Bainbridge to declare June 30 as Norm Wooldridge Day

Norm Wooldridge may have passed away, but the island won't soon forget the former Bainbridge Island city councilman.

The city council is expected to pass a proclamation at its meeting Wednesday to honor Wooldridge, a two-term councilman who was an intricate part of the young city of Bainbridge Island.

Wooldridge served on the city's council from 1995 to 2003. He was able to influence the building of city hall, establish the design review board, and help pass an ordinance to regulate fast food restaurants on the island. He also championed the non-motorized transportation plan for Bainbridge Island so bicycle riders can have safe lanes of travel.

He was also known as a supporter of a sustainable island economy that encourages locally-owned businesses.

The proclamation will establish June 30, 2012 as Norm Wooldridge Day on Bainbridge Island.

In the proclamation, the city praised Wooldridge for working "diligently to balance various public opinions; always striving for 'the right thing to do' to benefit the long-term future of the entire community."

The proclamation also noted that Wooldridge was a "consistently passionate supporter of the arts on Bainbridge Island" and worked to adopt the ordinance that established the city’s 1 Percent for the Arts Program.

It also recalled the words of former Mayor Dwight Sutton, who said “Council Member Wooldridge is the epitome of a public servant who has done a tremendous job for the community” at the retirement ceremony when the councilman left his post in 2003.

The council meets at 5:30 p.m. for an executive session before the start of tonight's meeting. The regular session starts at 6:15 p.m.

Contact Bainbridge Island Review Staff Writer Richard D. Oxley at roxley@bainbridgereview.com or (206) 842-6613.

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