ORCA NETWORK PRESENTS "WAYS OF WHALES" WORKSHOP

Excited humans crowd the railings of a Washington State ferry to point and shout to each other about what they see in the water. Dark, smooth, wet, and glistening, the rounded shapes of orcas, sometimes called killer whales, curve up from the water’s surface, their blade-like dorsal fins erect as they forge ahead. 

photo by Howard Garrett

 These elegant creatures, if they chose to do so, could leap in graceful arcs and twist their white undersides toward the sun, let out their haunting high-pitched cries, or dive below. But at the moment, they travel, showing just enough of themselves to mark their passage through the Salish Sea, the combined waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. In this delicate ecosystem— increasingly endangered by the effects of human activity—they forage for salmon and communicate with each other in distinct dialects we cannot understand.

If your curiosity about orcas goes beyond snapping a digital photo, you might want to connect with like-minded people at an exciting workshop happening this coming weekend. “Ways of Whales,” will be presented on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013 by Orca Network, a 502 (c) (3) non-profit that, according to their mission statement, is”… dedicated to raising awareness about the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitat.” Fortunately, a growing number of people do care. This popular workshop, now in its tenth year, is the perfect place to begin or expand your knowledge of our region’s whales.

Photo by Howard Garrett

Howard Garrett and Susan Berta co-founded Orca Network and devote themselves to this cause. Garrett, the board chairman, is also the photographer who provided the beautiful images in this post. When I contacted them to learn more, he and Berta eagerly shared photos and information for the benefit of readers of Good Life Northwest and hope many of you will attend.

“The ‘Ways of WhalesWorkshop’ is intended to offer a chance for people interested in whales, from any vantage point, to hear directly from whale researchers and experts about their findings and experiences,” Garrett said. “It’s a chance to ask questions and hear personal insights from a variety of areas of expertise, and it’s a chance to meet lots of other people who share our interest and passion to learn more about whales, especially the orcas that live among us.”

And they do live right among us. I've even seen orcas while dining at Anthony's restaurant at Point Defiance in Tacoma.

Orcas swim in Elliot Bay, close to downtown Seattle    photo by Howard Garrett

Here are the details:

WAYS OF WHALES WORKSHOP

Coupeville Middle School Performing Arts Center
501 So. Main, Coupeville, Whidbey Island, WA 98239

Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

$30/person ($25 for students and seniors) $10 Lunch (optional)

For more information and to register, following this link:

Ways of Whales Workshop

Workshop topics for 2013 include:

• Dr. Peter Ross - Toxins and other threats to Southern Resident orcas
• Film maker John Gussman - Elwha River dam removal& restoratio
• Steve Mashuda, Earthjustice Attorney - Petition to de-list So. Residents
• Presentation on Emma Foster‘s Paper - Menopause in Killer Whales
• Researcher Mark Malleson - Transient Orcas and Humpback Whales
• Environmental education displays

Garrett added, “Much of what we do as Orca Network depends on active reporting by people all over the Salish Sea, and this gathering is a way to connect and give back to them.

See my previous blog post, "Video of Orcas Swimming in Puget Sound"

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Thank you!

 

Video of Orcas Swimming in Puget Sound

On a day that finds me tense with concern for those in the path of Hurricane Sandy, I find some peace in the world of nature, thanks to Orca Network. This important 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization exists to make people aware of these beautiful creatures who are called "killer whales" by some. Rather than being "killers" they form strong, lifelong family bonds, just like humans, or even more so. Both genders of offspring remain with their mothers throughout their lives, unlike any other non-human mammals.

I have seen them from the waterfront at Point Defiance here in Tacoma and during trips on Washington State ferries. But the more I follow the news from Orca Network, the more fascinated I become.

Please take a few minutes to learn more about the orcas of the Salish Sea. They are our neighbors here in the splendor of the Northwest, trying to live their lives in waters we humans have and polluted and depleted of the salmon they require. So who are the "killers" after all?

Here is a video Orca Network's Facebook page shared today, courtesy of videographer Ed Brooks, who filmed these Southern Resident pods called "J" and "K" from a bluff on Magnolia:

Vashon Island's Drama Dock Presents "Side by Side by Sondheim"

Vashon Island has its share of docks, but if you have never heard of "Drama Dock" you've missed the boat. No, Drama Dock is not a structure that sticks out into Puget Sound. It's the island's own community theater, with Artistic Director Elizabeth Ripley at the helm. If you go to see a show put on by this talented group of performers, it will stick out, in your memory though, especially if it's the one coming up this weekend.

