Support pool
To the editor:
Bainbridge Island is surrounded by water. Everyone who lives here should have the opportunity to learn and participate in swimming if desired. Swimming facility demand far exceeds BI pool capacity. I spent 1 1/2 years on the masters swimming waitlist, which continues to grow. Every parent knows that signing up a child for parks and rec swim lessons is an agonizing Hunger Games. Even those with money and means to apply to private clubs such as Wing Point or Pleasant Beach must wait for openings to gain access to seasonal summer pools.
Adding two additional lanes to the 54-year-old Ray Williamson pool, which must have critical work done to remain operable, will provide 56,000 swimmer lane hours of desperately needed annual capacity (two lanes x five swimmers/lane x 16 hours availability x 350 days per year).
We have to spend $5 million just to keep Ray Williamson open. Spending an additional $5 million for expanding capacity is a fiscally responsible, prudent and smart investment in our community.
Marc Hoecker
Bainbridge
Vote for Ralston
To the editor:
Though I voted for Hilary Franz and Emily Randall before, I won’t vote for either in the upcoming primary. Both abjectly kowtow to the Trump-loving Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, which stands credibly accused of war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
The respected, peer-reviewed British medical journal The Lancet recently estimated that “up to 186,000 or even more [Palestinian] deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza….this would translate to 7.9% of the total population in the Gaza Strip.” That’s like 27 million Americans being killed by hostile outside forces in nine months. Most of those killed in Gaza were women and children. The International Court of Justice a few days ago stated that Israel systematically discriminates against Palestinians and illegally annexes their land.
Yet Franz says, “The special relationship between the United States and Israel is rooted in common values of democracy and equality.” And Randall says, “Israel is the only country in the region where I could live openly with my wife.” Yes, Israel shares our values – the Jim Crow values of the American South in the 1930s.
I was raised to believe that “never again” means “never again for anyone.” Walt and Milly Woodward, who once owned the B.I. Review, demonstrated that value when they condemned the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Neither Franz nor Randall share that value, so I’m voting for J. Graham Ralston, an Independent.
Mark Hoffman
Bainbridge
Vote for pool
To the editor:
There is a $10 million swimming pool bond on the ballot next month. Our parks department is one of the best things on Bainbridge. As someone who uses the pool, the pickleball courts and many of the trails every week, I’m grateful for the immense quality and number of resources we are fortunate to enjoy.
I’m proud to live in a community that values and maintains parks, programs and the pool. Our pool and its great staff provides recreation, fitness, injury rehabilitation and social opportunities for hundreds of islanders of all ages every day.
The Ray Pool is past its predicted lifespan, and we have the opportunity to not only breathe new life into it, but also expand it to accommodate people who are literally waiting to use it. Approving this bond is not a heavy lift, and the community should rally to pass it.
Ruth Frobe
Bainbridge
Congrats Ordway
To the editor:
The Washington School Recognition Program recently awarded Ordway Elementary with “Achievement for the whole school” for two years in a row – recognizing Ordway for both the 2021-2022 and the 2022-2023 school years. Ordway students performed in the top 20% of schools in WA state for both ELA and Math, as well as showing up for regular school attendance.
I’m so proud of the Ordway School community! It is due to the efforts, care, and active involvement of the Ordway students, families and educators that the school has been awarded this recognition. Halilts, Blakely, and Sakai have also received recognitions.
Jennifer Campbell
Bainbridge
Vote for Nance
To the editor:
As a freshman legislator, Rep. Greg Nance has made funding for our state ferry system his number one priority. The state legislature underfunded our ferry system for two decades and those of us in Kitsap County and other ferry-dependent communities are suffering the consequences. Shortly after being selected to fill the remainder of Rep. Drew Hansen’s term, Greg held public listening sessions to solicit feedback on our ferry service. I attended one of these sessions and found him to be an active listener and well-informed on the issues. It was clear that the ferry system is vital to our well-being in Kitsap. It provides access to healthcare, education, work, and tourism.
In this year’s session, Greg lobbied Republicans and managed to get strong bipartisan support — every Republican in the House supported it — to provide $80 million in new ferry funding. This is the sort of bi-partisan leadership that we need in the Washington state legislature. We need Greg’s creativity and leadership to help address the issues of housing, health care, education, and preventing the pollution of Puget Sound.
Greg Nance is the best choice for the state Rep. Position 2.
Brian Anderson
Bainbridge
Pool bond needed
To the editor:
The park district is rightly renovating the Ray Pool. To pay for it I will vote for the pool bond.
