PNW BAINBRIDGE Fall 2023

InColorLiving

The Bux Starts Here

A Stitch in Time

Striking a Gourd

editor's letter

Idon’t think I’m unique in the fact that as I get older, the draw to stay at h So, the past couple months have been an emotional stretch for me to say the least.

On the work front, my editors (and bestest of friends) George and Connie both took off—Connie first to Iceland and London for vacation and then later to care for a family member; then George to Japan with his son Grant to celebrate his 16th birthday. And Stephanie, the magazine’s director of sales (and my partner in crime), spent more than a month in LA helping her husband get an architecture project across the finish line.

Our teenage daughter Elle spent July in Israel, so our tiny family of three was short a major player. Admittedly, I didn’t miss the inexplicable number of errant socks, general disarray, dirty dishes and clutter, but I did miss our time in the car, runs to Starbucks and watching trashy TV together.

Meanwhile, we took off to Massachusetts to help move my husband’s mom out of her summer home of 40 years, then spent an extra month experiencing the Northeast. We spent several days in Manhattan, saw some family, took in a couple of plays, then retrieved our daughter from JFK and came back to Great Barrington. Humidity and mosquitos will leave an impression.

Allison

Allison Schuchman Editor in Chief

this is what “stuck in your ways” looks like, it’s not so bad.

OWNER & EDITOR IN CHIEF

Allison Schuchman

D IRECTOR OF SALES & COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Stephanie Reese

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Connie Bye

George Soltes

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Gisela Swift

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Mark Swift

WRITERS

Christy Carley, Jeff Fraga, Isabelle Haines, Luciano Marano, Audrey Nelson, Kerrie Houston Reightley, Sophia Soltes, Bajda Welty, Anne Willhoit

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Keith Brofsky, David W. Cohen, Annie Graebner, Luciano Marano, Tanner Reightley, Dinah Satterwhite

CONTACT

(206) 486-4097 • pnwbainbridge@gmail.com

Instagram @pnwbainbridge

Facebook at PNW Bainbridge

High Notes

Letters From

Stephanie Reese

One Foot in Front of the Other

“Hey, you’re that girl in pink I see running the loop!”

I am known to more than a few people on the island as “that runner in pink,” not because I’m an amazing runner, but because people see me consistently out there doing it. Running (like music) has been a through line and lifeline for me for as long as I can remember. Since coming to Bainbridge Island, I have referred to it as “my first win of the day.”

Living so many places around the world and constantly being on the move, it was often a struggle to feel grounded. Running provided a crucial anchor of consistency and reassurance. Anywhere I landed, I could pull out my running shoes and go. It was always the same: the connection to my breath, the rhythm of my feet hitting the

ground and the elated feeling after achieving my goals for distance, time and speed. I ran through the streets of Paris, up mountains in Austria and through the traffic in New York City. I ran in the tropical heat of the Philippines and through snowy forests in Germany. No matter where I landed, I ran.

Once I moved to Bainbridge, I thought that my relationship with running might change. Maybe I wouldn’t need it as much with my newfound anchors of husband, dog, home and community. I quickly realized, though, that running was as important to me as ever. I longed for it even without the backdrop of a new city or the chaos of travel. I still yearned to connect with my breath, reflect on my life and get in touch with the inner me. Most importantly, I came to understand the metaphor that running offers: One foot in front of the other is all it takes to get closer to any goal, whether in running or in life.

One step at a time. Starting my day off with this motto helps me believe that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. It’s a message and a gift I give to myself every day. So, if you see a girl in pink running the loop, you will know why she’s out there. I’m starting the day off with a personal win—my run.

CONTENTS fall issue 2023

departments

Editor’s Letter 4

High Notes 5

Contributors 9

Epilogue 9

Calendar 62

secrets

Sealed with Song 11

Schola Nova offers peace with traditional Evensong

Ticket to Ride 12

Kitsap Transit provides a range of options for getting around Bainbridge

sHORTS

In Stitches 16

Quilt festival celebrates a handmade art form.

School House Rock 18

Bainbridge Cooperative Nursery School marks 60 years.

Education Al Fresco 22

New outdoor classroom amplifies IslandWood’s campus.

Autumn Approaches 31

It’s time to settle into the contemplative season.

RECIPES

Apple Cream Tart 32

Apple Cream Tart taps into nature’s bounty

18

16

AND ANOTHER THING

Now & Then 14

T&C Market sprang from deep island roots.

Magic Moments 56 Your perfect pumpkin awaits at Suyematsu Farms.

32 60

In Focus 64

Islander captures a metamorphic moment.

34

34

Bainbridge’s first poet laureate, wants the world to fall in love

Sauce Nouvelle Treehouse Cafe

ABOUT THE COVER

Photographer Keith Brofsky on capturing this magical scene: “The image was captured while walking in my favorite neighborhood locale, Fay Bainbridge and Pt. Monroe. The light was raking across the dried grasses, adding texture and warmth to a dramatic sky. These are the qualities that catch my eye… color, contrast, light, texture and mood. They deliver magic.”

Each issue we receive notes from our community of readers. Gratefully, for the most part they’re positive, sometimes they’re decidedly not, but sometimes they just ask great questions.

After the publication of our Summer 2023 issue, we received an email querying why we don’t print on recycled paper. We were happy for the opportunity to explain our rationale and even happier to learn our explanation was understood and well received. We figured that if one person had the question, probably others do, too.

First, it’s important to know that printing paper does not come from virgin forests, rather, it is grown as a crop, much like corn, asparagus, beets, etc. All the paper mills grow their own trees, which are made into paper, and the companies then replant for future crops.

While recycled paper is available, it’s far more expensive. Using it would mean that we couldn’t pay our employees and contributors as well, nor could we distribute to every island home and business free of charge. Plus, we feel the stories we’re sharing about Bainbridge are valuable and make us stronger as a community, so it’s a tradeoff we believe is worthwhile.

In addition, there are many harmful chemicals required to break down recyclable paper, so it’s not as simple as choosing one or the other. Of course, once you’re done reading PNW Bainbridge, you can recycle it so that it may go on to be of further use!

Publication Printers (our printer) is a PrintReleaf partner, which guarantees that every sheet of paper a customer consumes will be reforested. They measure our use, report it to PrintReleaf, and new trees are literally planted on our behalf in PrintReleaf Certified Reforestation Projects across the globe. You can learn lots more about PrintReleaf and the exceptional work they do at printreleaf.com.

Christy Carley

Christy Carley grew up on Bainbridge Island and now divides her time between the Pacific Northwest and the northwest corner of Spain where she teaches English. She graduated from Whitman College with a degree in history and, in addition to teaching, has worked as a writer and fact-checker for a handful of publications in the U.S. When she’s not working, she’s probably reading, taking photos or (slowly) teaching herself French and Galician.

Luciano Marano

Luciano Marano, an award-winning writer and photographer, is the author of a trilogy of werewolf novellas, The Ambush Moon Cycle, as well as numerous works of short fiction, which have appeared in anthologies, magazines and podcasts. A former editorial staff member at both the Bainbridge Island Review and Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader, his written and photographic reporting has earned a number of industry accolades, including being twice named a Feature Writer of the Year by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. A U.S. Navy veteran, originally from rural western Pennsylvania, he now resides on Bainbridge Island.

