Not-So-Chilly Hilly
For the first time in its history, the traditional kick-off ride to the Pacific Northwest biking season – held on Bainbridge Island for nearly five decades – will be staged in the summertime.
The 49th Chilly Hilly biking event will take place Sunday.
The 33-mile route around Bainbridge Island starts with a ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle, or folks can join the crowd directly on Bainbridge Island.
Registration includes food stop at Battle Point Park, route support and a post-ride ice cream or non-dairy popsicle at the finish line.
Starting locations are at Colman Dock in Seattle or the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center.
Ordway principal
Bainbridge Island School District recently announced that Debra Dunn has been selected to serve as principal for Ordway Elementary.
“The interview team found Debra to be a student-centered leader who is focused on equity and ensuring that every student feels a sense of belonging and success,” superintendent Peter Bang-Knudsen said.
Dunn was an elementary principal for 20 years and superintendent of a small school district for five. She’s also been an elementary and middle school teacher and curriculum director. She has also worked as an adjunct professor and holds a doctoral degree in leadership in education from the University of Massachusetts. She has completed post-doctorate work at Harvard School of Business and Graduate School of Education as well as the Teachers College at Columbia University.
Online class
A free community online class on Bainbridge Island’s Wildfire Response Plan, Preparedness & Mitigation Measures will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. Aug. 12.
Deputy chief Moravec of the BI Fire Department and Anne LeSage, city emergency management coordinator, Anne LeSage, will present the information.
Registration is required. www.eventbrite.com/e/wildfire-response-plan-preparedness-mitigation-measures-tickets-163918357219
Studio tour
The 21st annual Summer Studio Tour on Bainbridge Island takes place Aug. 13-15, and 36 artists will showcase their work in five local artists’ studios.
The studios will be filled with fine, hand-crafted work, like jewelry, pottery, oil paintings, watercolors, glass, garden art and photography.
The studios are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, finishing an hour earlier on Sunday.
The Studio Tour is a free self-guided tour, with live music. For details go to www.bistudiotour.com or call tour manager Dinah Satterwhite at 206-842-0504.
Local scholars
Poulsbo: Emily Bradford and Bryce J. Wlodarchak, Pacific University; Kevin Eyer, master’s in biology, Miami University.
Bainbridge Island: Erin Elizabeth Melia, Pacific University; Jake Prodzinski, Linfield University; Sean Reilly, Tufts University.
Kingston: Linfield University, Hannah Waterman.
Claims decrease
During the week of July 11-17, there were 5,061 initial regular unemployment claims (down 7.8% from the prior week) and 315,848 total claims for all unemployment benefit categories (down 7.2%) filed by Washingtonians, according to the Employment Security Department.
Initial regular claims applications are now 83% below weekly new claims applications during the same period last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The four-week moving average for initial claims is at 5,995 (compared to pre-pandemic 6,071). That level represents the lowest levels since the onset of the pandemic, and the sixth consecutive week initial claims have reached a new pandemic low.
Initial claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which increased by 241 applications over the week, occurred in three occupations: Production, Office and Administration as well as Building and Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance.
Initial claims for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which increased by 78 over the week, occurred in three service categories: Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation as well as Professional, Scientific and Technical services.
Continued/ongoing claims for all benefits decreased over the week. Decreases in layoffs in Educational Services and Retail Trade contributed to the decrease in regular initial claims.
In the week ending July 17, ESD paid out over $190 million for 235,804 individual claims. “Since March 2020, ESD has paid more than $20 billion in benefits to over 1.1 million Washingtonians,” ESD commissioner Cami Feek said. “This is a significant milestone and represents critical dollars that have helped individuals and families buy food, pay bills and pay their rent or mortgage during the crisis.”
