 Kitsap County’s first ever national professional golf tournament was held at White Horse Golf Club June 9-10. Although the weather wasn’t ideal, the inaugural Suquamish Clearwater Ladies Professional Golf Association Legends Cup was a success. The event featured some of the greatest players in the history of women’s golf. Great Britain’s Trish Johnson took home the top prize at the tournament.
Under ownership of the Suquamish Tribe, which purchased the golf course after it went into foreclosure in 2010, White Horse was transformed into a premier Northwest, world-class course. The course was redesigned after complaints it was too challenging for average golfers. The redesign made it the beautiful, challenging – but not too challenging – destination course that it is today.
The LPGA Legends Tour will return to White Horse next year, with the option for another two years. For more information on the tour, visit www.thelegendstour.com. To learn more about the fantastic golf course in our backyard, or to book your own tee time, visit www.whitehorsegolf.com.
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Commissioner Rob Gelder joined his fellow commissioners
and mayors from each of Kitsap County’s cities on a hard hat tour of the newly
expanding Harrison Medical Center campus in Silverdale. The $500 million
project is taking shape quickly. State-of-the-art construction techniques are
being used, such as computer 3-D modeling. The new building will also be the
most energy-efficient hospital in Washington state, taking advantage of southern
exposure to keep heating costs low and utilizing shades to cut down on cooling
costs in the summer.
The hospital campus will connect to the Clear Creek
Trail, providing opportunities for staff, patients and visitors to get outside
and exercise. Boulders unearthed during the site excavation will be used in a
“healing garden” and lumber from trees logged when the site was cleared will be
used in interior features.
Expansion of the hospital’s square footage will allow
room for CHI Franciscan Health to expand services. The new facility will
feature a large cancer center, additional surgical services, heart and stroke
care, a birthing center with a neonatal intensive care unit, orthopedic care
and a 24-hour emergency room. The hospital will be more conveniently located
for North Kitsap residents, as well as those seeking medical services from
Jefferson, Clallam and Mason counties. It is scheduled to open in 2020.
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In May, Commissioner Gelder was invited to tour two North
Kitsap schools with North Kitsap School District Superintendent Dr. Laurynn
Evans. They visited Kingston Middle School and Gordon Elementary, where they
visited classrooms, including Jamye Lyons’ kindergarten class (pictured), and
discussed challenges with the changing face of education. School funding and
safety were discussed at length. The layout of some schools has come under
scrutiny recently due to recent school shootings across the country. School
administrators are looking at the number of entrances to the schools, vents
above doorways and the security of portable classrooms that are located apart
from the main buildings among many other considerations.
With the recent passage of a four-year capital levy, needed
upgrades – including school safety improvements – will be made at schools
throughout the district. The capital levy will bring in an average of about $10
million annually. Safety improvement priorities are intercom and access control
systems that will enable staff to communicate, control access to a building and
lock down a campus.
The North Kitsap School District has reached out to
Sheriff Gary Simpson to request an additional school resource officer (SRO) in
Kingston. The cost of SROs is usually shared between local law enforcement
agencies and school districts. There is already a Poulsbo Police Department SRO
working at North Kitsap High School. School resource officers are a growing
trend nationwide, with over 17,000 of them assigned to schools. They undergo specialized
training in working with youth and are often able to diffuse tense situations
before a crime is committed.
Sheriff Simpson and the Board of County Commissioners worked
with Administrative Services to dedicate funding for new SROs in Kingston and
the Central Kitsap School District. With some reallocation of funding
designated for patrol cars and computers, and funding from marijuana taxes, the
Sheriff’s Office hopes to have new hires on board in time for the beginning of
the school year this fall.
Salish Sea Expeditions is a unique non-profit
organization, dedicated to engaging middle- and high-school students in Puget
Sound marine science research. Its mission is to inspire youth to connect with
the marine environment through boat-based scientific inquiry and hands-on
learning, instilling curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking.
Based on Bainbridge Island and founded in 1994, Salish
Sea Expeditions shares the 61-foot sailboat, Carlyn, with Four Winds Westward Ho Camp on Orcas Island. Salish
Sea Expeditions uses the boat during the school year, and the camp uses it
during the summer. They are currently engaged in a campaign to outfit a larger
second vessel, which will enable them to operate year round, serving more
students than ever before.
“Salish Sea Expeditions inspires students to engage with
hands-on marine science and the Puget Sound by partnering with local middle-
and high-school classes to develop science research projects that the students
can conduct aboard ship over multiple days at sea,” said Executive Director
Seth Muir. “Over 21 years our programs have served over 17,000 students and
1,000 teachers.”
