Support school levy
To the editor:
My professional life was spent teaching in and leading private schools. I’m 77 years old, have no grandchildren in a BISD school, and have lived for only 12 years on the island. Yet, I am strongly in support of the current levy request by BISD.
Why?
1) The island is blessed with one of the finest public school districts in the state. The current leadership is characterized by integrity, thoughtfulness, and commitment to providing the best possible education for all the district’s children.
2) State funding provides only part of the district’s financial needs; in fact, state funding policies are unfavorable to districts like BISD. For this reason, the excellence of the district rests in no small measure on the ongoing financial support of the local community.
3) After assuring its health and safety, a community’s highest responsibility is providing for the education of its young people.
4) Our collective future and the health of our society depend on a well-educated citizenry to spur innovation and problem solving, to inspire us with beauty, to sustain our physical environment, and to uplift our spirit.
I believe that a prosperous and healthy future for us and our families depends on the kind of high-quality education offered by the district.
I urge you to vote yes on the current school levy.
Frank Magusin
Bainbridge Island
Elect new councilmembers
To the editor:
Council’s decision-making process is broken. The current process builds a box of limitations, then council gets inside the self-created box. Next step is to convince individual islanders the council’s narrow solution is the best and only solution. When the community pushes back council acts insulted.
I believe the best way to fix the broken decision-making process is to elect new councilmembers. My choices are Lara Lant, Mike Nelson and Peter Raffa.
Doug Rauh
Bainbridge Island
Re-elect Deets
To the editor:
I am writing to express my strong endorsement of Joe Deets for re-election to BI City Council. I’ve known and interacted with Joe for years and can confidently attest to his exceptional character, profound dedication, and genuine commitment to serving Bainbridge Island and the Kitsap County community.
Joe has been a steady, smart, and engaged hand at the council since 2018. He has championed and led projects for affordable housing, clean energy, emergency preparedness, and many other priorities and has represented the island’s interests well while serving on numerous county and state committees, including the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, West Sound Partners for Ecosystem Recovery and many other Kitsap County committees. He also never shies away from discussions and outreach, even amongst those who may disagree with him, as he maintains weekly public office hours and has for years.
In addition to the effort he devotes to his official council duties, Joe has served as a community volunteer to numerous nonprofits and similar organizations, including Bainbridge Prepares, the Bainbridge Island School District, and the Suquamish Tribe. And I can also attest to times where I’ve called him for personal assistance on very short notice, where he’s stepped up time and time again.
Please re-elect Joe Deets!
Loren Bast
Bainbridge Island
Vote for Moriwaki
To the editor:
On Nov. 4, Bainbridge Island voters will choose our next city councilmembers — and I hope you’ll join me in voting for Clarence Moriwaki.
I’ve known Clarence for almost 40 years, going back to when we both worked for the Senate Democratic Caucus — he was in communications, and I was in policy and constituent relations. From the start, Clarence impressed me with two things: his deep love for community and his absolute dedication to what he believes in. When he commits to something, he’s all in.
A good example is Clarence’s leadership in helping create the Exclusion Memorial honoring the 276 Bainbridge Islanders of Japanese descent who were forced from their homes during World War II. It’s a lasting reminder of how he turns care into action and follows through for his community.
Clarence shows up — for our neighbors and for Bainbridge Island. Please re-elect him on Nov. 4!
Jing Fong
Bainbridge Island
Blossom for Council
To the editor:
I wholeheartedly endorse Sarah Blossom for the South Ward position on the Bainbridge Island City Council. Having worked with Sarah on the Planning Commission, I can attest to her unwavering integrity and commitment. She has shown courage by standing by her principles, even when in the minority, and has consistently raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the Comprehensive Plan update.
With a JD in Law, two terms on the City Council, and two terms on the Planning Commission, Sarah brings deep experience and nuanced judgment. She has engaged on Bainbridge Island’s most pressing issues, from affordable housing to groundwater management, with a thoughtful approach. Sarah has been doing thankless volunteer work in service of a constructive vision for our island community for decades. Her critical perspective on state mandates like HB1220 demonstrates that she understands our community’s unique needs and is willing to fight for the people that make our community special.
As a lifelong islander and small business owner, Sarah is deeply connected to this community. She understands how layers of expenses are making it unaffordable for long-time residents (i.e. seniors, fixed-income and families) to leave. Sarah has stepped forward as a candidate to ensure their voices are represented at City Hall.
Sarah Blossom offers the optimistic, experienced, and engaged leadership our city needs. I urge you to join me in voting for her for South Ward.
Criss Garcia
Bainbridge Island
Vote yes for school levy
To the editor:
With respect to the upcoming school levy in the Bainbridge Island School District, I would like to provide insight from a student’s perspective. I am in full support of the enrichment levy, which not only would provide ample opportunity for students in our district but also aid in fiscal sustainability moving forward.
As an eleventh grade student at Bainbridge High School, I have experienced firsthand the repercussions of our district’s budget crisis. Our teachers and staff are overwhelmed with the situation at hand, and myself and my peers have noticed a decline in our ability to engage with valuable school-related opportunities. The potential for this levy to not only promote extracurricular enrichments within the district, but also to propel our financial upheaval into a more secure place, is more than promising.
If no action is taken to ensure this levy is passed, the situation at our district level will continue to worsen. Opportunities for students will remain limited, and valuable staff will find themselves lacking support. Voting in support of the levy will increase funding to several causes that have a direct impact on my personal experience as a student. It is my belief that support for our community lies in each person’s own civic duty: thus, I hope we can aid in passing this levy for the benefit of over 3,000 students like myself here on Bainbridge.
