this series is free.  For more information, go to fieldsend.org.

Credits:  BCB host Channie Peters; BCB audio editor: Tim Bird; BCB social media publishers: Diane and Chris Walker.

From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-109-storyshare-project-starts-feb-19/

Do you enjoy visiting with people? Are you a good listener? Are you interested in local history and making new friends? If this sounds like you, you may want to join the core group of volunteers who are making the Bainbridge Island StoryShare Project a model of community engagement.

In this podcast BCB Host Joanna Pyle talks with Barbara Golden, who will be leading a class on interviewing for the StoryShare Project, to be held Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 at the Waterfront Park Community Center starting February 19th.  Golden hosted weekly live radio interviews on a community radio station in Wisconsin, and will be teaching participants how to record audio stories.  

The six-week series will include video instruction from This American Life host Alex Blumberg, and will not only introduce interviewing and story-telling techniques but will also offer hands-on experience with audio podcasting microphones and recording equipment.

This is an opportunity to learn the elements of interviewing and good story telling through practicing with classmates. Then, if you like, you can become active in the StoryShare Project by harvesting community stories, family stories, and personal stories, which you will learn how to get podcast ready. Get to know your community more deeply in this fascinating new program.

For more information and to sign up for the class, go to the Bainbridge Parks and Rec site, http://www.biparks.org and look for the Interview Class, #162407-01.

Credits:  BCB host Joanna Pyle; BCB audio editor: Lyssa Danehy deHart; BCB social media publishers: Diane and Chris Walker.

From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-108-dave-richards-feb-15/

Imagine being able to extend another’s life by giving up a day of your own. Would you do it? In this episode, BCB host Annie Osburn speaks with Bainbridge Island author Dave Richards, who explores this moral dilemma in his new novel, If I Could Give You a Day. On February 15, Richards will headline an author event at 3pm at Eagle Harbor Books.

Richards has sold numerous options for scripts, but when the idea for his book came, he dropped everything to write his first novel:  Complacent, self-made millionaire Scott Northwood wakes up one morning to discover he's been given the ability to extend the lives of people who are about to die just when they are on the verge of achieving something important. But there's a catch. He must shorten his own lifespan by an equivalent amount of time. Scott plunges into a moral and emotional maelstrom as his desire to live out his own comfortable life collides with a growing sense of obligation to transfer time to others who are clearly more deserving. Complicating matters, he falls deeply in love.

Join Richards for his author event. He’ll speak about his screenwriting background, the process of writing the novel and his path to publication, as well as insights into his forthcoming novel, The Drive-in Miracle.

Learn more about the free author event with Dave Richards at www.eagleharborbooks.com.

Credits:  BCB host and text author Annie Osburn; BCB audio editor: Tim Bird; BCB social media publishers: Diane and Chris Walker.

It’s not easy to discuss the Northwest’s risks of earthquakes in comparison to the risks of climate change, but those are the two topics shared by University of Washington Professor Paul Johnson in this Bainbridge interview via skype.

Paul, who is a UW Professor of Oceanography and Adjunct Professor of Earth and Space Sciences was recently the featured speaker at the monthly Open Mic Science event at the Treehouse Cafe on Bainbridge. His topic that December night was earthquake risk and the results of his recent research in the Pacific Ocean where two massive geologic plates are colliding and sticking and creating the preconditions to earthquake activity.

In addition to his field research on conditions relating to seismic activity, Professor Johnson has, for the last 19 years, taught University of Washington students about the science and facts of climate change.

The first half of this podcast discusses earthquake risk. Paul’s own research, about the research ocean vessel Atlantis, in the Pacific west of Grays Harbor in August 2013, confirmed the approximate location of the “locked zone” between two plates, where the greatest risk of the largest quakes is likely to originate (similar to the historically massive magnitude 9 quake in Japan in 2011).

The second half of this podcast discusses climate change, and the clear consensus among scientists that we are experiencing climate change that is primarily caused by manmade factors.  Paul reflects on the various influences on public opinion and the lack of well-informed awareness among many.

He comments briefly on the form that climate change is likely to take in the Northwest. And he responds to recent assertions by some about solar activity as a cause of climate change, and the questions that some people raise about the slower growth of surface temperatures in 2000-2010 as compared to 1980-2000.

Professor Johnson’s December visit to Bainbridge Island was hosted by the Bainbridge Open Mic Science group that sponsors talks -- on the first Monday of the month at 8pm at the Treehouse -- by scientists offering their informal remarks on their various scientific endeavors.

Credits:  BCB host, editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters.