Sherry Grindeland / Times staff columnist
Ecumenical bar mitzvah guests attend 'catechism class'

Seattle Times Eastside columnist

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Stu and Sandy Jacobson of Bellevue had a dilemma.

Dozens of relatives were in town last weekend for their son's bar mitzvah.

That event wasn't the problem — the ceremony at Temple de Hirsch Sinai and the party afterward at The Golf Club at Newcastle were perfect.

But the Jacobsons had planned to take 22 relatives to see Mikhail Baryshnikov at the Moore Theatre. The show was postponed when the dancer was injured.

"We panicked," Jacobson said. "The only thing we could come up with for our 22 New York Jews was a catechism class at the ACT (Theatre)."

The long-running "Late Nite Catechism" features a nun running a hilarious catechism class — and the audience is in the class.

"The nun had a great time, the New Yorkers loved it, so you could say the bar mitzvah was saved by a cataclysm."

By the way, in honor of his journey into adulthood, Adam Jacobson donated $500 to a homeless shelter.

Meeting adjourned: Naomi Hardy of Redmond said she's found the perfect organization — the Nokomis Club.

The women's club was honored Saturday with a plaque unveiled at the Redmond Library, recognizing the group for more than 90 years of community service.

Six young women started the Nokomis Club on June 3, 1909. (The name comes from Longfellow's epic poem, "Hiawatha.") They began as a literary group and then became a service club, raising money for the needy and for schools.

In 1927, the women opened the first Redmond Library with more than 800 books. By 1933, they raised money for their own building and operated it until 1964 when the King County system took it over. The former library building is owned today by the Redmond Chamber of Commerce.

"They're the oldest women's service club in the state," said Hardy, a volunteer with the Redmond Historical Society.

The group gives an annual scholarship to a Redmond High School student.

Although membership has dwindled, Audrey Gorlick hopes the club will last long enough to celebrate its 100th anniversary. At 99, she's the oldest member.

These days the Nokomis Club meets just once a month for lunch. To ensure the group survives to 100, several Redmond women, including former Mayor Chris Himes, current Mayor Rosemarie Ives and Hardy have become honorary members.

"It's my kind of club," Hardy said. "No dues, no meetings, just talking and eating."

More ghosts: Seems Yarrow Point isn't the only Eastside community haunted by happy Halloween spirits.

Last week I reported that friendly ghosts were visiting Yarrow Bay after dark, ringing the doorbell and leaving a paper ghost, candy and a poem that begins: "The phantom ghost has come around to leave these goodies that you have found."

Families who have been "ghosted" become the next ghosts. They place the paper ghost in their window — so the neighbors know they've been haunted. Then they fill two treat bags, attach ghosts and copies of the poem, to leave at other homes.

Mandy Budwill said her McDonald Highlands neighborhood in Kenmore has been haunted for at least seven years.

She recruits her teenage son and daughter, Alex and Amy Budwill, and their friends Alyssa Scheuer and Amy Lance, to help spread the spirit.

"Maybe one of our Kenmore ghosts floated over to a friend at Yarrow Point," Budwill said. "I've sent the ghost poem and treats down I-5 to friends in Portland."

Windy city: When Graham Albertini went outside to get his newspaper Friday morning, he found a three-man tent about 2 feet from his front door.

"At first I wondered why they wanted to camp in my front yard," said the Bellevue resident.

Then he recognized the tent. Kids set it up in a neighbor's back yard last summer. The wind carried it over a 6-foot-high fence and about 125 feet before dropping it upright near Albertini's front door.

"Talk about your freaky Friday," he said.

Walking the line: With feline grace, a bobcat strolled along the top of a backyard fence early yesterday in Newcastle.

"It looked like a Halloween vignette that had been supersized," said Pat Detmer.

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com

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