HERALD NORTH K ITSAP
Friday, December 11, 2015 | Vol. 114, No. 50 | NorthKitsapHerald.com | 50¢ Poulsbo Lions / Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund
KITSAPWEEKLY DEC. 11-17, 2015 | ARTS, CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & KITSAP CLASSIFIEDS | 65,000 CIRCULATION
Tropical Kitsap
Why some birds spend the winter in our region
KITSAP BIRDING By GENE BULLOCK
K
itsap seems tropical enough to birds that breed in the Arctic. Our waterways almost never freeze, and our 234 miles of saltwater shoreline offer lots of sheltered coves and inlets where they can
find plenty of food. For some folks, winter is a time to hunker indoors. But for avid bird watchers, it can be the best season of the year. Rafts of waterfowl and marine birds winter along our coasts and waterways. Loons, grebes, scoters, wigeons, goldeneyes, scaup, buffleheads and mergansers are among the many species
that find our temperate winter climate to their liking. Unlike human “snowbirds,” they see no need to travel another thousand miles or more to find sunnier shores. They flee the Arctic and boreal forests of the north before the November freeze, and linger like “winter Texans” until the tundra thaws in May. Wintering flocks can be found almost anywhere along our
coastal waters. The best viewing usually depends more on public access and convenient parking. Point No Point County Park in Hansville is one of Kitsap’s premier bird-watching locations because of the tidal currents in Admiralty Inlet. Tidal eddies form rip tides that churn the water, bringing up nutrients that attract sand lance and herring. The swarming “bait balls”
Anna’s Hummingbirds will continue coming to nectar feeders all winter long if feeders are kept thawed. Janine Schutt / Kitsap Audubon of forage fish lure larger fish and hundreds of feeding birds. Spectacular “feeding frenzies” are a spectacle that bring bird watchers from near and far. But Kitsap has lots of great See BIRDING, Page 3
These species “flee the Arctic and boreal forests of the north before the November freeze, and linger like ‘winter Texans’ until the tundra thaws in May.”
Neighbors Helping Neighbors: A Four-Part Series
INSIDE ■ Kitsap’s a hot place for birds in winter ■ Pam Tillis at Clearwater
Court upholds eviction Kingston Adventures may reopen at new location elsewhere By RICHARD WALKER
rwalker@northkitsapherald.com
Fund total lagging behind 2014 Poulsbo Lions Raab Foundation Bellringer POULSBO — Donations are coming in for the Poulsbo Lions Raab Foundation Bellringer Fund, which assists local residents in need throughout the year. As of morning Dec. 11, the total was $7,400 — a big jump from the previous week, but lower than the to-date total of $9,281 the same time last year. The goal is $30,000 and fund manager John MacDonald, CPA, said he hopes the goal can be exceeded so the fund can meet more needs in the community. The funds are administered by Fishline, St. Vincent de Paul and ShareNet to provide food, emergency shelter and emergency financial assistance to North Kitsap residents in need. There is no overhead. Every penny helps neighbors put food on tables, keep the lights and heat on, keep a roof over their heads, and get to See FUND, Page A6
When she moved to Washington as a teen, she had trouble fitting in and tended to address problems with aggression, which she said wasn’t nearly as acceptable in Washington. “I wasn’t adjusting properly,” Hern said. In Coffee Oasis, she found an environment with the patience to allow her to change. She described herself as quiet and angry at first, so coming out of her shell wasn’t easy.
KINGSTON -- The state Court of Appeals Division I upheld the Port of Kingston’s eviction of Kingston Adventures from the marina, Dec. 7. Beth Brewster, who with her husband Rob owns Kingston Adventures, had alleged that the port evicted her A TOP business in FINISHER retaliation ■ Beth for her critiBrewster cizing the finishes 26th port in puboverall in lic. She also Ultraman alleged port — Page A15 officials discriminated against her because she is a woman. But the court ruled that retaliatory eviction may be asserted as a defense “only if the tenant is not otherwise in breach of the lease agreement. Here, the defendants were in breach of the berth leases. They did not have the Port’s written permission for putting the berths to commercial use. The business use agreement they
See COFFEE OASIS, Page A8
See UPHELD, Page A6
Annalees Hern designs a Christmas stocking Dec. 4 at The Coffee Oasis during Late Night, a weekly social event hosted by the youth outreach program. The Coffee Oasis has locations in Bremerton, Port Orchard and Poulsbo. Pete O’Cain / Herald
Coffee Oasis ‘actually saved my life’ Helping young people break cycles of poverty, gain self-sufficiency Editor’s note: This is the second of four stories in our Neighbors Helping Neighbors series. The series calls attention to little-known causes that change lives in our community — and how you can help.
By PETE O’CAIN
pocain@northkitsapherald.com
P
OULSBO — Annalees Hern doesn’t know where she’d be if she hadn’t found The Coffee Oasis in Poulsbo about four years ago. She was homeless and facing time in jail. “This place actually saved my life,” Hern said. “... I would not be here without this place.” Hern, 20, needed help in several areas. She had anger issues stemming from a rough upbringing in California.
‘Shop with a Cop’ brings an early Christmas to 110 children By PETE O’CAIN
pocain@northkitsapherald.com
POULSBO — About 110 cops lined the front of Walmart Dec. 5 awaiting a motorcade.
They weren’t greeting politicians or dignitaries or celebrities. They were waiting for two busloads of kids to arrive so they See SHOP, Page A7
Jasmyn, 3, chooses between bracelets held by Poulsbo Police Officer Shawn Ziemann, Dec. 5 at Walmart. Pete O’Cain / Herald
See more photos on page A3
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