North of North Kitsap

KINGSTON — Hard work and perseverance landed 4-year-old Salici Purser a place in Kingston’s Fourth of July parade.

For the second year, North Kitsap Fire & Rescue raffled off a parade prize package this summer to benefit the town’s Fourth celebration. Prizes included seats on a fire engine at the head of the parade and lunch at the Cup & Muffin. Salici was determined to snap up the winning ticket.

North Kitsap Fire spokeswoman Michele Laboda said the young fire truck fan saved his allowance, did extra chores and asked relatives to contribute so he could buy more chances to win. His dedication was rewarded. Salici’s name was the first drawn by Master of Ceremonies Joey Graham, who picked the winning ticket from a firefighter’s boot at Tiny Town on Saturday.

Salici — sporting a mohawk hairdo — enjoyed his hard-earned fire engine ride with his family.

“He was full of smiles and hugs,” Laboda said.

North Kitsap Fire’s raffle raised more than $1,000 for the Fourth celebration. The second place prize — a fire department-themed birthday party — was awarded to Pam Berglund of Gamblewood.

Kingston will celebrate the start of the Stillwaters Fish Passage project this evening.

A groundbreaking party will be held at Arness Park on South Kingston Road from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

The project, which has been planned for more than a decade, will replace a 10-foot culvert at the mouth of the Carpenter Creek estuary with a 70-foot-long bridge. The bridge will allow a more natural flow of water between Appletree Cove and the estuary, improving habitat for a wide range of shoreline species.

The project will continue into the fall. Contractors will build a temporary bridge to maintain two lanes of travel on South Kingston Road.

Two landmark events for Kingston led June Community News. The relaunch of SoundRunner was the focus of the town at the end of May. The start of the Carpenter Creek bridge project is up next, with a groundbreaking party on June 23.

The issue featured 28 pages and 25 columns:

— Marylin Olds bemoans the loss of critical social services | As It Turns Out

— Students are worried about the loss of teachers and growing class sizes | The Buc Stops Here

—  This KHS actress calls herself an “adept mimicker” | FAB Spotlight

— Betsy Cooper gives us a peek below the surface of the Carpenter estuary | Water Ways

— The Carpenter Creek fish passage project will be worth the wait | Choices For The Future

— The S’Klallam Tribe recently introduced new housing | Noo Kayet

— The King returns… to summer concerts in Kingston | Down At The Port

— Golfers will tee off for Rotary this month | Rotary News

— NKF&R is supporting the Fourth celebration by raffling a seat in the parade | NKF&R

— Don’t miss the WSF meeting, and free cookies, on June 13 | Ferry Fare

— Kiwanis is fighting hunger with a food drive | Kingston Kiwanis

— Denise Roundy is head over heels in puppy love | Round About

— Little Arness Park has a lot to offer | Trail Mix

— Kingston’s Freedom Riders ride for Hospice | Johnny At Large

— This is busy season for the Hansville Community Center | Hansville Happenings

— This spring reminds Jacque Thornton of merry old England | This ‘N’ That

— Harriet Muhrlein introduces us to a century-old stove | A Glance At The Past

— What should you do when you find an orphaned animal? | Pet Chat

— Kids rule at the Farmers Market |Farmers Market

— Port Gamble welcomes another new business | Port Gamble Gazette

— A lot is happening fast for the Kingston Village Green project | Village Green Update

— It may be time to review your power of attorney documents | Aging Matters

— Thomas Lamar asks, “Would you do the right thing?” | Spinal Column

— Stacey Goodrich looks back on her first year as Kingston Girl | Kingston Girl

— KCAC got an update on SoundRunner plans | KCAC Notes

— Jan Zufelt continues her primer on reverse mortgages | Let’s Get Real Estate

Submit letters, calendar items and other contributions to editor@kingstoncommunitynews.com.

A $1.03 million grant for site work at the Kingston Village Green campus emerged from legislative budget wrangling sessions unscathed. The grant was included in the capital budget delivered to the governor Wednesday.

“We’re waiting until the governor signs it before we really celebrate,” Village Green Foundation Executive Director Nick Jewett said. “But we’re really pleased. It’s been a nail-biter the whole way.”

The foundation will use the money to prepare for construction of a new Community Center on the West Kingston Road property. The building will include a meeting and activity space, a senior center, a Boys & Girls Club, and likely a new Kingston Library branch. The foundation is seeking more grants to build the center, but Jewett said the state allocation should make fundraising easier.

“It will send a message to the other foundations and granting agencies that we’re serious,” he said.

The Legislature included the Village Green grant in a $12.3 million Building Communities Fund package.

Wary commuters can now keep tabs on State Route 3 traffic with a host of new webcams. The state Department of Transportation added nine new cameras between Shine and Poulsbo in an effort to reduce congestion.

The cameras were posted at:

• SR 3 south of Equestrian Drive, milepost  54.07
• SR 3 at 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 (coming online soon)

The cameras were installed by Signal Electric, Inc. of Kent in the summer of 2010 for a cost of $456,452.

County staff will give Washington Boulevard residents an update on the status of the roadway Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. at the North Kitsap Fire & Rescue station, 26642 Miller Bay Road NE.

Washington Boulevard sagged and cracked following heavy rains in March. The road, which runs along the waterfront north of the Kingston ferry terminal, is situated on a hillside with a history of instability.

The hill shifted in March, damaging the road and a house perched on the hillside below. The county declared the house uninhabitable, forcing residents Steve and Joellen Lickar to move out. The Lickars cannot return until repairs are made.

