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Nature’s Halloween Decoration
Dun dun. Dun dun. Dun dun…. They’re here….. nature’s Halloween decoration…
It’s Spider Season!
It comes without fail every year. In what feels like a blink of an eye every tree, bush, and building corner is covered in shiny interwoven silk with a beady-eyed creature lurking somewhere nearby.
If you’re like most people, this is probably your least favorite time of the year. The occurrence of these little eight-legged animals provokes feelings ranging from mild disgust to outlandish fear. A lot of this fear comes from misinformation we’ve been given for a long time. So, let’s debunk some of these myths, shall we?
Myth #1 – “Spiders have dangerous venom that could kill.”
Although it is true all spiders have venom (yes, ALL spiders); only a VERY small number have the ability to harm humans, and of those, few are fatal. Even a bite from the most notorious arachnid, the Black Widow, is mostly non-life-threatening for healthy adults. Thanks to modern medicine our access to antivenom has increased dramatically.
Myth #2 – “We have Brown Recluses and Black Widows on Whidbey Island.”
No, you did not see a Brown Recluse in your bathtub and the black spider on the bush outside is not a Black Widow. Although these spiders do live in Washington State, the vast majority of them live on the east side of the Cascade Mountains. Sightings of these spiders in western Washington is very rare and practically unheard of for Whidbey Island.
So, what is the “scary” brown spider in your bathtub? We’re glad you asked! Here are 3 of the most common spiders to see on Whidbey:
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The Common House Spider
Yes, there is a spider called the Common House Spider. Although there are several subspecies, they are all harmless but enjoy dry, warmer areas. You’ll often spot these spiders in the unused corners of your house hanging out and waiting for a fly to make its way towards them.
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Wolf Spiders
This was probably the spider is the bathtub! Also called a Wood Spider, these little eight-legged friends are plentiful on the island and admittedly a little intimidating. To an untrained eye, these guys look a lot like a Brown Recluse; however, they are actually a little bigger and 100% harmless. You’ll find them mostly outside on the ground as they are not the best climbers and typically don’t build webs.
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European Cross Spider
Probably the most majestic of our Whidbey Island spiders, you can thank these large rear-ended arachnids for the early Halloween decorations you find in your trees and bushes. Found almost exclusively outside, these beauties are the kings of web making. They are one of the few spider species who weave circular webs. Although mildly annoying, you can’t help but admire their workmanship.
So, there you have it. No need to take a torch to that tree this fall or scream when you see the tiny brown friend hiding in the corner. Just scoop them up and take them outside! Spiders are actually a great help when it comes to getting rid of actual pests like mosquitos or termites, and with any luck, they might just do the Halloween decorating for you this year.
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Everything Apple
Everything Apple
3 Apple Things You Need to Know if You Live on Whidbey
Fall has officially found its way back to our little island on the sound. The evidence of this is prevalent in the sounds of geese flying overhead, the return of long yellow busses escorting our children to and from school, and the ever-cooling weather that seems to drop one-degree cooler each day. This season marks the welcomed return of so many things including comfort and routine.
One returning theme of this season that we hold particularly dear to our hearts is apple season! Few things speak to the hearts of fall loving Washingtonians quite like the crisp red fruit that grows from so many branches here in the evergreen state. Whether it’s apple pies, apple cider, or apple scented – something about the fruit just feels like home. Below are 3 things you should know about apples if you live on Whidbey Island:
#1 Has to do with Apple Pie
Probably the most obvious apple topic to be obsessed with is Apple Pie. Possibly one of the best baked goods to grace this earth, there is one pie on Whidbey Island that is simply a slice above the rest:
Whidbey Pie’s Salted Caramel Apple Pie
Words cannot describe the beauty found in this Whidbey Pie creation. Simply one of the best apple pies on the island and worth a trip to their Greenbank Farm Café or if they have any in stock at the 3 Sisters Market in Coupeville.
