City News Bytes: How Volunteers Make a Difference, More Improvements for Madison Ave., Adjust Your Thermostat – Work Ready Bainbridge, Grand Old 4th and BIMA’s BRAVA Awards!

Kevin Dwyer | Posted on April 20, 2023 |

Volunteers are the heart blood of most of the island’s successful non-profit organizations and institutions, such as the City of Bainbridge Island, the Metro Parks District, our schools and the Fire Department.

April is National Volunteer Month, and we at The Island Wanderer want to tip our hats to the thousands of volunteers and the hundreds of thousands of hours they put into supporting the groups and causes they feel most strongly about. Volunteers are everywhere on our Rock. Can you imagine the Rotary Auction functioning without the 600 or more volunteers who help organize this iconic island event over a nearly two-week period and then assist with staging it on the Big Day.

Or how about an org like Island Volunteer Caregivers? The name “Volunteer” is even in their title as they help hundreds of fellow islanders with transportation to medical appointments, shopping, companionship, care giving and the like.

Volunteers can be found on the boards of directors of the island’s more than 200 non-profits, not only setting direction but rolling up their sleeves and helping to put on events, auctions and other beneficial activities. If you want to learn more about the island’s non-profits, visit the One Call For All’s website: https://onecallforall.org/ and pull up their directory and you can find dozens and dozens of Bainbridge (and Kitsap County) non-profit organizations.

The City of Bainbridge Island, meantime, places a huge emphasis on the work of its volunteers, who sit on standing committees (and bodies such as the Planning Commission) and help in many ways to steer the direction of this place we call home.

The City has an extensive network of volunteers, that includes 720 registered emergency volunteers. Emergency volunteers are a collection of citizens with a wide variety of skills (who) have agreed to be available if called upon to prepare and respond to emergencies. “These are our reserve of helpers who stand ready to help when the community needs help the most,” says City Manager Blair King.

The City also has 120 residents who volunteer to serve on City body, boards, and commissions. These include the City’s eight to nine standing commissions, plus several other special purpose ad hoc commissions that provide recommendations on the disbursement of funds, such as social services funding or Lodging Tax. These are citizens who are willing to give their personal time to improve our community in a variety of subject matter areas, King says.

“There are many volunteer opportunities in our community,” he adds. “Volunteers serve as readers in schools, youth sports organizations, volunteers for seniors, service clubs, and non-profit organizations. This is one of those instances where (a) thank you does not seem enough.”

Make a difference in the community by volunteering for a Citizen Advisory Group. There are 32 openings to new applicants and existing members who may reapply.

More information and an online application can be found HERE.

Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. Wed., May 17. Applicants must be available in late May for interviews. Terms begin July 1, 2023.

Questions? Contact Executive Assistant, Roz Lassoff, at 780-8624 or rlassoff@bainbridgewa.gov

COMING THIS SUMMER: THE BUNDLED MADISON AVENUE PROJECT – The City is wrapping up the design and right-of-way acquisition for the Bundled Madison Avenue project. The design stretches from Wyatt Way to New Brooklyn, and includes:

bike safety improvements,
sidewalk widening,
new sidewalks,
pavement restoration, and
sewer line improvements.

The project will be put out to bid in early summer 2023, with a construction start anticipated in late summer. The project budget is approximately $6 million, with $1.4 million coming from a federal transportation grant. City staff will be reaching out to business and property owners along Madison in early summer to discuss construction impacts on traffic flow and property frontages, says City Manager Blair King. The project is anticipated to be completed in 2024.

CELEBRATE EARTH MONTH IN APRIL – there’s still time – by signing up for the City’s Climate Smart Challenge and completing actions to reduce energy use. This week, “Adjust Thermostat.”

Did you know? Nearly half of your home energy expenses go towards heating and cooling your home. Adjusting your thermostat just a few degrees can save you 510% a year on heating or cooling while reducing carbon emissions and air pollution.

Take Action! Turn your thermostat down a few degrees in the winter or up in the summer to save energy and money. Here are few simple tips:

Adjust the temperature before bedtime: consider adjusting bedtime settings to 55-60° F in the winter and 80-85° F in the summer.
Adjust the temperature before you leave: if everyone in your home is away during the day, you could save up to 10% of your heating costs by lowering the thermostat 10-15 degrees for 8 hours a day.
Consider installing a Smart Thermostat: it can adjust the temperature in your house before you wake up or get home. Check out the “Install Smart Thermostat” action – or attend a May 11 webinar with City staff and PSE – to learn more.

Earn points and you could win! Everyone who completes actions and earns at least 10,000 points in the Challenge by the end of May will be entered to win one of five outdoor or indoor composting bins! Learn more about the Challenge and upcoming community events by visiting the City’s website.

IN OTHER NEWS…

WORK READY BAINBRIDGE: APPLICATION WINDOW OPEN FOR EMPLOYERS, EMPLOYEES – The Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce and Bainbridge Youth Services (BYS) have joined forces to launch an eight-week summer employment and workforce certification program connecting local youth employees (ages 16-24) with employers and the local business/nonprofit community on Bainbridge Island.

The Work Ready program offers businesses pre-screened potential employees and a portion of wage bills covered through generous support from Rotary and from Kitsap Bank.

BROAD STRIPES & BRIGHT STARS: GRAND OLD 4TH PLANNING – The Chamber of Commerce is gearing up to celebrate the Island’s largest and longest-running island tradition – The Grand Old 4th!

As your hosts, the Chamber is delighted to have registration open for the Street Fair (all vendors, including food) & Hometown Parade, as well as to humbly ask for Community Volunteers to consider signing up to be part of the fun.

Important Upcoming Dates:

April 25 – Car Show Entries Open
June 2 – Street Fair Vendor Deadline
June 16 – Parade Deadline

To learn more about all of the 4^th activities, click here.

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT TO APPLY FOR BIMA’S BRAVA AWARDS – The Award provides $15,000 of unrestricted support plus recognition and publicity to four selected artists – The deadline to apply for Bainbridge Island Museum of Art’s (BIMA) first-ever round of BRAVA Awards (BIMA Recognizes Achievement in the Visual Arts) is quickly approaching. Applications close at 10:59pm on May 1.

The Awards will recognize four individual contemporary artists, craftspeople, or makers whose work demonstrates artistic merit and excellence, technical mastery, contribution to the arts landscape, and professional accomplishment in four categories. Complete information, application requirements and links, dates, and explanation of the selection process is available on BIMA’s website at https://www.biartmuseum.org/the-brava-awards/.

*Information/images courtesy of COBI, BI Chamber of Commerce and BIMA

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