Wonderful place

To the editor:

This is the most wonderful place in the world to live, and sometimes we forget.

My wife and I recently received our COVID-19 booster shots at the high school. There were hundreds of seniors like us, wearing masks so they were difficult to recognize.

Most impressive were the volunteers who assisted with parking, collecting paperwork, directing, answering questions, and in general lending a hand wherever needed.

After receiving our shots we waited 15 minutes to see if there was a reaction. We smiled and said hello to masked people we haven’t seen in years.

I know it sounds corny, but I wish we all had nametags. I never heard a harsh word or complaint, and it made me realize again what a wonderful place this is.

Dick Krutch

Bainbridge Island

Waste reduction

To the editor:

The City Council is to be commended for passing a meaningful ordinance last week to reduce plastic pollution and waste.

Bainbridge Island joins a growing number of cities and counties taking these steps and will be an example for many others. Councilmembers Kirsten Hytopoulos, Joe Deets and Leslie Schneider in particular stepped up to work with a multi-stakeholder task force over several months on the consensus-based recommendations.

A United Nations Environment Program report from last summer says, “All materials have an impact, with the most sustainable being reusable products.” Some of the important changes we’ll see on the island include a switch to reusable dishes and utensils for onsite dining plus new nudges to bring our reusable mugs when we get drinks. To-go packages will also be more sustainable.

There are significant greenhouse gas emissions associated with every step of the plastics production process, and passing this ordinance fulfills an important commitment in our island’s Climate Action Plan. It will also help protect our marine wildlife—which ingests or get entangled in plastic—and clean up our beautiful island beaches.

With over a year before the new requirements take effect, there’s time for public outreach and assistance to businesses. I urge the city to provide adequate funding for those efforts and look forward to celebrating Bainbridge businesses as leaders in sustainability.

Nora Nickum

Bainbridge Island