Monthly Archives: October 2012

Quick facts on the Bainbridge bag ban

The island’s ban on plastic shopping bags begins Thursday. We’ve posted some of the basics below. Let us know what you think of the bag ban by taking our poll below or leaving a comment.

Why a bag ban?

The City Council unanimously approved the bag ban this spring as a way of reducing litter and unnecessary waste, while promoting reusable bags. Bainbridge is the fifth Washington city to ban plastic bags and the first in Kitsap County. Seattle banned plastic shopping bags in July.

What are the rules?

Starting Thursday, retailers are no longer allowed to provide those thin, single-use plastic bags at checkout. Paper bags will still be available, but the ordinance requires retailers to charge 5 cents for larger paper bags (this doesn’t apply to qualifying low income shoppers).

There are a few exceptions to the ban. Plastic bags are allowed for restaurant take-out food, produce, greeting cards, small hardware items, newspapers, dry cleaning and waste.

What stores does this apply to?

Short answer: All of them. This ban applies to all retailers across the island, not just supermarkets. It also applies to farmers markets and vendors  at festivals. Food banks can still use plastic bags.

Where can I get reusable bags?

Reusable bags are available at island grocery stores and some other retailers. The city is handing out a cloth “Bainbridge Bag” tonight during the Winslow trick-or-treat event from 4-6 p.m, and at the library and City Hall starting Thursday.

Where can I get more information?

The city has more details and links on its Sustainable Practices page. If you’re interested in the nitty gritty, you can read the ordinance here. Watch for a full bag ban story Thursday in the Kitsap Sun.

What do you think of the Bainbridge plastic bag ban?

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Photo credit: Larry Steagall/Staff Photo

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How island roads got their names

We recently debuted a new column in the Islander examining the history of island road names. The column is  made possible by the work of Elinor Ringland, a Bainbridge Historical Society volunteer on a mission to dig up the story behind every street on Bainbridge.

Elinor and fellow volunteers combed through local history books, Historical Museum archives, and interviewed islanders to compile these street name stories. Their work to date can be viewed at the museum. Many of the histories are based on family lore and are not necessarily definitive.

If you have a street name story (or myth/rumor/legend) to share, Elinor would love to hear from you. You can reach her at elinorjoe@msn.com.

We’ll post the column on this blog each week. Our first two road name columns involved the namesake of Redmond and a popular neighborhood fox:

McRedmond Lane

Location: Runs east-west between Wardwell Road and Summer Hill Lane, west of the Highway 305/Sportsman Club Road intersection.

History: Sea captain and carpenter Lucas McRedmond immigrated from Ireland in the 1840s to escape the most recent potato famine.

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Friday preview: Bainbridge edition

Here’s the Friday preview: Bainbridge edition for Oct. 26. Feel free to give your events a plug in the comment section below. Read the Sun’s regional Friday preview here. 

Weather: If you like rain with your clouds you’ll love this weekend’s weather. Rain is likely tonight through Sunday with temperatures in the low 50s, according to the National Weather Service.

Sports:  The Spartans are grinding into postseason and the football team was surprised to find itself in the playoff hunt. Bainbridge plays West Seattle at 5 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Seattle for the seventh spot in the district playoffs. The swim team already boasts an impressive list of athletes qualified for state. See a full sports schedule here and follow the Sun’s PrepZone page on Facebook for playoff updates.

Around the island: 

  • Halloween is officially next Wednesday, but the weekend is packed full of spooky events nonetheless. For the second weekend, visitors can experience “Blackbeard’s Bilge,” a haunted event in the basement of the Battle Point Park Transmitter Building. The “Bilge” is open 7-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and entry is $5 ($10 for a group of three). Consider this event PG-13 rated (not appropriate for young children).
  • Island Center Hall hosts a night of live storytelling beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The fright-level will rise through the evening beginning with stories for very young children and concluding with stories for teens, along with an open mic session. Tickets are $5 in advance or $10 at the door. Find full details here.
  • Bring a pumpkin and carving tools to IslandWood from 1-5 p.m. Sunday to craft Jack-o’-lanterns with the help of kitchen staff. Other HOWL-o-ween festival events will spice up the night. Costumes encouraged.
  • Pick up this week’s Islander for more event listings and tell us about your events in the comment section below.

Inside the Islander: Julia Bringloe’s bravery in Afghanistan put her among an elite class of flyers.

The week in review: 

 Coming Up: The island’s ban on plastic bags at checkout counters begins Nov. 1.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the week. Contact Bainbridge reporter Tad Sooter at tad.sooter@gmail.com.

