PATRIOT BREMERTON
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2011 | Vol. 13, No. 47 WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
Latkes and Lo Mein Bremerton synagogue continues the tradition of Chinese food for Christmas Eve BY JJ SWANSON JSWANSON@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
back. They have climbed Mt. Ellinor and glissaded down. Montgomery has spent 89 nights outside and Orwin 74. To become an Eagle Scout, boys must work their way up the ranks through earning different merit badges. At minimum, they must earn 21 merit badges based on a variety of skills and activities to become an Eagle Scout, said Bougan. He added that there are 11 types that are required and more than 100 others available such as American business to woodworking. Part of becoming an Eagle Scout also includes coming up with a community service project and implementing it. “I was pretty proud of those two,” said Bougan, who became the Scout Master shortly after Montgomery and Orwin joined the troop. “I’ve kind of grown up with those boys. I’ve watched them grow literally above from my waistline.”
Nothing says the Christmas like an egg roll and fried rice. On Dec. 25, when many in the area will celebrate as Christians with extensive and traditional holiday dinners, many in Bremerton’s Jewish community will take their meal from a Chinese restaurant, according to Rabbi Sarah Newmark of Congregation Beth Hatikvah. Ning Li, owner of China Wok on N. Callow Avenue., said that she has a steady customer flow on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but that she did not actually know of the Jewish tradition for the food she serves. In strong Jewish populations such as New York City or Chicago it’s a given thing that the Chinese restaurant owners expect the Jews on Christmas, Newmark said. After moving to Bremerton she found Chinese restaurants closed for Christmas. “I was scandalized!” Newmark said. Alan Tolar has been delivering food for China Wok for 10 years. He said there is an increase in delivery orders on Christmas, but figured that the tradition came from the 1983 movie “A Christmas Story” because Ralphie eats his Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant. “I didn’t know it was a Jewish thing,” Tolar said. “Stores aren’t open on Christmas. People are all inside cooking and opening presents. But I get customers, many white customers and regulars,” said Li. Sure, it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek
SEE SCOUTS, A9
SEE LO MEIN, A10
Kristin Okinaka/staff photo
Travis Montgomery, third from left, stands with fellow Scouts of Boy Scout Troop 1539 at a Court of Honor ceremony Monday in Silverdale. Montgomery and Craig Orwin (not pictured,) recently achieved Eagle Scout rank.
Central Kitsap teens earn Eagle Scout Boy Scout Troop 1539 continues to thrive BY KRISTIN OKINAKA KOKINAKA@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout. Two Central Kitsap teens can take on that outlook after earning the rank of Eagle Scout and adding the badge to dozens more already earned. Craig Orwin, 18, received the merit in September and Travis Montgomery, 17, received it last month after completing a formal process. Both joined the troop in 2005 and knew even back then that they wanted to be an Eagle Scout. “It’s a continuation thing for me — the lure of having an Eagle Scout badge, that really appealed to me,” said Orwin. Both Central Kitsap High School seniors
continued with Troop 1539 after previously being in Cub Scouts. Troop 1539, with 64 members, is in the Orca District of the Chief Seattle Council of Boy Scouts of America. The Silverdale troop was founded in 1972. The Orca District includes 22 different troops covering Central and North Kitsap County. Scoutmaster of Troop 1539, Tom Bougan, said the age range of his scouts is from 10-and-a-half to 18 years old, with the average age of 13. He said that some boys, like Orwin and Montgomery, come to the troop from Cub Scouts but there is no prerequisite for joining the group. They just need to be boys who are at least 11 years old. Boys can join at a younger age if they received the Arrow of Light merit in Cub Scouts. “We’re very outdoor-focused,” said Bougan. “We do more outdoor activities than others. We’re a bigger troop.” The troop camped about 24 times last year, Bougan said. They have gone on biking expeditions from Silverdale to Deception Pass and