September 27, 2015

Podcast: Community Cafe Bainbridge: Election 2015:
Parks Board candidates Ken DeWitt and John Grinter

<i>Podcast: Community Cafe Bainbridge: Election 2015:</i> <br>Parks Board candidates Ken DeWitt and John Grinter

BCB Community Cafe Bainbridge Island - 150This is the second episode in this Fall’s “Election 2015” series of local candidate interviews on BCB.

It’s an interview with the two local candidates for a position with a 6-year term on the 5-member board of the Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Parks and Recreation District — incumbent Ken DeWitt and challenger John Grinter.

John Grinter describes himself as a stay-at-home dad of school-aged kids and a long-time proponent of non-motorized transportation.

Ken DeWitt
Ken DeWitt
John Grinter
John Grinter

Ken, who has served on the Parks Board since 2000, describes himself as a dad and grandfather, a long-time community volunteer and a financial professional.

In this podcast, BCB asked each candidate the following six questions, which had been provided to the candidates in advance:

  • Why did you decide to run (or run for re-election) for the position on the Parks Board?
  • What relevant experience and skills do you bring to the position?
  • How is the Parks and Recreation District doing? What is it doing well for the community? What are its unsolved problems?
  • What are the key challenges or opportunities that you believe will face the Parks and Recreation District in the next six years?
  • What are the most important outcomes you’d like to accomplish during your 6-year term from 2016 to 2021?
  • What style of interaction do you plan to bring to the Parks and Recreation District – that is, with other Board members, with Park and Rec staff, and with community members?
The Grand Forest - one of the signature forested parks of Bainbridge - is maintained by the Parks District
The Grand Forest – one of the signature forested parks of Bainbridge – is maintained by the Parks District

After BCB’s questions, each candidate was offered a chance to ask the other one spontaneous question.

Ken asked John: If you had the power to change just one thing about how the Park District manages its delivery of services and programs, what would it be and why?

John then asked Ken about a proposal that John and other some other citizen volunteers have sought for several years — a pathway behind the Sakai and Woodward schools to link Winslow to the Hilltop and Grand Forest properties — and asked why the Parks Board hasn’t taken up that proposal.

Credits: BCB host, audio editor and publisher: Barry Peters.