A story on the South Kitsap Commissioner’s Race will be posted shortly on the Kitsap Sun’s Web site. Our coverage of the race includes a video of Charlotte Garrido. Candidate Tim Matthes chose not to be videotaped.

As our Web coverage of local news has evolved, it has allowed us new ways to inform readers about the issues, including videos. That has made for some interesting times in the newsroom, as reporters pick up cameras and learn the ropes of video production. But, be assured, we do apply the same rules of journalism to videos as we do to stories.

In the case of the campaign videos, we applied the same rules to all candidates. Each was allowed up to three minutes to make a statement. The reporter followed up with questions, and the candidate was given an unlimited time to respond. Aside from editing out the sound of silence between questions, we made no alterations to the tapes. No splicing, no dicing, no sound bites. What we saw and heard is what you get.

Besides Tim Matthes, Jan Angel, running for 26th District Representative, position 1, and incumbent Sen. Phil Rockefeller, running to retain his seat in the 23rd District, also declined the video interview.

Just thought you ought to know in case anyone wonders why these candidates are missing in the video lineup of our 2008 election coverage.

For those of you who haven’t been following the dialog about school funding in an earlier post, South Kitsap School District will host a legislative round-table at 6 p.m. Wednesday at which school board members will ask local candidates for the state legislature what they will do to provide for adequate funding of basic education. South Kitsap is part of a lawsuit involving numerous districts to, as SKSD board member Kathryn Simpson says, “compel the state to meet its obligations.”

RSVPs so far:

26th Legislative District

Position 1: Jan Angel, R-Port Orchard; Kim Abel, D-Port Orchard

Position 2: Marlyn Jensen, R-Gig Harbor; Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor

35th Legislative District

Position 1: Marco Brown, R-Belfair

Position 2: Fred Finn, D-Belfair

I needed to make a correction on the story I wrote about South Kitsap School District’s upcoming levy.

Prior to passing its first four-year levy in 2001, the district failed to pass a two-year levy in February, 2000 (I had the wrong year). The levy failed again in April. In previous history, the district also failed to pass levies in 1994 (two strikes) and February, 1995. The levy passed in April, 1995, but the district encountered failure again in 1997 (two strikes) and in February, 1998, before the levy passed in April that year.

Looking at South Kitsap’s levy history since 1973 (below), it’s apparent why board members and levy supporters don’t assume passage of the proposed four-year levy on Feb. 3 as a slam dunk. Granted, as of 2007, passage of levies no longer requires a 60 percent “super-majority.” A simple 50+ percent majority is now the bar. But given the poor economy, South Kitsap voters’ memory of the Port of Bremerton’s tax for the new Bremerton marina, taxpayers’ concerns about the potential cost of the Bethel Corridor and other worries, the South Kitsap School Supporters heading up the levy campaign is taking nothing for granted.

The group is organizing now for the 2009 levy. Anyone interested in joining them, can contact Shawn Cucciardi, who’s heading up the effort, at (360) 895-0142 or e-mail scucciardi@mccormickwoodsgolf.com.

ISSUE     DATE         YES COUNT    NO COUNT    % OF YES     RESULTS
LEVY    May     1973    2580    1454    64.20%     Passed
LEVY    April    1974    2719    1996    57.60%     Failed
BOND    April    1974    2275    2430    48.30%     Failed
BOND    November    1975    4071    2766    59.54%     Failed
BOND    January     1976    4214    1810    69.95%     Passed
LEVY    April    1976    1601    2555    38.52%     Failed
LEVY    April    1978    1808    1192    60.20%     Passed
LEVY    May    1980    1312    1993    39.70%     Failed
LEVY    September    1982    4130    3998    50.81%     Failed
LEVY    November     1982    6684    5999    52.70%     Failed
LEVY    February    1983    2965    1621    *64.65%     Failed
LEVY    April    1983    3708    1617    69.60%     Passed
LEVY    February    1985    2908    1380    *67.82%     Failed
LEVY    May    1985    3738    1578    *70.31%     Failed
LEVY    February    1986    4162    2663    60.98%     Passed
BOND    February    1987    2722    1959    58.15%     Failed
BOND    May    1987    2621    2185    54.54%     Failed
BOND    February    1988    3993    1939    67.31%     Passed
LEVY    February    1988    4023    1930    67.58%     Passed
LEVY    February    1990    3458    1650    67.70%     Passed
LEVY    February    1992    4476    2124    67.82%     Passed
BOND    February    1993    3053    2910    51.20%     Failed
LEVY    February    1994    4265    3573    54.41%     Failed
LEVY    May    1994    5263    4122    56.08%     Failed
LEVY    Feb.    1995    6790    5442    55.51%     Failed
LEVY    April    1995    8325    4754    63.65%     Passed
BOND    May    1996    3834    6508    37.07%     Failed

LEVY    February    1997    6017    5737    51.19%     Failed
LEVY    April    1997    9053    6602    57.83%     Failed
LEVY    February    1998    11,855    9,580    55.31%     Failed
LEVY    April    1998    12,415    7,602    62.02%    Passed
LEVY    February    2000    10,275    8,811    53.84%    Failed
LEVY    April    2000    9,502    7,254    56.71%    Failed
4-YR. LEVY    February    2001    14,447    7,601    65.63%    PASSED
4-YR, LEVY    February     2005    12,526    7,133    63.72%    PASSED
BOND    March    2007    10,598    9,508    52.71%    FAILED

South Kitsap School District No. 402

“You don’t have to be a hippie, a vegetarian or part of the counter culture” to appreciate organically grown farmed food grown in a sustainable manner, accord to the Kitsap Food Co-op’s Web site.