#2 Changes at the Red Apple Market
Residents of Coupeville and Clinton are well acquainted with the “Red Apple Market”. However, some Clinton residents may be surprised to learn there has been some changes to the ownership of their local store. In spring of this year Tom Brierley, or “Tom the Butcher” as he’s commonly called, gained ownership of the store after the previous owners decided to sell. Although he’s known for being a quieter, more behind-the-scenes man, Tom has big plans for improving the South Island grocery and we can’t wait to see where he takes the shop!
#3 This Recipe!
Few things in this world are as delicious as apples and cinnamon. If you’ve been to Whidbey Coffee recently and tried their Apple Walnut Cinnamon Roll, you know this well. We are so obsessed with this culinary masterpiece that we found a copycat recipe and it is simply THE BEST thing you could cook this fall. Let us know how it goes!
Apple Walnut Cinnamon Rolls
Buttery sweet cinnamon rolls full of apples and walnuts!
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword apple walnut cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls
Servings 15 rolls
Calories 487 kcal
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Rolls
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup milk warmed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
For the Filling
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp apple pie spice
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup apples diced
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
For the Cream Cheese Icing
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Warm milk (105-110 degrees F.) and add packet of yeast. Add a pinch of sugar, stir to combine, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Yeast should froth slightly.
- Add sugar, butter, and eggs to bowl of electric mixer. Mix until combined. Add salt and flour. Combine. Pour in milk/yeast mixture and switch to dough hook of mixture. If not using mixer, hand knead. Mix (or hand knead) for 5-10 minutes. Dough will be sticky.
- Place dough in an oiled or buttered bowl. Cover and place in a warm location (such as oven with light on). Allow to rise for 1 hour (or until doubled in size). Punch down and allow to rise for additional 15 minutes.
- Roll out dough on a floured surface (to approximately 18″ x 12″). Combine butter with sugars and spices. Spread evenly across dough. Sprinkle with apples and walnuts.
- Rolling from the long edge, carefully roll dough up tightly. Use a sharp knife to cut cinnamon rolls (about 1 1/2″ thick) and place in an oiled or buttered 9×13 dish. Cover and allow to rise again for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and bake for 20 minutes. Don’t over-bake.
- In a mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth. Pour over warm cinnamon rolls. Optional: garnish with diced walnuts.
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Back to School – Interview with Erik Mann
Back to School
Interview with Erik Mann
Here at Windermere Whidbey we are blessed to work with a wonderful agent and friend, Erik Mann. Erik is a vested community member, passionate about Oak Harbor and specifically education. He has served on the Oak Harbor school board for the last 2 years and possesses a wealth of knowledge that we are lucky to have in our brokerage.
The other day we sat down with Erik to ask about a few of the changes happening in the Oak Harbor schools this coming fall. His answers should be as helpful and informative for you as they were for us!
Hello Erik! So, we’ve heard there is going to be a big structure shift this year at the high school. Is this true? Can you tell us about it?
Yes! In recent history, Oak Harbor High School has operated on a semester schedule with six classes per day; allowing a total of six credits per year. The total number of credits available during four years of high school was 24. The Washington State Legislature requires a minimum of 24 credits to graduate. With ever-increasing restrictions on required course content, it meant that students had little flexibility to try new disciplines, arts, and advanced course work. A student’s failure of any class meant alternative pathways to credit retrieval were required, as there was no flexibility built into the schedule.
Beginning this year, the high school transitions to a trimester school year. Individual class times have been lengthened, so only five periods per day, but instead of only earning six credits per year, a student will earn seven and one-half credits per year, for a total of 30 credits over four years.
This allows far more flexibility for students to make up credits, explore new disciplines, do advanced coursework, explore vocational and art classes, etc. Because graduation requirements are fixed once you enter ninth grade, the classes of 2020-2022 are still bound to the graduation requirements in place at the time they entered high school. They will all still be required to earn 24 credits, while classes 2023 and beyond will need 28 credits to graduate but have more flexibility than previous classes.
That sounds like an amazing change for our high school students! What about the rest of our students? Any improvements that we should be keeping an eye out for?
Well, continued advocacy by the superintendent, school board, administrators and staff to our elected officials in Olympia and Washington DC, has led to an amazing opportunity to replace two of our aging elementary schools. Through the Department of Defense, the Office of Economic Adjustment has been tasked with replacing old, inadequate school facilities located on military installations and other government property.
