In the spring issue, we told the story of Thyra McKelvie (Bee Seasons and Reasons, Spring 2025 issue, page 16).
Besides being abundant and passionate, this woman knows more about Mason bees than I knew could be known. The article could have been 23 pages long. Far beyond how they best pollinate, where to place their houses, how to protect them from predators, or where and how to dig their watering hole/mud pit, she’s made it her mission to spread the good word about these little bees to anyone and everyone who will listen. I know because she never once lost patience with me over the roughly 4,235 text messages I sent her while my husband set up a hive at our house.
She’s nothing short of a Mason bee master.
Which leads me to my point. There’s something super awesome about masters. I don’t care what they’re a master of. I love it when people understand every angle of their craft. Its history. Its nuance. Its most perfected state. Whether it’s gaming, coding, Shakespeare, cooking, or even laundry, there’s something so cool about being at Level 9000. In this issue you’ll read about masters in all of these disciplines and more.
It’s something to stop and appreciate when your home of just over 20,000 people has this amount of mastery roaming around in the wild. What a blessing it is to witness. Our little island (as my husband Alan would say) is an embarrassment of masters.
Allison Schuchman Editor in Chief
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
Audrey Nelson, Christy Carley, Jeff Fraga, Kerrie Houston Reightley, Luciano Marano, Elle Schuchman, Bajda Welty, Anne Willhoit
Saying “Second Annual Asian Arts and Heritage Festival” felt good. Not just because I couldn’t believe that we successfully pulled it off last year, with more than 2,000 attendees and four festival events leading up to the finale, but also because this year we grew exponentially.
The 18 festival events were on this year’s list and made possible by more than 200 participants and volunteers. Many nights I lost sleep, I wasn’t the most present wife, friend, daughter or teacher and daily runs were interrupted by phone calls and pings that needed attention. Still, my heart was so fulfilled.
The idea was always to highlight and celebrate culture, connection and inclusivity and draw attention to the rich history of Bainbridge Island’s Japanese, Filipino and Indipino communities. What I was not expecting, however, was that
given the current political climate, our festival would be answering a much bigger need by sending a critical message. Highlighting diversity can be a scary thing right now and minority communities feel threatened. As many from our island Asian communities know from history, being a targeted minority can lead us to be cautious. Caution, in turn, breeds fear and fear mutes us.
Our community has taught me so much and I followed the wisdom of the elders. When they want us to feel fear, we gather. When they warn us that we will be cancelled, we educate, we eat together, and we celebrate. We story-tell and we do it all out loud. Protesting injustice and racism does not have to only be a petition, a picket line or a rally. It can also be a shiny, bold celebration of joy, sharing our native languages, wearing traditional clothing, dancing native dances, eating traditional foods—and sharing them with the world.
Our protest was the festival. Our resistance was the joy.
{weissinger}
CONTENTS summer 2025
Editor’s Letter 4
High Notes 5
Contributors 9
Epilogue 9
Calendar 62 departments
secrets
Hot Coffee, Cool Cop 11
Coffee with a Cop offers time to chat, ask questions
Code Rad 12
Everyone teaches at West Sound Coder Dojo
sHORTS
Designing Women 16
Showroom offers one-stop-shopping for materials and design
Double, Double Toil and Trouble 20
BPA’s Bard at Bloedel takes on “Macbeth”
Suds Up 24
Entrepreneurs tackle the dirty work for you
Magic Bird Books 26
Sharing a love of books
Follow the Money 28
Rotary’s annual shopping frenzy translates to support for a wide range of endeavors
He’s Got Game 32
Video game studio takes design to new heights
Sunny Side Up 36
Renew your energy in the summer season
RECIPE
We All Scream for Ice Cream 38
Froyo with a swirl
AND ANOTHER THING
Now & Then 14
Home Court Advantage - BI Rowing’s new home
Magic Moments 56
Jump to It - Chilly water beckons brave dock jumpers
In Focus 64
Cafe Hitchcock Raquel’s Farm Stand
For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ringing in a new century
ABOUT THE COVER
Proper Fish Bar
Marlin Scherzberg—nicknamed “The Funhog,” with a life goal to bring stoke to everyone he meets—is a photographer, adventurer, and proud dad traveling the world. He snapped this stunning shot while aboard the sailing vessel TRUE operated by Sail Bainbridge while its hardy crew set out for the steep walls of Princess Louisa Inlet. Scherzberg said that after battling gale force winds and torrential rain, the travelers found peaceful waters on the home stretch back to Bainbridge just in time to dry out their soggy gear.
| EPILOGUE |
We’d have called him Tenacious D, but the name was already taken. We followed up with our hilarious magazine contributor (plus friend to the editors, all-aroundtown emcee, car freak and stand-up comedian) Dan Rosenberg to check in on the progress of his definitely-gonna-happen sitcom, “It’s a Lot,” which he wrote and stars in. Oh, and Rick Springfield (yes, that one) is in it, too. “While we wait to find a network or streaming home,” said Rosenberg, “we’re spending 2025 doing the film festival circuit.” So far, the show has won awards at the Portland Comedy Film Festival, Georgia Comedy Film Festival and LA Comedy Film Festival and is an official selection at the Massachusetts International Film Festival and Marina Del Rey Film Festival. As my dad used to say, overnight success takes about 10 to 15 years. When this audacious dream comes true, we’ll be there to say we knew him when. Learn more at itsalot.com.
Kerrie Houston Reightley
Kerrie Houston Reightley, a 34-year resident of Bainbridge Island, is a freelance writer, with work in The New York Times’ Modern Love and Parenting sections, Huffington Post, Oprah.com and AFAR magazine. Her education includes a B.A. in journalism and political science. Spanning decades, she has represented Bainbridge Island on numerous United States Tennis Association teams, several of which won championship titles.
Kelvin Hughes
Starting in 1980 with Silver Halide Photography, Kelvin Hughes moved with the times and the advances of technology to branch out first into video production, then computer animation, followed by web design and finally back to his first love ... the still image… only this time harnessing the full power of the digital revolution to produce truly stunning imagery for his clients. In this issue, Hughes stunning photos of Shauna Decker’s house appear on page 46.
Last summer, Audrey Nelson pulled back the curtain on the much-loved Island Theatre’s TenMinute Play Festival (Hold the Stage, Summer 2024 issue, page 18). The celebration of short-but-sweet is set to return this year August 21 through 23 at BPA’s Buxton Center. The festival will feature 10 short plays penned by Kitsap County playwrights, ranging from funny, to serious, to quirky, to surprising, to thoughtprovoking. Want more? On Tuesday August 5, meet the playwrights for a free panel discussion and Q&A at the Bainbridge Public Library. Break a leg! Learn more at islandtheatre.org.
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.
Stunning
Oh my gosh!! Fantastic!!!! Love
with a
Hot Coffee COOL COP
BY KERRIE HOUSTON REIGHTLEY
REIGHTLEY
In the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey played an attractive Seattle surgeon affectionately known as McDreamy. Now, across the Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island Police Department K-9/Community Resource Officer Zach Burnham has earned a cheeky nickname of his own, with fellow officers christening him “Hot Cop.” McHot-Cop, if you will.
Burnham himself prefers to simply be called Zach, or Officer Zach. His canine companion Whitney, meanwhile, has become a viral TikTok sensation. Whitney, a search-and-rescue bloodhound, is primarily used to find missing persons, Burnham explained.
“We’ll get clothes from their laundry basket,” he said. “Whitney will pick up the scent, and I’ll say, ‘Are you ready?’ and she’ll wag her tail. I then say, ‘Check it,’ and she takes off running!”
Aside from the playful monikers, the 6’-5” former D-1 basketball player insists that he’s just a regular-looking guy, plus a dad, a husband and a Bainbridge High School girls’ basketball coach. He wants people to know him on a first-name basis to break down any barriers.
