Across the island

Dust off your helmet and squeeze into that spandex; Friday is Bike to Work and School Day.

With a day of events, island bicycle advocacy group Squeaky Wheels is encouraging islanders to give their cars a break for the day, and take a pedal to work or class instead.

Squeaky Wheels board member Joel Levin will be at the ferry landing starting at 4:30 a.m. Friday, handing out water bottles, coffee from Blackbird Bakery and “bicycle bling” to cyclists.

“We want to encourage and acknowledge all those people who are out commuting,” Levin said.

Cycling enthusiasts will also be at local schools Friday teaching bicycle skills and hosting “bicycle rodeos.” Then Squeaky Wheels plans to make a little noise by equipping each student’s bicycle with a playing card to rub on its spokes.

Walmart donated 4,000 clothes pins for the effort and Clearwater Casino provided the playing cards. Cytosports, Geiger Marketing, Cascade Bicycle Club and Sound Reprographics are also supporting the day’s events.

Bike to Work and School Day will be followed by a more somber event May 21.

Cyclists will take a “Ride of Silence” to honor cyclists injured or killed while riding on public roads.

Participants will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Marge Williams Building, 221 Winslow Way. Riders can wear a black armband to honor a deceased cyclist, or a red armband to honor one injured.

For more event information see www.squeakywheels.org.

Chili cookoff to be held Sat.

Weather forecasters are predicting a warm, cloudless day this Saturday with temperatures reaching as high as 85 degrees, which doesn’t exactly call for a hot bowl of chili. But, heck, good chili is worth eating any time of the year.

So don’t let the hot day keep you from attending the 11th annual Hyla Chili Cook-Off, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Hyla Middle School, 7861 Bucklin Hill Road.

This is a contest decided by all chili tasters, not just some selected judges. So come and vote for your favorite.

This year’s chili makers include: Doc’s Marina Grill, Cafe Trios, The Harbour Public House, Madoka, Mon Elisa’s, Real Foods Market & Cafe, San Carlos Restaurant and Winslow Way Cafe. Plus, cornbread will be offered by Blackbird Bakery and Real Foods.

Besides the delicious grub, games, auctions and prizes will be offered.

Carrier’s food drive delivers

Local post offices collected 16,500 pounds of food on Bainbridge Island for Helpline House during the 16th annual Letter Carriers Food Drive Saturday.

Across Kitsap County letter carriers collected an estimated 134,000 pounds of food, down from last year.

Helpline House has seen a 20 percent increase in the number of people served in the last year, and Bremerton’s Foodline saw a 27 percent increase in need.

DLI gets new Navy contract

DLI Engineer, a Bainbridge Island firm that, among other tasks, creates software systems to monitor the operating conditions on naval ships, has been chosen by the U.S. Navy to participate in a pilot program involving two guided-missile destroyer ships (DDG).

The latest software created by DLI measures the vibration of machinery with an accelerometer and compares it with historical vibrations to discern if the parts are wearing out and the severity of the breakdown.

DLI has been involved with vibration condition monitoring for more than 41 years, including monitoring machinery on most of the Navy’s aircraft carriers.

It employs 20 engineers and has a total of 45 employees in its office on Winslow Way.

Bainbridge Island Review Reporter Tad Sooter can be reached at tsooter@bainbridgereview.com or (206) 842-6613.

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