News Roundup – $400K drive for schools/Review lauded for writing, ads

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, October 18, 2006

$400K drive for schools

The Bainbridge Schools Foundation has launched its 2006-07 Schools Fundraising Campaign, with a goal of raising $400,000.

The campaign kicks off with a direct appeal solicitation to all Bainbridge public school parents, organizers say.

Some 3,500 letters will be mailed this week to parents of the 4,260 students enrolled this year.

The letters will be followed by the “phonathon” Nov. 12-14.

More than 100 parent and school district volunteers will be calling Bainbridge Island families to request their support of island public schools.

If parents respond to the direct appeal by Nov. 1, they will not receive a phone call from Schools Foundation volunteers.

“What’s important is family support and participation,” said Vicky Marsing, foundation vice president, in a news release. “On the island, our community steps up to support our kids, and we know that the Bainbridge Schools Foundation is the most effective way to supplement the scarce public funds for the schools.

“Our goal is to see 100 percent family participation. Any level gift helps our kids.”

The Bainbridge Schools Foundation was through the recent merger of the Bainbridge Education Support Team and the Public Schools Trust to augment the budget of the Bainbridge Island School District.

Bainbridge Schools Foundation funds will be used to support district-wide programs and teachers, organizers said.

This year, funds will be used for teacher training; staff salaries to maintain current teacher-to-student ratios; the Title 1 reading and academic remediation program; and classroom grants.

The Schools Foundation is also reaching out to the local community, businesses and Bainbridge schools alumni with events throughout the school year.

Island Fitness’ annual Solstice Run in December will directly benefit the Schools Foundation.

Other events later in the school year will reflect the established traditions of the Trust and BEST and support the new Schools Foundation’s educational goals.

For information on the school funding campaign, call Heidi Dexter at 855-0530.

Review lauded for writing, ads

The Bainbridge Island Review won the third place award for General Excellence and eight individual awards in the 2006 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.

The General Excellence award is the Review’s fifth in the past six years.

It follows first-place finishes in 2001 and 2004, and third-place finishes in 2002 and 2003.

Review ad designer Bill Asher received a first place nod while sports writer John Becerra, Jr. earned a third place award.

Staff writer Tristan Baurick took home six individual awards, including four first-place honors.

Baurick received the first place award in Best Investigative Reporting for stories revealing how Puget Sound salmon are not migrating as scientists had expected, and suggesting that government protections are falling short for the most sensitive salmon species.

He also won the coveted Best Feature Writer Portfolio award for stories he produced during a three-week assignment in Nicaragua covering the relationship between the islands of Ometepe and Bainbridge. His features covered a broad range of issues, including coffee farming, international trade and efforts to improve the Nicaraguan island’s water quality, health care, literacy rates and access to schools.

Baurick’s other top honors included Best Environmental Story for his wide-angle coverage of the reopening of the island’s geoduck harvest; and Best Agricultural Story for a feature on challenges facing the island’s honey producers.

He took home a second place win in the Best Government Affairs category, which recognized Baurick’s coverage of controversies surrounding campaign signs. Baurick won a third place award in the Best Business Story category for his profile of Browning Components, a local company credited with revolutionizing bicycle technology.

Becerra won third place in the Best Sports Feature category for his piece on Bainbridge High School volleyball coach Julie Miller. Becerra’s profile highlighted Miller’s ability to connect with players while guiding the team to five straight appearances at the 3A state volleyball tournament.

Asher’s first place award in the single promotional advertisement category recognized his design for a Lollipops Children’s Boutique ad.

The awards were announced Oct. 6 at WNPA’s 119th annual convention in Kennewick.