Sophia Soltes

Sophia Soltes is a 2022 BHS graduate. She will be a sophomore this fall at Rice University in Houston and hopes to eventually pursue a career in law. When home on Bainbridge, she enjoys working with animals at the West Sound Wildlife Shelter, reconnecting with high school friends and hanging out with her three pet goats. Sophia recalls magic autumn moments at the Suyematsu Farms pumpkin patch on page 56.

Providing comprehensive representation across the spectrum of construction transactions and disputes.

Your Construction team: Terry Scanlan, Ana-Maria Popp, Troy Hatfield, Lindsey Pflugrath, Alan Schuchman, Rochelle Doyea, Patricia Laughman, Amy Yoon

SEALED WITH SONG

Imagine ending your day, not only on a metaphoric high note, but on a literal one, too, with psalms sung in a candlelit sanctuary, surrounded by sunset streaming through stained glass windows, and the sweet, woodsy, heady scent of frankincense and myrrh.

BY KERRIE HOUSTON REIGHTLEY

PHOTOS BY TANNER REIGHTLEY

That, and more, is what attendees of Schola Nova Women’s Choir’s Evensong at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church can look forward to. Thirty-year choir member Pat Speidel explained, “Evensong thanks God for the day just past and asks God’s protection during the coming night. It is a quiet reflective set of prayers, songs and psalms, asking the worshiper/participant to be still in spirit. It’s not a choir performance. It’s practicing presence to the divine.”

Said to have originated during medieval monastic times in the cathedrals of the Church

of England, Evensong came to Bainbridge Island in 1993, when a group of women, including Speidel, convinced former choir director Paul Roy that a women’s group for Evensong should form to complement the men’s group of Compline (the last chanted prayers of the day).

Evensong is held around sunset, from Westminster Abbey cathedral to little-known churches all over the world. On Bainbridge, it’s offered at 6 p.m. on the third Sunday of every month from September through June. Church membership is not required to attend. There is no associated sermon and donations are not requested.

“Contemplative services fill a need for some members of church congregations,” said Speidel, “perhaps even more for those who are unaffiliated and yet long for a heart connection to themselves and the sacred.”

HAVE KITSAP TRANSIT, WILL TRAVEL

“Check your assumptions

about Kitsap Transit at the door,” said KT marketing and information director Sanjay Bhatt, who shared one of Bainbridge Island’s best-kept transit secrets: BI Ride.

BY KERRIE HOUSTON REIGHTLEY

BI Ride, an on-demand, door-to-door bus service, was created in 2014. The service’s popularity took off in 2021 with implementation of the Ride Pingo smart phone app, developed in part by MIT researchers.

BI Ride is available Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Rides can be booked up to one week in advance “It’s curb-to-curb service, for $2 or less,” Bhatt said. “Riders can be picked up almost anywhere on the island, as long as a bus can turn around on your street. It’s underutilized, particularly by Bainbridge’s youth. It’s their ticket to independence.”

BI Ride fills in the gap during the middle of the day when the regular bus routes are not running, Bhatt

PHOTOS COURTESY KITSAP TRANSIT

explained. “We have this hybrid transportation system because there isn’t enough demand yet (during) midday to justify a fixed route bus service.”

Since BI Ride shuts down at 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, what do you do if you take BI Ride somewhere on the island and you can’t catch it back? It’s a cinch, Bhatt said. “Bainbridge has flag stops. If you’re not near a bus stop, anyone can wave at a bus, and it will stop and pick you up.”

Bhatt stressed the safety and cleanliness of their fleet. “It’s Bainbridge. These aren’t big-city buses,” he said. “They’re cleaned vigilantly, and have UV ray air purifiers, similar to hospitals, killing 99.9% of the coronavirus.”

Emphasizing the sustainability of public transportation, he added, “We must educate ourselves on the transit system we have and learn to use it the best we can.”

Visit Kitsaptransit.com to learn about reduced fares, schedules, van/carpooling, SCOOT (Smart Commuter Car-sharing Option Of Today), priority ferry loading and parking, free bike storage at the Winslow terminal’s Bike Barn, ACCESS bus services for the elderly and disabled, and much more.

Celebrate creativity and community on Bainbridge Island this fall. Visit Bloedel Reserve for poetry, painting, walks, talks, and art exhibitions by past Creative Residents. Each day of the week is a unique experiential immersion into creativity and connection.

Photo: Erin Fisher

Great Things in Store

Johnny Nakata opened the Eagle Harbor Market in 1940 at the former site of his family home and barber shop (and current location of the Island Gateway complex) by the Winslow Ravine. At the outset of World War II, just as the business was hitting its stride, Nakata was required to sell it when he was forcibly relocated to the Manzanar concentration camp, along with most of the island’s other residents of Japanese descent.

BY GEORGE SOLTES

He repurchased the store after the war, but by then, as the arrival of Safeway brought the island its first supermarket, the days of the neighborhood grocery were numbered. Undaunted, Nakata teamed up with brother Mo and childhood friend Ed Loverich to open a Winslow-based competitor. Town & Country Market, the descendent of Nakata’s little store on the ravine and the product of his dogged determination, opened in the early 1990s and has been feeding islanders ever since.

PHOTO BY

ORIGINAL PODCAST

CITIZEN SISTER

FINDING THE EXTRAORDINARY IN THE ORDINARY CITIZEN

WITH STEPHANIE REESE

Quite Seamly shorts

The Backstiching of September’s Quilt Festival

The Bainbridge Quilt Festival has celebrated quilts as an art form with a modern flair since 2012.

On September 9, Winslow Green will become the Winslow rainbow. With hundreds of quilts on display for the annual festival—organized by the Bainbridge Island Modern Quilt Guild—it’s a spectacle not to be missed.

“The idea was always to be outdoors and free for anybody to come see,” said Kathy Dwyer, BQF’s long-time chairperson.

Though the festival may be Dwyer’s baby, it was Barbara Kirk’s idea. Kirk organized the inaugural show. “For me, it was always about getting people downtown,” said Kirk.

Dwyer and Kirk are both members of BMQG, which is part of an international network connecting our island to guilds as far away as Mumbai and Tasmania.

Modern quilting is all about innovation, whether employing improvisational piecing, bold color choices or asymmetry. “It’s anything that breaks out of the lockstep nature of some patterns,” said Dwyer. “It’s not just one block after another after another.”

Dwyer said that before she became interested in modern quilting, and even before she quilted regularly, she was a first-time mom making a baby blanket. “Just like 90% of the quilters I meet, that’s where I started, and I never stopped.”

Kirk has a different origin story. She made her first quilt during a brief hyper fixation in college. Years later, during her stint as the owner of Esther’s Fabrics, (Kirk was Esther No. 7), she returned to the craft.

After a 2010 visit to Sisters, Oregon, where the grandmother of all outdoor quilt shows takes place every July, Kirk was inspired to organize the first quilt festival here. Over a single weekend, Sisters’ population of 3,000 sees an influx of around 10,000 tourists and more than 1,300 quilt submissions. Kirk saw that on top of all that batting and patchwork, a well-organized, wellattended quilt show could be a golden goose for local island businesses, too.

