PATRIOT BREMERTON
FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2012 | Vol. 14, No. 12 WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
‘Hoppity hop hop’
Kitsap Week Set Adventures sail found at Kitsap County’s Navy museums Inside
kitsapweek week A p r i l 13 -19, 2 012
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Walk MS events are scheduled April 14 on Bainbridge Island and in Silverdale.
WALK WILL RAISE MONEY TO FIGHT MS Bainbridge Island and Kitsap Peninsula residents will walk April 14 to raise awareness and research money for the effort to defeat multiple sclerosis. Walk MS events are scheduled at Bainbridge Island High School and at Klahowya Secondary School in Silverdale. Both events start at 9 a.m. with registration, followed by a program at 9:30 a.m. and the walk at 10 a.m. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. It usually affects people between the ages of 20 and 50 with varied and unpredictable symptoms including fatigue, numbness, loss of balance, vision problems and paralysis. There is no cure for MS, but better treatments over the years are helping people live with and manage the disease. In the Puget Sound area, some 10,000 people are expected to come together to raise funds and celebrate hope for a world free of MS. The fundraising goal in this region is $1.87 million. “Research is bringing better and better treatments and pushing us that much closer to a cure,” chapter President Patty ShepherdBarnes said. To be a donor or walker, call (800) 344-4867, visit www.walkmsnorthwest.org, or show up on April 14.
Adventure awaits you W at Kitsap’s Navy museums
BY JOHNNY WALKER Kitsap Week
ith the third-largest concentration of naval forces in the United States, the Puget Sound has a deep Navy history spanning generations. To preserve and interpret that past for the benefit of the Navy and the public, Navy Museums northwest have opened two new exhibits in Bremerton and Keyport that commemorate the Navy's earliest fighting traditions during war, while also taking a look behind the scenes at what it takes to
keep ships fit to keep the peace. To commemorate the 200year anniversary of the War of 1812 against the British Empire, matching exhibits at both the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport and Bremerton based Puget Sound Navy Museum chronicle the Navy's major activities during the war's first year. It was sometimes called the second revolutionary war because it was declared a mere 30 years after the first, and the young Navy earned national adoration through its aggressive ship on ship duels. Renowned for its exploits during the war, a scale model of
Museum Director Bill Galvani displays a scale model of “Old Ironsides” at the War of 1812 exhibit at the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport. Johnny Walker / Kitsap Week
the heavy frigate USS Constitution adds depth to the Keyport exhibit — sure to inspire the imagination of sailors of all ages. The USS Constitution still serves today as the oldest commissioned Navy vessel afloat. Interpretive panels speak to events on the anniversary year
See MUSEUMS, Page 2
A section of the Bainbridge Island Review | Bremerton Patriot | Central Kitsap Reporter | North Kitsap Herald | Port Orchard Independent
Bremerton man charged with false report of knife attack
ran up to him with a knife. KWHITTLE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM Records say Hirschy A Bremerton man is told officers he knocked in Kitsap County Jail the knife out of the attackafter allegedly false- er’s hand and the two ly reporting he was exchanged blows before attacked by a stranger the man fled the area. with a knife, according Hirschy reportedly also to the Bremerton Police said he was a black belt in a style of martial art called Department. “Krav Maga” Jonathan and used Brent Hirschy, his skills 18, is charged to defend with mishimself. demeanor He showed counts of false officers an reporting and injury on his making a false left bicep, or misleading described statement to a as a minor public servant scratch in and is jailed reports. on a $25,000 Reports bond, accordsay detectives found susing to the jail roster. Hirschy’s story led offi- picious details in Hirschy’s cers to believe the attack story and after further Hirschy was related to ongoing questioning, investigation of a knife admitted he’d fabricated assault and the recent the story about the knife murders of Sara Burke attack. Hirschy reportedly told detectives he’d spent and Melody Brannon. “Hirschy’s fabrication the evening with friends of this attack resulted in who had been looking for a significant deployment drugs, and he had been of police resources and attacked by a strange man while unnecessarily raised fears in a community that is walking to his car, but no already in a heightened knife was involved. Court documents say state of alertness,” said a press release by Lt. Peter 21 patrol officers and four detectives responded to Fisher. On Tuesday evening, the incident and assisted Hirschy waved down a in searching the area. The Washington State Patrol FBI was also alerted and Trooper near 15th Street asked to be on stand-by and Warren Avenue and because of the seriousclaimed he’d been in a ness of Hirschy’s initial fight, according to court story. Detective Mike documents. Hirschy Davis estimated the overreported that he’d been time costs for the detecwalking to his car in the tives at $1,200. Hirschy is scheduled Olympic College parking lot when a dark-haired for a pre-trial hearing April man in a leather jacket SEE HOMELESS, A8 24. BY KATE WHITTLE
Greg Skinner/staff photo
Bremerton’s Thomas “T.J.” Vickers readies to push his Jr. dragster to 70 mph over a short 1/8-mile dragstrip Sunday during the Easter Bunny National race at the Bremerton Raceway.
Bremerton’s Jr. dragsters take on the Easter Bunny Nationals BY GREG SKINNER GSKINNER@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Ian Theofelis spent easter just about like any normal eight-year-old boy in Kitsap County, with family and friends playing in the sunshine among many brightly painted and shiny objects. Those objects were a child’s version of the 300-plus mph cars that grownups race for fun and money - mini dragsters. Mixed into a day of mostly adult drag racing of great American muscle cars that have been hybridized, built up and blown out for drag racing and top-fuel dragsters, were a dozen children, 8 years old and up, following in the burnout tracks of their parents and personal heroes. “This is my Easter,” Ian said. “I like
Greg Skinner/staff photo
Ian Theofelis, 8, bursts off the starting line on his first day of racing Sunday during the Easter Bunny National drag race at the Bremerton Raceway. it.” The fastest time crossing the race distance last weekend at the Easter Bunny Nationals was 8.90 seconds by Cameron Calhoun from Covington, the day’s eventual winner. The fastest local run at the the 1/8-mile track came from Bremerton racer Zack Domaier who blasted the track with a 9.0, hitting a top speed of 69.5 mph at the finish
line – just Ian ran 46.5 mph on on his first pass. It was only his third time ever mashing the gas pedal to the floor of his purple and yellow half-scale dragster. Ian had hopes of beating Gig Harbor’s Madison Sailly, 9, who was piloting the dragster on the track next to him SEE DRAG, A10