PATRIOT BREMERTON
KITSAP WEEKLY INSIDE: Paris, not afraid. Life is getting back to normal.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015 | Vol. 18, No. 37 | WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
IN THIS EDITION
Public comments on public prayer at school
Conversation continues about post-game prayer BY MICHELLE BEAHM MBEAHM@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
NEWS 61st annual Silverdale tree lighting
A3
BREMERTON — Two weeks ago, Bremerton High School’s assistant football coach Joe Kennedy was placed on paid suspension for his prayers on the 50-yard line immediately following football games. The story began almost two months ago, however, when the issue of him praying with the team was brought to the school board’s attention, sparking a heated conversation about religious freedom and separation of church and state.
This issue has garnered national attention, inviting letters to the editor of the Bremerton Patriot from all over the country. A Texas-based organization provided their legal representation to Kennedy. The Satanic Temple of Seattle announced that an invitation from a student or teacher from the Bremerton School District would bring them across the Sound to perform a Satanic invocation on the football field, should Kennedy continue to be allowed to disobey district policy in flagrant disregard for the board’s directions for him to stop. Michelle Beahm / staff photo But on Oct. 28, the day before the Satanic Temple was set to visit the football game, The Bremerton School District board of directors heard public Kennedy was put on paid administration leave. comments from 12 people on the issue of assistant football coach Joe Kennedy being placed on paid suspension for praying on the football field immediately after games. SEE PRAYER, A2
Holiday extravaganza
COATS FOR KIDS
OPINION Safety should be focus of gun club
A4
NEWS Seabeck roundabout completed
A2
Holiday Gift Fair / Courtesy
Snowmen and other seasonal offerings are a large part of the Bremerton Holiday Gift and Food Fair. BY MICHELLE BEAHM MBEAHM@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
NEWS ’Tip-a-Cop’ raises $5,200 for Special Oly.
A10
BREMERTON — Twenty eight years ago, the first Bremerton Holiday Gift and Food Fair was held. It’s been an event every year since, and it keeps growing and growing. David Andersen, one of the event organizers, said that when it first started, it was mostly mom-and-pop type booths with arts and crafts. Now, professional artists come from all over the Pacific Northwest to sell the things they make for a living. “We’ve worked hard over the years to get a good show in the Olympic Peninsula, in Kitsap County,” Andersen said. Taking place Nov. 20-22 in
the Kitsap Sun Pavilion at the fairgrounds, the Holiday Gift and Food Fair will include more than 175 booths and be “the largest indoor holiday shopping extravaganza on the Peninsula,” according to the website. Andersen said there will be a “wide variety of artists” in this year’s show, including pottery, woodworking, basket weaving, metal art, lavender products, photography and a lot more. Not every booth has been featured in the show before, either. “It’s a juried show,” Andersen said, “so every year, we jury some people out and we invite SEE GIFT FAIR, A9
Michelle Beahm / staff photo
The Kitsap Firefighters Benevolent Fund donates coats to students in need at View Ridge Elementary School in Bremerton Nov. 18. The Benevolent Fund is comprised of members of The Professional Fire Fighters of Kitsap County and Bremerton, whose purpose is to assist firefighters, their families and members of the community in times of need. View Ridge Elementary was chosen due to their rate of reduced fare or free lunches. The coats are American made and the $3,672 cost is covered by money raised through the Benevolent Fund and Locals 437 and 2819 as well as $1,000 donations from both the Bremerton and Silverdale Rotaries.
The Bremerton Patriot: Top local stories, every Friday in print. Breaking news daily on BremertonPatriot.com and on Facebook