All Stories - Bainbridge Island Review

Bainbridge's Grand Old Fourth to pay homage to Strawberry Festival

Picture a near-summer Saturday on which, the Bainbridge Review subsequently reported, “Cloudy skies and a brisk south wind kept marchers cool, but threatening rain did not appear.” On June 17, 1950, the Bainbridge Island Strawberry Court made its way from Bainbridge High School’s Memorial Field into Winslow for a mile-long parade.

Around the Island

July 4 really starts on July 3, with the 22nd annual July Third Street Dance and BBQ, sponsored by the Bainbridge Island Downtown Association.

Kitsap-area rescue agencies conduct marine rescue drills in Agate Passage

Had the bodies bobbing in Agate Passage Thursday morning been real, they would have been in serious trouble. A strong flood tide had swept the dummies away from the bridge, from which the trio had supposedly leaped while attempting a hypothetical group suicide, and pushed them toward open water. Luckily for the dummies, help was planing down the channel from Suquamish.

Work stops on dig

A stop work order was issued Friday at a south-end excavation site after surveyors determined the dig area exceeded what was permitted by the city, officials said.

ROTO MANIA

Despite early concerns that the slowing economy could quiet the annual buying frenzy, organizers say this year’s Rotary Club Auction didn’t disappoint.

Winslow sees a flowery infusion

A letter planted the seed.

With explosions going, Fourth cresendo near

With the Fourth coming on Friday, booming fireworks are being heard with increasing frequency around the island.

With explosions going, Fourth cresendo near

With the Fourth coming on Friday, booming fireworks are being heard with increasing frequency around the island.

Bainbridge to measure controversial soil swap area

Since work began last month, a south-end soil swap has turned more than just dirt. It’s also turned the heads of neighbors and passersby, some of whom are wondering aloud whether the size of the excavation – at the triangle of land bordered by Fletcher Bay, Bucklin Hill and Lynwood Center roads – exceeds what was permitted by the city.

Whole lot of hole

Since work began last month, a south-end soil swap has turned more than just dirt.

Bainbridge Little League All-Stars notch 2 wins in district tourney

The Bainbridge Majors baseball All-Stars kicked off district play with two big wins in the Little League District tournament at Art Mikelsen Field in Port Orchard over the weekend.

Bainbridge fastpitch dominates All-Metro, All-Kitsap teams

It was a year to remember for the Bainbridge fastpitch team this season. The Spartans defeated Holy Names for the first time in recent memory as they raced through the regular season losing just one game and won its first Metro League Mountain Division title.

Bainbridge Historical Baseball Society to play exhibition game on July 4

For those baseball fans dismayed with the escapades of the Seattle Mariners – they of the 28-50 record at press-time – can take a trip back to yesteryear with the “Grand Old Game,” an exhibition baseball game played on the Fourth of July. Put on by the Bainbridge Historical Baseball Society, this year’s contest takes place at the baseball field at Bainbridge High School at 9 a.m. and pits the Bainbridge Reds “All-Stars” against the Winslow “Homestead” Grays.

Babe Ruth 15-year-olds taken down at home

The South Kitsap Babe Ruth All-Stars kept the Bainbridge All-Stars from knocking the ball around on Sunday like they did on Friday, defeating them 16-4 and 13-5 to win the District 8 title at Battle Point Park.

4 Bainbridge baseballers land on All-Metro squad, despite season gone wrong

It was a tough year for the Bainbridge baseball team. Injuries to numerous players – including its top returning pitcher in Colin Feldtman – and a lot of bad luck kept the Spartans from making a serious charge to the playoffs. They started the season 5-1 and were ranked high in the 3A polls. But then came a long losing streak that dropped Bainbridge out of the rankings and the playoffs altogether.

Bainbridge Little League, Babe Ruth All-Star teams announced

The Bainbridge Island Little League All-Stars were announced this week.

