Speaking of South Kitsap

A year after buying a piece of property for added parking at its boat launch, the Port of Manchester is almost ready to start construction on 8 additional truck-and-trailer spaces and 10 more standard parking spaces.

Parking was identified as a top priority in a 2008 survey of boat launch users.

The public can weigh in on the proposed parking project at 10 a.m. Thursday before the Kitsap County Hearing Examiner. The hearing will be at the county administration building, 619 Division Ave. The port must receive approval for a Shoreline Substantial Development Permit and a Conditional Use Permit in order for the project to move forward.

The price of the property, at 8175 East Daniel’s Loop, and estimated cost of construction totals $650,000. A state recreational grant covered 75 percent of the cost. The port must match the grant with 25 percent of the total. Port Administrator Alan Fletcher said the port is on schedule with payments on the project from the general fund. The port can also count volunteer labor and in-kind donations toward its match.

To increase revenue, the port will enact a fee schedule for its boat launch. Throughout the port’s history, it has not charged launching fees. Starting April 1, the cost will be $5 per day to launch a boat of any size. Annual passes at $50 are available to residents within port boundaries. The annual charge for people outside the boundaries in $100.

Addendum:
The port last year considered and rejected a levy lid lift and an industrial development district as means to increase revenue.

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Terri Messing, Cedar Heights Junior High School reading and geography teacher, remembers the thrill of the first presidential campaign she worked on, John F. Kennedy’s. The extent of her activity was wearing a Kennedy campaign button, but, hey, she was only was 5.

Messing, whose father was politically active, passed along to his daughter a love and appreciation for civics that Messing in turn has passed along to her students.

Messing was recently honored as Teacher of the Year by the Washington State Council for Social Studies (WSCSS). She will be recognized at the WSCSS Leadership Retreat, Friday through Sunday, in Chelan, with a plaque, a check for $300, and membership to the National Association for Social Studies.

In January, Messing was named 2010 Washington Legislature’s Civic Educator of the Year, having been nominated by Rep. Jan Angel, R-Port Orchard.

Messing this year teaches 7th graders who next year will “loop” with her. As eighth graders, they will take part in a mock court at Kitsap County Courthouse. In past years, this activity has proven instructiven and engaging for students … and not just those who are born crazy for civics. A previous “trial,” put on with the help of Kitsap County Judge Marilyn Paja, focused on a teenage “defendant” accused of manslaughter and drunk driving. Other students played the part of attorneys, witnesses, judge and jury, roles they had to research beforehand.

It’s Messing’s goal to reach those kids who are monumentally bored by the idea of social studies. To get their attention, she tosses the text book … not literally, but instead of doggedly going chapter by chapter, she allows students to determine areas of study (within guidelines of the state’s essential learning standards). She lets them ask the questions … and find the answers. She allows for a lot of hands-on, “kinetic” studies, such as the role playing required for the mock courtroom exercise.

“I do whatever I can to engage students,” Messing said. “A lot of kids don’t understand why they need to study social studies. … I love teaching my kids you don’t have to be gifted to make a difference. It’s just about the average Joes.”

Messing worked for 18 years as a para-educator in Central Kitsap School District before getting her teaching degree. She has taught at Cedar Heights for eight years.

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A few folks, two of whom are named Cheryl, responded to my story which ran Saturday about special license plates. Here are their comments and answers to a few questions:

Hi Chris,

I got my plate when they came out about 3 years ago, I got number NP00575.
I looked thru all of them and found the one that I liked the best and it matched the truck I had then, lucky for me it matches the car I have now! But most important it supports our National Parks.
I do not mind the extra $$, it is worth it. I have a pretty common car and adding the plate has made it more noticeable and yes people do comment on it. I hike alot and so we see a lot of cars at the trailheads with National Park, State Park, and bike plates. I’m not sure how often the State changes our plates, but I remember when it was 10 years and longer, then the State got the newer ones with Mt Rainier and since then I swear they change it every 3 years? You should find that out! But I got really fed up with changing the plates and then trying to remember the new plate numbers! I think for an extra $$ you can keep your old plates EXCEPT if they are not the newer reflective ones. You should find that out too! I am from Gig Harbor.
Good luck with the story.