Emma Luce
Bainbridge Island
Support Deets
To the editor:
I encourage you to support Joe Deets for Bainbridge Island City Council North Ward District 7. Joe has the depth of experience and expertise to be an effective council member. He knows how to be productive on the City Council and understands the council’s role in the community. In his years on the council, he has demonstrated a heartfelt commitment to all of the Bainbridge Island community.
Joe was a council liaison to the Climate Change Advisory committee when I served as a member. Working with Joe, I found him to be an excellent listener, easy to work with and open to finding solutions. He approaches issues with integrity, practicality and enthusiasm. He gets things done. I appreciate his longstanding dedication to supporting the Climate Action Plan and climate change issues, advocating for equity across the community, and working towards finding practical solutions to affordable housing on the island.
I hope you join me in voting to re-elect Joe Deets to the City Council.
Julie Matthews
Bainbridge Island
Support students, vote for levy
To the editor:
The state is not fulfilling its constitutional duty to fully fund our children’s education. Having said that, due to the tremendous work of superintendent Thompson and our amazing school staff, the district has balanced the budget for last year and the current school year (the claim in the voter pamphlet that the district is ‘in debt’ is simply not true – visit www.bisd303.org to educate yourself about the district budget).
However, the reserve (rainy day) fund has to be replenished. This supplemental levy helps us to preserve more of our budget to support today and tomorrow’s students. In addition, Ordway and Commodore must be replaced in the near future. I don’t know what the interest rate would be if our bond rating slips, but I bet that the extra interest on a school bond would cost our community far more than the amount of this levy (and even with this levy, our tax rate is expected to decline from $2.12 per $1,000 of home value currently to approx. $2.06 per $1,000 of home value over the three-year life of the levy).
This levy is an investment in our students and one that we need to make. Superintendent Thompson and the school board promised no school closures and a balanced budget moving forward. They have delivered on this promise, and I believe that they will continue to honor their promise. To learn more about the supplemental levy, please visit www.bipss.org.
Thank you – please support our students and vote yes!
Mark Emerson
Bainbridge Island
Councilmembers shady
To the editor:
Passing a Climate Action Plan was a big accomplishment, but when it comes to protecting the local environment of our beautiful island – streams, wetlands, trees, open space – don’t be fooled by faux environmentalists. (Joe Deets and Clarence Moriwaki) have been working behind the scenes to dismantle the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee, the only citizen advisory committee with a broad base of environmental expertise. Other than viewing ETAC as a roadblock to development, it is unclear what their motive is.
In Fall 2024, they illegally interviewed four candidates for ETAC without any representative from ETAC present. After persuading two continuing members that they would not have time for ETAC, they concluded that ETAC was short on members and should be dissolved. In an email obtained through a Public Records Request, Deets wrote to the City Manager and Moriwaki: “…we believe that it makes no sense to make any appointments at this time, as it would perpetuate an unsatisfactory status quo. A decision needs to be made about this Committee and our recommendation to the full Council will be for the dissolution of ETAC…”
The same players discussed the issue of ETAC again in Spring 2025 and decided to ignore ETAC, not discuss it publicly, not respond to inquiries, and hope it would fade away. The secret dismantling of a scientific citizen advisory committee during the development of a groundwater plan and other critical environmental issues, spearheaded by these two, is astounding. Make them pay for this action – vote them out!
Charlie Kratzer
Bainbridge Island
Voting important
To the editor:
Voting is one aspect of citizen engagement in local government that invites attention in the run-up to an election. For many, the engagement ends after the polls close. Fortunately, a few of our neighbors are willing to run for and serve in public office.
I support Sarah Blossom, Lara Lant, and Clarence Moriwaki for City Council – three candidates with many years of relevant civic engagement and community service.
And thanks to all candidates for engaging in this vital part of our democracy.
Wayne Roth
Bainbridge Island
Vote for Deets
To the editor:
I am writing to endorse Joe Deets for the office of city councilor. I have found him to be a thoughtful councilor who makes a significant effort to listen to constituents and to consider all aspects of an issue.
I particularly appreciate his recognition of the urgent need for more affordable (workforce) housing on the island. At the recent candidate forum held by the League of Women Voters, his opponent said that she favored more ADUs and two and three-unit buildings, which to me indicates that she does not appreciate the urgency of the situation. We currently have grocery workers enduring commutes that are over an hour one way in the afternoon, and more than one employer has told the city council that they have difficulty finding employees because of the travel time. I can’t help but wonder what will happen as the island population ages, and more people need home health care.
I also want to note that there is no guarantee that any of the units she proposes will be accessible to people with disabilities. The 625 Winslow project, with its multiple stories, will have an elevator, thus making all of its units at least potentially accessible. Thinking small on housing will do nothing to make Bainbridge Island a more inclusive community. I hope you will join me in voting for Joe Deets.
Marsha Cutting
Bainbridge Island
School levy important
To the editor:
We’re voting YES for the Bainbridge Island School District Levy.
As proud Bainbridge High School graduates, parents of Bainbridge alumni, and now grandparents of students in the district, we have seen firsthand how strong schools strengthen our entire community. For generations, Bainbridge schools have provided an outstanding education that prepares students to thrive — academically, creatively, and socially.
The upcoming school levy is essential to maintaining that tradition of excellence. Voting YES means ensuring our teachers have the resources they need to continue inspiring and supporting every student. It means maintaining small class sizes, protecting arts and enrichment programs, and keeping our facilities safe and up to date.
Strong schools are the heart of Bainbridge Island. They nurture curious minds, build community pride, and prepare the next generation of leaders and neighbors.
We’re voting YES to preserve the quality of education that has shaped our family and our community for decades. Please join us in voting YES for Bainbridge schools — for our children, our teachers, and our shared future.
Rick and Lisa Skelton
Bainbridge Island
