Patriot Bremerton
ON THE MAT: Bremerton High School hosts wrestlers ahead of Mat Classic Page 7
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013 | Vol. 16, No. 2 www.bremertonpatriot.com | 50¢
Bremerton police chief retires after 37 years
City gears up for Pacific Avenue overhaul By KEVAN MOORE
kmoore@soundpublishing.com
City officials are trying to get the word out early and often about a pending overhaul of downtown Bremerton’s main drag, Pacific Avenue. “The project is going to entirely reconstruct the street and put in new utilities, so there’s going to be a lot of activity,” said Bremerton Public Works Director Chal Martin. In order to continue efforts to get feedback on the project, the city will host a public meeting at 5 p.m. Feb. 26 to discuss final proposed design features and get input on construction sequencing. Martin said that construction could get underway by early June. The Pacific Avenue
Reconstruction Project includes major reconstruction of the street between 6th and 11th Streets. Work will include above ground improvements and underground utility work, both of which will result in traffic and pedestrian impacts. Above ground work includes a combination of streetscapes and intersection improvements. Placing electrical lines underground will take place south of 9th Street. The city obtained grant funding to pay for the undergrounding work for the main power grid, but each private property owner will need to pay for the connection over private property to the building served. Martin said that undergrounding cost estimates from Puget
See OVERHAUL, A13 Courtesy Photos
Monday holiday means closures
The City of Bremerton hosted a send-off last week at city hall for retiring police chief Craig Rogers. One of the speakers at the event was Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer, above. Also during the event, Mayor Patty Lent presented Rogers with a plaque honoring his 37 years of service to the city.
By Leslie Kelly lkelly@soundpublishing.com
Retiring Police Chief Craig Rogers told a crowd of well-wishers last week that he’s never been sorry he picked a profession in law enforcement. “When I started out, I was like every other cop,” he said. “I wanted to serve the community. I knew the benefits and the working conditions weren’t that great. I knew I’d be working nights and weekends and probably not be home with my family on the holidays. That
didn’t matter. I was just excited to be a cop.” More than 100 people gathered last Thursday to say thank you to Rogers who officially retired Feb. 9. Rogers spent 37 years with the Bremerton Police Department. Friends and family, other law enforcement officers and past and present city officials listened as he spoke about his career. “I’ve been going through everything in my office the past couple of weeks,” he said. “All the newspaper clippings, the cards and letters and the pictures. All of the history
just comes pouring back to you.” Rogers began his career as a patrol officer on Feb. 9, 1976. His promotion to sergeant came in 1983. In 1990 he was named captain of the operation division and after being acting chief for three months in 2005, he was named to the position Jan. 1, 2006. According to Mayor Patty Lent, the chief wanted to end his career on Feb. 9 because many of the important dates in his career were on Feb. 9. See CHIEF, A13
Presidents’ Day is on Monday. Don’t get caught at the last minute. Many private businesses are open on Presidents’ Day, but government institutions are closed. Here are some of the institutions that will be closed on Monday: U.S. Post offices will be closed and there will be no mail delivery. All Federal government offices will be closed as will state and county offices. The City of Bremerton will also observe the holiday. The New York Stock Exchange will be closed. Locally, schools in Bremerton and Central Kitsap will be closed. And all Kitsap County Regional libraries will be closed including the Silverdale and Bremerton branches. Most banks are closed, but some will be open with limited hours. The offices for the Central Kitsap Reporter and the Bremerton Patriot will be closed Monday, but news tips can be left at 360 308-9161, ext. 5050.