REVIEW BAINBRIDGE ISLAND
THE KIDS OF KITEZH: Islanders work to restart Camp Siberia. A8
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2012 | Vol. 112, No. 40 | WWW.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.COM | 75¢
Heroin use on the rise on Bainbridge
Island vineyards starts the harvest BY RICHARD D. OXLEY Bainbridge Island Review
Got grapes? Bainbridge Island sure does. The vineyard that was founded by islanders Gerard and Jo Ann Bentryn wasn’t active over the past couple years. The farmland off Day Road was tended and the vines were thriving, but because of health reasons, the Bentryns had to postpone the harvests. Farmer Betsey Wittick, who has helped them with the wine operation over the past 15 years, wasn’t about to let another year go by without a grape harvest to fill some barrels. Wittick, along with some volunteer helping hands, began picking this week. They picked Siegerrebe grapes, a German variety that produces white wine. “We did it pretty fast,” she said. “I just finished pressing, but I will be doing some more batches next week. We haven’t started fermenting yet.” Wittick said that the Siegerrebe grapes were a little tardy this season. “The spring was a little late, so (the grapes) are a little bit late,” she said. “Normally we would have picked this variety in September.” And the harvest isn’t over just yet. More varieties of grapes — such as Madeleine Angevine, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and MüllerThurgau — are ripening on the vine and will be ready soon. The wine will have to spend some time in a barrel before it can be bottled and enjoyed. Wittick said it will be about a year. When the wine does hit shelves, it will be another great local treasure reaped from island soil. “It’s a great compliment to all the local foods we have here,” Wittick said.
Island sees rise in heroin-related calls to police BY RICHARD D. OXLEY Bainbridge Island Review
Brian Kelly / Bainbridge Island Review
Volunteer picker Robin Bodony helps harvest grapes Wednesday at the farm on Day Road.
The car sat abandoned in a Bainbridge Island driveway. Police were baffled about why it was left behind, until they peered inside where hundreds of syringes lay strewn about the cabin. The abandoned 1998 Lincoln Continental found on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 4 was merely the latest in a trend of heroin-related incidents on the island. Police reports over the past year show an increasing presence of the drug on the island, more so than other drugs commonly encountered by officers. “Heroin has floated to the top over the last year,” said Bainbridge Island Police Commander Sue Shultz. During the same week the car was found abandoned with hundreds of needles inside, a thief was caught fishing money out of a toll box at a ferry terminal parking lot.
The young man, caught in the act, told police that he was a heroin addict and was stealing to “get by.” And last week, another alleged toll thief attempted to bargain for less jail time with officers in exchange for information on island heroin dealers. The heroin-related calls seems almost constant. In August, police entered a nine-bedroom home on Bergman Road to serve an arrest warrant and found their suspect, among other users, with a swollen arm from recent heroin use. That same day police encountered a suspicious person in front of the Safeway on High School Road. In his possession was paraphernalia used for injecting heroin. Aluminum cans forged into smoking devices — also for heroin — were tossed in the bushes nearby. The reports continue on back throughout the year and include multiple overdoses, including one incident in March when a woman overdosed on heroin at her home near Fletcher Bay. SEE HEROIN, A21
AlderDash fundraiser for IslandWood hits the ground running Sunday BY BRIAN KELLY Bainbridge Island Review
It’s not a walk in the park. Actually, it’s even better. IslandWood, the Bainbridge Island-based outdoor learning center, will hold its first-ever AlderDash this weekend. The fundraiser is a familyfriendly walk and run on the trails of the 255-acre campus and along the Bainbridge Island waterfront that’s expected to draw hundreds of attendees on Sunday, Oct. 7. But organizers of the event note that it’s much more than a chance to strap on the running shoes for a good cause. The new community event will
feature a full, fun day of activities, recreation, food and live music. Performers include Caspar Babypants, the Tall Boys and Johnny Bregar. Proceeds from the event will support IslandWood’s outdoor learning programs, which help thousands of Seattle-area youth explore the natural world and learn about the environment. AlderDash, sponsored in part by the Seattle Marathon Association, will include routes of three, six and 13.1 miles. Maura Ahearne, organizer of the event, said the nonprofit first started talking about a benefit to support the school’s overnight program, but organizers decided it
pants can pause to should be more AlderDash meet with members than a race. of IslandWood’s “We wanted What: Benefit for education team to create someIslandWood. and kids who have thing unique When: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 participated in the and aligned with p.m. Sunday, Oct 7. four-day overnight IslandWoods’ misWhere: IslandWood, 4450 program to get an sion,” Ahearne Blakely Ave. NE idea of the experienexplained. Info: www.islandwood. tial education that’s “There are org, 206-855-4300. offered at the learncountless runs ing center. Runners and walks in or strollers can get our region, so a glimpse of what we decided to overnighters experience, and can not time the event — so it’s not a stop to talk with a naturalist in the race — and we decided to include bog treehouse, or climb aboard the IslandWood programming.” floating classroom at Mac’s Pond. Instead of water pit stops along “We are hoping that a lot of the route, IslandWood will set up people who have never been to “inspiration stations” where partici-
IslandWood before will come here and start to understand what our school is all about,” Ahearne said. AlderDash will include routes for all abilities, from the very young to the very old, plus the half-marathon course for semi-serious runners. Beyond hoofing it through the outdoors, a wide range of activities are also planned. “It’s not just a kids’ event, it’s not just an adults’ event,” said Thatcher Heldring of IslandWood. “We do view this as an all-day festival. There’s elements of inspiration, recreation and celebration. We’ve got live music and great food. This really is an all-ages SEE ALDERSDASH, A16