Bainbridge Conversation

The Bainbridge park district took advantage of the sunshine Wednesday to celebrate the opening of Hilltop trail and park. The trail, which links east and west portions of Grand Forest, has been enjoyed by hikers since winter. The park district also renovated a house on the property for classroom and event space.

“This has been a dream for us for a long time,” park board Chair Tom Swolgaard said of the Grand Forest trail connection.

Bainbridge Island Land Trust reminded attendees that fundraising for the project continues. The Land Trust agreed to purchase 36 acres in the Hilltop area for $3.6 million. Eight acres were obtained by the park district for the trail and classroom space. The Land Trust has $360,000 left to raise.

“A lot of people think we’re done and are out there enjoying it,” Land Trust Executive Director Hallie Stevens said last week. “We want to let them know there is still work left to do.”

Here’s a map of the Hilltop trail, courtesy the Land Trust:

Hilltop Trail Map by tsooter

We’re revamping our Friday blog post to feature more Islander content. Here is the Bainbridge Islander preview for April 19.

Shooting for the stars | The Bainbridge High School Rocket Team celebrates a successful first season.

Locals respond to the Boston tragedy | Bainbridge Island runners witnessed the destruction of the Boston Marathon bombings first-hand. See an islander’s photos here.

School closure grows more likely | Two of the three proposed options from the School Configuration Committee would result in closing a school.

Sailors excel in Dyes Inlet | Photos from the Silverdale Regatta capture the excitement of sailing without the windburn.

Coming Up: The park district prepares for an overhaul of its flagship baseball fields. Find more Bainbridge news on the Bainbridge Islander page.

A sunny view of Eagle Harbor from Pritchard Park on Tuesday. Click and drag the image to scroll around. (more…)

Here’s the Friday preview: Bainbridge edition for March 8. Feel free to give your own events a plug in the comment section below. 

Weather: We’ll catch a fleeting glimpse of spring today and Saturday, with sunshine and temperatures in the low 50s. The National Weather Service expects skies to cloud up Sunday and rain to return in earnest Monday.

Sports: Spring is already here, at least as far as sports are concerned. Bainbridge boys lacrosse opens its season with a 5:30 p.m. JV game and 7:30 p.m. varsity game this evening at home against Bellevue. Track hosts the Pat Logan Relays at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Boys and girls water polo teams take to the pool Monday with away games. Baseball, fastpitch, boys soccer, tennis all open their seasons next week. You can get updates on the crew team here, and sailing team here.

See a full Spartans schedule here and follow the Sun’s Prepzone on Facebook for updates.

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I had fun over the weekend reporting on the opening of the MO Creek Little Free Library. The Mandus Olson book exchange is the island’s newest Little Free Library installation, but not its first. That distinction belongs to the Shepard Path Little Free Library (pictured).

Islander Donna Dahlquist started the project after seeing a program on Little Free Libraries on the nightly news last summer.

“I saw it and the next day I was on it,” she said.

She and her neighbors installed Little Free Library No. 892 along the popular walking trail west of Winslow last June. It was a colorful contraption. Dahlquist painted the box yellow and decorated it with keys. She shingled the roof with tin can lids and mounted the library on a post studded with bottle caps.

A few weeks later the little library burned to the ground. Dahlquist suspected an arson. The fire happened a few days before the Fourth of July, so fireworks may have been involved.

The fire burned through the roof of the library, melting the tin. The fire department was called and firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading into the dry grass and trees along the trail.

After the fire, Dahlquist wrote an email to Little Free Library founder Todd Bol, relating the tragic story of her library and asking if similar vandalism was common. Bol responded by shipping Dahlquist a brand new library box to install. It’s not as flashy as the first, but Shepard Path Little Free Library No. 1125 has become a popular stop for walkers and neighbors. A string of solar powered Christmas lights illuminate the box at night. The book collection changes constantly.

“It gets a lot of action,” Dahlquist said.

Dahlquist plans to add a “children’s library” soon. The tot-sized library will be housed in an old New York Times newspaper box, donated by friends in the Mandus Olson neighborhood.

Dahlquist said she’s happy to see more Little Free Libraries sprouting up. (You can see a world map of Little Free Libraries below).

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Dahlquist said. “Even the arson hasn’t diminished the enjoyment we’ve gotten from it.”

