“Downtown Winslow merchants and the island’s Chamber of Commerce continue to push the Town Square, an ambitious plan that could provide both parking for shoppers and affordable housing.But they fear the city may have have sacrificed the future to preserve the past, by offering a deal to let the Bainbridge Island Historical Society move to the vacant pet store property on Ericksen Avenue. And that, some say, puts the museum and the new parking facility in conflict.”
“Life on the edge can be tough – yet island installation artist Annie Mendenhall thrives on pushing boundaries.The fluid boundary between self and (M)other/ Nature is the area for exploration she cites in her preface to Nest, one of the exhibition pieces she created as part of her studies for an MFA in New Media. Standing in front of a disused satellite dish – once the focus of the installation piece – it is hard to imagine the empty vessel ever having contained such a wealth of implications.Perhaps it’s like the ’60s – you just had to be there. In many ways my work is an offshoot of what was happening back then – the happenings, the street art, the environments, says Mendenhall, citing the participation demanded of the audience as they move through the space as one of the reasons why she finds it so hard to document her work.”
“Whatever happened to Census 2000?Ninety-nine percent done, reports our erstwhile colleague Jack Swanson, lately a recruiter for the local arm of the federal nose-count.This was confirmed by Becky Beemer (spouse of another Review alum, fabled sportswriter Dave), who marshalled a rotating team of 10-15 fieldworkers as they tracked down those who didn’t respond to the census by mail. There remains a period of accuracy checking, the so-called Coverage Improvement Follow-up, but most of the shoe-wear is over.”
“Three medium- to high-density developments in or near Winslow have run into delays or challenges, and the common theme is neighborhood fears about increased density.The three developments at issue are:* Village Square, a mixed-use development proposed by Jim Laughlin between Madison Avenue and Hildebrand Lane south of Safeway. The Bainbridge Island Planning Commission has recommended denial of the site plan; planning Director Stephanie Warren has yet to make a decision.* The Village at Sakai Lakes, an apartment community proposed by Doug Nelson on the property immediately across Madison Avenue from Ordway Elementary School. The planning department has requested additional information, particularly concerning traffic and wetlands impact.* Woodland Village, a single-family home development also proposed by Nelson on 10 acres north of High School Road and west of Ferncliff Avenue. The East Central Bainbridge Island Community Association has gone to court in an effort to undo the city council’s recent approval of that project.”
“What do a Roman villa, Italian Renaissance street theater, and the Seven Wonders of the World have in common? The Commodore Center is the place to find out, where fifth and sixth graders use a multiplicity of media to display projects remarkably varied subjects.We’ve always encouraged kids to present their work in whatever way seems most appropriate, said Emily Grice, teacher for the school district’s independent contract studies program. The state curriculum is just catching up. She said the program is unique because it allows kids to decide upon projects with their teachers and monitor improvement through self-evaluation, offering the option to make use of videos or live performance in the course of completing their portfolios.The aim of this week’s Portfolio Fair is to share the kids’ work with the community. There will be the opportunity to discuss the portfolios with their student creators, with areas of study ranging from children’s theater to state history.”
“June appears to be the season for changes. Graduation time. Wedding time. Fickle weather, at least in the Northwest.And this year, June is a time of change in the downtown Winslow streetscape.In what the owner vows is only a temporary move, the Blue Water Diner on Madison Avenue is closed for re-tooling, as is the oil-change operation of the neighboring Packard’s Quality Service. The businesses opened in 1997.”
“Collapsing canons, fragmented literary traditions, and a crumbling notion of high art – the postmodern condition looks like a mess. Yet one feisty old writer is determined to bridge the gaps.Language is my game, says 84- year-old islander Ted Simmons. Always has been.”
“A revitalized Lynwood Center will begin blooming sometime this fall, to fulfill a dream of Morrie Blossom.That’s when construction is expected to start on Lynwood Commons, a seven-building mixed-use project planned for a prominent 3.9-acre site on Bainbridge Island’s south end.It’s been a decade-long dream of Morrie’s to enhance and revitalize this neighborhood, his wife Kathy said of the project, which will sit on now vacant land along Lynwood Center Road, between Baker Hill Road on the north and Point White Drive on the south.”
“A little education goes a long way, but few teachers would attempt to cram a civilization into a single classroom.The last five months have been a rollercoaster experience, says Woodward Middle School science teacher Carl Lindbloom, leaping onto a 16-square-foot model island to dislodge a lump of sediment from the small-scale pond and get the mini loop-de-loop moving.”
“We used to find ourselves mightily annoyed by the vacant Unocal lot at the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305.Back in the day, when mounds of polluted dirt still blighted the grounds, and before local youngsters adorned the bland fence with whimsical murals – come to think of it, before there was a fence at all – the property was Winslow’s number one eyesore. Yet it was the first site greeting visitors coming off the ferry.”
“When the campaigning is done and the last vote counted, voters in the 23rd Legislative District will have their Phil.Republican Phil Rasmussen, a Poulsbo businessman and mechanical engineer, will oppose incumbent Democrat Phil Rockefeller of Bainbridge Island for the seat in the state House of Representatives.”
“More than a decade after the Union 76 gas station near the ferry terminal was torn down, petroleum still laces the site’s soil and groundwater – with no plans for cleanup in sight.Under the cleanup laws, (station owners) have to report when contamination occurs, and they have to come up with a focus study, said Washington State Department of Ecology spokesman Curt Hart. But there is nothing that requires the cleanup to be done in a certain amount of time.Sitting at the southwest corner of Highway 305 and Winslow Way, the lot and its chain-link fence, brightened by children’s paintings of ferries and island landmarks, has become a familiar fixture for commuters.”
“Eric Two Scoops Moore isn’t greedy – he just has a lust for life and a taste for double portions.Two scoops of loving keep me satisfied, says the Boston-based Moore, who cites food as his consuming passion, not counting his wife Amy.Album titles like Clean Plate and Hungry speak for themselves, and suggest that music is also high on Moore’s list of life-long loves.For it is as a musician that Moore earns his daily bread. Having toured blues and jazz festivals for six years with recording partner Luther Guitar Junior Johnson, he returns Saturday to play the piano for the third time at Island Center Hall, leading a band that includes Guy Quitino on bass, Jim King on sax and Cutts Peaslee on drums. His high-energy swing dance music always has people’s feet moving, park district events coordinator Sue Hylen said of Moore’s island performances.”