Sewer help
Kitsap Public Utility District will provide financial, management and administrative support for Kitsap County (Fort Ward) Sewer District 7 under a new agreement.
What began as a joint effort to explore reclamation and reuse of treated wastewater for fire suppression, irrigation and aquifer recharge is now a more formal relationship.
KPUD Commissioner Debra Lester said, “We realized that we share the same commitment to providing cost-effective services to our customers and being visionary environmental stewards. It just made sense to partner in other ways.”
Fort Ward Sewer District board president Sarah Lee said, “They are very nimble, responsive and transparent – and they are committed to doing what’s best for our community and our environment.”
KPUD is already the water utility provider for south Bainbridge neighborhoods, and this partnership will ensure cost-effective wastewater treatment that serves local households and protects the waters of Rich Passage and Puget Sound.
When the Fort Ward Sewer District’s contract manager retired in April, the district approached KPUD about contracting them for these services.
KPUD operates a state-of-the-art treatment facility in Port Gamble that produces effluent that nearly meets drinking water quality standards and is then used for onsite irrigation. “Having the opportunity to learn from KPUD’s experience building and operating its own water reclamation and reuse facility has been invaluable,” Lee said.
Night out
National Night Out will take place on Bainbridge Island Aug. 6 from 4-7 p.m.
The family friendly annual event fosters neighborhood camaraderie with police and other first-responders. Touch-a-Truck, a giant slide, face painting, robot demonstrations, community booths and more will be featured.
Dad drowns
A dad drowned and his son suffered a near-drowning at the Wildcat Lake boat launch July 11, a Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue news release says.
CKFR transported the man to St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, but he died. The man’s 10-year-old son was also transported.
Units were dispatched to Wildcat Lake at approximately 6:40 p.m., the department’s Facebook post says. The dad and son had last been seen in front of the boat launch, possibly under lily pads.
The department received conflicting reports of the location—Wildcat Lake Park vs. the boat launch. Engine 56 arrived first and reported CPR in progress on the dad.
In CK, there are 12 loaner life jackets of various sizes at Island Lake, Wildcat Lake, Scenic Beach and at the Silverdale Waterfront boat launch, CKF&R says.
House fire
Five people were displaced following a mobile home fire July 11 in the 2900 block of Northlake Way of Central Kitsap.
Initial information was that the exterior of the mobile home was on fire, per Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue. Upon arrival, crews observed the fire extending into the attic and interior. The occupants were evacuated.
The fire was contained to the structure, and there are pets unaccounted for, per CKF&R. Mutual aid was provided by Bremerton Fire, South Kitsap Fire and Navy Region Northwest.
Motorcycle crash
An adult man was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle July 11 after a motorcycle collided with a tree at a high rate of speed in the Lake Symington area of Central Kitsap.
The man suffered multiple traumas, per CK Fire & Rescue.
Rowing regatta
Kitsap Rowing Association in Poulsbo is putting on The Kitsap Invitational Summer Scrimmage July 29, along with Bainbridge Island Rowing and Clam Island Rowing of Silverdale.
The purpose of the event is to showcase the waters of Liberty Bay, one of the top venues on the Olympic Peninsula for rowing and sculling, said Mac Noyes, event coordinator.
Scullers and sweep rowers from clubs in Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend and Vashon Island, along with the three hosts, will row together in mixed eight-person shells. There will be two races at the regatta—one at 8:30 a.m. for the scullers and one after that for mixed eights.
The event can easily be watched at Waterfront Park in Poulsbo.
Manager of year
Kitsap County Public Works pavement manager Paul Nettleton was named the 2024 Program Manager of the Year by the state County Road Administration Board.
Nettleton was presented with the award at the county commissioners meeting July 8.
Since 2013, CRAB has presented the award to recognize outstanding performance, public service and contributions toward the programs and projects that make a difference in communities across the state.
Nettleton has worked for the county since 2017. The pavement program uses computer analysis, hands-on experience and other information to identify pavement lifecycles and rehabilitation plans. In a time of declining road funding and increasing expenses, the efficient, cost-effective and timely management of pavement assets is critical.
Kitsap County has 1,842 lane miles of paved road that require, in Nettleton’s words, “the right treatment for the right road at the right time.” He has struck a balance between countywide needs, delivering safe and efficient roadway surfaces, and stewardship for a diverse group of stakeholders including tribes, national defense, transit authority and residents.
Poems sought
The Bainbridge Island Poet Laureate Program invites Bainbridge and North Kitsap poets to contribute poems in response to seven standout pieces of public art.
The art pieces are located in the Bainbridge Public Library, BI City Hall, and downtown Winslow. The poems will be paired with the art via QR codes and signage that takes viewers to the BI Poet Laureate website where the poems can be read. Poets can also work from photos of the artwork shown at www.bainbridgeislandpoetlaureate.org
Poets can submit up to three poems, no longer than 20 lines each, for each artwork for free by Aug.15. Poems must be in Word format and emailed to michelebombardier@gmail.com
The project is made possible through Bainbridge Community Foundation grant.
