National Merit
Six students from Bainbridge High School and one from Eagle Harbor have been named National Merit Semifinalists based on their 2020 PSAT scores.
Semifinalists represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors, and those selected represent the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
To be considered the students must submit a detailed application and write an essay. Finalists will be announced in April 2022.
The students are: Nash Rickert, Jack Tinker, Peter Bang-Knudsen, Lucy King, Lila Schroer and Elana Memke, and from EHHS Lyra Cromwell.
COVID in schools
The latest COVID-19 Data Dashboard of the Bainbridge Island School District shows five students with positive tests.
Three are at Bainbridge High School and two at Ordwell Elementary. Also, a student at each school is quarantined for being in close contact with someone with COVID. A student at Wilkes Elementary and three at Sakai Intermediate also have had close contacts.
At the BISD testing site, 216 rapid tests were administered with only a 1.4% positive result.
Farmers market
The Bainbridge Island Farmers Market starts getting fewer visitors in September so it is offering a grab bag of market goodies donated by vendors to encourage shoppers to still come by.
Stop by the market on Saturday and enter to win. Grab bags feature items like skincare products, produce, flowers, beverages, small group tours, gift cards, fish, massage, food and craft items.
The market runs through November and is always getting new vendors.
Spend $7M
Bainbridge Island is trying to determine how to use $7 million of federal stimulus funds — formally known as the American Rescue Plan Act — and is seeking community input.
ARPA, a $1.9 trillion national economic stimulus bill passed by Congress in March, aims to help communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are restricted to certain types of programs or expenditures and are subject to time limits.
You can review the projects and share your thoughts on the city’s Engage Bainbridge webpage.
Port Madison
Suquamish Tribal leaders will share information about the tribe at four online events.
The events are from 6:30-8 p.m. on Sept. 23, Oct. 7, Oct. 21 and Nov. 4. Go to bit.ly/Port Madison.
Leaders will share the history of the tribe, current issues the tribe faces, and the impacts of the sometimes difficult relationships between tribal and non-tribal communities.
Tribal members will share poetry, songs and stories.
Along with the tribe, others involved in putting on the event include Kitsap County, and the county’s Dispute Resolution Center.
Prepare day
The 6th annual Day of Preparedness on Bainbridge Island will include a flu and COVID-19 immunization clinic Sept. 25.
In partnership with the Bainbridge Island Fire Department, Bainbridge Prepares, and the Bainbridge Island Community Pharmacy, it will provide free flu vaccinations Saturday at the Commodore High School gymnasium. In addition, it will also provide free COVID-19 vaccines – 1st, 2nd, and 3rd doses of all three approved vaccines: Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty), and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen).
It is free with insurance and subsidized by its sponsors for those without insurance.
Third doses of mRNA (Moderna and Pfizer) vaccines are available only to individuals who meet the CDC’s definition of immunocompromised.
At this time, booster doses are not fully approved. “We are waiting for formal approval from the CDC and State Department of Health before scheduling booster doses, ” a news release reads. “We anticipate approval in the next week and are planning for a booster clinic on Oct. 2. Additional information will be shared at a later time.”
COVID-19 and flu immunization appointments are currently available online at the Clinic Registration site.
Art projects
Bainbridge Island is seeking proposals for cultural projects and activities that will benefit residents and visitors in 2022-23. Nonprofits that provide programs and services advancing the arts and culture of the island may apply.
A total of $300,000 will be available for distribution. Awards range from $5,000 to $30,000.
Interested? Check out a Zoom meeting Sept. 27 from 1-2 p.m. The link is on the city website.
Costume swap
If you have a Halloween costume you no longer want you can donate it to others who may need it.
There is a donation bin outside KiDiMu’s front door at 301 Ravine Lane in Bainbridge Island.
Donations are accepted until Sept. 27.
Every Saturday in October from 10 a.m. to noon people can go there and pick out a “new-to-you” costume.
Shred events
Shred events will take place in Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island
A Shred Event will take place at Kitsap Bank in Poulsbo Sept. 25. The one in BI will take place at Kitsap Bank Oct. 2. Both are from 9 a.m. to noon.
A monetary donation to Fishline is required in Poulsbo and to Helpline House in BI is required.
Up to 75 pounds per vehicle can be shredded.
CG Auxiliary
Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 48, which serves all of North Kitsap and is located on Bainbridge Island, is seeking new members.
Its primary role is to provide Recreational Boating Safety services to the boating public. Opportunities include communications watch standing, public affairs services, maritime surface patrols, courtesy vessel safety checks, public education and marine safety activities.
The auxiliary is the uniformed voluntary component of the U.S. Coast Guard composed of 30,000 men and women who donate their time and their facilities (boats, aircraft or radios) to assist the guard. For details go to the join.cgaux.org website or email kitsapauxillary48@gmail.com.
Jobless down
During the week of Sept. 5, there were 4,860 initial regular unemployment claims, down 6.6% from the prior week.
Total claims filed by Washingtonians for all unemployment benefit categories numbered 245,345, down 4.8%.Initial regular claims applications are 74% below weekly new claims applications for the same period last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The four-week moving average for regular initial claims was 5,124, a decrease of 167 from the previous week. During the same time in 2019, it was 5,012.
Decreases in layoffs in construction, and health care and social assistance contributed to a decrease of 345 initial claims.
There was a decrease in the combined total of initial claims and ongoing claims for all benefits.
Federal pandemic benefits programs expired the week ending Sept. 4.
In the week ending Sept. 11, ESD paid out over $151 million for 180,372 individual claims. Since the crisis began in March 2020, ESD has paid more than $21.3 billion in benefits to over 1.19 million Washingtonians.
Tea party
A whimsical Alice in Wonderland-themed outdoor tea party for adults only will take place Oct. 9 at 3 p.m. and will benefit the Bainbridge Kids Discovery Museum.
A live auction, croquet, wine pull, food and drinks will be part of the event at the Wing Point Golf & Country Club.
The Inspire in Wonderland Ungala will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Cost is $50 per person.
For details go to www.kidimu.org/wonder
Utility shutoffs
The moratorium on utility shutoffs caused by COVID-19 ended Sept. 30.
State leaders and utility operators estimate more than 500,000 Washingtonians have overdue water, electric and or natural gas bills that could result in services being shut off.
Business and residential customers are urged to contact their utility providers now to make a plan to keep their services on.
Plastic ban
The state’s single-use plastic bag ban takes effect Oct. 1.
The law was passed in 2019 but delayed due to COVID-19.
The ban affects all businesses, and any business that sells food or drink is banned from having single-use plastic utensils.
The Department of Ecology prefers education over punishment and is working to get all businesses up to speed on the new law.
Online auction
Stillwaters Environmental Center in Kingston is having its annual Silent Auction online this year.
Bidding on the over 100 items continues through Oct. 3. Go to www.biggingowl.com and type in Stillwater.
