Bainbridge Police Chief Bill Cooper is retiring from public service and will take a job with Microsoft, he announced Tuesday afternoon.
Cooper will be based at Microsoft’s Redmond office, working in emergency operations management and overseeing corporate security in the Puget Sound region.
He was recruited by the company in December, and was offered the job after a series of interviews over the past month, he said.
Cooper will stay with the Bainbridge department through the end of February, and will assume his new duties on March 2.
“It’s a job that’s interesting, and it certainly means financial stability for my family,” Cooper said. “But in all sincerity, this is the toughest thing I’ve ever done. I’m still struggling with this, and I made the decision last week.”
It was not immediately known how his position will be filled. Cooper’s announcement came as the Review was about to go to press, and comments from the city administration were not available.
Cooper, a Mukilteo resident, took over the Bainbridge department in January 1999 after the departure of John Sutton.
He retires after 29 years in law enforcement, having served previously with the Tumwater and Bellevue departments.
“This has been the best, and I truly from the heart mean that,” Cooper said of his stay on Bainbridge. “That’s what makes it so difficult.”
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****Empty Bowls help fill need
Enjoy a community meal and educate your family about the local problem of hunger in the culminating event of the Empty Bowls Project, 4-7 p.m. Sunday at the Bainbridge Commons.
For the past two months, students from Madrona, Hyla, Island School and local art studios have been crafting bowls with the help of ceramic artist Jenny Andersen. A display of the handmade vessels – donated by the students to the project – is on view this week at the library.
On Sunday, the kids and other project volunteers will use those bowls to serve a simple meal of soup and bread to community members. For a $10 donation, dinner guests may choose a handmade bowl to keep as a reminder.
Simon’s Chinese Cuisine, Casa Rojas, Cafe Nola, Ruby’s on Bainbridge Island, and Town & Country Market will provide soup for the event, sponsored by Helpline House. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit Helpline, which in 2001 provided food to an average of 524 individuals, including 363 children, every month.
For information about Sunday’s community meal, contact Helpline House at 842-7621. Find out more about the worldwide project at www.emptybowls.net.
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****History book arrives, finally
“Picture Bainbridge,” a new pictorial history of Bainbridge Island, will be available to purchasers this weekend, the Bainbridge Island Historical Society announced.
“The books will arrive on the island this week, thanks to the efforts of Hill Moving Services,” said George Bussell, president of the society’s board of directors. “It has been a long haul.
“We’re extremely happy that we can deliver the books to purchasers this weekend. We appreciate their patience.”
The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 7-8, so those who have already purchased books can pick them up. Jack Swanson, the book’s author and editor, will be available to sign them.
“Picture Bainbridge, A Pictorial History of Bainbridge Island” has been in the works since October 2000. The final manuscript went to the printer in Hong Kong in November, and the completed books arrived in Seattle last week.
The 208-page book contains more than 200 pictures, maps and illustrations. It has been called the largest and most comprehensive history of the island ever produced. The book traces the development of island communities and the role the island played in the economic growth of Washington up to 1950.
More than 100 residents participated in the book’s development, serving on committees to develop its content, finance the project and market it and contribute pictures and historical material.
The book is available in hard-back binding with dust jacket for $49.95 plus tax. A limited-edition leather-bound version in a slipcase is available for $100 plus tax. Proceeds will be used to support programs and operations of the museum.
Books are available at the museum, Eagle Harbor Books, Paper Products, Bay Hay and online at fortnerbooks.com.
