By Chris Henry
chenry@kitsapsun.com
SOUTH KITSAP
Teresa “Terri” Messing, a seventh-grade geography and reading
teacher at Cedar Heights Junior High School was honored in Olympia
Monday as the 2010 Washington Legislature’s Civic Educator of the
Year. Messing has used a program called “Project Citizen” in her
classroom to help students understand public policy and to realize
they have the power to make changes in their school and
community.
The annual award recognizes a teacher in the state who has been
most involved in teaching students about government at the state
and local levels.
Other local teachers receiving civics educator honors during the
awards ceremony at the Washington State Capitol were Amanda Eisele,
a first-grade teacher at Sunnyslope Elementary School and Ken
Brown, a social studies teacher at Peninsula High School in Gig
Harbor’s Peninsula School District.
The three teachers from the 26th Legislative District were
nominated by Rep. Jan Angel (R) Port Orchard. A total of seven
educators from throughout the state were recognized at the
ceremony.
“Too often, students may feel they have no say in their government,
or that civics is boring and should be left to the politicians,”
said Angel. “But these outstanding teachers have made this subject
come alive with their students and have shown them the importance
of their involvement in government. They are a great influence for
the next generation of our leaders and I am proud the Legislature
is giving them the honor they deserve.”
Award recipients were chosen by the Civics Consortium, a 19-member
panel that consists of House and Senate staff members,
representatives from the Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction, Washington State Bar Association, TVW, and several
other groups.
Monday was Civics Education Day at the state Capitol. The state
House of Representatives entertained a resolution honoring civic
educators. Award winners attended a luncheon and ceremony with
Legislators in the John A. Cherberg Building.
Tag Archives: Jan Angel
PO Chamber Invites You to “Chat with Jan” Angel
The Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce is kicking off its new Community Affairs Forum series at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, March 17) with a conference call involving 26th District Rep. Jan Angel, R-Port Orchard at Prudential NW Real Estate in Port Orchard.
Anyone is invited to come and ask questions or comment on issues.
“We’re going to keep it really informal and flexible,” said Coreen Haydock Johnson, chamber director.
The chamber will continue the series Tues. March 31, at the same time and location with Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, and then on Tues. April 14 with Rep. Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor.
Haydock Johnson says the chamber hopes to continue the series with other community leaders either by conference call or, ideally, in person.
If you have a community leader you would like to hear from contact the chamber at (360) 876-3505.
Port Orchard Wants to Take $#!& From SKIA
It really does come down to sewers.
Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola, in his South Kitsap Industrial Area Multi-Jurisdictional Implementation Proposal, issued March 27, spoke in a general way of shared costs and revenues from the proposed industrial park. But the city’s primary claim to its piece of the SKIA pie is as a provider of waste water treatment, he told Kitsap County Commissioners Jan Angel and Steve Bauer at a summit with city council members Monday at City Hall. A 2003 memorandum of understanding between the city and the Port of Bremerton gives Port Orchard the legal backing to support its stance, Coppola said. At stake is substantial revenue from sewer service provided to SKIA, money the city will need as it is impacted by increased traffic from the area, Coppola said.
Coppola asked Angel, representing South KItsap, for an official
statement of support for the city’s position. But Angel declined,
saying, “I’m just going to put it on the table, the Port of
Bremerton, part of the City of Bremerton and Port Orchard are all
in my district. That’s why the county has stepped back and not
taken a position, because we didn’t really feel it was our place to
do so.”
Coppola said the city is prepared to dig in and defend its $21.5
million investment in Karcher Creek’s waste water treatment plant,
made in large part with SKIA in mind.
“We’ve invested $4.5 million from our treasury and the balance in
bonds, and we’re not walking away from that,” said Coppola.
Read the complete story later at kitsapsun.com. Read Bremerton Beat reporter Andy Binion’s post on public perception of conflict between Bremerton and Port Orchard here.
Other issues of mutual interest discussed at the summit included:
McCormick Woods annexation: Angel said the county supports the annexation, even though it would mean reduced revenue for the county. Discussion centered on how the county and city would share responsibilities and revenues (in the form of impact fees) from the area.
Under an inter-local agreement between the county and Kitsap cities, transfer of revenue would be phased in over three years, with 75 percent going to the county in the first year of annexation, 50 percent the next and 25 percent the next. Councilman John Clauson suggested responsibility for maintenance of roads to be assumed by the city could be similarly phased in.
Angel said the board of commissioners needs to discuss the annexation and make its recommendation.
Council members requested that the board put McWoods high on its list of priorities. “I would just comment maybe the sooner the better,” said Carolyn Powers. “We have a lot of people out at McCormick Woods chomping at the bit, and we can’t do it on our own.”
Bethel Corridor: The county is taking a survey to see if taxpayers would support any of several measures to fund major improvements to the 1.7-mile stretch of road that is South Kitsap’s major commercial thoroughfare. If not, the project that has been in the works since 2000 will be kaput.
“If people aren’t willing to pay anything, we don’t have a project,” Angel said. “A lot of people believe there is money to do this project. There is not.”
Coppola said that a number of Bethel property owners have approached the city about annexation. The city is likely to eventually annex the whole Bethel corridor.
Givens Center and Veteran’s Memorial Park: The county has offered the Givens Center to the City of Port Orchard, not as a gift. No suggested sale price has been mentioned. The city is analyzing the potential benefits and liabilities of the proposal, said James Weaver, the city’s director of planning and development. Jan Angel said she began talking with Copploa about the proposal when he took office in January.”I was hoping you were going to offer a price tonight,” said Angel, mostly in jest.
“I thought you wanted to give it to us,” said Coppola, also joking.
Angel said it would also be logical for the city to assume responsibility for Veteran’s Memorial Park, which is in city limits. The county understands that the city is working to create a parks department and that they would not be likely to take over the park until that had happened.