Burnham moved here from Atlanta and started with BIPD in 2019. Acknowledging the evolution of how law enforcement is perceived, his relationship with the people he serves is more vital than ever. “It’s important for me to be a mentor and leader on this island and build relationships in this tightknit community,” he said.
The community recently had an opportunity to chat with Burnham at the reinstated Coffee With a Cop, held at Pegasus Coffee House. Topics included why Bainbridge needs a K-9 officer, what the most common crimes are and when it’s OK to call 9-1-1. More such events are planned in the future.
In true Bainbridge fashion, islanders continue to welcome Burnham. “There’s nothing like getting thank you letters from kids, or people waving or yelling out Whitney’s name,” he said. “That really makes my day.”
For more information visit bainbridgewa.gov
PHOTOS BY TANNER
CODE RAD
The word dojo may evoke images of Far East martial artists gathering in ancient temples, but West Sound CoderDojo is something altogether different.
Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, West Sound CoderDojo is a free, open-source and inclusive learning environment where participants aged 7 to 17, known as Ninjas, learn about coding, leadership, peer collaboration and computational thinking.
Sessions are held September through June and include mentoring in Hour of Code, an introduction to computer science, and Scratch, a visual coding language kids can use to create stories, animation and games.
WSCD incorporates what it calls “kids teaching kids” and the “grandmother method,” which encourage effort but are not direct instruction. “It’s not an instructor-student model,” said founder
Doña Keating. Keating explained that mentors—who range from a senior software engineer to a University of Washington research scientist—are facilitative and don’t get involved unless attendees get stuck. “And even then we’re mostly helping them think through the problem,” she said.
Keating—formerly a lawyer and broadcast journalist before launching a 35-year career in corporate management consulting— works alongside her husband, Charles Keating, owner of Keating Consulting Service, who serves as WSCD president, and their daughter, Merrill, a board member and recipient of USA Today’s prestigious 2024 Women of the Year award.
PHOTOS BY TANNER REIGHTLEY
“Once Charles and I had Merrill, we began to nurture her STEM curiosity and skillset,” Doña said. “This led our family to Seattle’s CoderDojo. The rest is history.”
A founding principle of CoderDojo is “One rule, be cool.” At a recent WCSD session, a 10-year-old boy spontaneously headed to the white board to discuss the coding of his game of world domination. Meanwhile, a second grade Ninja, coding since kindergarten, shared her animation of unicorns running in a field.
Cool indeed.
For more on attending, becoming a volunteer or donor, visit westsoundcoderdojo.com
now and then HOME COURT Advantage
A boathouse with a tennis court may sound pretty swanky, but what if the boathouse was a tennis court?
BY GEORGE SOLTES
For decades, Bainbridge Island Rowing faced this question, with team meetings, training sessions, boat maintenance and equipment storage all taking place on a derelict outdoor court, fully exposed to the ever-changing (and often damp) island weather.
The Stan Pocock Rowing Center, completed in 2024, finally put an end to BIR’s tennis court era. Named for the legendary coach and boatbuilder—and literally built around one of his historic shells—the facility houses storage, exercise, office, kitchen and shower areas. A large, glass-lined multipurpose room, available for both BIR and community use, overlooks Eagle Harbor.
The best part? Unless they’re out on the water, everyone stays out of the rain.
PHOTOS COURTESY BIR AND BY GEORGE SOLTES
Designing Women
Coppertop
Showroom Emerges as a Resource for Design & Materials
Whether it’s a kitchen or an entire home, a renovation is a major project. Overhauling on Bainbridge can be even more daunting—especially when it comes to sourcing materials.
Designer Tamah Burke is changing that.
Burke and her business partner, architectural drafter Michelle Smith, own Color Sanctuary, a full-service design firm now based out of a Coppertop Park showroom. Burke has offered design services on the island for years, but Color Sanctuary’s new
PHOTOS BY DINAH SATTERWHITE
BY AUDREY NELSON
home marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for Bainbridge homeowners.
“We’ve been sorely in need of suppliers of cabinets and carpet and lighting,” said Jana Wilkins, a local Realtor who’s worked with Burke and Smith on residential projects. “And the fact that [Burke’s] got all of that under one roof eliminates the need for multiple trips to Seattle, trying to pick stuff, trying to order it. It’s one-stop shopping.”
Burke is no stranger to the challenges that Bainbridge poses to homeowners. Twelve years ago, she bought and restored a 19th century cottage on the island. The transition to island living “was kind of like moving to the final frontier for me,” she said. “It was trial and error to learn what was missing, what was needed.”
It wasn’t just Burke’s personal renovation that shone a light on Bainbridge’s construction landscape and its shortcomings. For years, she’d helped clients with simple interior and exterior design. But thanks to her diverse background—she studied color theory, did historic restoration abroad and tackled sculptural fabrication and welding, among other pursuits—Burke was able to answer a wide range of client questions. She gradually expanded her services to include restoration, home renovation and even landscape design.
Burke met Smith on a job site during the COVID-19 pandemic. She described the drafter, who utilizes computer-assisted design software to craft technical blueprints, as “hands down the best CAD/drafting/rendering person I have ever worked with.”
The two women combined their skillsets and became business partners. Burke is more customer-facing, focused on “trying to crawl into somebody else’s brain and visualize what they have in mind.” Meanwhile, Smith’s blueprints help clients know whether their visions are feasible.
The synergy has created a whole much greater than the sum of its parts. “We are a hybrid not often found,” Burke explained. “We aren’t just designers. We understand construction and can take something from concept to implementation, permit ready to start.”
Realtor Alex Sadigh agreed that the women’s combined talents make Color Sanctuary unique. “Sometimes you’ll find people who have an amazing design sense,” he said. “And then you take that to your contractor and [they’re] like, ‘No, that’s never going to work.’ Whereas [with Color Sanctuary], you’re looking at actual blueprints during the design process to figure out what can work, what can’t work, maybe what needs to be moved and redone.”
After joining forces with Smith, Burke continued to seek out other women working in the male-dominated construction field. Designers are generally women, but because Burke works closely with contractors, architects and construction workers, she’s often the only woman on a job site.
“I just have such appreciation and awe that [other women] have forged through in that manner, knowing it was an interest or passion for them and they stuck with it,” she said. “Because it can be really daunting.”
The new showroom features a number of women-owned importers and distributors. For Burke, connecting women-owned businesses to potential customers fits into Color Sanctuary’s general role as a bridge or interpreter.
“We are the translators, the liaisons for the client,” she said. “Because we all—architects, the contractors, the designers—speak the same language. If we’re spending all this one-on-one time understanding what the client wants, then it’s far easier for us to be able to advocate and translate to those different people.”
Wilkins has seen the magic of this “translation” firsthand in her real estate business.
“When I first mention a designer, the first response is, ‘We can’t afford that,’” Wilkins said. “And I always say, ‘It actually saves you money because of the project management.’”
Going forward, Burke hopes that more clients will be introduced to Color Sanctuary’s work through the showroom, which in turn will help her and Smith keep doing what they love.
“Each individual project is always a different challenge or a new learning opportunity,” Burke said. “It’s interesting. It stays alive. That’s the premise of design, that it’s an evolving form of creativity, no matter what.”
More at colorsanctuary.com
shorts Something Wicked This Way Comes
BPA Readies the Stage at Bloedel for a Tragedy
Last summer, during Bainbridge Performing Arts’ production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” something magical happened.
Several actors lay on an outdoor stage within the Bloedel Reserve. As soft music played, an eagle saw its cue and swooped down over the crowd.
BY AUDREY NELSON
“The audience all just gasped,” recalled BPA Executive Director Elizabeth Allum, who directed the show. “And as it flew overhead, loads of people’s arms shot up, pointing. Like, ‘Did you see that?’ Because I think everyone held this collective sense of, “My God, is this real right now? How beautiful can this world be?’”