The hillside hasn’t shifted since the March rainstorm, said Tina Nelson, with Kitsap Public Works. The county is still looking at options for stabilizing the roadway, she said.

Hansville residents should be ready for a surreal sight on Tuesday afternoon. A massive, sea-based radar system operated by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency is chugging east through the Strait of Juan de Fuca this afternoon, en route to a Seattle shipyard.

The ship was making about 7 knots off Dungeness Bay near Sequim at about 1:30 p.m., according to MaritimeTraffic.com. The bulbous vessel will enter Admiralty Inlet and pass Hansville later in the afternoon.

Boeing was awarded a $27 million contract for upgrade and maintenance work on the station, according to the Peninsula Daily News. The Daily News has a photo of the behemoth in transit and some interesting details on the system.

Photo from MarineTraffic.com

The Community News made a splash this month with 28 pages and 25 columns. The front page was anchored with a spectacular humpback whale photo, thanks to Patty Michak of Hansville. We also took a look at new plans for the Kingston Library and gave an update on SoundRunner (which is already due for an update). Fourth of July planning is also underway and the organizers could use your help.

Apparently invigorated by spring weather, our columnists also penned a diverse and lively selection of stories for May:

– NKF&R is rewarding kids for safe behavior | NKF&R

– Marylin Olds thinks big corporations should pay their dues | As It Turns Out

– Do cell phones have a place at school? Many students say “yes” | The Buc Stops Here

— The State Ferry system is in turmoil, and that’s nothing new | Ferry Fare

– A federal program could help the S’Klallam Tribe reclaim contaminated land | Noo Kayet

– Kites Over Kingston was just a warm up for the port’s busy season | Down At the Port

– There’s plenty to do at North End libraries in may | Check It Out

– Its spring, that means the Sunshine Ladies are back in action | This ‘N’ That

– Lynn Agnew checks out the handy new kiosk and signs at NK Heritage Park | Trail Mix

– This is the real story behind the “Carpenter” in Carpenter Lake | A Glance At The Past

– Donating blood is good, cookies are better |  On Kingston Time

– Donna Lee Anderson sends a dispatch from her war with crows | Hansville Happenings

– Kingston High School junior Forrest Taylor has a bold style | FAB Spotlight

– A stone fireplace in Kingston is abandoned but far from forgotten | Johnny At Large

– ShareNet’s ShareWear program provides clothes for success | ShareNet And You

– EcoFest builds community | Choices For The Future

— Now’s the time to register for the Verizon Golf Classic | Rotary News

– And tickets for the Kiwanis Mustang raffle are selling fast | Kingston Kiwanis

– The Kingston Farmers Market begins its 2011 season on Saturday | Farmers Market

– Bobbie Moore shares tips for disposing of unwanted medication | Aging Matters

– Backyard chickens lay tasty, nutritious eggs (and they can taste pretty good themselves) | Pet Chat

– What do parachuting cats have to do with health care? Tom Lamar explains | Spinal Column

– New County Commissioner Rob Gelder stopped by the Kingston Citizen Council | KCAC Notes

– A new sign company has hangs its shingle in Port Gamble | Port Gamble Gazette

– Jan Zufelt examines reverse mortgages | Let’s Get Real Estate

As always, your suggestions and contributions are welcome. Email me at editor@kingstoncommunitynews.com or drop a comment below.

KINGSTON — The Port of Kingston’s passenger ferry to Seattle will launch on or before June 1, the port announced this week. Port commissioners initially set a May 15 launch date when they voted to restart SoundRunner service this spring. Port Commission Chair Pete DeBoer said the port needs more time to hire a ferry manager and work out other kinks.

“We need a little bit of latitude because when we start, we need to do it right,” he said.

DeBoer said it’s difficult to find a candidate who knows the intricacies of running a maritime business and the commuter “culture.”

“If you’re not familiar with that, it’s going to take you too long to get up to speed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the port has finalized a new schedule and fares. SoundRunner will make two daily roundtrips from Kingston to Pier 50 in Seattle. The morning trip will depart Kingston at 6:40 a.m. and arrive in Seattle at 7:30 a.m., then depart Seattle at 7:40 a.m. to return to Kingston by 8:30 a.m. The afternoon trip will leave Kingston at 4:20 p.m. and arrive in Seattle at 5:10 p.m. It will leave Seattle at 5:20 p.m. and arrive back in Kingston at 6:10 p.m. Weekend and special events trips may be added, depending on demand.

Fares will be $7 each way. A 40-trip commuter card will be available, which will reduce the fare to $6.50.

Both the Spirit of Kingston and Kingston Express ferries are in good working condition, according to the port. SoundRunner first launched in October but was cancelled a month later because of breakdowns and logistical issues. A 10-member volunteer advisory committee has helped the port reevaluate the service this spring. The port is still hiring for several crew positions and a marketing firm. The public is invited to comment on the service by filling out a questionnaire at the port office or online at www.portofkingston.org.

A $1.03 million state grant for the Village Green Foundation is inching closer to approval. The state House included the money in its capital budget proposal last week. Yesterday the Senate followed suit. The final budget proposal must still be approved by both chambers and the governor.

The grant is part of a package for Building Community Fund programs. The foundation would use the money to complete site work at the West Kingston Road property in preparation for construction of a new community center. Designs for the community center are being honed this month and will be presented at a April 27 meeting.

The Village Green Foundation is raising money to build the community center. The Village Green Metropolitan Park District, approved by voters in 2010, will pay for upkeep and programs for the center.

The Senate’s proposal also included a $460,000 Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account grant to expand Poulsbo’s Fish Park.