It is the best choice for the community to come out ahead. If the bond fails, parks will have to get a bank loan for $3.5 million. The debt service on the loan will be $350,000 every year for 15 years ($5.25 million total). The problem with this is the loan will be paid out of the capital improvements budget.
Therefore, a vote for the bond not only adds capacity to the pool (up from 6 to 8 lanes). Also, the level of capital expenditure we have come to rely on will continue, not dramatically decrease. These expenditures cover sports fields, playgrounds, the upcoming skate and bike parks, tennis and pickleball courts, docks, new trails, and buying more parkland. The list goes on.
For all this, the bond will cost the average homeowner about $60/year for 20 years ($1,200 total); a great deal for maintaining our parks and adding pool capacity.
The pool will close for at least a year, whether the bond passes or not. I understand the hardship this will be to pool users. If the bond passes, the closure will last another six months. But the over $5 million lost to park capital projects across the island over the next 15 years will also be a hardship for those who enjoy the full complement of what parks offer the community.
Steve Matthews
Bainbridge
Vote no on I-2117
To the editor:
I was glad to see that the Bainbridge Island City Council highlighted the potential huge costs to our community of Initiative 2117 which is on the November ballot (BI Review news story, July 19).
Your article gave the big picture on the costs of I-2117, but one that is especially salient now is the $436 million in ferry funding that 2117 would eliminate. This includes construction of much-needed new boats, a new passenger-only ferry for Kitsap Transit and port upgrades. We would be back to square zero on addressing the long-neglected ferry construction backlog, with the best case being years of further delays in ferry upgrades.
Some people believe we could just order up another Tacoma and get it in operation quickly, but the reality is that it’s been over 25 years since it was built and those supply chains are no longer in operation. The rest of the world has moved on to hybrid electric and that is the fastest way to get new boats in operation – provided I-2117 doesn’t devastate all the funding. Ferries are just one way we just can’t afford I-2117. Please vote no on I-2117 in November.
Mike Kelly
Bainbridge
Support Nance
To the editor:
Representative Greg Nance’s very first bill passed helps expand access to affordable child care through the Working Connections Child Care program. It also clarifies childcare eligibility requirements for student parents at accredited education institutions or apprenticeship programs. Student parents were paying more in childcare than they paid in tuition. Funding includes $6 million in early support for infants and toddlers and $6 million to expand eligibility and increase childcare. As a mother that has struggled to find and pay for childcare, Representative Nance’s proactive approach to putting parents and families first is exactly what is needed to expand access to affordable childcare.
Seeing that fentanyl and opioid deaths are rising fastest among youth and young adults, Representative Nance’s next successful bill funds prevention education and makes available on Washington higher education campuses fentanyl strips used to avoid poisoning and the overdose reversal drug naloxone. As someone who has unfortunately seen the effects of the opioid epidemic firsthand, we need legislators who are willing to take bold action to address this crisis head-on. Nance has shown that he is that kind of leader.
Children’s Campaign Fund named Representative Nance the “Freshman Legislator of the Year,” stating “His commitment to advancing legislation that benefits children, youth, and families is evident through his willingness to listen, desire to learn, and record of advocacy.”
Please join me in voting for Representative Greg Nance, a proven leader who cares and is making a difference.
Madeline Reeves
Bainbridge
Support bond
To the editor:
BISD appreciates the partnership with Parks & Rec. that allows us to offer such excellent aquatic programs, while also being mindful of the community’s financial resources. Parks & Rec. serves so many aquatic programs, from BAM to water aerobics to birthday parties, from mermaids to Red Cross water safety courses (my son’s scout troop learned how to scuba dive in the Ray pool). Last, but certainly not least, the Ray pool is home to our championship-winning BHS swim and water polo teams.
We all have a vested interest in great aquatic facilities, parks, dog parks, a mountain biking park, a skateboard park, trails (walking, biking, hiking, horse), sports complexes, and the hundreds of programs that Parks and Rec. runs, even if we don’t personally use each and every one. Having all these amenities is part of what makes our community such a great place to live!
The Ray pool has to be rebuilt and now is also the best time to make these improvements. Without this bond, Parks & Rec. will have to take a significant amount from their annual budget for the loan payments and estimated $1.5 million in interest, funds that could be used to support other park facilities and programs. Either path will impact our community and the most financially sound one is to approve the pool bond and allow for more use of our pool facilities and programs.
Please vote yes on the upcoming pool bond measure!
Mark Emerson
Bainbridge
