North of North Kitsap

A Kingston tailback nails the Heisman trophy pose while evading a defender in practice Tuesday. (Tad Sooter photo)

Kingston High School is alive with activity once more. Football, cross country and cheerleading teams were all practicing this afternoon.

Summer may be ending, but at least there are fall sports to be excited about.

Meet the Bucs night will be held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31. Kingston plays Chimacum at home on Sept. 3.

I shot football practice this afternoon for a season preview that will appear in Friday’s North Kitsap Herald and thought I’d share a few pictures for those of you craving a high school football fix …

Scorching the D

New coach?

Stiff arm pays off

It may have just been a scrimmage but there were some solid hits this afternoon.

Big things always seem to happen after the newspaper has been sent to press.

So it was Thursday evening. Just as my feature about a Suquamish art installation honoring Princess Angeline was on its way to the printers, artist George David rolled into town with the completed carvings. David finished the cedar panels in Neah Bay this week — at 1 a.m. on Thursday, to be exact. The carvings will be “unveiled” at 10 a.m. Saturday, during chief Seattle Days, but David did a temporary installation Thursday.

The Suquamish Garden Club spent three years raising $14,000 for the work of art at Angeline Park. Tribal elder Peg Deam convinced David to take on the project. David, a Naa-Chah-Nuth native, carved the canoes that, until recently, surrounded Chief Seattle’s gravesite. It was David’s idea to honor Seattle’s daughter Angeline through a three-panel storyboard.

“They originally wanted to do a totem here,” David said. “I said, ‘why don’t you let me design something.’”

The carved panels are a more traditional art form for Puget Sound tribes than the totems that dominate northern native art, David said. He cut the seven-foot-tall slabs from 700-year-old fallen old growth cedar.

As David and a group of volunteers lifted the panels into place Thursday, drivers on Angeline avenue slowed to stare and neighbors gathered to welcome Angeline back home.

“Did you ever imagine, when we started this all those years ago, that it would look anywhere near this amazing?” said Dave Soukup, whose wife Beth coordinated the project for the Garden Club.

It was easy to forgive George David for missing our print deadline. His carvings were impressive. The neighborhood’s pride was palpable.

See more photos from the installation here.

The state Department of Transportation is adding nine new traffic cameras to State Route 3 and State Route 104 this summer. The cameras will help motorists check traffic conditions near the Hood Canal Bridge.

Signal Electric, Inc. of Kent began work on the $456,452 project yesterday. The cameras will be up and running in October, according to a DOT news release. Radio transmitters and signs will also be added at the SR-3 and SR-305 intersection and on SR-3at Pioneer Hill Road.

The project could create its own traffic jams this week. According to the release, traffic will be alternated around the project sites from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday. Crews are building pullouts along the highway to be used by crews.

Here’s the list of camera locations:

SR 3 south of Equestrian Drive, milepost 54.07
SR 3at Pioneer Hill Road NW, milepost 54.75
SR 3 at Pioneer Way NW, milepost 56.04
SR 3 at Big Valley Road, milepost 57.08
SR 3, south of Sunset Way NE, milepost 57.84
SR 3, north of Sunset Way NE, milepost 58.65
SR 3 at South Bridge Way NE, milepost 59.84
SR 104, north of Old Stark Road, milepost 13.13
SR 104 at Wheeler Street, milepost 15

You can sign up for e-mail or text message bridge traffic alerts by visiting www.wsdot.wa.gov and selecting “E-mail Update.”

Jack Christofferson attaches a price tag to a wooden hand plane Tuesday at Buck Lake Park. (Tad Sooter photo)

Two days of chaos take months of preparation.

Gates open for the Greater Hansville Area Rummage Sale on Saturday morning, but the Community Center has been taking donations for the event since January. Volunteers began hauling goods for the sale from the Point No Point boathouse to Buck Lake Park last Thursday. This week they were pricing and sorting items into categories and arranging them on tables, in tents and across walls.

About 50 volunteers have pitched in each day. Their hard work is rewarded with a free lunch and good company.

“We get the chance to see a lot of people socially that we don’t get to often,” said Suzanne Paulson, who was setting the antiques and collectibles section of the sale in order Tuesday.

Donations are up slightly this year, especially in the furniture department. The sale is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Community Center and has raised up to $30,000 in the past.

The Rummage Sale runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Items are half priced on Sunday and free beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday.

(Brad Camp photo)

Construction at the Port of Kingston marina began in earnest this week, as a contractor replaced old steel gangways on four docks with shiny new aluminum gangways.

This is just the beginning of a four-month renovation project at the port, the first major overhaul since the docks were installed in 1985. Woodwork, water pipes and power lines are all being replaced this fall. The project includes all the docks except the guest dock (closest to the ferry terminal) which was rebuilt last summer. Here’s the breakdown on the work:

Wood

Contractor: Northern Con-Agg

Contract amount: $176,000

Work: Replacing 28,089 linear feet of 3-inch by 8-inch beams, which frame the floats. Replacing 14,350 linear feet of wooden rub strips.

The port will replace the 261 triangular wood pieces at the corners of the slips itself.

