Peninsular Thinking

History is exposed as history is made. As construction crews continued work along Fourth Street to improve the street and build a movie theater, a piece of Bremerton’s past was revealed.

Others at the Kitsap Sun saw this image of Neptune sometime last week when a canopy was removed from a Fourth Street building. The canopy was a form of a facade over the building, but perhaps more importantly it hid this guy.

If any of you remember Neptune Imports, feel free to tell us about your memories.

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SOUTH KITSAP — Gotta love those junior high kids, so fluid, like mercury, they could flow any which way.

I was once in junior high, hated it. High school was much better. In the midst of boomer-dom, nearly 57, I’m quite content.

Four years ago, I was invited to the annual Marcus Whitman Junior High School Career Fair to be a “presenter” on the joys and demands of journalism. They’ve asked me back each year, and I say, “yes,” because I really do love junior high kids. Blank slates, with baggage. Spontaneous, self-conscious, wise beyond their years. Funny. Endearing.

The fair was Tuesday. I distributed advice — this is one thing I love about being old — and 30 or 40 Kitsap Sun pencils. We used to hand out refrigerator magnets, but times being what they are … The pencils were a hit. I noticed, however, that the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s table had candy scattered all over it. Drew quite a crowd. Next year, Butterfingers, for sure.

The students were asked to fill out a card with stickers showing the different tables they had visited. There were many representatives of potential career paths to choose from: veterinarians, beauticians, an airplane mechanic (also a popular stop), restaurateurs, a dance instructor who is now teaching the children of children she had when she started her independent business at 15. That would be Tanya Bleil-Johnson of Just for Kicks School of Dance in Port Orchard (in photo).

A cartoonist lamented the slow demise of print media and stressed the need to “reinvent” himself. Welcome to my world, except the Kitsap Sun, while expanding its web product, continues to print the daily edition. I get to listen to the comforting sound of the presses cranking to life each afternoon. The earthquake-like thunk of rolls of newsprint on the loading dock. One student told me that while her peers get most of their news — if they bother to look at the news — online, she still loves the feel, sound and smell of the newspaper. Gotta love that.

I also got a kick out of another student, a guy, who is set on becoming a Navy SEAL. The elite commandos have been getting a lot of press, what with the killing of Osama bin Laden and the recent rescue of aid workers in Somalia. But this young man had held his goal since since he was a child. I have no doubt he’ll measure up and serve his country proud. He may have to ditch the ear plugs somewhere along the line, however.

Cruising around in between groups of students, I spoke with Sue Kunkel, a CAT scan technologist representing St. Francis Hospital (in photo). Radiology is so much more than X-rays, Kunkel said. There are sonograms, utrasound, nuclear medicine. This reminded me that, had I not become a journalist, I might have gone into the medical field. You see the connection, right?

I once thought of going into nursing. For a time, during and shortly after college, I worked in long-term care, with the elderly. Later, when the terms “journalism” and “pessimism” seemed to go hand in hand, I seriously considered retraining as an X-ray tech or other imaging specialist. If I had it to do all over, I’d probably gravitate to the field of public utilities and water quality.

Which brings me to the question ‘o the day: What career paths did you consider but not take? What about your career path do you wish you had known when you were in junior high school? What advice would you give yourself as a junior high student about career choices?

Thanks. Look forward to hearing your responses.

Chris Henry, Kitsap Sun reporter

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Brynn writes:

Wednesday night architect Steve Rice unveiled his vision for a new library in Silverdale.

At the request of the Kitsap Regional Library, Rice has been working for two years on a design for a new library. First he was tasked with creating concept for a library around 17,000 square feet (roughly the same size as the Sylvan Way library). That’s back when KRL asked voters to approve a levy increase that would in part help pay for the construction of new libraries in Silverdale and Kingston.

When that measure failed, the library board went back to the drawing board for how it could expand the current Silverdale facility, which has been a desire of the library system and the community since 1998. Ultimately the board agreed to enter into an agreement with the county that would include hiring a consultant to conduct a feasibility study. (See my story from Dec. 12 for more details on the agreement).

The purpose of the study will be to gauge how much the community is willing to contribute to a capital campaign to build a new library in Silverdale. It will also survey the constituency to determine whether people support building a new library, or if they’d rather see KRL move into a larger, existing space in Silverdale.

