Madi Williamson is a young Bainbridge woman who, at age 21, took leave from her job for two weeks, and then for three months, to provide heartfelt hands-on care and comfort to Syrian refugee families in Greece.

In this podcast, Madi shares with BCB's Barry Peters her remarkable and beautifully told stories of the experience of helping refugee families, and then realizing that she had come away with a level of understanding, meaning and insight she couldn't have gained in other ways. She talks about visiting the Greek island of Lesbos where boats with refugee families stream ashore, and her extended stay at the encampment with over 100,000 refugees at the Greece-Macedonia border village of Idomeni.

Madi urged her step-dad, Andre Kamber, to take a break from his professional financial career for a similar experience of helping refugees. You'll want to sample the previous BCB podcast conversation with Andre, and with Alice Medoza and Ellin Spenser, who recently told BCB of their experiences helping refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, similar to Madi's experiences.

Here, Madi explains the poignant moment -- the sight of a drowned 6-year-old boy whose body washed up on a beach on a Greek island -- when Madi decided that she needed to drop what she was doing in her life at age 21 and go lend a hand.

Madi offers a remarkably articulate and gripping description of the experience of being there, and the meaning of that experience when she brought it all back to Bainbridge.

She and her young friends then proceeded to create a website at KeepItInSight.com that offers resources for teachers to share the story with students, and also offers a starting point for anyone who would like to take a break from everyday routine and travel to where the refugee needs are greatest in and around Greece.

Please also listen to BCB's previous podcast interview with three other Bainbridge Islanders who traveled to Greece to help refugee families -- Madi's stepdad Andre Kamber, retired teacher Alice Mendoza, and realtor Ellin Spenser.

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

From BCB... https://www.bestofbcb.org/cafe-50-healthy-youth-and-curiosity/

In this podcast, we hear directly from two of our very own Bainbridge High School students, Emma Russell and Maya Hathan, on how we as parents, teachers and community members help encourage or, in some cases, inhibit the natural curiosity among youth.

Why is this so important?

According to local developmental psychologist, Marilyn Price Mitchell, “research suggests that intellectual curiosity has as big of an effect on performance as hard work. When put together, curiosity and hard work account for success just as much as intelligence. Another study found that people who were curious about a topic retained what they learned for longer periods of time. And even more impressive, research has linked curiosity to a wide range of important adaptive behaviors, including tolerance of anxiety and uncertainty, positive emotions, humor, playfulness, out-of-box thinking, and a noncritical attitude -- all attributes associated with healthy social outcomes.”

In her recent article, Marilyn also notes that “psychologists view curiosity as a life force, vital to happiness, intellectual growth, and well being.” 

Wow, that’s powerful.

And yet, while curiosity is innate in kids, it can also unintentionally be discouraged by adults. So how do we help our kids continue to wonder about the world, ask questions and actively seek out answers? And how do we foster that curiosity in a culture that prioritizes good grades and test scores?

Emma and Maya share their perspectives in this podcast, which is part of the Bainbridge Healthy Youth Alliance’s 8-month educational campaign called “Beyond the Report Card: Cultivating What Matters”. Each month, the campaign focuses on a different attribute--such as empathy or curiosity--to help our youth thrive and is designed for local parents, educators and other adults who care about teens.

To learn more about the Bainbridge Healthy Youth Alliance, including specific things you can to support our youth, or to sign up for weekly resources, please visit BIHealthyYouth.org.

Credits: BCB host: Christina Hulet; BCB audio editor and social media publisher: Diane Walker.

In this podcast, we meet the Bainbridge Performing Arts professional team that is readying a local cast and instrumentalists for December 2 to 18 performances of the popular holiday classic set in the early 1940s: "A Christmas Story, The Musical".

Speaking with BCB podcast host Channie Peters are BPA theater director Joanna Hardie; music director Elizabeth Faye; and choreographer Debbie Pierce. BCB took its recording equipment to meet them backstage at BPA while the cast started their Monday evening rehearsal of dance routines on stage.