Yankees beat Red Sox ... for Bainbridge Little League title

Yankees pitcher Blake Swanson pitched 5 and 1/3 strong innings while his teammates backed him up with the bats as the Yanks defeated the Red Sox 10-6 in the Bainbridge Island Little League Majors championship Friday night at Lower Rotary Field.

Diamonds win Bainbridge little league softball title

In a back and forth game, it’s the little things that can cost you. That was the case for the Ice, as a dropped fly ball led to the Diamonds scoring the winning runs in its last at-bat to defeat the Ice 8-6 in a tightly contested Bainbridge Island Little League Majors softball championship Wednesday night at Strawberry Field. It’s the third title for the Diamonds in the last four years.

Kitsap BlueJackets looking for another playoff shot

Last season, the BlueJackets finished 24-18 and took second in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League’s West Division. The team came up short in their first-ever playoff appearance, going down two games to one in the best-of-three series with rivals Corvallis (Ore.). Much of that team returns, as Kitsap brings back 12 BlueJackets from a year ago.

Bainbridge Little League Wrap | June 11

Little league scores from around Bainbridge Island.

What's Happening on Bainbridge Island | July 2

The Bainbridge Public Library is more than just a meeting spot for July Fourth festivities; it’s also the site of some great story opportunities.

Park here on Wednesdays

Linda Snyder once sat on a committee whose organizers wanted to hold standing meetings on Wednesday evenings during the summer.

WEEKEND WROCK | Lick Like a Lion to headline Kingston SK8 Rollick

Just up the street from the Little City by the Sea’s downtown core and Fourth of July events, the Independence Day celebration will be extended with a Saturday full of skate competition and concerts. From the group that basically brought you the Kingston Skate Park itself comes The Kingston Sk8 Rollick.

What’s Up Weekend Wrock

Independence Day extended.

Bainbridge author debuts first novel this weekend

The protagonist of Carol Cassella’s debut novel improbably turns anesthesia into poetry. From the first paragraph of “Oxygen,” Dr. Marie Heaton’s reverence for her work putting people to sleep comes through in a way that’s – oh, let’s just get it over with – breathtaking. Of course, as with any juicy and well-crafted story, there’s more to Marie than she herself lets on, and her tendency to over-embrace the rigors of her job hint at conflict and denial that any reader who loves her work, perhaps too much, will identify with.

Lynwood plays host to the Show People of yesteryear

Bainbridge theater celebrates its anniversary with two screenings of

Developers ask Bremerton out to the movies

Ron Sher and Co. plan to host movie nights atop the old J.C. Penney building each weekend this month, starting with

Port Orchard library screens second annual series of film noir

Free admission for old-time movie.

What’s Up for First Friday

Visions of the apocalypse and paintings of liberty in Bremerton July 4, Bainbridge holds off its events until after Independence Day.

What goes up...

A look at Independence Day Events across the county, lighting the proverbial fuse for Fourth of July.

Bainbridge's Smile Partner's reaches out to low income families seeking dental care

As a dental hygienist, Kate Mills has spent 37 years hunched over people’s mouths. Yuck, you say? You’d think she’d be sick of cleaning teeth and searching for signs of periodontitis by now, but she has a new view of dentistry since co-founding Washington State Smile Partners, a nonprofit that offers preventive services to children and adults who can’t afford a trip to the traditional dentist’s office.

Bainbridge sisters make summer jobs from scratch

“Baking is part of what we’ve been doing as a family,” Robin Briggs said. When Robin and her sister, Kate, contemplated summer plans this year, they decided it might be fun to pour their combined talents into a small commercial interest.

BUSINESS BRIEFING

Islanders urged to buy locally

BUSINESS BRIEFINGS

Men’s clothing store to open

Bainbridge Arts and Crafts vaults into senior communities

Perusing the storefront gallery at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts reveals an eclectic, accessible collection of painting, textile, jewelry and glasswork. There’s usually a fun find, and with any purchase comes the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing you’ve supported an area artist and a long-standing non-profit gallery.

