Funeral Hearse Benefits Haunted House

In 1905, a funeral hearse was built in Vienna, Austria as a carriage for the funeral ceremonies of wealthy and well–respected locals. In 1970, an antiques dealer from the Salt Lake area of Utah brought the hearse to Park City. He displayed it in his antique shop, and then put it aside. It sat neglected in a junkyard for thirty years, until it was discovered by a Park City resident. This was Bill Brown, at the time the president of the Glenwood Cemetery Association, who bought all the parts and started the process of renovating it. After a year and a half, the hearse was as good as new. He began to take part in parades around the country, and enter it in antique competitions. When he moved to Port Townsend last year, Brown brought the Hearse with him.

Like a darker version of the horse-drawn cart from Cinderella, the hearse is black and ornate with black roses carved into its exterior and lanterns. It has glass on three sides, and inside are red velvet curtains surrounding a replica coffin.

“It’s really unique,” Brown said. “I haven’t seen any others like it.”

Earlier this month the carriage was displayed in the parking lot of Safeway, as a fundraiser for the Hauntownsend “Carnival of the Twilight” haunted house, whose proceeds benefit the local Rotary club.

The haunted house, which takes place at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, is in its last weekend. It is open from 7pm to 10pm. Admission is $11.

Occupy Wall Street comes to Port Townsend

Occupy Wall Street has come to Port Townsend.

The movement, which officially began September 17 in New York City, has now spread around the world. People in cities from every corner of the world have taken to the streets to demonstrate their anger at their governments and the global financial system.

This list of cities now includes Port Townsend, as a large group of people gathered at the triangle park in front of the Chase Bank on Friday to wave signs that said things such as Make Jobs, Not War, Keep America’s Jobs in America, and Save the American Dream.

Linda Brewster, a regional organizer for MoveOn and the American Dream movement, who sponsored the event, said that she was delighted with the turnout, which she estimated at around 200 people.

She also added that Port Townsend’s reaction was great as well.

“There’s been a lot of honking and waving from passersby and just a huge amount of enthusiasm here today,” she said.

“This is a great turnout,” said Mark Twain Stevenson, another organizer for MoveOn, “people driving by seem to be pleased. I am very pleased with this turnout.”

Gretchen Brewer, of the PTAirwatchers, took part in the demonstration, and feels that the media plays a part in this movement as well.

“The media in general is playing it a little bit coy, claiming not to understand what the issue is, that (the demonstrators) are scattered and all that. But no, the underlying issue is corporate privilege. It’s about corporate dominance and the diminishing of our individual rights and individual abilities to conduct our lives as we see fit.”

The movement is now at day 29, and shows no sign of dissipating anytime soon. In fact, it's growing stronger as it reflects a worldwide dissatisfaction with the status quo.

A Good Week for the Blues

This year’s Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival was hot.
Not only was this the case with the music played by this year’s faculty, but so was the weather. Some days started out overcast, but by afternoon the sun’s appearance sure helped keep spirits high.

As usual, building 204 was the place to be. Afternoons and nights would find a jam happening on the back porch. Someone would pull out a guitar or mandolin and one-by-one others would join in and soon the air was filled with the sound of fiddles, harmonicas, guitars, washboards, mandolins, and voices -- all coming together to form a melody that would draw more people.

There were some new additions to the year’s festival, the most mentionable one being the appearance of Taj Mahal, this year’s headliner. He performed to a sold- out crowd at McCurdy Pavilion on Wednesday, a show opened by third–year artistic director Corey Harris. It was a quick stop for the Taj Mahal Trio, who are currently on tour, but it was greeted with enthusiasm by Port Townsend and the faculty of the festival, many of whom say that Mahal has had a major impact on their Blues Career.

“The guy that was playing here Wednesday, Taj Mahal, is one of my main inspirations,” said Sule Greg Wilson, a percussionist/banjo player on the faculty.
“He was the one that really made me go into old-timey and blues music, from the country blues aspect.”

“Taj Mahal has always been one of my favorites,” said “Washboard Chaz” Leary, “I’ve known Taj for a long time.”

When asked what his favorite part of the festival had been that week, Cheick Hamala Diabate, a faculty member who plays banjo, guitar and the ngoni, a Malian traditional instrument, mentioned Taj Mahal as one of his highlights.

“Taj Mahal went to see my family a couple of times in Mali,” Cheick Hamala added.

