REPORTER CENTRAL KITSAP
KITSAPweek O c t o b e r 1 0 -16 , 2 014
Lots of savings in Kitsap’s largest Classified section Pages 11-18
LIFE AND CULTURE
Take a walk Event brings awareness to the serious issue of domestic violence. — page 2
Bainbridge welcomes Lemolo
— page 9
TAKE A WALK: Event boosts awareness of domestic violence IN THIS EDITION
Review of Airfield Winery
— page 19
65,000 circulation every Friday in the Bainbridge Island Review | Bremerton Patriot | Central Kitsap Reporter | North Kitsap Herald | Port Orchard Independent
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014 | Vol. 30, No. 1 | WWW.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM | 50¢
IN THE PATRIOT
It’s time to haunt the fairgrounds Electronic
signs stir debate
BY LESLIE KELLY
LKELLY@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
STANDOUT PineCrest teacher is at the top of the class — Page 12
IN THE GAME Bremerton vet competes at Warrior games — Page 11
GOT A MINUTE? City wants help on its comp plan — Page 7
BREWFEST Event will benefit kids — Page 8
OPINION Domestic violence month is a good chance to talk about a taboo subject — Page 4
Just as sure as the winters are gray and rainy in the Pacific Northwest, come October, the Kitsap County Fairgrounds becomes a haunted “wonderland.” But these wonders aren’t friendly. They’re just plain scary. And this year the Haunted Fairgrounds will take on the look of New Orleans, which is said by some to be the most haunted city in America, according to Bruce Waterbury, event specialist with the Kitsap County Parks Department. “We’re planning some great Mardi Gras voodoo,” said Waterbury. “And there’ll be above ground tombs, a scary back woods Louisiana bayou and many other thrills.” The Haunted Fairgrounds has been a favorite of locals since it began on the fairgrounds in 2003. Prior to that, its originator, James Tubberville, and others created a haunt in an open field. The event gets as many as 7,200 visitors each season. In all, there are 22,000 square feet of haunts, and it encompasses three buildings on the fairgrounds. Visitors start at the VanZee building where they buy tickets and line up for their chance to make their way through the haunt. While in line, visitors can buy concessions and will be entertained with some ghoulish dancing by students of The Gallery School of Music and Dance of Port Orchard. And then when it’s their turn, they’ll be led to the cat barn which had been transformed into a black light area with larger than life murals that jump off the walls. “Participants get 3D glasses,” WaterSEE HAUNTED, A9
BY CHRIS TUCKER CTUCKER@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
tion would be 840,000 square feet. The $240 million expansion could be completed in four years. A helicopter pad would be relocated from its current location near the intersection of Ridgetop Boulevard and Myhre Road to a new location at the northern side of the property. Architecture firm Rice Fergus Miller drafted the plans. Scott Thompson, communications manager for CHI Franciscan Health, said the Harrison Board of Directors will make a final decision on the potential expansion later this month at
Flashing electronic business signs were the main focus of a public hearing on proposed changes to the Kitsap County sign code this week. The 32-page proposed ordinance is meant to provide clarity regarding the size and type of signs that may be used and to provide predictability and flexibility in the sign permitting process. Economic, safety, and aesthetic aspects of signs are also covered by the ordinance. According to the draft, electronic signs would be prohibited outside the county’s Urban Growth Areas and in all residential zones with exceptions for authorized school, church and government use. The sign code does not apply to incorporated cities. Digital messages would have to remain static for a minimum of three seconds and would be required to have a one-second-long transition time between changes. Commissioner Robert Gelder noted that trends in signs have changed over the years. “It’s important to have flexibility as business owners continue to try to reach out to the market and take that opportunity to actually distinguish themselves from others,” Gelder said. Ron Gillespie was less concerned with economics and worried electronic signs would create a “visual nightmare.” He was one of eight people who spoke about the proposed changes during the public hearing. Gillespie said churches, schools and government agencies should not be exempted from using electronic signs in residential areas. “They should be the exemplars on which the community can follow,” he said of those groups. “This is the pure example of ‘Do what I say and not what I do.’” If the county cannot properly regulate the few currently existing electronic signs, he said, “How will we do it when everyone and their dog have one? Each business will try to outdo the next and push the envelope con-
SEE HOSPITAL, A9
SEE ELECTRONIC, A9
Leslie Kelly /staff photo
Bruce Waterbury explains how graphics pop out at those who venture inside.
Permits filed for Harrison’s Silverdale expansion BY CHRIS TUCKER
CTUCKER@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
A 520,000-square-foot hospital expansion, new medical office building and a new parking garage are possible if Harrison Medical Center greenlights its Silverdale campus expansion project. Harrison Medical Center and its affiliate, Franciscan Health System, submitted preliminary plans to Kitsap County Community Development which outline the expansion. The changes could occur in three phases or simultaneously with the end result being a 350-bed hospital
File photo
Harrison’s Silverdale campus. with two towers up to 180 feet tall. The medical office building would be 80,000 square feet and four stories tall. The parking garage would be 240,000 square feet. The plans also call for a “healing garden” for green space. The total size of the new construc-
The Central Kitsap Reporter: Top local stories, every Friday in print. Breaking news daily on CentralKitsapReporter.com and on Facebook