REPORTER CENTRAL KITSAP
KITSAP WEEK: Local water trail is growing in popularity IN THIS EDITION
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014 | Vol. 29, No. 46 | WWW.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM | 50¢
IN THE REPORTER
Family finds forgiveness, tries to heal Memorial for 6-year-old Jenise Wright draws large crowd BY KEVAN MOORE
BRIEFS Seabeck’s Afton Prater helped Rock the Dock — Page 3
FEATURES Local rocker headed to Iowa Hall of Fame — Page 8
KMOORE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Family members, various law enforcement and searchers, friends and folks who had never met Jenise Wright, but were touched by her tragic death, turned up at the 6-year-old girl’s memorial service this past Saturday. The service was held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Silverdale and was overseen by Bishop Chris Byron, who has spent a lot of time with Jenise’s parents, James and Denise Wright, over the last couple of weeks. “I sat with James and Denise in those quiet and
tearful moments after they discovered how Jenise had died,” Byron said. “And where I expected to hear anguish and anger, I heard compassion for another mother and a family. I went that day to teach and instead was taught.” “How will you honor the memory of this little girl,” Byron later asked those in attendance. “Will you leave today with hate in your heart for the actions of another person or will you let go of that awful burden and begin to find forgiveness in your heart?” During the service, Denise talked about her daughter one time sneaking six popsicles out of the house. “She found a group of kids and said, ‘Here, you can have one; my mom said you can have one,’” Denise recalled. Jenise also liked to crash barbecues at neighbors’ homes. “She would say, ‘My mom
LKELLY@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
— Page 6
OPINION Libraries are special places in communities — Page 4
said I could have that hot dog,” Denise said. Then there was the time Jenise took a couple of boxes
of cereal out of the family home to have a picnic with everybody in the park. “That was Jenise, so giving
and loving,” Denise said. Jenise’s father, James, said SEE MEMORIAL, A9
Fair prep brings together ‘family of 4-Hers’ BY LESLIE KELLY
PROFILE H. Emily Moshay continues to leave her mark
Courtesy photo
Friends and family remembered Jenise Wright at a memorial service last weekend.
For many people, when they walk through the gates of the Kitsap County Fair, all they see is the wonderment of a village that has been assembled for their enjoyment. Not too many of them know just what it takes to set up the fair, and the work that goes into it all year long. Of course there are the carnival rides and the exhibitors who begin on Monday of Fair Week assembling the Ferris Wheel and the bumper cars, and putting together their displays in the fair’s Pavilion Hall. And then there’s the many 4-H volunteers who spend two full days taking in all the entries from 4-Hers, including the animals, the cakes and the hand-sewn dresses. They are on site at the fairground from sun up to sun down two days straight making sure each entry is well displayed and judged by
a professional in the field, be it flowers or photography. “We’re like a family that reunites every year at this time,” said Wanda Meeker of Seabeck. “We may not see each other throughout the year. But when it’s fair time, we’re all here ready to do our part.” Meeker has been volunteering at the fair since 1992, when her daughter Emily was a 4-Her competing in home economics and with dogs. It just got in their blood and after her daughter was grown and gone, she stayed on. She helps put together the family living displays, the needle work and at times helps with kitchen competitions where 4-Hers actually cook in front of a judge. She also leads 4-H clubs and last year put in 170 volunteer hours. “I love it when the kids do well,” she said. “But what’s kept me in it is the adults I work with. They are so giving of their time. We’ve all SEE COUNTY FAIR, A9
Leslie Kelly/staff photo
Bruce Bradley has been a volunteer with 4-H for 32 years. He’s on hand at the Kitsap County Fair this weekend to coordinate the 4-H exhibits which were assembled for show earlier this week. Liz Bumgarner of Sequim judges 4-H photography entries on Monday. She’s a volunteer with 4-Hers in her community and came to Silverdale to help out with this year’s fair. The Kitsap County Fair continues through Sunday.
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