Big spenders once again/BHS needs

Published 9:00 am Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Big spenders once again

Did you drive home a bargain?

Or perhaps you’re sailing or motoring around

the harbor in one right now.

You can thank Uncle Sam for the bumper crop of cars and boats available at this past weekend’s Rotary Auction and Rummage. A change in the federal tax code moved islanders to donate an unprecedented number of vehicles to the annual fund-raiser, and the unusually full car lot helped drive the auction’s take to yet another record.

“A lot of people donated early and often,” auction chair Joanne Ellis reports. “We’re pleased with that.”

As usual, thousands of bargain hunters were drawn to the Woodward Middle School grounds for the auction and rummage, which for the first time was truly a two-day affair. The brisk live auction – and, we dare say, heaping platefuls of phad thai – on Friday evening filled the school cafeteria to near capacity as the finest vehicles, merchandise and getaways went on the block. The adrenaline rush of the banging gavel, coupled with concessions sales and the silent auction for merchant-donated good and services, brought $43,000 into the Rotary coffers on that evening alone.

True, there was a bit of risk involved with moving the live auction back one evening from its usual time – why mess with a proven formula? – but it appears to have paid off in additional sales the following morning. Rotarians report that rummage sales were steady and strong through the noon hour and beyond; by contrast, they have in past years tended to trail off as the live auction got under way late in the morning.

Lest anyone be concerned by the volume of unused sofas, stray socks and general detritus still on the Woodward site after the event, Ellis says a new array of recyclers rolled in that afternoon to cart off the leftovers.

As always, funds raised will go to various community and philanthropic projects throughout the coming 12 months.

This year’s grand total: plus/minus $325,000. Well done Rotary, and well done Bainbridge Island.

And happy motoring, and sailing.

BHS needs

This just in: instructional technology at Bainbridge High School is poor, particularly in the science classroom.

The school facilities themselves are in need, with too few classrooms, overcrowded common areas, and rundown spaces for band practice and theater performances.

It’s not the most uplifting report – save for the conclusion that BHS is an otherwise excellent school – but the findings of the just released accreditation study should be required reading for parents and community members. As the report will inform planning for the upcoming bond levy, now’s the time to get this information out to the community. Put the full report online at the school district’s website. Email the executive summary to all the households in the district. Raise the community’s awareness of the best and worst at BHS.

Wonderful tools, modern communication. Use them.