Students, teachers and parents give the program rave
reviews. Experiences with learning outside of the classroom are rare – and can
be unforgettable for students. To learn more about this unique organization,
book at class, or provide support, visit www.salish.org.
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The opening of the West Kingston Road bridge was reason enough
for drivers to celebrate – but the environmental benefits were also worthy of a
celebration. On June 9, Stillwaters Environmental Center hosted an “Estuary
Liberation Celebration” to highlight the newfound freedom of tidal waters
through the Carpenter Creek estuary. Water flow previously had only a five-foot
culvert under the road to pass through. There is now a 150-foot bridge span
that allows greater circulation of tidal flow and makes it easier for marine
life to move freely into the estuary. After several months of construction
delays, the bridge opened to traffic April 30.
The celebration included docent-guided walks to a viewing
platform overlooking the new bridge, food, music, a native plant sale and
speakers included Commissioner Gelder, Suquamish Tribal Chairman Leonard
Forsman, representatives from Stillwaters, the U.S. Navy and Kitsap County
Public Works.
Founded in 1999, Stillwaters has been monitoring
Carpenter Creek, educating the community and advocating for environmental
improvements, including the new bridges across West Kingston and South Kingston
roads. Their monitoring program has been featured throughout the region and provides
excellent opportunities for college students to complete internships focusing
on environmental science. For more information about Stillwaters Environmental
Center, and to view photos of the West Kingston bridge construction, visit http://www.stillwatersenvironmentalcenter.org.
As highlighted in recent media stories, 36 acres of land
that had been leased to private homeowners in downtown Suquamish, known as the
housing development Suquamish Shores, was returned to the Suquamish Tribe after
50 years. The Suquamish Shores lease expired May 31, 2018. Fifty years ago, the
tribe had no steady source of income to establish a tribal government, so the tribal
council agreed to a controversial lease with a private non-tribal corporation
to bring in some steady income. The corporation then initiated leases with
individuals who built homes on the property. The existing homes are being removed
to make room for the tribe’s three-phased plan to redevelop the property over
the next 10 years. The first phase will focus on community spaces, including a park,
walking trails and playground. Construction will begin in late summer, with
completion scheduled for 2020. For more information, visit www.suquamish.nsn.us/return-of-the-shores.
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Construction is almost done on the new and improved
Suquamish Way. Paving and fence installation is almost wrapped up. The
finishing touches including some minor cleanup, road striping and improvements
to South Street. The new six-foot sidewalk, bike lane and fencing give
non-motorized travelers a much safer route to and from downtown Suquamish.
Visit the project website
for more information. |
In Commissioner Gelder’s most recent episode of
“Commissioner’s Corner,” he visits the recently completed B.A.R.N. – the
Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network – on Bainbridge Island. Commissioner Gelder
interviews board president Catherine Camp and board member Jeff Williams about
how the B.A.R.N. concept was developed and how it operates. The cameras visit
many of the specialized studios for a look at the tools, machines and
workspaces available in the impressive 25,000 square-foot facility. Check out
the video at https://vimeo.com/275720782,
or learn more about the B.A.R.N., including class offerings, at https://bainbridgebarn.org.
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Discover Kingston: community open house Sept. 20
The Kingston Citizens Advisory Council invites the public to its annual open house, scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Kingston Village Green Community Center. The Discover Kingston Community Open House will provide an opportunity to meet with community groups, nonprofits and public agencies that offer services and opportunities to the citizens of Kitsap County, especially those located in North Kitsap. Stay tuned for more details!
Changes to the
2019 county budget process: town hall scheduled Sept. 24
Talking about the county budget doesn’t usually attract a
lot of spectators, but it is very important for the public to be aware of where
their tax dollars are going. County Commissioners approve the final budget. In
past years, individual county department gave presentations to Commissioners
and a citizen budget committee that were aired on Bremerton-Kitsap Access
Television and posted on the county website. This year, departments will give their
budget requests to Commissioners in smaller public meetings. A draft budget
will be created and presented to the public in a series of town hall events –
one in each commissioner district - in late September and October. The North
Kitsap budget town hall is scheduled for 4:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, September 24 at
Poulsbo City Hall, 200 Moe St. NE. For more information, visit the budget
website at www.kitsapgov.com/das/Pages/bgt.aspx.
 Commissioner Gelder (front left) joins representatives from the Kitsap TriBabes and the Northwest Laborers Camp and Parks Director Jim Dunwiddie (right) to cut the ribbon on a new picnic shelter at Wildcat Lake County Park. The TriBabes, a womens fitness and triathlon training group led by Lisa Ballou, raised nearly $4000 for the shelter. The Northwest Laborers Camp poured the concrete pad at no cost, and Navy volunteers cleared the site.
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