Reporter Central Kitsap
WINE-SOAKED
Kitsap Wine Fest draws big crowds Page 15
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2013 | Vol. 28, No. 47 | www.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.com | 50¢
Fried, dipped or charred, the fair has food for all By Seraine Page spage@soundpublishing.com
There’s just something about greasy, unhealthy fair food that everyone loves. For those looking for healthy options, it won’t be found at the 2013 Kitsap County Fair & Stampede. But if you’re in the mood for 22-inch long hotdogs or deep fried Oreos, the county fair is just the place to be. The menu is seemingly never ending with choices like shaved ice, tart lemonade, cheesy nachos, greasy burgers and fluffy cotton candy being served up from mini food trucks, tiny tents and open-air booths. “To get the best corn dog, you don’t go to 7/11,” said Bernard Lind, who owns Lind’s Concessions and uses his dad’s original 1949 carnival corn dog recipe. “It is a special type of food you can’t
get anywhere else.” Lind proudly claims he was raised in the concession business and worked alongside his dad to learn the secret recipe that made fair food so tasty. He’s so dedicated in fact, that he and his wife spend most of their time on the road. At one point and time they were spending 46 weeks a year on the road traveling to various rodeos, fairs and carnivals. It got to be too much, so the pair cut down to 31 weeks a year. Despite still spending a lot of time on the road, Lind said he still loves what he does and wouldn’t trade it for anything. “I get a kick out of the innocent kids. They’re just having so much fun. Seeing how happy I made that family (is the best part),” he said. “Fairs and parades are the two things that haven’t See The Fair, A17
Seraine Page/ staff photo
Employees of Lind’s Concessions work on setting up the A&W stand on Tuesday, the day before the start of the fair. The booth will sell frozen chocolate-covered bananas and root beer floats to fair attendees.
Tracyton development hearing postponed Perfecting budget is no easy task for school districts By Leslie Kelly
lkelly@soundpublishing.com
Neighbors who were ready to attend a hearing on a controversial subdivision planned for Tracyton were disappointed this week to learn that it has been postponed. According to Kitsap County Department of Community Development planner Doug Frick, the hearing set for Aug. 22 was postponed to allow developer Jeff Reed and the county to begin a mediation process. Property owner Reed requested the delay after meeting with county officials Aug. 8, Frick said. That meeting was recommended by the hearing examiner who asked that Reed and the county engage in mediation before Reed’s appeal reaches a hearing. In May, the county denied Reed’s application to build nine single family homes on a single 1.85 acre lot that he plans to subdivide. The county said his plans for storm water detention didn’t meet county’s code. Reed appealed the county’s decision a few weeks later which is what sent the dispute to the hearing examiner. Reed met with the county earlier in August, Frick said. Reed asked that the hearing be delayed so he could address
concerned cited by the county in its denial of the project. The property in question sits near Tracyton Boulevard and a private road, NW Gillespie Way. Reed, who is in business as SMCI Corporation, of Gig Harbor, has said he plans to meet county code regarding storm water issues so that his residential subdivision can go forward. Frick said it could be a few months before the hearing is rescheduled. A group of neighbors called the Tracyton Wetlands Preservation Society, who oppose the development, said they have studied the county code and they think the mediation is just a stall tactic to allow the subdivision to go forward. “What I don’t understand is that the county denied the proposal,” said Joyce Merkel, who opposes the project. “They didn’t say, ‘Here are the problems and now let’s have a re-do and fix them.’” But Frick said the county code allows for appeals to any land use decisions that the county makes and that the mediation process can be part of the hearing examiner process if warranted. Ron Gillespie, of the Tracyton neighbors group and who’s home sits directly across from the property in question,
said he thinks there is very little that can be done to the property to make it suitable for nine homes. He said there is already problems with rain water and storm water runoff and that previously, sandy fill dirt was brought in and did nothing to help with the absorbency. They informed the county that native soils had been removed and fill dirt had been placed on the property years ago which apparently had a negative affect on the already high level water table. Gillespie issued a letter on Tuesday asking that the county answer his questions about the project and the reason for the mediation. He said that by county code, a neutral third party should have been present at the Aug. 8 meeting and should be part of the on-going mediation. “I am hoping that mediation does not try to circumvent or waive any code requirements,” Gillespie wrote in his letter to the county. He contends that the project doesn’t meet county code and if mediation results in major modifications to the project, it would no longer be vested and would need to begin the application process over. See Tracyton, A17
By Seraine Page spage@soundpublishing.com
The budget is looking a bit better this year for local school districts, but it still isn’t what either district would call ideal. Last Wednesday, Central Kitsap School District (CKSD) board members met to discuss various district matters, including the final 2013-2014 budget. The Bremerton School District met last Thursday to adopt their final budget. “When we started looking at this budget, the hope was that we would have minimal reductions,” said David McVicker, assistant superintendent for business and operations.
“That the enrollment or the state dollars would allow us to not have to do what we have done for the last seven years in a row now which is cut programs and people and edges and all those things.” “It’s my first black (number),” said McVicker of the $68,111 balance. Although relatively excited about the prospect of not going into major debt for the upcoming school year, McVicker added, “It’s not very big.” All board members were present for the meeting, including the new superintendent, Hazel Bauman to take a look ahead at the next year’s budget. See Budget, A17