If you’re seeking an answer to that second question, Bard at Bloedel—an annual Shakespeare partnership between BPA and Bloedel—is a good place to start. For 13 years, actors have brought Shakespeare’s strange, glorious worlds to life at Bloedel, while audience members (and occasionally eagles) look on.
Bloedel’s director of operations, Dan Walker, said the partnership began as the reserve was looking into ways to collaborate with Bainbridge’s arts community. Bard at Bloedel presented “a wonderful opportunity,” Walker said.
In many ways, the program harkens back to BPA’s early days. With no formal playhouse then, nomadic actors performed in parks, community centers and parking lots. BPA’s outdoor capabilities have come a long way since those times. Designers now build sets around Bloedel’s sheep sheds, sometimes weaving in branches foraged from the reserve. And in 2023, a Bainbridge Community Foundation grant funded an outdoor sound system, allowing BPA to mic their actors.
But there are still challenges to staging an outdoor production, as Julia Bryce, 13, and Eleanor Aurora, 10, know all too well. The girls, playing fairies, wore tank tops and skirts in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “The costume was fun for the first 5 minutes and then we were like, ‘Can I have some pants?’” Eleanor said. Despite having to lie on a blanket that smelled “like a wet dog,” both girls valued the outdoor performance. “It cuts you off from all the modern civilization and technology and stuff,” Eleanor said. “And then you can be really transported back to those times where you get to watch this story unfold.”
Allum feels similarly. “So much of Shakespeare’s works are rooted very much in nature,” she said. “In the language that he uses, he weaves in a lot of themes of the natural world. And to have Shakespeare productions actually set in that kind of location is really, really magical.”
This summer, the Bard at Bloedel production is “Macbeth.” It’s been a long time coming. When COVID-19 canceled BPA’s 2020 summer season, “Macbeth” was supposed to be on the docket. Because of the show’s darker themes, BPA leadership decided against staging that play immediately after the pandemic. Instead, they put on “A Comedy of Errors,” followed by “The Tempest” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“[Macbeth] will be a departure from comedies,” said Walker. “That will be really fun, to see how the reserve can blend into that unique sort of experience.”
The role of Lord Macbeth will be played by Chris Soldevilla, the founder of The Studio Bainbridge—a former acting coaching company—and a longtime member of The Edge improv comedy group. He now teaches drama at the Hyla School.
“With Shakespeare, you can take one sentence and talk about it for an hour,” he said. “Just one line. To have as many pages as [Macbeth] has, full of things that can be interpreted so many different ways—it’s both exciting and overwhelmingly daunting at the same time.”
Julia Bryce and Eleanor Aurora will return for this summer’s production. Julia said she can’t wait for her fellow islanders to see the show.
“Having that environment where community members that you know get to bring it on stage and have this intense performance—I think it’s a really beautiful way to spend a summer evening,” she said.
Eleanor, too, is anticipating the summer—although for slightly different reasons.
“I’m very excited about dying on stage,” she said, grinning.
“Macbeth,” directed by Pete Benson, will be staged at Bloedel Reserve from June 26 through July 13. The production will run most weekends, Thursdays through Sundays, with a break for July 4.
For more information and tickets, visit bainbridgeperformingarts.org
Suds UP
Entrepreneurs Take on the Dirty Work
Lotta’s Laundry, Bainbridge’s year-old pick-up and delivery laundry service, is not the first business Beau and Liz Perra have started together.
“Some people set out to have multiple children,” Liz said. “We set out to have multiple businesses.”
BY CHRISTY CARLEY
“And multiple children!” Beau chimed in. “We have two,” Liz clarified. “And we’re going to stop there.”
The Perras, now both in their early 30s, met in graphic design school in Montana and got married after graduation. Prior to launching Lotta’s last summer, they founded a design business, created a line of custom screen-printed and stitched clothing, composed and distributed a shopping guide mailer, ran a successful social media management and content creation company and, later, expanded into social media coaching.
“We’re kind of self-diagnosed pivoters,” said Beau.
The two have also moved around quite a bit—from Montana to Seattle to Minnesota, then back to Montana, finally settling on Bainbridge in 2023 with two kids and a mini Australian Shepherd.
“We chose Bainbridge because it made sense for our family,” Liz said. “We just want our kids to run barefoot and live crazy outdoor lives.”
With a young family, and in search of some stability, the Perras found they were getting burned out by the social media grind. The company they had built grew from content management to content creation. Not only were they running social media accounts for businesses in real estate and hospitality, but they had also started to shoot the photos and videos themselves, learning the craft as they went along.
“We’ve done some really cool photoshoots,” Liz said, but added that working in social media “is kind of like being a model or a dancer. You’re going to hit an age where that career isn’t the best for you anymore.”
Shifting algorithms, an abundance of AI content and the chaos of an ever-looming TikTok ban led the Perras to consider dipping their toes into something a bit more visceral. The idea of a laundry service came after they moved to Bainbridge and began to consider what was missing in the community.
At the time, Liz said, she was “drowning in laundry.”
Now, of course, she has even more clothing to wash (Liz and Beau do all the laundry for Lotta’s themselves). But they hope to eventually hire staff as the business evolves.
“We try to focus on convenience and saving you time,” Beau said. “Spend more time with your family, spend more time on your hobbies, spend more time not doing laundry.”
Lotta’s was conceived as a side-gig and the Perras weren’t sure how well it would do. Quickly, though, it became clear that the business was a success. Within four days of opening Lotta’s, Beau and Liz received their first order. Since then, the numbers have continued to trend upward.
“It’s simple,” Beau said. “You put your laundry out. I come by. You’re smiling. I’m smiling. Maybe we exchange a few words.”
Liz and Beau run their business out of an ADU on their property with a couple of industrial washing machines. They offer a range of services,
including the classic wash, dry and fold combo (with options for different settings, as well as hang dry), linen pressing, and even an option to handle unwanted, gently used clothing and household items, which they will pick up alongside your order and donate to a partner charity. All detergents are biodegradable and hypoallergenic, and the stain remover is non-toxic and made in-house.
The couple is considering expanding to accommodate more orders. While they still engage in some online content creation, Lotta’s has helped the Perras feel more rooted in the Bainbridge community as they get to know their clients’ families and watch them grow.
“The trust we’ve been able to get from people right away is huge,” Beau said.
Liz and Beau may be done pivoting for a while, but that doesn’t mean that new business ideas have stopped flowing. Duckpin Bowling? A food truck? A repurposed kids’ clothing store? They have ideas for inventions, too.
“The hardest part,” Liz said, “is not starting a new business.”
More info at lottaslaundry.com
Making Magic: A Love Story
Once upon a time, there was a lady who loved books. She loved them so much that she built a special home for them in the Bainbridge woods and named it Magic Bird Books.
BY JEFF FRAGA
PHOTOS BY DINAH SATTERWHITE
The lady is Islander Dawn Ream and her book house serves as a free library similar to those dotting the island’s neighborhoods—only much larger. It’s also a book shop and community gathering space.
Ream stocks the book house, which is located in the Beachcrest neighborhood, with donated and used books, as well as some more collectible and specialty books. The book house has
been well received by the local community, especially by children who love to read and play board games there.
Ream built the book house with Tony Dattilo, a creative contractor who likes a challenge. Together, they crafted the 150-square-foot house using mostly salvaged materials. “Tony built the building and used maple from a tree that had come down on his property in a storm and had it milled for the bookshelves,” said Ream. Other friends and neighbors also pitched in.
Ream has found that maintaining a light touch and trusting the community to self-govern has worked well, creating a cozy and welcoming environment for all who visit.