While I’ve reported it repeatedly, it seems some people still think to build this library KRL will be increasing taxes. KRL will not ask for a levy increase, or increase taxes to build a new Silverdale library. However much the community says it’s willing to donate to the cause will be what KRL uses to fund its expansion. (The model will be similar to the one used to build the Haselwood Family YMCA — $12 million in public donations was raised to help build the facility).

If the community determines it would prefer to see a new facility built, KRL board members have said they’d like to see the facility built on the Central Kitsap Community Campus, where the YMCA currently stands. The Y was the first phase of the campus. The second phase will be the addition of a new library (assuming that’s what the community wants) and potentially the addition of a performing arts center.

Previously there was talk that a new library would be located where the Silverdale Community Center now stands. The idea was the building would be built into the hill — the community center would be torn down to make room. But during Wednesday’s presentation, Rice offered a new location for the proposed building.

At 8,000 to 10,000 square feet, Rice envisions the new library to again be built into the hill, but this time located in the southwest southeast corner of the campus site, directly across the grassy area from the YMCA. Here’s a couple architectural drawings from his presentation.

The first depiction shows a side view of the library, facing southwest, featuring the main entrance to the library on street level to the left, the view of a proposed gallery space and the entrance from the grass area — or village commons — to the right. While the building is proposed to be one story, there is an upper floor space for a community meeting room with views over Silverdale Way toward Dyes Inlet.

The second depiction shows the view looking from the second floor of the YMCA above the front door looking down the village commons toward the library. The entrance to the library from the commons is visible, and so is the back of the library, which Rice proposed would offer a presentation space facing the commons.

As I reported in my story, Rice proposed making the village commons/grass area more appealing to the public by adding walkway features, rose gardens and an outdoor amphitheater space that would be attached to the library building.

One of the big questions about this location though is parking. The building would eliminate 24 parking spaces to fit into the campus design, and wouldn’t add any parking. It wasn’t financially feasible to add an underground parking garage, Rice said.

Already parking is often filled on the campus site because of the heavy use of the YMCA, and many people at Wednesday’s meeting questioned how the site could handle more use with library patrons. County Commissioner Josh Brown said eventually a parking garage would have to be added to the 12-acre site, which has been the intention all along. The question is, who will be responsible for building (and paying) for it?

If the library locates on the campus a study will be done to determine the library’s peak hours and the YMCA’s peak hours. Programs would then be planned around those peak times, to try and minimize the parking problems, Brown said.

Obviously parking will be a big issue on this site until more can be added, and that’s something KRL board members and Kitsap County officials will have to address if they proceed with building a new library on site.

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There was a time when I was one to follow trends. I had my suburban mullet and acid-washed jeans like the rest of them. I wore the white, laceless Vans and the OP shorts and shirts. I drove a bug. I even like Styx once upon a time. I did all those things when they were cool and discarded them on time to not be tragically behind the times stylistically. Actually, I should have never ditched the bug, but I’m sure I would have killed it by now anyway.

About the time of the mullet frozen yogurt was available more predictably than Starbucks and I was one of its fans. I wouldn’t say I was among the biggest fans, but I was a regular. I once traveled to Little Rock in the 1990s, where for the entire decade the tallest building in the state was the 40-story TCBY Tower. (It’s now named after something else. Whatever that is isn’t important in any context I can think of.)

Coincidentally the end of the last millennium also brought to a seeming end the popularity of frozen yogurt. I barely noticed. I moved to Washington where I never found a fro-yo shop and never really looked.

To my delight, however, at a time when I am measuring how much I dump into me (I’ve lost 22 pounds over the past few months.) I have appreciated being able to stop by Costco and get a twist or a very berry. Now I learn frozen yogurt is making a comeback. Silverdale, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island all have stores dedicated to fine art of frozen-yogurtery.

It’s time someone made the stuff available in Bremerton. When I used the Google Places app on my iPhone it tells me I can get it at Baskin-Robbins and Dairy Queen, but I want a place dedicated specifically to fro-yo.

The trend in those stands has changed, too, I’ve learned. Now you go in to many of them, grab a cup, fill it with yogurt and stuff and then weigh it, paying 41-cents (your mileage may vary) and ounce for whatever you pile into your bowl before you pile it into your mouth.

People in Port Orchard may also be clamoring for fro-yo, but it’s well established here that I don’t care about Port Orchard. Actually, I would like that, too, because I cover stuff in Port Orchard. I would totally go, especially if someone in Bremerton doesn’t answer my call. I might take Port Orchard off notice for that.

