PNW Bainbridge Summer 24

STELLAR SKIES AHEAD

yesterday, today, tomorrow

Irecently had the privilege of accompanying my husband’s 55+ mixed doubles tennis team to Scottsdale, Arizona for the National Finals. I’m not quite old enough to be on the team, but I did get to practice with them a lot and even finagled the title of unofficial mascot.

They didn’t make it very far in the bracket, but they played some great tennis nonetheless and it was fun to watch them on such a big stage. Making it that far through regular season play, districts and regional finals was a giant accomplishment, especially for people who are largely constrained to indoor play because of the Pacific Northwest’s rainy climate.

(and PNW Bainbridge writer) Kerrie Reightley, even made a highlight roster board, which she hung outside the courts at the BI Rec Center.

Long gone are the days when someone being 55 was considered old, because this team isn’t just remarkable for their age, they’re remarkable. Fast and athletic and fit. You see a lot of that around here and it makes me excited that if I play my cards right, I have lots of spry runway ahead of me, too.

And secondly, but not unrelatedly, is the importance of community. There’s a growing body of evidence that says having meaningful social connections positively influences our minds and bodies, which in turn boosts our health and life expectancy. This team has that in spades, but so does our island as a whole. While putting this issue (and every issue) together, we see countless examples of community, whether it’s being part of the Ten-Minute Play Festival, hanging out at the Moonlight Market or planting zucchini at one of Bainbridge’s community gardens.

Recognizing and fostering our remarkable community is good (in lots of ways) for us all. And I’m reminded once again that we’re very lucky to live here.

Allison

Allison Schuchman Editor in Chief

From left to right, back row: Jim Ferguson, Tom Crowley, Jackie Osland, Paul Koessler, Kerrie Reightley, Jill Queen, Mark Alderson Front row: Alan Schuchman, Susanne Neupauer, Adrienne Crowley, Paul Sullivan

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, Audrey Nelson, Kerrie Houston Reightley, Sophia Soltes, Bajda Welty, Anne Willhoit

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Keith Brofsky, David W. Cohen, Annie Graebner, Dinah Satterwhite, Steve Stolee, Matthew Sumi

CONTACT

(206) 486-4097 • pnwbainbridge@gmail.com Instagram @pnwbainbridge Facebook at PNW Bainbridge

High Notes

Letters From Stephanie Reese

When I came to Bainbridge Island five years ago, I fell in love with its art, nature and traditions.

I also had a dream. I saw and believed, given Bainbridge Island’s rich history, that there should be an Asian Festival.

During my singing career, I was invited to perform at such festivals across the United States and abroad. I loved the crowds, the artists, the food vendors, the festive atmosphere and the array of cultural performances.

Now, thanks to Arts and Humanities Bainbridge (and its very inspired and enthusiastic board), this dream has become a reality.

As the only Asian member of the board (my mother is Filipino and Chinese and my father is Japanese and Caucasian), I knew that I would be the lone voice directly connected to this vision. It took little convincing, though, as everyone felt the importance of what it would mean for our community and signed on quickly. We talked of creating a new island tradition: a legacy of events, art and literature.

With all of our enthusiasm, the key element was the Asian community itself. The question we asked was not what we should do for this festival, but what Asian islanders themselves wanted.

I put a call out to Asian friends across the island and grew connections with the island’s Filipino and Japanese communities. Other board members and friends of friends got in touch with still more people they knew. Word spread quickly and suddenly we were building something beyond the missions of the individual groups. We were building community bridges. People began to reach out, asking to participate and volunteer. Partnerships formed with sponsors from Bainbridge and beyond. What had started as a one-day event grew into a month-long celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

The fact that my festival dream came true is amazing, but the journey to get there has been an even bigger gift. I’ve formed new friendships, built new bridges and found a newfound love and respect for our beautiful, magical island.

EVOLVING THE EXCEPTIONAL

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Top producing broker Mark Middleton and his wife and business partner, Suzy Legier-Middleton, have opened a new residential brokerage—The Agency Bainbridge Island. The Agency Bainbridge Island, a full-service boutique residential brokerage with a worldwide network has opened its doors, now serving Kitsap and the entire Puget Sound. Mark and Suzy, long-time residents of Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo are proud to bring The Agency brand to their community. Driven by their passion for excellence, marketing innovation, and exceptional customer service—The Agency Bainbridge Island brings a luxury experience to where you call home.

CONTENTS

summer 2024

departments

Editor’s Letter 4

High Notes 5

Contributors 9

Epilogue 9

Calendar 62

secrets

Hot Stuff 11

Local salsa hits shelves

Mystic Connections 12

Stones offer spiritual link to the world

sHORTS

Dig In 22

Local P-Patches satisfy the urge to garden

Moonlight Madness 26

Monthly bazaars highlight work of area creatives

Getting the Runaround 30

Fort Ward parkruns have something for everyone

Tomato Love 36

William Alexander delves into summer’s favorite vegetable/fruit

Hole New Way 38

Kids book takes a fresh look at the world

Butterfly Effect 40

Summer invites us to emerge from our dormant stage

RECIPES

Chocolate Plus Zucchini 44

A garden staple gets a makeover

AND ANOTHER THING

Now & Then 14

Islanders’ love of parades once focused on strawberries

Magic Moments 56

Blackberries are forbidden— yet delicious—fruit

In Focus 64

Tending 42 colonies keeps Bryan Kramer busy as, well, a bee

ABOUT THE COVER

This stunning Aurora Borealis was captured by islander David Litchfield. Originally from Scotland, he and his family have lived on Bainbridge for four years. He’s always had an interest in astrophotography and knew there was going to be an incredible display of the Northern Lights on Friday May 10, so he headed out to Battle Point Park with his kids for the darker skies to watch the show. And what a show it was!

| EPILOGUE |

Hands down the best news we have is that Stephanie Reese’s dad, Harold Reese, who she wrote about in the Spring issue’s High Notes column, is home from the hospital and rehab center and is on the mend after his heart attack in January. We send the entire Reese family our wishes for his continued health.

We caught up with island filmmaker Rachel Noll James, whose film “Ingress” was featured in the Spring issue on page 18. “Response to ‘Ingress’ has been incredible,” she was happy to report. “So many insightful questions and conversations after screenings and some phenomenal reviews… people seem to really be connecting with the film. Can’t wait to get it on streaming this summer.” Emergence Films, her nonprofit initiative to support developing female filmmakers, is still in its fundraising stage. “We had some wonderful initial donors who helped launch us,” she said. Noll James said to expect more concrete news on its progress in the next couple of months.

BIMA’s Treasure Trek is set to return this summer. The popular glass float hunt, featured in our Spring 2023 issue on page 11, will run from June 15 to July 13 with 200 yellow orbs hidden on public lands across Kitsap County. The glass balls, hand-blown by youth artists working with Tacoma nonprofit Hilltop Artists, are just waiting to be discovered and treasured by intrepid art lovers. The rules are unchanged and simple: finders keepers… but hold on to only one, so more people can enjoy the hunt.

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.

Sophia Soltes

Sophia Soltes is a 2022 BHS graduate. She will be a junior 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. Read her article about Nora Nickum’s forthcoming picture book “This Book Is Full of Holes” on page 38.

Anne Willhoit

Anne Willhoit is a teacher, writer, photographer, and parent. She tries really hard to only make one big kitchen mess per day but rarely achieves this goal. She likes to collect and play with recipes and is always grateful for the seasonal bounty that our island provides. When not rising bread or teaching children, she enjoys reading fiction, beach sitting, paddling, and feeding friends.

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Comin’ In Hot

Local Salsa Hits Island Shelves

One could easily imagine exotic influences behind the recent launch of Ardell Food Company’s first product, Ardell Salsa, but owner Ross Eide said otherwise.

“It’s named after my Norwegian mom. I was raised in Minnesota, on Midwestern casseroles. Things that warm you up and stick with you. Every recipe included cream of mushroom soup. Even the vegetables were creamed.” But in the ‘90s, his mom created a salsa recipe, which soon became a favorite among his college buddies.

The inspiration to market it came when Eide’s youngest son Rooney, now 10, was a kindergartener at Bethany Lutheran Church. “He brought the salsa to share with his classmates, and his friends loved it, too,” Eide said. “They started asking their parents to buy it and the parents started encouraging me to sell it, and that stayed in the back of my mind.” When one of those couples recently purchased the Jiffy Mart on Sunrise Drive, Eide brought in samples, and the rest is history.

