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Monthly Archives: March 2010

Teriyaki Delight – Best of Central Kitsap

Rich Jacobson

I thought it would be fun to intersperse my blog posts with some occasional fave raves on area eateries and to showcase other local businesses in Central Kitsap County WA.

When I served in the Navy, I was stationed on-board the USS George Washington (SSBN598) when it was home-ported in Pearl Harbor. Living in Hawaii, I quickly learned to appreciate the finer points of a tasty Teriyaki Plate Lunch. There was a small dive over in Kaimuki called the ‘Kim Chee II’ that served up a great variety of plate lunch specials.

It wasn’t until we moved to Central Kitsap just over 8 years ago, that I rediscovered my love for Teriyaki-style cooking.

Of all the places I’ve been to here in Kitsap County WA, by far my most favorite place is Teriyaki Delight. Located in the Silverdale Towne Center complex (Big 5 Sports, Emerald City Smoothie, Arbys) Teriyaki Delight offers up an excellent variety of delicious lunch and dinner specials.

My usual choice is their Spicy Chicken Teriyaki. Each meal comes with miso soup, salad with dressing, and ample portions of sticky rice.

Prices are very reasonable, portions extremely generous, and the service quick and courteous.

For a more detailed information, go to my review on Yelp.com

So what’s ‘Your‘ favorite Teriyaki restaurant here in Kitsap County WA? Tell us where you go for your plate lunch fix and why!

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Brackets, Barack, and Bruce

Rich Jacobson

Well, it was a week for a couple of major upsetting defeats…

My beloved No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks were sent packing after falling in their second game of the NCAA Tournament to 9th seeded Northern Iowa.

And, after some serious arm-twisting and back room pay-offs, President Obama’s National Healthcare Bill was passed and signed into law.

Well, at least for the Jayhawks, there’s always next year!

On a more positive note, I had the pleasure of attending the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce President’s Luncheon this past Wednesday. As the Vice-President of CSTOCK’s Board of Directors, I’ve recently started attending our Chamber events to network with local businesses.

I have to say that newly hired Executive Director Michael Broome is doing an outstanding job of generating positive buzz and organizing meaningful Chamber events. The future of Silverdale’s Chamber is looking very bright!

During the luncheon, the Chamber bestowed an “Excellence in Education” award to one of our local educators within the Central Kitsap School District – well-known and well-loved teacher, Bruce Larson.

For 36 years, Bruce has been a teacher and basketball coach at Central Kitsap Junior High. He had been commended the night before by the CKSD Board of Directors for his devotion to his students’ academic and athletic success.

Throughout his teaching and coaching career, Bruce Larson has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to academic success in the classroom as well as good sportsmanship on the court. His fellow teachers describe him as a positive role model who connects with his students through humor. He understands that lessons taught in the classroom and in competition are tools for future success and works closely with parents to motivate and monitor students progress.

I can personally vouch for Coach Larson’s abilities and valued service to our students. As a Father of 3 boys who passed through the hallowed halls of CK Junior High, I observed first-hand the respect and rapport he engendered with students. He also coached my son, Elliot, in basketball during 8th grade.

Central Kitsap Schools and our community-at-large is fortunate to have so many gifted educators like Bruce Larson who provide such valued role models and equip our students to excel.

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CSTOCK’s Young Adults Shine in ‘New World’

Rich Jacobson

” Songs For A New World”

Directed by local students Billy Buhl, Cherisse Martinelli, and Jessica Rothwell, the CSTOCK Black Box production of “Songs For A New World” features teens and young adults ages 13-20.

The cast of Young Adults includes Cory Hudson, Zander Martin, Ryan McLaughlin, Colton Myers, Matthew Usher, Katharine Beddoe, Julie Fedorko, Chelsea Natseway, Jessica Nelson, Melissa Shafer, Allison Verhofstadt, Amy Whelan, and Rebecca Young.

Yours Truly previewed the show last week and I was literally blown away by the caliber of vocal talents. These kids have ‘skills!’

Says the Author of this gripping revue:

“It’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.”

Jason Robert Brown (composer-lyricist of the critical smash “Parade” and ‘The Last 5 Years”) has had the whole theatre community talking about his blend of savvy showmanship and exciting contemporary sound for years, starting with this revue.

