and housing prices continued to skyrocket - it was time for me to leave Seattle so when searching for affordable and fun places to live our search took us to the Kitsap Peninsula trading our West Seattle 98116 for the Port Orchard 98366 it has been a blast discovering my new “city." One of my favorite places to explore in Port Orchard is the few blocks of stores this beautiful waterfront doesn't miss Here are my 10 must-see's while cruising along Bay Street I know we are not supposed to have favorites but this is right at the tip top of my list Walking from our house to Josephine's has become a Sunday staple We'll stop in for a coffee and a puppocino and then head out for a walk along the Port Orchard waterfront the store features several artists who curate their vintage clothing They recently opened up Mercantile Coffee which has amazing java and breakfast bagels Owned by the same owners of Josephine's Revival PNW is like Josephine's modern sister It's the type of store where you will find the most perfect gift items for your loved ones Revival also has furniture and gifts but has an emphasis on local goods my boyfriend and I cleaned house at Revival for Christmas gifts - we literally found local and fun items for every person in our family in one afternoon C-Side Records is a super cute and independently-owned record store nestled right in the heart of Bay Street C-Side Records has all of your music needs covered My boyfriend and I kind of serendipitously came across this place one evening and we love their food After Door Dashing from their Bremerton location we were so excited to hear that they had a spot in downtown PO The restaurant itself is cozy and fun and feels festive right along the water The thing I absolutely love about this place is their focus on community They are woman and veteran-owned and are super welcoming for all bookworms Whether you're looking for your next favorite series or a book club to join you'll find your path at this bookstore (pun *always* intended) but they also have really dang good coffee and food Coffee Oasis is a non-profit helping youth off the streets this coffee shop gives back to the community with locations in Bremerton I spent a few mornings working from the shop indulging in their soy milk latte and a veggie breakfast bowl definitely order a breakfast bowl or burrito the Saturday Farmer's Market takes over the neighboring parking lot the one thing kind of missing along Bay Street is a super divey bar I think the Brickhouse will get you the closest to that feeling while also having really great food and enjoy the small town bustle of Bay Street This was probably the best thing I have ever found close to home because A.) donuts are my favorite and B.) I am gluten-free Dude's Donuts has a cutesy Bakery & Coffee House located at the end of Bay Street stop in for a sweet treat and Pegasus Coffee or pre-order a gluten-free batch to take home with you With rotating flavors and all plant-based ingredients Dude's Donuts will rock your friggen socks right off why don't you go and get more sweets? This Bay Street bakery is prolific - you can find anything your heart desires From their unbelievable homemade quiches to their gluten-free cherry brownies Put Port Orchard on your must-visit list for 2025 Gena Wynkoop is a freelance writer for Seattle Refined. Follow more of her adventures here PORT ORCHARD — A $5 an hour parking charge is coming to the 32 spots owned by the Port of Bremerton at the city's waterfront in June expanding from the charges daily commuters now pay to include weekend visitors including those who attend the nearby Saturday farmers market the Port of Bremerton commissioners approved a revision that sets its "Event Parking Rate" at $5 to $10 The new event-based parking rate will be implemented on June 1 The impacted port parking spaces include 32 spots at the waterfront that are currently charged $1 an hour from 8 a.m designed for commuters who take the foot ferry The first event identified by the port to utilize the event parking rate will be the Port Orchard Farmers Market, will runs every Saturday from April 12 to the end of October at the waterfront parking lot at Harrison and Bay Street. The nearby port parking spots will now require a payment of $5 per hour during the farmers market's opening hours from 9 a.m Weaver said that this change allows the port marina parking to utilize these spaces and also identifies a premium option for anyone who wants to park directly adjacent to the farmers market There were hundreds of spaces throughout an adjacent parking lot and throughout downtown less than a block away So these are only the key spots that seem to be overrun every single day for every single farmers market," Weaver said However, there are some new restrictions on the surrounding, city-owned parking. The Port Orchard City Council on April 8 revised the Port Orchard Municipal Code