Growing the best of our island

UPDATED: On Saturday, May 9 at 11 a.m. with some earth, sunlight and your help, a little magic will happen on Bainbridge Island.  A group of volunteers are putting in an organic community garden at Island Terrace apartments, the island’s only low income housing for all ages, located at the corner of High School Road and [...]

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We need a better form of government

After months of waffling, I’ve finally decided I’m voting in favor of changing our City government to the council-manager form. I’ve gone back and forth on this question because it wasn’t clear to me whether the City’s problems are structural or simply the result of two terms with a divisive mayor, abetted by eight years [...]

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Live blogging from City Council: Approving another bond

Given the filing of the lawsuit  today by Winslow ratepayers (Bainbridge Ratepayers Alliance), I am at the City Council meeting to see whether they will approve the financing of the watewater treatment plant in spite of the lawsuit. After public comment, the Council went into a lengthy recess (apparently to discuss the lawsuit). When the Council resumed [...]

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Winslow utility ratepayers file suit

The Bainbridge Ratepayers Alliance sent out the following press release this afternoon: Bainbridge Ratepayers Alliance filed suit in Kitsap Superior Court against the City of Bainbridge Island, Wednesday, April 22. At issue is how the city has used, and plans to use, fees paid by 2,200 water utility and 1,800 sewer utility customers. In addition [...]

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The Senior Center’s money is there. Somewhere.

During public comment at a City Council meeting in mid-February, Senior Center Vice President Joan Treacy noted that in the City’s councilmanic bond issue last fall, the Council included $250,000 to begin work on an expansion of the Senior Center. Nearly a half-year later, the Senior Center has not seen any of the proceeds. “Where [...]

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Helpline calls for help

Thanks to Elizabeth Gadbois for posting this message from Helpline House on Facebook. I’m posting it here too, to help get the word out. Please consider making a generous donation of cash or food to the island’s only food bank. We continue to experience very heavy demands on the food bank inventory. We are also running [...]

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A home run for Council-Manager campaign

The Council-Manager ’09 campaign posted a 4-minute video on its website this week, explaining the advantages of the council-manager form of government. I’ve been on the fence about change of government all along, but this video just might seal the deal for me. It’s professionally done, succinct and persuasive. Its most compelling point: our current form [...]

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Tuesday and almost in the saddle

  I was in California for spring break last week, and although I apparently missed some action around here (e.g. Mayor Darlene Kordonowy almost announces and then doesn’t announce and then thinks about announcing that she’s running for a third term), it was a great vacation. Sun, sons (I have two in college in SoCal [...]

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How was the forum?

I couldn’t make it to last night’s forum on change of government. I’ve heard that Carl Neu, the municipal governance expert who spoke at the forum, is a knowledgeable and engaging speaker.  So I’m interested in hearing from people who attended. Did he answer your questions? Did you change your mind on whether to change [...]

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