“There was an economic analysis on the Sisters show and it had a major impact on that town’s business community,” Kirk said. “For me it was like, ‘OK, wouldn’t this be a great way to get more people to come downtown?’”

Since the first local show in 2012, the festival has grown to feature about 250 quilt submissions and draws more than 1,000 attendees each year. At the 2023 festival, viewers can expect everything from baby quilts to enormous wall tapestries. Really, anything goes, as long as it’s between the 10-inch by 12-inch and 80-inch by 88-inch size requirement. Although the show is non-juried, there are viewer’s choice awards that include gift certificates to local quilt shops.

Outside of the festival, the Bainbridge Island Modern Quilt Guild is a community of about 49 quilters of all skill levels. There is only one real rule in this group— no negative self-talk allowed.

“It’s automatic at this point,” Dwyer said. “If someone comes in and starts with, ‘Well, I should’ve...,’ we jump in right away. ‘No, what you made is beautiful. It’s imaginative. The colors are lovely. What went wrong is just not important.’”

The guild holds monthly meetings that are open to the public as well as Zoom sew-ins, sew-alongs and demos for learners.

Members also work together on communal projects, including one raffle quilt for each year’s festival.

If you’re picturing an old-school bee, Dwyer explained that it’s not quite like that.

“Sometimes we work together, but a lot of times people take home parts. Then the parts come back to whoever’s leading the project. Usually, it's down to two or three people who actually work on putting all the parts together,” Dwyer said.

This year’s raffle quilt, “On the Plus Side,” is the product of hours of teamwork. Festival attendees can see it, as well as hundreds of other quilts, at this year’s event.

To learn more about the festival or the guild, visit the BIMQG website, bainbridgeislandmodernquiltguild.com, or check its Facebook page for meeting details.

School House (on the) Rock

Tucked into the idyllic woods behind bustling Winlsow, Bainbridge Cooperative Nursery School feels like a world of its own. High ceilings and big windows allow for ample natural light and views of the verdant surroundings. A large front porch (which sometimes functions as a second classroom) further blurs the boundaries between indoors and the natural world.

BY CHRISTY CARLEY PHOTOS COURTESY BAINBRIDGE COOPERATIVE NURSERY SCHOOL

The building that now houses BCNS was constructed in 1972 on land donated by a parent, Lois Curtis. But the foundations of Bainbridge Island’s oldest preschool date back to 1963, when a group of island moms banded together with the shared goal of providing their kids with a creative, play-based education. They contacted educator Denise Farwell, who helped them develop a curriculum for the school and hire its first teacher. For nearly a decade, children learned and played in the old Wing Point Clubhouse.

Since its founding 60 years ago, BCNS’s core philosophy of “learning through art and play” remains at the school’s core. “All areas of development are really built on those two things,” said Kari Wetzler, who teaches Pre-K for 4- and 5-year-olds.

Wetzler volunteered at BCNS as a Bainbridge High School student in the 1990s. When she moved back to the island as an adult, her three children attended BCNS. She started teaching there in 2012. The main focus for BCNS, she said, is “the development of a child’s social and emotional intelligence.”

While academics may be explored in preparation for kindergarten, “learning how to be curious, flexible, perseverant, kind, collaborative and empathetic will provide the foundation for a lifetime of successful learning,” said Wetzler.

Kaye Bjur, BCNS’s administrative director, described the school’s philosophy as “child-driven.” There’s room in the curriculum to meet children where they are and to focus on any particular interests that arise. Plus, students have plenty of time to explore independently. “We have a lot of Montessori aspects,” Bjur said. The classroom has stations for art and building with

blocks. There’s also a play area that changes themes throughout the year, shifting from a vet clinic to a kitchen to a spaceship. Outside, a small kitchen includes a wooden stovetop, a sink and various plates and utensils—all for making food out of mud.

“I loved the mud kitchen,” said recent-grad Veda Rae Lewis, who was age 5-andthree-quarters at the time of the interview.

Room to explore is essential, but directed activities and group circle time also

play an important role in the curriculum. Students build fairy houses every year and compose stories that they share with their classmates. While the preschool class (ages 3 and 4) is learning about routines and building trust with their teachers, Pre-K students are focused on problem-solving and inclusivity.

“The structure of the day allows for practicing working in a group but also exploring their independence in their learning environment,” said Hillary Scheer, who teaches the younger class.

If group work is important for students at BCNS, it’s just as essential for their parents. As a cooperative, families are deeply involved with the functioning of the school. BCNS is run by a board of directors

composed solely of current parents. While only occasionally in the classroom, parents care for the grounds and sort student artwork, among other roles. Alumni parent Laura Lewis (mom of Veda), who served as board president for two years, was also particularly fond of her role caring for the class pet: a three-legged gerbil named Elsa. Lewis moved to the island in 2016 and began the preschool search for her children. When she called BCNS, she learned there was a waitlist, but Bjur invited her to a “summer playdate” to meet other families.

“When I got there, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, these are my people,’” Lewis said. When she got the call that there was an opening in that year’s class, she was “ecstatic,” and soon formed bonds with

other parents. “The school was the first place that I felt like I belonged, and I was part of something in the community.”

Strong connections are common at BCNS. Carol Stover, whose children attended the school in the 1980s and who later worked there as its administrative director, said she loved the “closeness of the families” at BCNS. “Forty years later, I still have a lot of those same close friendships.”

A parent-run school means a constant change in governance, but despite its location change and updates to the playground, the essence of BCNS has remained largely the same since 1963.

“There’s something unique about BCNS … something that is constant,” said Scheer. “I think the magic has stayed.”

Education AL FRESCO

New Open-Air Classroom Invites Nature Inside

BY LUCIANO MARANO PHOTOS BY LUCIANO MARANO AND COURTESY SMALLWOOD CONSTRUCTION + DESIGN

So passes the era of the tarp. Weathered and worn—functional perhaps, but less than ideal—the tarp looked exactly like what it was: a temporary stand-in. But from such humble beginnings eventually came an exciting new development. For, as the time-tested proverb tells us, mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Or in the case of the latest addition to IslandWood's campus, one might say, innovative classrooms from makeshift shelters rise.

The island-based nonprofit's new open-air environmental education learning space, the Harbor Classroom, sits on a site previously known as the Harbor

Darren Kerbs, IslandWood’s director of major gifts, stands with Rob Smallwood and Ryan Smallwood, of Smallwood Design + Construction, in the newly completed Harbor Classroom, near Blakely Harbor

Shelter near the intersection of Blakely Avenue and Country Club Road. The said tarp had long been the sole option for weary students trekking from the main campus to Blakely Harbor, kids who might find themselves in need of respite, shelter from adverse weather, a covered place to gather for instruction and discussion, or just a quiet spot for lunch.

It's a fairly epic upgrade, too.

Easily accommodating 30 to 40 students at a time, the classroom's two intersecting portions of roof provide shelter while allowing in as much sunlight as possible. Benches and tables aplenty give nature-lovers their choice of places to sit comfortably and work, eat or simply enjoy the great outdoors.

“It's pretty much a standalone classroom that's supposed to be open to nature,” explained Darren Kerbs, IslandWood’s director of major gifts. “Children at IslandWood may have lunch there or eat their cookies on the way back in the afternoon after an exciting day of

exploring the harbor. (Teachers) can use it to set up for harbor exploration, to get the kids really excited about what they may see, or to debrief what they saw afterwards and how that compares to the freshwater pond ecosystem on campus.”