Magic Bird Books invites readers to find their next favorite book from its wide-ranging selection, including children’s, young adult, middle reader, gardening, nature, mythology, folklore, fairytales, crafting, cooking, and local Bainbridge Island poetry. The house is the perfect place for reading, playing a board game with friends and, of course, leaving with a book in hand.
“My lifelong love of children’s fairy tales, folklore and mythology made me want to collect the childhood picture books whose images had such an impact on me as a young person,” said Ream. “I spent hours at the Seattle Public Library and at bookstores like Shorey’s to see the rare and wonderful books that were displayed in their glass cases.”
Eventually, her passion became a business, with Ream selling books online, starting in 2018. “I saw myself not only as a bookseller, but also a connector of memories,” she said. Her dream of using
books to connect people came to life when she received an email from an 82-year-old woman who told her that she had been searching for years for the childhood book she had bought recently from Ream. She was so happy to find it and have it on her shelf at her home, said Ream. “I knew exactly how she felt to be reunited with these images from her youth.”
Ream now pursues bookselling full time and her membership in the Cascade Booksellers Association enables her to get support and guidance from other like-minded booksellers.
“I’ve been having a good time with the book house and so have its visitors,” said Ream. “It’s going to continue to organically morph and evolve as I learn more and I see what people want.”
“I hope it will just continue to grow.”
Magic Bird Books is located at 9911 NE Beachcrest Drive and is open
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week
Follow
THE Money
Rotary’s biggest event has benefits way beyond Bainbridge
As the dust settles and the crowd disperses, their newfound treasures in tow, the latest annual auction and rummage sale draws to a close and, in one way, it seems the work of the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island is done, too.
But really, it’s only just getting started. Every summer, after several days of accepting donations, then cleaning, testing and pricing the haul, Rotarians take over the
BY LUCIANO MARANO
PHOTOS COURTESY GRANT RECIPIENTS, ROTARY CLUB OF BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, CINDY MCGREGOR AND LISA ERICKSON
campus of Woodward Middle School and set up a 30-some department sale in classrooms, tents, parking lots and on the athletic field, an enormous effort aided by more than 2,000 community volunteers. This year’s event is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 12.
But while the big event itself is rightly famous, drawing donations and attendees from far off Bainbridge Island, what happens next, and the myriad of good deeds done with the increasingly impressive sums of money raised, is less well known.
“I think that part becomes like a footnote a lot of times because the auction is so spectacular in so many ways,” said acting Rotary Club communication director Evelyn Wilder.
Begun in 1960 as a way to help pay for the Bainbridge Public Library, the first three auctions were held at the old Winslow Shipyard (now the Eagle Harbor Ferry Maintenance Facility). Over the past 65 years, according to Rotary officials, the event’s net revenue,
after expenses, has totaled more than $9 million.
From 2010 to 2024 alone, the group invested nearly $5 million in local and international community programs and projects.
“This fundraising effort raises a significant amount of money and the Rotary Club takes it very seriously,” Wilder said.
Typically, she explained, proceeds from the auction and rummage sale go
to benefit applicants in four primary categories, each overseen by its own Rotary committee:
Community grants (since 2010, more than 120 nonprofit organizations in Kitsap County have received such awards); Funding large projects (such as expanding the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum and new construction at Helpline House, Kitsap Humane Society’s pet adoption center, and the Bainbridge Youth Services facility, among others);
Scholarships (hundreds of island high school graduates have received scholarships to colleges, universities, and vocational schools);
And various international humanitarian efforts (projects undertaken in partnership with other Rotary clubs and nongovernmental organizations, focused primarily on water, sanitation, disease prevention/treatment, education and economic development to improve the quality of life of disadvantaged people around the world).
Even the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop the good work.
According to Rotary officials, “In 2020 and 2021, utilizing auction management software, we transformed the event into a no-contact experience. Donations and purchases were conducted from the comfort of participants’ homes. Donors retained their items at their residences, while buyers arranged to collect their purchases from the donors’ driveways or another agreed-upon location. We received exceptional support from our community of donors and participants, and the funds raised were allocated to organizations addressing specific needs arising from the pandemic.”
Those submitting applications for Rotary funding can expect a thorough review.
A grant in 2024 replaced outdated, failing microphones with 35 new mics.
Rotary’s Community Grants Committee awarded a grant to The Island School to bring in 70 new books featuring neurodivergent main characters, including characters with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia and severe anxiety.
A 2024 grant helped fund a new boat that seats four rowers and one coxswain.
Helpline House – Charlie Averill from the Large Grants Committee (left), and Dr. Ann Marie Kimball, 2024-2025 Club President, (right), present a grant of $125,000 to Maria Metzler, Executive Director of Helpline House (center) for their building project.
A 2024 grant funded the purchase of a realistic training manikin to teach skills such as intramuscular injections and suctioning.
“There’s a real diligent process that’s been in place for years,” Wilder said. “People go and they meet every single applicant and they look at the organizations and make sure the request is something that’s viable, that this organization is going to be able to pull it off and complete it within a year and report back.”
Students seeking scholarships are also interviewed and evaluated.
“Ten or so students a year get up to $5,000 to use toward their education,” Wilder said.
Each application committee has a dozen people or more, and the amount of time and effort required to ensure proper stewardship of the money raised by the auction and rummage sale, Wilder added, often surprises people. “They meet regularly and do a lot of research.”
Personally, Wilder said she found the club’s international work especially revealing, and felt that this category might be less well understood by the general public.
“It’s a really interesting aspect,” she said. “And since joining the
Those curious about the application process—or who want to learn more about the history of the auction or the specifics of where the money raised ultimately ends up—should visit bainbridgerotaryauction.org.
HE’S GOT GAME
ISLANDER TAKES BAINBRIDGE TECH SCENE TO NEW HEIGHTS
Living on an island has its pros and cons.
On the plus side is, well, almost everything. For starters, you never go very far without coming across a pretty view.
BY GEORGE SOLTES
Getting off the island, on the other hand, can be a chore, often requiring a complex, time-consuming mix of ferries and every other conceivable mode of transportation.
Imagine another option. What if you could attach giant propellers to the island, lift it up and take it wherever you need to go?
Islander Zach Mumbach has done more than consider this unlikely travel hack. He’s brought it to life and taken a few hundred thousand people along for the ride.
Mumbach is a video game designer and co-founder of The Wandering Band, an independent game studio. In Airborne Kingdom, the studio’s premiere release, players take their flying city with them as they travel the world seeking resources to restore it to its former grandeur. As convenient as it sounds, a mobile island in the sky carries its own unique challenges. For one, the citizens tend to get grumpy if the city tilts and they fall off.
Mumbach grew up playing video games. Unlike most kids, though, he also enjoyed tinkering with them, “modding” files to add his own art to the games.
A few weeks after graduating high school in Silicon Valley, Mumbach drove over to Electronic Arts, one of the world’s largest video game companies. “I just walked in the front door and said, ‘Hey, I want a job.’”
Amazingly, the direct approach worked. As it happened, a new batch of game testers was starting that day. Despite not having gone through the application or training process, Mumbach blended in with the crowd and, by the end of the day, was an EA employee.
For the next 17 years, Mumbach rose through the ranks to become manager of his own design team. Living his dream, however, came with a cost. “A lot of the video game thing is crunch, crunch, crunch,” he said. Seven-day weeks and 12-hour workdays were the norm, often extending to strings of 16-hour days as release dates bore down.
The relentless schedule, while viable for a single 20-something, took a toll as Mumbach entered his 30s and became a father. Then came the simultaneous
PHOTOS BY DINAH SATTERWHITE
birth of his second son and closure of his design studio within EA. “When EA shut down my studio, they gave me six months to do nothing. I was home and I realized how much I had missed with my first kid,” he recalled. “I had to get out of the video game industry, not because I didn’t love it, but because I needed to be with my family.”
