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THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2023
RUGBY RUNS
VOL. 49 NO. 33
BIUndercurrent
BowUndercurrent www.bowenislandundercurrent.com
Friendly Rugby scrimmages start up PAGE 18
Citizen of the Year prefers working behind the scenes RONDY DIKE RECIPIENT OF THE 2023 BOWEN HONOUR ALEX KURIAL Editor
PERFECT POOCH: Dog of the Year honours are back, and this year’s top dog is the lovely pitbull Linus, smiling here with owner Bayley Faragher. Linus was set to be the centre of attention at Dog Days on Sunday, but the event had to be postponed. He’ll be back for its redo on September 10 though. In the meantime, Linus will assume a seat of honour alongside Bowen’s Citizen of the Year during Saturday’s Bowfest Parade. You can read more about Linus’ parade partner to the right. / Kim Sinclair photo
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This year’s Citizen of the Year takes a much different approach than last year’s regarding their outgoing presence in the community. But as 2022 honoree Basia Lieske (who you will rarely not find present at a Bowen event) has said, it was this year’s winner Rondy Dike who, while more reserved in nature, has helped her and so many others on Bowen thrive and develop since he arrived on the island. Rondy, along with his family including wife Dorothy and daughter Oydis, have owned the USSC Marina since coming to Bowen in 1985. “It was nice to be able to find a small community that needed a marina,” says Dike. Originally an architectural engineer who worked around the world, Dike had been in the apartment business in Seattle prior to heading north. He came with his family by boat, looking for a transition into the marina industry. On Bowen he found what he was looking for, a small marina with a few dozen slips that had significant potential for development. With a grand vision, some help from the federal government, and also some disagreement on the necessary dredging (you can read more about this history in Rob Forbes’ article on Page 3) the marina blossomed into the scenic setting it is today. The space, which includes the many boat slips, the lawn, and stops such as Doc Morgan’s, the Chandlery, and Company Store, serves as a location for many community events, as well as a home for marine travellers and liveaboards. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3