The group includes “normal people of all ages who are tired of the industrial way our food is being grown,” the Web site states.

Members hope to start a cooperative grocery whose shelves are stocked with locally grown and produced foods. Until they can see that dream to a conclusion, you can find them from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Bremerton Farmer’s Market. Also check out the Kitsap Sun’s Guide to Eating Local.

The co-op is planning a Fall Fair as a fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Rodstol Lane Farm.

There will be cider press demonstrations, a pumpkin patch, music and vendors. Wear your tie-dye.

People have been after me to do an update on the story of Fat Rascal’s Barbecue, which closed in March due to overdue taxes. The community stepped up to help owners Ben and Phyllis Howlett, but the restaurant remained closed. Donors are jaded.

Later today we’ll post a story at kitsapsun.com with the sequel. The news hook, as we say, is that a new family - also planning to serve barbecue — is getting ready to take chance on the waterfront location on Highway 166 that has seen number of restaurants come and go over the past couple of decades.

Gary Hobbs, the primary owner of Smokey’s BBQ & Steakhouse, said he’s not too concerned, even with the economy reaching new lows. Hobbs has been selling his hickory smoked meats from a mobile barbecue at festivals around the region, and his loyal following has been after him to open in a place they can find him throughout the year.

Hobbs says, when it comes to barbecue - make that “real” barbecue - the Northwest is the new South.  According to Hobbs, barbecue joints are the fastest growing segment of the Northwest restaurant scene.

“I think the public is becoming more educated about what real barbecue is,” Hobbs said.

“Real” barbecue is a whole ‘nother animal from the turn-and-burn school of cooking, said Hobbs. The meat is slow-cooked in savory sauces for the better part of a day, to the point it pulls apart in moist shreds that seem to melt in your mouth.

We may be getting educated, but I don’t think it takes a PhD to be a barbecue connoisseur. I had no trouble translating the sensory intent of the barbecue chicken sandwich I had at Grillside Mobile Barbecue at the Port Orchard Farmer’s Market several weeks ago. But I’m a newbie to the world of real barbecue. Maybe there are rules about methods and seasoning, subtleties of flavors, rituals of cooks of which I’m unaware.

Incidentally, Hobbs, who has met Phyllis Howlett, said he sympathizes with the couple. “Making barbecue”  - the term Ben Howlett used to describe his craft, much the way people talk about making love -  requires hours of slow cooking each day. It is indeed a grueling labor of love, Hobbs said. “People in the business know how hard it is.”
Hobbs, a Gig Harbor resident, said the fact that Fat Rascal’s parking lot was usually full whenever he drove by bodes well for his business prospects. From what he’s heard, Hobbs said, the Howletts were good folks who fell on hard times.
“They were wonderful people,” he said. “They had a great little business. They were running that thing seven days a week, and it’s hard to do.”

The South Kitsap School District Board of Directors will hold a public hearing prior to voting tonight on a levy measure that would raise $70 million in property tax revenue for South Kitsap schools over the next four years. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at the district office 1962 Hoover Ave. SE.

The levy measure, to run Feb. 3, would replace the district’s current levy that expires at the end of 2009.

The board last Wednesday agreed to vote on a total levy amount that would factor in an 8 percent rate of inflation for the first year of the levy and 6 percent in subsequent years. The amount collected in the form of property taxes over four years would total $70 million, up from $67.6 million in an earlier proposal.

Terri Patton, assistant superintendent for business and support services, told the board the estimate would help the district weather continued economic turbulence that has been driving up costs for personnel, services and supplies, especially fuel for buses. Board members agreed.

Taxpayers would be charged an estimated $2.27 per $1,000 of assessed property value for 2010 and 2011. The estimated rate would be $2.28 per $1,000 for the last two years of the levy. The $67.6 million proposal would have collected an estimated $2.20 per $1,000 over four years. The current levy amount is $1.98 per $1,000.

What would the increased rate mean to property owners? Here’s an example (they ought to put this one on the WASL). The owner of a home valued at $250,000 currently pays $495 per year to local schools, or $41.25 per month. Under the lower levy option once being considered, the $67.6 million proposal, the annual amount would increase to $550 per year, or $45.83 per month. Under the $70 million proposal, the same homeowner would pay $567.50 per year for the first two years of the levy, and $570 per year for the last two years, at $47.30 and $47.50 per month respectively.

