Saratoga Passages
Volume 1, Issue 4
December 20, 2008
S A R ATO G A C O M M U N I T Y H O U S I N G
BUILDING COMMUNITIES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME
 Seasons
Greetings from our founding Board Members
While Board Members
come and go, the work
they've done remains a
part of our organization
forever. Recently, Rob
Voigt left the Board (and
the country) to return
home to Canada. Wayne
Locke also resigned his
board position to develop
the SCH Homeownership
Institute.
Lucky for us, two long
time community volunteers stepped up to fill the
vacant positions. Dave
Anderson will represent
the City of Oak Harbor
and Deidre Davison will
be one of the general
representative. We welcome them as we look
forward to a New Year
filled with great expectations.
During 2008, Habitat for
Humanity
of Island
County built the first four
homes that would become Community Land
Trust Housing here in
Island County. We thank
them for their hard work!

Homeownership
Institute
Debbie Torget Michael Schuerlein Wayne Locke Bill Massey Randy Enberg
Rob Voigt Donna Keeler Steve Gulliford Leo Baldwin
Our resale formula, used to
determine the HFHIC home’s
resale price, will maintain the
affordability over time. That’s
how we preserve affordability
for future generations.
House number five,
received as a donation,
will become home to a
young woman who works
for the South Whidbey
Parks and Recreation
District. She’s thrilled to
buy a home near her
family, friends and work.
important than ever.
We encourage you to renew
your annual membership and
consider increasing your donation. Please Invite friends,
family & neighbors to join us.
Homebuyer Education
Classes are held on
Saturdays 8:30 to 5:00
At Skagit Valley CC:
Oak Harbor Campus
1/10 2/7 3/7
Clinton Campus
1/24 2/21 3/21
Classes are Free
Registration is
required. For more
information and
to register call
360-679-7621
It’s not too late to make
a year end donation to SCH
No need to rush to the mailbox,
just visit our website and click on
the “donate now” button
www.saratogacommunityhousing.org
During difficult economic
times, creating and preserving
affordable communities is
more important than ever.
Your support is also more
We appreciate your continued
support.
Happy New Year!
SCH Board of Trustees and
Sandra Stipe, Director
Volunteer, John Long, reaches
above and beyond to paint and
fix up the Scatchet Head home
A home of their own in time for the holidays
Mona Swain (center) and her son
Nathan receive keys to their home
from HFH volunteers Beth Robinson (left) and Charlotte Carpenter
Is there anything better than decorating
your own home for the holidays? According
to Habitat for Humanity homeowner Mona
Swain “it doesn’t get any better than this.”
Mona put a lot of work into the last two
South Whidbey HFHIC houses, knowing her
time would come. Now, Mona and her son
Nathan will tell you “the wait was worth it.”
They picked out the fixtures, cabinets,
floors, and finishes to give the home their
own special touch. Mona also designed the
front yard’s landscape to grow an array of
edible plants come springtime. She’s
hoping the local wildlife will share the
bounty with her and Nathan.
Habitat for Humanity of Island County
has built 20 homes since they started in
1998. Now, their partnership with Saratoga
Community Housing insures the homes will
remain affordable for the next generation
of home buyers. It’s a great way to stretch
our local affordable housing resources.
Our Members support our mission in various ways...
Ross Chapin inspires CLTs with
a session on community design
Our Newest Business
Circle Members:
Jade Craftsmen Builders
Service Alternatives Inc.
Windermere Real Estate
In October, the Northwest Coalition of
Community Land Trusts gathered at the
Whidbey Institute for our Annual Fall
Conference. The gathering included CLT
practitioners from Washington, Oregon
and Idaho meeting to discuss issues
important to our field of work and to
provide training for board members and
staff new to the CLT movement.
Local Architect and SCH member,
Ross Chapin, was a featured presenter.
Ross shared his experience and expertise in community design and layout.
Volunteering your time and/or services
is a great way to support our mission!
“ Well designed communities encourage
interaction between the residents while
offering them layers of privacy.”
Ross Chapin
We Thank our Business Circle Members & Partners for their support:
Banner Bank  City of Langley  City of Oak Harbor  Curves
Design Duo First United Methodist Church  Glynneden Gardens Good Cheer
Habitat for Humanity of Island County  Interstate Label Co.  Island Construction Inc.
Island Thrift  Island Tea Co.  Langley United Methodist Church  Morris Family Foundation
Paint Escape  Price Johnson Construction  Richard Consulting Inc.  Ross Chapin Architect
Rotary Club of South Whidbey  Richard S. Epstein Inc.  Town of Coupeville  Windfall Winery
Whidbey Island Bank Whidbey Properties Inc.  Worthington Custom Homes
An “Evening with John Muir”
benefits SCH and our audience
When SCH Board Member (Leo Baldwin) informed us
his nephew (Don Baldwin) did a great impersonation of
John Muir, we weren't sure where he was going with it.
Then, Leo gave us some background on Don’s traveling
show. Not only does he do a spectacular job of bringing the
legendary Muir to life, he also provides a breathtaking panoramic
slideshow of Yosemite and the
High Sierras. Don, and his wife
Peggy, brought their show all the
way from Sacramento CA to host
three fundraising events for SCH.
In partnership with The Whidbey
Camano Land Trust, we invited
our members and the community
to witness the beauty and wonder
of lands that have been preserved
for everyone's enjoyment.
We share WCLT’s passion for
conservation. We’re dedicated to
preserving land for it’s natural
beauty and to provide affordable
Don Baldwin in Character as housing opportunities. Working
Conservationist John Muir together, both goals are possible.
Saratoga Community Housing
We’re a Membership Organization
Become a Part of the Solution!
Annual Memberships start at:
$15 for an individual
$25 for a family
We gratefully accept donations of:
Time ◊ Goods ◊ Services ◊ Funding ◊ Land
SCH is a non-profit 501(c)(3)- EIN# 20-5160723
P O BOX 1002
FREELAND, WA 98249
360-331-4248
www.saratogacommunityhousing.org