“It is sometimes said that the hallmark of a good compromise is that everyone is equally unhappy.If so, judging from the protest at a Tuesday public hearing, the Bainbridge Harbor Commission’s new anchoring plan for Eagle Harbor is a success.It was a sharp clash of values and philosophies. Liveaboards said they don’t want regulation; shoreline residents said they don’t want liveaboards. “
“This is the story that changed my life forever.Blakely Elementary School fourth grader Lacy Kuhn types the first line of her tale about aliens into the Earthwalk EBuddies laptop on her desk, one of seven that will be featured May 17 as part of Bainbridge schools’ technology fair. I’m switching my story from MicrosoftWord into hyperlink, Kuhn says matter-of-factly. You can access this link about phases of the moon from the text.Kuhn clicks on the link she has just created in her story about aliens, and a computer-animation of the moon fills the screen, waxing and waning in a cycle that compresses a month into five seconds. “
“If Battle Point Park has an occupancy limit, it may have been exceeded Tuesday morning.An estimated 400 volunteers wearing work boots and tool belts showed up to begin construction of the KidsUp! playground. Perhaps most surprising for Kim MacPherson and other organizers was the appearance of a contingent of Marines.Even so, MacPherson said, We need people in a big way because we’re still at half of what we need. We’re just about there financially, organizer Helena Bierly said. Our biggest challenge now is getting people to show up to build.The 10,000-square-foot play structure has been on the drawing board for about a year, with kids and parents helping architects in the design. “
“Saying he can’t afford to quit his day job, Bainbridge Island City Council member Jim Llewellyn said he will not run for mayor this fall. But another council member, Michael Pollock, said he is taking a hard look at the possibility of running.And council member Liz Murray said she will not seek re-election, opening up at least one council seat for the fall election. “
” Master furniture builder John Steiner wants his efforts to disappear into the woodwork.The best compliment you ever get is to have somebody say ‘boy that’s beautiful wood,’ he said. That means the design is simple enough that they don’t really notice – it’s secondary to the beauty of the wood.For the past 25 years, Steiner has been building fine furniture and cabinetry from his downstairs workshop on South Beach Drive. And he expects that most of the pieces he has made during that quarter century are still in use.If a piece is well made, it should be around for hundreds of years, he said. That’s why I like a simple, classical design. It will last for many generations, and through periods of design and fads. “
“Does an affordable home costing upwards of $280,000 promote economic diversity?Some local contractors say a home that cuts that price by a third – a $180,000 single-family residence – simply can’t be built on the island, principally because of the cost of home lots.Land costs are the number one issue on Bainbridge Island, said Jim Engle of Kitsap-Trident Homes. A building lot on Bainbridge costs at least $50,000 more than the same thing in Poulsbo. “
“Wednesday in this column, we waxed on the public decision-making process as a dynamic between competing goods – forests vs. ball fields, better traffic with no more roads, on and on.Today, prompted by several recent letters and comments we’ve heard at city council meetings, a few corollary thoughts are perhaps in order. Specifically, we would ask:Where did some islanders get the notion that elected officials are always beholden to whims of the majority? “
“The city council took a step towards providing sewer service to four south-end neighborhoods Wednesday, settling on language for an amendment to the island’s comprehensive plan.But the language they approved at their Wednesday meeting contains a closely contested proviso that some say could preclude any sewer extension by dramatically increasing costs. “
“The Commodore building will remain open at least through next year, school board members told 40 parents and staff members Thursday.But they acknowledged that a study of all district facilities is under way, the first step in a process that might lead to the closing of some school buildings. “
“Weapons at school, marijuana use and the rate of depression among students emerged as areas of concern for educators and parents, in a survey of Bainbridge 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders.So says the school district’s Health Advisory Committee, after a state-administered survey of substance abuse among local teens. Students took the survey in November, with the results presented to the school board at Thursday’s meeting.Unfortunately, Assistant Superintendent Brent Peterson said, the percentage of our students making dangerous choices concerning the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs is very similar to the situation faced in most communities across the state. “
“Dwellings showcased on the May 12 Bainbridge Performing Arts Home Tour include small, cozy spaces, to go with those large and grand.Whether they appeal to an atavistic instinct to curl up in a den or a straightforward desire for less to clean, Denise Harris’ gypsy caravan and Craig and Nancy Johnson’s condominium show the comforts of containment.For Harris and friends, small did not mean fewer hours of construction, however. More than 1,700 hours have been devoted to the gypsy wagon so far, Harris said.Building the caravan was like any other project, she said. If you start, you might get obsessed.But the most important thing is that it was built from scratch – built, not bought. “
“The Environmental Protection Agency will finish cleaning up a portion of the Wyckoff Superfund site on the south shore of Eagle Harbor this summer, potentially freeing up 23 acres of prime waterfront and view property.If city and park district officials have their way, the property will go into public ownership, because the public paid for the cleanup.My dream would be a park with a variety of active and passive recreation uses, Mayor Dwight Sutton said this week. “
“Bainbridge Island Broadcasting, has a studio for the first time in its five years on the air.The Bainbridge Island School District, after considering the issue for some time, donated space in Commodore Center that officially opens with a reception, 5-7 p.m. May 10. It has been truly amazing to see how one very ugly elementary school classroom metamorphosed into a television studio, a control room, an editing room and a reception/meeting area, station manager Wini Jones said.BIB cameraman Kit Spier has been renovating the Commodore space for several months, partitioning the 1,225 square feet into distinct and useful spaces. “
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