IslandWood offers a variety of immersive programs designed to help

children, educators and other community members deepen their understanding of the world around them, explore important environmental issues, and see the power they have to make a positive impact on their communities and the planet. Programs range in duration from several hours to several months.

The Harbor Classroom is ready and available for students—and it’s expected to see a great deal of use.

IslandWood’s overnight program, begun in 2002, now serves an average of 4,200 kids each year including students from approximately 80 schools in districts including Seattle, Kitsap, Lake Quinault, Jefferson and Pierce Counties.

Additionally, IslandWood will welcome 15 graduate students from the University of Washington in the 2023-24 academic year as teachers of the nature-centric curriculum.

Designed by island-based firm Smallwood Design + Construction, the outdoor classroom was, said founder Rob Smallwood, an especially enjoyable project for all involved.

“Our crew, all the guys that worked on it, they just loved working on it,” he said. “We take on just about any kind of construction project, so something a little out of the ordinary of residential construction is always fun to tackle. And then picking up on the vernacular of the campus that's already been built, using a lot the wood logs and timbers, was a fun way to go. It kind of ties in with the campus as well as serves the purpose of an open classroom.”

The surrounding landscape was affected as little as possible, Smallwood said, with tree removal kept to a minimum and an overall driving focus on using reclaimed materials wherever possible, including the primary logs, all western red cedar, which came from Smyth Lumbermill in Poulsbo.

Workers even managed to redirect and maintain the path of a seasonal stream nearby, Smallwood said. And the classroom's concrete floor was seeded with oyster shells for a partially-sanded finish meant to replicate the experience of walking on a beach.

Made possible by a donation from an unnamed IslandWood benefactor, its contributors are confident that the innovative learning space will serve as an invaluable asset for many years to come.

“It's a thoughtful gift and a beautiful creation,” Kerbs said.

For more information about IslandWood and its many educational offerings and programs, visit islandwood.org.

a r e f o r s h i r t s !

C h a b a d i s a w e l c o m i n g p l a c e f o r e v e r y J e w ,

r e g a r d l e s s o f y o u r b a c k g r o u n d o r a f f i l i a t i o n . W e k n o w y o u w i l l f e e l c o m f o r t a b l e .

Rabbi Mendy and Shaina Goldshmid Co-Directors

A Sea Change on

CLIMATE CHANGE

Bainbridge Confronts the Emerging Reality

In 2020, the Bainbridge Island City Council passed its first Climate Action Plan (CAP). Since then, a devoted team has been working to prepare the island for a future with more wildfires, higher sea levels and more precipitation events. »

BY ISABELLE HAINES PHOTOS BY DINAH SATTERWHITE

There was no question. The breakout stars of the April 11 Bainbridge Island City Council meeting were a band of 4th graders from Ordway Elementary School. They came to City Hall that day to accept a 2023 Earth Day proclamation. Clutching handwritten speeches, the students took turns at the podium addressing a rapt audience.

“I’m passionate about eliminating climate change,” said Thisbe Bates. “The reason I show such interest in the matter is, honestly, I’m a little scared.”

“You can make a big difference. Start with small stuff, such as buying local, using less plastic, turning off the faucets and driving less,” said Finn Daubenberger.

“This is the hardest war we have ever fought, the war with ourselves,” added Hannah James. “If we can’t win, we will end up in a bad science fiction novel.”

The students’ appearance at City Hall is part of a larger trend of climate awareness on the island. For Autumn Salamack, the city’s climate mitigation and adaptation manager, it’s a step in the right direction.

“Seeing 4th graders speak so eloquently and passionately about protecting our environment—that gives me a lot of hope,” she said. Salamack is part of the CAP team working toward the three major

goals of the action plan: reducing greenhouse gas emissions 90 percent by 2045; preparing the island for the impacts of climate change, such as king tides and wildfires; and providing education and outreach, such as the Climate Smart Youth (CSY) program, of which the Ordway fourth graders were part.

If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is. CAP addresses a range of issues from small, personal changes, such as line-drying laundry, to more intensive and collective efforts, including mapping future sea level rise across the island. Shaping community-level conversations around the climate crisis is no small task either. There are accessibility concerns—resources need to be available in multiple languages, and interpreters need to be present during climate action meetings. And then there are the strong emotions that people tend to have about melting glaciers, smoky skies and vanishing animals.

“If you focus too much on the doom and gloom and guilt, people will tune out,” said Salamack. “But we actually really need everybody to be doing everything they can.”

For some of the island’s youngest citizens, that first step comes in the classroom through CSY. The program began in 2022 as an after-school activity piloted at Ordway. Since then, it has expanded to two sets of six-week curriculums: one for 4th to 6th grade and one for 7th to 12th. Along with measuring carbon footprints and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, students are taught how to manage their own climate anxiety. Empowerment is the goal.

“There are emotions tied to a lot of these topics, especially if you are younger, and you're looking ahead and thinking what is my future going to be like? And what sort of reality am I going to be facing?” said Salamack. “And that’s pretty scary for us adults, too.”

Although Bainbridge is at the very beginning of its path to becoming climate-resilient, Salamack has a lot of confidence in islanders: “Tackling the climate crisis is going to mean change for people. And change is always hard. But I always say, if a community as passionate, educated and affluent as Bainbridge Island can’t do it, who can?”

To learn more about the Climate Action Plan, go to bainbridgewa. gov/1331/Climate-Action.

Autumn

IS UPON US

The winds have shifted into short bursting breezes with a purpose.

The abundance of the summer season is getting harvested, canned and dried. Its ultra yang wave has crested and is subsiding, gliding us into the fall season. The shorter days leave us with the undeniable reality that mornings will be chilly and foggy and that the sun death cycle is beginning.

September brings the fall equinox, the moon of the chum salmon run and the last of the berries, flowers and tomatoes. As we grieve the warm easy days of summer, we prepare for fall and winter. Motivation, organization, stockpiling and planning take over the more whimsical unplanned summer days. It's harvest time, time to enjoy and plan out the use of the summer bounty.

Our bodies internally prepare and ask us to support our lungs and immune systems.

If you harvested any herbs, such as chamomile, lavender, echinacea, lemon balm, mint and nettle, start making teas each night. Add local honey for a shot of liquid sunshine, and digestive tonic and a dose of local pollen to boost and familiarize your body to possible external pathogens that will begin to circulate as the air temperature cools.

Fortify your stomach with stewed meats, bone broth, roasted squash and sweet potato.

Nourish your heart and spirit by starting indoor projects, crafting holiday gifts, painting or drawing summer scenes.

As the fall season gets closer to the darkest part of winter, dream big dreams, sleep extra hours and watch as the moon of shaking leaves and the moon of falling leaves wax and wane. Watch as the plants and animals also retreat inside their dens, homes, holes and roots. It's a satiated slowing down, coming home, returning back inside.

