REVIEW BAINBRIDGE ISLAND
THE YEAR IN PICTURES: Enjoy highlights from 2011 in our pictorial retrospective. Page A8-9
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2011 | Vol. 111, No. 52 | WWW.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.COM | 75¢
The flowing spirits of Bainbridge Island
RUSH HOUR – BAINBRIDGE STYLE
Island has gained its own corner of Washington’s craft distilling scene. By RICHARD D. OXLEY Staff Writer
Willie Wenzlau/For the Review
Commuters on the 6:20 p.m. ferry run on Dec. 22 were greeted by a group of flash-mob meditators who sat in silence and later, chanted. The Bainbridge event coincided with others in more than 250 cities worldwide.
MedMob occupies peace at terminal By CONNIE MEARS Staff Writer
If you were searching for peace, rush hour at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal might not be the first place you’d look, but commuters spilling off the 6:20 p.m. ferry
Dec. 22 were met with the soothing sound of – well, breathing. A group of residents gathered in the terminal as part of a “MedMob,” a takeoff on the popular flash mob movement. Instead of thrashing to “Thriller,” MedMobsters meditate in a public place for one hour, then
offer an 11-minute “sound bath,” in this case chanting “Om Shanti Om.” “We might have gone a little longer than 11 minutes,” said Helen Burke who organized the event based on MedMob.org. The online effort coordinates MedMobs now
in more than 250 cities worldwide. The seed of the idea was planted in July when an ad-hoc group met at Jen Breen’s Karma Yoga House to explore ways to offer “selfless service” to the community. The service SEE MEDMOB, A4
City news dominates 2011 headlines Islanders can take it or leave it, but city was busy grabbing attention in 2011.
By DENNIS ANSTINE Staff Writer
For most people, life on the island does not revolve around the City of Bainbridge. If you live here and work in Seattle, for example, likely half of your weekday’s waking hours are focused on a job and getting to and from it.
If you rarely leave the island, the city may have a little more to do with your day, but likely not very much. The city’s business, however, is much more of an emphasis for those whose job focuses on letting community members know how public dollars are being spent and the direction a municipality is traveling in terms of representation. With that in mind, one could say that the city – including its staff and council – was up to its proverbial neck in a multitude of trials and tribulations during 2011. Some of the headaches were
hangovers from the recent past, including: the fatal police shooting of Douglas Ostling; the Bainbridge Ratepayers Alliance lawsuit and the fallout from it; the effect of the Winslow Way reconstruction project on downtown businesses; and dealing with several road emergencies, some of which occurred because of a lack of city maintenance in recent years. There also were many positives, including: the city reducing the water rates by 45 percent at year’s end for its Winslow users; finishing Winslow Way in late November; signing a 30-year lease with Friends of the Farms;
Worth 12,000 words See pages A8-9 for a pictorial retrospective of some of 2011 highlights. and many, many others – big and small. The community also voted in four new council members, which could mean that some changes lie ahead since the newly elected officials – Anne Blair, Sarah Blossom, Steve Bonkowski and Dave Ward – campaigned on change to one SEE YEAR IN REVIEW, A5
Washington has carved out a niche for itself in the subculture of craft brewing and wines, but there is a new libation on the scene and it’s got spirit. Washington’s craft distillery industry is emerging fast, and Bainbridge has access to a corner of this scene through the Bainbridge Organic Distillery — among many that have recently been founded across the state, yet stands out as one of the more unique, and ethical. “People seem very interested in small-scale or specialty spirits production,” said Keith Barnes, owner of BOD. “It shows how much more interesting the products can be when they are made by hand versus a big factory.” Barnes opened the distillery in Coppertop Loop off Sportsman Club Road with son Patrick in 2009. Their first product, Legacy Organic Vodka, came in 2010 and was soon followed by Battle Point Whiskey. Last September they released a gin under the monicker Heritage. The most recent small batch of Battle Point Whiskey was released on Dec. 3. Of the 250 bottles available, eight remained by the end of the first day. Those sold within 15 minutes of opening the next day. “Business has continued to grow,” Barnes said. “We’ve ramped up production so we’re making more products than we were a few months ago and we are selling them faster.”
The Washington scene
With enthusiasm for craft products, Washington now leads SEE DISTILLERY, A3