This musical show had rave reviews on Broadway and it plays on TV every Christmas. BPA's version is based on the 1983 American comedy Christmas movie "A Christmas Story", from Jean Shepherd's book "In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash". For this theater production, BPA will prominently feature a large band of instrumentalists playing the swing and big-band sounds of the 1940s. And the cast will rise to the occasion with a combination of song and dance numbers.

As BPA says, this show offers "sweet nostalgia for adults and great fun for the kids." It's set in the 1940s in a fictional town called Hohman Indiana, and its main character is 9-year-old Ralph Parker who is preoccupied in pursuit of a particular Christmas gift he can't get off his young male mind.

BPA will have a special "pay-what-you-can" preview at 7:30pm on December 1st. Then, the show runs with matinees and evening performances each day of each weekend from Friday Dec 2nd through Sunday the 18th (with only a matinee show on Saturday Dec 3rd).

BPA is hosting an "ugly sweater contest" with a winner and prize at every performance, so, as BPA says, come dressed "in your holiday finest (or worst)".

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

Credits: BCB host: Channie Peters; BCB audio editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters.

From BCB... https://www.bestofbcb.org/tast-035-pizza-with-brendan-mcgill/

Join BCB's Tastes of Bainbridge host Bob Ross as he talks with Brendan McGill,  chef/owner of Hitchcock, and pizzaiolo Brandon Thompson, his partner in their new venture: Bruciato.

Bainbridge residents have been watching with interest as significant changes take place in the facade of the old Winslow Hardware.  Yes, a new pizza place is coming to the island, but this isn't just any pizza: it's classic Neapolitan pizza.  Bruciato pizza will be cooked in an Italian oven and prepared with tomatoes from Italy by chefs who've been specially trained in Naples. 

Now expected to open in early to mid December in the heart of town (at 240 Winslow Way East), Bruciato has been in the works for three years.  Listen here as Brendan and Brandon discuss the commitment they made to learn the cherished and highly respected techniques of this type of pizza.

From the slow fermentation process of the dough to the required use of authentic San Marzanno tomatoes and the delicate treatment involved in building each pizza, the two restaurateurs share their excitement about their new venture, discuss some of the locally sourced toppings they plan to use, and describe their designs for the exciting space to come.

Credits: BCB host: Bob Ross; BCB audio editor: Diane Walker; social media publisher: Diane Walker.

At the Tuesday Dec 6th Open Mic Science event, climate scientist Derik Broekhoff will explain why the Paris Climate Agreement is at a critical juncture, and the importance of State and local climate change actions at a time when federal action seems less likely than before.

He will report his experiences attending the UN Climate Change Conference in Morocco with delegations from all over the world in the week following the surprising outcome of the US election.

His Tuesday Dec 6th 8pm presentation is titled: "Paris Climate Agreement: One year after". The monthly first-Tuesday “Bainbridge Island Open Mic Science” conversations are free and informal and offered in the back room of the pub at the Treehouse Café in Lynwood Center.

In this podcast interview with BCB's Sonia Scaer, Derik explains the crucial next steps to successfully implement the Paris Climate Agreement. He shares an anecdote about the continuing commitment to the climate agreement that was expressed by the delegates from China even after hearing about the US election outcome.

During the Presidential campaign, candidate Trump expressed skepticism about actions to address climate change science and vowed to withdraw support from the Paris agreement supported by President Obama.

The Morocco event commemorated the first anniversary of 196 countries coming together for the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris to seek consensus on a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below a 1.5 degrees Centigrade increase from pre-industrial levels.

In this podcast, Derik talks about the collaborative effort and commitment by every participating country to develop and submit their strategies and plans toward mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Each country faces different geographical, political, and resource challenges in how they tackle the ambitious Paris Climate Agreement goals. But while policies can be set at a national level, there is a lot that can be done at the state and local levels; such as support for public transit and policies to discourage housing sprawl that prolongs commuting time and causes excessive use of cars.

In his Open Mic Science presentation, Derik will talk about what the agreement means and some of the next steps to track emissions, to measure progress, and to provide financial resources to poorer countries. And in light of the recent election, he wonders how the rest of the world will react if the US withdraws from the Agreement. He is hopeful that the same level of commitment will be sustained by other countries like China. And he is seeing great strides at the state and city level in “moving the ball forward”.