BAJDA WELTY

PHOTO BY BAJDA WELTY

APPLE CREAM TART

BY ANNE WILLHOIT PHOTOS BY ANNE WILLHOIT

Something rather magical happens on Bainbridge Island as summer softens into fall. If you pay attention, you might just notice that our island is, well, ripe with fruit. Having picked all the blackberries and slurped all the plums, we can find apples dropping to the ground … even in unlikely places. Tucked into backyards and overgrown tangles, apples of all types just thrive here. I like to spot the old trees that have been forgotten, imagining that they once grew next to someone’s porch or were a favorite childhood amble. It completely amuses me to see apple trees growing on a beach—there are more than you might think! Once, to my delight, I even kayaked through a flotilla of ripe apples. We have apple trees fruiting in many of our parks and, like blackberries, the parks district is happy for us to pick them for personal use. So, as the fall light creeps in and our days get a bit cooler, keep your eyes out for a windfall that could become something tasty.

There are many ways to save apples for year-round enjoyment. Unwashed and boxed, they’ll keep in a cool pantry or even in a fridge drawer for quite a while. Always inspect your apples and store only the “perfect” ones. You can also successfully dehydrate slices in a dehydrator or low temperature oven and jar them for future snacking. One of my favorite ways to store apples is in the

form of pie. In an empty pie plate, lay plastic wrap with some hanging over each side. Build your favorite pie recipe on top of it and leave it unbaked. Freeze the whole thing, from crust to topping. When solid, pop it out of the pie plate with the plastic wrap and seal in a bag until you’d like to bake it. Unwrap, place back in a pie plate and thaw overnight, then bake as your recipe indicates.

If you’re rich in apples, you’ll of course look for many ways to enjoy them right away. Here is a sneakily simple dessert for your sneakily shortening days. This apple cream tart looks (and tastes) impressive but comes together so quickly. Do not fear the title of tart. There is no crust to roll nor any eggs to temper. Press in a simple cookie-like crust, add spiced and sauteed apples, and pour over cream. Done. Easier than pie.

Apple Cream Tart

To prepare the apples:

3-4 apples

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cardamom

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

For the dough:

8 tbsp. butter (one stick), room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

⅛ tsp. salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

Cream mixture:

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Choose your pan. This tart is delightfully flexible. Either a 9-inch tart pan, 9-inch cake pan or 9-inch pie plate will work.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

3. Core and slice the apples into eighths. Peeling is optional and dependent upon your apple choice and preference.

4. Set a skillet over medium low. Add the butter, apple slices, sugar and spices. When the butter has melted, stir. Continue to cook until the apples are soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir gently a few times. Set the cooked apples and juices aside on a plate to cool.

5. Place the room-temperature butter into a large bowl and slice it into a few pieces. With an electric mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla and salt until the appearance is fluffy. Beat in flour gently until mixed completely. You will have a bowl full of crumbs that look uniform and sandy.

6. Pour this crumbly dough mixture into your pan and shake to distribute evenly. With your fingers or a measuring cup, press and spread it evenly and up the sides, making a little rim.

7. Lay the cooled apples over the bottom of the crust.

8. Measure out the cream and add in just the egg yolk and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix well with a fork or whisk. Pour over the apples.

9. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.

Michele Bombardier

BY CONNIE BYE

PHOTOS BY ANNIE GRAEBNER

Michele Bombardier, Bainbridge Island’s first poet laureate—and self-described evangelist—wants everyone to fall in love with poetry. For the already-converted, she stages readings and open mic events. She asks skeptics to consider that their favorite song is actually a form of poetry. Bombardier, who’s lived 32 years on Bainbridge, writes nearly every day. “I write my life,” she said, “and [Bainbridge] is my life. It is a wonderful place.”

How do you define poetry?

Poetry is the oldest art form. It’s been around since people lived in caves and sat around the fire, sang songs and told stories. My favorite definition is from poet Donald Hall: Poetry says the unsayable.

When did you become a poet?

I started reading spiritual poets, then I started reading women who wrote their lives. It was a radical idea for me that, as a woman, my ordinary life could be art. I wrote in journals and on the backs of shopping lists. Then I started taking classes and fell in love.

What does a poet laureate do?

Sometimes it’s simply an honor for the poet. A poet laureate also could provide poems for memorials, dedications and other special events. Other cities have that, plus other arts programming: events, workshops, classes, readings. Bainbridge has all of that.

What form does that take?

I couldn’t have done this on my own. The poet laureate committee has made all the difference. We set up a monthly reading and open mic. It’s at BARN, the third Thursday of

every month. We bring in poets of merit from the Greater Puget Sound; they have a publication history and usually a book. And I host the open mic, where people share their poetry, also at BARN. Fifty to 70 people come each month for the readings and open mics.

I’m also getting to know the youth on the island. They’ve been coming and sharing their poetry on Thursday nights. Several times after the readings and open mics, I’ve gotten email from the creative writing teacher at Bainbridge High School, who said, “The kids came in buzzing today.” That’s the best thing ever.

You’ve also worked with people who have speech problems. I was a speech and language pathologist for a long time. I worked in hospitals for 17 years with stroke and head injuries and neurological disease patients. Then I worked on the island. I’ve closed my clinic,

but I do a few home visits for parent training. I also do some transgender voice therapy, which is very close to poetry in helping a person connect to their true voice and be comfortable with that voice.

What do you hope to accomplish in your two years as poet laureate? I want to bring more poets in for readings,

hold more workshops, more classes, more youth events, more special events. I would like some traditions to be established, like the reading series. I’d like to cultivate that hunger for poetry and art on the island.

To read some of Michele Bombardier’s work, go to michelebombardier.com/ poems-and-reviews.

Sunday, October 8 JENNY DAVIS QUARTET

Sunday, October 15 NAOMI MOON SIEGEL SEXTET

Friday, October 20 FOLKS PROJECT

Sunday, October 29

FRANCESCO CROSARA QUARTET: CHICK COREA CELEBRATION

Wednesday, November 1 CELEBRATION OF PIANIST MARY LOU WILLIAMS CONCERT & FILM

Tuesdays, October 3, 10, 17 & 24 JAZZ smARTfilms

Thursdays October 12 & 26 JAZZ WITH JIM LECTURE SERIES

TICKETS & SERIES PASSES ON SALE

NOW

VISIT WWW.BIARTMUSEUM.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION

550 Winslow Way East, Bainbridge Island WWW.BIARTMUSEUM.ORG

Artwork: Julie Sevilla Drake, Bear Falls Apart, 2020. Quilt, hand-dyed and commercial cottons. Courtesy of the Artist.

Bainbridge Performing Arts

Board President Laurie Bauman Arnold, volunteer Rex Cantwell, Executive Director Emeritus Dominique Cantwell, and Campaign Chair John Ellis

TAKE BOW A

BUILDING BAINBRIDGE’S BUX

If you’ve frequented the farmers market or wandered down to Mora Ice Cream over the past few years, you’ve probably seen the black construction fence surrounding the former Bainbridge Performing Arts theater. »

BY AUDREY NELSON

PHOTOS BY ANNIE GRAEBNER

As you might have guessed from the construction timeline, BPA’s renovation isn’t just a facelift—it’s an overhaul. And it’s been a long time coming.

Dominique Cantwell, who has served as BPA’s executive director since 2010, remembers first seriously discussing renovations with the BPA board in 2015. The projected costs were high, and the timeline was intimidating, so the idea gradually faded.

