Reap fun at Harvest Fair
The annual Harvest Fair welcomes back fall with a full slate of farm-related events at from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 28 at Johnson Farm.
This year’s musical acts include Bella, Jeremy Rothbaum – Brent Grossman Duo, the Hometown Band and Get Your Oxygen Tanks. A beer garden featuring Hales Ale and wine from Bainbridge Island Vineyards and Perennial Vintners will make its Harvest Fair debut for the over 21 crowd.
Farmers will give talks on island growing on the hour at a garden and compost display. Other events include: “Ask a Farmer,” sheep shearing, wool dying demos, a 4H petting zoo, apple cider pressing (bring your own), the Landslide (a kids’ favorite) and wagon rides.
Johnson Farm is located a quarter mile south of High School Road on Fletcher Bay Road. Visit http://trustforworkinglandscapes.org.
Winslow plan gets scrutiny
On Wednesday, city planners laid out some specifics on a revised Winslow Way overhaul plan.
The $11.5 million proposed redesign has been winnowed from the original $20.6 million Winslow Tomorrow project. The project was slimmed mainly for budgetary reasons into what city planner Chris Wierzbicki called, “a bare-bones utility project.”
However, the plan still didn’t meet the demands of some City Council members who questioned the funding of the project and its timing.
“Why aren’t we waiting until the economy recovers?” said Council Member Debbie Vancil. “Not to say it will never get done, (but) I think the timing is off here. I feel like we think we are immune from what is happening. We seem to be going straight ahead with this and I think it’s risky.”
Bill Knobloch, council chairman, took aim at the project’s funding, which includes conservative estimates for an additional $1 million in grants and requests for general fund or bond money that could reach $1.3 million.
“What is plan B?” Knobloch said.
“We don’t have a plan B, we are relying on the grant money to come through,” Wierzbicki said.
Knobloch continued to ask for more funding sources and contingency plans before the project is approved.
Despite objections to the cost and timing, reductions to the project have been large and noticeable. Councilor Chris Snow wanted to know why there were no bike lanes that stretched the entire corridor from 305 to Grow Ave. Wierzbicki said the project’s reduced budget meant that dedicated bike lanes had to go.
Any further reductions on the project, Wierzbicki said, would probably involve the axing of suggested natural drainage, trees, overhead lights and pedestrian lights. Those cuts would provide a savings of roughly $330,000. Beyond that, trimming would significantly alter the scope of the reconstruction.
“Cost-cutting measures from that point on are somewhat limited,” Wierzbicki said. “The next would be to eliminate one portion of the project between Madison and Grow Avenue, but that is also the cheapest part of that project.”
The next step involves contracted sub-surface investigation work. The city will pay up to $200,000 to investigate unknown conditions, side surface connections and soil and hazardous material locations that could impede construction and inflate costs. Wierzbicki said that contract, if approved, would begin in October.
– Sean Roach
Aid women with music
Tomorrow afternoon, local women will make music to help women around the world with “The Gift of Music.”
This community cultural effort, conceived by the Bainbridge Island Women’s Schola, will feature a women’s chorus, directed by Kathleen Bullivant, along with a children’s choir, vocalists, dancers and instrumentalists. Proceeds from the suggested $15 donation will be split between Kitsap County YWCA ALIVE shelter for domestic violence survivors and the Mongolian Quilting Center for low-income and unemployed women in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The concert is at 4 p.m. Sept. 28 at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, with a reception to follow. For more information, call 855-0671.
‘Arthur’ now on at KiDiMu
Kids Discovery Museum reopens its doors today with Arthur’s World, based on Marc Brown’s popular children’s books and the award-winning PBS series. A members-only preview will take place at 9 a.m. today; general admission starts at 10 a.m. Arthur himself will appear at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Visit www.kidimu.org.
