COVERING PUGET SOUND NAVAL NEWS FOR BREMERTON | BANGOR | KEYPORT
Kitsap
VOLUME 1, NO. 31 | 28 OCTOBER 2011
www.kitsapnavynews.com Marbled Murrelet raises concerns for Navy project By JJ Swanson jswanson@kitsapnavynews.com
The shores and old-growth forests surrounding Hood Canal are a natural habitat of the endangered marbled murrelet, a small-bodied seabird which is protected under federal law. This area is also the site designated for Navy construction of a second explosives handling wharf to support the Trident D-5 Missile program. Concerns for the safety of the marbled murrelet are causing the Navy to proceed with caution. After the release of the original DEIS in 2009,
SEE MURRELET | PAGE 6
Retired Navy family Don and LaRae Peterson check off items from their shopping list at the Naval Base KitsapBangor Commissary Tuesday afternoon. JJ SWANSON/STAFF PHOTO
The economy of shopping on base
How do the NEX and Commissary stack up to the other bargain stores in town? By JJ Swanson jswanson@kitsapnavynews.com
The Bangor NBK commissary is bustling on Sunday, one of the biggest shopping days of the week. Carts squeeze past each other in the aisles, swerving out of the way just before collision. In the meat department, Chris Gordon of Port Orchard eyes a stack of deep red sirloin steaks. When a
spot opens between two other customers, he reaches forward and pulls the whole stack of four off the shelf. Satisfied with his find, he strides back to his wife and two young boys who are dangling on the shopping cart in aisle six. Their cart is filled almost to the top with snacks, beverages, produce, and now the steaks. For military families, the Commissary and the Navy Exchange (NEX) are important “non pay” privileges. With the reputation of having the best deals in town and being completely nonprofit, these two stores sell every day items at low prices with no tax. For families feeling the effects of the economic recession, being able to shop on base is a vital perk of the job. But like all stores, the prices for some items are better than others. “The meat and produce here are
very good. We always stock up when we come out,” Chris Gordon says. Other shoppers within earshot nod their agreement. But Lynette Gordon, the active duty enlisted sponsor adds, “Diapers, actually most baby items, are the same or more expensive on base, and it’s just cheaper to buy in bulk at Costco.” As a mother of two young boys, the price difference is enough to make her split the trip for a bargain. The Commissary faces some price competition with the rise of bulk stores like Costco and big chains like Walmart. Nancy O’Nell, a Commissary public affairs officer, explains “other stores may offer “loss leaders” to draw customers in by selling certain
SEE NEX | PAGE 8
THIS EDITION The spooky Turner Joy experiment ............pg. 3 Child’s speech fleeting, sentimental ............pg. 4 Obama forces vet jobs with executive action .. pg. 10 Keppler lived up to her namesake ........... pg. 12