But “history” is easier said than done. “The minute you cut a vegetable,” Eide said, “you must go through a full process with the Washington State Department of Agriculture of getting inspections, an LLC, tax documentation and so on.”

His background working as a lawyer—prior to becoming a stay-at-home dad for sons Rooney and Haakon—helped facilitate the process. Ardell Salsa is now available at Jiffy Mart, Walt’s, Bay Hay & Feed and Willowtree Market, with hopes for expansion to Town & Country Markets.

His secret sauce? “Fewer ingredients, and higher quality,” said Eide. “We have hot, medium and mild. The spiciness is based on the number of jalapenos. It varies from batch to batch, because, in nature, fresh jalapenos vary batch to batch. Heat consistency would mean a chemical process, and we don’t want that.”

Just the way Mom made it.

INTO THE

MYSTIC

BY KERRIE HOUSTON REIGHTLEY

PHOTOS COURTESY

HIDDEN GEM

Some people search the world for hidden treasures of the metaphys ical, spiritual or physical variety. But we need look no further than our own backyard to find Hidden Gem, sister company to Willowtree Market. Here, islanders can get Tarot card or astrology readings; peruse crystals and hand-made jewelry; and learn about intentions and manifestations, meditation and the metaphysical properties of stones.

For Hidden Gem and Willowtree Market owner Heather Jaynes, the throughline of the stores is wellness. “Willowtree has supplements and health food, but Hidden Gem is more about spiritual wellness,” she said. “My mission is to bring wellness to our community and connect those two components to experience a different level of healing or wellness.”

Jaynes’ idyllic childhood memories are of exploring alone through the forests and streams of her great-grandmother’s property in Franklin, North Carolina. Known for its sapphires, garnets and rubies, her female relatives’ favorite pastime was sifting through dirt and finding stones. “They weren’t gem quality, but it was very exciting,” said Jaynes. Franklin proved fertile ground for her first encounters with “mystical experiences,” a deep spiritual connection with the world around her and the importance of women supporting one another.

Not unlike Jaynes’ childhood, Hidden Gem store manager Lou LaPlant grew up in Vermont searching for fairies, quartz and mica. About 10 years ago, while going through a rough patch, a friend introduced her to crystals and their metaphysical properties. “I wanted to believe in magic,” she said, “but was skeptical. At the very least, I’d hold a crystal, take a deep breath and get my shoulders away from my ears.”

But after studying the stones intensely for the past decade, she’s become known as the “crystal maven” and offers private consultations to those seeking a stone that will align with their needs. “Everyone is searching for something,” she said. “We have stones for every budget, from something to fit in your pocket to stunning statement pieces for your home.”

Hidden Gem is located at 380 Winslow Way, across from Town & Country

ON THE MARCH

BY GEORGE SOLTES

Bainbridge Island loves a parade. For much of its history, though, the event that half the island watches and the other half marches in was not held on the Fourth of July. Rather, it took place in June, to celebrate the Strawberry Festival.

The big Strawberry Festival parade fizzled out in the 1950s and Bainbridge suffered from parade withdrawal for over a decade until, in 1967, one tenacious resident decided that enough was enough.

Arnie Jackson—third-generation islander, local businessman and 48year volunteer firefighter—teamed up with the Bainbridge Island Chamber

PHOTOS BY KEITH BROFSKY AND COURTESY ROBERT CURTIN COLLECTION, BAINBRIDGE HISTORY MUSEUM

of Commerce that year to organize the island’s first Grand Old Fourth of July Parade. Other than a single pause for the pandemic in 2020, it hasn’t missed a beat since.

Jackson, nicknamed “Growly” and later described by a Seattle Times reporter as Bainbridge’s “dean of the old-timers,” enjoyed telling stories, racing

cars, hunting, fishing and, for more than 20 years, coordinating the parade, often by shouting orders from his motorcycle.

This year, for the 57th time, we’ll witness a mile-long procession of classic cars, bands, bagpipers, librarians, Little Leaguers and representatives from just about every other organization on the island. As they march past, consider giving an extra flag wave for Arnie Jackson, who knew that a parade was exactly what we needed.

HOLD THE STAGE

BY AUDREY NELSON

The theater was dark, the audience was rapt and Alex Sanso’s glasses were on the floor. It was the end of a 10-minute play, “Routinely,” written by Erica Salazar and staged in August 2023 as part of Island Theatre’s annual Ten-Minute Play Festival. According to the script, Sanso—playing a complicated mother figure—was supposed to collect the pills that had scattered across the stage. There was one problem: Seconds earlier, Sanso’s fellow actor Gianna Soltero-Argo had accidentally knocked Sanso’s glasses off her face.

PHOTOS BY STEVE STOLEE

Soltero-Argo, a rising senior at North Kitsap High School at the time of the production, admitted later that she’d lost herself in the intense emotion of the play, which addressed mental health in the Latino community.

“You get really into the character!” Soltero-Argo said with a laugh.

Sanso, glasses-less, knew the show had to go on.

“I just kind of got on my knees and started collecting the meds like I was supposed to do,” Sanso recalled. “And thinking to myself, ‘I sure hope my glasses didn’t break.’”

The glasses survived. Sanso scooped them up and hurried offstage. With not a second to waste—it was time for the next play.

So it goes in any good 10-minute play festival. The chaos of one play is forgotten as it rolls into the next, with hardly a moment for the audience to catch its breath. The whole time, the moving parts involved in producing any work of theater are all but invisible.

Don’t be fooled, though. There are plenty of moving parts.

Just ask Steve Stolee. Stolee is the managing director of Island

Theatre, a 30-year-old Bainbridge institution billed as “The Best Damn Theatre Company in the World.” He’s been involved with the Ten-Minute Play Festival since its 2011 inception, which means he’s familiar with the year-round process required to stage the festival.

Each fall, Island Theatre publishes a call for submissions. Playwrights then have until February to submit original plays, which are reviewed by a panel of judges. Directors hold auditions in May, and a summer of rehearsals leads up to an August show.

It might surprise some to know that compared to a full-length play, the festival is a relatively small commitment for writers, actors and directors.

“I can always make room for a 10-minute play, if I can get in one,” Sanso said. “It helps feed that little yearning I have for performance, and that community feeling of going through the process.”

That “community feeling” is not an accident. What sets the Ten-Minute Play

Festival apart from other showcases is that participants are required to be connected to Kitsap County in some way.

“We’re trying to knit together the cities that fall within the perimeters of the county,” Stolee said.

In addition to engaging the community, the festival is a way for theater

newbies to learn the basics and grow their talents. Island Theatre hosts an annual playwriting workshop associated with the festival, and the showcase itself often features new directors, actors and writers.

Island resident Chelsea Leah participated in the festival for the first time

Sam McJunkin and Barbara Deering in “The Royale Deluxe” by James E. Anderson III

Most of 2015’s cast, crew and directors in rehearsal in BPA Playhouse

last summer. Her play, “Laundry Day,” was the first she’d ever written.

“Watching my play come to life—that was remarkable, really,” Leah said. “You have these ideas in your head, and you have the black and white paper in front of you. And, all of a sudden, it’s turned into three-dimensional people with facial expressions and colors and sounds right there on the stage.”

The festival attracts its share of theater veterans, too. Pete Benson, who once led the New Plays Festival at California Institute of the Arts, has directed four plays for the Ten-Minute Play Festival. The festival’s commitment to simplicity and accessibility keeps him coming back for more.

“I do think it’s one of the most challenging and fun experiences on the island,” he said.

On August 7, the 2024 festivities will kick off with a Meet the Playwrights event at the Bainbridge Public Library. The 11th annual Ten-Minute Play Festival, with a theme of Hunger, will take place August 22 to 24 at the newly renovated Buxton Center for Bainbridge Performing Arts.

It’s worth a watch. After all, even if one of the plays isn’t your cup of tea, there will be another in 10 minutes.

Tim Takechi and Stephanie Reese in “Okaeshi” by Eileen Miller

Curtain call of all 2022 actors at the Bainbridge Pavilion.

