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.