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Police Blotter: Liquor thief takes one bottle too many

A 20-year-old Bainbridge man who stole a bottle of vodka from a High School Road grocery store on Oct. 20 might have avoided arrest had he not returned to swipe a bottle of whiskey from the same store a few hours later. The man told police he was upset because he was nearly 21 but store clerks still refused to sell him liquor. To avoid these awkward situations you have the option of ordering alcohol online and get it delivered to your door.

Also this week, a hunter scouting for deer raised a clamor in a south island neighborhood, and what one man thought was trash turned out to be his own treasures.

The blotter is below:

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Friday preview: Bainbridge edition

Here’s the Friday preview: Bainbridge edition for Oct. 19. Feel free to give your events a plug in the comment section below. Read the Sun’s regional Friday preview here. Above, a screenshot from “Caldera,” one of the films playing at Celluloid Bainbridge this weekend.

Weather: The National Weather Service is predicting an uninspiring mix of clouds and showers for the weekend. Expect highs in the low 50s and lows in the low 40s.

Sports:  Spartans football took a drubbing from O’Dea last night in the rain. Water polo plays Kentridge Saturday at the Aquatics Center. The full Spartans schedule is online.

Around the island: 

  • The Celluloid Bainbridge Film Festival headlines a very busy weekend on the island. Veteran documentarians discuss making films in remote locations at 6 p.m. tonight at the Bainbridge Library. Festival films will be screened at the Historic Lynwood Theatre on Saturday and Sunday. Check the Bainbridge Arts and Humanities Council website for more information.
  • Families looking for a not-so-scary October event will appreciate the Bainbridge Gardens Pumpkin Walk. The tour runs 6-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Miller Road gardens. Donations will be accepted for the Boys and Girls Club.
  • Former poet laureate Billy Collins will hold a public reading from 3-4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Bainbridge High School gym. Tickets start at $10 and proceeds benefit the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.
  • Pick up this week’s Islander for more event listings and tell us about your events in the comment section below.

Inside the Islander: Ever wonder how Bainbridge roads got their names? A new Islander column explores the history and legend of island streets.

The week in review: 

 Coming Up: The island’s new Transportation Benefit District will hold a hearing on a car tab fee Oct. 24.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the week. Contact Bainbridge reporter Tad Sooter at tad.sooter@gmail.com.

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Voters choose design for “The Bainbridge Bag”

A salmon, strawberry, fir tree and heron will be emblazoned on the new “Bainbridge Bag.”

Voters chose a design by islander Diane Walker to decorate the reusable cloth bag, which the city will distribute to promote awareness of the fast-approaching ban on plastic shopping bags.

The city put out a call for design ideas in September and received 44 entries, which were displayed at City Hall. Islanders cast 154 votes for their favorite logos and Walker’s illustration emerged the winner.

Her design will be printed on 500 bags to be handed out in Winslow beginning Oct. 31. Merchants can purchase additional bags from the city to sell or give away.

The plastic bag ban takes effect Nov. 1. It prohibits stores from distributing single-use plastic shopping bags at checkout stands. See the city’s website for more information.

 

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Horn joins wildlife shelter; Sivitz leaving KiDiMu

Two high profile Bainbridge non-profit groups announced changes in leadership early this week:

Horn joins wildlife shelter

Lisa Horn has been chosen as the new executive director of the West Sound Wildlife Shelter. She will assume her new duties Dec. 3.

Former Executive Director Kol Medina left the shelter to become director of the Kitsap Community Foundation.

Horn has an extensive background in education. She received a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix, magna cum laude, in 2003 and is currently working toward her doctorate in organizational leadership.
For the past six years she has been the director of early learning at the Marion Forsman-Boushie Early Learning Center in Suquamish. She has been an active volunteer, including serving as chairperson for several large fundraising events for local organizations.

She and her daughter enjoy spending time with animals, providing a home for five dogs, three cats, two guinea pigs, a rabbit, six chickens, a horse, a cockatiel and a parakeet.

“With Lisa’s background in education and her organizational skills, I feel confident her enthusiastic personality combined with your continued support will result in establishing the West Sound Wildlife Shelter becoming a national leader in the evolving field of wildlife rehabilitation,” said Gayle Seyl, shelter board president.

(photo by Dottie Tison)

Sivitz leaving KiDiMu

After three-and-a-half years, Susan Sivitz will step down as executive director at the Kids Discovery Museum at the end of the year.