Cheryl, Gig Harbor
**************
Cheryl –
According to a History of Vehicle Licensing (see below) posted on the Washington State Dept. of Licensing’s Web site, license plates representing Washington’s centennial were issued in 1987. These plates had a blue color scheme on a white background with “Washington” and “Centennial Celebration” in red. A rendition of Mount Rainier is in the background.

In 1990, Legislature passed a bill giving DOL the “sole discretion” to determine whether or not to create, design, or issue a special plate. The line “Centennial Celebration” was dropped from the license plate; otherwise, the license plates remained the same. I took a look outside the Kitsap Sun, and all the cars within view (none of which had specialty plates) had Mt. Rainier on them.

Also from the DOL Web site: You must replace your license plates every 7 years when you renew your vehicle tabs, because the reflective coating on the plates only has a 5-year guarantee. This coating helps law enforcement officers easily identify vehicles in poor weather conditions. Proper care of plates won’t prevent this coating from breaking down over time. … You may ask to keep your current license plate number on your replacement plates when you renew your tabs. Because this requires us to custom manufacture the license plate, there is an additional $20 fee to keep your current plate number.

Chris Henry, reporter

******************

Hello Chris!

Our vehicles have the LEM plates because I am a surviving child of a police officer killed in the line of duty. My father was killed in Arizona, but I have lived in Washington since 1991, and I am very involved in local non-profits that provide support and service to police survivors, including both the state chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) and the Behind the Badge Foundation. As you likely are aware, Behind the Badge Foundation is a merger organization of the Washington State Law Enforcement
Memorial Foundation (which is the benefactor of LEM license plate proceeds) and the 10-99 Foundation.
I do think of my plates often, especially when I see other LEM plates. I am very proud to support our law enforcement.
I live in Bremerton!
Thank you.
Cheryl, Bremerton

***********

Cheryl – My condolences of the loss of your father. The Law Enforcement Memorial is one of the top three most popular plates in Kitsap County.

Chris Henry, reporter

***********

Chris,
I got my elk plate first when they came out.. I have a 3 digit number so I got them very early. Elk hunting has been a huge part of our family since I was very little, The first time I went to elk camp I was 4, and my sister was 2. We never bought beef, the only red meat in our house was elk and venison. I still have never bought beef in the store. I got my plates 1: to support WDFW, 2: support a sport/ animal that we love and respect, 3: they didn’t have a steelhead one.
We got my wife’s plate about 4 years ago after we upgraded vehicles. We enjoy the outdoors, and wanted to support the National Parks.

Ryan Morse, Silverdale

*****************

History of License Plates in Washington State, courtesy Washington DOL
Read the rest of this entry »

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What: Fundraiser for Kitsap Community Food Coop
When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Cosmo’s Deli, 1821 Southeast Lund Ave., Port Orchard, WA 98366-5555; (360) 895-3138
What: Cosmo’s will donate 30 percent of proceeds to the coop. Members seek to establish a food coop, featuring local foods, in Kitsap County. They are currently evaluating potential sites around the county. Once one site has been established, the group hopes to spread out to other areas of Kitsap County.
For more information, call Laura Moynihan, (360) 813-1301.

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Are you a Cougar or a Husky? A veteran, a square dancer, a pet lover? Do you sport an orca or an eagle on your license plate? If you’re one of the hundreds of Kitsap residents who have chosen a little something extra as you comply with state regulations, we’d like to heard from you about a story the Kitsap Sun is doing.

