HERALD NORTH K ITSAP
KITSAP WEEK: All about the Bremerton Blackberry Festival / In this edition
Friday, September 2, 2011 | Vol. 110, No. 35 | WWW.NORTHKITSAPHERALD.COM | 50¢
Groups want to buy Pope land 7,000 acres of North Kitsap forestland would be preserved for open space and trails By RICHARD WALKER rwalker@northkitsapherald.com
POULSBO — Two land conser-
vancies are raising money to buy 7,000 acres of North Kitsap forestland from Pope Resources.
If successful, the purchase would preserve from development the land and two miles of waterfront on the west side of Port Gamble Bay, keep it available for public access, and free Pope Resources' Olympic Property Group to concentrate on making Port Gamble a more viable
year-round destination. Olympic Property Group president Jon Rose said Tuesday he expects the agreement with Cascade Land Conservancy and Great Peninsula Conservancy to be signed
By KIPP ROBERTSON krobertson@northkitsapherald,com
See FIRE, Page A3
— Sandra StaplesBortner, Great Peninsula Conservancy
See POPE, Page A2
Consultant: Crowds cheer coaster racers North Kitsap, Poulsbo fire districts should merge NORTH KITSAP — If the two fire departments in North Kitsap don't act upon their shrinking budgets soon, the outcome could be catastrophic. During an efficiency study review Monday night, consultants from Emergency Services Consulting Inc. recommended North Kitsap Fire & Rescue and the Poulsbo Fire Department merge soon. Consultant Don Bivins said it is fortunate both departments have reserve funds, but those funds are not enough. "The reserve funds are just delaying disaster," Bivins said. If Poulsbo Fire continues to rely on reserves, those reserves will shrink to approximately 36 percent by 2016. North Kitsap’s reserves will be completely gone at that time and be about $500,000 over budget, Bivins said. To mitigate shrinking budgets, Bivins said the departments should look at seven job cuts as well, including one of two fire chiefs, three battalion chiefs, one public relations officer, a receptionist and a fleet manager. This would save $725,500. A full merger would add about $500,000 in savings within the next five years.
“If we do a real strong communitywide effort now, we can preserve this for the future.”
Neighbors ‘twitchier’ since burglary Victims ask city to cease transitional housing use of property By RICHARD WALKER rwalker@northkitsapherald.com
Island, a lawyer and board member of the 23rd Legislative District Democrats. ■ Holly Mortlock of Bremerton, legislative assistant to state Rep. Eileen Cody, D-Seattle. ■ Ed Stern, a financial adviser and Poulsbo city councilman since 1998. ■ Peter Stockwell of Silverdale,
POULSBO — For two years, one neighbor said, families came and went from the large house on 4th Avenue and Viewmont Street. Some had children. Most were quiet and kept to themselves. Some neighbors said they didn’t know the house was being used by Kitsap Community Resources as transitional housing. This is a quiet neighborhood of retirees and families, down the street from the Lutheran Church and within walking distance of downtown, the library and Christ the King Academy. But feelings of neighborhood security changed after a house on 5th Avenue was burglarized while its residents were home Aug. 9. Then, on Aug. 24, two men were arrested at the Viewmont Street house on suspicion of burglarizing The Loft restaurant on the waterfront; while searching the Viewmont Street house, police found items stolen from the 5th Avenue house. Detective David Gesell would
See CAUCUS, Page A12
See BURGLARY, Page A11
From right, Sarah Baxter finishes just behind the Cup of Joy sponsor car driven by Anthony Ulskey during the second annual Hansville Coaster Games. A total of 10 participants raced their coaster cars down Kipp Robertson / Herald Benchmark Avenue in Hansville on Aug. 27. See results on page A14.
6 apply for state House seat; caucus Sept. 11 Candidates will be ranked, names forwarded to County Commission POULSBO — Six candidates have filed for appointment to the 23rd District state House seat to succeed Christine Rolfes, who was appointed to the state Senate in July.
The deadline for applications to be submitted to the Kitsap County Democratic Central Committee was Aug. 26, 4 p.m. The applicants are: ■ Jesse Hudson Cockerham of Kingston, a Kitsap Democratic Party precinct committee officer who graduated from Evergreen State College with degrees in history and performing arts. ■ Drew Hansen of Bainbridge
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