Garden

VARIETY

P-PATCHES KEEP ISLAND GARDENERS IN SPADES

Imagine that you’ve been gardening your whole life.

You have a big house and a garden full of flowers, fruit and vegetables. But one day, you decide it’s time to downsize. You move to downtown Winslow, into a cozy condo with no garden at all. Although you thought your gardening days were over, there’s a part of you that longs for soil-stained hands and long hours in the yard.

So, what do you do?

If you’re anything like the dozens of islanders in the same predicament, you find a Bainbridge community garden, an assortment of public and private P-patches scattered across the island, each maintained by devoted gardeners and home to a hotbed of conversation, community and care.

P-patches are named after the Picardo family, who owned the land where the first Seattle-area community garden was established. The concept behind

a P-patch is simple. Privately or publicly held land is divided into plots, which are then reserved by individual gardeners. These gardeners tend their own plots while also maintaining communal aspects of the garden, such as fencing and raised beds.

One of the best-known Bainbridge P-patches is the sprawling community garden at Battle Point Park. It has 34 plots, all of which are currently claimed, and is overseen by the BI Metro Park & Recreation District. The district also manages a smaller P-patch at Red Pine Park, just up the hill from Pegasus Coffee.

But the community garden landscape extends far beyond the Parks district. Self-described “dahlia nut” Len Beil oversees Wacky Nut Community Garden near Rockaway Bluff. You might know Wacky Nut as the garden behind the

“self-serve dahlia cart” parked outside Hall’s Hill Labyrinth. Beil confirmed that many people who take advantage of the Wacky Nut P-patch are longtime gardeners who have recently downsized.

“We’ve met a lot of wonderful people,” he said. “People that maybe moved from a home where they used to garden to a condo or apartment. So, we’ve made space for them to garden and get their hands dirty.”

Community gardens aren’t just for garden veterans, though. Anita Rockefeller is the owner of Rock Farm Community Garden, on the north end of the island. She and her husband, Phil, started Rock Farm shortly after the 2008 financial crisis, anticipating that local food banks would need more donations. Today, Rock Farm continues to provide fruits and vegetables to Helpline House on Bainbridge

BY AUDREY NELSON

PHOTOS COURTESY KRISTI HEATH

and Fishline in Poulsbo. And Rockefeller, who spends most days in the garden, continues to offer new gardeners informal lessons on fertilizer, soil and planting strategies.

Learning together is a common theme among the island’s P-patches. Ed Clemens is the volunteer coordinator for the

community at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church in downtown Winslow. When he began to organize work parties to maintain the garden, he noticed that it had an energizing effect on his gardeners.

“During these work parties, one of the things I noticed was all of the chatter,” Clemens said. “People were working, but they were [also] talking a lot, and they were exchanging ideas.”

The concept of exchange is big for Clemens. He’s drawn to “the ethic of reciprocity”—a concept that Robin Wall Kimmerer describes in her book “Braiding Sweetgrass”—and he tries to consciously bring that tenet to his work with the EHCC garden.

“You might start out thinking, ‘OK, I’ve got a garden, I’ve got a little plot,’” said Clemens. “This is gonna supply me with lettuce for the summer or tomatoes for the summer. And you’re thinking about your individual rewards. But soon you recognize that it goes beyond just planting seeds and plants for yourself, for your own consumption.”

“At its heart, a community garden is about giving and receiving,” Clemens continued. “Gardeners give time and labor and receive love and community. It’s no wonder that people have accrued spiritual benefits from spending time in Bainbridge community gardens.”

“I’ve had people say things like, ‘Once you garden at Rock Farm, you don’t want to garden anywhere else,’” Anita Rockefeller said. “‘This is better than church; it’s so mellow.’ I mean, I certainly feel it…I don’t need a psychiatrist. This is my mental health.”

SHOOT FOR THE

MOON

INSIDE THE TWO-WOMAN MISSION TO BRING NIGHTLIFE TO BAINBRIDGE

On an island with an informal bedtime of 8 p.m., genuine nighttime fun can be hard to come by. But the Moonlight Market, a night bazaar hosting artists and small businesses from around the Puget Sound, is changing Bainbridge’s sleepy reputation. Coinciding with First Friday Art Walks, the Market takes over the lawn in front of Bainbridge Performing Arts from 5 to 9 p.m., May through October.

BY ISABELLE HAINES

“We wanted to build on the momentum of First Fridays while bringing in creatives in a really low-barrier way,” said Sarah Wen, who co-runs the Market with Lily Karsten. The longtime friends

united under a professional alias: the Moonlight Ladies. (Yes, that is a James Taylor reference.) They first conceived of the Moonlight Market back in 2018, as new moms who wanted to see something family-friendly and different in the island’s social and commercial scene.

Wen and Karsten piloted the Market in August 2021. It was a team effort: tents were borrowed; friends and husbands strung up tea lights. Even on that first go, the Moonlight Ladies were surprised by the crowd—they built a market and people came. They’ve kept on building ever since.

“The Market is shopping, it’s food, it’s music, it’s a place to gather and enjoy a drink with friends and community,” said Wen. “We really try to give our vendors the space to show people what they can do.”

“This is an event where not every single vendor lives on Bainbridge — it’s a great opportunity to expose the community to artists and creatives from off-island,” added Karsten.

It’s an intentionally eclectic lineup. Market-goers can find anything from dainty gold jewelry made from recycled

THE MARKET IS SHOPPING, IT’S FOOD, IT’S MUSIC, IT’S A PLACE TO GATHER AND ENJOY A DRINK WITH FRIENDS AND COMMUNITY.

metals to hot dogs swaddled in checkered paper to plump, Buddha-like clay figures striking exuberant poses. Wen and Karsten carefully curate each Market, favoring small-batch, local and sustainable goods. They also seek out vendors whose work is influenced by a specific culture or incorporates traditional technique, in addition to championing BIPOC-owned, women-owned, and queer-owned businesses. While other markets may have 70 or 80 vendors, Wen and Karsten prefer to keep it small. Featuring 20 to 30 vendors means that each Moonlight Market is edited and balanced and helps assure that each vendor has a good experience. It can be draining and expensive for small businesses to get exposure through the market circuit. The Moonlight Ladies understand the struggle.

“It’s really hard to pop up a tent by yourself,” said Karsten. “We have an incredible team that helps us set up the event to make it as easy as possible for vendors.”

This year, around 120 vendors are booked for the six-month run. The diverse array offers something for everyone. Fashionistas should keep an eye out for Cocobolo, a sleek, sister-owned clothing brand operating out of Tacoma; the Port Townsend-based vintage boutique One on One; and the upcycled fashion label COOJ. Anyone looking to buff up their skincare routine should be on the lookout for Onyx + Petal, a botanical skincare

brand. And then there’s the You As An Animal project, through which illustrator Michelle Lassaline creates 5-minute watercolor portraits of participants as the animal of their choice.

There’s also a resident DJ—Deejay Hershe—whose signature blend of lounge, soul and funk has become the Market’s soundtrack. It’s summer, sonically personified, and tends to get people dancing.

“By the last hour of the Market, it’s usually turned into a full-blown dance party,” said Wen.

The Moonlight Ladies are ready to keep growing the project, which could mean finding more community partners or expanding the Market to other Kitsap and Seattle neighborhoods. Three years in, Wen and Karsten still feel the same anticipation from that first-ever Market, way back in the summer of 2021.

“The crowd surprises us every time,” said Wen. “People show up at 5:01, and they’re still there when we’re cleaning up.”

Learn more at moonlight-market.com

Getting THE RUNAROUND

RUN, WALK,

VOLUNTEER (OR JUST HANG OUT) AT THE FORT WARD PARKRUN

The main trail at Fort Ward Park is quiet at 8:45 on a Saturday morning. A trio of cyclists, a solitary dogwalker and a strolling couple swinging a toddler between them have it pretty much to themselves.

BY GEORGE SOLTES

Fifteen minutes later, though, a 5k racecourse has appeared, complete with a starting line, turnaround points and a finishing chute marked with colorful cones. After brief comments by the run director welcoming new participants and celebrating those achieving milestones, the runners—ranging from a duo of speedsters in front, to a man pushing three kids in an enormous stroller at the rear—are off.

PHOTOS BY GEORGE SOLTES AND COURTESY FORT WARD PARKRUN

To date, the nonprofit has registered more than 9 million people.