View Little Free Library Index > Scroll Down in a larger map

(Photos by Tad Sooter)

A lifelong friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. will be among a group of speakers visiting Bainbridge High School this week, as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day approaches.

Rev. McKinney

Rev. Samuel Berry McKinney and four other guest speakers will reflect on the legacy of King and the civil rights movement at the high school Wednesday. A public presentation will be held at 7 p.m. in the LGI building as part of the “Carrying on the Dream” program.

McKinney attended Morehouse College with King in the 1940s and they remained close. McKinney supported civil rights protests in Seattle in the 1960s as a pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church. He organized King’s visit to the city in 1961 and later joined King for marches in Selma and Montgomery, Ala.

Appearing with McKinney on Bainbridge will be Patricia Moncure Thomas, president of the Black Historical Society of Kitsap County; state Rep. Drew Hansen, author of “The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation;” Dr. Rosie Rimando Chareunsap, a 1995 BHS graduate and vice president at South Seattle Community College; and Ali Saunders, a BHS senior and president of the school’s United Brothers & Sisters Club.

McKinney and Hansen will visit with Bainbridge classes during the day. The evening presentation is free and donations are accepted.

The public program was organized by the Sing Out Kitsap committee in cooperation with the school district; the Bainbridge Island Schools Foundation; UBS club; the district’s Multicultural Advisory Committeeand the Filipino American Community

Here’s the Friday preview: Bainbridge edition for Dec. 21. Feel free to give your events a plug in the comment section below. Above, an extreme high tide, caused by low atmospheric pressure, floods Manitou Beach Drive Monday. See more King Tide photos in this week’s Bainbridge Islander. (Photo submitted by Jason Gibson)

Weather: The National Weather Service predicts more showers and temperatures in the low 40s today through the weekend, with the rain letting up Monday.

Sports: Spartans swimming hosts Lakeside today at 3:30 p.m.

Basketball plays at home against Eastside Catholic tonight. Boys tip off at 6:15 p.m., followed by the girls at 8 p.m. Wrestling travels to Port Angeles Saturday.

See a full Spartans schedule here and follow the Sun’s Prepzone on Facebook for updates.

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Islander Chris Whited didn’t set out to build a “hobbit house” when he started his eccentric building project on High School Road. The comparisons, however, proved unavoidable. His neighbors were the first to invoke the Middle-earth reference, inspired by the cottage’s slanted walls and curved roofline.

When we featured Whited’s creation on the cover of the Sun in October, the word “hobbit” landed the story on the AP wire. It went modestly viral from there, popping up in various forms on news sites across the country. Whited wasn’t prepared for the response.

“I was figuring I would have to dig around back on page 11 or 12 to find it, boy, was I ever surprised to see it on the front cover!” Whited wrote to us in an email after the story ran. “I figured the front cover was reserved for escaped convicts and politicians. Then I heard from friends on facebook that it was in the Yakima Herald the Tricities paper and in Lewiston Idaho. I  checked online and saw spinoff articles in New York and in the UK! Seems like a lot of fuss for a little cottage doesn’t it?”

Indeed.

But Whited’s whimsical house seems to have struck a chord, and the release of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” this week brought a new wave of interest. KOMO gave the project news feature treatment in a segment Thursday:

Despite his newfound notoriety, Whited wasn’t queuing up for the “Hobbit” premier Thursday.

“Midnight just doesn’t sound like fun to me,” he told Sun reporter Rachel Pritchett.

Here’s the Friday preview: Bainbridge edition for Dec. 14. Feel free to give your events a plug in the comment section below. Above, a detail from the 2013 Kids Can Make a Difference calendar, illustrated by Ordway Elementary third graders. The calendars, which benefit programs on Ometepe, are available at Ordway through Dec. 21.

Weather: The National Weather Service predicts rain showers and temperatures in the low 40s this weekend.  Expect a little wind as well, with gusts up to 25 mph.

Sports: Another full slate of winter sports today. Wrestling is away at the Hammerhead Invitational in Silverdale. Bainbridge gymnastics welcomes Bellingham, Mercer Island, Squalicum and Sehome at 6 p.m.

Spartans basketball hosts Franklin. Girls varsity tips off at 6:15, followed by the boys at 8 p.m. A home swim meet was postponed.