“Susan has been at the center of the nonprofit world of Bainbridge Island for many years,” said Sonya Marinoni, the museum’s board president. “She has been a great leader.”

Sivitz is moving to Boston for six months to complete her undergraduate degree. She joined the museum as director in 2009. She oversaw the completion of the museum’s capital campaign for a new building the transition into a new space in the Island Gateway development.

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Police Blotter: Island woman injured in dumpster accident

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A 49-year-old woman was injured Oct. 10 when a delivery truck collided with a line of dumpsters at a Day Road business. The woman was caught between two of the dumpsters and suffered undisclosed injuries.

Also this week, a drunken driving suspect blamed his poor driving on his passenger, who was puking out the window, and a south-island man said the pile of human excrement he found by his garage Oct. 8 wasn’t the first.

The blotter is below:

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Friday preview: Bainbridge edition

Here’s the Friday preview: Bainbridge edition for Oct. 12. Please feel free to give your own events a plug in the comment section below. Read the Sun’s regional Friday preview here. Above, look at this picture from Monday at Fay Bainbridge. Now look out your window. Miss summer yet? 

Weather: Our mini-drought is coming to a drippy end. According to the National Weather Service, rain is likely this afternoon. And Saturday. And Sunday. Temperatures will hover between 50 and 60 degrees.

Sports:  It’s a very quiet weekend for Spartans sports. Volleyball is back in action Monday at Eastside Catholic, after notching a big win against Seattle Prep this week. The full Spartans schedule is online.

Around the island: 

  • The Pinball Wizard comes to Bainbridge. The Who’s “Tommy” debuts tonight at Bainbridge Performing Arts with an opening night reception starting at 6:30 p.m. Information here.
  • Bainbridge Fire hosts a pancake breakfast and fire truck rides from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the headquarters station on Madison Avenue.
  • Pick up this week’s Islander for more event listings and tell us about your own events in the comment section below .

Inside the Islander: Our story of a hobbit-like house on Bainbridge drew attention from a few local and national outlets. Builder Chris Whited said he was surprised to even see it on the Sun’s A1. “I figured the front cover was reserved for escaped convicts and politicians,” he said in an email.

The week in review: 

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the week. Contact Bainbridge reporter Tad Sooter at tad.sooter@gmail.com.

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Teacher’s experimental craft inching across Pacific

It’s been three weeks since former Bainbridge High School teacher Rory Wilson shoved off for Hawaii in an experimental watercraft called KROS.

The 21-foot boat, powered by oars and kites, is creeping steadily toward its goal, according to updates posted by Wilson’s brother Shane on the KROS Facebook page. Wilson launched from San Diego on Sept. 18 and spent the first few days of his solo voyage paddling southwest off Baja California. He is now traveling roughly due west for Hawaii.

Wilson relays his position to Shane using a SPOT GPS tracker (the latest track is shown above). The brothers also talk regularly by satellite phone. According to Shane’s latest post, Wilson has rowed up to 12 hours a day when the wind is too light to use KROS’ kites.

“He sounds like he’s having a great time, all in all…” Shane wrote.

Wilson taught math at Bainbridge High and used the plans for his experimental voyage to engage his students. Before departing last month, Wilson compared the KROS to a moving math problem.

“It’s just like a really cool, multivariable equation of all the factors that go into it,” he told the Sun’s Angela Dice.

Courtesy photos

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Police Blotter: Pregnant woman smokes pot at ferry terminal

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Police cited a Federal Way woman for possession of drug paraphernalia Oct. 7, after ferry passengers reported her smoking marijuana near the entrance to the Bainbridge terminal. The woman, described as “very pregnant,” asked police they could pause their interview while she updated her Facebook status.

Also this week, two women were booked for possession of methamphetamine, and a Manzanita Road cat was the victim of an apparent pellet gun attack.

The blotter is below:
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Readers share Puget Sound orca photos

Reader David Moore submitted this photo of a whale breaching by his sailboat Monday.

Reader Chris Beamer Otterson snapped this picture of an orca passing President Point near Kingston Monday. 

Dori Johnson contributed this shot of a mother and calf she took from Fay Bainbridge. 

Thanks to Chris and Dori for sending in photos. If you have a whale pic you’d like to share, please email Tad at tad.sooter@gmail.com or upload it to the Bainbridge Islander page on Facebook.

You can see our whale photos from Monday here and read Chris Dunagan’s piece on orcas in Puget Sound. The orcas belong to the resident J, K and L pods according to whale experts. This was the farthest south the orcas have been spotted this season.

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