Patriot Bremerton
Keep it classy Expanded classifieds inside Kitsap Week
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013 | Vol. 16, No. 45 WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
Families leave Toys for Tots party with smiles BY LESLIE KELLY LKELLY@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
To put it simply, it was a day for smiles. More than 2,500 children were greeted by Marines and given toys Saturday at the annual Kitsap County Toys For Tots party at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. Hundreds of parents with little ones in tow began lining up shortly before 10 a.m. to wind their way through President’s Hall, to get a toy and have a private sitting with Santa. After verification that they were low income, each family was given tickets for the children and proceeded to the center of the room where volunteers asked the children their ages and went behind curtains to find the appropriate toys. When the volunteers returned, their arms were filled with toys that were bagged and handed off to the kids, or sometimes to their parents. “The crowd’s a bit smaller than normal,” said Sam Martin, of the Marine Corps League which organized the Kitsap toy drive. “So we’re able to give each child more than one toy.” Lt. Col. Stephen Keane, commander of the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion at Bangor, said 26 Marines and 13 of their families were on hand to help hand out toys and keep the children entertained while they waited for their turn at the toy
Seraine Page/staff photo
Chuck Kraining roasts chestnuts at the Mill Town Christmas.
Christmas party goes old school BY SERAINE PAGE SPAGE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Leslie Kelly/staff photo
Earlene and Thurman Kearney, and their daughters, Alyse (on dad’s shoulders) and Aniyah took part in the annual Kitsap Toys For Tots party last Saturday at the fairgrounds. tables. His wife, Vanessa, said she brought their son, Rowan, and daughter, Mia, out to help because she wanted their kids to see how fortunate they are. “This is a good lesson in how lucky we are as a family,” she said. “And I like to teach my children about volunteering and helping out in the community.” Gunner y Sergeant Albert Pardo, who has been a Marine for 18 years, was there in his dress uniform, along with his fam-
Leslie Kelly/ staff photo
A pair of 1 year olds came dressed for the holiday event.
ily, too. His wife and their children, ages 15, 12, and 10 were busy handing out toys, while he checked on the stock, behind the curtains. “This is a way for us to reach out to those in our community that need assistance,” he said. “I like being able to help out.” Early on Saturday, he helped one young boy who wanted a bicycle. “You should have seen the smile on his face,” Pardo said. “His face just lit up.” For Kim and Darryl Hemphill, of Port Orchard, this was their first experience with Toys For Tots. “We are foster parents and the foster agency we work with recommended that we come here,” Kim Hemphill said. “They told us this event is for families like ours to take part in.” The Hemphills have two biological sons, Angelo, 7, and Jacob, 14. And they have three foster children, one who is 2 and two 1year-olds. On their list was “anything baby doll” for their 2
“This is a good lesson in how lucky we are as a family. And I like to teach my children about volunteering and helping out in the community.” – Vanessa Keane -year-old foster daughter. “She just loves to play with dolls,” Hemphill said. “And our other little ones like anything musical.” With their sack filled, the Hemphills headed to the parking lot, thankful that they had come. “This will help our Christmas be merrier, for sure,” said Jacob. Another family, the Kearneys from Bremerton, waited about an hour to get their toys and see Santa. Their kids, Alyse, 2, and Aniyah, 6, were patient as mom and dad spoke to the volunteers asking about a skateboard, SEE TOYS FOR TOTS, A13
Visitors came from near and far to experience a traditional 1800s holiday during the sixth annual Old Mill Town Christmas event in Seabeck last weekend. “This is one of many of our holiday heritage events we hold throughout the year,” said Patricia Drolet, executive director for the museum. “It celebrates the diverse and rich culture and past of Kitsap County.” The two-day event served more than 200 guests who wanted to relive colonial times during the holidays at Seabeck Conference Center. The event was put on by the Kitsap County Historical Society and Museum as a fundraiser for museum operations. Carol Becken traveled from afar to make the event. Becken, who lives in Coquitlam, B.C., came with her husband and two granddaughters. “I just thought this Christmas thing would be so much fun,” she said. “We’re having a really good time. Seabeck is a place I love. It’s a wonderful place to come with the family.” For the last few years, Becken has been interested in coming to the
event. It wasn’t until this year that she was able to make it when the Seabeck Association — of which she’s a member — chose to hold their meeting at the conference center the same weekend as the Christmas event. The evening started out with hayrides at the entrance of the property, which took attendees to a house at the top of the hill where they could sample roasted chestnuts, eat cookies and drink apple cider. Once inside the house, guests got lessons from the Kitsap Kickers Line Dance Club on historic dances like the waltz. After a few demonstrations, the audience joined in — from the elderly to toddling toddlers — for instruction. “They’re really enjoying themselves,” said Megan Bradley, program coordinator for Kitsap County Historical Society and Museum. “It’s very nostalgic.” Bradley said back in the mill days, it wasn’t often that mill workers got time off to relax during the holidays. She also noted that Santa would not be making an appearance because that wasn’t how mill workers SEE OLD MILL TOWN, A13