Cheick Hamala was another important guest this year. He is a storyteller, historian, and musician in the 800-year-old tradition of the Griot, the storytellers of West Africa. Currently residing in Washington D.C, he grew up in Mali in a family where “all the men play music, and the women sing.”

At a young age, he mastered the ngoni.

“The ngoni is the grandfather of the American banjo,” the Grammy-nominee said. “It has a deep history: When people came from Africa as slaves, they didn’t bring the instrument, but they got the idea to make the banjo in America.”

Cheick Halama added that there are two other main traditional Malian instruments: the kora, a 21-stringed instrument that is the ancestor of the harp, and the balafon, which inspired the keyboard.

On Friday night, he played in a packed Boiler Room. With his colorful traditional Malian robes and hat, black and gray striped dress pants and shiny shoes, along with his ever–present smile, he created a magical atmosphere with his guitar and banjo and songs in his native tongue.

People of all ages came to the festival. There were young musicians, like Jerrone
“Blind-Boy” Paxton, a 23-year-old blues artist from South Central Los Angeles who has been coming here since he was 19. He wowed the audience at McCurdy Saturday as he played the piano, banjo, and guitar. Then there was Nat Reese, an 87-year-old musician from Virginia who has played music since he was a child. He started out playing music in church, and has since played the guitar, as well as the bass viola, concert harp, piano, and organ, among others.
It’s his second year at the festival.

“I’ve enjoyed it really well. Last year was the first time I was here from back northeast, and I’m enjoying it tremendously,” Reese said.

“I’ve always enjoyed the Blues Festival,” said Lightnin’ Wells, a ukulele, harmonica, and guitar player on the faculty. “I’ve been up here probably ten years, and I’m always happy in Port Townsend. It’s the highlight of my year to come up here and be part of the Blues Festival.”

The grounds of Fort Worden grew quiet as people packed up to leave, but many say that they took with them good memories of the past week.

“The Blues Fest is a joy from the first minute we land in Washington to the moment we leave,” said Henrique Prince, a fiddle player and the “lead Billie” of the Ebony Hillbillies, a New York -based string band. “We really had a lot of fun this year, and learned a lot.

Cheick Halama Diabate

The Magic of '11

I found out some cool things today. In the year 2011 there are four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11. I also learned that if you take the last two digits of the year you were born and add the age you will be this year, the result is 111 for everybody that tries it. (I tried it on my mom, my brother, and myself, and it works!) Another cool fact: This October will have 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Saturdays. This happens only every 823 years! These particular years are known as 'Moneybags' It is is said that if you send this to eight good friends, real money will appear in the next four days, supposedly as explained in Chinese feng-shui. Those who don't continue the chain won't receive money. That's how the story goes, anyway, and maybe it's worth a try.

Glad to be Back

I'm back to writing my blog. I took a short hiatus while I focused on publishing the last few issues of my newspaper, the Spruce Street Weekly. But now that I published the last issue, I am left with more time to update my blog with articles, pictures, videos, and possibly podcasts, as the local station that is starting up in my town, KPTZ, offered me a show.

It's nice to be back writing my blog, and you can look forward to many posts to come!

Happy Saint Pat's!

Christmas Fun Facts:

The word Christmas is old English, a contraction of Christ's Mass.

In Greek, X means Christ, so that's where the word Xmas came from.

Christmas became a national U.S. holiday on June 26, 1870.

The first state to recognize the holiday officially was Alabama.

During the Christmas buying season, Visa Cards alone are used an average 5,340 times a minute.

Rudolph was actually created by Montgomery Ward in the late 1930's for a holiday promotion.

Jingle Bells was first written for Thanksgiving, but is now one of the most popular Christmas songs.

Charles Dickens' famous work, "A Christmas Carol", was written in just six weeks.

Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895

Lodges of the Olympic Peninsula: Three Stops Worth Making

With the current state of the economy limiting our spending dollars, people from Washington's Olympic Peninsula are lucky to have local treasures within driving distance. People from all over come to visit the area's wilderness and unspoiled beauty. This past week, I had the chance to travel the Olympic Peninsula when I was invited to review some of its top lodges: The Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, Kalaloch Lodge, and Lake Quinault Lodge.

Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort:

The Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is an enjoyable stay with lots to do, and a happy, friendly staff that makes you feel at home.
"Sol Duc" is a native American term for sparkling water. Olympic National Park water comes directly and untreated from the hot springs on the property.
According to maintenance manager Ron Dahl, there's a fissure that runs through the Olympic National Park and comes out in three places: up in the Olympic Mountains, at the resort, and under the straight of Juan De Fuca.
What is a hot springs?
Dahl, who has worked at Sol Duc for 38 years, explained that rainwater will fall into a fissure(nobody knows where this fissure is), go down and touch molten rock, and come back up hot, usually at about 120 degrees.
He showed me behind a fenced-off area and opened a large wooden trap door, where, 10 feet below, you could see the bubbling mineral water from the springs.
While staying in one of Sol Ducs cabins, you can relax in one of the pools, eat at the restaurant-which is deceptively simple -- although the food is anything but that, serving specialties such as cedar plank salmon and seafood pasta chowder -- and take a magnificent walk to the Sol Duc falls.
The Sol Duc has closed for the winter season but will reopen in March.

Kalaloch Lodge:

My next stop was the Kalaloch Lodge.
Right off of Highway 101, the wooden lodge sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific ocean and a giant, windswept beach, a fort - building boy's dream.You can stay in the lodge or choose one of the cabins near the bluff.
In comparison to the other lodges that are very busy, the Kalaloch is a place for solitude, with no towns or cellphone reception for miles around.
But even with the simplicity, at the end of the day you can walk on the beach with seagulls on the water's edge, enjoy the view at the restaurant, and warm up by the cabin's fireplaces.
The Kalaloch is open year - round.

Lake Quinault Lodge:

The last stop was the Lake Quinault Lodge. It was built in the 1920's and gives you the feeling of long ago. The dining room overlooks a large, manicured lawn leading down to the lake, and the lobby is very cozy with sofas surrounding a giant fireplace. There's a warm indoor pool, a game room, a sauna, and trails in every direction. In the evening, you can stand on the beach and witness a beautiful sunset. If you drive past the lodge, you can take a short walk to the largest spruce tree in the world, and drive through the Quinault Valley, past fields and old farmhouses where elk are frequently seen, alongside the Quinault river, and an occasional waterfall.
The lodge's staff has many nice people who seem to love their juob.
From renting a canoe to use in the lake, to hiking in unspoiled wilderness, to reading by the fire, it is a place to make good memories.
The lodge is open year - round.

Maria Muldaur Returns to Her Roots

Maria Muldaur’s successful career as a singer has spanned nearly five decades.

The versatile performer, whose top hit was “Midnight at the Oasis,” was in Port Townsend last month to record her new children’s album, “Down at the Barnyard Dance.” She both sings and produces the album, which features jug band music, one of her favorite kinds of music,and the type that originally inspired her own music career.

Muldaur said that jug band music started back in a time when people would
get together to play music and bring along anything that made sound.

“That could range from a jug to a couple of spoons,” she said on an interview in
the lobby of the Palace Hotel downtown last October after performing at the Upstage with Port Townsend’s own Crowquill Night Owls, who accompany her on her upcoming album.

“My mother would only play classical music for me, but she had a younger sister wholiked what she called “cowboy music,” she said.
The music she would hear was by such artists as Hank Williams and Kitty Wells, and
the tunes grabbed her more than the “seriousness” of classical music. By age 5 she was singing all the songs.

Growing up in Greenwich Village, New York City, Ms. Muldaur was surrounded by
artists and musicians, and was there when both traditional American music -- and Elvis Presley -- were capturing everyone’s interest. People played guitars and fiddles on the city streets and soon she learned a few songs.

When Muldaur was growing up, she didn’t just think about singing -- she sang.
She got friends together to work out harmonies and sang in the school bathroom for the great acoustics. She listened to all kinds of music. Even in college music remained her passion, and by 20 she had decided that her future would be in music.
“I followed my heart,” she said.

I got to get close to the action and see what went into the making of an album when Muldaur invited me to sit in with her at the recoding studio at George Rezendes' house in Port Townsend. I sat behind a glass window that looked into the studio where fiddle-player Suzy Thompson did her takes as Rezendes made adjustments on his sound board.

Muldaur,with her cascade of black curls and black velvet tunic, typed an email beside me but she’d get up to dance when she heard a take she especially liked.

Between takes, Muldaur turned to me.
“Isn’t it something?" she said,"When I saw you back in October, I got the idea to do this album and now here I am doing it! With the help of some terrific people, of course!” she added.