The racers shout encouragement to each other as they repeatedly cross paths during the two-and-a-half circuits of the up-and-back route. The early finishers, after presenting a barcode to a volunteer to have their times recorded, welcome the remaining runners until all have completed the course. A volunteer “tail walker” is the last to cross the finish line. By 10:15 a.m., all evidence of the pop-up race is gone, and the volunteers and runners have headed out to meet for coffee at nearby Lynwood Center.

Another Fort Ward parkrun is in the books.

The first parkrun took place in 2004 at Bushy Park in Teddington, England, with 13 runners and five volunteers. From that humble start, the organization—based on the core principles that the events should be weekly, free and open to all who want to participate in any way they like—has grown to include more than 2,200 sites in 23 countries.

A one-time registration provides a personalized barcode which allows parkrunners to join any of the Saturday morning 5k events around the world. The emphasis is on persistence rather than speed, with recognition given for milestones, ranging from 25 to 1,000 parkruns completed. To date, the nonprofit has registered more than 9 million people.

Lee Nathan discovered parkrun in 2017, when his job took him and wife Amanda to Northern Ireland. “One of my coworkers in Belfast knew that I was a runner,” he said. “She let me know about parkrun and I just jumped into it. The local organizers welcomed us with open arms. We were like the American celebrities. We developed a running family there apart from our actual family that was thousands of miles away.”

The Nathans returned to the Seattle area and ultimately settled on Bainbridge Island in 2020. Despite the addition to the family of Belfast-born daughter Aila, Nathan felt that there was still something missing. “Being across the water from any parkruns, I felt the hole in my life,” he said, “and started to look at what the procedure was to start one here.”

After spending a year unsuccessfully lobbying the Bainbridge park district on his own, Nathan found allies in an unexpected place. While perusing fitness tracker Strava, he noticed a comment thread from retired BHS cross country coach Mike Shiach expressing interest in starting a Bainbridge parkrun. Upon further investigation, Nathan discovered that Mike’s son Ian, also a parkrun enthusiast, lived just two houses down. The neighbors teamed up, along with Mike and Amanda, and recruited another neighbor, long-time runner Dana Amore, who joined the cause despite having never heard of parkrun.

The newly filled-out core team began all over again. After an initial Battle Point Park proposal was rejected by the park district over parking concerns and Sakai Park was deemed impractical, the group turned its attention to the south side of the island, where it finally found its home. The inaugural Fort Ward parkrun took place in January 2023 and runs have been held every Saturday morning since.

Now, 70 parkruns in and counting, Bainbridge has developed its own local flavor. Fort Ward has “a lot of really cool side effects that we weren’t even anticipating,” said Ian Shiach. “It’s a great spectator-friendly course. You get to see all the other participants more than once, so families who are running or walking at different speeds get to see each other a bunch of times.”

Islanders and regional runners—one coming all the way from Neah Bay—are regulars at the Fort Ward runs. Additionally, parkrun tourists (yes, that’s a thing) occasionally pop up from around the world, some with the very specific goal of adding an F for the alphabet challenge, in which runners attempt to participate in a parkrun beginning with each letter of the alphabet.

“Everybody has their different reasons for doing parkrun,” Shiach said. “You’ve got really fast runners, you’ve got people who are just getting into running, you’ve got people who just like walking. For others, it’s the volunteering aspect and feeling like you’re part of the community.”

“Whichever of those things might be interesting to you,” he concluded, “you’re more than welcome. Bring your family, bring your friends, bring your dog.”

Learn more at parkrun.us/fortward

Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off

Author Parlays His Curiosity About Tomatoes into Literary Acclaim

When William Alexander planted his first garden, he didn’t start with a single bed.

BY CHRISTY CARLEY

“We got a little carried away,” he acknowledged about his family’s agricultural debut. They purchased a hundred-year-old house in the Hudson Valley and began to transform the surrounding lot.

“We had terraces, we had to bring in a landscaper, we brought in a designer,” Alexander recalled. In total, they installed 22 beds and planted all of them. But novice gardening turned out to be tricky. At first, Alexander turned to gardening books for solutions, but found it difficult to relate his own obstacles to what he was reading—so he decided to write his own book, aimed at beginner gardeners.

“I had written nothing in my life,” said Alexander, who was in his 50s at the time, with a full-time job in IT. He got up at 5 in the morning to write before going to work. When not writing or working, he said, “I was spending all of my time in the garden.”

PHOTOS COURTESY WILLIAM ALEXANDER

The resulting book, “The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden,” was a resounding success. Part comedic memoir, part how-to, it launched Alexander into the writing world.

“From there,” he said, “I just wanted to write about things that I wanted to do anyway.”

Alexander’s tendency to dive head-first into his hobbies resulted in two more books. His “52 Loaves: One Man’s Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust” chronicles a year-long, weekly baking project that involved a trip to a French monastery. Logically, his next memoir was about attempting to learn French in his 60s.

In his most recent book, which came out in 2022, Alexander’s curiosity led him to investigate the history of the tomato—and what he found was surprising. A 2023 Washington State Book Award finalist in nonfiction, “Ten Tomatoes that Changed the World: A History” charts the rise of the world’s favorite vegetable (or fruit, if you prefer) from its “pea-sized” origin in South America to its status as a staple in cuisines across the globe.

“I realized that even though I had written a book many years ago with the word tomato in the title, I really knew nothing about [its history],” Alexander said.

“I had thought the tomato was native to Italy.”

In fact, the tomato didn’t arrive in Italy until the 1540s. And for around 300 years after that it was considered decorative, rather than tasty. As late as the 19th century, an agricultural publication in the United States referred to the tomato as an “odious and repelling smelling berry.”

So how did the tomato go from being shunned outside of Latin America to the world’s most popular vegetable?

The answer is complicated, but it involves the history of prosciutto production in Italy, the American Civil War and the 19th century Popular Health Movement. Alexander also devoted a chapter to the history of ketchup, and another to pizza (with which, he contends, tomatoes have a “symbiotic” relationship in regard to status).

“Ten Tomatoes” is full of quirky historical anecdotes as well as some myth busting of popular tomato folklore. A travel narrative infused with charming (and, often, self-deprecating) humor ties the work together.

The book also takes on the tomato’s present and looks to its future. Specifically, Alexander wonders, why do supermarket tomatoes taste so bland compared with their homegrown counterparts? And how will a turn toward massive, high-tech hydroponic greenhouses impact tomato production, flavor and environmental footprint? While he doesn’t offer a definitive answer to this last question, Alexander does contend that we ought to be talking more about the future of tomato farming.

He and his wife traded their Hudson Valley home for an island condo (the couple recently moved to Bainbridge to be closer to their son and grandkids) but they still plan to grow tomatoes from seedlings this summer, albeit on a less ambitious scale.

As for Alexander’s next hobby-turned-title, he said he has a few ideas, but didn’t offer any hints.

“I’m mulling over some notions for the next book. It’s in the early mulling stage. You have to let things percolate for a while.”

A HOLE NEW WORLD

Bainbridge Author Taps Into Her Childhood for Inspiration

Growing up on Bainbridge Island, Nora Nickum developed a deep relationship with the sea.

BY SOPHIA SOLTES

PHOTO BY ANNIE GRAEBNER

“I have always felt that connection to the ocean and to all the creatures that live there,” Nickum shared, “and [I] love learning more about them.”

Her latest children’s book, “This Book Is Full of Holes,” takes readers on a journey from the tiny openings in moon snail shells to the enormous mine pits that can be seen from the International Space Station.

Nickum, formally trained in public policy, began working about five years ago at the Seattle Aquarium, where she now advocates for environmental health, particularly in marine conservation. As she led conservation policy efforts, she also found herself drawn to writing children’s literature. Her inspiration: The inquisitive youth at the aquarium as well her own childhood spent exploring the beaches and tidepools of the Pacific Northwest.

Nickum published her first book, “Superpod: Saving the Endangered Orcas of the Pacific Northwest,” last year. Since then, she’s been hard at work on “This Book Is Full of Holes.”

“I wanted to try and cover as many different kinds of disciplines as possible,” she explained, “so it has ecology, geology, art and music.” Taking a creative approach to explore the many types of holes that can be found in our world, Nickum invites readers to see things from a new perspective.

