News Roundup – Ishmael wants Inslee’s seat/Comment on Blakely docks/Colman Dock meeting set/Boaters Fair for fun, safety/Series talks Turkey, EU/Bike for Pie

Published 11:00 am Saturday, July 29, 2006

Ishmael wants Inslee’s seat

A Sammamish business consultant will challenge Rep. Jay Inslee, a Bainbridge Democrat, for the 1st Congressional District seat in November’s election.

Larry Ishmael, a Republican who recently served as president of the Issaquah School Board, cited education reform as a key component of his campaign.

“I have been listening to people complain about Congress and decided it was time to make a real difference,” Ishmael said in a prepared statement.

“The 1st District needs better leadership; Congress needs better leadership.”

The Washington State Republican Party gave Ishmael its endorsement earlier this month.

“Larry Ishmael is a great candidate,” said state Republican Party Chairwoman Diane Tebelius. “The 1st District is a real ‘swing district,’ and Jay Inslee is going to have a tough race on his hands.”

The 1st Congressional District comprises Bainbridge Island, North Kitsap, Silverdale, Kirkland, Woodinville, Bothel, Edmonds, North Seattle and parts of Redmond.

Ishmael has been a member of the Issaquah School Board since 2003. He served as school board president from December 2004 to December 2005.

Ishmael is a business consultant for Suasor Consulting Group.

Comment on Blakely docks

The City of Bainbridge Island will hold a public meeting to help determine the scope of the 2006 Blakely Harbor Dock Shoreline Amendment. The meeting will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 3 in Council Chambers at City Hall.

The city is seeking information useful for analyzing the proposal provided in the settlement agreement approved by the City Council in June 2006, as well as identifying and analyzing alternatives to the settlement agreement, mitigation measures and probable significant adverse impacts.

The city has identified areas for consideration and comment that include, but are not limited to: number and type of docks; recreational uses and public access; dock locations and lengths; views, aesthetics and navigation; environmental impacts; and environmental restoration and enhancement.

A fact sheet provides background information on the issue and describes the scoping process in more detail. Find these and other information on the city’s project page, “quick linked” from its home page at www.ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us.

Written comments will be accepted from Aug. 4-18. Send them to the Planning Department at 280 Madison Ave. or email pcd@ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us.

Colman Dock meeting set

Commuters take note.

The Community Advisory Group for the Colman Dock project will meet at 5 p.m. August 2 in the Spike Eikum conference room at Pier 52.

The meeting will be the group’s second and will review the goals identified by the CAG during the previous meeting, provide detail on project accomplishments to date, and gain CAG input on the project design and process.

Over the next two years, the CAG will help formulate options for the terminal throughout the development of a preferred option, provide key feedback to the project team and assist in updating their communities about project developments over the next two years.

CAG meetings are open to the public and there will be a short public comment period at the end of each meeting.

The CAG represents a diverse range of business, commuter, environmental and community interests and includes members from Seattle and greater Kitsap County. The CAG includes members from WSF’s Ferry Advisory Committees (FACs).

The 16 members were selected from 35 letters of interest through a screening process that included staff from the City of Seattle and a member of the Washington State Transportation Commission.

A similar group is guiding design for the new Bainbridge Island terminal.

Boaters Fair for fun, safety

Flotilla 48, the local Coast Guard Auxiliary, will host a Boater’s Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Commons on Brien Drive.

Local experts will explain how to boat safely on Puget Sound; the latest in personal survival equipment; how to radio for help; and what to do if someone falls in the water. Participants also may check their nautical skills.

The event is free and open to the public. Presentations include: “Boat Handling for Singles and Couples,” “Traffic Signs on the Water,” “Boating Safety for You and Your Boat,” “Marlinspike” (Knots) and “Radio Communications.”

Through the boater’s fair, Flotilla 48 is bringing awareness to the importance of being safe on the water while having fun.

Flotilla 48 serves the Bainbridge Island, Hansville, Indianola, Kingston, Poulsbo, Suquamish and Silverdale communities.

For information call Loretta Rindal, FSO-PA, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, at 842-5053.

Series talks Turkey, EU

The Great Decisions Discussion Series will hold its last program from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Aug. 5 in the Bainbridge Library.

The topic is “Turkey and the European Union.”

Turkey has long sought membership in the European Union. Roadblocks remain, as several European countries are wary of Turkey’s candidacy. Could Turkey’s membership in the EU help Western relations with the Islamic world? Or could the possible rejection of Turkey cause a wider divide?

Participants will enjoy coffee, pastries, a 30-minute video and a discussion. The event is free and open to the community.

The series is co-sponsored by Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council and the Library. For information contact BIAHC at 842-7901 or see www.artshum.org.

Suggested background readings are on the Web site and at the Library information desk.

Bike for Pie sign-ups now

Squeaky Wheels holds its fourth annual Bike for Pie Ride Aug. 13.

This year’s event promises more home-baked desserts and more fun per mile. Because of overwhelming popularity in past years, the event is limited to 120 riders.

Participants get to eat donated pies from Blackbird Bakery, Bainbridge Bakers and Helpline House, a new partner.

They will receive famous Bike for Pie T-shirts depicting the third in a series of pie/bike motif paintings by Bainbridge artist and intrepid cyclist Peggy Brunton.

The T-shirts will be available at the start of the ride, which begins around 9:30 a.m. at the Marge Williams Center, located near the corner of Winslow Way and Madison.

The event feature two routes: a 20-mile appetite builder and the family friendly 6-mile path led by Squeaky Wheels president Dana Berg.

The pie-eating festivities will be at Fort Ward Park near Lynwood Center. As an added feature, forks will be provided.

Ticket prices are $25 for adults and $15 for youths 8 to 17. There is no charge and no T-shirt for riders ages 7 and under. Some extra T-shirts will be available for $15.

The new button tickets are available at B.I.Cycle, Classic Cycle and Dana’s Showhouse in the mall on Winslow Way and across the street at The Traveller.

Come picnic in Eagledale

The Eagledale neighborhood invites the community to its annual picnic.

Bring a potluck dish and mix and mingle from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 15 in Eagledale Park, located on Rose Avenue off Eagle Harbor Drive.

The event takes place every two years, said organizer Margaret Moe, adding, “We have done it for years.”

For information call Moe at 842-2034.