Brown transports his audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge 57 stories above Fifth Avenue to meet a startling array of characters ranging from a young man who has determined that basket-ball is his ticket out of the ghetto to a woman whose dream of marrying rich nabs her the man of her dreams and a soulless marriage. These are the stories and characters of today, the songs for a new world.

Songs For A New World is sponsored in part by

Washington State Arts Commission

For more show information and tickets, GO HERE.

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CKSD Hosts Public Meetings for Critical Budget Issues

Rich Jacobson

The Central Kitsap School District will be hosting four public meetings this month regarding development of its operating budget for next school year. Parents and community members are invited to attend to learn more about the budget process and to provide feedback.

The following meetings are scheduled:

Thursday, March 18th
5:00 pm-6:00 pm and 6:30 pm-7:30 pm
Jenne-Wright Gymnasium
9210 Silverdale Way NW

Monday, March 22nd
6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Klahowya Secondary School Auditorium
7607 NW Newberry Hill Road

Tuesday, March 23rd
6:30 pm-7:30 pm
Olympic High School Forum
7070 Stampede Blvd. NW

Based upon initial state budget proposals, CKSD could be required to reduce up to up to $4.3 million from its $115 million budget. However, the District will not know the full extent of its budget shortfall until the final state budget is released.

SCHOOL FUNDING FACTS
In an era of increasing expectations, high accountability and federal requirements, further state cuts to K-12 education will have a devastating effect on student achievement.

For more information, GO HERE.

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CSTOCK Community Theater is a Family Affair

Rich Jacobson

CSTOCK Live Community Theater in Kitsap County WA has a rich and longstanding tradition for producing shows that appeal to family audiences.

So it’s not surprising to discover that many of the shows performed by CSTOCK in their theater at the Silverdale Community Center are comprised of cast members which contain entire families.

Such is the case with the recent popular run of CSTOCK’s ‘Music Man,’ the well-known Meredith Wilson hit musical of how ‘Trouble’ comes to a small Midwest town in Iowa in the form of a pool table and a musical instrument peddling flim-flam man named Harold Hill.

An hour before curtain, the ‘Green Room’ (otherwise known as the Poplar Room) is a flurry of pre-show activity. The Beddoe Family (consisting of Dad Dave, Mom Deb, and children Katharine, Calvin, George, and Henry) are busily applying make-up and doing last minute hair touch-up. George is the lone non-acting hold-out, simply content to watch his family perform and consume his fair share of cast refreshments. Henry is the show scene stealer and obvious choice for ‘Most Adorable Actor’ when he struts out on stage towards the end of the show, wearing his ‘Boy’s Band’ uniform and carrying a snare drum almost as big as he is!

The Gray Clan is an equally invested tribe, beginning with Dad Rod who serves on the CSTOCK Board of Directors and lends his vocal/acting skills as one of the four credential-chasing school board quartet members. As one of two Stage Managers, wife Maria keeps the production flowing smoothly each night as she skillfully coordinates nearly 50 cast members and navigates the hard-working stage crew through a myriad of challenging set changes. Their daughters Jenny and Kimberly skillfully portray Amaryllis, the wannabe piano player turned lisp lover, and “Ye Gads” spouting Zaneeta Shin, respectively.

This show signals the 3rd directorial outing for Chris Borer (Damn Yankees and 1940’s Radio Hour). He is the son of veteran C-STOCK legends Dale and Karen Borer. In this production, Karen lends her usual expertise in the light booth, along with younger brother Matthew, while Father Dale skillfully provides light design and performs onstage as River City’s town ‘boob.’

Additional families include father & son, Bill and Billy Buhl; husband & wife Joe and Sharon Martinelli; brother & sister Caitlyn and Cameron McConnell; husband & wife Bob and Clarice Nash; father & son Cameron and Wallace Ross; mother & daughter Maddie and Palmer Scheutzow; husband & wife Jess and Ann Sveen, and daughter Sarah; father & daughter Al and Alli Verhofstadt; father & son Carrey and Rand Wiseman.

It normally begins rather innocently when one member of the family gets bitten by the acting bug. A son or daughter tags along with a friend from school and auditions for a show. Next thing you know, “they’re playing for money in a pinch back suit”…(opps, sorry, just habit!) Then Dad is at the theater on the weekends, helping build sets, and Moms selling refreshments during the performances.

