Reporter Central Kitsap
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013 | Vol. 28, No. 48 | www.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.com | 50¢
CK Fire District officials hear more bridge comments By Leslie Kelly
lkelly@soundpublishing.com
Seraine Page/Staff Photo
Adrian Conner, lead guitarist for Hell’s Belles pumps up the audience during the band’s performance Friday evening at the Kitsap Fair & Stampede. Between 1,000 and 2,000 people attended the concert.
Fair has something for everyone By Seraine Page and Leslie Kelly spage@soundpublishing.com
The fair was the place to be on Friday night. Scores of people crowded the Kitsap County Fairgrounds for greasy food, spinning rides, bucking bulls and a tribute AC/DC band known as Hell’s Belles. Cars lined the roads coming and going to the fair, and vehicles kicked up dust while pulling into the parking lot of the fairgrounds Friday evening. With a slight breeze, the evening quickly got chilly once the sun went down, prompting people to get in line for snacks like hot, deep fried Snickers and Krispy Kreme donut hamburgers to warm them up. If the food wasn’t enough to bring residents to the grounds, a variety of acts also offered entertainment for all ages, including a hypnosis show, rodeo and concert. Some visitors admitted they hadn’t been to a fair or rodeo in a long time, but were glad that the county fair was around. “It’s the first time in many years,” Fred Maxwell said of visiting the Kitsap County Fair & Stampede. He found his way to
the rodeo and concert, part of a combination ticket, and ended up in the bleachers to watch one of his favorite local bands. “The atmosphere of all the people getting together and people having fun (is my favorite),” he said. “It’s a party atmosphere.” Maxwell said he enjoyed visiting the various vendors prior to making his way to the arena to watch cowboys riding bulls. But, he was more excited for the AC/ DC tribute band since he’s seen them before. “I have no problem with it,” he said of the females performing the male group’s songs. “If they perform good, I’m all for it. All they have to do is play good and sing good, and I’m happy.” Maxwell came with a friend, Bill Huckabee, who was sporting a black T-shirt with Hell’s Belles stretched across the front. Huckabee said the fair was a great place for entertainment, but also for bringing back fond memories. He frequently brought his daughter to the fair when she was a child, and he remarked he also hadn’t been to the fair in forever. Other than the food, Huckabee said the entertainment is always thrilling. “The acts they bring in (are
good),’” he said. “I just like the AC/DC music. They play it real well.” As for the rodeo prior to the concert, Huckabee said it was his first time to one. “I just never thought about it,” he said simply. Overall, Huckabee said the event is something he always has great memories from, and that the show is always a good one if Hell’s Belles are involved. “I really enjoy it,” he said. “I find it a very relaxing day.” After the rodeo finished up around 9:30 p.m., the fairgrounds staff opened the arena up to fans for entrance to the concert, which was held at the far left side of the arena, tucked between the stands and the horse pens. Fans quickly surrounded the stage as lead singer Amber Saxton told the crowd, “We’re gonna have a great night,” she shouted. “We’re gonna give you some good rock ‘n’ roll the old fashioned way.” The all-female rock band opened up with “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train,” followed by the original band’s famed hit, “Highway to Hell,” which prompted many cowboy hat-clad audience members to throw up the rock ‘n’ roll See fair, A17
Some residents who will be affected by a proposed new bridge and culvert policy of the Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue District made their final pleas to the fire district’s board earlier this week. A handful of residents asked that the district reconsider the way in which the policy would be implemented, by allowing them an out, if their bridges aren’t long enough that both axels of the heavy fire rigs would be on the bridge at the same time. But the board stuck to its guns and kept the policy intact as drafted. The board, however, opted not to vote on the matter until its next meeting in two weeks. What’s in question are bridges and culverts on private property that are not inspected by county or state departments. The policy asks property owners to have an inspection by a structural engineer every five years and report the findings to the fire district. If the bridge or culvert is certified to be able to handle the weight of fire equipment, it will be marked and firetrucks will cross in the event of an emergency. If not, property owners will be notified that emergency equipment will not be allowed to cross the bridge or culvert, and that the district will do what respondents can do on foot, or with lighter weight vehicles but may not be able to handle the emergency properly. The policy affects all bridges and any culvert that is larger than 24 inches in diameter. Although there have not been incidents in the Central Kitsap Fire District where private bridges or culverts have collapsed under the weight of fire equipment, there have been plenty across the nation, and one in the Gig Harbor area, said Central Kitsap Fire Chief Scott Weninger. “We want to address this before something like that happens here,” he said.
All along the district has said the concern is that first responders may be out on calls and come to these questionable bridges and crossings when it is dark, or in the rain, and have to make a decision whether they are safe to cross, Weninger said. “By addressing this ahead of time, and setting a policy and a standard of operation, we’re taking that decision out of their hands and letting the public know ahead of time if access is in question,” he said. Fire Lt. Matt Porter, who has researched the situation for the district, said there are 91 bridges and 44 culverts that are in question. He said the heaviest equipment that the district uses is a ladder truck at about 60,000 pounds. “We will only cross if there is a valid sign that has a weight limit posted that makes it safe for us to cross,” he said. The process would include that the property owner would have their bridge or culvert inspected by a certified engineer. The engineer would establish what the weight limit is for the bridge or culvert and that information would be given to the fire district. Then, the fire district will come out and post a sign telling of the weight limit. The signs would be the property of the district and the inspection would be valid for five years. At that time, the inspection would have to be done again, and proof of passing would have to be sent to the district or the district will come out and remove the sign. Inspections were estimated to run from $250 to $1,000 by district officials, and would be paid for by the property owner. Those who are affected, who were at the meeting Monday, said they understand the concern and have accepted that the policy will most likely be inacted by the board, but they still don’t like it. “I’ve got a culvert that measures 24 inches,” said Dan Hicks. “So I See bridges, A17