Patriot Bremerton
FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 | Vol. 14, No. 14 www.bremertonpatriot.com | 50¢
Get your Goat
School sale CK School Dist. looks to unload Tracyton and Seabeck schools, Page 5
Still no answers about murder investigation by KATE WHITTLE kwhittle@SOUNDPUBLISHING.com
Greg Skinnerstaff photo
Paige, Rylan and Quinn Harkness prepare to walk their Boer meat goats Nacho and Nate Tuesday afternoon at their Hainsville mini-farm. The kids are raising the goats as part of a 4H project that will be shown at the county fair.
Kitsap County residents interest in raising goats increasing lately by KATE WHITTLE kwhittle@SOUNDPUBLISHING.com
It’s time for Shannon Harkness’ daughters to leash up their goats and take them for their afternoon walk. Paige, Rylan and Quinn Harkness pull the short round-bellied Nacho and Nate around the grassy pasture, as the boer meat goats open and close their mouths like fish and bleat. Nacho and Nate are destined for the 4H competition at the county fair in August, and eventually for someone’s plate, which doesn’t bother Harkness’ matter-of-fact daughters. “No, it doesn’t bother me,” 9-yearold Rylan Karnkess said.
Harkness leads the Washington State University Extension Kitsap County 4H group and works as an extension agent, giving advice to people learning how to garden and raise animals on small acreages. She’s seeing a surge in folks who are interested in being more self-sufficient. Goats are appealing for their meat, milk and cheese. “Many people are really driven by the economy. It’s like they woke up, in a sense, ‘What are we eating?’” Harkness said. WSU Extension’s upcoming Goats 101 class scheduled for April 28 has several registrants, some of whom are those 4H families looking to expand backyard farms. Alison Harper leads the Extension 4H group with Harkness. Harper’s children stable their 4H goats with the Harkness’ animals, making the two-acre farm a tumbling circus of
goats, children and dogs every afternoon. “We want to make sure our kids have a familiarity with agriculture,” Harper said. She’s seen her kids be surprisingly matter-of-fact about butchering and learning where their food comes from. Sometimes, what starts as a backyard hobby turns into a full-time business. Vicky McGarrity, a short woman who dresses simply in jeans and button-down shirts and keeps her silver, curly hair shoulder-length, started out milking a couple goats because she’s lactose intolerant and wanted to supply her own milk and cheese. McGarrity and her husband John laugh now that they had “absolutely no idea” what they were getting into when they decided to start Hansville See GOAT, A11
Bremerton police continued to offer few answers about the ongoing homicide investigations during a public meeting Tuesday night in Manette. The “person of interest” man pictured in a sketch distributed by police was identified and interviewed, repeated Bremerton Police Department Spokesman Lt. Peter Fisher. Police continue to not give details about where the person of interest lives, whether he was still involved in the investigation or if the community should remained concerned. Fisher listed the department’s efforts on the investigation, such as calling in the FBI and local law agencies in for help, reassigning two patrol officers as detectives and setting up a still-open tip line. The investigation is the department’s “main priority” as well as day-to-day law enforcement, Fisher said. “We’re following leads as they come,” Fisher said. Fisher mentioned the recent arrest of 18-year-old Jonathan Brent Hirschy, who police say on April 3 falsely reported that he’d been attacked by a knife-wielding stranger. Fisher didn’t have an update on Hirschy’s case. The Kitsap County Jail roster shows Hirschy remains in jail and had a court date scheduled for April 24. About five community members came to the Manette meeting, sponsored by Bremerton City Council District 3 Councilman Adam Brockus. John Thomas, a school bus driver, shrugged when asked what he thought of police efforts on the homicides. “They’re doing all they can,” Thomas said. “In this small town, they don’t have the staff to do everything.” Another community member, Robin Henderson, said he thought the murderer mostly likely had left town. “Whoever it is, is gone into a hole,” Henderson said. “But we need to stay vigilant.” See HOMELESS, A8