News Roundup – Isenman joins fire board/New ferry fare system coming/Tuition bill clears Senate/Bathroom bid down drain/Learn about Berte’s boat

Published 4:00 pm Saturday, March 17, 2007

Isenman joins fire board

After adding two new commissioners in January, the Bainbridge Island Fire Board welcomed yet another new member this week.

Scott Isenman on Wednesday was sworn in to replace former commissioner Earl Johnson, who resigned from the newly expanded board last month to focus on his public speaking career.

Isenman works from his south-end home as a project manager in the health care technology industry, and is an emergency medical technician with Bainbridge Island Ambulance Association. He competed with four others for the commission seat.

He joins elected commissioners Jim Johnson and Dave Coatsworth, and Michael Adams and Maureen Halligan, both of whom were appointed following voter approval last fall of the board’s expansion from three to five members.

Earl Johnson’s departure means there will be three positions on the ballot later this year.

“There’s a lot to catch up on,” Isenman said. “But I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

–Chad Schuster

New ferry fare system coming

After an extended testing period, Washington State Ferries will unveil its new electronic fare system at Colman Dock later this month.

“We’ve tested the system and worked out a lot of the software glitches,” said WSF spokeswoman Susan Harris-Huether. “But we’re still not sure what will happen with thousands of people going through the turnstiles.”

Designed to streamline the fare process, the new system will be introduced March 27.

Instead of buying fare cards from manned ticket booths, both Bainbridge- and Bremerton-bound passengers will be able to do so from machines or on the Internet. The cards will open the turnstiles for one person at a time and have several advantages over fare books, including the ability to “replenish” rides or put cards on hold if they are lost or stolen.

The system resembles automatic fare options that have been operating in other cities for more than 30 years.

Instead of ticket books, riders will be able to purchase cards containing multiple fares at the same discount. The old ticket books for both car and driver and passengers will not be available after March 26.

Ferry system staff will be on board the ferries during commute hours from March 21-26 to show customers how the system works prior to the official launch.

–Charlie Bermant

Tuition bill clears Senate

Sen. Phil Rockefeller’s bill to help low-income students attend college gained traction in the state Legislature this week.

Passing the Senate by a unanimous vote, the proposed “College Bound Scholarship” would provide children of low-income families a full-tuition grant for up to four years.

“My colleagues and I are working to ensure that every qualified student in Washington has the opportunity to pursue their dreams regardless of family income,” the Bainbridge Democrat said. “Post secondary education and training are essential to success in a competitive global economy. The passage of this bill gives our students the resources they need to succeed and promotes student retention.”

The scholarship would ask selected seventh-graders to sign a pledge to maintain high academic standards, graduate with a C average and incur no felony convictions.

Upon graduation, if the student’s family income at that time does not exceed 65 percent of the state median family income, the student would receive a grant worth up to the value of public sector tuition, fees and $500 for books.

Washington ranks 32nd in the country for poor college participation rates for low-income students. Research indicates that the earlier students decide to pursue post-secondary education, the more likely they are to complete high school and enroll in higher education, Rockefeller said.

The scholarship bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

–Tristan Baurick

Bathroom bid down drain

The City Council on Wednesday rejected the only bid offered for the construction of a new Waterfront Park bathroom.

The council expressed shock at the high bid, which swelled far beyond city estimates.

“This is a cause for dismay,” said Councilman Nezam Tooloee before the council voted unanimously to nix the $1.012 million bid by Drury Construction. “Frankly, I’m baffled (because) this use to be a $350,000 project.”

Drury’s base bid was $690,000 with a total of $1.012 million including sales tax and other costs.

The city’s estimate for the project was listed between $437,000 and $535,000, when the project went out for bid on March 6.

Tooloee said earlier projections put the construction bill at around $350,000 at a time when even that estimate was considered too expensive by some.

“Even that used to raise a lot of eyebrows (because) you can build a house for that much,” he said.

The restroom project, at its most basic level, calls for public toilets, an observation deck, a shower room, landscaping, pathways and the replacement of a water main.

The rapid building schedule mandated by the city under the proposal dissuaded many companies from bidding. For Drury, the city’s “aggressive timetable,” equated into a bid more than double the city’s estimate, according to Public Works Director Randy Witt.

Councilwoman Debbie Vancil asked for a new “barebones” approach while others, including Councilman Bill Knobloch and Mayor Darlene Kordonowy advocated a multi-purpose building and stressed the importance the community has placed on the proposed bathroom.

“I’d rather do it right and at the best price we can get,” said Councilman Kjell Stoknes. “I think giving this contract time is a huge element.”

Witt is crafting a new project announcement, likely with a longer construction time frame.

–Tristan Baurick

Learn about Berte’s boat

Storyteller Jill Johnson will recreate the life of Berte Olson, the first woman to not only skipper, but own her own ferry boat, as the Bainbridge Island Historical Society celebrates Women’s History Month.

The presentation, entitled “Little, But Oh My!,” will be at 4 p.m., March 18 at Island Center Hall.

Based on over a year of research and interviews with surviving family members, the presentation traces Olson’s life from Norway to Whidbey Island.

Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children under 18. Members get in for free.