Don't miss their production of "Side by Side by Sondheim".  Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, at the Vashon Island High School, 20120 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon WA 98070

L to R in back: Elizabeth Ripley, Richard E. Montague (Master of Ceremonies), Stephanie Murray
Front: Marshall Murray                    Photo by Casey Gripp

As in the case of every non-profit organization, funding presents an ongoing challenge for Drama Dock. That is why this production not only honors and celebrates the master of musical theater—the famous lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim—but is also a FUND RAISER to help keep the theater group afloat.

"Stephen Sondheim is simply the best lyric writer of our time, the most adventurous composer working in the musical theater, and a most considerable musical dramatist," Ripley said in her press release. It was Ripley and husband-and-wife Drama Dock stars Stephanie and Marshall Murray who came up with this idea. Under Ripley's expert direction it will provide a fun evening full of favorite songs from many of Broadway's most beloved musicals. 

Here's a sampling from the press release:

"We will sing for you songs from Gypsy and West Side Story, for which Sondheim wrote the lyrics, and from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, A Little Night Music, Anyone Can Whistle, Merrily We Roll Along, Follies, Pacific Overtures, Sweeny Todd, Saturday Night, The Mad Show, and Into the Woods, for which he wrote music and lyrics."

This video is a full PBS interview with Sondheim,who celebrated his 80th birthday in 2010.

poster designed by Lillian Ripley

 I loved the clever poster designed by Elizabeth Ripley's daughter Lillian Ripley.  Spotlights shine down on the shape of Vashon-Maury Island, a community with a high percentage of its population involved in the arts.  (Click here to read my article about the arts on Vashon, in a past issue of SeaPort Airlines Magazine - pages 6-7)

"This is a grand gathering of talent not to be missed!" Ripley says. "Get your tickets to support the future of live theatre on Vashon. And there will a raffle as well-- who can resist a raffle—I know I can't!"

Ticket are available at The Vashon Book Shop and at the door. General Admission $20; Drama Dock Members: $15; Seniors & Students: $10.

Ferry Schedules

From Point Defiance in Tacoma
From Fauntleroy in Seattle

Goodbye Rhododenron Part 2 -- more photos of the ferry boat M/V RHODODENDRON, including vintage postcards

Behind every news story, the personal stories full of human emotion and memories wait to be discovered, and I heard and sensed some of those this week. The response to my previous blog post about the fate of the historic Washington State ferry M/V Rhododendron, still coming to me in the form of e-mails, phone calls, and in person, made me decide to share more of my photos of this beloved boat. But as a bonus, I also want to share some vintage postcard images sent to me by  Steve Pickens, the man behind the website Evergreen Fleet, mentioned in my original post, and author of "Ferries of Puget Sound." He is helping to  preserve our local maritime history, an effort for which we should all be grateful.

 Postcard of M/V Rhododendron  from the 1950s, courtesy of Steve Pickens

Pickens, a native of western Washington, was born in Seattle and grew up on the Kitsap peninsula. "Ferries have always been a part of my life," he told me in an e-mail. "I got interested in ferries through the Kalakala, first getting into her history and then branching out from there."

He became involved, conducting tours on Kalakala and serving as a volunteer archivist, for a time. "I had really been previously interested in the old Atlantic liners, but the interest turned a little more local after the Kalakala came home," he said.

Vintage postcard of M/V Rhododendron courtesy of Steve Pickens

I asked Pickens how long his site, Evergreen Fleet, has existed and how he came across all his fascinating material. 

"The website has been around over a decade now. A lot of my research came from books on the subject to a certain point. The final 'what happened to' a lot of the old retirees involved sending FOIA requests to the Coast Guard or emailing the last known company/owner of said vessel."

Vintage postcard image courtesy of Steve Pickens

"People have been incredibly generous sharing their personal memories and photos in many cases.," Pickens said. "There's a certain fondness for the old boats--particularly the old wooden ferries. I'd have to say the San Mateo and Vashon are, hands down, the most fondly remembered."

And now for a few taken from the Tacoma side.

Copyright 2012 by Candace Brown  

April evening 2009, off Point Defiance
Copyright 2012 by Candace Brown   May not be used without permission.

The following four photos were taken at Point Defiance on a cool, misty morning in the otherwise hot July of 2008. Please see the blog post they relate to: Breath of Life: Marine Air in the Morning.



I've never met Steve Pickens but I can tell that, like so many of us, he loves our rich maritime history and out maritime environment too. Please be sure to look at Evergreen Fleet. You'll be glad you did.

Thank you for joining me on this little two-part tribute to the Washington State Ferry Rhododendron. And many thanks to Steve Pickens for sharing the postcard images of life on Puget Sound.

