Frances Negranza joined the Skagit County Parks & Rec Department a year and a half ago as the assistant to long time fairgrounds manager Aric Gaither -- and I immediately took a shine to her, as the old folks say. For one thing, she has the same name as my cat. She also got her start in county fairs at the same annual venue I took my kids to: the Santa Clara County Fair in California. But most important, what has endeared Frances Negranza to me is her unwavering devotion to the institution of county fairs as a community gathering, a source of affordable family fun, and an event that fosters agriculture and animal husbandry among youth through programs like Future Farmers of America (which Frances belonged to as a high schooler) and 4H.

In this Tales of the Magic Skagit episode, we'll learn about Frances' background and her role with the Skagit County Fairgrounds -- which includes far more than an annual August event -- and we'll get a sneak peak into this year's Fair attractions. In keeping with the 2024 Skagit County Fair theme, "Have You Herd, Skagit's Goat Talent," you'll get some insight into the talents that Ms. Negranza brings to the Magic Skagit's beloved Fair.

Ed Marlow has lived in Sedro-Woolley since the mid-1940s, ever since his parents moved here from Forks, Washington. One of his earliest ambitions was to become a "hot rod mechanic," but he eventually ended up as a boiler tender on a Coast Guard ship. Along the way, he discovered photography and hair cutting -- and it was the latter pursuit that would define his professional life for the next 30 plus years.

For Ed, barbering meant more than cutting hair. It was more about getting to know people and their stories, and he amassed a large collection of photographs that his clients shared with him recording the life of his community from the early days of the logging industry.

In this podcast episode, our Skagit Valley Youth History Project intern, Morgan White, and I talk with Ed about his life as a "tonsorial artist." But remember, what happens in the barbershop stays in the barbershop.

If you’ve driven along Division Street in West Mount Vernon, you’ve probably noticed a building that looks like it might have once been a ‘50s-style diner, just a block east of the intersection at Wahl (McLean). These days, however, it’s home to a Mexican restaurant called Cocina Sabores — the “flavorful kitchen” en Engles.

Here in the Magic Skagit we have an embarrassment of culinary riches when it comes to Mexican food. In this podcast you’re going to find out why Cocina Sabores deserves to be counted as one of those riches, and we'll learn about the family behind them.

JoEllen Kesti is the executive director of the Sedro-Woolley Museum and president of the museum’s board. Her own history with Sedro-Woolley goes back several generations to her great-great-grandparents.

In this interview with JoEllen we’ll learn a little about her family history and a lot about how she became involved with her hometown’s museum, and what’s been going on there since her tenure as director/president began a couple of years ago. And believe me, there’s been a lot going on, as you’ll quickly discover in this podcast episode. 

You’ll also appreciate JoEllen’s description of the Sedro-Woolley’s Museum mission of enriching a community’s present by connecting it with its past. “When children come into the museum, everyone feels special when they can tie themselves to something they encounter here.” 

If you’re traveling east on Division St. from West Mount Vernon, the first message you encounter as you cross the Skagit River is plastered large and load on the side of a historic brick building: Make Art Not War.

Welcome to Sri Dee Arts, a cornerstone business on First Street, right across the street from another venerable Skagit Valley business, the Skagit Valley Food Co-op. Morgan White, our Skagit Valley Youth History Project intern and I are here at Tri Dee Arts to learn about the business and its owner, Summer Houlihan, who we’ve finally cornered for this interview. And this is going to be a special one, not only because Tri Dee Arts is a very special part of our community, but also because I’m letting Morgan conduct this Tales of the Magic Skagit podcast on her own. She’s earned it. 

Whatever you thought you knew about one of downtown Mount Vernon's anchor retail establishments, you are most likely going to learn something new -- starting, perhaps, with the story of how Tri Dee Arts got its name.

I’ve recently been working on a tribute to the beloved Skagit Valley historian, Dick Fallis, whose stories of local history appeared in the Skagit Valley Herald, The Argus, and the Puget Sound Mail, which he once owned. This is a reading of his story entitled, “Founding Women, Pioneers, Remembered on Mother’s Day,” from the book Bridgeside: Selected Stories of Dick Fallis, Skagit County Historian. 

