PATRIOT BREMERTON
KITSAP WEEKLY POWER POINT: The draw of Kitsap’s north shore
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2015 | Vol. 18, No. 27 | WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
IN THIS EDITION
A ‘berry’ fun festival
City gives fire chief authority to ban fireworks BY PETER O’CAIN POCAIN@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
NEWS Ferry ridership hits 12-year high
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OPINION Future of charter schools in question
Peter O’Cain / staff photo
Volunteers take part in “Chalk the Block” at Second Street and Washington Avenue on Sept. 5.
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CTUCKER@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
BUSINESS Haggen files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
BREMERTON – There was no shortage of blackberry-themed food at the 26th annual Blackberry Festival at the Bremerton boardwalk this weekend: “Berry good” blackberry pie, pastries with blackberry filling called “blackberry slugs,” blackberry-flavored kettle corn, blackberry shortcake and blackberry wine were just a few of the delicacies on offer to the 25,000 or
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BY CHRIS TUCKER
so people estimated to have attended. Festival goer Kathleen Juhl, of Lynwood, sampled a small plastic cup of blackberry wine at one booth. “It’s good … to me it’s kind of tart,” Juhl said. Pasek Cellars, of Mount Vernon, makes some 3,500 cases of blackberry wine annually – 12 bottles of wine per case. They make two varieties: a wine, and a port. The port is fortified with SEE BLACKBERRY, A11
Afternoon fire destroys RV BY PETER O’CAIN POCAIN@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
SPORTS SK knocks off CK 25-14 in opener
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BREMERTON — An RV near Wycoff Avenue was ruined by a fire Sept. 8 around 4:30 p.m. The RV was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene and smoke could be seen from Silverdale. Josie Laudet lives directly across the street from the property. She was about to water her plants when a neighSEE RV FIRE, A13
BREMERTON — This past Fourth of July, many residents took their garden hoses and soaked their homes in hopes of protecting them from errant Roman candles, spinners, bottle rockets and mortars. Two years from now, they may not have to take the same precautions. The Bremerton City Council amended its firework ordinance Sept. 2 to allow the fire chief to ban fireworks in times of extreme danger. The amendment comes on the heels of a particularly dry summer in Kitsap County, in which moisture content in wood was 11 percent lower than usual in June. The city council explored the possibility of banning fire-
works this past Fourth of July, but state law prohibits changes to firework code on such short notice. “Fortunately, it turned out OK this year, but there are times where resources may be stretched and our city may be at risk,” said Council President Greg Wheeler. “This proposal actually gives us an option to address extreme conditions.” The law requires any changes to firework code to be passed at least 365 days before going into place. Fireworks may only be sold between June 28 and July 4, so the earliest the fire chief could issue a ban is in 2017. Chris Williams, a licensed pyrotechnician and former fireworks stand operator, was encouraged by the preemptive SEE FIREWORKS, A13
Nude Gorst man trashes trailer BY CHRIS TUCKER
CTUCKER@CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.COM
BREMERTON – A naked Gorst transient who caused an estimated $5,000 worth of damage to the roof of a travel trailer parked at WinCo Foods was arrested by police and charged with malicious mischief. According to a Bremerton Police Department report, several 911 calls were made Sept. 4 around 5:51 p.m. regarding the man, who was riding a small bicycle atop a 30-foot-long travel trailer parked at the crowded grocery store parking lot. The man ripped parts off the roof and threw them onto the ground. Two Bremerton Police Officers responded and identified the man as Darren Michael Fugman, 40. “I yelled up at Mr. Fugman and asked what he was doing, in which he replied, ‘sun bathing,’” an officer wrote in the report. Police ordered him to get down from the trailer. “I can’t, I’m naked. Can you throw me my pants?” Fugman replied, pointing to his pants on the ground near the trailer. An officer tossed the pants to him and Fugman climbed down the trailer ladder where he was arrested.
Peter O’Cain / staff photo
Bremerton firefighters douse water on a charred RV Sept. 8.
SEE NAKED MAN, A13
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