And they sure had a terrific team. The album took 6 days of long hours to record the album -- imagine 11 songs with separate tracks for 6 musicians/instruments and doing an average of 5 takes each song. The musicians worked off of Muldaur’s “scratch vocal,” the vocal track Maria records just for the recording sessions. Once the mix is done, she will add her final vocal, which she plans to do near her home in California after returning from a vacation in Hawaii. She expects the album to be out by next fall.

I asked Muldaur if it was still as fun to make music today as it was 36 albums ago.

“It’s more fun,” she replied. “I used to be nervous but now I’m really comfortable. I can handle anything. Anything can happen and I’ll just sail above it!”

And is doing a children’s album easier than a regular album?

“Well, it’s more fun” she replied. “It’s more lighthearted, playful, and uplifting music. So in that sense, it’s easier!”

Brennan LaBrie Sings with Straight No Chaser

Lessons that Come to Life

by TFK Kid Reporter Brennan LaBrie

How would you like to fly through the Grand Canyon? Or shoot through space among meteors? Or take an adventure through the human body? This is what some elementary school students in Dallas, Texas, get to do in their classes. They watch 3D movies that go with many of their lessons.



How Did They Do That?

A special projector makes the lessons come to life with the help of a computer chip about the size of a quarter. The chip, made by Texas Instruments, can power movies as large as those in IMAX theaters and as small as the images on a cell phone. The chip is called a DLP chip.

The DLP chip is made up of many tiny mirrors on microscopic hinges. The mirrors reflect light in a special way to create an image that seems real enough to touch. If you’ve seen movies like Avatar or How to Train your Dragon, then you’ve seen 3D in action. Lessons in 3D can turn learning into an adventure.

The Next Best Thing is To Being There

At Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet School in Dallas, Texas, four classes have 3D projectors. The students look forward to the lessons and say that they remember them better than non-3D lessons. “It’s easier to learn because you remember all the stuff that you did better, because it's funner to learn,” said Tom Isaac Mark, a third-grader at the school.

The teachers at Hamilton Park had good things to say about this new edition to their classrooms too. They say that students of all different learning capabilities can enjoy and appreciate the 3D lessons. Brittany Russo teaches third grade. She pointed out that the most advanced students in her class are no longer bored and the students who struggle with subjects are able to grasp them better now. The 3D movies are such a hit that sometimes kids ask for an extra lesson as a reward for good work.

Students wear special 3D glasses to watch the lessons, which range from science to architecture to math and more. Some lessons take students on a field trip to faraway places that they might never go to. “It’s a lot of fun to watch the students have fun,” Russo told TFK.

Vera Johnson, a 5th-grade science teacher, said that she enjoys the science and math lessons best. She pointed out that students who get to see a 3D prism from all sides understand the concept quicker. She also likes the videos about outer space. “You can’t really go up and see the solar system,” she said, “but that this is the next best thing.”

Brennan LaBrie interviews Straight No Chaser

An interview with James Cameron at the 2010 Microsoft Imagine Cup

Podcast: Interview with Scott Simon, Host NPR Weekend Edition Saturday

Powered by Podbean.com

While in Washington DC, I stopped by the NPR studios and interviewed Scott Simon, Host NPR Weekend Edition Saturday.

The Power of Imagination

KidReporter: Audio (Click To Listen To Brennan LaBrie's Report): Cell phone podcast direct from Washington DC #imaginecup #ICUS10 #trottr

Every day, people across the world are working hard to find solutions to major world problems such as poverty, hunger and pollution. Can technology offer a way to solve these problems?

This is the challenge Microsoft Corporation posed to students across the nation in an event called the Imagine Cup, which was held in Washington, D.C., on April 26. Microsoft asked college and high school students to use their creativity and imagination to come up with video games and software programs that could, in some way, help solve one of these pressing world problems.

Many teams jumped at the chance, and 4 game design teams and 4 software design teams were chosen from these entries to attend the U.S. Imagine Cup Finals held last week in Washington, D.C.

The finalists explained their goals in helping to solve one of the world issues, then demonstrated their products to an audience that included a panel of judges. One winning team from each of the two categories was selected to represent the U.S. in the world finals in Poland this July.



The winning team in the video game design division was team To Be Announced. (“To Be Announced” is the team’s actual name,) Their game was about a boy who lives in a third-world country slum and has to overcome obstacles to meet his basic needs: finding food, water and shelter.

