Time to Break Out the Sweaters!

September 25th, 2013

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If you’re anything like me, you’re a total sucker for anything autumn.  Pumpkin spice lattes, jack o lanterns, leaves changing color on the trees, the return of the regular Northwest downpour…it’s time to snuggle up in a warm blanket and take it all in.

The Harvest Fair is a beloved island tradition that helps everyone celebrate all the things that we love about fall.  Sponsored by Friends of the Farm, a local nonprofit working to preserve the wonderful tradition of local farming, this annual event brings people of all ages together to enjoy a day filled with harvest celebration.

Come on down to Johnson Farm this Sunday, September 29, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and take part in everything from apple cider-making to sheep shearing.  Pony rides, pie contests, local music, and yummy food are some of the other activities everyone can enjoy.  Local master gardeners will be on hand to discuss their craft and their food.  For those of us that are old enough, a beer and wine garden awaits for tasting!

Donations to Friends of the Farm are welcomed upon entry.  Donations to the organization are used to support the continuation of the Harvest Fair itself, as well as other work Friends of the Farm does throughout the year.  Friends of the Farms works to provide access for local farmers to raise crops, repairs and maintains structures on farmland, and helps increase community awareness.

Shuttle rides to and from the event are available from both the ferry terminal, from Bethany Lutheran Church on High School, and from Strawberry Hill Park, also on High School Road.

Help celebrate the changing of the seasons! And let’s face it…no one is ever too old for a good old-fashioned tractor ride.

Please visit the Friends of the Farm website for more information and directions to Johnson Farm, at www.friendsofthefarm.org

Youth Soccer Month

September 17th, 2013

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Celebrate all things soccer this month and encourage your kids to put down the cell phones and video games and get out and enjoy a fast moving, team building sport.

Soccer, since 1974 has exploded in popularity here in the States. Back then there were only about 100,000 youth players while today more than three million players, 300,000 coaches and 600,000 volunteers play in organized leagues. Why is it so popular? It’s fast, it’s fun, every child gets time on the field and the game is taught to be fun and enjoyable. The presence of a world class soccer club, the Sounders, just across Elliott Bay doesn’t hurt either.

The Bainbridge Island Football Club is a non-profit youth club consisting of about 1,100 players from Bainbridge Island and Kitsap County. BIFC promotes love of the game by providing high quality player and coaching training in an appropriate competitive setting for all ages. A safe and supportive environment is provided while developing the highest standards of growth and fair play.

BIFC offers seasonal and year round programs for boys and girls with games through the fall and summer camps available.

The Mini-kickers Group, (age 3-5 years)
Academy Soccer, (6-10 years)
U10 Development Academy, (9-10 years)
Recreational Soccer, (10-19 years) and Select Soccer, (10-19 years)

The above groupings assure age appropriate competition and training for everyone. Additionally there are ten soccer fields in the area.

Join the fun, release the energy and come out to enjoy healthy activities for young people as participants and spectators alike.
Check out Youth Soccer Month and check out other soccer programs in Washington.

A Rockin’ Good Time

September 9th, 2013

Massy Ferguson Plays at the After Party

Lynwood Center, a small business and residential area on the south end of the island, has undergone a major facelift in the past few years, and is now as lively as ever.  New restaurants and apartments occupy the space, and live concerts and the Sunday farmers’ market have been drawing folks like never before.  This Saturday, September 14th, the fun continues with what promises to be a fantastic block party at the sixth annual Taste of Lynwood.

Concerts, food, games, a beer garden…the Taste of Lynwood will have it all, and admission is free!  The party begins at 8 a.m. and will long after the sun goes down at 11 p.m.

Live music will begin at 11:45 a.m. and will continue on the main stage until 8.  Johnny Bregar, a local artist, will kick everything off.  He will be followed by The Paperboys and then Leroy Bell and His Only Friends.  After 8 p.m., all those 21 and over are invited to hit up the Treehouse Café Stage to hear Missy Ferguson.

In addition to live music, food and craft vendors will be open for all to enjoy.  This year also marks the first ever Classic Car Show at the Taste of Lynwood.  And if you’re feeling particularly athletic and energized, take part in the Baker Hill Fitness Challenge.  The challenge includes running up Baker Hill, burpees, squats, and a surprise event before running back down the hill.  If you’re like me, however, you’ll be more than happy to stay at the bottom of the hill and enjoy a beer at the beer garden.

For more information on the Taste of Lynwood (everything from band descriptions to directions), please visit the event website at www.tasteoflynwood.org.  Rain or shine (this is Washington, after all), the Taste of Lynwood promises a fun time for everyone!

Meet Liesel Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller, two Bainbridge Island women out to do their part in changing the world. Clark is a filmmaker for National Geographic and NOVA and a regular visitor to Nepal. Rebecca Rockefeller is a Citizen Scientist and Educator, self-proclaimed Backyard Chicken Farmer, Writer and Rock Farmer. These ladies have joined together to start Trash Backwards and Buy Nothing Bainbridge Island.

While not yet a mass movement there is an increasing number of people, locally as well as globally who see the current economic model of buy more/build more as unsustainable. As a replacement this expanding group of friends and neighbors see a way to exchange unneeded things or time and services, for things on offer from others.

Unlike Freecycle, Buynothing has few limits on what can be on offer or in describing what is on offer. Freecycle for example doesn’t allow food exchanges and has limits on,”Asks” nor does it allow lending or borrowing. Instead, using social media, especially Facebook, Buynothing allows for a much more free and liberal exchange and interaction among members.

By providing a forum for members to interact freely exchanges and barters are made without formal meetings but Waterfront Park has been the site for potlucks and exchanges frequently. By posting needs or offers members are able to meet and establish the connections that any community needs to be successful. The cliché about one person’s trash being another’s treasure is fulfilled here.

Another advantage derives from reducing waste and trash in the garbage/recycle stream. This reduces impacts from filled landfills to lowering the carbon footprint by removing discards from the system. As an added benefit you have the realization of knowing what has outlived its usefulness for you has a new, extended life in a new home rather than being dumped and wasted in a lonely spot under heaps of actual trash.

For more information buy nothing site click here For more information on Trash Backwards click here

Get On Board!

September 1st, 2013

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There are just a few weeks left of our beautiful NW summer, and one of the best ways to soak up the sun is out on the water on a paddleboard.

The Olympic Outdoor Center offers paddleboard rentals at its dock location in Eagle Harbor, just outside the Harbour Public House’s backdoor.

“Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) has kind of made a splash here in the Pacific Northwest,” said Olympic Outdoor Center’s business manager, Forrest Wells.  A longtime BI resident, Wells said a lot of the appeal of paddleboarding comes from the surf culture crossover.  It’s an awesome way to get out on a board and try something new.

“From a flat water standpoint, it’s a really great low-impact way to get out and about on the water, and have fun while doing it,” he said.

SUP yoga has also been making a splash.  If you’re looking to add an extra dose of serenity (plus an added degree of difficulty) to your yoga routine, try taking it out on the water! Local paddleboarding enthusiasts have come together to try programs offered through companies such as Olympic Outdoor Center, as well as to organize group paddles around the island through groups on Facebook.

Olympic Outdoor Center will be providing paddleboard rentals into September, as long as the weather cooperates.  Folks are welcome to take their rentals offsite, as long as they have a rack to transport the boards.  Wells recommends exploring Manzanita Bay, Port Madison, Hidden Cove, and other protected areas around the island.

To see a list of rates and hours, and to see what great paddleboard/kayak programs are offered, visit their website at www.olympicoutdoorcenter.com.

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