News Roundup – Spate of drug busts continues/School support teams merge/BYS looking for kids with heart/Track support low around NK/High school plans finalized/

Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Spate of drug busts continues

Sometimes it’s luck. Other times it’s skill.

Whatever it is, Bainbridge Police have been busy thwarting drug related crimes of late.

Still, officers say the recent spike in drug arrests doesn’t necessarily herald an upswing in drug activity.

“It’s really a matter of opportunity,” said Bainbridge Police Chief Matt Haney, of three major drug arrests in the last month.

Most recently, police on Oct. 3 arrested a 22-year-old Bainbridge man, who among other drug paraphernalia possessed methamphetamines and a loaded handgun.

That follows two notable September arrests, one following a traffic stop in which the officer discovered 500 grams of marijuana in the suspect’s car, the other halting a suspected heroin and crack operation at a Lynwood Center home that also contained weapons at the time of the arrest.

Detective Scott Weiss said drug investigations, like the one that netted the Lynwood Center suspects, are often tricky because they require more time and resources than other investigations.

“You can’t just walk up to someone and arrest them,” he said. “With traffic stops it’s hit and miss, but drug investigations can take long time.”

Money, which undercover detectives need to purchase drugs, is also a factor.

Both Weiss and Haney said Bainbridge Police have recently devoted a considerable amount of time and resources to stopping drug sales.

But both were also careful to avoid making assumptions about trends in the area.

Along with meth, Haney said the illegal use of prescription drugs, which fetch up to $80 per pill, is particularly troubling.

Besides the obvious health implications, he said, drug problems often manifest themselves in other ways, such as car prowls and burglaries, both of which also saw spikes over the summer.

“A lot of people act like drug crimes only happen in Seattle,” Haney said. “But these are really serious things that the community needs to admit happen here on Bainbridge Island.”

– Chad Schuster

School support teams merge

In a streamlining effort, two of the island’s school fundraising stalwarts have become one.

The Bainbridge Education Support Team and the Public Schools Trust merged recently to form the Bainbridge Schools Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money to augment public school funding.

“There’s been a lot of confusion about what kind of fundraising we each did in the past,” said BEST Executive Director Heidi Dexter. “The goal now is to have one very cohesive organization.”

In the past, both organizations had different focuses and often drew from the same donor base.

BEST will run a number of fundraising events, including a phone-a-thon next month and a wine-tasting event in late January.

The new group consists of two part-time employees and a 21 member board of directors, headed by president Tom Leigh.

– Chad Schuster

BYS looking for kids with heart

Bainbridge Youth Services is accepting nominations for Kids With A Heart, the organization’s 21st-century humanitarian award program.

Started in 2001, the annual program honors young people in the community who give of themselves in a spirit of generosity and exemplify service to others, courage integrity and stewardship.

“Our community is lucky to have wonderfully capable, curious, energetic, talented, hard-working and uniquely gifted youth. BYS, along with parents, teachers and the community, commends the successes of our youth who excel in intellectual pursuits, sports, musical and artistic venues. We know that success in these pursuits takes diligence, determination and courage along with natural abilities and talents.

BYS recognizes students in grades five through 12 who are exemplars of going beyond themselves for the benefit of others and who go beyond what is required or expected in school, jobs, activities and relationships, public and personal.

Teachers, counselors and other community members who know and work with Bainbaridge youth are invited to nominate candidates for the Compassionate Action Award. BYS presents the awards at the annual celebration in November.

This year’s award ceremony will be held Nov. 19 at Bethany Lutheran Church, 7968 Finch Road.

Nomination forms are available at www.babinbridgeyouthservices.org, the Bainbridge Library and various Winslow merchants or by contacting the BYS office at 842-9675. Nominations must be returned to the BYS office by Oct. 15.

Track support low around NK

A pollster hired to survey Kitsap County county about their preferences with regard to a NASCAR track reports they are evenly split on the proposition.

“It really is down the middle,” said Stuart Elway, island resident and president of Elway Research of Seattle. “It couldn’t be more evenly divided.”

Elway presented his results Monday afternoon at a Kitsap County commissioners work session.

“From this data, it seems unlikely that people will change their position,” Elway said. “They will not be swayed by arguments and will stay evenly divided. I don’t think we will ride out a consensus, and will remain contentious after a decision is made.”