E-mail me at chenry@kitsapsun.com, or call (360) 792-9219. Thanks Chris Henry, reporter

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A bill defining the extent of Highway 166 in Port Orchard passed the state House of Representatives Wednesday 93 to 5. SB 6510 now moves on to Gov. Chris Gregoire.
The measure if signed into law would settle a dispute between the state Department of Transportation and the City of Port Orchard over who should maintain a 610-foot section of road at the eastern end of Highway 166. The bill would require the state to maintain the section in question.
The highway now runs from Highway 160 near Gorst, along Sinclair Inlet, through downtown Port Orchard and partway up Mile Hill. A long-standing contract between the city and state says the state will maintain Highway 166 to the eastern city limits. But the city boundary moved farther up Mile Hill with annexation. The contract was not clear on whether responsibility to maintain the annexed section fell to the city or the state.
The roadway is showing signs of neglect, with potholes.
The original bill, sponsored by Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, called for extending the state highway 6 miles to include all of Mile Hill Drive and Southworth Drive. The bill was amended to address only the 610-foot section. The senate passed the amended version 48-0 on Feb. 16.
The city bases its position on RCW 4724, which says the state bears responsibility for roadway maintenance on state highways within a city whose population is fewer than 25,000. Port Orchard’s population is just more than 10,000. Another law, RCW 3513, could be interpreted to support the state’s position. The conflict created confusion about who should maintain the road, Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola said.
“The bill clarifies that the state has responsibility for that section of road,” said Coppola. “It’s been our position all along that Mile Hill is a state highway, and it’s the state’s responsibility to maintain it.”
Highway 166 has undergone a name change and has changed hands over the years.
Until 1992, the roadway through Port Orchard to the Southworth ferry was called Highway 160. But the state decided Sedgwick Road was a better route for getting to the ferry terminal and designated it Highway 160, turning the former Highway 160 over to Port Orchard and Kitsap County.
In 1993, the state took back the part of old Highway 160 from Highway 16 to Port Orchard’s eastern city limits because of mudslides near Ross Point. It named the 5-mile stretch Highway 166.

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Kitsap County sheriff’s deputies are investigating a threatening note found Tuesday evening on a piece of toilet paper in a bathroom at John Sedgwick Junior High School.

The note threatened specific students and said Thursday was when the threats would be carried out, Kitsap County Sheriff’s spokesman Scott Wilson said.

Deputies bolstered patrols in and around the school Thursday morning. There have been no incidents, Wilson said.

Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/04/kitsap-sheriffs-office-investigating-threats-stude/#ixzz0hFXGUFja

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Were you among those driving through Gorst this morning.? I was, and around 10 a.m., coming from Port Orchard on Highway 16, I encountered a slow rolling backup that extended nearly to the Old-Clifton-Tremont Street exit. I saw that the backup stretched to the other side of Sinclair Inlet.

It took me 40 minutes to get to Bremerton (a drive that usually takes 15 to 20), but I beat my cohort, reporter Brynn Grimley. She stayed on the main road, while I drove up over Sherman Hill Road to Auto Center Way.

The cause is roadwork in the southbound lane (heading from Bremerton to Gorst), as Department of Transportation crews replace plastic shields, known as “glare panels” on top of the Jersey barrier that divides the middle of Highway 3. At night, the glare panels help reduce light in drivers’ eyes caused by oncoming headlights.

The work is expected to conclude around 2 p.m. today.

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Yesterday, I wrote on this blog about the possibility that South Kitsap Soccer Club may not host a long-standing tournament, the Kitsap Kick-off. The tournament last year drew 72 teams, many from out of town. You can bet that those families ate at local restaurants, got gas at local stations and likely stayed at local motels if they came from a distance. Aside from the good of the game, there is a clear economic benefit to local sports tournaments. The problem, said SKSC president Mike Kerr, is they can’t get volunteers to run the tournament.

Lack of volunteers is also a factor in the demise of South Kitsap Babe Ruth, which has folded after more than 50 years as a South Kitsap institution. Primarily, the The South Kitsap Babe Ruth Association was disbanded due to lack of players and the economy, said SKBRA president Jerry Holaway Monday.

From Annette Griffus’ story:

SKBR began in 1956 as a Pony Colt League for 13 to 15-year-olds.

