Reporter Central Kitsap
On the mat: Cougars upended by Wolves Page 11
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014 | Vol. 29, No. 15 | WWW.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM | 50¢
Wish comes true for local teen BY SERAINE PAGE
SPAGE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
The blindfold couldn’t come off quick enough for Carter Bessert. As a Make-A-Wish recipient, the 17 year old hoped and dreamed he would be able to see his car, a Honda Civic Coupe, restored and refinished. On Saturday, the Silverdale teen’s wish came true as his family, friends and the team who fixed it looked on. Attendees gathered around Bessert as he was blindfolded near the MaacoBremerton storefront while the shop owner drove the Honda out from its hiding spot. Bessert’s mother clutched her son’s arm, tears filling her eyes as a MakeA-Wish volunteer removed the blindfold. Bessert looked at the green car with the racing stripe and large red bow in disbelief. Then, he smiled. “Sweet. This is perfect,” he said. “This is awesome. Thank you so much.” Maaco-Bremerton owner Nick Pugh — who had never met the teen prior to the event — handed over the keys to Bessert before wrapping him in a bear hug. Pugh and his team posed with Bessert next to the car after the teen was presented with an official Maaco jacket.
Seraine Page/staff photo
Lila Rahm, 9, takes observation notes near a salmon egg tank in her classroom. In March, the eggs will be released.
Youngsters study salmon up close BY SERAINE PAGE
SPAGE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
SEE MAKE-A-WISH, A9
One hundred tiny special guests appeared in a Central Kitsap School District classroom on Wednesday. At Clear Creek Elementary, Barbara Bromley’s fourth-graders were introduced to salmon eggs that had been deposited into their classroom at 8 a.m. in a corner tank. One by one, the students peered into the tank, looking down at the small, jelly looking eggs. “We’ve been studying salmon all year,” said Bromley, a science and
address, the implementation of the mental health sales tax and budget issues ahead of them. Streissguth, who is currently the community engagement manager for Puget Sound Energy, was not present to hear the decision, but Garrido planned to call her. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a certificate in management studies from City University in Bellevue. Streissguth’s selection caught some off guard
because she was third on the list of nominees from local Democrats. The state requires that the party of the exiting officeholder submit a ranked list of three candidates. The commissioners are not obligated to pick the first choice, but they typically have accepted the party’s direction. Each of eight applicants for the job were given two opportunities to speak to local Democrats and then, in mid December, Democratic precinct com-
Seraine Page/staff photo
Top left: Make-A-Wish volunteer Wendy Johnson blindfolds Carter Bessert. Upon removal of the blindfold, Bessert, 17, was presented the keys to his refinished car by Nick Pugh. According to its website, Make-A-Wish grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition. Every 38 minutes a wish is granted. Bessert found out just a few days before Thanksgiving in 2012 that he had full renal failure. The teen was put on dialysis for six months. Exactly six months after he found out about the failure, he was offered a kidney transplant.
“We were not expecting that,” Bessert’s father, Jody Bessert said of the transplant. “This year has been crazy, to say the least.” The family also didn’t expect that they would qualify for the Make-AWish program, which they found out about while their son was in Seattle Children’s Hospital. Both Jody and Dannelle Bessert thought the nonprofit was for little kids. Not for someone like
their son. After following up, the hopes of restoring the 1994 car seemed more attainable. Bessert had always wanted it resemble a Ben 10 muscle car. Resemble it did. The teen noticed even the smallest of details that were fixed. “See that Honda symbol?,” he pointed at the front
math teacher. “I think these kids have a real sense of our connection to the environment.” Bromley noted the students are aware and proactive in recycling, and prior lessons have involved the importance of water quality and respecting nature. Even when they visit the creek behind the school, students have specific spots they can sit, she said. The salmon eggs, placed on a tray within the tank, aren’t the only ones who are special to the classroom. There’s also two bull frogs, Peaches the snake, and Spike, a lizard. SEE SALMON, A9
PSE manager appointed to county commission BY LESLIE KELLY LKELLY@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
In what came as a surprise to many, Kitsap County Commissioners Rob Gelder and Charlotte Garrido Monday appointed Linda Streissguth to fill the vacant third seat on the Kitsap County Commission. Following more than 90 minutes behind closed doors, Garrido made the announcement to about 20 people who had been waiting for more than an hour
to find out who would be She said the decision chosen. was made based on the Commissioner Garrido fact that she and Gelder felt said the choice to Streissguth would appoint Streissguth be able to align was difficult herself with them. because all three “It’s important nominees had to this commission the qualifications that the person needed to do the appointed align job. themselves with “We interviewed Linda Streissguth us because there is each of them at work to be done,” length,” she said. Garrido said. “And I even listened to the She pointed out that the tapes (of the interviews) a commissioners have a new second time.” comprehensive plan to
mittee officers took a vote. The results put Bremerton City Councilwoman Leslie Daugs at the top of the list. Irene Bowling, a local businesswoman and piano teacher, was second on the list. Bowling was there to hear the announcement and later said she was disappointed. “I feel strongly that the commissioners made the wrong choice,” Bowling said. “But it would be preSEE STREISSGUTH, A9