A timely job offer came from a Seattle-based architecture and construction firm looking to bring in fresh Silicon Valley energy. While investigating housing options,
PICKUP & DELIVERY LAUNDRY SERVICES
Mumbach hopped on the Bainbridge ferry, and that was that. “I had to tell my wife we’re gonna live on this island,” he said. “Then we all came over. It was like, this is the place we want to be.”
Mumbach happily settled into domestic life, but something was missing. One day, he received a software file from some friends who had left EA to form their own studio. It was a simple prototype for a flying city. “They asked me to play it and give them advice,” he said. “It immediately made me sad. This is what I should be doing. I’m not a construction guy. The job was interesting, but I had my dream job already.”
The Wandering Band was born from a desire to create unique games within a sustainable lifestyle. The name refers to the disparate locations of the studio’s full-time members, currently consisting of Mumbach, programmer Fred Gareau, who splits time between Montreal and Peru, and 3D artist Amanda Cheng in England. Other specialists (including Mumbach’s wife, Lisa, a graphic designer) are contracted as needed.
The studio released Airborne Kingdom in 2020 to glowing reviews and a prestigious BAFTA nomination for best debut game. The brisk sales that followed took the team by surprise. “None of us have business backgrounds,” Mumbach said. “To be honest, even though it’s worked, and we sold hundreds of thousands, I don’t know how.”
Airborne Empire, a follow-up on an even grander scale, is currently in early release and will officially debut in 2026. While optimistic, Mumbach has no ambition to reach EA level sales. “We’re not under any pressure to get bigger,” he said. “Our goal has always been to make games we want to make, not go for the big, super hit. I just want to make this game because I think it’s cool.”
INJECTOR |
Teri Scott
Practitioner
Sunny SIDE UP
STORY AND PHOTOS BY BAJDA WELTY
We wait and wait and wait and finally the summer solstice, the crescendo of PNW weather and mood, is upon us! We dream of the easy, warm, long days of the summer season and here they are again. So, just like every season, let’s harness the very essence of it. Let’s say yes to wild! Let’s say yes to this blooming summer season! Let’s say yes to this swaggering, uplifting, fiery energy of summer. It’s the season of joy, happiness and heart. It’s easy to spot beauty in this season everywhere you look. The fluttering of flower petals draws you into a womb of joy. Lush green fields and shrubs fill out the land again.
The seeds you planted in winter, the intentions, deep, dark desires and dreams should be checked on. All the internal musings that occur in the cold, bleak winter season might be unfurling now. Are they flourishing vines? Are they still ideas? Perhaps they are complete or not viable and can be let go of completely.
The chicks that were fuzzy, weak, delicate and huddled under the heat lamp are now loud, rowdy teens competing for food and roosting atop their water. Peavines have taken off, winding upwards to catch as much sunlight as possible. The bean flowers are waiting for pollinators. The kiwi vines have come back robust after many failed attempts to get the garden gate and trellis teeming with life. Many other perennial friends return as well to feed and nourish our bodies. Artichokes, greens, sunchokes, berries, edible flowers, potatoes, rhubarb and herbs. And like the perennial plant friends, humans also return to each other with potlucks, picnics, parties and shared meals that last until dark. This season invites us to eat and share beautiful fresh foods.
It’s a naturally social time.
There is an acupuncture point at the top of the head called Hundred Meetings. It reminds me of the summer season not only because it is the most yang point and the highest point on the body, but because it is superb at promoting circulation, combating fatigue, improving mental focus and clearing brain fog. Feeling around the very top of your head you will find a more tender spot. Tap, press or massage in a circle. This is a great way to fully feel the vitality of yang energy. What better time than in the summer season?
The return of sunlight leads us right into the pinnacle of the year. Lean fully into the uplifting summertime by looking into the wild sky, making an unlikely, brave wish and watching for a shooting star to answer.
SundayBrunch
WE ALL SCREAM
If there’s one thing in this world we can all agree on, it’s that there really isn’t a wrong time to eat ice cream. Ice cream is there for us no matter the day, no matter the season. But isn’t there just something extra sublime about pairing the perfect scoop with a warm summer day? Doesn’t it just taste a little better?
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ANNE WILLHOIT
All I know is that when the sun comes out, my ice cream machine comes out too. I begin to fill all those empty yogurt containers I’ve been hoarding in the pantry and to experiment with flavors. I like to steep fresh herbs in the base or turn whatever fruit is getting too soft for eating into a compote topping.
Sometimes I think of ice cream making as food preservation…a way to save some fruit I’m enjoying now for later on. (If you live with other ice cream eaters, I suggest labeling it as “broccoli soup” and stashing it in the back of the freezer, so that you actually still have some “later.”)
Most ice cream recipes require cooking on the stovetop and then a patient cooldown in the refrigerator. This frozen yogurt recipe is nice not only because there is no heat involved, except for the compote, but because the tang of the yogurt lets the berry flavor really shine. You can swap in any berry you have on hand or in the garden, but blackberry and lime are pretty great when they team up. Frozen berries work just fine, but when you’re making the swirl, allow them to simmer about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
Frozen yogurt base:
Blackberry Lime Swirl Froyo
3 cups plain whole milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Blackberry lime swirl:
2 cup blackberries
3/4 cup sugar
Juice from one lime (about 2 Tbsp.)
Instructions:
1. Whisk the yogurt, sugar and vanilla together well.
2. Let base rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. While the base chills, make the swirl. Mix washed berries, sugar and lime juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil, stir, then reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
4. When the base is chilled and ready to process, give it another good whisking to make sure that all the sugar has dissolved before adding it to the machine.
5. Process according to the directions for your ice cream maker, usually about 25 minutes.
6. Immediately scoop out of the machine, alternating with spoonfuls of the swirl; pack it into a freezer container. Eat right away or store in the freezer for future yums.
Signing And Sealing Kris Rothert
Islander makes title and registration easy (as possible)
Many islanders have met Kris Rothert, who handles state vehicle licensing at the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce office. Tab renewals, new license plates?
BY CONNIE BYE PHOTOS BY ANNIE GRAEBNER
Rothert is the guy behind the desk. One recent morning, he guided a customer through the process of transferring license plates from Florida to Washington. In the end, the man said, “This is the best encounter I’ve ever had with a vehicle licensing agent.” Rothert contends that a lot of happy customers are simply grateful they’ve moved to a small town.
“They’re not used to the in-person
experience.” Besides the friendly service, patrons are glad to learn that proceeds from vehicle tabs renewed at the Chamber help fund work on the island, such as the Grand Old 4th of July celebration.
How long have you been doing this job?
When I got a ticket back in 2005, the judge gave me community service and I elected to do that with Chamber of Commerce. I started at the visitor information desk, then moved to this in 2010.
What is your job?
I handle vehicle licensing—a lot of title transfers, registration renewals—basically for private property: boats, cars. We
sell a lot of yearly renewals for those. Also, transfer of private property from person-to-person or state-to-state.
During COVID, you even dealt with customers out on the sidewalk. I’m from a first-generation family on the island. My dad was very community-minded. Growing up, I was a Boy Scout. It was easy to follow in my father’s footsteps.
Some people come in, pick up their tabs and go on their away. Others have problems; how do you handle that?
I try to help them see that they have a part to play. Gathering the things the state requires isn’t insurmountable.
What’s the busiest time of day?
Often, it’s first of day as people try to get done early.
Are some times of the month busier than others?
The county sends a mailer a month ahead of time that your tabs are due. But you can renew up to six months ahead. Look at your back license plate and see when it’s due. You’re in control of your tags.
Why don’t you issue driver’s licenses?
We all go to Poulsbo, to the state-controlled driver license bureau, for Washington driver’s license or ID.
Why do people come in instead of renewing by mail?
They forgot to renew, or they like to connect with a person. A lot of people don’t like using the computer, but it’s very accessible. As fast as you can do it online, I can print it out. People can run down here, and it’s done.
