REPORTER CENTRAL KITSAP
KITSAP WEEK: Kingston seniors create coming-of-age film
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015 | Vol. 30, No. 34 | WWW.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM | 50¢
IN THIS EDITION
Kitsap Water Trails Festival set for June 27-28 BY CHRIS TUCKER CTUCKER@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
For John Kuntz, owner of Olympic Outdoor Center, it all began with a paddling trip he and a friend made in 1996 from Belfair to Allyn. The trip inspired Kuntz to make a paddling trail out of the route. In
2008 he joined the North Kitsap Trails Association helped work on a land and water trail. Those efforts eventually wound up leading to a national designation for the water trail. “So we applied for it about two years ago and last June we actually received a designation that puts us into a pretty elite crowd,” Kuntz said.
“We’re only one of 17 trails in the in the whole United states. Not every trail becomes a water trail … they have to be an exemplary trail which means they’re special in a certain way.” An allience of Mason, Kitsap and Pierce counties as well as 20 cities/communites, five tribes and 13 port districts helped the trail become a reality.
“This is one of most spectacular water trails in all the United States and also the world,” Kuntz said. A water trail is a series of trailheads where “beachable craft” such as a kayak or canoe can be landed. A map helps guide the boaters along the water trail,
PE teacher retires after 37 years
RUN TO TAHOMA
NEWS Two men sought in cleaner burglary
BY PETER O’CAIN POCAIN@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
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said. Also, some people were making unauthorized entry into the western half of the building even though doors leading into that area were bolted shut. CSTOCK had earlier asked the county to keep the eastern half open for another 18-24 months, but Silva said that wouldn’t be possible. Silva said even making tem-
BREMERTON — On May 21, Cottonwood Elementary had an exercise in controlled, at times unbridled, chaos. Pre-teens in pink shirts and bright helmets whirled across the gymnasium floor on unicycles; some riding high enough to dunk a basketball, some low enough to scrape their shoes on the hardwood. Hundreds of their young peers watched from the edges of the gym, gathered in assembly. But nothing the kids from the Central Kitsap School District Unicycle Team did inspired awe. Not the threewheeled unicycle, not kids maneuvering obstacles on unicycles, not the teams of unicyclists twirling in circle hand-in-hand. Nope, none of them. The kids were impressed, no doubt. But awed? Not completely. What did inspire awe was when Principal Bethany LaHaie told them Gale Smith, master and commander of this war on gravity, had been teaching at Cottonwood since 1978. The collective “Whoa” lasted five seconds. Smith is the only PE teacher Cottonwood has ever had. She’s been teaching at Cottonwood longer than many of her students’ parents have
SEE COMMUNITY CENTER, A9
SEE PE TEACHER, A9
OPINION Class of 2016 to be informed citizens
A4
SPORTS Cup stacking family aims to set records
A2
Peter O’Cain / staff photo
Veterans salute as a Marine Corps color guard presents the flag at the Kitsap County Administration Building in Port Orchard on May 23. The event was part of the Run to Tahoma VI. Hundreds of motorcycle riders escorted the remains of Robert Sherman Timm (U.S. Army), Linda Eagleson Burnett Dodge (U.S. Army) and Gary James Cegalis (U.S. Air Force) to Tahoma National Cemetery for a military burial. See more photos on page A6.
Community center to close permanently in August SPORTS Building a field of dreams
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SEE WATER TRAIL, A9
West Sound Performing Arts Center may build 900-seat theater and convention center on campus BY CHRIS TUCKER
CTUCKER@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
SILVERDALE – Due to a water-damaged roof, the high cost of repairs and liability concerns, the Silverdale Community Center will be closed
this August. “This building is tired,” said Angie Silva, senior policy analyst for the Kitsap County commissioners office. The western portion of the building is already closed due to significant water damage,
but the eastern half is still open. That open area includes the Evergreen meeting room on the lower floor and Central Stage Theatre of Central Kitsap performing area on the upper floor. The building’s poor condition has made it a liability risk, Silva said. “We also have some homeless issues that are now popping up into this (western) portion of the building,” Silva
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