For Open Mic sessions like this one, the public is invited to grab a beverage and explore ideas in various aspects of science and technology in an informal, social setting. Inspired by Café Scientifique, the gatherings are committed to public understanding of science. For more details about the Science Café program on Bainbridge Island, check out the Open Mic Science website.

Credits: BCB host: Sonya Scaer; BCB audio editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters.

From BCB... https://www.bestofbcb.org/tast-034-talking-turkey-with-joe-pulicicchio/

Did you know that Thanksgiving isn't the best season for green beans? or that what we sometimes call yams are really sweet potatoes?

This month Joe Pulicicchio, Director of Produce and Floral for Town & Country Markets, joins Tastes of Bainbridge host Bob Ross to take a tour along the Thanksgiving table.

After a brief soliloquy about pumpkins, we learn which fruits and vegetables are most likely to be fresh and tasty for your Thanksgiving meal: potatoes, yams, beans, squash, cranberries -- you name it, Joe can tell you where it comes from and even -- sometimes -- how to cook it! 

PS: If you're worried about those green beans, don't be: try their one-pound bag of French beans, add a little Garlic Expressions dressing, and your guests will be thrilled!

Credits: BCB host: Bob Ross; BCB audio editor: Diane Walker; social media publisher: Diane Walker.

From BCB... https://www.bestofbcb.org/tast-033-friends-of-the-farms/

Heather Burger, the Executive Director of Friends of the Farms, is our fun and informative guest on this edition of BCB's Tastes of Bainbridge series. 

Heather talks about growing up in the midwest, its influence on her attitudes about food and farming, how that led her to the significant position that she now holds. 

Obviously passionate about and joyfully committed to her leadership role, Heather discusses the mission and values of the Friends of the Farms Organization.  The primary goals of FOF are to expand the amount of publicly-owned farmland, to educate our community about local agriculture and to provide opportunities for new farmers.

Heather also explains how folks can support the organization both financially and through the many volunteer opportunities available.  And, in closing, she provides an enlightened and thoughtful discussion about the many ways Islanders can support and participate in local agriculture.

For more information about Friends of the Farms, visit their website at http://friendsofthefarms.org.

Credits: BCB host: Bob Ross; BCB audio editor: Chris Walker; social media publisher: Diane Walker.

From BCB... https://www.bestofbcb.org/wu-311-barn-artists-at-bac-in-november/

Two of Bainbridge's premier art organizations, BARN and BAC, are collaborating to bring you an exciting November exhibit.

In this informative podcast, Lindsay Masters, Bainbridge Arts & Crafts’ Executive Director, and Mark Nichols, Bainbridge Artist Resource Network’s Executive Director, tell us about each of their organizations and how their missions are synergistic.

Their collaboration will be exemplified during the month of November, when BAC will serve as the public gallery for 42 artists who have honed their artistic skills at BARN. Some have never exhibited their artwork in public before, but all have met the standards of the jury for this exhibition.

Listen here as Lindsay describes the jurying process for the beautiful BAC gallery and tells us about the many additional offerings and services provided by BAC, from art classes for seniors and opportunities for local BI students to demonstrations at nursing homes, on ferries, and beyond.

Mark Nichols talks about the new BARN, which includes 11 different studios for very different artistic endeavors, including Book Arts, Electronic and Technical Arts, Fiber Arts, Glass Arts, Jewelry Making, Kitchen Arts, Metal Arts, Printmaking, Woodworking & Small Boat Building, Writers, and Media Arts.  All these offerings will be housed within BARN’s soon-to-be-completed building, off New Brooklyn Road, near the Fire Station.  

We're all looking forward to this new 25,000 sq ft building -- especially the Commons area where artists can relax, have a cuppa and share ideas!

More information about each organization can be found at bainbridgebarn.org and bacart.org.

Credits: BCB host: Channie Peters; BCB audio editor: Diane Walker; social media publisher: Diane Walker.