To the editor:

Rarely does a community come together to celebrate with such enthusiasm and joy as we experienced in Langley on the last day of July.

During intermission at the evening performance of the Flying Karamazov Brothers sponsored New Old Time Chautauqua, one could see many people with big smiles, talking with friends and neighbors and enjoying our Northwest unseasonable rain.

That afternoon, as chronicled by The South Whidbey Record, we experienced chances to juggle, walk on stilts, quiltmaking, build worm bin bins for the school’s community garden (courtesy of Langley Neighbor-to-Neighbor Action Grant), hula hooping, playing a didgeridoo and more.

The community potluck that followed warmed us up for a night of family entertainment that was enjoyed thoroughly by all who managed to get a ticket to the sold-out performance.

This benefit performance of the nonprofit Chautauqua group, while building community good will, helped raise funds for South Whidbey Commons/Island Coffeehouse & Books and South Whidbey Tilth.

An event like this deserves our appreciation to the performers in Aqua Chautauqua and to all those, too many to mention here, who helped make it happen.

A special thanks, however, is due to several people in our community whose hard work over the last few months made this a truly exceptional and fun experience for all who participated.

Foremost among these are John Lee of South Whidbey Tilth, who put in long hours working with many of us and the Aqua Chautauqua to make sure that everything came together as needed for the parade, workshops, and performance; and Clyde Monma of South Whidbey Commons, who with Shauna Davies, Nathan Mulledore and other members of the South Whidbey Commons/Island Coffeehouse & Books, put in an extraordinary effort to get the word out, pull together our community’s businesses to support this event, and sell tickets. We also appreciate the Island County Fairgrounds and Langley Middle School for providing the facilities that supported this event.

And thank you Langley, for being a community that comes together to support a diverse group of organizations and help make Whidbey Island a unique, wonderful place for all of us to call home.

Marc Wilson

President

South Whidbey Tilth

Sue Haworth

Chairwoman

South Whidbey Commons