But then it bloomed anew. Beloved community figure Frank Buxton—founder of The Edge improv troupe and patron saint of BPA—passed away in 2018. Before his death,

...the Bux has almost double the number of ADA seats that the former theater did, as well as a regraded entryway and expanded lobby.

he requested that BPA leadership move forward on the renovation. Friends and family jumped in with tributes, encouraging the BPA board to make Buxton’s dream a reality.

Its energized board got into it too, planning a fundraising effort, contacting other organizations, and strategizing how they could make the new building more than just a prettier version of the old. By 2020, the BPA board had a full set of plans for the renovation.

They hadn’t envisioned acting on them quite yet. The pandemic changed that.

Dave Carley of Carley Construction

“We sort of went, OK, hold on, we have to be out of the space,” Cantwell said, referring to pandemic-era stay-at-home orders. “We don’t have to put 100 percent of our efforts into productions. What are we going to put our efforts into?”

The answer was the Buxton Center for Performing Arts. Designed by LMN Architects, the Bux—as it’s affectionately known—is a child of the pandemic. Its grand opening is slated for September 30, 2023.

“In the strangest possible way, there was a silver lining for us,” Cantwell said. “I think that having it happen during COVID really ensured that our decisions were driven by the needs of the community.”

Among those community needs: sustainability and accessibility. Cantwell said the Bux delivers both.

Project manager Ralph Spillinger gets credit for enacting BPA’s sustainable vision. Spillinger, a former project and facilities manager at NASA, has made energy efficiency a priority. He’s overseen the creation of the Bux’s new vestibule, the ongoing salvage of materials and the installation of solar panels on two sides of its roof. Although LEED certification can’t be granted until the Bux opens, Cantwell and Spillinger believe they’ve racked up enough points for LEED Gold status—the second highest possible certification.

On the accessibility front, the Bux has almost double the number of ADA seats that the former theater did, as well as a regraded entryway and expanded lobby. For the first time, there is elevator access to an upstairs landing, so all patrons can take advantage of the full space. A

sensory access room, designed for patrons with specific sensory needs, boasts a soundproof window, as well as adjustable lights, sound and temperature. All these changes increase comfort and expand access for people who might previously have missed out on live theater.

BPA is also ensuring that the renovation project itself is local and community-focused by partnering with island-based contractor Carley Construction.

Owner and president Dave Carley said he has watched plenty of projects like the Bux go to out-of-town contractors. He’s acutely aware of what it means to be a hometown contractor working on a beloved community project.

“The guys that I work with and the people that are involved in this project are taking a lot of pride in it,” Carley said.

“Because it is a local project and they’re putting their name on it, their hearts are into it. The guys that are there every day are really pushing for excellence, because they know that they’ll be in there and it’ll be talked about and be part of the community.”

There’s no doubt that the physical space of the Bux—and what’s gone into creating it—is a huge piece of BPA’s September reopening. But in the end, “it’s not really about the building,” Cantwell said. It’s about “who is in the building. It’s about what it represents.”

Cantwell and her colleagues view the Bux’s grand opening as an inflection point for all of BPA—an opportunity not only to create a more inclusive physical environment, but to usher in a new era for the whole organization.

This fall, Cantwell will signal the beginning of that era by stepping down as executive director. Elizabeth Allum, the current director of BPA’s education program, will replace her.

“I think that Dominique…has identified that this is a pivotal moment for BPA,” Allum said. “And this is the best moment for us to have that renewed sense of intention behind our work. I think it’s an incredibly thoughtful decision of her…to pass the torch at this very moment.”

In many ways, Cantwell is a tough act to follow. But Allum is a worthy successor. Armed with a rich background in theater and dance education, she’s passionate about the importance of community theater. After all, she said, theater is about “helping people to gather to try to imagine what a

SYMPHONY SEARCH

The Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra is coming home. The upcoming 2023–2024 season is the first time since 2020 that the BSO will perform as a full orchestra on BPA’s main stage.

The all-volunteer community orchestra, founded in 1972 as the Bainbridge Orchestra, was brought under the BPA umbrella in 1993. Since then, the BSO has traditionally given four concert sets a year, rehearsing and performing mostly at the BPA theater.

better world could look like.”

One way that Allum plans to facilitate this pursuit is with intentional programming for the upcoming year—shows that will spark discussion and establish BPA’s values. The first mainstage performance of the season will be “The Prom,” a musical comedy about a teen girl trying to go to prom with her girlfriend.

Allum and her colleagues also plan to center BPA as an organization on the forefront of civic discourse by growing existing partnerships and connections across the island.

“These mental health struggles, the tensions among communities, increasing polarization of opinion… all these problems that we face are compounded by a sense of disconnection,” Allum said. “And a foundational aspect of tackling these issues at a community level is providing opportunities for connection.”

Cantwell added, “This only works because we work together.”

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the BSO had to abandon the theater. Then, when renovations at BPA began, they retreated to Bainbridge Cinemas. So, this September, returning to the newly renovated Buxton Center for Performing Arts, the BSO is making a fresh start.

That involves searching for a new music director, after former director Mario Alejandro Torres stepped down last year.

As the BSO committee drafted a job posting and reviewed applicants for the position, they considered not only technical ability, but enthusiasm for future programming. The BSO has long been an advocate for youth in classical music, offering free symphony tickets sponsored by Wicklund Dental and an annual Young Artist Concerto Competition. Outgoing BPA executive director Dominique Cantwell and her colleagues envision these opportunities expanding under a new director’s leadership.

Cantwell and the BSO committee—which includes former BSO music director Wesley Schultz and composer Andrew Joslyn—reviewed applications for 19 candidates. They settled on three finalists, who have yet to be publicly announced.

During the 2023–2024 season, each finalist will conduct a different BSO concert. Orchestra and audience members will offer feedback after each performance. By the end of the season, the BSO will finally have a winner.

“No matter who ends up being selected, it’s going to be awesome,” Cantwell said.

The first mainstage performance of the season will be “The Prom,” a musical comedy about a teen girl trying to go to prom with her girlfriend.

&

FLUIDITY PERMANENCE

By Alli Schuchman | Photos by David Cohen

Local Architect’s Family Home is an Exercise in Balance

The lot on the edge of the Grand Forest was bought. The house was designed. Even the structural drawings were in-hand and ready to be submitted for permitting.

Since moving to the island in 2005, it had always been architect Adin Dunning’s idea to design and build a home for his family. By 2010 all the pieces were falling into place. »

But as best-laid plans are wont to do, they got instantly unlaid, erased in just moments during an auspicious morning jog along Manitou Beach just south of Skiff Point. “It was like, oh man … daylight and sun and view,” he said, recalling the feeling that washed over him when he first saw the bright homesite on the upside of the road.

“So, I sold my property, sold that dream, and ended up moving here.”

“Here” sat two dilapidated cabins dragged up from the beach on the half-acre site. He and his two daughters lived in the “nicer” of the cabins, which had 900 square feet and was built in the 1950s. “Zero insulation, a tiny little thing, but we made it comfortable.” The other, older cabin was 500 square feet and falling in on itself. “It was basically, ‘That's where we keep our stuff, this is where we keep ourselves.’ That was the only way we made it work.”

