Food deadlock may end soon

The deadlock over ferry food service will be broken within two weeks, the head of Washington State Ferries said Thursday.

The labor union representing galley workers and the food service company holding the contract on Bainbridge ferries will “have to sit down in the next two weeks and come up with an agreement,” interim WSF CEO Mike Anderson said during a Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Anderson said he is fed up with the inability of the Inlandboatmen’s Union and Cascade Concessions to reach an agreement over pay and staffing levels. The dispute has deprived ferry riders of onboard food service for over a year.

Anderson said he may drop Cascade and re-bid the food service contract if an agreement isn’t immediately reached. He may also call for a new food service plan establishing “convenience store-type” offerings on ferries rather than made-to-order fare.

“We might have pre-made sandwiches, a beverage fountain, beer and wine,” with a cashier to ring up orders, he said.

The scaled-back option would be more “financially viable” and require less staff and less paid-hours.

“These guys need to agree on something,” he said. “Otherwise, I’ll put an end to it and put together a different plan.”

Anderson said he’s through with on-again, off-again negotiations between the two parties.

“Two weeks ago, both sides said they had a verbal agreement, (and) I told them to put it in writing,” he said. “When it came out in writing, they didn’t have an agreement any more.”

Other runs have struggled to find viable food service, he said. Anderson called Sound Food’s efforts on Vashon Island ferries “marginally successful,” while negotiations for service on the Mukilteo-Clinton run “are not moving forward.”

But commuters can count on a growing bounty of food options at ferry terminals.

Seattle’s Colman dock is full of local food vendors offering a wide selection of beverages and quick meals. The Bainbridge Island terminal will soon welcome new tenants, including Commuter Comforts, which plans to move its nearby coffee stand inside.

“We’re having more local people at local routes providing a down-home flavor,” Anderson said.

The island-based Commuter Comforts, he said, is doing a “wonderful job” with its new espresso and wine bar at Colman dock. Since opening in late January, the establishment has helped improve the atmosphere and experience at the Seattle terminal.

“I overheard a woman at the bar calling home on her cell phone,” Anderson said. “She said she was going to be late. But really, her ferry hadn’t left yet. I think she still had some wine in her glass.

“I don’t think people did that two years ago.”

– Tristan Baurick

BGI growing, on the move

Barely out of the cradle, Bainbridge Graduate Institute has quadrupled in size and is ready to leave home.

But it’s not going far. The sustainable-business school is moving a few doors down from it’s Madrona Way suite to the larger office space presently occupied by Pinchot & Company consultants.

“Our growth reflects a trend of greater social and environmental responsibility in business,” said BGI Executive Director Rick Bunch. “More big businesses see the need to incorporate sustainable strategies instead of seeing sustainability as a risk or a constraint.”

BGI’s enrollment has almost doubled each year since it was founded in 2002.

Starting with just 12 fresh minds three years ago, the school plans to enroll 55 new graduate students this fall.

Bunch plans to move the school to its new headquarters in the coming months to meet the influx of new students. The new location gives BGI about 50 percent more space for administrative and faculty offices.

The school was the first in the country to offer a complete business education with principles of social and environmental responsibility weaved into all lessons.

About 110 students are currently enrolled in the school’s Master’s in Business Administration and certificate programs.

Last fall, the BGI moved most of its classroom instruction to IslandWood, the 240-acre environmental education campus on the island’s south end.

“IslandWood was the only spot that had classes and accommodations big enough for us,” Bunch said.

Sharing a similar philosophy, Bunch said the IslandWood-BGI partnership is a perfect match.

BGI likely won’t be looking for an all-encompassing campus of their own in the near future, Bunch said.

“We look forward to a close, long-term relationship with IslandWood,” he said.

Bunch foresees continued growth for BGI as some of the largest retailers and oil companies begin to incorporate sustainable business practices.

“Sustainability has become a market-driven strategy,” he said. “It’s very exciting and very necessary to have this type of strategy taught to future business leaders.

“Students can’t get this kind of education anywhere else.”

– Tristan Baurick

New name for kids’ museum

With its grand opening slated for April, the Children’s Museum On Bainbridge Island is changing its name to the Kids Discovery Museum.

“The museum is all about kids and the board wanted a name that embodies the playful spirit that visitors will find inside the doors,” the organization said in a news release this week.

With the donated services of award-winning naming firm “Lexicon Branding” of San Francisco and Pharos Interactive on Bainbridge, the board evaluated the old name in relation to the mission, values, and long and short-term goals.

The conclusion: the name “Children’s Museum On Bainbridge Island” was too narrow, when many visitors would be coming from Kingston, Poulsbo, Suquamish, Silverdale and beyond.

Kids Discovery Museum was chosen, the organization said, because “discovery” is an integral part of the museum experience and adults can learn from their inner “kid” – and the name can be shortened to “KiDiMu.”

A series of free, adult-only fund-raising events will be held the evenings of March 14-16, to preview the museum and the opening of its debut “Zany Rain Forest” exhibit.

To help complete the capital campaign, donors can purchase an engraved “Dancing Kid Metal Tile” for $250.

The whimsical art pieces will be placed on the exterior of the building and can include business or family names.

The public is encouraged to help finish the start-up campaign by becoming a donor or purchasing a family membership.

Volunteers are also needed to serve as docents after the museum opening.

For more information, call 855-4650 or see www.kidimu.org.

Teens get their own java joint

The Boys & Girls Club of Bainbridge Island is opening a morning coffee place just for teens, with a “Check Us Out” event to be held at 6:45 a.m. Feb. 23 at the clubhouse at the Bainbridge Aquatics Center.

A regular daily schedule will develop with teen interest and commitment, with initial hours to be 6:45-9 a.m.

The java club will serve espresso, smoothies and Blackbird Bakery pastries.

Teens can surf the web on club computers or through a wireless internet connection, hang out with their friends in a teen-friendly environment, and do last minute homework on their own or with help from volunteer tutors.

Monthly dues are $40.

The club also offers business opportunities for teen managers and help with scholarships and financial aid opportunities through the B&GC of America Career Launch program.

The coffee-house name has yet to be decided, and the club is looking for teen input.

Needed are teens interested in creating and managing a morning coffee spot for their peers, looking for business/leadership opportunities, or those looking for community service hours.

Questions?

Email teen coordinator Brodie Woodward-Pratt at bwoodward-pratt@positiveplace.org, call the club at 855-8486, or stop by anytime after school.

Anyone interested in sponsorship opportunities can contact Jennifer Wood, executive director at jwood@positiveplace.org.