Our August BAWA meeting will be back in familiar territory: Foster City over the Library in the Starboard Room at 7 PM, 16 August. We will have time for Show and Tell, a regular business meeting, and if some items appear a Silent Auction. So, clean out your workshops. Stan has many interesting items to raffle, like a book from last month, and wood that was milled at Joinery Structures. Our Main Speaker for the evening will be John R. Shelly of the UC Forest Products Laboratory in Richmond, where we have visited. This time he will be visiting us with his slide projector and will talk briefly about the anatomical structure and physical properties of wood. He will also discuss how the drying behavior of a piece of wood can be predicted based on these properties. He will then discuss some of the difficulties encountered when drying some of the unique hardwoods found in California's natural forest and urban environment and share tips for "defect free drying." He will also share some results from a current research project focused on the processing on tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflorus). He encourages lively discussion so bring your questions and share your personal experiences and observations.

Dr. Shelly is a Cooperative Extension Advisor in Forest Products and Biomass Utilization at the Forest Products Lab. His educational background is in Wood Science and Technology, with a BS from Penn State and an MS and PhD at UC Berkeley. He has held academic extension positions since 1978 at UC and at the University of Kentucky. His primary area of interest and expertise is in the physical properties of wood and manufacturing technology with an emphasis on woody biomass, and the under utilization of urban and timber species in California. Current efforts are focused on the technology needed to wisely use these under utilized resources to enhance forest health and economic development. John is a recognized expert in drying native California hardwoods and has authored over 40 scientific and extension publications and presented papers and talks at over 50 conferences and workshops. Some of his papers can be found at www.ucfpl.ucop.edu/hardwood/newsletter.htm

Starboard Room
Library Community Center
1000 E. Hillsdale Blvd.
Foster City

Directions:
From 101, take the East Hillsdale exit. Drive a mile plus toward the bay. Turn right on Shell Blvd.
From the East Bay, take the San Mateo Bridge (92 West), Take the Foster City Blvd. Exit, and head southeast. Turn right on East Hillsdale Ave. and left on Shell Blvd.
From 92 eastbound, exit onto Foster City Blvd., turn right on Hillsdale, turn left on Shell.
FOR ALL DIRECTIONS:
Once on Shell, get in the left lane. Go past the library, and make a U-turn at the center island opening. Then turn into the parking lot that is behind the library. The stairs to the community rooms are at the north end of the building.