Elway polled 600 households in early September, asking straight-preference questions along with those covering economics and culture. The mix of questions was developed from input by the county commissioners.

Elway said those polled recognize but are not persuaded by the strengths of the opposing arguments. The exception to this is that NASCAR could pay for the entire track and sway some opponents.

Even so, many residents oppose the track on a “quality-of-life” basis.

According to the poll, those who strongly oppose the track never watch NASCAR racing, have a graduate degree, are over 65, live in North Kitsap and Bainbridge Island, and are homeowners.

Those who strongly support the track watch NASCAR on TV but have never been to a race, are under 35, live in South Kitsap where the track would be located, make less than $25,000 and have high school degrees and some college.

Elway said his poll was a good indication of current public opinion, although the results of an election may have different results.

“It will depend upon the campaigns and who you get to vote,” he said.

The International Speedway Corp. seeks to build the racetrack on a 940-acre site near the Bremerton National Airport.

It has also committed to pay half of the projected $345 million construction cost, while proposing a “public- private” partnership to fund the remainder.

Funding details will be addressed by the 2007 state Legislature. If constructed, the track would open in 2011.

“We live in an evenly divided society,” Elway told county commissioners. “At some point, you need to make up your mind.

The complete survey results are online at www.kitsapgov.com.

– Charlie Bermant

High school plans finalized

In addition to presenting the final designs and cost estimates for the high school renovation before the project goes to bid, the school district on Thursday will present its package of budget cuts to close a $400,000 shortfall.

“We have a better understanding and the plans are much more specific,” said district Capital Projects Director Tamela VanWinkle of the high school design.

The district in August announced that the project was $1.3 million over budget.

After paring down the plans, VanWinkle said the cost now is “pretty close” to where it should be.

As for the school budget, school board President Bruce Weiland said the district has created a package of cuts that will have a minimal effect in the classroom. The shortfall occurred as a result of an unexpected decline in enrollment.

School funding is determined largely by student enrollment projections, with the district receiving about $4,700 per student to pay for operating costs.

In response to the recent school shootings nationwide, the school board will also initiate discussions about school violence.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the BHS library.

– Chad Schuster

Solar tour was a bright idea

Soaks the sun rays. Sheds golf balls.

That’s how Eric Hoyte measures the success of the 28 solar panels he had installed on the roof of his Cherry Street home.

“The sun’s power is available. Why not use it?” he said during a tour of his home Saturday. Hoyte’s power meter reports that he’s generated about 1600 kilowatt hours since May, when he put $20,000 into rigging his home with solar panels. His typical power bill has dropped from about $60 a month to $5.

“The panels are built strong. No problems with it. They’ll last long. Even golf balls bounce off,” he said, pointing at the Wing Point Golf and Country Club greens bordering his back yard.

Hoyte’s home was one of four island residences taking part in the American Solar Energy Society’s 11th Annual National Solar Tour over the weekend.

Over 100 people stopped by Hoyte’s house, as well as homes on Sunrise Drive, Roberts Road, Manitou Beach Road, and at the IslandWood education center on Blakely Avenue.

“All of the hosts were exhausted but excited,” said the event’s island organizer Tammy Deets. “The visitors were from as far as Belfair, Port Orchard (and) Kingston, as well as a few out of town guests from California, Connecticut and Massachusetts.”

Many islanders also toured the homes to see what their neighbors were up to.

“I see it as an environmental responsibility,” said island resident Tom Campbell as he toured Hoyte’s home.

Campbell and his wife June are considering solar panels for their own home. They know it’s an expensive undertaking, with the cost of installation and equipment likely catching up with electricity bill savings in some 20 years, by Campbell’s estimates.

But there are other costs to consider, he said.

“Our electricity rates are not taking into account the true environmental costs,” Campbell said. “We have air pollution from coal fire plants and the impacts on salmon runs from hydro power. We have nuclear disposal and the cost of war in Iraq, which is a bona-fide cost.”

Island resident Dennis Willerford, who rode the tour by bike with his son Sean, said seeing panels rigged to his neighbors’ homes made the notion more plausible for his own house.

“It’s a question of timing and finances,” he said. “Even if a person’s not technically-oriented, you can see on these houses that (solar panels) can work like any other system you have at home.”

– Tristan Baurick