There are generally one or two people who come in every month or so and show a lot of emotion. I back off. I can let them know quietly that I cannot continue at this level. Maybe they had the application all filled out but didn’t have it notarized. They often come back the next day and apologize. But some get on the internet and say I’m the worst experience they’ve ever had.
Do people recognize you around town?
I don’t make eye contact at the grocery store. Everybody has a little question, which leads to five or six more. I can’t make it look like I’m doing favors for anyone. The county and state look at me and require things. I have to be careful. I’m not a lawyer, I’m not a policeman.
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT STAGE OF LIFE
Senior Living: demand ticks upward for independent living apartments on Bainbridge
Safety, security, socializing.
BY CONNIE BYE
Ray Chambers
independent living apartments in senior complexes, said Veronica for loved ones, added Marshall Nelson, who moved to Fieldstone
Early this spring, there were 21 assisted living and 15 independent
lonely in their homes. They also have begun to feel overwhelmed
Chavez said part of her job is to help people with downsizing.
how to sell your house. I can make recommendations on what to bring and how to place it in the new space.”
Janet Martic
Janet Martic takes new residents at Fieldstone under her wing. She’s the volunteer resident ambassador and has a badge to prove it. She also is part of the team that arranges fresh flowers throughout the complex. As she motors from place to place in her wheelchair, people wave and call out her name, and she returns their greetings.
“It’s given me purpose,” Martic said. “Knowing everyone’s name is important.”
Previously, Martic lived for 10 years near Winslow Way and liked that spot. “The location here is gorgeous, but it’s distant from shops,” she said. “However, the [Fieldstone] bus loads my wheelchair, and off I go to T&C.”
She enjoys exercising in the gym, doing her laundry in the nearby utility room, working puzzles, singing karaoke and knitting in the sunshine.
Martic came from California to Bainbridge after her husband died. Her son and daughter live on the island. At first, she worried that a senior living complex might feel “institutional.”
“But then groups form,” she said. “You sit at a table together, and it’s pleasant.”
She’s also met people who live in the neighborhood that surrounds the Fieldstone property. “They seem to like having us here,” Martic said.
Ray Chambers said he’s found a sense of community at Madison House. He moved from the Washington, D.C., area to Bainbridge to be near his daughter’s family. At first, he lived in a rental property but after he fell a year ago “and tore my leg apart, I temporarily moved to assisted living at Wyatt House.”
But when his current, sunny apartment became available, he moved. He was drawn to the ever-changing view of the marina and Eagle Harbor from his living room windows.
“I don’t cook, so it’s nice to not worry about that,” said Chambers, who described his living situation as a combination of independent and assisted living; he needs help with some tasks, such as showering.
He said he doesn’t miss living in a house. “You have to adapt and say, ‘This is it,’” Chambers said. “You need to
Maree Zawoysky
Marshall Nelson
acknowledge where you are and enjoy the best lifestyle you can. It’s all about the pursuit of happiness.”
He advised people who are unsure to try a senior apartment on a temporary basis.
That was how Nelson started. “The kids found this place,” he said, after a heart attack sent him to the hospital. He had been caring at home for his wife, who had dementia. She was moved into the memory care wing at Fieldstone; she died last year.
“I realized that we couldn’t go back to our house,” Nelson said. “A lot of things I had been doing there, I could come here and not worry about it. I really liked this place, and I finally bit the bullet and said I’m going to stay.”
His doctor advised daily walks. Nelson said he enjoys traversing nearby streets and a park with Puget Sound and Seattle as the backdrop.
Maree Zawoysky, a longtime Bainbridge resident who had lived in Poulsbo in recent years, moved into a unit at Wyatt House about a year ago. She and her daughter, who lives on Bainbridge, looked at the various island options, and Zawoysky decided that Wyatt House was the best fit.
“It was obvious that it was time to make a decision,”
Zawoysky said. “One of my goals was not to go kicking and screaming.”
A few residents grouse about the meals from time to time, she said. “But the food is just fine—and I didn’t have to cook it. For me, it’s a very positive thing not to be planning meals, shopping for food and cooking.”
Zawoysky said another plus is that she feels safe at Wyatt House. She participates in organized activities, such as bingo and card games, and she enjoys movement classes.
“Making friends at this time of life is difficult,” Zawoysky said. “You must be intentional about it.”
Nelson also enjoys some activities, especially playing trivia with friends. He’s also part of a group that reads poetry aloud and shares slide shows. “I’ve done three travelogues,” he said.
Although his apartment has a full kitchen, Nelson said he eats most meals in the dining hall. “I might start out as the only person in the room, but then more people come and we start pushing tables together.”
Nelson said he’s surprised how comfortable he is at Fieldstone. “No matter how young you feel, it’s never too soon to start looking into what’s available,” he said. “You may surprise yourself and find you are ready to make the move. That’s what happened to me.”
Photographer Annie Graebner
By Alli Schuchman
From Which We Came
Photos by Kelvin Hughes
DRAWING NATURE INTO A DREAM
“People come here as a little vacation, and it’s our front yard,” said Shauna Decker.
The visiting boaters who float on the serene waters off Blakely Harbor’s shoreline are just one aspect of what Decker appreciates about her home’s location.
“It fills up with sailboats in the summer which brings a great energy. The most exciting thing about living here though is the intimate connection to nature,” she said.
Decker, an architect turned real estate developer, designed and built the home on the property for herself and two sons, Avery, who is now away at Western Washington for college, and Zane, who will be attending Cal Poly SLO as a freshman this fall. The trio moved in in 2020.
Decker grew up in Kirkland and explained that her love for the island stretches back to when she was little and her dad would take the family sailing and stop for a picnic lunch in Port Madison. “I absolutely fell in love with Bainbridge and thought it would be an idyllic place to raise a family,” she said. “I decided then that I wanted to live here someday, so it’s been a draw since I was a child with a vision of building my own home here.”
Decker’s passion for architecture started early on, too. She explained
that her family went to Europe for the summer when she was 10. “I used to draw a lot. I was always drawing my dreams, and I started drawing buildings that we saw,” she said. “I fell in love with the architecture and the impact that a space can have.”
Encouraging her daughter’s penchant and talents, Decker’s mom suggested she explore becoming an architect. “It’s this perfect kind of marriage between science and art, so I slowly grew in that direction,” she said.
When Decker bought the Port Blakely property in 2014, it came with an existing permit for a house. Fortunately, she was able to work within the previously approved footprint, not only because of its desirable proximity to the water, but also for its southern orientation, which provided an unplanned upshot. “As an architect, you pay a lot of attention to
light…where the sun is rising, where it’s setting and the light quality. But the thing I hadn’t contemplated much was the moon,” she said. “We get the whole moonscape across the sky with the moonlight reflecting off the water as it’s rising. It’s spectacular.”
She’s also discovered a lot about the property’s history dating back to the 1800s, thanks in part to the research her mom’s been able to unearth as a volunteer at the history museum. “There used to be a hotel here, which is really ironic because I’ve done a lot of hotel development,” she said. “Digging up the foundation for the house, we came across old whiskey bottles and plates from the hotel and there are still many things that we find on the beach.”
On the property also sits an
historic late 1800s brick bungalow that Decker dubbed the Art Barn because she initially envisioned it as her studio. “I’ve heard a lot of different stories about its former uses as a firehouse, a post office, an icehouse to deliver ice to homes before there were refrigerators, and even a practice space for Nirvana during the early days,” she said.
Though its name has endured, Decker has since given over the Art Barn to the kids as a hangout complete with dual bunkbeds, a workout rack and a giant TV. When it came to envisioning the new home, Decker said she was inspired by the site’s natural palette of driftwood, stones and water, describing the finished product as “modern minimalism of glass,
concrete, steel and wood; materials and colors that tie back into the surroundings.”
