Kingston • Eglon • Hansville • Indianola • Little Boston • Port Gamble
COMMUNITY NEWS KingstonCommunityNews.com
Vol. 31 No. 2 • February
2014
New group advocating for homeless By KIPP ROBERTSON
Editor
KINGSTON — The number of homeless people in Kingston, and Kitsap County for that matter, is difficult to determine. “Even people who are real pros and work directly in that area … Counting at any time is a nebulous area,” ShareNet Executive
Director Mark Ince said. ShareNet is a nonprofit in Kingston that provides food and other services to low-income people. About 3 percent of ShareNet’s clients are self-identified as homeless, Ince said. He believes that number is higher, that there are more people in the north end who do not want to be identi-
fied as homeless. According to the 2012 Point In Time Homeless County, more than 500 homeless people are either living outside, in vehicles, shelters, transitional housing, or with friends and family. Though there may not be a solid number of the north end’s homeless population, the
concern over homelessness in Kingston has grown enough for some Kingstonites to take action. “We don’t know what the extent of the problem is,” Kingston Kiwanis member MaryAnn Harris said. So, the first step to be taken by Kingston Cares About See Homeless, Page 3
New Hansville boat launch in the works Community
donates $73K to Neighbor Aid
The former Point No Point Resort buildings were razed recently to make way for a Department of Fish and Wildlife project. The project, once all Kipp Robertson / Staff photo permits are obtained, will include a boat launch, parking lot, and restrooms.
The former Point No Point Resort is in the preliminary stages of being transformed into a new launch, parking lot and facilities By KIPP ROBERTSON
Editor
HANSVILLE — The Point No Point Resort was razed to a few large piles of debris by the time 8:30 a.m. rolled around Jan. 21. The 3.47-acre resort was being cleared for a multi-million dollar project that is planned to transform the site into a new boat launch and parking lot. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife “is moving forward
with the development of the boat launch,” County Commissioner Robert Gelder told the Herald Jan. 21. The project is estimated to cost $2.5 million. Fish and Wildlife will install an elevated, concrete boat launch. The 90-foot boat launch will accommodate boats up to 26 feet in length. It will be the first fully operational launch that far north in Kitsap since the former rail launch closed in 2002.
The other three boat launches in the north end include the Port of Kingston, Salsbury Point County Park, and Port of Eglon. The Point No Point project is not fully under way, however. Fish and Wildlife has not obtained all the needed permits. “Last I knew, [Fish and Wildlife] still needed a few permits for the actual work,” Gelder said. Those permits include those that will allow work to be done in the water, he said. Gelder said the county and Fish and Wildlife are finalizing the maintenance and operations agreement. Under the agreement, Fish and Wildlife is expected to assure it will maintain the
inside 10 businesses vie for marijuana licenses in the North End — Page 7
site, Gelder said. There are advocates for and against the project. On one side, recreational fishing will be much more accessible, Gelder said. With two main points to launch from in the North end — Salsbury and Port of Kingston — and neither near Hansville, it will make boat fishing much less expensive, he said. “It’s a wonderful boon for [boaters and fishers],” Gelder said. Gelder said he is concerned about local impacts and the state keeping up on maintenance and management. There is an issue with overflow parking for Point See Launch, Page 3
KINGSTON — It was a season of giving in the north end. ShareNet’s Neighbor Aid campaign raised $73,334. The money was donated by 380 individuals or groups. The total raised is the second highest in six years. The money will help ShareNet meet the needs of those who use its services. ShareNet’s annual budget is about $150,000. ShareNet operates a food bank, a clothing bank, and a program to make nutritious food available for school children on weekends. ShareNet also assists families and individuals facing eviction or needing help keeping their utilities on. ShareNet depends on the annual campaign to continue operating for another year. With enough funding, the nonprofit organization See Neighbor, Page 9
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