Bainbridge Island Review, January 06, 2012

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REVIEW BAINBRIDGE ISLAND

ART WALK:

Inupiaq artist Lawrence Ahvakana shows work at Bainbridge Arts & Crafts this month.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2012 | Vol. 112, No. 1 | WWW.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.COM | 75¢

TAKING THE PLUNGE

Decade of city service ends Outspoken Bill Knobloch leaves council, but remains involved RICHARD D. OXLEY Staff Writer

Willie Wenzlau/For the Review

As has been the tradition for 10 years, about 200 people took a Polar Bear Plunge at noon last Sunday at the end of Lytle Road off Pleasant Beach Drive. Fortunately, the day was mild for a New Years Day, though the water was as cold as usual.

Bill Knobloch eased back in his chair early Wednesday night, eager to witness his favorite show unravel. While others across Bainbridge Island were switching on their television set to engage the usual prime-time programming, Knobloch was watching the weekly Bainbridge City Council meeting. It was the first time in 10 years that he wasn’t watching it from the dais. When Knobloch stepped down from council at the end of December, he left

holding the record as the longest serving council me mb e r in the c it y ’s 20-year h i s t o r y. He has t a k e n part in a number of sig- Bill Knobloch n i f i c a nt moments in the city’s progress, from its growth, change of its form of government, and its difficulties during economic hardships. In turn, he has garnered significant praise and criticism from the island’s often divided citizens. “Bill has never questioned what his job was or what he was elected to do – stand up for the citizens of Bainbridge Island,” said SEE KNOBLOCH, A3

Islanders grieve over loss of beloved judge Judge Ted Spearman died Tuesday after suffering brain aneurysm. By DENNIS ANSTINE Staff Writer

The death of Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Ted Spearman on Tuesday reverberated around the county and Bainbridge Island as his peers, friends and neighbors expressed their respect and love for the man. Theodore “Ted” Spearman, 64, a county judge for seven years and a resident of Bainbridge since 1983, died Tuesday night due to complications of a brain aneurysm. Plans for a memorial service are pending, according to son-in-law Jason Weaver of Sonoma County, Calif.

Spearman, perhaps one of the most well-respected judges in the state according to many of his judicial peers, had a long history as a civil rights attorney and champion. He was appointed as the first black man on the Kitsap County bench in 2004 by then-Gov. Gary Locke and was re-elected twice. He was up for election this year, but resigned his post on Dec. 23 while hospitalized. Respect and warmth were the words most used by those describing the man after his death was announced. “It’s just a great loss for all of us who knew him,”

said Andrew Becker, a Port Orchard attorney who had become a close friend over the last 20 years. “He was a total people person with a tremendous capacity to appreciate and understand his fellow human beings. And he had this tremendous intellect. But what really set him apart was the devotion and love to his family and the bench.” Becker remembers speaking at Spearman’s “coronation,” when he was swornin as a judge in 2004. “As my speech was winding down about all of his qualities, I said, ‘And now at long last we have a vegetarian from Bainbridge Island on the Superior Court.’ He got a big kick out of that. Actually, he was a vegan.” One of Spearman’s highest points came in 2009 when

he was chosen to give the keynote address at the 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. To add to the drama, it was on the eve of the inauguration of President Barack Obama. As he often did, Judge Spearman spoke of the need to nurture our children with love and dedication. “Parents should encourage and empower their children to live their dreams,” he said. “Put children first because they are our pieces of art and they can be masterpieces.” Spearman also stood up for diversity at home, including during 1998 when the Bainbridge City Council was considering an ordinance that could have led to the end of liveaboard resi-

Photo courtesy of Judge J. Robin Hunt

Superior Court Judge Ted Spearman (left), the late Superior Court Judge Len Kruse and Appellate Court Judge J. Robin Hunt following the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event in 2009. dents in Eagle Harbor. His emphasis was on the need for diversity on Bainbridge and elsewhere. Repeatedly, he urged the council to honor the need to

preserve and honor diversity through the liveaboard community. He urged the council to treasure diversity SEE SPEARMAN, A4


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