Community

Time to ‘Walk’ in step with the world

Our family recently purchased an electric vehicle. We’re in that little red, mini-mini-van looking thing tooling around the roads of Bainbridge Island. We call it “Wattson.”

By law, its top speed is 35 miles per hour. Because of the numerous hills on Bainbridge Island – and the size of our family – there are times when the speed drops to the mid-20s, and we generally try to pull aside for our more powerful four-wheeled brethren.

It took a while to adjust my mindset to the slower-paced world of a medium-speed electric vehicle. But I’ve grown to enjoy – even cherish – the leisurely, quiet rides. Everybody needs to slow down once in a while to really appreciate the world in which we live, and to realize how lucky we are to live here.

CROP Hunger Walk affords each of us another opportunity to slow down a bit and reflect on our appreciation and on how we do make a difference by walking three miles this Sunday.

Now in its 13th year on Bainbridge, the local walk has earned over $350,000. The local total topped $70,000 last year. Twenty-five percent of the funds stay in the community – 20 percent to Helpline House and 5 percent to Fishline of North Kitsap. Over the 12 years of walking, we’ve earned more than $80,000 for Helpline and Fishline combined.

Part of the success of the event occurred several years ago with the emergence of a true angel – a donor who matches every dollar earned by walkers. The remaining 75 percent of the funds raised goes to Church World Service, which fights world hunger by providing food and services to locations of immediate need, such as victims of natural disasters around the world.

CROP money also might go to providing a struggling farm family with a water buffalo to increase their food production and carry produce to market. Another project digs a well and provides a water distribution system. And yet another supports community-based health, hygiene and sanitation training for an entire community.

Walk the Walk tomorrow, starting at 2 p.m. at the Eagle Harbor Congregational Church – or offer a pledge to a walker. You can also donate online at www.cropwalkonline.org (click on Washington State and on the Bainbridge walk link, then the “donate” button. For more information on the Bainbridge Island/North Kitsap CROP Hunger Walk, contact Nancy Quitslund at 780-9422.

DAVID BEEMER

Organizing committee member

CROP Hunger Walk

Election ‘08

Is Rep. Rolfes hiding something?

I am an independent video producer who has volunteered my firm’s time, money and energy to record and broadcast the Eggs and Issues political forum. Kitsap County and legislative debates for judicial, auditor and commissioner races were recorded and have been seen by thousands of voters on Bremerton Kitsap Access Television (BKAT) and Bainbridge Island Television (BITV).

Candidate Mark Lowe expressed total support of the filming. However, at Tuesday’s debate between Lowe and Rep. Christine Rolfes, Ms. Rolfes banned the filming. As a direct result, thousands of voters were deprived of the opportunity of hearing these candidates answer tough questions.

What is it about transparent and open government that troubles Ms. Rolfes to the point of denying public access to a public meeting? Ms. Rolfes was asked a pointed question by columnist Adele Ferguson on why she (Rolfes) banned the taping. Ms. Rolfes answered enigmatically: “I didn’t want the camera on me the whole time.” Lowe answered the same question, saying he fully supported open government and real information to the voters.

My question to Rep. Rolfes persists: What is it you don’t want the voters to hear and see about you? I find Rep. Rolfes’ actions to be very cynical and evasive towards the voters.

JAMES M. OLSEN

Shining City Media, Bainbridge Island

Letters

Bus riding: fraud

or just activism?

Gary Tripp, in his letter of Sept. 20 (“Packing the bus: Is that illegal?”), seemed to suffer from a certain confusion on a question of ethics. Specifically: Was encouraging our students to ride a school bus during the “count” week the ethical equivalent of submitting an intentionally fraudulent number? (I believe the specific expression was “just making it up.”)

Given the statements currently being made by of one of the major political party’s slate of candidates, I can understand how “just making it up” may seem to have become the default ethical behavior. However, I would like to assure Mr. Tripp that by modifying our behavior to benefit from the country’s laws and statutes, we are not committing perjury.

In the same vein, I would like to address Crosby Olsen’s letter of Aug. 23 (“Obama supporters fear supporting it”). Mr. Olsen somehow seemed to reach the conclusion that there weren’t more bumper stickers on Bainbridge supporting Sen. Obama because of his ethnicity. I was surprised that a response had not been printed already.

Working on the possibility that Mr. Olsen really doesn’t understand the real world of Bainbridge Island, I would like to suggest that he could find the reason for the observed sticker scarcity in the results of the recent Bainbridge caucuses. Thousands of enthusiastic Democrats showed up to support Sen. Obama by 3-to-1 over his nearest competitor, Sen. Clinton; now those numbers have been increased by most of her supporters. There is no reason to display bumper stickers supporting Sen. Obama anymore than there is to show our support for motherhood or apple pie. They are “givens.”

If you do not support Sen. Obama, it is up to you to display your McCain/Palin bumper stickers (speaking of really rare items). I seem to recall that there was a rather sparsely attended Republican Party caucus on the island; are they all supporting Bob Barr and Ron Paul?

PHILLIP GRIFFEY

Manitou Park Boulevard