It took the next eight or nine years for Adin to figure out what exactly to do next. Stepping into the modern home that stares across the Puget Sound straight into Seattle’s skyline, it is clear that it was time well spent. Adin

shares the home with his blended family—wife Keri (who he married on New Year’s Eve 2020), and their combined four daughters, two who are in high school and the other two in college.

For as long as the process took—from finding the site to moving in this past January—it’s been simmering lots longer than that in Adin’s mind. He recently came across a sketchbook in which he’d drawn house plans while commuting to the city before starting his own architectural firm, Studio Bracket, in 2017. He said it was interesting to see which of the sketched ideas made it through. “The design evolved,” he said. “I've always done contemporary work, but there were times it got way more modern and times it got less. I like trying to find the balance. I didn't want it to feel like a spaceship.”

One departure from the drawings is that the actual home ended up being much smaller. The flipped plan—the living spaces and primary bedroom are upstairs, and the entry and kids’ bedrooms are downstairs—is 2,600 square feet, but feels far bigger, thanks in part to the scale of the design. The pivoting front door is nearly 11½-feet tall, and the ceilings range from 11 to 13 feet downstairs to more than 15½ feet at the peak of the gable upstairs.

Adin joked that the home’s scale is even more noticeable, noting that his wife and their daughters are all rather petite,

the tallest measuring just 5-foot-2-inches. “It's made for someone really tall,” said Keri, “and I am one of the shortest people you will meet.”

The home’s impact starts from the street view and unfolds on each step thereafter. Inside, one’s eye first finds a steel staircase (crafted on Bainbridge by Versatile Machining) with massive steps milled from a dying cedar tree cut from the site. Just beyond the staircase, a window gives a glimpse into the forested backyard. “The front of the lot feels really sunny and is markedly warmer than the back property,” explained Adin. “It’s important to be able to see this little shade garden.” He said that the landscaping (which he and Keri are designing and installing themselves) is planned around those transitions from hot and dry to cool and shaded.

The two-story home is designed around one-level living, so that the living areas and kitchen take advantage of the view. A rooftop deck/ skybridge is a practical and visual extension of the main floor, plus provides a physical connection to the home’s ADU without sharing any common walls. The rooftop is partially covered and will (among other uses) be home to gardens. Also, by ending the two-story part of the design at the living room’s edge, it preserves the view for the uphill home behind the Dunnings.

An interesting structural element is the use of dimensional lumber, a cross-laminated timber product manufactured by Vaagen Timbers in Colville, Washington. It’s made by using smaller trees sourced from forest thinning, which are pressed together to make pieces up to 60-feet long and 4-feet wide, then pre-cut and drilled with all the holes for plumbing and electrical. “There’s a lot of front-end thinking. Checking and double checking, and then it's all modeled in the computer,” he said. “They come on a truck and a crane puts them all together.” The approach makes the home’s assembly far less wasteful and construction much quicker, too.

Adin pointed out where the precision of the computer-generated cuts became so valuable. “Since it’s a gabled roof, but the gable runs from corner to corner instead of being symmetrical, each of the beams and columns is a slightly different height,” he said. “All of the beams are tapered in two directions, so without the computer, you couldn't do it.”

The home is Bainbridge Island’s first such structure and is designed to be carbon negative, sequestering 73 metric tons of carbon, the equivalent of keeping 15 cars off the road. “It took North American forests nine seconds to grow the amount of wood,” he said, adding that it is designed to last more than 200 years.

Both upstairs and down, the Dunnings chose radiant concrete flooring that both heats and cools. The concrete only has a light polish and seal, and no added color. We didn't want control joints. We just wanted it to be smooth, let it crack,” Adin said. “Just let it be concrete.”

Upstairs, the open kitchen connects into the living room. Black cabinetry from Kimble Woodworks in Port Townsend, honed-finish Caesar stone countertops and Wolf appliances surround a hefty island that he fashioned from workbenches and a maple butcherblock top. A cluster of WAC Lighting pendants hangs over the space.

The primary bedroom is at the home’s rear and connects to a sleek en suite bathroom and closet that runs behind the wall.

Downstairs, the girls share two bedrooms which, in turn, share a bath that looks out a big window under a walkway that spans between the main home and the ADU. The Dunnings don’t yet know the plans for the ADU, but see it as a flexible option as a guest house or as a place their kids can come home to after college.

The home’s décor complements the modern design. Against the east-facing window in the living room are two mid-century modern chairs that the

Dunnings found at a garage sale on the south end of the island. The lights over the dining room table are spun aluminum Swell fixtures by Pablo.

Keri was always a part of the design, although Adin said she’s become progressively more comfortable with more modern materials. “We always land somewhere we agree.”

Keri said that he had her look online at houses to gauge her reactions. “That was one of our favorite Saturday activities,” she said. “He never really asked what I liked, but he just would kind of file it away.” Keri, a dietician by trade, said she’s been more than happy to go along for the ride.

“I'm lucky that I get to live it with him.”

Many additional area contractors and suppliers worked on the home, including 2atara Design + Construction, Blackmouth Design, Trinity Excavating, Gabryshak Painting, and MillsWork.

Your Success is Our Passion

magic moments

What first comes to mind when thinking about fall on Bainbridge Island? Other than clinging to the last remnants of sunny weather for the year, for many it’s likely the Suyematsu Farms pumpkin patch. With iconic sweeping fields of pumpkins, a hay maze and tractor rides, all surrounded by a cornucopia of red, orange and yellow shaded trees, it comes as no surprise the idyllic farm on Day Road is an island favorite.

BY SOPHIA SOLTES

PHOTOS BY GEORGE SOLTES AND ALLI SCHUCHMAN

Founded by Yasuji and Mitsuo Suyematsu in 1928, Suyematsu Farms bills itself as the largest production farm in Kitsap County. However, this achievement didn’t come without struggle. Along with more than 200 other Japanese American islanders during World War II, the Suyematsus were ordered to leave their home and forcibly taken to the Manazar and Minidoka concentration camps before returning to Bainbridge after the war. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the family, both before and after the Exclusion, the Suyematsu pumpkin patch is now one of the most cherished fall traditions on the island.

Here, surrounded by family, friends and all imaginable forms of gourds, it’s easy to leave behind everyday stresses, freeing you up to worry about more important things … such as how many pumpkins can conceivably be piled into a single wagon and carted over to the check out.

TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT OUR WILDLIFE

West Sound Wildlife Shelter receives no state or federal funding. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS COMMUNITY RESOURCE!

BY JEFF FRAGA PHOTOS BY DINAH SATTERWHITE

CUPS:

Where Islanders Go to Nosh (and Dish)

The Cups brand began as a tiny coffee shop in Poulsbo. Soon it was joined by more Cups locations, one of which is on Bainbridge Island. “We love being not just a café, but also a community gathering place,” said Jimmy Harris, who owns the growing family of coffee shops with his husband, Michael.

“Sometimes the mayor from Bainbridge will hold little meet and greets here, said Harris. “There are walking groups that come here. A sign language group meets here, too. So, there are all of these people that use the space in different ways—and we provide them with food. You can get everything from cookies to sandwiches to veggie bowls to coffee, of course.”

