Friday, April 4, 2014 | North Kitsap Herald
NorthKitsapHerald.com
Page A5
Planning, liveaboards and the American Spirit’s return THE S SCUTTLEBUTT
pring brings flowers and boaters to Poulsbo. Several smaller yacht clubs visited the port in March. For example, the Bellevue Yacht Club brought 12 vessels for weekend moorage a couple of weeks ago. However, better weather is coming. (Rumor has it that Poulsbo’s mayor consulted in the filming of the new movie “Noah.”) Our executive director’s predictions for April suggest doubling of boats in guest moorage at the Marina.
Letters
Continued from page A4
May attend a PTA meeting at Gordon Re: “PTA heavy handed in control of info,” page A4, April 2014 Kingston Community News: Thank you for the editing. I learned about eliminating my emotional rhetoric and forming paragraphs. It’s unfortunate KCN is only a monthly publication, but we have chosen to live in small communities. I suppose I could get out of the house and attend Gordon Elementary PTA meetings if I would be admitted, not being a Gordon PTA member. Bill Williams Kingston Editor’s note: Kingston Community News is produced by the North Kitsap Herald. The print edition is published the last Friday of every month; the paper’s website is updated daily.
By STEPHEN L. SWANN
PORT COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME (PLAN). Readers of The Scuttlebutt may recall that the port has undertaken a substantial revision of its Comprehensive Plan. To date, two public hearings have been advertised and well-attended by marina tenants and others. The plan is posted on the port’s newly revised website, www.portofpoulsbo.com. In addition to revealing the port’s goals and plans, the Comprehensive Scheme is a key tool in obtaining grants and other funding for capital improvements. (Remember the $12 million breakwater replacement?) In recent days, the port has received from the
Marius
Continued from page A4 only for profit. Reflecting that arrogant attitude, yet another giraffe, coincidentally also named Marius, was planned to be killed in Danish Jyllands Park Zoo. For one to not see the immorality of Marius’ murder, to not experience the horror of what happened to him, is a clear indicator of how far one has yet to evolve, to appreciate the sanctity of life, without which, leads to a hollow, unfulfilling, meaningless
city’s Planning Department written comments invaluable in the drafting process. The draft plan and comments thereto will be again discussed at the next port meeting (rescheduled to April 10). We encourage attendance by Port District residents at our bi-monthly meetings, which begin at 7 p.m. in the port’s floating conference room on E Dock (across from the office). OLD FIRE STATION/ CITY HALL PROJECT. Although the three-month option agreement between the city and the port has expired, the port’s interest continues. This agreement created a three-month window permitting the port to undertake its due diligence investigation of avail-
able real estate in the area, including the city’s old fire station/city hall building. Consultants to the port have, at minimal expense, explored planning grants to fund this costly inquiry, and are optimistic. Negotiations are under way between the city and the port for the necessary extension of this option, which must be in place before the port incurs additional investigative expense. One of the ideas includes development of a downtown hotel and multi-level parking garage, near the port’s lot on Jensen Way. EXPANSION OF LIVEABOARDS IN MARINA. As readers of the North Kitsap Herald know, interest in increasing the number of vessels in
the marina entitled to liveaboard status continues to grow. Tenant boaters desiring to spend vacation time aboard their vessels have repeatedly asked the port to expand from 12, the current liveaboard ceiling, to 36 slips dedicated to liveaboard status. Currently, the city limits through its conditional use permit the number of liveaboards to only 12 boats. Washington state law regulates residential use of aquatic lands as an environmental consideration, and generally limits liveaboard tenancies to 10 percent of the total of slips in the marina. The greatest obstacle to expansion is the limited parking on Anderson Parkway. To minimize this problem, the port is debating offering free parking at its Jensen Way lot to merchants and their employees, and to residents of the
existence. This lurid spectacle was a glaring example of the depths of depravity to which humans can sink. It is not far-fetched to say that such deliberate, disrespectful, barbaric acts against animals can become stepping stones to committing atrocities against humans. A psychology professor clearly explained how humans could possibly commit the egregious holocaust in Auschwitz. He said it begins with small linking steps, with perceiving another as less than yourself, not worthy. These
attitudes may lead to slurs, disrespect that leads to physical pushes, shoves and then, even more violence. World news recently featured another zoo event in sharp contrast to the fate of Marius. A giraffe in the Rotterdam Zoo is seen affectionately nuzzling, some say kissing, the face of his long-time keeper, ill with terminal cancer, lying on a stretcher nearby, saying final goodbyes to animals he loved. The tacit message: There is much more to animal communication and emotion that we
have yet to learn. To promote non-violence and a better world, we have a responsibility to be on guard against dangerous red flags, to speak out against stepping stones that disrespect life, blunt our inherent sensitivity and promote violence, for they diminish our souls, our humanity and our very civilization. — Linda E. Troup of Poulsbo retired from the U.S. Navy as department head of the Ambulatory Procedure Unit and senior nurse officer for maxillofacial surgery at Naval Medical Center-San
Port District. The good news? The city and the port are working together diligently to reach a solution. Marina liveaboards are good customers for Poulsbo merchants, and sales tax revenues are vital to the city. With increased pumpout facilities provided by the port, and a modern, nearby parking lot with more than 50 spaces, the outdated, 12-slip limitation is unnecessarily restrictive. Additionally, with next year’s new Kitsap Transit Poulsbo route — Olympic College, Olhava, Poulsbo Village, the Port of Poulsbo and the downtown historic district (orchestrated by City Hall) — shopping and dining by marina tenants and port visitors will be much more convenient. RETURN OF THE M/V AMERICAN SPIRIT. “Team Cruise” has met at
Diego, Calif. She is a longtime animal welfare proponent and has written for San Diego Animal Advocates magazine.
See scuttlebutt, Page A6
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