Second Opinion
Friday, October 18, 2013 • Bainbridge Island Review
More Letters Thank you
Community comes through for kitties To the editor: We would like to thank the Bainbridge Review and the great community of Bainbridge for support of our Cat Food Drive for the Kitsap Humane Society! It was a great success: 1,200 cans of cat food, 50 pounds of dry cat food and $50 cash were donated for this great cause! This will go a long way to ensure the kitties at the Humane Society have what they need. This community rocks and we are so proud to be a part of it! The winner of the sweet prize drawing for this event was Deanna P. We will be contacting her in the next couple of days. A big shout out to Bon Bon Confectioners, Mora Ice Cream and Chocmo (Poulsbo) helping to make this a fun event and thank you Bainbridge! JANICE DANIELSON Bainbridge Island
Spelling bee benefit was a great success To the editor: The Bainbridge Public Library has so many people to thank after hosting the Bainbridge Buzz, the Island’s first adult spelling bee! We had a great turnout on Sept. 21 at Grace Episcopal Church, where the competition was tough, spirits were high and money was raised for our beloved Bainbridge Public Library. We are glad to say we raised more than $5,000! Twelve teams, 36 brave islanders, stood before their friends and neighbors and spelled word after word until we finally had the winning team, the Bonnets, consisting of Esme Freedman, Susan Hobbs and Peggy Visher. All 12 teams deserve a huge round of applause for their participation! But we also want to thank the Big Buzz (George Shannon), the judges, aka the Honey Bee Court (Kate Carruthers, Faith Chapel and Rebecca Judd), the official timer, aka Bee Keeper Bob Bosserman and photographer Shannon Evans. These wonderful folks kept the evening buzzing along. We are so grateful to our awesome Queen Bee sponsors: Susan Wiggs and Island Fitness. The terrific Honey Bee sponsors also came through for us: thanks to Kiwanis of Bainbridge Island, Windermere Real Estate,
Harrison Hospital, Hanley Roofing, the law office of Sherrard McGonagle Tizzano and the Kitsap Regional Library. We also had many other local businesses and island friends who helped out — thank you all! The friendly competition will continue next year. Bainbridge Public Library will look forward to seeing you then! TERI WELDY For the BPL Buzz Committee
Council election
Haugan will make a difference To the editor: I am supporting Dick Haugan, candidate for the Bainbridge city council for many reasons. I’ve known Dick for several years and he has always displayed a strong work ethic and a fundamental sense of right and wrong. As a concerned citizen of Bainbridge Island, Dick cares deeply about the island, the community we live in and what will happen to it in the future. With many years of private sector business experience and a variety of ventures, Dick clearly sees not only the current activities happening in the city council and the resulting problems but he has also come up with real life solutions for how to address and correct them. We need someone who can see the problems and fix them. Dick can do that. Personally, I know Dick to be a Democrat and strong supporter of Washington state’s top politicians. He and his wife, Sue co-hosted a fund raising event at our home during Jay Inslee’s campaign for governor and prior to that he supported Christine Gregoire in her bid for reelection. Dick is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get to work. While Dick is focused on the future he also understands that to makes things better, the mistakes of the past need to be evaluated for lessons learned. Dick knows that a successful future is built by synthesizing past experience with forward thinking and creative solutions. He can help build a strong coalition among the council members by listening to what people have to say and collaboratively coming up with solutions that work for Bainbridge Island and the people who live here. For all these reasons I believe in Dick and wholeheartedly endorse his run
the city council. Please join me by voting for someone who will make a difference. ANNE SMART Bainbridge Island
Public service isn’t new for Tollefson To the editor: We’re lucky that concerned people are running for Bainbridge Island City Council wishing to serve the public, but for Val Tollefson public service isn’t something new, it’s a way of life. As a young college graduate, Val began his lifetime of public service by serving our nation, becoming a U.S. Navy officer and aviator. Moving to Bainbridge Island and raising his family at their waterfront home, Val served on the Bainbridge Island Harbor Management Advisory Committee, the Bainbridge Island Harbor Commission and other con-
Page A9
servation groups because he knows that protecting our beaches, shorelines and the environment yields benefits for us all, not just for those fortunate enough to have glorious waterways as their front yard. Indeed, Val has played leadership roles in so many organizations that it might be easier to list what he hasn’t been involved with or which people whose lives he hasn’t touched. I first met Val when he co-chaired the Friends for Pritchard Park, where we worked together to successfully turn the former Wyckoff creosote site into a beloved, active park and National Historic Site. The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association as it is today would not exist without Val, who contributed invaluable pro bono work writing the myriad of legal and operational documents that helped us
become a vibrant nonprofit organization. It was a lucky day for us when he agreed to serve on our board of directors, and it’ll be a lucky day for Bainbridge Island when he’s sworn in as our next city council member. CLARENCE MORIWAKI Bainbridge Island
Casting a vote for Val’s leadership To the editor: I had the pleasure of serving with Val Tollefson on the Bainbridge Island Land Trust Board for most of the six years I served. Val served as president of the Board for two of those years. Much of the success of the land trust during those years was due to Val’s leadership, vision and down-toearth practicality. The land trust mission was and is to preserve those special places and the diverse
natural environment on Bainbridge for the benefit of all. Val is very good at achieving community based goals through respectful, common sense pathways. His calm demeanor, sense of humor and love for his community make him an excellent choice for a city council seat. Thanks for running, Val! MARYANN KIRKBY Eagledale
Tollefson is honest and hard-working To the editor: I’m recommending to Bainbridge voters Val Tollefson for city council. I have known Val as a hardworking, honest, intelligent and reasonable lawyer and civic leader for 40 years. Val is a doer. His vote will be fair and informed, and for the good of our island. DICK KRUTCH Bainbridge Island
Paid Political Advertising
#5 in a Series – by Dick Haugan, Candidate for City Council
An Open Letter to the Citizens of Bainbridge I’m Dick Haugan. I’m running for City Council. The main reason I’m running is to introduce sound, fiscal management for our city. Currently, the city wastes a lot of our money. Often in ways that are really hard to believe. There’s lots of talk, along with seemingly endless studies, but again and again, little real work performed compared to the money spent. Many projects are not completed at all. In two earlier ads, we discussed the Storm Water Utility and the Sewer Utility. Now we’ll take a look at the Water Utility.
Is it a Water Utility or a Bank? The City of Bainbridge Island has overcharged its 2300 water utility customers so much that they have accumulated over $6,000,000 of surplus funds they have no legitimate use for. Recognizing that this excessive reserve was way out of line, a few weeks ago a narrow Council majority finally reduced water utility rates for the second time to bring rates in line with other utilities. How much reduction? About 60%! You have to ask, how could the city have overcharged water utility ratepayers for so long? We’ll tell you why in a minute.
The fix. Rates should never have been this high in the first place and were easily reduced once staff cost allocations were brought in line. In the future, I’ll do all I can to ensure rates are set properly. So what happens to the $6,000,000 of water utility rate payer monies? Most of it should be refunded since no capital projects are on the horizon. Will the city do it? The current council is reluctant to do so. If I am elected it is one of the first things I would do because it is only right. It will take one simple vote.
Why are the utilities such a mess? The unfortunate answer is that the city is so financially unstable that they “borrow” from the water utility from time to time -- sort of a big slush fund. By law, that utility money can only be used for the benefit of the ratepayer – it can’t be used to subsidize city hall. If elected, I’ll do everything I can to protect ratepayer monies.
P.S. There are more issues discussed at dickforcouncil.com. May I count on your vote?
Dick Haugan Paid for by Dick for Council / 9010 NE Spargur Loop Road Bainbridge Island