“The book is framed around opposites,” Nickum said. For a seal, an opening in the ice can provide a necessary oxygen break or an opportunity for a nearby polar bear to spot it. So, holes can be lifesaving or dangerous, big or small, stable or aerodynamic, form rapidly or slowly, and much more.

“This Book Is Full of Holes” offers a glimpse into the world through a concept that children can wrap their minds around. The book also is infused with other engaging themes, and, according to

Nickum, one of the best ways to appeal to a younger audience— humor. “I have a lot more humor in it than I had in my first book,” she noted. With clever inscriptions and playful illustrations by Robert Meganck, Nickum’s newest piece is full of wit and surprises. It includes detailed explanations on each page, offering plenty for both older and younger children to enjoy.

“Curious kids can resonate with curious scientists,” Nickum said, noting that children’s innate curiosity leads them to question the world around them. She emphasized the power that children hold to make positive change. “Kids are the future,” she explained, “and we all need to be doing things to protect the environment.”

Nickum hopes that “This Book Is Full of Holes” will encourage children (plus anyone else who wants to join in on the fun) to explore the holes—and all the other amazing things—in the world around them.

Butterfly

effect

The tender, tentative shoots that peeked out of the ground in spring harnessed the burst of energy and dared to chase the sun’s warmth upwards. The gamble is paying off during these months of summertime. They are now thick, strong, robust and hardy enough to bear fruit.

BY BAJDA WELTY

The flower moon cycle of June puts on full display the fiery energy of this season, followed by the strawberry moon of July, when the flowers transform into juicy, sweet fruit. The last moon of the summer season is the sturgeon moon cycle of August. This is the final push of abundance. This is peak achievement season. All plants, animals and humans harvest, collect and indulge before the chill of fall reminds us that life will not be as easy going forward.

This also reminds me of the transformative states that we all move through each season and, on a larger scale, the seasons of our individual lives.

Spring is the emergence, fueled by bravery and optimism but changes are needed for progress and evolution to take place.

The caterpillar must bump along, slow and vulnerable, until it stops all together, its skin becoming a hard layer while its insides are dissolving, reforming, rebuilding and reconfiguring. The chrysalis is the incubator for death, rebirth and renewal. The container of new beginnings. It could be mistaken for nothing, completely overlooked, seen as a dormant or dead thing.

From inside the chrysalis a whole new creature will emerge, able to fly, ready to sip nectar. There is an exquisite beauty that comes from embracing the changes in the seasons and a strong symbolism in this process for us all as humans: embrace change, have faith in moments of dissolution and rebuild.

So, summer is the season to bloom, take flight, expand your domain and reemerge in a brighter, more graceful way. And know that cycles don’t last; change is always coming. Personal growth is ever-evolving, too, birth and death constantly happen, inspiration and regeneration are always present.

Summer is the high season, life’s mid-life. Many people see the fruiting, productive heights of family, career, relationships, creativity, while other parts of us start to break down. Hormone levels shift, body composition, strength, endurance and body shapes change. Middle life brings on a metamorphosis of sorts that is not only normal and necessary, but should be embraced.

As cherished parts of you change, what is boldly emerging? What is daring to reshape? What is dissolving?

Seasons go in circles, spiraling around us. But during the summer, can we press pause? Relish the long sunny days, bask in the flower petals, savor the ripe produce and abundant berries?

During midlife, can we also press pause? Say no to changing? Stay still in our present physical and mental state? Truly and sadly, no... our caterpillar selves must slow, stop, harden, metamorphose, sprout wings and antennae so we can fly to our next chapter/season of life. It would be a freeing exercise for all mid-lifers to envision reverse metamorphosis as well. Perhaps we would think our best days are behind us and grieve going from butterfly to caterpillar? Perhaps our best days are ahead. Perhaps we should revel in today and bask in the PNW sunshine reflecting off the salty sea.

PHOTO BY BAJDA WELTY

Strong Medicine

BY GEORGE SOLTES

SATTERWHITE

Physician and Fire Commissioner Andrea Chymiy Does a Little of Everything

Dr. Andrea Chymiy gives new meaning to the word multitasking. Family physician, businessperson, preparedness booster, public office holder, competitive rower and endurance hiker—just typing out the list is exhausting.

How did you end up in a medical career?

I had a childhood full of doctors because I had scoliosis, and it was just really interesting to me. I was the first doctor in our family that I know of.

Why did you decide to start your own medical practice—Pacifica Medicine & Wellness—and how has it developed?

I met my partner at Pacifica, Dr. Marie Matty, while we were still in medical school, and we’ve worked together ever since. After residency, we got jobs at the Doctor’s Clinic in Poulsbo and worked there for 13 years. Then, as the Doctor’s Clinic was starting to merge with what was then Harrison, we decided that maybe we didn’t want to work for a big corporation and looked at some other options. It has organically grown. This is our eighth year and it’s been really positively received.

What has it been like to run your own business?

I’d never run a business except for having a paper route. It was a huge learning curve. We didn’t know what we were getting into and that was probably for the best.

PHOTO BY DINAH

How is practicing medicine at Pacifica different?

My day used to be, I would see up to 25 or 30 patients. Sometimes you don’t feel like a good doctor at the end of that kind of day. At this point, even on a busy day, we usually see 15. We have time to actually address some issues instead of just speeding through everyone’s visit. That’s satisfying.

You and family physician David Cowan started the Medical Reserve Corps, a volunteer group of local medical professionals created to respond to emergencies, in 2019. That turned out to be good timing, didn’t it?

We founded it at the end of 2019 and then 2020 came, and suddenly we were in it. The city worked with us to utilize our healthcare providers for testing sites. We started recruiting like mad just by word

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of mouth because people wanted to help. Then we started doing vaccines. It was overwhelming but got better when we were absorbed into Bainbridge Prepares. We number 250 or 300 medical providers now.

How did you end up as a Bainbridge Island Fire Commissioner?

Because of the vaccine clinics, I worked with the deputy fire chief at the time, Jared Moravec, who’s now the chief. They were going to have an opening and wanted to have a medical perspective on the board because most of the calls are medical, so they asked me to run. Also, there are only three female fire commissioners in Kitsap County, so I think having our point of view at the table is important.

How did you like running for office?

I’m not a student council president kind

of gal. I was hoping nobody would run against me, but somebody did. I had to make signs, put them up and take them down, and all this stuff. All these cute little volunteers from the vaccine clinic were like, “We’re gonna vote for you and we’re gonna tell all our friends.” And I was like, “Oh, yay.” Because nobody likes to lose in public.

What do you do for fun?

I row with the Bainbridge Island Rowing club and have been racing for five or six years. I’ve also been doing a lot of long-distance hiking. I climbed Kilimanjaro this January, which was amazing. Next, I’m going to Europe to do the Dolomites. With hiking, you have to focus on where you are. You have to be present. It’s active meditation. And that’s something I’ve had to learn how to do.

kristi.nelson@rsir.com | 206.391.1718 livingonbainbridgeisland.com

recipes SHAKE UP YOUR TASTEBUDS

Combine Chocolate and Zucchini for Winning Flavor

Zucchini bread is a favorite summertime trick of bakers and gardeners, but I bet you’ve never tasted one like this. With the surprising partnership of chocolate and zucchini and a little help from our favorite regional nut, this bread is an eyebrow-raiser for sure. It has a deep flavor and a cinnamon kick. It tastes great alone or with a swipe of cream cheese. You’ll want to make a loaf for now and pop some muffins in the freezer for later, when zucchini is no longer measured in armloads.

BY ANNE WILLHOIT

BY ANNE WILLHOIT

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ZUCCHINI BREAD

Makes 2 loaves, 24 muffins or 1 loaf and 12 muffins

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

7 tbsp. cocoa powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

Why do we bake with zucchini? Besides its generous nature—growing eagerly and abundantly in the summer—shredded zucchini adds moisture to quick breads (aka loaf cakes). With a good recipe, you’ll get a nice texture with none of the squishiness. Be sure to take the step to prepare your zucchini as outlined below. This controls the moisture in the cake and you’ll get it right every time.