Bremerton's Ruxton Towers returns after split

It almost doesn’t seem like they’d ever broken up. Ruxton Towers, back on stage together at Winterland last Friday night after months-long hiatus, cranking out the old, spacey, uncomfortably indie rock with a newfound higher octane energy and attitude. More riffs, more chops, more determined vocals, same old Ruxton Towers. It all sounded a bit stubborn. But it seems that’s somewhat characteristic of the Towers themselves.

Norm Dicks center to screen food documentary

Americans demand cheap and abundant food to nourish our bodies and feed our need for decadence. Nary between forkfuls do we pause to ponder where our food came from, who took the time to create it or the economic, health or political impact of what we pile on our plates. This documentary, which will show at 7 p.m. July 1 at the Norm Dicks Government Center Auditorium in Bremerton, chronicles the experiences of two college buddies who turn into Iowa farm boys to answer those questions.

Kirkland author brings sex ed to Bainbridge women over 50

In 2006 a group compiled their findings into “Still Sexy After All These Years? The 9 Unspoken Truths About Women’s Desire Beyond 50.” Since publishing the book, the Kirkland-based Leah Kliger has taken on the speaker and workshop circuit, including a stop this Wednesday afternoon at the Bainbridge Commons titled, “The Real Truth About Intimacy and Sexuality for Women Beyond 50.” Through the women-only workshop, with its emphasis on give-and-take discussion rather than lecturing, Kliger hopes to help women dispel both mysteries and myths, and reveal sexuality in a light that many may not have considered.

Bainbridge child music prodigies sound skills at upcoming concert

The world of a 12-year-old exists on an ever-shifting plane of mundane, of-this-earth pursuits. And dreams. I just go into this trance, Catherine Edwards said. I adore it. The thing, or rather, pursuit that transports Edwards into such a state is none other than her cello, an instrument that she saw her mother play as a tot and that she begged to try for herself practically as soon as she was able to ask. Edwards story of musical discovery mimics that of four other young musicians who will appear at Bainbridge Performing Arts on Sunday in the next Declassified Chamber Music concert.

Esteemed Bainbridge author set to debut new book

In his new novel — “The Other,” set to hit shelves June 3 — David Guterson, 52, traveled back in time in his mind, to the yesteryears of innocence and idealism, following a transition into responsibility of adulthood. The story, he said, revolves around a lifetime friendship between two starkly contrasted Seattle kids who find a common bond in love of the outdoors, love of literature and an affection for mind alteration.

Let’s do right by Puget Sound

When I was young, a lot of years ago, we would come to Bainbridge for a week’s vacation. The beach was an infinite playground, especially for a city youngster like me. From morning to night we dug clams, fished, hunted for treasures, rode and swam our horses, found new birds for our house list, caught crabs, built driftwood and seaweed palaces, cooked over beach fires, poked at anemones under rafts, collected shells, beach glass and rocks with circles around them. It was a paradise. I vowed I would come back and live here. In 1973 I did.

Time to simplify, Bainbridge City Council

An open letter to members of the Bainbridge Island City Council: You have a difficult job ahead of you. As you do it, you should expect a lot of citizen disappointment and, naturally, the resulting flood of criticism from your constituents whose pet city projects no longer make sense.

IN OUR OPINION Recycling is here to stay

It’s difficult these days to find anyone who is against recycling. There are plenty of people who don’t practice it, perhaps, preferring to feed garbage receptacles with any container or waste of which they no longer have a use. But even the unconscious among us probably wouldn’t admit to actually being against making our environment healthier through recycling.

Mother Sea desperately needs your help these days

I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea – except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.

So who gets to keep the house?

Just in case the city’s budget and the community eventually support affordable housing on the island, the Bainbridge Island Planning Commission continues to plug away on the creation of an inclusionary housing ordinance. It appears that sometime this summer a draft will be pulled together and presented to island developers for their input.

