Patriot Bremerton
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013 | Vol. 16, No. 31 www.bremertonpatriot.com | 50¢
DOWN! SET! HUT! Bremerton, CK and Klahowya teams are set to kickoff seasons Page 15
Port commissioners debate re-roofing vacant building ing and led to some heated debate. Commissioner Roger To roof or not to roof? Zabinski told his counterThat seems to be the ques- parts that before anything tion for Bremerton Port happened with the buildCommissioners. ing, he wanted port staff Commissioners to lay out all the are pondering possible options. whether to roof a Although the roof building known repair, estimated as the old concrete to be $72,000, is in precast building the current year’s that is currently operating budempty, but that get, Zabinski said may still have Zabinsky he didn’t think it potential. was a prudent use The buildof taxpayers’ doling, previously lars to roof the owned by Fred building, unless Hill Materials, the port would is open on three recover the costs sides and has been by leasing it. used for precast“We don’t have ing concrete pro- Stokes a ready tenant for pane tanks and for it,” said Zabinski. lumber storage. It “Before we go was discussed during last See RE-ROOFING, A13 week’s commission meetBy Leslie Kelly
lkelly@soundpublishing.com
Seraine Page /staff photo
A woman who attended the Bremerton Blackberry Festival on Saturday photographs family members as they pose behind giant colorful blackberry cutouts. The annual festival brought hundreds of visitors to the waterfront and downtown.
Blackberry Festival draws big crowds By Seraine Page and Leslie Kelly lkelly@soundpublishing.com
Blue skies and a breeze welcomed guests from around the Kitsap Peninsula during the Bremerton Blackberry Festival last weekend. The festival, held every year over Labor Day weekend, boasted more than 100 vendors offering up goods from T-shirts to icy blackberry lemonade. “It’s a good end of the season (event). It’s a good way to wrap up the summer,” said Roger Gay, a South Kitsap resident. Gay took the Port Orchard ferry over to the Bremerton dock where he was dropped off right next to the festival. He recommended the blackberry cobbler for the first menu item of the day. After, Gay sat up in the beer garden, enjoying the water views and a beer. “I like the food,” he said of the event. He took a swig of his beer and sat back in his chair. “It’s nice and sunny. Decent weather,” he said.
“Good way to bring the community together.” Droves of people scattered throughout the event, covering every inch of sidewalk of the Louis Mentor Boardwalk, including steps leading down to the waterfront. In addition to tons of food options, entertainment by The Independents and other music acts took the stage to fill the air with everything from patriotic tunes to bluesy numbers. The festival had something for everyone, including kids. Sound Dive Center sent divers out into the sound to collect live species for examination for a touch tank event. Two 17-year-old divers brought back starfish, crabs, sea cucumbers and other sea life for viewing in a few kiddie pools. Children immediately swarmed the pools, reaching out to feel the live creatures. “I enjoy watching their reaction,” said Kyle Wade, one of the divers. “It’s pretty rewarding.” A representative from the center spoke about the
variety of marine life, and informed the crowd about dive lessons offered through the center. The center takes part in the live touch tank event every year, Wade said. The sea life were all placed back into the sound once the tank session was over. While some came out to play for the weekend, others were out to work during the event. Dr. Robert L. Gross helped in the Kiwanis Club of Bremerton tent where proceeds benefit community youth programs, he said. The group purchased 700 specially ordered Blackberry pies from Costco. Gross said Costco does not make the pie for the public, only for the club each year at the Bremerton festival. “We sell them all,” he said. “My favorite part would be the success we have in raising money by volunteers to give back to the community.” At $25 a pop, Gross said the group would sell half as full pies. Club members shouted “whole pie” after each sale of a pie. The group also sold
blackberry pie topped with vanilla ice cream, blackberry scones and blackberry or vanilla ice cream. “It is the signature fruit of the Pacific Northwest,” he said of the blackberry. Couple Vicki Bower and Doug Daman sat basking in the sunshine on the steps of the boardwalk taking in the views and smells of the festival. The two came down to Bremerton from Poulsbo for the day. “There is a lot of good food here,” said Vicki Bower. “It’s making me hungry.” By early afternoon, she had already tried the blackberry ice cream, but said the smells were tempting her to go for some more grub. “Those blackberry slugs … I think we’ll be heading up there next,” she said with a laugh. Bower said she and her husband stopped in for their first time since their daughter was working a massage event through Everest College where she’s taking See BLACKBERRY, A13
Fourth Street trees deemed safe for at least one more year By KEVAN MOORE kmoore@soundpublishing.com
In a little noticed development, the city of Bremerton’s tree committee has voted to postpone any decision regarding the removal of trees on Fourth Street between Pacific and Washington avenues. That announcement was made in an Aug. 28 letter sent to stakeholders by Milenka HawkinsBates, the Administration Division Manager for the Public Works Department, who oversees the tree committee which had met one month earlier. In her letter, she noted that many area business owners are in favor of
removal and replacement with more appropriate trees, while many residents are opposed to any kind of removal. In the letter, HawkinsBates noted two arborist reports indicate that the trees should be removed and replaced while many business owners also want to change Fourth Street into a two-way street. She said tree committee members questioned the approach of removing and replacing the trees in light of the fact that a Local Improvement District may be formed to reconfigure the street. “It was suggested by the See TREES, A13