To prep zucchini for baking:

Cut off the top and bottom. Decide if you are going to peel your zucchini, as peeling gives the bread a lighter and less vegetal flavor, but leaving the skin intact allows you to enjoy the whole vegetable. Grate the zucchini on the large side of a box grater or use a food processor. Put the shreds in a colander and place it in the sink. Weight your zucchini down, so that it will begin to drain. A glass bowl filled with water works well. Let it drain for 30 minutes to an hour, then squeeze it a bit with your hands. Measure the grated zucchini after draining for recipes.

Want to use up a really large zucchini?

First peel the tough skin. Halve the zucchini longways, then remove the large seeds with a spoon and a scooping motion. Grate these deseeded halves and proceed with draining.

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups prepared zucchini

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare two 8-1/2-inch (standard) loaf pans by lining with parchment or by greasing and tapping in some flour. For muffins, use a muffin pan lined with paper baking cups.

3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together. Add in the yogurt, vanilla and finally the vegetable oil.

4. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

5. Fold in the prepared zucchini and then the chocolate chips and nuts.

6. Fill the prepared pans half full for loaves or no more than two-thirds full for muffins.

7. Bake loaves for 60 minutes and muffins for 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness and adjust baking time, if necessary.

PHOTO

THE GATHERING PLACE

Fort Ward Home Carries on Traditions

Large and Small

Peter Korytko’s great uncle, before emigrating from Ukraine at the end of World War II with his siblings and children, slipped a bit of garlic into his pocket. Upon his arrival in the United States, he replanted the cloves at his new home. Korytko, in turn, took several of the replicate bulbs from his aunt and planted them in his own garden in the early ‘90s.

Years later, while preparing to move west with his wife Cami Holtmeier, Korytko similarly gathered several of the cloves and slid them into a sock, where they stayed in storage for more than 18 months. “The next season he pulled them out and they were brown,” said Holtmeier. “Peter said he didn’t know if they would come back. But they did.”

The couple’s jade plants had a similar experience, spending five months boxed up in storage. Despite emerging as what Holtmeier described as “kinda white,” they, too, survived and now happily grow on a landing in a south-facing window at the couple’s home in Fort Ward.

Like the heirloom garlic and hardy jade, stories and treasures, collected and passed down through generations, some planted, some tucked into corners and others hung on walls, are at the core of the home.

BY ALLI SCHUCHMAN PHOTOS BY DAVID COHEN

Holtmeier and Korytko’s shared story began when they met at graduate school at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Their careers—his in biotech and hers in evolution and ecology— took them through Chicago, then Ann Arbor, Michigan as they made their way to Bainbridge via Seattle, eventually landing on the island with their two young children in 2007.

Their modern home of nearly 20 years is the only one they’ve lived in on the island, though it wasn’t what they were initially looking for. “Cami had a clipboard with a list of everything that she wanted,” said Korytko. “This house met zero of the criteria.” It wasn’t downtown or close to the ferry, nor was it walking distance to a school, and the neighborhood didn’t have sidewalks.

Dining room table created by Mead Trick

Geometric print by Martha McCaskey

“I had this idea of a yellow farmhouse with a big wraparound porch,” said Holtmeier, who was born and raised on Nebraska farmland. “It’s none of that. But it was super sunny, which was good for me, and Peter really likes houses in the trees. We’re eclectic, quirky people and we really liked it.”

Since then, they said, not much has changed besides some new coats of paint. “We’ve just lived in it,” said Korytko. Newly empty nesters, the couple’s kids are off at college, which is why Korytko said it’s so quiet and clean.

The front porch was the one exception, Korytko said, to leaving the home largely unchanged. “It was completely nonfunctional,” he said. “It wasn’t actually attached to the house and poorly built. It needed to be replaced or repaired, and repairing it became replacing it.”

Although the Brazilian rosewood from which the porch was made was a poor choice for the Pacific Northwest climate, it turned out to be the perfect material for their dining room table. The couple handed off the salvaged wood to Holtmeier’s friend, woodworker and artist Mead Trick, and “three months later, the table showed up,” said Korytko of the cherished piece. “We have lots of board game parties and people over,” added Holtmeier, “so it’s super satisfying to have this.”

“Most of the things you can see were made by somebody in the family or people we know,” added Korytko.

“All our furniture has a story. Every piece has a story,” continued Holtmeier, pointing out pieces around the living room, including the tables that Korytko’s father made and stained-glass lamp shades which were made by her mother.

Holtmeier explained that the sideboard was from her grandmother’s pantry. “My mom and I refinished it and it was in my mom’s kitchen forever until my parents passed away.” In another corner stands an antique Victrola record player. It was originally a gift for her grandfather’s 16th birthday in 1917 and at one point ended up in a chicken coop, before being relocated to the laundry room in Holtmeier’s childhood home. “My mom refinished it and gave it to me for my 21st birthday,” she said. “It still works.”

In Korytko’s office on the home’s uppermost floor hangs a first edition of a linoleum geometric print of flowers, honeycombs and a central honeybee, by local artist Martha McCaskey. “She’s a dear friend of mine and this was part of an art festival,” said Holtmeier. “I think what’s so cool is to live in a community with people who are actual artists.”

A striking circular piece made by Korytko’s Uncle George hangs next to the kitchen. From a distance it looks like a painting, but upon closer inspection is wood that’s been inlaid with an intricate pattern of beads and metal rings. The Hutsul artform is one of the best known of Ukrainian folk arts, stretching back centuries and commonly seen on plates, boxes, crosses and candlesticks. “Every family in Ukraine would have something like this on a wall,” said Korytko, noting that they have several more of his uncle’s pieces displayed throughout their home.

Neither Korytko’s father nor any of his uncles were professional artists, but each had a different creative medium inspired by their heritage. Holtmeier said that, much like Korytko’s family, her family too found artforms outside their occupations. “My mom was really amazing. She taught me how to sew, and then I inherited her stained-glass stuff.”

BISTRO

Holtmeier’s specialty handiwork—lovingly crafted quilts— also adorn the home, including seasonal creations that she hangs on the front door. “Up until six months ago, I used my little machine, but just bought myself a big thing—a free motion quilting machine. I’m teaching myself how to do that.” She’s currently working on a double wedding ring quilt for her niece and nephew in her studio on the home’s lower level. “They are both accountants, so I have a number-themed fabric in there,” she said. “It should be done by June. I like to make things specifically for people.”

The home’s exterior is filled with stories and history too. “All of this was just sparse, poorly growing grass, kind of a dirt pen,” said Korytko, “and Cami put in all the gardens. There are actual orchards here now.” Korytko said that what Holtmeier didn’t personally execute, she envisioned. “Since Cami has all the civilized space, I work on the forest. I weed out all the bad plants and am in the process of replacing it with natives.”

“I really like that when I’m in the kitchen I can look out on it and strategize what’s there,” said Holtmeier. “So like when the lilies are blooming, the daffodils and tulips, I can see them. I just really like feeling like I’m outside.”

“Every plant has a story one way or another,” said Korytko. “Many are from people that we know and there are some family heirloom plants. Cami’s got roses going that came from Nebraska.”

The garden also has a Japanese quince grown from a chunk that Holtmeier harvested from a shrub at the entrance to Fort Ward. Holtmeier suspects that it was once part of Japanese farm. “My mom did stuff like that always,” she said, “so now I have this bad habit of grabbing things too.”

It’s yet another legacy that will now endure.

PULLING OUT THE STOPS

BY CONNIE BYE

ANDREW JOSLYN

To those who complain there’s nothing to do on Bainbridge, give a listen: There’s live music playing at more venues these days, thanks in great part to Andrew Joslyn.

BY CONNIE BYE PHOTOS COURTESY BROTHER TOWNSEND, KING YOUNGBLOOD AND BY DINAH SATTERWHITE

A world-renowned, award-winning musician in his own right, Joslyn has set out to expand opportunities for islanders to enjoy live music while ensuring that musicians have more work and are paid a fair wage.

He now schedules entertainment at five venues: the Marketplace, Manor House, Treehouse Cafe and Lynwood Theatre, all in Pleasant Beach Village/Lynwood Center, plus Bainbridge Island Museum of Art’s new First Friday After Party Concert Series on Art Walk nights in Winslow.

“We’re bringing out people who don’t usually go to shows,” Joslyn said. Bainbridge already had programming focused on jazz and classical music. “But there’re whole sectors of music that had been overlooked.”