The exterior’s massive concrete walls serve a purpose greater than their striking good looks. Besides providing the perfect surface against which the kids practice chipping golf or lacrosse balls, or to project an outdoor movie on, the home is “heavily engineered” to provide protection against seismic activity, a concern for the Pacific Northwest.
Decker said that a lifetime of travel along with her work in high-end hospitality design helped shape the experiences she wanted within her own home. “I was very focused on the materials and creating a certain mood,” she said. “Somewhat chic, yet still effortless and easy. That’s my personal vibe.” She explained that she’s seen a lot of homes that were more intent on making a statement than on serving the people who live within them. “I didn’t want to have anything to do with that,” she said. “It doesn’t feel honest. I wanted to make sure that the motivation behind this house was about our everyday life and enjoying it with the people I love.”
Indeed, the home has proved hospitable. Almost two years after moving in, Decker’s partner, and the two younger of his four sons moved in alongside her, Avery and Zane. The TV room and a guest room became bedrooms to accommodate the growing family. The home still feels spacious, while maintaining Decker’s intention for it to remain intimate, without what she describes as “ego spaces.” With Zane about to head to college, and her partner’s son with just one more year of high school, Decker anticipates the home will continue to adapt to life’s inevitable expansions and contractions.
In addition to the home’s major design details—including towering steel windows that open to the outdoors, white oak floors, Brazilian granite countertops and the spa-like bathrooms—the details within the home are also personal to Decker. She pointed out elements, from door handles that she designed and fabricated, to the artwork, including a piece she brought back from a trek on Mount Everest, and more.
Lighting was also a big consideration in her design. “Lighting is everything when it comes to creating intimacy in a space.” said Decker, describing the “warm dimming” she
incorporated. “As you dim the lights, it doesn’t just decrease illumination, but the color deepens into a golden, candlelit hue.”
Shortly after the house was completed, the COVID pandemic got into full swing. As a result, Decker’s work in
hotel development ended. “I was in a really fearful place,” she said. “If I didn’t have my kids with me, I would go days without seeing anybody. I went into a meditative state. The house became my companion in a way and, as difficult as that time was, I also felt very fortunate.
I’d watch seals swimming out front, and realize that there’s so much healing from nature.”
Part of her daily routine now includes cold plunges in the water off her beach. “I practice yoga and then get in the water for three minutes,” she said. “I’ve gone in in the middle of the night, in a rainstorm, in the snow, and in the beautiful sunshine. Every single time has been amazing.” In addition to the growing research around the health benefits, Decker said that it’s yet another way for her to reconnect to the land.
Building the house “has been a deeply meaningful process,” she said. “Of course, there was a tremendous amount of work behind it. There were a lot of life decisions directing me towards this goal I’ve had since I was literally 10. Doing this for myself and for my family in this gorgeous place, I feel extremely blessed.”
magic moments
JUMP TO IT
When the tide conceals the barnacles and the sun stays out past dinner, Bainbridge’s docks turn into diving boards. As summer unfolds, local kids of all ages ritualistically hit Hidden Cove and Point White. The splintered wood and metal are the perfect surfaces to tan on, snack on and, for those brave enough—jump from. For some, it’s easy to jump off the peak of the railing, but for others it takes years of building courage. Some kids can’t take the height, others are afraid of sea creatures, and many can’t face the shock of the freezing water. Still, no matter how many hesitations or skipped turns, there’s a quiet magic in just being there—feet dangling, the smell of sunscreen, music playing from a speaker tucked in someone’s towel. The docks become more than a structure. They become a shared memory in motion, summer after summer. And when someone finally jumps—whether with a running start or a cautious tiptoe—the laughs and screams are loud enough to echo across the water. Because on Bainbridge, summer isn’t marked by the calendar. It’s marked by the splash.
BY ELLE SCHUCHMAN
PHOTO BY MAE WYSONG
Consider me an advocate, advisor and partner who puts you first. Empowering you with the resources, motivation and winning strategies to achieve your real estate goals.
Café Hitchcock
When Café Hitchcock says they have all-day dining, They really mean all-day.
Where on Bainbridge Island can you find freshly baked pastries, killer shakshouka, crab Benedict, Detroit-style pizza and even baby back ribs? All in one place?
Café Hitchcock fits the bill with an all-day dining philosophy and a pedigree from award-winning local chef Brendan McGill. The café extends McGill’s farmto-table philosophy, growing much of the restaurant’s food on Bainbridge Island or sourcing it nearby.
Café Hitchcock starts the day as classic café—avocado toast, anyone? Then, at around 11 a.m., the café hands the keys over to the kitchen, which serves brunch, lunch and dinner—including shareables for small groups with cured meats, assorted cheeses, house made pickles, seasonal fruit, preserves, Marcona almonds and toasted
BY JEFF FRAGA
Hitchcock bakeshop focaccia. Along the way, you’ll find cocktails, beer and wine, an inspired selection of spirits, and house kombucha on tap.
Like virtually every other restaurateur in the world, McGill was forced to be nimble during the pandemic. Hitchcock, his original flagship restaurant on Bainbridge, was his first to close due to COVID, ceasing its dine-in service in March 2020. In its place, McGill launched a burger spot called Sacka-Burger. During the same time, McGill and his team also served barbecue, tacos, oysters and a wide array of other dishes on the restaurant’s patio.
“As we slowly began to return to normal, we realized we already had the people and the equipment in place to be a true all-day dining restaurant,” said McGill. For example, McGill’s smoker—where he smokes meats, such as pastrami and bacon— was just sitting there at night. “So, we put it to work smoking ribs and chickens and sausages.”
And Café Hitchcock was born.
Café Hitchcock, 129 Winslow Way East, 206-201-3369
Time passes a little differently here.
Maybe that’s why we’re comfortable taking the longer path with our wine. It’s why we sort our grapes by hand and barrel age each wine before bottling, and why we keep our production small, so we can fully focus on the details.
Raquel’s Farm Stand
It can take three days to make a single loaf of bread. Raquel Stanek does not consider this work.
In April 2020 Raquel Stanek began working on her sourdough starter, bought a 50-pound bag of flour and became a pandemic baker. “Each day I would feed the starter and try my hand at mixing up a few loaves,” she said. “It was rough going at first—the loaves were dense and generally disappointing.”
But luckily for Stanek—and her legion of fans—her attitude is more fascination than frustration.
As a result, today, bread lovers can buy Stanek’s variety of artisan breads at her farm stand at Lovgreen off North Madison. Loaves that make regular appearances at the stand and at local farmers markets include classic, oatmeal, seeded classic, cranberry walnut, rugbrød, organic wheat and special limited loaves such as triple chocolate cranberry.
What about baking bread appeals most to Stanek? “I love the simplicity of it: flour, water, and salt. The mastery that comes with repetition is always something that makes this interesting to me.” Having baked for five years, Stanek said that the most
interesting aspect is the seasonal change that the bread undergoes. “From season to season, the amount of water necessary for a loaf changes, the starter changes and the fermentation time in summer compared to winter is drastically different,” she said. “Above all, learning to be present with the dough and all of its needs is a true lesson in tuning in to the current moment.”
Before becoming a baker, Stanek was a self-taught glass mosaic artist for more than 20 years. “With baking— as with glass— I build on my skills with each piece of art or loaf I make,” she said. “I learned I could play around with the same materials and create new concepts. I’m driven by a desire to understand what I’m seeing in front of me and how to make it better each day.
“It’s also important to me that each loaf is visually consistent and looks like my creation,” she added. “I keep the design on the classic loaf the same so it’s identifiable as my signature loaf.”
And if you still aren’t sure if it’s the real deal, just take a bite.
