Reporter Central Kitsap
FRIDAY, JuLY 26, 2013 | Vol. 28, No. 43 | www.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.com | 50¢
Read Up program offers books to community kids
Whale On Kitsap’s best It’s time for beaches Whaling Days in Silverdale. Details inside Kitsap Week
KITSAPweek J u l y 2 6 - A u g . 1, 2 013
LIFE AND CULTURE
In this edition Cover story ................... 2-3 Calendar ....................... 4-5 Classifieds................... 6-10 Classic Mustangs ........... 11
Head to these local hotspots for fun in the sun — page 3 A whale of a party in Silverdale this week BY LESLIE KELLY lkelly@soundpublishing.com
I
t’s part carnival and part street fair. And it’s loads of fun.
That’s the way organizers describe the 41st annual Whaling Days celebration that takes place this weekend in Old Town Silverdale.
More than 20,000 visitors are expected to attend the threeday event. Whaling Days offers visitors the opportunity to ride carnival rides, browse arts and crafts vendors, take in some great festival food, and enjoy all this in the summer sunshine on the shores of Dyes Inlet.
Carla Larson, president of Whaling Days 2013, said the festival had humble beginnings.
“A group of community people were sitting around
See WHALE, Page 2
Unicyclists show their skills during the Whaling Days Parade in 2012. File photo
Do the Tour de Kitsap There is still time to register!
Sunday, July 28th ~ starts at 7am
Path goes through, Bremerton, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Hansville, Brownsville, and Port Gamble More info: westsoundcycling.com/tourdekitsap2013
VisitKitsap.com
65,000 circulation every Friday in the Bainbridge Island Review | Bremerton Patriot | Central Kitsap Reporter | North Kitsap Herald | Port Orchard Independent
Harrison Medical affiliation could take more time By Leslie Kelly lkelly@soundpublishing.com
It’s been a month since Harrison Medical Center officials submitted a 70-page “Affiliation Agreement” to the Washington State Department of Health. But state health department officials said it may be another month before any decisions are made about the proposed affiliation. Harrison Medical Center is proposing to affiliate with the Franciscan Health System which would mean the two medical providers would work together, something hospital officials have said is necessary because of economic needs. Timothy Church, spokesman for the Department of Health said the application
Seraine Page/ staff photo
A volunteer reads to a group of children and their parents at the Silverdale Waterfront Park as part of the Read Up program. Children are invited to come every Tuesday at 2 p.m. for the reading session. Attendees receive a free book. By Seraine Page spage@soundpublishing.com
Every Tuesday, kids can feel the warmth of the sun and blades of grass between their toes as they sit on the lawn of the Silverdale Waterfront Park for story time. Story time is provided by the Read Up program, which is offered through the Central Kitsap School District, as a way to get kids excited about reading. Children and their parents throughout the area are invited by Central Kitsap School District staff members and AmeriCorps volunteers to sit in on the free event at 2 p.m. to listen to volunteers read favorite children’s books. At the end of the reading session, children are allowed to choose one free book and receive a special gift upon departing the program.
Shaina Moser, mother of two, brought her children out to the park and was happy she stumbled upon the event. Her son, Skyler Bonsell, 10, said he enjoyed the reading time and is a big fan of the Harry Potter series. Bonsell frequently reads to his baby brother at night, Moser said. “I love that he reads,” she said. “Anytime we go somewhere, I tell him to bring a book.” Bonsell said he is grateful for the chance to pick out a free book and thinks others are just as appreciative. “I think that’s really great,” he said. “Not many people can afford books. Some kids haven’t been able to read one before.” The exposure to literature and new books is exactly the goal of the program, according to Chris Wyatt, Central
Kitsap School District director of student services. “Read Up is (offered) through a federal grant from the Department of Education,” Wyatt said of the program that covers both the CK and Bremerton School Districts. In addition to the reading program in the park, five schools are offering tutoring reading programs throughout the month of July. The school programs are mainly funded through state Learning Assistance Program, and funding through Title I and building discretionary funds. Three of the schools specifically offer the Read Up program two days a week. Eleven volunteers help with the Read Up program between the sites, Wyatt said. The grant provided more than 3,000 books for the CK
School District. At an estimate of around $4 per book, that would have cost the district $12,000, Wyatt said. The Children’s Reading Foundation of the KitsapOlympic Peninsulas applied for the grant for both Kitsap County school districts to host the eight-week program for children. Patricia Hennessy, president of the Children’s Reading Foundation of the Kitsap-Olympic Peninsulas said that around 9,000 books were given to the program for children throughout the county. “The idea is just to model good reading behavior,” said Hennessy. “Read-aloud is a great reading behavior. This is sorta geared toward stopping that summer slide. We’re hoping that we are preventing a lot of catching up. It’s really about instillSee READ UP, A17
was received June 20, and the review is a two-step process. “First, we must confirm that we have a complete application and (that) no other information is needed,” Church said. “We did that earlier this week. Now the 30-day review starts.” The Department of Health is the chief regulatory agency that oversees hospital affiliations, mergers and partnerships. Under state regulations, it can rule that this affiliation is “nonreviewable” which means it can go forward and not have to undergo a lengthy and expensive review from the department and the public. Or it can rule that the proposal go through a “certificate of need” process which could cost millions and See HARRISON, A17
Property owners get their say about draft bridge policy By Leslie Kelly lkelly@soundpublishing.com
There was a crowd of about 20 property owners who came to hear about the Central Kitsap Fire District’s proposed policy on crossing questionable bridges and culverts. But when it came time for them to speak, only a handful did. And those who did voiced concern about the cost of having their bridges and culverts inspected, and whether they’d even be able to replace them if they were deemed not crossable. “Many of these homes where there are bridges that are in bad shape — the homeowners can’t afford to have work done on their bridges and culverts,” said James
Auspach. “And in some cases, even if they could have them replaced, it would take years to get (the Washington State Department of) Fisheries to approve the work.” Several of those in the crowd agreed with him about the lengthy permitting process involving their creeks because they are salmonbearing creeks. Auspach explained that his culvert was damaged in previous floods and that the fisheries personnel have told him that there will be no more repair done to his culvert. He’ll need to add a bridge, he’s been told. “They’ve told me next time something happens, I have to replace it,” he said. “But See BRIDGE, A17