So, he tried heavy metal in February at the Treehouse, and he’s booked country, rock, soul, blues, folk, Brazilian jazz and more at various venues.

“I promise you it will be a fun night,” Joslyn said. “It may not [usually] be your bag, but you’ll enjoy yourself.”

Consistency is key, Joslyn said. “At Marketplace, we have music on Fridays, no matter what. When you do that, you develop a following.”

Music lovers arrived well ahead of the 7 p.m. free concert on a soft April evening at Marketplace. An open connecting door to Earth & Vine allowed bar patrons to experience the music, too. People queued up to order drinks and food before Michelle D’Amour and the Love Dealers got started.

Jim and Kari Brumley had snagged two chairs at a shared table with a prime view of the musicians.

“We just love live music; there’s an energy to it,” said Jim , who described himself as a blues-rocker kind of guy who also appreciates other styles. “I like to listen to music at home, too, but I really love hearing it live. We’re here almost every Friday night.”

Kari added: “We hope it keeps going and going. Not having to leave the island to experience this is wonderful—especially after a day at work.”

To be sure, Pegasus Coffee House, Eleven Winery and other area venues include live music in their programming. But Joslyn aims to build on that legacy and take it to another level. For example, he booked King Youngblood, a Seattle alt-rock band that’s nationally known, for the initial BIMA After Party Concert.

Musicians recognize the importance of including Bainbridge and other smaller markets in their schedules, said Lara Lavi, whose Dreaming in Color Entertainment LLC in Seattle manages King Youngblood and other

King Youngblood

a la CCR, country-like, blues-like, classic rock ‘n’ roll. It’s lyric-driven and very approachable. It’s fun and very danceable.”

Music fans ensure that “we have an excellent turnout” on the island, Townsend said. But some Bainbridge fans also travel to hear Brother Townsend play in other places. “That’s rare,” he said.

Events are free at Marketplace, but other venues generally require tickets. The price is $25 for BIMA’s After Party events and for some Treehouse concerts. At Manor House, Lynwood Theatre and other Treehouse events, admission costs $35 to $45.

Live music appeals to people on many levels, said Korum Bischoff, deputy director at BIMA. “These days, people do so much

groups. “Those people in the audience will tell other people. You build an audience. So, Bainbridge is not secondary in terms of value.”

The growth in the island market “has been huge for us,” said Brett Townsend, who leads a four-person group, Brother Townsend, that’s based on the Olympic Peninsula. “It’s resulted in a lot of financial support but also private bookings.”

Townsend said his band’s sound isn’t easy to classify: “It’s Americana,

Kara Hesse and the Passenger String Quartet

Michelle D’Amour and the Love Dealers

alone—texting, social media. Shared experiences make you feel alive. Post-COVID, it feels even more special now.”

Although some Seattle residents might discover the island’s burgeoning music scene, Joslyn said he mainly wants to provide consistently good experiences for music lovers from Bainbridge and all over the Kitsap Peninsula.

“There’s a lot going on in Bremerton, and I don’t want Bainbridge to be left behind,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get this area on the map and promoted with the rest of the county.”

These days, Joslyn splits his time 50-50 between his own career and booking other musicians. He’s a noted performer, composer, orchestrator and arranger. He graduated in 2001 from Bainbridge High School, went to college, then pursued a career as a musician. He and his wife, Madison, moved back to the island during the pandemic, and he began seriously considering ways to advocate for other artists. When some friends from high school approached him about scheduling musicians at island venues, he dived in.

“It has given me freedom to take on projects I want,” he said. “I prioritized my own craft, but it also allowed me to be

even more focused on the music community, looking at what’s happening all over the place.”

Breaking into that community is tough, Townsend said. In years past, musicians often simply showed up at a venue with a demo tape or guitar and asked about performing, he said.

The owners would give a listen and decide if they liked the sound. “Now, most venues ask, ‘How many people can you guarantee to bring in?’” And the internet, he said, has added another dimension: How many people are you entertaining online?

“Andrew spans the old and new worlds,” Townsend said. “He’s generous with his time and experience. He’s a real person. He’s still a working artist; he’s not just a suit.”

At BIMA, the First Friday series high lights regional talent, one of the museum’s core missions, Bischoff said. “Music is art,” he said. “We have a stage, and we should be promoting another art form.”

BIMA has woven music into its programming from the start, but the new First Friday events, from 8 to 10 p.m., are tailored for people who don’t want the fun to stop when the Art Walks end, Bischoff said.

Like Joslyn, Bischoff is an advocate for paying musicians fairly. So, BIMA charges admission for the First Friday After Party events to help support the performers. “As a result, bands are calling us, asking, ‘When can we play there?’”

Joslyn has booked musicians for BIMA’s First Friday series through year’s end, except for June, when the date conflicts with the museum’s annual fund-raiser. The first concert, March 1, featuring King Youngblood, “was pretty rocking,” Bischoff said, but expect the mix to be eclectic in coming months.

Joslyn hopes the days when musicians played only for tips are over.

“People have misunderstood that musicians want to play just for the joy of it,” he said. “it’s all about respect for the profession.”

The Marketplace also offers opportunities for amateurs on Open Mic Nights every Thursday evening, plus special showcase open jam sessions on the second and fourth Thursdays.

Pleasant Beach Village festivals have included St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo.

Check what’s coming at pleasantbeachvillage.com/events.

Brother Townsend

Forbidden FRUIT

BLACKBERRIES

OFFER A SWEET TASTE OF SUMMER

Ripe blackberries are our guilty pleasure.

To be sure, the Himalayan blackberry has become a pest. Some well-meaning fan toted the species here, then it dug in, branched out and has tried—mightily—to take over our state. Beware those wicked, thorny branches, known as canes, that sometimes seem to grow three feet overnight. Rage at this invader’s ability to sprout from seeds, send up new shoots from roots deep underground— or from spots where the canes simply touch the ground. It’s on the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board’s hit list.

But … oh, how sweet the fruit tastes each summer. Those gorgeous, glistening berries bask and ripen in our seemingly endless days of sunshine. Now’s the time to stake out your picking place, then check back as the white and pale-pink blossoms morph into red berries that deepen into inky-black fruit. It’s tough to wait for the right harvest moment, but a gentle tug will signal if a berry is ready to leave its cane. Oh, to be a bird or huge human who could reach those topmost berries waving out-of-reach overhead.

Pop a few berries in your mouth as you walk. Pick a pail-full to bake a cobbler or jazz up a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Let the juice swish around inside your mouth. (Ignore that pesky little seed in the middle.) And if some of the elixir drips down your chin, that’s just fine. Blackberry season is meant to be relished.

BY CONNIE BYE

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M a u r e e n D a n i e l s B r o k e r | R E A L T O R ® | R E N E ® 2 0 6 . 4 0 9 . 4 8 7 5

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BY JEFF FRAGA

Trattoria Isola

It’s the kind of restaurant you’d create if you could.

As members of the Bainbridge Islanders Facebook group discovered, they could and they did. “I just put it out there to the group one day,” said Gerald Simonsen. “I asked what kind of restaurant people would like to see on Bainbridge Island.”

Simonsen, who previously owned the Islander restaurant, said the overwhelming vote was for Italian.

“The people want pasta,” said Simonsen.

The new restaurant’s name was also crowdsourced. “It’s Trattoria Isola,” he said. “Italian for island.”

The menu offers an ever-changing selection of Italian specialties including burrata salad, lamb ragu, saffron tagliatelle, lobster ravioli and, of course, Tiramisu.

The space on the main floor of the Pavilion was configured so a single kitchen serves three restaurants—Isola, Bainbridge Tapas, and the Islander—each with its own cook.

Simonsen has owned several different businesses, including a laundromat with a liquor license. He started the Islander because—as he put it—”there was nowhere to get a drink after 8 o’clock on Bainbridge.” He sold the restaurant to current owner Cheston Overman just before the pandemic hit.

“My other bars and restaurants have really been for fun,” he said. “But Trattoria Isola is different. The people have spoken and I take the obligation to heed their call quite seriously.”

Trattoria Isola, 403 Madison Avenue N., Ste. 140, 360-932-5949

INTRODUCING INTIMATE CEREMONIES AT BLOEDEL RESERVE

Plan your intimate ceremony this spring! We now offer sites for up to 10 guests for those wanting a relaxed, intimate ceremony with their closest loved ones. Wedding couples have access to one of three beautiful public locations in the gardens to exchange their vows in a truly iconic Pacific Northwest setting.

