Inside the Newsroom 11.2 | THE BAINBRIDGE BLAB
Published 10:10 am Monday, November 2, 2015
For the first time in years, the Bainbridge Review decided to offer endorsements in this year’s local election races.
Candidates on this week’s ballot were invited to meet with the Bainbridge Island Review’s editorial board in early October.
Most of the candidates — Ron Peltier, Pegeen Mulhern (Bainbridge City Council District 1); Lynn Smith, Duncan C. Macfarlane (Bainbridge Island School Board, District 1); Tim Kinkead (Bainbridge Island School Board, District 4); and John Grinter, Ken DeWitt (Bainbridge Parks Commissioner Position 2) — graciously agreed to sit through our Q&A session on Oct. 9.
Only one candidate (Renard E. Burnett Sr., Bainbridge Island School Board, District 4) was a no-show.
Candidates were invited to give a 2-3 minute opening statement, followed by questions from the board. Candidates also had time to give a short closing statement.
It was a marathon session for our editorial board, and we spent nearly six hours questioning the candidates and then going over what had been said.
The endorsement panel came away with some new insights into the candidates. We also learned a little bit about ourselves; Review editor Brian Kelly learned to never again bring donuts to an editorial board meeting because no one will eat them.
Flaxseed muffins? Yes. Gluten-free cookies? Yes. Donuts from Safeway? No. (#sobainbridge)
Though editorial board members weighed in with their opinions on the candidates, at the end of it all, the actual endorsements were made by the editor of the Review. And while the endorsement interviews provided the basis for the newspaper’s picks, other information (prior candidate interviews, voters guide statements, candidate website information, candidate statements and so on) was also considered during our review.
Again, our thanks to this year’s candidates for helping us inform Bainbridge voters on the important choices they’ll make on Nov. 3.
The Bainbridge Blab is your one-stop spot to get the 411 on all things 98110. From South Beach to Agate Passage, Battle Point to Rolling Bay, we’ve got the straight skinny on Bainbridge Island: the latest chatter, babble and burble. News, too. Have a tip or a comment for the Blab? Email us at editor@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/bainbridgereview.
