Rudnick honored

Deb Rudnick of Bainbridge Island was among a group that won five Earth Day awards from the Kitsap Board of County Commissioners April 26.

Since 1993 the commissioners and Public Works have recognized groups and individuals for their dedication to sustainability and environmental restoration.

As chair of the BI Watershed Council, she runs the annual BI fall salmon monitoring program. She trains volunteers to identify and count adult spawning and juvenile salmon. That citizen science program has resulted in a robust set of data and experiential education for islanders.

Rudnick has been on the city’s Climate Change Advisory Committee since 2018. One of nine members, she helped develop the Climate Change Action Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in November. The CAP contains over 170 actions for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2045.

She’s also co-chair of the Rotary Auction Green Team, founder of BI Earth Month organizing committee and the annual BI Beach Cleanup. She is a member of BI Zero Waste, BI Weed Warriors and West Sound Partners for Ecosystem Recovery. Rudnick works with schools on waste reduction, participates in the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s mussel cage monitoring project and much more.

Kol replacement

The Kitsap Community Foundation’s Board of Directors has announced Geoff Ball as its new president and CEO.

Ball replaces Kol Medina, formerly of Bainbridge Island, who left last fall to take a job in Walla Walla.

Naveen Chaudhary, board chair of the foundation, said: “Geoff’s previous experience in leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector, and his extensive community service, are a good fit for leading our organization.”

For three decades, Ball has been a leader in the nonprofit sector. Raised in Massachusetts, he began his career with the Hartford YMCA. Going on to work with the YMCA Camp Orkila in Seattle and then the YMCA of Greater Boston to lead the Camping Services Branch, and then returning to the YMCA of Pierce & Kitsap Counties, where he led both YMCA

Camp Seymour and opened the Haselwood Family Y in Silverdale. His latest role has been at Uplift Northwest, a 100-year-old nonprofit in Seattle.

Ball resides on Bainbridge Island with his wife. About returning to work in Kitsap County, Ball said: “Kitsap has such a rich philanthropic and nonprofit landscape. I’m looking forward to increasing the impact and awareness of the great work done by so many, for so many that change lives.”

BIPD reopens

The Bainbridge Island Police Department has reopened its lobby for select services by appointment only after being closed for months due to COVID-19.

People seeking fingerprinting services, new concealed weapon permits or to dispose of old prescription medications can schedule appointments by calling 206-842-5211 or by sending an email to police@bainbridgewa.gov.

Appointments will be limited to one person or household at a time. Masks are required.

The Community Police Academy and ride-along program remain on hold due to space limitations and social distancing requirements.

City Hall remains closed to the public. Learn about the status of City services at bainbridgewa.gov/COVID19.

Give blood

The Puget Sound area is in urgent need of blood donations, according to Bloodworks Northwest.

A “perfect storm” of unforeseen events continues to impact blood availability leading the local nonprofit that has been supplying blood to local hospitals for over 70 years to declare a code-red alert for donors to book appointments.

“Confusion over eligibility to donate after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine (vaccinated people can still donate), record-high patient usage (up to 118 percent above normal), warm spring weather (when donors tend to skip appointments) … are contributing to the biggest shortage since the pandemic began a year ago,” CEO Curt Bailey said.

Bloodworks says the need will continue through Memorial Day and for the summer. Itis encouraging people to “Thank a Nurse” by donating blood during May and using the code NURS when they arrive for their appointment.

Blood donations can be made at any Bloodworks center or “popup” drive by calling 1-800-398-7888 or going to www.BloodworksNW.org

Walk the Ward

Bainbridge Island City Councilmember Christy Carr will host May’s installment of Walk the Ward May 1 at 10 a.m.

Meet at Eagledale Park and walk some gentle trails and quiet roads while chatting about council business. Questions: ccarr@bainbridgewa.gov or @councilmembercarr.

PSE meeting

A virtual community workshop will be held May 3 from 5-7:30 p.m. to discuss a Puget Sound Energy expansion project on Bainbridge Island and gather feedback.

PSE wants to build a new transmission line between Murden Cove and Winslow substations. Years ago the community rejected a similar proposal.

PSE says the “missing link” would improve electricity reliability on BI. The “loop” would mean all substations would be connected to two transmission lines. So if one substation experiences a power outage, the other line can still provide power to customers.

To register for the meeting, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqdeiqqzwrHtXdX3hkYl0uyOAUTcz83K7C.

Baccalaureate set

Baccalaureate for Bainbridge High School graduates will be outdoors this year.

The event will take place June 6 at 3 p.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church.

Baccalaureate is a student planned, faith-based ceremony sponsored by the interfaith council that recognizes high school graduation as an academic achievement and spiritual milestone said Mitchell Milander, part of the event’s planning committee.

The public is invited.

Jobless claim drop

During the week of April 11-17 there were 13,216 initial regular unemployment claims (down 23.5 percent from the prior week) and 414,414 total claims for all unemployment benefit categories (down 3.3 percent from the previous week) filed by Washingtonians, according to the Employment Security Department.Initial regular claims applications are now 84 percent below weekly new claims applications during the same period last year.

The 4-week moving average for initial claims remain elevated at 13,454 (compared to pre-pandemic 6,071) and remains at similar levels filed during the Great Recession.

Decreases in layoffs in Health Care and Social Assistance, Construction, Retail Trade and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting contributed to the decrease in regular initial claims last week.

There were fewer individuals who filed for new claims because their benefit year had ended, also contributing to the decrease.

Initial claims applications for regular benefits, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Assistance, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance as well as continued claims for regular benefits all decreased over the week.

In the week ending April 17, ESD paid out over $233 million for 299,100 individual claims. Since the COVID-19 crisis began in March 2020, ESD has paid more than $17 billion in benefits to over a million Washingtonians.