Metro, ferries teaming up
Starting next week, ferry commuters on Central Sound routes will be receiving information on how carpooling and vanpooling can make their daily trips easier.
Commuters will also be introduced to the newest commute service, VanShare.
VanShare riders operate vans at either end of ferry routes to get commuters to the dock, or from the dock to their workplace.
Under a new partnership between Washington State Ferries, King County Metro Transit, and Kitsap Transit, signing up for ridesharing will be much easier, the agencies said in a news release.
By the end of July, “commuter centers” with vanpool and carpool information from Metro and Kitsap Transit will be installed on ferries serving Bainbridge, Bremerton, Vashon and Southworth.
Commuters who use these rideshare options can receive preferential loading on ferries, take advantage of HOV lanes to bypass traffic congestion and save money by sharing the ride to work.
Staff from all three agencies will be on ferries serving on the three Central Sound routes, including Bainbridge, throughout June to hand out brochures on the new programs.
Information on rideshare services is available at www.rideshareonline.com, or by calling Linda Thielke at (206) 684-1414
———
Rep. Woods
to review year
State Rep. Beverly Woods, (R-Poulsbo), comes to Bainbridge on June 11 to discuss events of the last Legislative session.
Woods, who holds one of the two seats in the state House of Representatives from the 23rd Legislative District, announced in April that she would seek re-election this fall. Challenging her is former Poulsbo city council member Sherry Appleton, who declared her candidacy last month.
In the 2000 election, Woods defeated Democrat David Harrison to hold the seat she was appointed to the previous year when Bainbridge Republican Karen Schmidt resigned to head the state’s Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board.
Woods will address the monthly meeting of the Bainbridge Island Republican Women at noon June 11 at Pleasant Beach Bistro. The public is invited is attend.
Call 842-0900 for reservations.
———-
Council seeks budget advice
The Bainbridge Island City Council and the mayor are asking for citizen participation as the city’s $16 million-plus budget for 2003 is drafted.
Public comment will be taken at the June 12 council meeting.
It marks the first time citizens are being asked to make suggestions before the council develops its “goals and objectives” for the coming year. The budget will reflect the final goals and objectives list.
Residents can voice their needs and review a preliminary work plan. An overview of seven goals and objectives, including city services and community development through responsible land use policies, will be on the table.
The meeting will take place in the council chambers beginning at 7 p.m. Public comment will be accepted in writing through June 25.
The plan overview with preliminary goals and objectives is available for review at city hall, the library and Senior Center.
Information: 842-7633.
———-
Kitsap top cop to run again
Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer will seek a second term in the county’s top law enforcement job.
And the 26-year veteran of the Washington State Patrol is campaigning on his record, particularly in the war on drugs.
In the three and one half years has held the post, Boyer said, Kitsap has seen an increase in drug-related arrests and the expansion of the West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team.
“Reliable studies show that 80 percent of all crime is drug-related,” the 51-year-old Democrat said. “That’s why we’ve beefed up our coverage.”
To further reduce drug use and drug-related crimes in the county, and to combat the proliferation of methamphetamine throughout the community, Boyer wants to establish a drug interdiction team within the Sheriff’s Office.
During his term, the number of commissioned police officers has increased to 122 from 99, a 24 percent jump.
Meanwhile, crime has declined. According to a recent Washington State Sheriff and Police Chiefs Association report, property crime in Kitsap County dropped by 8.6 percent and violent crime dropped by 9.6 percent last year.
Crime, overall, dropped by 8.7 percent. The study compared law enforcement statistics gathered in 2000 and 2001.
Boyer’s term has not been free from controversy, however.
In November, members of the Sheriff’s Deputy Guild overwhelmingly cast a vote no-confidence in Boyer, primarily because of poor communications between sheriff’s administrators and the rank-and-file, according to guild leadership.
Relations between Boyer and the guild have since improved.
“Sometimes people can have the same goal, but a different road map on how to get there,” Boyer said. “Good people can disagree, and I respect (the guild’s) opinion.”
————
EPA to review Wyckoff work
Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency will hold a community information meeting on the agency’s five-year review of the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund Site, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 13 at the Bainbridge Commons.
Project managers will discuss construction progress, cleanup plans and upcoming site work.
The public is invited to ask questions and share concerns about the cleanup.
The 55-acre Bill Point parcel is the site for an experimental steam injection procedure designed to dislodge the estimated 1 million gallons of creosote leaked onto the site by the Wyckoff wood treatment plant formerly located there.
In March, the City of Bainbridge Island’s Wyckoff Acquisition Task Force submitted a request to Congress for financial assistance to purchase the property – recently valued at $8 million – for public use.
A final decision on funding for the acquisition is still pending.
Information: Andrea Lindsay, 553-1896.
———–
Triple-H taking grant proposals
Bainbridge Island’s Health, Housing and Human Services Council is seeking funding proposals for 2003 for services from non-profit agencies providing health, housing and human services to Bainbridge Island residents.
In 2002, $217,200 was allocated from the city for such services. Eight agencies now receive $3,200 to $80,000 each to provide youth services, daycare, volunteer in-house and transportation services and support to families in crisis, conflict and financial need.
HHHS has responsibility for reviewing the applications and making funding recommendations to the city for service contracts to include in their 2003 budget.
Applications will be available after June 10 from Lita Myers in the mayor’s office.
For further information on eligibility for funding, contact Jan Lambert, HHHS executive director at 842-9335.
