REPORTER CENTRAL KITSAP
VETERANS LIFE: A delayed welcome home for Vietnam vets
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015 | Vol. 30, No. 22 | WWW.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM | 50¢
After 15 years of service, Stokke resigns from board CK school board member cites health issues as reason; School district seeks candidates to fill vacated spot BY CHRIS TUCKER CTUCKER@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
After 15 and a half years of service on the Central Kitsap School District board of directors, Christopher Stokke announced Feb. 26 that he would be stepping down. Stokke handed a letter to each member of the board at the end of their twice monthly meeting. “It is with a heavy heart that I am submitting my resignation from the Central Kitsap School District board of directors,” Stokke said as he read the letter. “My passion is education which makes this decision especially difficult. “I have been fortunate to serve on this board for almost fifteen and a half years. Board service has not always been
Christopher Stokke easy but it’s gratifying to participate on a board that works as a leadership team to ensure continuous improvement,” he said. Stokke said he needed more time to address personal health issues and also to support his parents. His resignation is effective
March 10. “I’m not happy but I understand,” said board Vice President Jeanie Schulze sadly upon hearing the news. Board President Bruce Richards said Stokke had been the “backbone” of the board. “For many years I was the junior person,” Richards said. “I looked up to you and learned an awful lot.” “The things you’ve done for this district and the students and the staff of this district are uncountable and I appreciate your service,” Richards said. Richards joked that Stokke should feel free to come any time to a lengthy board meeting and sit in the back and then leave early. Board member Eric Greene said he would miss seeing SEE STOKKE, A9
Silverdale Albertsons to be rebranded as Haggen BY CHRIS TUCKER
CTUCKER@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
SILVERDALE – Albertsons grocery shoppers may notice a slight change to the Silverdale store next week as the store is converted to a Haggen brand grocery store. The store, located at 2222 NW Bucklin Hill Road, was scheduled to be temporarily closed on Thursday, March 5. After midnight, Haggen was scheduled to take ownership of the store and begin converting it to the new brand. Interior and exterior signage will be switched out. If all goes well, the store will re-open on Saturday, March 7 at 4 p.m. as Haggen. The pharmacy will remain
Chris Tucker / staff photo
The Silverdale Albertsons, pictured here on March 3, is scheduled to be rebranded as Haggen by March 7. open during the transition. The Silverdale Albertsons is one of 146 stores in five states that Haggen has acquired as a result of a divestment process
brought about by the Federal Trade Commission’s review of the Albertsons LLC and SafeSEE HAGGEN, A9
Christian Welp, back, holds up the state champion trophy after Olympic High School beat Centralia in 1983. File Photo
OHS, UW basketball legend Welp dies BY DANNIE OLIVEAUX DOLIVEAUX@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
SEATTLE — Former Olympic High School and University of Washington basketball legend Christian Welp died at the age of 51, according to Ashley Walker, assistant director of Athletic Communications at UW. Welp, a 7-foot center, was an Olympic High School standout who help lead the Trojans to the 1983 state championship with a 54-51 four-overtime win over Centralia. He came to OHS as an exchange student from Germany. Nate Andrews, Olympic High School athletic director, said Welp attended OHS during the 1982-83 school year. “We inducted him into our OHS Hall of Fame a few years back,” Andrews said. “He was a well-liked person and man. His OHS family sends condolences to his family and close friends. We know his death was unexpected and we were fortunate to have him as a student many years ago. He will be missed by many.” He donned the purple and gold from 1984-1987 and led the Huskies to back-toback Pac-10 Titles and three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, Walker said. Welp’s name is all over the UW record books as he finished his standout career as the Huskies all-time leading scorer with 2,073 points, a 34-year old record held by Bob Houbregs that he broke during his senior season. He also owns UW’s career blocks record with 186 and is in the top five in rebounds (995, fourth) and field goal percentage (.562,
third). Welp was a highly decorated student-athlete during his time in Seattle as he was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (1984), the Pac-10 Player of the Year (1986) Chris Tucker / Staff Photo and was a Christian Welp’s basketthree-time ball jersey is displayed at All-Pac-10 Olympic High School. first team selection. He was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Pac-10 Hall of Honor in 2007. Welp was selected as the 16th overall pick of the 1987 NBA Draft by Philadelphia and played for three seasons in the NBA with the 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors before heading overseas for a successful international career where he won nine championships in as many seasons with teams in Germany, Italy and Greece, added Walker. Welp lived in Bothell with his wife, Melanie, and two sons, Nicholas and Collin, who plays for the Seattle Prep boys basketball team. He also has a daughter Allison, from a previous marriage, reported the Seattle Times.
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