See a full Spartans schedule here and follow the Sun’s Prepzone on Facebook for updates. (more…)

Islanders for Collaborative Policing will host a discussion tonight on how law enforcement can better respond to situations involving mentally ill residents.

The Ostling trial brought the topic to the forefront this summer, when a federal jury found the city at fault for not properly training officers to approach people suffering from mental illness. ICP founder Kim Hendrickson said tonight’s will highlight changes at BIPD and what initiatives could benefit the department.

“This event will be an opportunity, we hope, to raise community and officer awareness about mental impairment, suggest new kinds of community and police partnerships, and to consider best practices employed by other police departments,” Hendrickson said in an announcement for the discussion.

The free event will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, 7968 Finch Road NE.

Participants include Joe Roszack of Kitsap Mental Health, Bill Mosiman of Bainbridge Island School District, Lis Eddy of the state Criminal Justice Training Commission, Dave Shurick of Poulsbo Police, and Bainbridge Police lieutenants Bob Day and Chris Jensen. Father Dennis Tierney of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church will serve as moderator.

Here’s the Friday preview: Bainbridge edition for Nov. 16. Feel free to give your events a plug in the comment section below. Read the Sun’s regional Friday preview here. Above, Ordway Elementary students carry donations toward Helpline House on Nov. 9. Helpline House launched a special three day holiday food drive yesterday. (Tad Sooter photo)

Weather: “A major change in the weather is coming this weekend,” the National Weather Service warns. The first in a series of winter storms is predicted to arrive tonight or Saturday morning, with heavy rain and wind expected.

Sports: Bainbridge swimmers capped their season with three state titles, taking second as a team. The winter sports season begins after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Around the island: 

• Call it Green Friday. A gift exchange hosted by the Bainbridge LDS church celebrates recycling and reusing. It begins this evening, when islanders can drop off lightly used items for re-gifting from 4-9 p.m. People who drop off items receive credits. They can return between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday to “shop” for other people’s re-gifted items. The church is located on Madison Avenue, next to Ordway Elementary. See full gift guidelines here.

• Northwest musician Gary Stroutsos performs improvisational flute music and Native American stories at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Bainbridge Performing Arts. Tickets are $12 for adults. The performance coincides with a display of native art on featured at BPA through the end of the month.

• Bainbridge Island Youth Orchestra presents its free fall concert from 7-8 p.m. Saturday at Island Church, 9624 Sportsman Club Road.

• Pick up this week’s Islander for more event listings and tell us about your events in the comment section below.

Inside the Islander: A “Soup’r” new restaurant opens in the Pavilion.

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.

Here’s the Friday preview: Bainbridge edition for Nov. 2. Feel free to give your events a plug in the comment section below. Read the Sun’s regional Friday preview here. Above, a still moment on Eagle Harbor Thursday after days of heavy rain. (Tad Sooter photo)

Weather: The National Weather Service is boldly predicting partly sunny skies and a high of 58 degrees for today. Expect rain to return Saturday and Sunday.

Sports: The playoffs are in full swing. Spartans swimmers take to the pool for the district prelims at 4:30 p.m. today on Mercer Island. Football visits Columbia River High at 7 p.m. tonight. Bainbridge volleyball beat Bellevue 3-0 Thursday to earn a shot against Mercer Island in the district semifinals 11 a.m. Saturday at Chief Sealth.

A long list of playoff matches are slated for Saturday. See a full sports schedule here and follow the Sun’s PrepZone page on Facebook for updates.

Around the island: 

• The First Fridays Art Walk for November runs 6-8 p.m. tonight in Winslow. See a full gallery lineup here.

• The first-ever Poncho Walk, organized by GO! Bainbridge will begin at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Bainbridge Public Library. The winter walk series will continue on the first Sunday of each month.

• Cyclists of all ages and levels are welcomed to the Farm Fresh Bike Scramble, a fundraising ride for the Gear Grinders high school mountain bike club. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. Sunday at Johnson Farm.

• Pick up this week’s Islander for more event listings and tell us about your events in the comment section below.

Inside the Islander: Read about the Bainbridge bag ban and the history of Beans Bight.

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.

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.

• And finally, we know it’s not a weekend event, but the island’s Trick or Treat Downtown event will be held 4-6 p.m. Oct. 31 in Winslow.

• 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: 

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