With 160 schools evaluated nationwide, two of Oak Harbor’s schools currently rank in the top 11 schools in the nation in need of replacement due to age and capacity. This means we will be eligible to receive 80% of the funding to replace Crescent Harbor Elementary School (3) AND Clover Valley Home Connection and Early Learning Campus (11). The community will only have to fund 20% of construction costs!
There is also a possibility to move or update our aging transportation facility. Due to our interlocal agreement to provide service to the Coupeville School District’s busses, the district will qualify for a state funding match of 80% of the cost to replace/relocate the facility.
This will be an amazing opportunity for us to leverage our community’s investment in our schools with state and federal funding to replace our aging infrastructure at a fraction of the typical cost!
Whoa! That is incredible and so great it’s in partnership with the DOD, as they are such a large part of our community. I know student health has been a hot topic recently, what can we expect as far as changes there?
Over the past few years, the approach to our education system has seen a marked change in direction. I am pleased to see so much movement into the entire well-being of a child, not just focusing on academic success. It is my goal to see a continued expansion of social-emotional learning, an expansion of counseling and nursing staff, and a real focus on connections between students, adults, the community and resources available to them.
Through a partnership with NAS Whidbey Island, 5 new mental health counselors are being provided by the DOD through a contractor, who will work within Oak Harbor Public Schools. This will expand our already greater than average presence of counselors within schools but is what I hope to be just the beginning.
Whole-child initiatives also mean we need to be engaged in the health and wellness of our students. Beyond PE classes and activities available to students, education about food and healthy eating can make huge improvements in their overall well-being. Schools are all embracing outdoor student learning in interactive gardens and outdoor spaces. Students are learning lessons in the garden that extend beyond growing flowers and vegetables. They are learning science and math, but more importantly are learning to work together in a hands-on environment. They are exposed to produce they would never imagine trying, but because they took part in growing it, will enthusiastically try it and find out they like it. They are learning compassion and community service as their produce is used to supplement local food bank supplies.
Environmental stewardship goes beyond our gardens, however. As a district, we have taken great steps to be as forward thinking, efficient and conservative as possible. A large-scale effort to replace aging heating system boilers with state-of-the-art high efficiency boilers, replacing nearly all lighting with highly efficient LED lights, and transitioning to propane powered busses has propelled us to be one of the front runners in the nation. We’ve earned several state and national green ribbon awards this year. Oak Harbor Public Schools has become a model of environmental stewardship. We will continue to lead the way teaching our students to be healthy and environmentally conscious and make our systems as efficient as possible to protect our taxpayers’ investment.
This is all so great Erik! Thank you for keeping on top of this and informing our community. We know you take your role as a real estate professional as seriously as you take your role on the Oak Harbor School Board, but can you tell us how you see the two connecting?
One of the reasons I chose to work as a Windermere Broker was the focus and commitment to community through the Windermere Foundation, which collects a percentage of every transaction completed, and returns it to our community. It was rewarding to be instrumental in establishing a scholarship fund that has now awarded seven scholarships totaling $12,000 to local low-income graduates who attend vocational programs, community colleges and universities. The Windermere Foundation also provides funds to the opportunity council annually for programs that support Oak Harbor’s low-income students, providing warm clothes, backpacks and other necessities. Windermere is also a supporter of the Oak Harbor Education Foundation which provides applied learning grants for classroom projects within our district, allowing teachers to pursue hands on projects that fall outside the scope of normal funding and thereby enriching our students’ experience. Learn more about the scholarships here.
Windermere Realtors are often the first local resource a family connects with, and my connection with the district allows me to update other Realtors in my office with the most up to date and useful information to incoming families. As the second largest employer on the island, many of our Windermere clients, are employed as educators, administrators and classified staff within the district, or have children who attend Oak Harbor Public Schools. What a great benefit for them to be able to work with a Realtor who understands how the school district operates, and can provide timely, relevant information.
As I look forward to another school year, I can’t help but be excited for the possibilities.
Thank you for your time Erik! Keep up the good work!
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