Fare hike plan dips again

The roller-coaster ride over ferry fares continued Wednesday as the proposed hike dipped to 6 percent.

The Tariff Policy Committee and Washington State Ferries recommended boosting fares by more than 7 percent last week, higher than the 5 percent hike first proposed.

The mid-range, 6 percent increase proposal came after a public hearing Wednesday in which riders voiced concerns over higher fares.

This latest proposal would raise the fares from $10 to about $10.60 for a car and driver traveling the Bainbridge route during the off-peak season from October to April. Walk-on fares would jump from $5.70 to $6.10 during this same period.

The Washington State Transportation Commission on Wednesday also directed WSF to extend the public comment period for another 30 days, pushing back the likely rate increase to June 1.

Other aspects of recent proposals remained unchanged, including the decision to stick with the popular 90-day discounted ticket books.

Another public hearing is slated for Tuesday, April 26, 2005 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Puget Sound Regional Council Board Room, 5th floor, at 1011 Western Ave. in Seattle.

– Tristan Baurick

Eat salmon, help wildlife

Island Wildlife Shelter at Bloedel Reserve will hold a salmon dinner and auction from 5-9:45 p.m. April 23 at the Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo.

The group is seeking auction item donations.

The event is a major fund-raiser for the Bainbridge Island shelter, which serves Kitsap County and the surrounding west Puget Sound counties.

Last year, it treated 574 sick and injured small animals and birds, which were released back into the wild after recovery.

Gil Bailey, who was re-elected IWS board president this year, says he sees the shelter’s role as alleviating the impact of population growth on area wildlife through education and direct help.

Event proceeds will be used for a much-needed new roof that has been leaky the past five years, and larger waterfowl and mammal cages, to allow animals to exercise and fly as they recover.

The number of patients at the shelter has been rising about 5-10 percent each year, Bailey estimates.

With funds raised, the shelter hopes to eventually be able to serve 2,000 creatures a year.

Other shelter board appointments announced were Robin Purcell as vice president, Margee Duncan as treasurer, and Executive Director Kol Medina as secretary.

Tickets for the auction are $65 per person or $500 for a table for eight.

For more information or to donate auction items to the event, call 855-9057 or see www.islandwildlife.org.

– Tina Lieu

Dental group needs new van

The mobile dental hygiene unit needs wheels.

The nonprofit Washington State Smile Partners is urgently looking for a donation or loan – short- or long-term – of a van to replace their current one, of which they will soon lose use.

The mobile team of two registered dental hygienists – Nan Hawkes and Kate Mills – travel from school to school in Kitsap and King counties, staying one to two weeks to give teeth cleanings, other preventative care and dental education to underserved, low-income children.

The team visits Kitsap schools in Bremerton and Suquamish areas and plans to add schools in Silverdale in September.

On Bainbridge Island, where the Hawkes and Mills grew up, WSSP provides services to adults and children on the island the third Saturday of each month at Helpline House, serving about 16 patients in a day.

WSSP plans to open up other locations in Kitsap soon for adult patients.

The vehicle is needed to transport a compressor, mobile dental chairs and dental equipment. WSSP Executive Director Ellen Robinson says that the vehicle donation is tax deductible and the organization is happy to put a logo on the van acknowledging the donor.

All services are charged on a sliding scale and range from $15 to $65, with additional fees for some services.

In a school year, WSSP visits about 20 schools and several dozen Head Start programs.

WSSP also recently received a $5,000 grant from the Windermere Foundation to support its services at Helpline House.

To donate or lend a van, call WSSP at 909-1365. For a dental appointment, call Helpline House at 842-7621.

– Tina Lieu

The early bird gets the egg

The grasses of Waterfront Park will be full of hidden eggs today, courtesy of the Easter Bunny.

The 17th annual Bainbridge Island Egg Hunt begins this morning at 11 a.m. sharp in Waterfront Park, presented by the Bainbridge Island Downtown Association.

Festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. and include a 4-H petting zoo and visits and photographs with the Big Bunny.

The grand hunt features eggs filled with toys and candy and a hidden golden egg prize for each age group – 0-3 years, 4-6 years and 7-11 years. Prizes are courtesy of local merchants.

Children are asked to bring their own basket or bag in which to keep their eggs.

Event sponsors providing volunteers are Prudential Northwest Real Estate Winslow and Virginia Mason Winslow.

For more information, see area posters or call BIDA at 842-2982.

A Winslow volksmarch

The Kitsap Volkssporters are looking for a few good walking friends to join them for a volksmarch – a non-competitive 6.2-mile (10 kilometer) walk – just for the fun of it.

The group will meet at 9:15 a.m April 2 at Island Ice Cream and Coffee to check-in for a “Winslow Walk” and begin walking at 9:30.

The walk goes through Winslow downtown and along Eagle Harbor.  

Pets are OK on a leash and restrooms are available on the route, which includes sidewalks, dirt paths and a short portion on a road with narrow shoulders. The walk is suitable for jogging strollers but not for wheelchairs.

Following the walk is a club meeting to nominate new club officers and a no-host lunch at Bainbridge Thai Cuisine. 

For more information call Rob Williams at (360) 697-4534 or see http://groups.msn.com/KitsapVolkssporters/_whatsnew.msnw and click on “Bainbridge YRE.”

The Bard teaches class

Shakespeare teaches geography, art, music and math to Harvey Sadis’ class of second-graders.

The Bard hasn’t come back to life, but his plays provide inspiration for lessons in Sadis’ classroom at Cascade Elementary in Renton.

Sadis, who won the 2005 KCTS Golden Apple Award for “excellence in education,” will discuss the importance of teaching Shakespeare and share his techniques, 2 p.m. today at the Bainbridge Commons on Brien Drive.

With this approach, Sadis has found that students excel in language comprehension and become avid readers.

Sadis and six members of his class will demonstrate how, through Shakespeare, students learn about daily life in the Renaissance, women’s roles, public health and the Plague, superstition, religion and the monarchy.

Sadis’ second-graders learn to understand and memorize Shakespeare’s original text through the year, culminating in a full-length Shakespeare play each spring in costume. This afternoon, the students will enact scenes from “The Comedy of Errors.”

Tickets are $10 adults and $5 for students/teachers/seniors at the door. For more information see www.artshum.org.

This program is part of the Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council’s 2005 Humanities Inquiry: “The Bard on Bainbridge: Why Shakespeare Matters.”