Letters

Wicca

What's that humming? The Earth, scientists say | Tom Tyner

This just in: scientists say the earth is humming. Not humming the chorus to “Bye Bye Miss American Pie” exactly, nor belting out Broadway show tunes, but rather emitting random clutches of notes and tiny clusters of chords woven into a mysterious, ethereal, rhythmic thrum of primordial noise so low and deep that it is imperceptible to human ears, so low that it can only be picked up by sophisticated geothermal listening devices, African elephants wallowing in the fetid lowlands of the Kenyan rain forest, and ancient blue whales diving for albino plankton in the silent inky depths of the Mariana Trench.

It's about time someone closed Bainbridge driving shortcut

The on-again, off-again passage through the business park segment of the Island Village mall has taken another divergence. Charlie Frame, owner of CFA properties, has decided to close the northern end of his rear parking lot, which for the last two and a half years has again become a quasi-public road that allows north-south traffic to slalom through the commercial development. Assuming the business owner receives approval from the fire department, he’ll place a semi-permanent barrier on his private property that would be removed only when there’s need for emergency ingress or egress.

Bainbridge’s loss of Ron Konzak runs deep | Sally Robison

The first time I met Ron Konzak was 20 years ago. The Chamber of Commerce sponsored a naval tour of the island. A tour boat providing dinner and a dance floor sailed through our bays. (It could have stayed at the dock the entire time because drinking, eating, dancing and having a fine time were the main attraction.)

Ride ferries when they want you to

Washington State Ferries representatives will be in town Monday to discuss operational and pricing strategies, which consist primarily of taking a new approach to an old problem that can be expected for most commuter runs – congestion in peak periods and underutilized vessels and facilities in off-peak times. They want to accomplish this by tweaking the pricing system and installing a systemwide reservation system.

Time to forgive vandal for misdeeds | Bainbridge Letters to the Editor

A guest columnist for the Seattle P.I., Anthony Robinson, recently wrote an article on the top 10 “markers of integrity.” I believe there are two principle marks of integrity that relate to the recent vandalism by a few of our youth on Bainbridge Island.

Grassroots project will return flower baskets to downtown Bainbridge | Letters

On May 29, I e-mailed a letter to you which you kindly printed in the May 31 issue of the Bainbridge Review entitled “Flower baskets go away... what’s next?” I thought you might be interested in following up on exactly what has transpired since my letter appeared.

Letters

Vandalism

Neighbor: Don't overreact in punishing vandals | Bainbridge Letters to the Editor

The recently announced arrest of two of the senior “paint night vandals” prompts me to write. Sam Bice and Colin Bowman are my neighbors. On the assumption that they were among the culprits, I am sad for them, for their parents and siblings, and for their friends. They are both good young men who are apparently guilty of serious lapses of judgment. Whatever the combination of events that led them to commit these acts, there is no reasonable justification, and there must be consequences. I just hope this community doesn’t allow those consequences to get out of hand.

Attend Monday WSF meeting | Bainbridge Letters to the Editor

Letters from readers of the Bainbridge Island Review.

Project worthy of time, money

I would like to address Rob Clark’s question (“A curmudgeonly view of muddling,” June 21), “…why are we spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the Yeomalt Cabin when there are homeless people on the street?”

Volunteer coaches are unsung heroes | Bainbridge Letters to the Editor

Letters from Bainbridge residents on a variety of issues.

Bainbridge residents sound off on vandalism | Letters to the Editor

Two Bainbridge residents offer viewpoints on the recent student vandalism of police property. Also, an island resident shares his views on what could be cut from the city budget.

Bainbridge Island Letters to the Editor | June 14

Letters to the editor from Bainbridge residents.

Bainbridge Island Letters to the Editor

Letters from Bainbridge Island residents.