Wiring

Contractor: Bird Electric

Contract amount: $234,000

Work: Replacing 1,000 feet of cable and installing 134 new electrical pedestals manufactured by Sea Technology.

Water

Contractor: Northern Con-Agg

Contract: $47,583

Work: Replacing water lines in the docks.

Other projects

Old steel ramps at the port were removed and surplussed. Two went to the North Kitsap Trails Association for its String of Pearls project, which bought the ramps at the cost of removal. They’ll be used to span ravines in the trail system. Four new aluminum ramps – costing a total of $60,000 – were lowered into place on A,B, C and D docks. New skids were placed under the dock alongside the boat launch Wednesday.

The port plans to drop four new recreational mooring buoys off North Beach (Ferry Beach) on Friday. These will be the first port-maintained mooring buoys.

In September, the port will replace 56 of its treated wood pilings with concrete pilings, which are considered less environmentally damaging. Both the buoys and piling projects are part of environmental mitigation required for the port’s passenger ferry facilities.

Notification of the work was sent to tentants with their monthly statements. Signs have also been posted at the port. Construction updates will be posted on the port’s website.

Morning madness

My days don’t usually start at 5:30 a.m.

I’m more of your 9 to 7 type, so adjusting to Susan Golden’s routine will take time and more than a few cups of coffee. Golden, a Port Gamble Road resident, invited me to tag along on her commute Wednesday to get a taste of the transit lifestyle. She is a member of a commuter group that is helping the Port of Kingston sort through the details of its forthcoming SoundRunner passenger ferry service to Seattle. Golden will be on board when the ferry begins running in October.

Golden’s daily commute from Poulsbo to Fremont spans about 30 miles, and requires a car, two buses and a ferry ride.

She said bye to her dog Chai at about 6:15 a.m. and drove backroads to a park-and-ride at the Suquamish Community Congregational church. From there, the 6:30 No. 91 Kitsap Transit bus carried her and a load of commuters to the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal. She had time to grab a latte before boarding the 7:10 Washington State ferry.

The ferry was packed with walk-ons. Some chatted, some stared into space, some plugged in iPods and went back to sleep.

“Anything later we call the ’slacker’ boat,” Golden said after settling into her usual booth near the bow. “Of course the people on the 6:20 say that about us.”

The commuters unloaded in Seattle in a tight herd. Golden power walked down the walkway to 1st Avenue and chugged uphill to 3rd where she catches an 8 a.m. King County Metro bus to Fremont, where she works for a software company.

She’ll repeat the trip in reverse this afternoon, catching a 5:30 p.m. ferry to Bainbridge. In all, she spends four hours a day commuting – when the ferries aren’t late. The travel costs her about $200 a month.

With details on SoundRunner schedules and fares emerging, North Kitsap commuters are crunching the numbers to decide whether they can afford to change their routine. Others are waiting to see  if SoundRunner’s schedule will connect to the right transit buses and get them to work on time. Details about parking and shuttles are also still unknown.

The port is projecting roundtrip fares at $15, though $275 monthly passes will give frequent riders a small discount. It’s much steeper than a $6.90 rountrip on a state ferry ($89 for a monthly pass).

But the passenger ferry will save some commuters travel time and the hassle of Bainbridge ferries and traffic.

We shared a booth on the 7:10 ferry with Dan O’Donnell, who commutes from Port Townsend to another software company in Fremont. SoundRunner won’t make his commute shorter but it will cut an hour of driving time out of his day (he’ll take State Route 104 to Kingston instead of SR-305 to Bainbridge). And O’Donnell would rather spend his time in a boat on Puget Sound than behind the wheel in ferry traffic.

“It will let me do other things,” he said.

O’Donnell’s booth mate Larry Fay of Suquamish is still studying SoundRunner’s numbers. He works for King County Public Health and commutes to Renton. The county picks up his tab for transit, but not ferries, and Fay’s not sure whether it would help cover SoundRunner fares.

“It would be nice to not deal with the crowds,” Fay said of SoundRunner. “But I don’t know whether the cost would work for me.”

Golden says there’s more than money involved in her decision to get onboard with SoundRunner. She rode the short-lived Aqua Express ferry from Kingston to Seattle and remembers the panoramic views between Kingston and Seattle.

“The thing I can’t stress is the beauty of the ride,” she said.

Stay tuned for an evening update. Share your own commuter thoughts in the comments below or email me at editor@kingstoncommunitynews.com

Here’s a look at what’s inside the 28-page August edition of the Kingston Community News:

• Front page stories update the Village Green park district and the Port of Kingston passenger ferry efforts.
• Walt Elliott takes a look inside British Columbia’s semi-private ferries (Washington may use them as a model some day).
• Hansville writers have the scoop on the upcoming rummage sale.
• The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe remembers much-loved Ivan “Uncle Ivar” George.
• Front Street Gallery is bringing the Slug Hunt back to Kingston.
• Jacque Thornton introduces readers to the new pastor at United Methodist Church.
• Port Gamble readies for a host of August events, including the Maritime Music Festival.
• And a whole lot more.

