Daily Archives: June 12, 2008

Two resign from city affordable housing group

Frustrated by a lack of funding and support from the city, two members of the Housing Trust Fund Committee resigned Wednesday.

Here’s my story:

Two members of the city’s Housing Trust Fund Committee, including its chairman, resigned Wednesday in protest of what they call a lack of action on affordable housing initiatives.

“We’re a housing trust fund with no funds,” said committee member and housing industry consultant Joseph Honick. “The commitment from the city has disappeared.”

Honick joined committee chairman John de Chadenedes in announcing their resignations at Wednesday night’s City Council meeting.

De Chadenedes, who serves as the coordinator of the King County Housing Finance Program, told the council that the 2008 budget “abandoned” affordable housing initiatives by failing to put dollars toward new preservation and building projects. The lack of funding makes his committee a “purely symbolic” entity.

By order of the mayor’s office, the city’s affordable housing planning staff declined to comment on the resignations and on the activities of the HTF committee. Mayor Darlene Kordonowy did not return calls for comment.

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Council takes first step into Streetscape.

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The City Council took a first step last night toward the long-planned and long-debated project to upgrade Winslow Way and its underground utilities.

In a 5-2 vote, the council authorized the city to enter into a $135,400 contract with Heery International that will jumpstart the larger $12.2 million project.

The contract will fund initial design work, prepare planning documents, provide weekly updates to city staff and update the city’s project website.

Public Works Director Randy Witt called the contract a “trimmed-down version” of an earlier proposal that had included about $100,000 more for public outreach.

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Sawatdy cooks up ‘vivid, succulent’ Thai food

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Former London Times and Chicago Daily News music critic Bernard Jacobson now writes restaurant reviews for the Kitsap Sun.

This week, Jacobson treks up to Bainbridge Island to try Sawatdy Thai Cuisine.

BERNARD JACOBSON RESTAURANT REVIEW: A Thai Treasure on Bainbridge

Steering clear of the wild disagreements I have seen in online reviews of this restaurant, and of the family feuds that are hinted to underlie the Thai restaurant scene on Bainbridge Island, I want simply to celebrate this place as one of the best restaurants — of any style of cuisine — that I have yet discovered on the island.

Approaching it from the outside, you will not be impressed: the Island Center location is in a rather tired-looking little strip of businesses, including a gas station. But once through the door, you will find a pleasant room decorated with some folksy artifacts, comfortable seating, and a very cordial and efficient wait staff. (The Poulsbo Thai restaurant I reviewed a year or so ago should take lessons from Sawatdy, not only in cooking but in charm.)

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Kitsap Sun: Paint pranks crossed the line

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Here’s the Kitsap Sun’s view on the vandalized police vehicles:

What happens when high school pranks turn malicious?

That’s an issue facing Bainbridge Island residents after thousands of dollars of damage was done in vandalism attributed to this year’s Bainbridge High School graduating class.

For decades, there’s been a tolerated tradition of high school seniors painting graduation messages on roads around Bainbridge Island. But this year, things went too far. Last Friday night, in addition to painting some roads, persons presumed to be students also vandalized a hand-carved “Welcome to Bainbridge Island” sign with a sloppily spray-painted “08.” Police estimate repairs at more than $2,000. In addition, a 15-foot-long “2008” was painted across seven lanes at the high school track. Removing it was a five-hour job, costing the school district about $500.

Then early Wednesday morning, vandals painted and slashed the tires of seven Bainbridge Island Police Department vehicles at the police parking lot, and spray-painted Chief Matt Haney’s police car at his home. Police believe the graduating class of 2008 may be to blame; “08” was spray-painted on the hood of one police car.

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Marshall: Sine makrs need spel chek

Islander columnist is extreamly distressed by islanders’ extreame spelling mistakes.

Errant Spellings Punctuate Need for Correction
By Becky Fox Marshall

I nearly caused a traffic accident one morning last week, when I passed a large, homemade, plywood sign on the side of the road near the gravel pit on Lynwood Center Road on Bainbridge Island. The stenciled sign stated, in red paint: “Extreame Danger.”

I tapped the brakes just as I passed, thinking, “Did I really see that?”

In deference to the poor fellow behind me undoubtedly trying to make a ferry (judging by the look he was burning at me via the rear-view mirror), and because I was too far past the sign to get a real look, I continued. But on the way home that night, I slowed down to get a second look. Yup. “Extreame.” Right there in red letters about a foot tall.

It gnawed at me like a muscle ache, and not just when I had to drive by. But I figured it was a mistake discovered too late by its author. It was, after all, a temporary sign made of plywood so maybe the guy just let it go.

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