Leslie Reynolds can’t do a kick turn or an ollie. At 56, she’s not about to try a 180, let alone a 360. But Reynolds, whose 15-year-old son Zack Taylor has been skatingboarding since he was 3, is behind South Kitsap’s skater crowd all the way.
Reynolds, president of South Kitsap Skatepark Association, will be standing on the sidelines Saturday, cheering on Zack and other contestants at a “Ramp Jam” at South Kitsap Regional Park. The event is a fundraiser for the permanent skateboarding facility planned at the park.
It features four local bands, including the F’n A’s.
“I’m sure these aren’t groups I would listen to, but I don’t have to,” said Reynolds. “I’m just there to provide a service.”

My thoughts: Ah, what we do for our children.

Here are details on the event:
What: Ramp Jam, hosted by South Kitsap Skatepark Association
When: noon to 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: South Kitsap Regional Park
What: Contests for skaters of all skill levels ($10 entry fee), four local bands, barbecue.

The race for Port Orchard City Council is taking shape with three out of four incumbents up for reelection declaring their intentions to defend their seats, and two challengers joining the race.

Filing week is next week, June 1 through 5.

Amy Igloi Matusuno, owner of Amy’s on the Bay restaurant, and Cindy Lucarelli, who lost to longtime incumbent councilman John Clauson in 2007, have both said they will run, but neither candidate will announce which seat she is seeking before filing.

Fred Chang (position 6), Rob Putaansuu (position 3) and Jerry Childs (at large), all said on Tuesday they will go after another term. Longtime Councilwoman Carolyn Powers (position 2), however, will not make her intentions known before filing week, she said.

Powers is completing her fifth full term on the council with 22 years under her belt. She has been steadfastly non-committal about whether or not she will run again. With days to go before filing begins, surely she has made up her mind one way or another. But, she said, there’s “nothing to be gained” in changing course this late in the game.

Learn more about the candidates later at kitsapsun.com.

I’m early (will miracles ever cease?) but there’s so much going on this weekend with the Kitsap Harbor Festival, I thought you’d need advance notice.

With 12 (possible) participants, Sunday’s Taste of Port Orchard may not stack up against the Bite of Seattle or similar events, but it’s a start.

The Taste will take place Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. (or later if the food holds out) in Port Orchard Marina Park. The Taste will be complemented by a beer garden hosted by Port Orchard Rotary from 3 to 7 p.m. The Michael Anthony Pratt Band will play from 4 to 6 p.m.

It’s all part of the Kitsap Harbor Festival, hosted by the port with events scheduled throughout the three-day weekend on both sides of Sinclair inlet.

“We want to bring people down to the waterfront and show them it’s a fun place to be,” said organizer Brian Sauer, operations manager for the Port of Bremerton’s Port Orchard Marina.

The Taste will showcase Port Orchard eateries and caterers, featuring small bites for $1 to $4.

On Thursday, Sauer had yet to firm up the list of participants. Those showing interest included Gino’s. MoonDogs, Too, Rosa Coffee Roasters, Amy’s on the Bay, The Candy Shoppe, Cosmo’s Deli, Juwapa’s, Capriccio’s Catering, Purple Fig Catering, Smokey’s Barbecue, Essence of Thymes Catering and Carter’s Chocolate.

So, my question is, if Bremerton held one of these “bite of … ” events would they call it “Bite in a Bag in Bremerton?”

It’s a long story. You had to be there. The salient quote from
Seattlepi.com Editor Scott Sunde, dishing it out to our rival sibling city, was: “Bremerton: Where Navy ships go to die and fine dining comes in a paper sack.”Seattle P.

Wrong information: The South Kitsap School District on Friday issued an automated phone notification to Cedar Heights Junior High School families and staff about a student who had been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus. A story that ran Saturday said the notice was district-wide.

The district posted text of the announcement on the district’s Web site.

I spoke to Superintendent Dave LaRose today about the district’s response. According to LaRose, the student, a Pierce County resident, was at home recovering when the district learned that she had the H1N1 virus late Friday afternoon. The student never showed symptoms while at school and had spent the whole week at home recovering, therefore the risk of exposure was deemed to be low, health district officials told the district.

There was no discussion of closing the school, LaRose said.

I also checked with Kitsap County Health District Director Scott Lindquist, who confirmed that health officials advised SKSD the case did not warrant a formal health advisory. He also confirmed that the risk of exposure in this case was low.

The district decided to issue the phone and Web site notices to make sure people had accurate information, and to ease concerns, said LaRose.

By the time the district got the notice, the student was on the mend. She is back at school this week, he said.

Confirmation of the first swine flu case in Kitsap resident came late Monday.

Lindquist said flu-like symptoms caused by the H1N1 virus in local residents have not been severe. The health district is advising doctors to treat it like the regular flu, taking precautions in high risk populations, but otherwise letting it run its course.

The district had two new positive cases today, Lindquist said. Not everyone with flu-like symptoms is getting tested at this point, so the actual number may be higher, he added. He advised a common sense approach and the usual precautions: wash hands, cover to cough and sneeze, stay home if sick.

Health officials say case does not pose a significant public health concern.
By Chris Henry
chenry@kitsapsun.com
SOUTH KITSAP
A Cedar Heights Junior High School student has been diagnosed as having the H1N1 “swine flu” virus. South Kitsap School District officals received word late Friday.
According to an e-mail from the superintendent’s office, officials from the Kitsap and Pierce County Health Departments told the district the case does not pose a significant public health threat, because the student was never ill while at school and was absent the entire week.
“County health stated that they consider this to be comparable to the typical flu,” La Rose said.
The district was unable to send hard copy letters home with students Friday, but LaRose issued a district-wide automated phone announcement.
“We are taking our lead from the health officials who tell us that this is not a public health concern and would not require a public notification from their departments (both Kitsap and Pierce County),” said spokeswoman Aimee Warthen, in an e-mail.
Neither LaRose or Warthen was available for further comment.

This would have been an easy week to get smug about not being the Bremerton Beat reporter.

As Gardner points out, it’s been turbulent of late in B-town, what with Bremerton-based Westsound Bank being seized by the Washington Department of Financial Institutions, its operations turned over to Port Orchard-based Kitsap Bank. Bremerton Mayor Cary Bozeman announced he will resign his post to take the CEO position at the Port of Bremerton, a move Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola says will work in his city’s favor.

Top top it off, Bremerton is laying off police officers, while Port Orchard is adding more. If ever there were an occasion for Port Orchard to gloat, that would have been it. But we took the high road.

And lo, comes Gardner, hat in hand, almost sheepish.

But before we get lulled into a false sense of security, read his parting shot (right below the Midway Market selling ShamWow sign).

“We’ll be fine, Bremerton. Keep your chin up. We’ll be making fun of Port Orchard again in no time.”

Right after you live down the county assuming debt on condos that were supposed to jump start Bremerton’s revitalization?

Surely I’m tempting karma, but I couldn’t resist.