While we’re at it, you should watch this homemade commercial. It was the winner of a contest.

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Earlier this month, I was driving by Morningside Bread Co. and thought, “Oh, no, not another business closing on Bay Street.”

It’s not closing. In fact the popular bakery will now be open 7 days a week.

But how was I to know? The store was dark and there was some equipment out on the sidewalk.

I screeched to a halt (not literally Chief Townsend) and walked over to the store to ask owners Brad and Amanda Rudd what was going on.

Turns out they were just doing a major cleaning, with a few significant upgrades. Morningside, which will be open eight years in April, gets a thorough scrub down every year in January, which is their slowest time.

This year, the Rudds added a bigger espresso machine. They’re going to start offering soups and sandwiches, and they’re adding a line of bread made with organic flour.

Morningside also is going to a 7-day-a-week schedule.

“We already bake six days a week,” said Amanda. “So we thought, throw in an extra day.”

” … try and bring some life downtown,” Brad said.

Look for the bakery to reopen on Tuesday.

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In case you missed it on Kitsap County’s website, here is a map showing the county’s plan for keeping roads open during snow.

Red routes showing the main roads are given high priority. The county’s goal is to get and keep them open within the first 36 hours.
“Primary roads provide the highest degree of mobility, serve major centers of activity, and are high traffic volume links between suburban centers and outlying communities. Crews plow and sand primary roads first, and continue until they are clear. When primary roads are clear crews move to secondary roads.”

Blue routes are secondary. The county gets to them as they are able, but within the first 36 hours, if snow continues to fall, they’ll focus on the primary routes.
Secondary routes “link local communities with primary roads. Secondary roads may enter residential neighborhoods, provide direct property access, and move traffic from primary roads to local access roads.”

“Local access roads serve residential single family homes, multiple dwelling developments, commercial business offices, and industrial development. They also provide access to developments from secondary roads, and provide circulation through neighborhoods. Crews work on local access roads after primary and secondary roads are cleared.”

County Plow Map

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I didn’t get time Monday to post the video with the story about the Kitsap Martin Luther King Jr. event, so here just a quick version that I cobbled together on Tuesday. It’s a little more than a minute long and shows some of what went on.

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A friend of mine, you might know him, likes to take pictures and ask people if they know where it’s from. He sometimes calls it “Name that Kitsap Locale.” I figure, hey, he’s got no trademark on that phrase, so I’m going to use it here.

So, do you know where this is?

Leave your answer in the comments section if you’re today’s first smarty pants.

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Bruce Bryant of Poulsbo has set up a webcam overlooking Poulsbo from somewhere high in the hills near Raab Park.

I, for one, will be checking it a lot today. The sun is shining brightly in Bremerton right now (3:24 p.m., Saturday). I just returned from Silverdale, where it was also a sunny, sunny day. The picture in Poulsbo, though, is a little gray. And they were snowed on earlier.

Feel free to let us know if you see snow at your house, or anywhere you’re traveling. Of course I’m most interested in Kitsap weather, but if you’re in Iowa or something I wouldn’t stop you from chiming in.

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To suggest a little roundabout etiquette I ask that you look at this picture. I doctored it to remove the license plate numbers, so no one feels like I’m shaming them. I’m approaching the Manette Bridge on Lower Wheaton Way.

Travis Baker, our resident road warrior may correct me if I am wrong, but I see a problem with this picture.

The stoppage at this roundabout, located at the east end of the bridge, is because of ongoing construction work on the span. Because of the construction, no one going onto the bridge will be able to continue that way. I suggest that drivers should have stopped before entering the roundabout, because if someone coming from the left (Harkins Street from Pitt Avenue) on this photo wanted to pull a U-turn by completely circling the roundabout, they would be unable. This might be tough, because people generally don’t learn about the stoppage until they’ve already entered the roundabout. I can’t fault them. However, in this picture it’s getting close to a point where a car would be unable to turn right from Harkins onto Lower Wheaton Way opposite the direction I’m going.

This could be a bigger problem once traffic starts exiting the bridge. If enough cars opposite the bridge enter the roundabout and wait, they could block the path of those wanting to turn onto Lower Wheaton Way.

Anyone want to dispute my contention? Drivers on Lower Wheaton are not inconvenienced at all in this picture, because if the first car does as I suggest no one is moving forward anyway. The potential problem here is for those entering the roundabout from Harkins or the bridge.

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