All pastry case items are made from scratch, said Harris. “We even have signature pastries that people come in for specifically, like our lemonade shortbread cookie with lemon frosting and sprinkles on top.”

feast on this

Harris said that Cups now sells the cookie wholesale to a number of accounts in Kitsap County— including Commuter Comforts at the ferry terminal.

Cups’ quiches also are popular, he said. “Our Christmas quiche has become something of a tradition. We make them every year now, and families include them in their Christmas buffets.

“It’s nice to know they’re part of the fun.”

Cups Espresso & Café

123 Bjune Drive SE, 206-317-6462

feast on this

Sauce Nouvelle Shows You Why

Some of Sauce Nouvelle’s sandwich combinations are so creative you’d think co-owner Nik Ganea gets them from a black box.

Which is exactly what he does. “I got it from cooking shows,” Ganea said. “They literally put several ingredients in a black box, so contestants can’t see what they are. And that’s what I do on a daily basis—test different ingredients to see how they work together.”

Sandwich combinations have included Rainier Cherry Roasted Beef: Rainier cherry sauce, garlic aioli, pickled red onion, arugula on ciabatta roll; and B.B.Q Pork Sandwich with daikon, carrot, cucumber, red onion crema and mixed greens in a baguette. The menu, which changes regularly, also includes a number of soups and salads.

Ganea has been in the cooking industry since 2004 and has worked at three different Michelin-starred restaurants and hotels, including a stint as a pastry chef in Lyon.

Looking ahead, Ganea said he doesn’t plan to stop doing what he’s doing. “It’s a great business and reflects exactly what my values are. It’s all about healthy food and creating conversation. That’s my ultimate goal. If I can create a conversation, I can create a connection. That’s where food comes in.”

Treehouse Café

Lots to Love, Both Old and New

“Owning a restaurant was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Angela Payne, who bought the Treehouse Café from long-time owner and founder Arnie Sturham in 2023. “I love the concept of a restaurant as nourishing the soul and the body at the same time.”

Payne did a lot of research, studying every aspect of the Treehouse before deciding it was the perfect spot for a first-time restaurant owner. “Arnie did a great job of having this place set up,” said Payne. “He was really organized, so it was easy for somebody who has never owned a business like this to kind of step right in.“

feast on this

While Payne has already made some changes to the Treehouse, some things are staying the same. For example, pizzas are still named after places on the island—such as the Rockaway (tomato sauce, mozzarella, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, Uli’s sausage, black olives, green peppers and mushrooms) and the Point White Pesto (basil pesto, mozzarella, chicken, mushrooms, artichokes and Roma tomato).

And music fans will be glad to know that Payne is also continuing the Treehouse’s tradition of live music. “We had our first musical show just a week after the sale closed,” she said. “The music definitely adds to the fun. It’s great to see people out and enjoying a great time.”

After all, that’s really what the Treehouse is all about—having a great time. “I’ve been amazed and so happy with all the support and feeling the love from everybody,” she said.

“It’s been everything I expected and nothing I expected all at once.”

1. Moonlight Market

Ease the transition into fall with Winslow’s magical (read: outdoor music, twinkly lights) Moonlight Market. A new(ish) staple of the First Friday Art Walk, the market features an array of local artisans and an exciting variety of hand-crafted bites. September 1, October 6, 5 p.m.–9 p.m. moonlight-market.com

2. Ranger and the Re-arrangers at the Marketplace

Ranger and the Re-arrangers have been treating Bainbridge Island to lively Hot Club Jazz for nearly two decades. Grab a glass of wine, close your eyes and soak up the aura of 1930s Paris (while you’re actually in Lynwood Center). September 9, 7 p.m.–9 p.m. pleasantbeachvillage.com

3. Bainbridge Arts & Crafts 75th Anniversary Celebration

Bainbridge Arts & Crafts is turning 75 this year and everyone is invited to the party. The event, at its Winslow gallery, will feature music, raffles and activities led by local artists. In celebration of this milestone, BAC is releasing a “Thriving Artists Cookbook,” a sequel to the “Starving Artists” cookbooks the organization published in the 1970s. September 9, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. bacart.org

4. Frank Buxton Silent Film Festival

From a Soviet-era Ukrainian masterpiece to triple-feature slapstick, cinephiles will delight in the variety of genres offered at BIMA’s Silent Film Festival. All movies feature live musical accompaniment. Tickets can be purchased online. September 15, 7 p.m.; September 16, 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.; September 17, 7 p.m. biartmuseum.org

5. Ollella at the Marketplace AND later at Manor House

Ellie Barber (aka Ollella) splits her time between environmental advocacy and music, where she combines fresh, genredefying compositions with her training as a classical cellist. Her newest album, “Back Back Back,” offers a glimpse into her wide range of musical styles (and talents). Marketplace September 23 7–9 p.m. Manor House November 11, 7–9 p.m. pleasantbeachvillage.com

6. Winney Farm Fall Festival

Winney Farm’s Fall Festival is back after a successful inauguration last year. Hop on a hayride, pick a pumpkin or groove to some live music, all while getting to know one of the island’s working, sustainable farms. Naturally, there will also be food (and a beer garden). September 30 heydayfarm.com

7. Weave Presents: From Alaska to Amazonas

From Alaska to Amazonas will feature an immersive mélange of music, spoken word poetry and visual art from Tinglit people of Alaska and the Indigenous peoples of the Brazilian Amazon. The theme of resistance (to colonialism as well as climate change) will tie the evening together. September 30, 7:30 p.m. (doors and bar at 7) weavepresents.org

8. Bainbridge Gardens Pumpkin Walk

One of the most magical places on the island gets even more magical during the monthlong Pumpkin Walk in October. This year, local food trucks, such as Battle Point BBQ, Sauced and Sweet Dahlia’s, are joining the festivities on weekends. Bring your own painted pumpkin to add to the trail.

Month of October, Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m, Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. bainbridgegardens.com

9. The Prom at BPA

When a group of Broadway stars learns that Emma, a highschooler in Indiana, is banned from bringing her girlfriend to the prom, they rush to her aid. This joyful, Tonynominated musical comedy demonstrates “the power of theater to bring people together”— a fitting choice for the Buxton Center’s (see page 38) inaugural season. October 13–29, Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays3 p.m., pay-what-you-can Thursday October 12, 7:30 p.m. bainbridgeperformingarts.org

10. SIRSY at the Marketplace

SIRSY’s repertoire ranges from swaying melodies to beat-driven headbangers with growling vocals. All the way from New York and on tour across the states, the rock duo makes more sound than you might expect from just two people. Be prepared to dance. October 27 7–9 p.m. pleasantbeachvillage.com

A Moment of Metamorphosis

Cindy Dorman learned the practice of mindfulness years ago from Dr. Cezanne Allen at the Dayaalu Center. “I practice mindfulness whenever I take my dog Chewy out,” said Dorman, who lives in the Grow Community in Winslow. “This beautiful caterpillar caught my eye. And I absolutely love photography.” Dorman, a former internist who treats dyslexia, said that her principals are simple: gratitude, laughter and helping people.

Fun tidbit we learned on a-z-animals.com while down a caterpillar factchecking rabbit hole: They’re totally ripped, with 4,000 total muscles, including 248 in their heads and 70 in each body segment. Get swole, caterpillar!