Bridge closures
Department of Transportation work on the Agate Pass Bridge will cause traffic issues from Jan. 24 to Feb. 20.
From Jan. 24 to Feb. 11 night-time travelers should expect some delays for one-way alternating traffic from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for emergency utility work.
Delays are expected to be worse – a minimum of 30 minutes – from Feb. 14-20 when DOT does bridge cleaning from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Road signs already are in place on Highway 305 warning drivers.
DOT advises motorists to postpone discretionary trips or travel early mornings or late evenings to avoid long delays.
Fatal fire cause
A fire in a home’s fireplace ignited nearby combustibles that spread to a couch leading to a blaze that ended up killing a Poulsbo man.
In a news release, the Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office also says the early morning fire started in the southeast corner of the living room on the main floor while the occupants were asleep upstairs.
The Jan. 3 fire at Holgar Court NE claimed the life of one of the home’s occupants, John Atkinson, 27.
The cause of death was inhalation of gasses of combustion, an autopsy done by county forensics says. The manner was accidental.
A smoke alarm woke the occupants who attempted to put out the blaze. Atkinson stayed inside to use a fire extinguisher while his husband went outside to use a garden hose.
The first crews to arrive, about 15 minutes after dispatch, reported that a portion of the two-story home had collapsed. The 2,300-square-foot home was a total loss. It took time to get there because of weather and road conditions, plus another fire happened at around the same time. Also the nearest fire hydrant was miles away so water had to be shuttled by tender trucks.
The survivor told investigators that he ran to a neighbor’s home to call 9-1-1.
Walk of hope
A Luminaria Walk along Winslow Way called Hope Glows 2022 will celebrate light and hope in action and take place Feb. 11 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Bainbridge Island residents of all ages are creating luminaria bags for the event. Schoolchildren are making bags in their art classes to display along BI’s main downtown street.
Bags for the public are available at the elementary school front offices or via porch pickup at the Bainbridge Youth Services at 8533 Madison Ave. N.
Mail theft
In Bainbridge city manager Blair King’s online weekly report, he says mail theft is a problem islandwide.
Areas recently hit were Crystal Spring, Sunrise Drive and Madison Avenue. Mail has been tossed on the ground and found in recyling bins. Private mailboxes in rural areas are most often targeted.
King also said city street crews are patching potholes after the recent winter storms. If you see one that needs to be fixed go to seeclickfix.com
History meeting
The Bainbridge Island Historical Museum will hold its annual meeting for members and friends of the museum Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. via Zoom.
In addition to a brief business meeting, the museum will recognize Gina Corpuz, Karen and Tom Beierle, and Katy Curtis as the 2022 History Heroes.
Have a friend who might be interested in becoming a member? Feel free to invite them along to attend virtually.
Join Zoom meeting us02web.zoom.us/j/6379031024 Meeting ID: 637 903 1024
BIMA events
Another in the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art “Save Yourselves – smARTfilms: They’re Out There! series will be shown Feb. 8.
Shows are at 2 and 7 p.m.
The film is “Save Yourselves,” a comedy sci-fi. A Brooklyn couple heads to an upstate cabin to unplug from their phones and reconnect with each other. They are left to their own devices as the planet falls under attack in this slapstick apocalypse.
On Feb. 9, an online forum at 7 p.m. will take place called “Doom or Deliverance – Aliens and Earthlings.”
Join fellow film enthusiasts for a post-series discussion with special guest Seth Shostak, senior astronomer with the SETI Project. The online forum will reflect on the series.
Shostak is the recipient of numerous awards for his work in popularizing science. The webinar will explore the science, the fiction and the speculation about aliens and what our first interactions would look like.
Local scholars
Poulsbo: Henry Beddoe and Emily Carthum, Belmont University Dean’s List. Brittany Placencia, University of Alabama, Presidents List; Etta Schnyder, Iowa State University, Dean’s List.
Bainbridge: Daniel Stein, Mercer University, President’s List.
