page 4 kitsapweek Friday, November 1, 2013
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Bainbridge island Review Bainbridge reorganizes police union: Bainbridge Island has taken its first step to break up the city’s police union. City Manager Doug Schulze filed a petition to the state Oct. 2 to allow the city to remove four lieutenants from the union that represents Bainbridge police officers. City officials will present a case to the Washington State Public Employment Relations Commission — the independent state agency that resolves labor-management disputes involving public employees — to have the city’s first-line supervisors removed from the Bainbridge Island Police Guild. The Bainbridge department has 14 officer positions, and those employees are managed by the department’s four lieutenants, but both line officers and lieutenants belong to the same union. That arrangement, however, has led to ongoing accountability and morale problems in recent years. Two of the lieutenants serve as the president and vice president of the police officers’ guild, and a recent department study said the rank-and-file were afraid to speak up because of retaliation. In the city’s petition to the Public Employment Relations Commission, Schulze said the police union, when it was formed, did not include supervisors.
Chela Grey tends to a llama at her sanctuary in Seabeck. She currently takes care of 23 llamas, four alpacas, four goats, and three sheep. Leslie Kelly / Central Kitsap Reporter Lieutenants were added to the union, Schulze said, when the city and guild agreed to an earlier contract. Schulze said negotiations over a new contract with the police union have included the idea of removing the lieutenants from the union. — BainbridgeReview.com
Bremerton Patriot Ribbon cut at new Bremerton Teen Center: Former Congressman Norm Dicks eyes watered and he choked up a bit during last week’s ribbon-cutting for the new Bremerton Teen Center, at the former site of Bremerton Junior High and East High School. More than 200 people turned out on Oct. 18 for the dedication of the new center at 3102 Wheaton Way. The
center will be home to the area’s first Boys & Girls Club for teens and a Lindquist Dental Clinic open to all area youngsters at low- to no-cost. “We didn’t have the Boys & Girls Club (when I grew up) and when you think about the number of low-income families — 73 percent of the kids that come here are receiving free or reduced lunches or other forms of federal assistance,” Dicks said. “So, there’s a group in this community who will benefit from this mightily.” Dicks was also able to keep things light, poking a little fun at his successor, Congressman Derek Kilmer, who earlier had referred to Dicks as the “pride of West High.” “There is one youth I’ve helped especially and that’s Derek Kilmer,” Dicks joked. For his part, Kilmer spoke about all of the partnerships that were forged to make the new teen center a reality. “This is a celebration of not just a new building, but of new opportunities for the
The new Bremerton Teen Center officially opened on Nov. 1. More than 200 people showed up for the ribbon cutting on Oct. 18, including former congressman Norm Dicks and his successor, Congressman Derek Kilmer.
Kevin Moore / Bremerton Patriot
young people of this community,” Kilmer said. The center officially opens on Nov. 1. — BremertonPatriot.com
CENTRAL KITSAP REPORTER Llama sanctuary thrives in Seabeck: It’s a Friday morning and Chela Grey has her work cut out for her. She’s got to feed 23 llamas, four alpacas, four goats and three sheep. Then she’ll clean the barn and the pasture of animal waste and make sure the animals have water. After that, she’ll make time to play with the llamas, who are known to be very social animals. “Llamas are a lot like cats,” she said. “You don’t tell them what to do. They tell you what they’re going to do.” In the past 13 years, her herd has grown to 23, along with four alpacas, and some sheep and goats she’s rescued. “It happens quite often,”
she said of the rescues. “People decide to have llamas because they think they can make money. They don’t realize that they take more care than just throwing some food and water at them.” Llamas also are sometimes taken to auction to be killed and used in pet food. She has saved several from that fate. A recent addition to her herd was a momma llama, Sierra, and her two offspring. After they were taken from conditions where they were being starved, and arrived at StillPointe, Grey discovered that Sierra was expecting. Soon, Freeda, whose real name is Freedom’s Song, arrived. She names them to denote their personality traits, she added. On average, a herd of llamas, (about 20 animals) cost upward of $10,000 to care for annually. That includes food, water and shelter. StillPointe doesn’t have a “budget” so-to-speak, Grey said. They get donations and what isn’t covered comes from she and her husband’s savings account. To find out more, go to www.stillpointesanctuary. org. — CentralKitsapReporter. com
North Kitsap Herald Operation Day of Hope serves more than 1,000: Gateway Fellowship in Poulsbo emptied its shelves of food and clothing, and more, as more than 1,000 Kitsap residents took part in Operation Day of Hope. The event is the church’s annual day of free services offered to the community. From dental work to clothing and more, those in need can come to the Poulsbo church to get what they need. Free haircuts and den-
tal work were among the highest demanded services on Oct. 19 — so much that appointments for the day filled up fast. Nearly 450 volunteers helped the effort. Church officials report that firm numbers are not yet available, but they do know that Operation Day of Hope served between 1,000 and 1,200 members of the community. The clothing drive saw between 8,000 and 10,000 items of clothing given away, and approximately 550 bags of groceries given out. More than 1,000 people also enjoyed a hot lunch that day. — NorthKitsapHerald.com
Port Orchard Independent Council approves pay bump for themselves: Port Orchard City Council members voted 4-3 to raise their pay to $500 per regular meeting, or $1,000 a month, so they can qualify for credits toward state retirement benefits. The vote was taken at the Oct. 22 meeting. Council members were receiving $385.62 per meeting, or $771.25 per month. According to City Treasurer Allan Martin, to qualify for Public Employees’ Retirement System service credits an elected official must be paid at least $9.32 an hour — the state minimum wage — times 90. That’s $838.80 a month. Councilman Jeff Cartwright, who supported the pay raise, said it’s not about money. “It’s about the eligibility for retirement and a benefit that a city employee loses at no fault of their own,” he said. — PortOrchardIndependent.com