The journey is over – at least for this year. In 2011 a new journey begins as canoes travel through the inviting channels of the Salish Sea to the Swinomish reservation, near La Conner. It will be a much different trip than our rugged passage to the mouth of the  Strait of Juan de Fuca.

I’m back at my desk now, and my paddle blisters have all healed, but this blog will live on in electronic limbo as an imperfect chronicle of the Paddle to Makah.

During three frenetic weeks of Tribal Jouneys coverage I produced about 6,000 words of copy —spread over three newspaper features and the daily blog – and snapped about 1,250 photos (with a few hundred keepers). All this content was scattered across several web pages. This is my attempt to put it in order:

TABLE CONTENTS

Tribal Journeys photos on Flickr

North Kitsap Herald articles:

A family that pulls together (07/09/10)

Family traditions in the making (07/16/10)

A canoe journey by land (07/23/10)

Blog posts:

Welcome to the journey

Smile, you’re on TV… in Germany

Dress rehearsal

Canoe culture

Canoe sightings

More canoe sightings

Gear

Port Gamble landing

The route

Day one – Port Gamble to Port Townsend

Day two – A wild morning on the water

Day two – A calmer evening

Day three – Jamestown to Elwha

Day four – Elwha camp

Day five – Elwha to Sekiu

Landing at Makah

Tad Sooter photos

Eighty six Tribal Journeys canoes landed in Neah Bay on Monday afternoon, greeted by singers, dancers and a crowd of visitors.

After days of uncertain weather, the strait was peaceful in the morning and Port Gamble S’Klallam canoes launched at Sekiu, near Clallam Bay, for the final leg of the journey. Paddlers pulled easily through rolling swells along a coastline punctuated by pillars of rock.

Canoes gathered at a beach on the east side of Neah Bay at noon to prepare for the ceremonial landing. Port Gamble S’klallam Canoe Family members donned matching red shirts for the landing and skipper Laura Price loaded Noo Kayet with 19 people (the canoe usually holds 11).

We departed again at about 3 p.m. and joined a single file parade across the harbor. Each canoe made a sweeping pass of the beach to salute the crowd, dancers and Makah leaders with raised paddles.

All 86 canoes rafted together about 100 yards offshore to await the landing protocol. The scene in the midst of the flotilla was raucus and colorful. Friends greeted friends in neighboring canoes and stood to take pictures. Pullers tried to execute “the wave” with their paddles as though they were spectators in a stadium.

A solemn hush fell over the harbor as the deep voice of a Makah singer voice out over a loudspeaker. As the song faded, rockets shot into the air, each leaving a puff of white smoke and an echoing report.

The canoes advanced to the beach in groups based on region to ask permission to land. The northern tribes, including Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia were the first to land. We were in the midst of the group of Puget Sound tribes, which made up the bulk of the canoes. Tribes from the Washington coast landed last.

Volunteers waded out into chest deep water to greet our canoe as we pulled close. They didn’t seem to shiver and politely asked each skipper for permission before laying hands on a canoe. “It’s as warm as an ice cube,” one volunteer called cheerfully to our canoe.

We rafted together again just offshore. Makah dignitaries stood above us on a cedar platform, framed against the green hillsides. A speaker from each canoe introduced their family and asked to land. When the final speaker had finished, permission to land was given, and we gratefully slid Noo Kayet ashore after four hours on the breezy harbor. Behind us the coastal canoes pulled forward together with pullers chanting in unison.

For some Tribal Journeys veterans, landing protocol is a formality to be endured – one last step between them and a feast of baked salmon after a long day of pulling. For me, a Journeys first timer, seeing the landing unfold from the water was breathtaking.

There are scenes from that Monday I will not forget. Hearing the Port Gamble S’Klallam Canoe Family announced as we paraded past the beach with paddles raised and knowing how hard the people around me had worked to get there. Being in the midst of 86 jostling canoes carrying more than 1,000 people, who. Hearing those same people fall silent as a Makah song rolled out across the harbor and the pounding of paddle handles against wooden hulls after the canoes were welcomed. These are images I will carry with me.

The canoes are beached, but for some this is only the midway point of the journey. Protocol ceremonies will continue in Neah Bay until Saturday. Each tribe will have a chance to share their songs and dances, and express their gratitude to the Makah for hosting. Port Gamble is scheduled to present on Thursday, but it’s common for the schedule to shift during the week.

I’m home now, resting after a hot shower and a long nap, with the journey still swimming in my mind. Patrick Ives, a Tana Stobs family member, told me he has taken a lesson from every canoe journey, but it takes a few days away to discover what you have learned.

I’m content to let the journey sink in and know that I learned far more than I set out to.

We awoke at 3 a.m. to find the wind blowing even harder than it had the evening before. After a brief meeting the Port Gamble S’Klallam skippers decided not to risk the strait.

About 12 canoes did leave Port Angeles that morning but many were forced back to the beach by the wind and tides. A few pressed ahead to Pillar Point.

A crew of S’Klallam youth paddled the Noo Kayet to a marina to be trailered and canoe was driven west to Sekiu, a town near Clallam Bay. Meanwhile the canoe family camp was moved to Hobuck Beach on Neah Bay, where it will remain for the next week.