A great example of this during Music Man was Raoul and Rebecca Dominguiano, parents of Abigail (Wa Tan Ye girl) who attended nearly every rehearsal and performance, providing valued supervision of the show’s younger performers. No doubt Abigail’s two younger brothers will find their way up on stage in the near future!

While not everyone involved in a CSTOCK production is related, by the end of the show everyone certainly feels like one big family.

And such is the bittersweet ending to a wonderfully enjoyable and rewarding experience. For two months, you spend nearly 3 hours every weekday in rehearsals with these people. Many weekends you’re either practicing dance steps with the choreographer or building sets. Then a full week of run-through dress rehearsals, followed by opening weekend and 12 performances. You actually end up spending more time with these folks than you do your own ‘real’ family!

Then, suddenly, the show is over. The sense of loss and emptiness is pronounced, almost palpable. It feels as though a small piece of your creative heart and soul has been ripped out, joining together to become part of a larger, cherished collective memory.

And, like a moth to the flame, you audition for the next show, and start the entire process all over!

CSTOCK’s Vision Statement

To be the premier Theatrical Performing Arts Organization in the West Puget Sound.

CSTOCK’s Mission Statement

Provide educational opportunities for all ages.

Provide a significant positive cultural influence.

Provide quality community-oriented entertainment.

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State Budget May Force CKSD to Get Blood from a Turnip

Rich Jacobson

Prior to the vote on the recent CK Support School Levy, there was quite a stir of rather heated debate occurring here on the Kitsap Sun website regarding the respective merits of voting yea or nay.

Many of those commenting faulted WA State officials for not properly funding local public education. Still others placed the blame on district superintendents, staff, and school boards for not exercising prudent fiscal responsibility.

Well, if you weren’t aware, both the Senate and the House released their budget proposals last Tuesday, and next week, will negotiate a finalized budget. The negative impact that the extreme reductions proposed in this budget draft could have at the local level would be catastrophic.

Just in case you want to see what impact the proposed budget would have, please click here to view the School Funding Facts II, or click here to view the supporting documentation.

As our state legislators hash out the last minute details of the budget, the good folks down at Central Kitsap School District are continuing their efforts in developing CKSD budget options for school year 2010-11. Their proactive and fiscally conservative approach over the last several years has allowed them to anticipate and avoid the drastic large-scale layoffs faced last spring by other districts throughout the state and to keep cuts from impacting the classroom.

However, ultimately, the solvency of CKSD’s financial future rests with our elected legislators and the governor. Our district financial personnel have already made all the reductions they can without taking any severe measures. Unfortunately, our district has little additional financial resources available to effectively absorb the multi-million dollar reductions contained in the current budget proposals.

Anyone who is familiar with our Superintendent, Greg Lynch, Executive Director David McVicker, and the hard working members of our school board, knows how seriously they all take their responsibilities and stewardship of district finances. These are all people who genuinely care about the quality of education our kids receive, and seek to equip our teachers and school staff with all the resources necessary to maintain that result.

I am extremely grateful to the voters of Central Kitsap who approved the recent levy renewal. The current economic times are tough on all of us and it’s not easy to commit even more of our hard earned dollars to a cause that is supposed to be fully funded by State government.

Let’s hope that the folks in Olympia find some other way to cover the budget shortfalls than to further impede our school district’s ability to ensure educational excellence.

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How Do You Define ‘Quality of Life’ in Kitsap County WA?

Rich Jacobson

Having traveled rather extensively throughout the United States and overseas, few places compare to the abundance of beauty I’ve discovered here in the Pacific Northwest.

On the Kitsap Peninsula, we’re surrounded by the clear deep waters of the Puget Sound. To the west, the majestic Olympic Mountains rise up dramatically from the shores of Hood Canal. Gazing eastward allows awe-inspiring views of Mt. Rainier, and a ferry ride drops you off into the eclectic capital of cool, Seattle.

For me, personally, the quality of life in Kitsap County is best defined as a safe and enjoyable place to raise a family. All four of our kids have benefited greatly from attending Central Kitsap schools. And together, we continue to amass a wealth of lasting memories like time spent crabbing out on the Hood Canal.

How do you define the ‘Quality of Life’ here in Kitsap County WA? What is it that personally makes it such a great place for you to live?

How could the quality of life in Kitsap County WA be improved? What are we lacking here that would make a significant positive impact? If you could make any changes to our area, what would they be?

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