While this story may seem a rather unlikely Mother’s Day tribute from more than 40 years ago, I think you’ll find it entertaining nonetheless.

The Magic Skagit has an embarrassment of culinary riches when it comes to the cuisine of Mexico, and a lot of different types of venues to choose from. There are fancy dine-in restaurants, food trucks, mercados and carnecerias, periodic street fair food stands, and even the occasional gas station take-out option.

While most of these sources of the south-of-the-border foods so beloved by Americans across the country share fairly similar menu options — staples such as tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, etc. — closer inspection often reveals significant differences between even these classics. Also revealing are the menu exceptions, which can tell you a lot about the influences of region and family of origin on their signature recipes. 

With this in mind, there are two very important things you need to know about Tepic Mexican Restaurant in Burlington when it comes to appreciating its menu. The first is the origin of its name, and the second is the history of its owners, Francisco Cervantes and Juan Banuelos-Torres.

In this Tales of the Magic Skagit podcast episode, Juan and Francisco share the history of their restaurant, including their friendship since childhood, and the influence of their home state of Nayarit, Mexico on the food they serve. Spoiler alert: seafood is a big deal. Viva pescado, amigos!

Melissa Stowe’s fascination with a local utopian socialist community known as Equality Colony goes back to her childhood in Bow, Washington. Her family had one of the last of the late 19th century town’s buildings on their property.

Her curiosity about Equality Colony’s history grew as she did, and as a thirteen year old she placed third in a statewide history project based on her research into that history…which included interviews with one of the last colony members.

In this Tales of the Magic Skagit episode, “They Called the Town Equality,” Meyer Sign’s newest Skagit Valley Youth History Project intern, Sayer Theiss, and I talk with Melissa about her connection with the story of Equality Colony, and what she learned about the history of one of Western Washington’s experiments in socialism. 

The Skagit Valley Chorale was founded in 1984 by Joan Penney with the support of the Skagit Valley College Foundation. Under the current direction of Dr. Yvette Burdick it numbers 80 some singers.

Skagit Valley Chorale's twice annual and highly popular performances are its "Heralding Christmas" concert, presented shortly after Thanksgiving and featuring classical and contemporary choral works along with a variety of seasonal favorites, and its "Celebrating in Song" concert, presented in the spring and featuring classical choral works as well as a variety of choral music by contemporary composers representing the diversity of world traditions and cultures.

With its Celebrating in Song 2024 concert just a few weeks away, I talk with Dr. Burdick about her musical journey -- and how it led from the woods east of Clallam Bay to McIntyre Hall and the artistic leadership of a beloved choral group. We also talk about the history of Skagit Valley Chorale and what it takes to be a part of it.

Our discussion takes a historical turn with the topic of the upcoming concert, which features the choral works of Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians and an homage to the dawn of the Age of Television. Suffice it to say that the music you'll be hearing on May 4-5 at McIntyre Hall will be a one of a kind experience.

I first met Sgt. Brent Thompson of the Mount Vernon Police Department when I enrolled in the MVPD's Citizens Academy -- a twelve-week program designed to teach folks in our community about how local enforcement works. It's an experience that I recommend for anyone who lives here -- and if you believe that a community gets the law enforcement it deserves, I'm pretty sure you're going to feel better about where you live as a result.

But there is another role that Brent Thompson plays. He happens to serve on the board of the Mount Vernon High School Scholarship Foundation -- and it is in that capacity that I interviewed him about the foundation and a particular scholarship drive that he is championing to honor members of his graduating class (Class of '93) who are no longer with us. One of these is very near and dear to Meyer Sign: Gregg Collins.

In this interview with Brent we'll talk about the MVHS Scholarship Foundation and what it was like to be in high school in Mount Vernon in the early '90s -- and pay our respects to those in Brent's class who have gone on before us.