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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014 | Vol. 17, No. 33 | WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
Bremerton could have foot ferries next year
Seabeck man charged with rape of child Former volunteer at Crownhill, West Hills STEM likely to face more charges
BY KIPP ROBERTSON KROBERTSON@NORTHKITSAPHERALD.COM
KINGSTON — Bremerton could be the first of three locations to get passenger-only ferry services to and from Seattle from Kitsap Transit. A plan for the proposed ferry service between the Kitsap Peninsula and Seattle shows Kitsap Transit beginning with service in Bremerton in October 2015 and expanding to service in Kingston in the fall of 2017. Before ferry services can begin, Kitsap Transit will need to continue planning, including finding funding. The plan needs to be endorsed by Kitsap County Board of Commissioners and receive “adequate local tax support,” Kitsap Transit passengeronly ferry plan manager Carla Sawyer said in July. Under the proposed plan presented to the Kitsap Transit Board on Sept. 26, services would include Bremerton, Kingston and Southworth. Southworth would get a ferry in 2022 or 2023. The routes would go to Pier 50 in Seattle. Sawyer said she expects the
BY KEVAN MOORE KMOORE@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
walkway and dock located adjacent to the south side of the WSF terminal. Improvements under the plan include repairs to decking, architectural improvements to cover the walkway, signage, fresh water, and shore power. Improvements wouldn’t be “terribly costly,” Sawyer said. Southworth’s largest hurdle is the lack of a docking facility, Sawyer said. That will make getting a service there more delayed. For Bremerton, a ferry and facility already exists. In order to start a service there Kitsap Transit needs a way to subsidize operating costs and the crew to operate it — and approval.
A former volunteer at Crownhill Elementary and West Hills STEM Academy has been arrested for possession of child pornography and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. Stephen Robert Jabs, 51, of the 11000 block of N.W. Holly Road in Seabeck, has been charged with one count of rape of a child in the first degree in a separate case and potentially faces more charges. Jabs, who was arrested Sept. 25, is currently being held at the Kitsap County Jail with a $1 million bail. Detectives from the Kitsap County Sheriff ’s Office say the investigation into Jabs is ongoing. Jabs was arrested after a search warrant was served at his home and deputies found a large number of photographs of young girls on his phone and other devices. Police say many of the girls were not clothed.
SEE FOOT FERRY, A9
SEE CHILD RAPE, A12
Kevan Moore/staff photo
Kitsap Transit’s Rich Passage 1 gets ready to buzz by the Walla Walla while heading into Bremerton. transit board to deliberate the topic in the coming months. Launching three routes would cost the transit service about $39 million between 2015-2023, according to the Sept. 26 presentation. Potential funding sources have been identified and include sales taxes, motor vehicle excise taxes and property taxes; the state Department of Transportation Regional Mobility Grant Program; and federal funding. Current Kitsap Transit revenues are insufficient to support the proposed service, according to the presentation. The proposed schedule for the three routes include three morning roundtrips and six afternoon
roundtrips. Respondents of a survey indicated they would like to see the service expanded into weekday evenings, even before weekend service, Sawyer said. The goal would be to build commuter confidence in the service, Sawyer told the Herald. If Kitsap Transit could show commuters the ferry is not a test and will be around for the long haul, it could help build ridership, she said. Along with new passengeronly services from Kitsap to Seattle, improvements would be made at the three proposed locations. Kitsap Transit has proposed using the same dock the Port of Kingston did for its passenger-only service — the long
Streissguth, Wolfe square-off in commissioner race RWALKER@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
Commissioners are elected to four-year terms.
This is part of a series of Q&As with candidates for local office in the Nov. 4 general election. This Q&A: Linda Streissguth and Ed Wolfe, candidates for Kitsap County Board of Commissioners, District 3. Kitsap County commissioners approve laws and manage the county budget. Commissioners are responsible
LINDA STREISSGUTH Residence: Bremerton Occupation: Kitsap County commissioner, District 3 Education: B.S., business administration, City University, Bellevue; certification in management studies, City University, Bellevue; designation American Institute of Certified Planners, American Planning Association
BY RICHARD WALKER
Linda Streissguth
Ed Wolfe
for county policies relating to community development, county finance, environmental protection, human services, parks and recreation, public safety and health, solid waste, transportation, and other duties as directed by the state Legislature.
Relevant experience: Kitsap County commissioner, January 2014 to present Q: What are the top issues in this campaign? Streissguth: What I’ve heard consistently from constituents across our community is that building a thriving economy with living-wage jobs and preserving our quality of life are the two most important issues for Kitsap County. Providing SEE COMMISSION RACE, A9
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