Around the island
Published 6:10 pm Saturday, May 10, 2008
Man dies while on a bike ride
A 61-year-old Bainbridge man died of natural causes while riding a bicycle on Henderson Road Wednesday, according to Bainbridge Police.
A passerby found the body of Scott MacGregor next to his bicycle in the roadway at 7:32 p.m.
A police release said there was no indication that a collision had occurred or that any other vehicles or people were involved.
The MacGregor family said in a statement that he had lived on Bainbridge Island for 28 years and worked as an architect for Art Anderson and Associates in Bremerton. He also worked for many years at Boeing.
Ferry photogs are cleared
Two men sought by the FBI last summer for suspicious activity aboard a Bainbridge-Seattle ferry turned out to be European citizens on a business trip.
According to an FBI release, the men who were seen taking photographs of the ferry’s car deck in August, turned themselves in to a U.S. embassy in an undisclosed location.
The men provided identification, employment information and the reason for their ferry trip. They said they wanted to clear their names, but were fearful of being arrested if they traveled to the U.S.
The information was verified by the FBI, according to the release.
The FBI sparked controversy last summer when it released photos – taken by a Washington State Ferry captain – of the men to the media.
The men appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent and the bureau was accused by some of racial profiling at the time.
In its release, the FBI said it “would like to thank the many media organizations worldwide that published the photographs and ultimately played a prominent role in resolving this matter.”
Rhodes rises in news group
Sound Publishing Vice President Lori Maxim announced this week that Jeff Rhodes, editor of the Port Orchard Independent, has been promoted to senior editor of the Kitsap News Groups (KNG), a division of Sound Publishing.
Sound publishes the Kitsap Group newspapers that include the Bainbridge Island Review, North Kitsap Herald, Central Kitsap Reporter, Bremerton Patriot, Port Orchard Independent, the monthly Kingston Community News and the Kitsap Free Daily.
“We are very proud to promote Jeff to senior editor,” Maxim said. “He has many years of experience and knowledge to share with our other editors.”
Rhodes, who has been a journalist for 27 years, started with the Independent as a reporter in 1995 and has been the paper’s editor since 2000.
In his new role, Rhodes will help mentor the editors of the group’s other newspapers while also providing general editorial assistance and oversight. He will continue to serve as the Independent’s editor.
“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to serve in this leadership and guidance role for all our papers in the Kitsap News Group,” Rhodes said. “I’m confident that with the assistance from our other editors we can make our already strong and vibrant group of papers even better for our readers.”
Sound Publishing is the largest publisher of community newspapers in the Pacific Northwest.
Bush signs memorial bill
National Park status was granted on Thursday to the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Internment Memorial.
President Bush signed into law the Consolidated Natural Resources Act, an omnibus package of more than 60 public-lands bills that includes the memorial.
Located on the south shore of Eagle Harbor, the memorial marks the site from which 227 islanders of Japanese descent departed for internment camps during World War II.
“I’m proud of our community for fashioning this memorial and hope federal designation will help them raise funds necessary to bring it to completion,” said Rep. Jay Inslee, a Bainbridge Democrat who pushed the legislation through Congress.
The memorial project is partially completed, but stalled while organizers continue to seek additional funding.
The project is $300,000 short of the second phase of construction, and $3 million short of the total amount needed to complete the $5 million memorial.
Ferry meeting relocated
The Ferry Community Partnership is hosting a public meeting at 1 p.m. today at the Harbor Steps Clubhouse, on the corner of Winslow Way and Ferncliff Avenue.
Ferry riders and legislators from various ferry communities including Bainbridge Island, will discuss legislative issues and fares, among other ferry related topics.
Some new ferry legislation is scheduled to take effect soon.
Beginning June 5, riders will be able to use their single multi-ride passes to pay for more than one vehicle on the same sailing.
Beginning June 22, the expiration date for full fare single-ride tickets will be extended to 90 days.
Code meeting is on Tuesday
The city is hosting a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall to discuss its update of the land use code. The project’s aim is to reduce inconsistencies and complexity, and create a more ‘user-friendly’ code.
The meeting will include a presentation by Clarion Associates, the firm that’s leading the process.
The public can comment on Clarion’s assessment – available at the city’s Web site – of the strengths and weaknesses of current regulations.
This is the first of several public meetings to help inform the multi-phase project.
A draft of the updated code will be released in April 2009.
Float into the Boater’s Fair
All things boating will be on display at this year’s Boater’s Fair, being held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Bainbridge Commons and the city dock.
The event will feature educational workshops – subjects range from boating safety to knot tying – food and refreshments. Several demonstrations also will be a part of the festivities, including by city and fire department boats, and a Coast Guard helicopter.
Yeomalt fund drive rolls on
“Team Yeomalt” has raised the grants, donations and pledges needed to stabilize Yeomalt cabin’s foundation and chimney. An additional $60,000 will be needed for a second phase of renovations before the cabin is opened.
The Bainbridge Metropolitan Park and Recreation District board will decide at its next meeting whether to allow construction to proceed in stages.