All text and photos in this post, with the exception of those provided by Steve Pickens, are copyrighted by Candace Brown and cannot be used without permission. See  Evergreen Fleet concerning the postcard images. 

Copyright 2012 Candace Brown

Goodbye, Rhododendron — Historic Washington State Ferry's last day on the run between Vashon Island and Point Defiance (video included)

When I awoke to a downpour this morning, I thought about Monday's remarkable sunshine and the odd way it arrived just in time for an event that was both sad and largely ignored. My husband and I appreciated the meager warmth as we leaned against a railing on the Point Defiance waterfront and watched history being made. We witnessed the 64-year-old ferry Rhododendron making its last run between the Talequah landing on Vashon Island and Point Defiance in Tacoma, before being retired. On a rainy day, it would have felt even more depressing to say goodbye.

View of Chetzemoka from North Tacoma

We had been in Tacoma's Proctor District and headed north from there to go down to the Point Defiance Park because I wanted to take some photos in the sunshine. But as we reached the bluff, we saw how opportune our decision had been. There was the replacement ferry, M/V Chetzemoka, sailing past Maury Island in a spot where no ferry belonged. Until we saw it, we didn't realize the day had come, the day the Rhododendron would sail off forever. We headed straight for a vantage point above the ferry landing. By the time we arrived, the new ferry was pulling in.

The Chetzemoka approaches the ferry landing at Point Defiance

Built at Todd Shipyard in Seattle at the cost of  $79.4 million, the Chetzemoka caused all kinds of fanfare when it arrived in Port Townsend to serve the Port Townsend/Coupeville run. That was only a little over a year ago. (You can read about the whole expensive and probably misguided saga in this article from the Port Townsend Leader.) This ferry was meant for Port Townsend and named for a Native American leader from that area. The passenger cabin even features artwork portraying historic Port Townsend. Now we have it here in Tacoma, and they don't.



Maybe I'll get used to the Chetzemoka, but it might take a long time. Right now, it doesn't feel like it belongs here. With a gross tonnage of 4,623 and horsepower of 6,000—compared to the Rhododendron's gross tonnage of 937 and horsepower of 2,172— it will obviously use far, far more fuel for the 1.5 mile, 10-minute trip. How much shorter does a 10-minute trip need to be? And so what if it has a galley? Who has time to buy food and consume it during this short trip? Here is a comparison of the two vessels: M/V Rhododendron and M/V Chetzemoka

The Rhododendron heads for the Point Defiance dock with the Chetzemoka waiting in the background.

After what seemed like some kind of test, the Chetzemoka pulled out, heading toward the passage on Vashon's west side, then made a surprisingly quick maneuver, turning around and positioning itself for another approach to the dock, even as the older boat headed for Point Defiance. At that moment, I felt the sadness of what was happening. It seemed like the 64-year-old Rhododendron, still beautiful—and in the opinion of many, still repairable—was leaving a long marriage against her will. And out there in the water, her much younger replacement watched and waited impatiently, to move in.  Here is a video of the Rhododendron's arrival.

Leaning against that railing, surrounded by things I love—the gulls, the smell of the salt water, sounds of boats and waves, the sight of Vashon Island— I thought about change and how many endings life brings. Ships, like people and places, can be taken for granted, there one day and then gone forever. I've seen many ferries come and go and I treasure childhood memories of some of the older ones. Even though the Rhododendron showed up on the Vashon-Point Defiance run many years after  my childhood, I've come to know it well. And my husband had worked on this ferry when it was in the dry dock. He loved it. Now it was leaving.     

M/V Rhododendron at the Point Defiance ferry landing.

I know my husband and I weren't the only ones who cared. I am sure the officers and crew did, along with the islanders who depended on and loved this vessel. I know that last Sunday a group of folks from Vashon took a farewell ride, described here in the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber. But where was the press on Monday? Did the people sitting in Anthony's seaside restaurant pay attention? 

It seems that too often people quickly lose interest in the things that are part of our local history and every day lives—and in this case our maritime heritage—just because they are old. Why must we always replace things with something newer and always far more expensive? Old buildings and old ships seem to lose their lustre in some people's eyes. Not mine or my husband's. He had worked doing repairs on the Rhododendron in the past.

So for all of you who will miss this great old ferry as much as we will, no matter how few your numbers, here's a gift. I discovered a wonderful website called "Evergreen Fleet" and on this page, ou can hear the Rhododendron's whistle blow once again, lest you should forget.

Note: Video recorded by Candace Brown. All text and photos in this blog post are the property of Candace Brown and cannot be used without permission. Copyright 2012 Candace J. Brown