BRUSHES AND STITCHES AND THE WARMTH OF ART

The Gallery at Artisan Square has a new show opening tonight, Fri. Oct. 2 and it is from an artist who lives on Bowen and taught at Emily Carr for 30 years. Susan Hillman is a painter and knitter and the show, Brushes and Stitches, runs until the 25th. They’ve scheduled a lecture by Hillman on Sunday the 4th from 1-2 pm and the Artist’s Reception follows on that same day from 2 until 4. Each Thursday and Saturday during the show (including Sat. Oct. 3) Hillman and Gallery curator Ann Ramsay invite people to come to the Gallery between 2 and 4pm with wool to knit squares for an afghan that will be sent to Afghanistan. One of the works is a collection of small knitted symbolic ‘camo’ sweaters she has created to honour Canada’s war dead in Afghanistan. Regular Gallery hours are Friday to Sunday, noon until 4.

ANNIE AND CORBY

Annie Faragher is a young local equestrian and the story of her and Corbison Lee, that’s her horse, is a warm one. ‘Corby’ had colic surgery one year ago and managed to get through that and, along with his rider, did outstanding at the Thunderbird Fall Finale in Langley last week (the two are the Reserve Champions in the Pony Hunters division). Ride on.

TIR-NA-NOG TURNS TWENTY-TWO

The Tir-na-nOg Theatre School has been teaching and producing theatre on Bowen for 22 years and their 2009/10 season opens Oct. 5. The school works with children of all ages and each year the students move through what an email from Jack and Julie Headley describes as “an integrated structure of three sessions” which build to the school’s yearly Festival of Plays. They also have “soft-style Kung Fu” classes for adults this year (it’s called Needle in Cotton) taught by Sharon McGougan. The school is on Rivendell Dr. at the top of Cates Hill and they are having an Open House on Sunday, Oct. 4 and the Headley’s invite all islanders to come see the theatre and learn more about the school and it’s 22 years acting with kids.

WIDE OPEN MIC

The next open Wide Open Mic night at the Happy Isle Cafe is Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7:30. Lorraine Ashdown is your host and invites everyone to come along. If you wanna play music, recite a poem, read or tell a story, regardless of previous experience, you are encouraged to do so. Wide Open Mic Night turned one-year-old in September.

YOU IN A YURT

Lisa Shatsky reports that the drop-in meditation circle on Sunday evenings has started up again for the fall and goes between 7:15 and 8:30p.m. The drop-in meditation circle takes place in a yurt in Bluewater and there is no cost whatever, nor any registration required. Shatsky, who served on the last municipal council, was first introduced to meditation at the age of 20 while living in an ashram in Calcutta and calls it “the art of stillness and listening.” If you have any questions, or need more information, call Lisa at 947-2246 or email wolfsong@telus.net .

BOOK LAUNCHED

A new book, just released, landed on the desk of the Undercurrent recently and we can report it is a good read. The book is about a boy’s experience in the Netherlands under German occupation during the Second World War and is a true story written by the former Bowen Islander who lived it, Jan de Groot. It’s published by Sono Nis Press, an active B.C. publishing house formerly located in Victoria but now in Winlaw, a small community nestled in the Kootenay mountains of the provinces’ southwest.

TEX-MEX AT BICS

There is a dance coming up next Friday, Oct. 9 at BICS. The event is sponsored by the Bowen Island Community School Association and the Parents Advisory Committee and doors open at 6:30 pm. The event has a cowboy and Tex-Mex theme and features two bands, Bowen’s own Chillbillies – Liz Watson, Cam Hayduk and Lorraine ‘Coco’ Ashdown – and Border Twang, featuring one islander, Roger Arndt. Cost is $25 for a family, $10 for an adult and 5 bucks for youth under 20. There’ll be a concession featuring BBQ ribs and baked beans. Tickets at the door.

LADIES, GOLF

There’s a Bowen Ladies Golf League that plays each Thursday and they finished up their season last week, Alice Jennings reports, “with a workshop from golf teaching professional Jeri O’Hara followed by a beautifully catered luncheon, where awards were presented and thank you’s given.” Jennings says that there are 38 players and they welcome woman of all skill levels. “Each week there is a friendly game for a prize that can be won by anyone, as handicaps are taken into consideration.” This year’s Most Inspirational Golfers were Jean Cleator and Mary Selman.

LEGIONS OF THANKS

Nairn Knipe sent along her thanks to all those involved in their first Legion dinner of the season last Friday and reports that this Friday, Oct. 2 “Shirley and David Wrinch are cooking a ham dinner; hope to see you all then. Ken Smith who always is in the kitchen doing dishes has hurt his back so I don’t know when he will be back. We do have a few kinks to work out with our new kitchen and bathrooms but hope that things will get better as we go along.” The Undercurrent has photos from last week’s event on the back page of this edition.

DR. KIP, BARBARA AND JUMPING GENE

The following information comes from Pam Stimpson: “On October 5 at 11a.m,. Dr. Kip Anastaciou, a long-term Bowen resident, will be giving a talk on Barbara McClintoch. “All She Ever Wanted was to win the Nobel Prize”. Barbara did win the prize for her discovery of “The Jumping Gene”. Dr. Anastaciou has made a study of extraordinary women, mostly in the Victoria era, about whom very little information has been published. He has already spoken of several of them, including Marie Curie, and will be continuing his series on Monday November 2nd. These talks have proved to be riveting and packed with information about these remarkable women. Please join us. Small donation for coffee and refreshments.” The talk is at Bowen court and is a Seniors Keeping Young (Sky) event.

LATCHING ON

Tracy McLachlan of Family Place reports there is a worldwide Breastfeeding Challenge coming up, this apparently with a view to setting the world breastfeeding record, McLachlan says, for “the most children breastfeeding at one time.” We’re told this friendly worldwide breastfeeding extravaganza has been done before, but this is the first time Bowen Island will be an official part of it. It’s being sponsored by Bowen Island Family Place and also supported by the BICS Community School Association, Vancouver Coastal Health and North Shore Midwifery Care and takes place at the community use room at BICS from 10 a.m. to noon on Oct. 3 (babies: get set to latch on at 11). There are free refreshments and you can register at Family Place and for more information got to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action website at www.waba.org.my, or the Quintessence Foundation at www.babyfriendly.ca.

FIT TO BE TRAINED

Personal trainer and recreation programmer Shauna Jennings reports that Bowen Island Community Recreation classes are up and running. Fitness classes are going each morning from 9 to10 a.m. and there are Yoga classes Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:15-7:15p.m. The drop-in rates are only five bucks. Classes for kids highlighted by Jennings in her recent email include biking courses for 4-16 year olds starting Oct. 3 and Dodgeball for three Sundays that started Sept. 27. “Pre-registration at the community recreation office is required for all of these programs,” Jennings wrote.