The name of the game is Sixth, based on the fact that one in six people in the world live in slums. The team said that it’s a fun game that was created to raise people’s awareness of poverty, and can be played by people from any country.

Other games include one where the player is a robot, and the robot tries to pick up as much trash as he can in a race against time.

Photo: Grand Prize Winnters - Anthony Salcito, Microsoft vice president of Worldwide Education, poses with the two grand prize winners at the U.S. Imagine Cup Finals. Standing from left to right are Will Isenhour, Danny Helms, Jonathan Mead and Nic Colley, of Team To Be Announced, the grand prize winners in the game design category; Salcito; Mark Hindsbro, Microsoft’s general manager of the Developer and Platform Evangelism Group; and Helena Xu, Kavon Gaffari, Wilson To, and Audrey Lee of Team Mobilife, grand prize winner of the software design category.

Nic Colley, a member of the winning team, stated that having a competition made participants push themselves further than they might have otherwise to make their ideas a reality.

Carol Pahr attended the event and was enthusiastic about what she saw. “Technology has amazing possibilities, and what better use than to use them for positive change while having fun?”

Many teams mentioned that they wanted to continue exploring technology and its possibilities, and even if they did not win, would continue to use their skills and projects to help the make the world a better place.

Interview: Siegfried Behrens Microsoft General Manager, U.S. Education

At the 2010 U.S. Imagine Cup Finals in Washington D.C., I interviewed Siegfried Behrens, Microsoft General Manager, U.S. Education, about the role technology will play in the classroom of the future.

Governor Chris Gregoire in Port Townsend

I grabbed a chance to ask Governor Chris Gregoire a few questions when she was in Port Townsend today for various appointments. Read Article in Port Townsend Leader newspaper.

Today On KING5 New Day Nortwest - I had a blast!

Today, I was on New Day Northwest with broadcast journalist and host Margaret Larson.



As a co-host, I interviewed Spanish Seattle Times Urban Sketcher Gabriel Campanario.

Read Gabriel's Seattle Times Story

Video Skype Interview: Erin Kennedy USOC Youth Ambassador

Port Townsend Library - 10-year-old Brennan LaBrie, TIME For Kids, chats with Erin Kennedy, 2010 Youth Olympic Games U.S. Olympic Committee's Young Ambassador.

Kennedy, who serves as the Youth Development Manager for USA Rugby, was selected as the U.S. Young Ambassador in January. Her role at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games will be to encourage Team USA athletes to participate in the cultural and educational activities that will be part of the Games, along with supporting the U.S. Chef de Mission. As a new initiative developed by the IOC, the Young Ambassador will also participate in the youth sport forums and report on the activities for the IOC and USOC. - USOC Press Release March 2010

A Chance To Ride

By Brennan LaBrie
Spruce Street Weekly (25 Cents)
April 5, 2010

This month, the Broken Spoke Bike Shop celebrates its Grand Opening with a chance for you to hop on your bike.



On Friday, April 9, there will be a road ride starting at 6PM at the bike shop, located at 835 Water Street, weaving it's way through Port Townsend, and eding up at the Water Street Brewery.

The secod ride, taking place on Saturday, April 10, will be their family ride, "Tour De Tweed," where all of the riders are encouraged to wear tweed.

Upon returning to the shop, a party will be waiting, featuring food, drink, music, and discount coupons given out.

For the third ride, taking place on Sunday, April 11, all riders will meet at Gibb's Lake for a ride around its trails.

"We're looking to have a good time celebrating the bike shop and spring, and the beginning of biking season, said co-owner Jason.

Dan Parker Professional LEGO Artist

LEGO artist Dan Parker rediscovered LEGO at 30 and began to explore the creative and professional possibilities.

In 2000, he formed The TBP Group, a company that produces custom LEGO displays, events, and education venues. Today, TBP is an independent LEGO studio that maintains a comprehensive line of LEGO-related products and services. The facility is open to the public and has made a tradition of engaging other LEGO artists for projects.

Significant projects of the Puget Sound area-based studio include a 400,000-piece Christmas exhibit, a 10-foot Statue of Liberty, and a holiday train display now in its tenth year at a local museum. The company also coordinates fan shows at LEGOLAND, and has produced art pieces for various corporations.

Bodie LaBrie's winning LEGO contest creation.