Raquel’s Farm Stand, 9590 NE Lovgreen Roady 206-715-0666
In 2019, Proper Fish opened on Bainbridge Island to large crowds and even larger acclaim—its fish and chips were once named the best in the city by the Seattle Times. Fans heaped praise on menu favorites, such as fish tacos and lobster rolls. And Proper Fish collected numerous Best of Bainbridge awards.
But one thing was missing: a proper bar.
Not just beer and wine, but a proper variety of spirits and mixed drinks. Heriberto Quintero, who co-owns Proper Fish with Ana Silva, remedied that omission by expanding into the space next door and furnishing it with tables and a bar.
Proper Fish has long prided itself on local ingredients and community, and the bar menu reflects that. Patrons can choose
from drinks such as the Eagle Harbor (basil leaves, orange slice, rum, orange juice) or the Hidden Cove (mint, basil, lemon, raspberry juice, and soda).
Quintero and Silva, who have lived on Bainbridge for more than 17 years, contend that owning a restaurant is about more than just business. “It’s also to connect with the community,” Quintero explained.
Meanwhile, the line for Proper Fish continues out the door—but you might be able to get a seat at the bar.
Summer
1. The Persistent Guest at Sidequest
Jodeen Revere’s darkly funny, one-woman show about her three cancer diagnoses is filled with “sex, chemo drugs and rock and roll” (read: not suitable for all audiences). After debuting her work in Boise and participating in an NYC theater festival, Revere is stopping by Rolling Bay Hall on Bainbridge as part of a West Coast tour.
June 12, 7 p.m. sidequeststage.com
2. Bainbridge Pride Festival at Waterfront Park
Ten years since the group’s inception— following the 2015 Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality—Bainbridge Pride will continue its annual tradition of lively, welcoming and unapologetic celebration. Still in need of some rainbow flare before the event? Head to the library on June 12 for a Pride-themed upcycling workshop. Upcycling workshop: June 12, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Pride Fest: June 21, 1–9 p.m. bainbridgepride.org
3. Happy Hour at Highside
Highside Distilling earned top marks for its gin distilled from Washington-grown apple cider. It also offers a selection of Italian liqueurs and a whiskey with a PNW malted barley base. Swing by the charming mid-island tasting room on second Fridays for carefully crafted cocktails, food pairings and live music.
June 13, 4–8 p.m.
July 11, 4–8 p.m.
August 8, 8:30–9:30 p.m. highsidedistilling.com
4. Battle Point Summer Concert Series
BIMA’s DogEar Festival is a celebration of all things print. The festival offers a wide array of events and activities, including letterpress printing, typewriter poetry, a musical performance from Seattle’s Bushwick Book Club and an edible book competition. Tickets for some events available online.
April 4-6, various times biartmuseum.org
5. Rotary Auction and Rummage Sale
Time to swap your stuff for your neighbor’s stuff! The Rotary Auction will start on July 12 at 8 a.m. sharp, with a preview the night before. If you’d like to be more involved in the action, a range of volunteer opportunities is available leading up to the big day.
July 12, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. bainbridgerotaryauction.org
6. Susan Wiggs at Liberty Bay Books
Best-selling island author Susan Wiggs’s latest novel “Wayward Girls” (to be released mid-July) is a tale of friendship, resilience and justice, based on the true story of girls forced to labor in the laundry of a Catholic reform school. Celebrating the book’s launch, Wiggs will be in conversation with Oregon author Kristina McMorris.
July 20, 4 p.m. libertybaybooks.com
7. Soul Breadcrumbs at BPA
At age 28, after singing at Disneyland, acting in Arkansas and touring Asia, islander Leza Danly left the world of performance and spent years working as a life coach. Decades later, Danly returns to the stage, offering a solo memoir show that explores trauma, healing and self-discovery.
Not suitable for youth under 16.
July 25 & 26, 8 p.m. bainbridgeperformingarts.org
8. BI Arts Fair at BIMA
More than 20 regional artists will gather in the plaza outside BIMA for a joyful, creative celebration. The two-day market will include ceramics, paintings, textiles and more. A mini bazaar will also take place in the lower galleries of BIMA, showcasing work from local BARN artists. August 2-3, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. biartmuseum.org
9. Movies in the Park
Offerings for the 2025 edition of Movies in the Park span decades (from “Footloose” to “Barbie”) and genres (including both “Freaky Friday” and “The Matrix”). Free popcorn and pre-movie activities will be available at 8 p.m., while the films will start half an hour after sunset.
Fridays in August biparks.org
10. Rae Isla at the Treehouse
A 2011 BHS grad, Rae Isla (her stage name), left the rock to attend Berklee School of Music and, later, make a name for herself in LA. The singer-songwriter has a versatile, cinematic sound and a wealth of stories to accompany her music
August 15, 7 – 10 p.m. treehousebainbridge.com
FOR WHOM IT TOLLS in focus
Recently, my friend Bob Moore, a trustee at Port Madison Lutheran Church, asked if I would give him a hand. Our task was to replace the rope for the church’s bell. Bob stayed on the ground while I climbed up to the bell. I had climbed the belltower more than once in the time I have been doing work for the church. Atop the tower, I noticed the bell’s foundry date: 1925. The century-old, 24-inch-tall by 32-inchwide bell weighs about 650 pounds and was manufactured by Stuckstede & Brothers in St. Louis. Its inscription reads: “Come and Worship the Lord.”
St. Louis bell historian Carl S. Zimmerman said that no records remain from this foundry, but that this is the farthest distance from St. Louis one of their bells has traveled.
Anyone who wants to hear the bell, or come and worship, is invited to join Sunday services at 10:30 a.m.
STORY AND PHOTO BY BRYAN KRAMER
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STEP 1: MEASURE
Goal: Determine the center point of where you want the artwork to hang.
• Find Your Layout Center: Use a tape measure to locate the horizontal center of the wall or furniture you’re aligning the artwork to (like a couch, bed, or cradenza ). Mark this center lightly with a pencil.
• Choose the Height: A common guideline is to place the center of the artwork at 57–60 inches from the floor—this is considered a comfortable viewing height. OR
• Mark the Center: Measure from the floor up to your desired vertical center height and mark it on the wall. This is where the center of your artwork will sit.
STEP 2: MARK
Goal: Calculate and mark the exact height to place your hook/nail.
• Measure Your Artwork Height (A): Note the full height including frame.
• Find the Center of the Art (B): Divide artwork height by 2.
• Measure Wire Slack (C): Pull the hanging wire taut toward the top center of the frame. Measure from the top of the frame down to the peak of the pulled wire.
• Calculate Hook Position:
Desired Center Height + ( B - C ) = Hook Height on Wall For example, if:
• Desired center is 58”
• (A) Artwork height is 24” → B = 12”
• Wire slack is 2” → C = 2” Then:
• 58 + ( 12 - 2 ) = 68” is Hook Position
STEP 3: HAMMER
Goal: Secure the hanging hardware at the right spot.
• Using the mark from Step 2, lightly tap in a picture hanger, hook, or nail at a slight upward angle.
• For heavier art, use wall anchors or double hooks spaced evenly from center. Please consider the weight rating of selected hardware.
STEP 4: HANG
Goal: Align and level the art.
• Hang the art on the hook via its wire.
• Use a level to ensure it’s straight.
• Step back and assess the alignment. Make any minor adjustments.
GENERAL NOTE:
When hanging art consider your personal preferences as to what works best as your ‘comfortable viewing height’ as well as if the artwork is adjacent to different mediums of art or being viewed from a standing or sitting position.
Cogwheel Construction and Toolbox Dispatch are proud supporters of the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.
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As a Type A Life Plan Community, Heron’s Key o ers predictable monthly costs—even if your healthcare needs change. And as a not-for-profit, we reinvest in what matters most: our residents’ wellbeing and community experience. Plan ahead. Live fully. Schedule Your Visit Today. www.heronskey.org/expansion 253-525-5204