SKBRA isn’t the only Babe Ruth association to fold in Kitsap. Bremerton folded last year, said District 8 commissioner Bob Fojtik. The district encompasses the school districts of South Kitsap, Bremerton, Central Kitsap and Bainbridge Island.

Fojtik said a combination of reasons led to the Babe Ruth leagues folding including: a lack of parent volunteers, families unable to commit to the time involved for games and practices and players dropping out or choosing to play select baseball.

“It can’t be a one-or-two-person show running the season,” he said.

End of clip.

My thoughts: Lack of parent volunteers and families unable to commit to the time involved for games and practices are a function of longer work hours, longer commutes and the economic need for two parents to work.

At the same time, select sports seem to be thriving. Parents are plenty willing to spend the time traveling, often farther afield than they would have to in a recreational league, and they’re willing to spend the substantially higher fees select sports require, meaning they need to work longer and harder to pay the bills. I’m not knocking select sports. I’m just saying …

Some organizations require some degree of parent volunteer participation. You work so your kids can play. Should all recreational sports organizations adopt this model? Take the poll on the home page of this blog.

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Addendum 3:30 p.m. March1: Minutes for the South Kitsap Soccer Club can be found on the Washington State Youth Soccer Association Web site under information, then documents.

The South Kitsap Soccer Club Board of Directors is considering cancellation of the Kitsap Kick-off, annual soccer tournament, due to lack of volunteers, said club president Mike Kerr.

The Board will hold a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 11 at Marcus Whitman Junior High School to discuss the proposal with club members.

Another proposal to be discussed at the meeting is switching the U9 teams for players 8 years old and under to randomized team assignment. In other words the rosters and coaches would change each year.

The KKO last year was moved from its traditional slot on Labor Day weekend to the week before, a move that Kerr said resulted in increased participation. The number of teams in 2009, 72, was up from 40 the previous year. Fees from the 2009 tournament generated $10,000 in revenue for the club.

The tournament appears to be a plus for the club. Additionally, with the KKO bringing teams from out of town for a three-day tournament, the local economy stands to lose out if the tournament is canceled.

The board went ahead and registered for the tournament this year, in the hope that volunteers will step forward from the meeting. If the KKO goes forward, the dates would be Aug. 27, 28 and 29.

Members of the board last year held roles in organizing the tournament, but “the executive board is stretched thin,” said Kerr.

Following a 2008 change in board organization, in which the number of board members was reduced from 21 to 13, a number of volunteers in key positions left the club. Positions that had previously been board positions became non-voting “committee member” positions. The change was made in part because the club was having trouble coming up with a quorum and had become “unwieldy,” Kerr said. Nevertheless, it appeared to have caused bad feelings on the part of some board members who left the club disgruntled.

I asked Kerr today if the club was having trouble filling volunteer positions. He said, no, only in the area of the Kitsap Kick-off. According to the SKSC Web site, one board position and four committee positions out of a total of 21 positions altogether are vacant.

Kerr who previously held the post of Vice President of Administration is now serving as club president. Former president Dick Morhrmann stepped down in December, 2009. Mohrmann was not available for comment. According to Kerr, he was “just getting tired.”

Mohrmann, in his late 60s, a former president of the Washington State Youth Soccer Association, was appointed in Jan. 11, 2008, as club president by SKSC’s parent organization, Kitsap Peninsula Youth Soccer Association, which stepped in at that time over what many called “dysfunction” on the board.

South Kitsap Soccer Club at one time had around 1,500 players. In 2009, there were about 1,200. That’s still a lot of kids and a lot of families who could potentially be affected if volunteer momentum that keeps the club going peters out, for whatever reason. If the executive board is stretched thin, that would suggest they are having trouble recruiting volunteers.

If you’ve been involved in the club, tell me how you think things are going. What do you think of the proposals on the table (No KKO; randomize team assignments for players 8 and under). Have you volunteered in the past? If you no longer volunteer, why?

Leave your comments here, or contact me at chenry@kitsapsun.com.

Thanks, Chris Henry

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