If you have anything to say about the levy, be there or be square. For more information on the levy, visit the district’s Web site.

Tickets for Cedar Cover Days, in celebration of Kitsap author Debbie Macomber, will go on sale at 3 p.m. Oct. 12 for the event which runs Aug. 26 through 30 in Port Orchard.

Macomber, who lives in Port Orchard, has drawn on people and places in her hometown to create “Cedar Cove,” the setting for many of her best-selling novels. The Cedar Cover series is laced with hints of local culture, shops based on real storefronts here and characters drawn from Macomber’s own life.

Macomber’s books have sold more than 60 million copies. Organizers hope Cedar Cove Days will boost Port Orchard (and Kitsap County) into the spotlight of her substantial worldwide fan base.

Among the a la carte events from which visitors can choose:
A cruise on the 182′ Royal Argosy through to the luxurious Kiana Lodge with Debbie.

High Tea at the The Victorian Rose Tea Room with Debbie.

A Sock Hop … and more

There’s also a chance to win a free trip to Cedar Cove Days. To enter, readers need to tell Debbie which Cedar Cove character they’d most like to meet and why, in 75 words or less. For complete details, visit Macomber’s Web site. Entries must be submitted by Oct. 31.

What? A New Utility Bill?

The Port Orchard City Council took its first formal step toward establishing a storm water utility by OK-ing a public education survey. On Oct. 14, they will review a resolution to actually create the utility, but fees won’t be set until around the first of the year. The city, like other cities and counties statewide, is required by the state’s Department of Ecology to create a program for preventing and cleaning up  pollution from run-off.

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Last Call to Sound Off on SK Levy Amount

The South Kitsap School District Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on Wednesday prior to voting on a resolution setting the amount of its Feb. 3 replacement maintenance and operations levy. The board agreed this week to consider a levy measure that would factor in an 8 percent rate of inflation for the first year of the levy and 6 percent in subsequent years. The amount collected in the form of property taxes over four years would total $70 million, up from $67.6 million in an earlier proposal.

The estimated levy rate would be $2.27 per $1,000 of assessed property value for 2010 and 2011. The estimated rate would be $2.28 per $1,000 for the last two years of the levy. The $67.6 million proposal would have collected an estimated $2.20 per $1,000 over four years.

The current levy amount is $1.98 per $1,000 of assessed value. The total amount collected from 2006 through 2009 will be an estimated $53.7 million.

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Yukon Harbor Now Open to Shellfishing

Yukon Harbor and beaches to the north and south have been approved for shellfish harvesting for the first time since state health officials began certifying shellfish areas in the 1960s.

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Bremerton Woman Sentenced in South Kitsap Bicyclist’s Death

A Bremerton woman was sentenced Wednesday to a nine-month jail sentence in the death of a bicyclist last September, according to the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office.

Delores J. Magneson, 60, pleaded guilty in August to one count of vehicular homicide. She has already begun to serve her sentence in the Kitsap County jail.

Magneson was driving on the 7300 block of SE Mile Hill Drive on Sept. 6, 2007, when her 1992 Buick Century left the road to the right and fatally struck Craig Hatt, 41, of South Kitsap.

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Burst Water Main Leaves McCormick Woods High and Dry

You might see some folks at the corner of Bethel and Lund avenues in South Kitsap around 4 p.m. today looking mad as hell about the proposed government bailout of companies mired in bad debt from the mortgage crisis.  Local resident River Curtis-Stanley forwarded the Kitsap Sun a form e-mail advising of a national day of protest to be joined by herself and presumably other “Kitsap citizens.”

The e-mail reads, in part:

“Once again money can be found to prop up the rich elites of this
country while large and growing numbers of people are losing their
homes or are homeless, over 45 million people in the US are without
health care, growing numbers of people have to choose between fuel and
food, and the infrastructure of the country crumbles,” said [LOCAL
ORGANIZER]. “We’re coming together to say NO to the Bush bailout.”

For more information, contact Curtis-Stanley:
(360) 769-5935
(360) 981-1947 cell
rivercs@gmail.com

Repairs were completed on a broken water main at McCormick Woods about 1:15 p.m. today. Although testing on the main was being wrapped up, Jay Cookson, public works supervisor, said residents are free to turn on the tap and … sigh of relief … flush those toilets that have been in a holding pattern since 5 a.m. when the 12-inch main serving approximately 700 homes in the development sprung a leak.

It’s the little things that make my day. Flushing toilets are high on the list. I’m working from home today as I have meetings in Port Orchard. About 1 p.m. I heard the toilets and faucets making strange noises, kind of like Jack Nicholson’s gut rumbling in “The Witches of Eastwick.” Then, voila, H2O!

“Everybody’s good to go,” said Cookson.

Literally .. good to go.

Cookson said that work on a sewer line in the area about two weeks ago may have compressed the ground above the plastic pipe, which is buried about four feet deep, causing the leak. Workers turned off the water, removed the section of damaged pipe and repaired it with a metal band. The pipe is on the main line serving the McCormick Woods development.