PHOTOS BY DAVID COHEN

Photo:

feast on this

Emmy’s Vege House

The kitchen may be tiny, but the flavors are huge

If you didn’t know it was there, you might walk right by Emmy’s Vege House. Located on the corner of Winslow Way and Madison since forever, Emmy’s consists of a kitchen that barely has room to turn around, but still serves some 30 vegan dishes that taste like anything but.

A large poster displays photos of popular choices, such as spring rolls, curry noodle, sesame chicken, ginger tofu, and kebabs.

“Emmy’s is part of our family,” said Khanh Tran. “My older sister Linh works there, my

younger sister Van owns and operates Green Pot Deli in the Pavilion, and my wife Bich and I run YoYo Poke in Winslow Green.” The original Emmy is retired.

The restaurant offers take-out or outdoor dining. It also provides limited catering options in the local area and has a popular food booth at the Bainbridge Island Grand Old Fourth celebration. So next time you’re in the area, say hi to Linh. Better yet, get an order of those crispy Golden Rolls.

The Plate & Pint

Plate & Pint would like you to come for the fun, stay for the food

Plate & Pint dubs itself “Bainbridge Island’s family-owned pub restaurant.” They could also add that it’s the only place in town to greet you with 19 50-inch television screens packed with all kinds of sports.

The expansive menu includes seven types of wings, six kinds of burgers, including two meatless options, and six salads served up in both side and entrée portions.

And that’s in addition to sports bar classics, such as fish & chips, bacon tater tots, stuffed jalapenos, and potato skins. You’ll also find specials, from a Bahn mi sandwich to Cornish game hen. Desserts include Plate & Pint’s signature Guinness bread pudding with fresh whipped cream and Irish whiskey caramel sauce.

With a menu that offers that many choices, it can be hard to narrow them down to just a few big favorites. But Plate & Pint diners have voted with their mouths for chicken wings, cheeseburgers and its butter chicken.

“We want to be the kind of restaurant that meets the community’s needs for hunger and sports,” said Mike Lang, the restaurant’s bar manager. “We want people to feel comfortable here.”

Plate & Pint offers a daily happy hour with specials on food, beer, wine and cocktails. The restaurant’s location in Island Village means most patrons are locals, adding to the feeling of camaraderie.

Perhaps Plate & Pint’s slogan should be “Come for the food, stay for the fun.”

The Plate & Pint, 321 High School Road NE, 206-451-4433

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summer

1. Moonlight Market

The Moonlight Market returns to the lawn between City Hall and BPA with a bevy of local creatives ready to sell their wares. Past vendors have included jewelry makers, ceramic artists, vintage clothing connoisseurs and more. Food and live music will also help set the mood. First Fridays through October 4, 5 to 9 p.m. moonlight-market.com

2. Rooftop Wine Garden Concerts

Hard to beat rooftop sun-basking on a summer evening in the PNW. Fletcher Bay Winery’s rooftop wine garden in Winslow offers a musical lineup, including B.I.’s own Psycho Sushi (blues/funk/rock) and Ocean Men (Beach Boys), plus a host of other regional artists.

Sundays through September 8, 5 to 7 p.m. fletcherbaywinery.com

3. The Bard at Bloedel – “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

6. Bainbridge Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale

The Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale is, without a doubt, the best opportunity of the year to empty out your closet, garage, kitchen or basement. And then, you know, fill it back up again. Swing by preview night on July 5 for some recon before you queue up the next morning.

July 6, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. bainbridgerotaryauction.org

BPA’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will bring a touch of mystical mischief to one of the island’s most enchanting locales. Blankets and snacks are welcome, but watch out for any magical purple flowers. Tickets and full schedule available online.

June 28 - July 14, 7 p.m. (preview night June 27) bainbridgeperformingarts.org

4. Carl Verheyen Band at Treehouse Cafe

Versatile, award-winning guitarist Carl Verheyen will be wrapping up an international tour with a final stop at the Treehouse Cafe. The show will be semi-acoustic and feature a fun mélange of genres (jazz, blues, bluegrass…. Maybe even a little reggae?).

June 30, 7:30 p.m. treehousebainbridge.com

5. Grand Old Fourth

7. Sounds of Summer Concert Series

Seattle-based “tequila funk” band R E P O S A D O promises an evening of spirited revelry at Battle Point on August 7. Nearly Dan and LeRoy Bell—also on this summer’s BP lineup—will be sure to get you dancing as well.

Wednesdays, July 10 - August 28, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. biparks.org

8. La Fonda at BIMA

Headed by Filipino-American sisters Valerie and Veronica Topacio, Seattle band La Fonda offers a combo of dreamy pop and headbanging rock. The group recently released the album “We Are Infinite,” which landed on 2023 top albums of the year lists for both the Seattle Times and KEXP.

This year’s Independence Day festivities will include all the annual traditions: pancake breakfast, vendor booths, fun run, parade and antique car show. Live music will be offered by local hot club jazz group Ranger and the Re-Arrangers, plus northwest party band Soul Siren covering all your favorite dance tunes.

July 4, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. bainbridgechamber.com

August 2, 8 to 10 p.m. biartmuseum.org

9. Pickleball Founders’ Tournament

Picklers from across the land will descend upon Bainbridge this August for a tourney celebrating the birthplace of America’s fastest growing sport. Register to compete before July 31, or simply swing by Battle Point to enjoy the spectacle.

August 7-11 pickelballbrackets.com

10. Movies in the Park

If Seattle’s ‘90s classic “10 Things I Hate About You” is based on “The Taming of the Shrew,” does watching it at Battle Point count as Shakespeare in the park? Other offerings include “Barbie,” “Twister” and the most recent installations of the Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchises.

Fridays in August, 30 minutes after sunset biparks.org

A RADICAL ALTERATION

Women’s Studio Workshop

As A Sustainable Model For Art Making

JUNE 15 – SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

BIMA is proud to host this traveling exhibition celebrating Women’s Studio Workshop’s (Kingston, NY) 50th Anniversary. This exhibition looks at the organization’s rich history as a proponent of book arts for marginalized communities in the U.S., where documentation and critical analysis in the field are still largely reserved for white male artists. Through artists’ books, this exhibition will look at how the organization’s policies, programming, and operations have evolved over the last 50 years, thus creating a space where the conditions of art making and institutional support are in the service of a sustainable and more equitable art ecosystem.

GOLNAR ADILI, She Feels Your Absence Deeply, 2021 | RHIANNON SKYE TAFOYA, Ul’nigid’, 2020 | photos by Alec Smith

Busy As a Bee (Keeper)

Islander Bryan Kramer took some beekeeping classes in 2012. “I’m always interested in learning something, and this was something that I knew nothing about,” he said. “I really got into it. It just fascinates me.”

Kramer started with two original colonies and currently has 42. He keeps his bees primarily on Bainbridge at the Bloedel Reserve and Winney Farm, where he processes and sells Sun Shower Honey Company honey. “Last year I did about 680 pounds,” he said, “and the year before I did almost 800 pounds.”

Kramer said that his honey comes from different sources, depending on where the bees gather the pollen and nectar. Late this spring, it came from maple, but as summer progresses, it will transition to mostly blackberry.

While Kramer’s care of the bees is complex, the work taking place inside the hives is exponentially more so. “A well-mated queen lives and is productive for about two years,” he said. “In

the height of the summer, she’ll lay 2,000-plus eggs a day and a good healthy bee colony will have 60,000-plus bees in it. But you end up with the bees dying at almost the same rate that she’s laying, because once we hit the middle of the summer, the bees are working themselves to death.”

BY ALLI SCHUCHMAN

It does sound arduous. Kramer said that it takes 2 million flowers and a cumulative flying distance of 90,000 miles to produce a pound of honey. The average worker produces just 1/12 of a teaspoon in her lifetime.

And the question everyone is asking...how often does he get stung? “I don’t wear a bee suit all the time,” Kramer said. “I just put it on if I’m in an apiary and I’ve got two or three nasty colonies. Over the year, I probably get stung 150 to 200 times.”

Such a buzz kill.

c o g w h e e l c o n s t r u c t i o n c o m