to authorize Saturday parking enforcement in certain areas of the city including the parking spaces at the Port Orchard waterfront The rules restrict parking along Bay Street Prospect Avenue and Sidney Avenue and the waterfront parking lots and new signs indicating the parking limits were to be installed this month Weaver said that another special event that the port has identified that may apply for the event parking rate is the FIFA soccer games in Seattle next year. Bremerton and Kitsap County will be one of nine locations in Washington designed to serve as "fan sites" of the games More: Kitsap's 7 farmers markets are coming: See 2025 opening dates, locations, hours "The direction from that is that we will have thousands of people in the adjacent communities in every hotel room," Weaver said it is expected that a lot of people will be in downtown Port Orchard during the soccer events It's possible that during the FIFA events the parking rate could be up to $10 an hour but the rate is not yet decided by the port "I don't assume anything will really be more than $5 but there's an option if there's an exceedingly overwhelming event that may have some premium parking options," Weaver said In Kitsap, the City of Poulsbo is planning to implement paid parking in its downtown, with proposed rates of $2 per hour from 10 a.m on Front Street from Hostmark Street to the King Olaf parking lot and on Jensen Street from Front Street to Iverson Street by Colleen West — An Amber Alert issued out of Kitsap County for a 17-month-old boy has been canceled The Washington State Patrol said that on Sunday at 11:31 p.m. forcibly took the boy from his mother in the area of Overaa Road in Port Orchard The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) said Gilbertson should be considered armed and dangerous KCSO said Gilbertson is the child's father CRIME BLOTTER Kitsap County deputies found guns during an eviction (Photo courtesy of the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office) BY JAMES LYNCH A routine eviction in Kitsap County’s Port Orchard led to a stash of weapons, drugs and stolen property Kitsap County deputies were called to the 4400 block of Oakhurst Lane Southwest in unincorporated Port Orchard on Wednesday after a process server walked through the home and found the stash one AK-47 style rifle and a shotgun,” Kevin McCarty with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said “More than a pound of meth and powdered fentanyl and more than a pound of psilocybin mushrooms.” Kitsap County deputies found drugs during an eviction (Photo courtesy of the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office) call the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office More from MyNorthwest: King County sees first murder of the year, suspect arrested in Utah Follow James Lynch on X. Submit news tips here Follow @James_KIRORadio and many Kitsap candidates have already submitted their names for the numerous local seats… One of Washington’s largest skill-building centers saw a massive funding increase this legislative session Melissa Super-Greene has been selected as the next principal of South Kitsap High School The Cruz will be back on the Port Orchard waterfront this summer After more discussions between the Saints Car Club and the City of Port Orchard the two parties reached consensus and found solutions to keep the beloved community event on the waterfront of Port Orchard the city and the car club confirmed Wednesday The annual car show brings thousands of visitors to the city every summer "We met a couple times, and we resolved our issues, and we're back on, so we're very happy," Ernie Chamberlin, president of Saints Car Club told Kitsap Sun Chamberlin said the car club resolved the city's public safety concerns with its proposal to use several escorts to create a separation lane between people and moving vehicles The city in a statement announced the return of the Cruz and said that subsequent conversations between the city and the car club have "resulted in an appropriate and satisfactory safety plan that adequately addresses the city’s concerns." "We are confident that we have found a good path with the Saints Car Club to have a safe fun and memorable event," the city said in the statement "We're happy that we're back and we're looking forward to the best Cruz ever," Chamberlin said PORT ORCHARD — It was a special experience for Ilyannie Gonzalez to play Soviet Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian's Sonatina in C major (I: Allegro giocoso) in Manhattan on March 15 Not only it was the 12-year-old Port Orchard pianist's first trip to New York City but the performance came at the legendary Carnegie Hall after being awarded the First Place Highest Honors at the Crescendo International Music Competition among all her interests outside the world of music is a straight path to college to study law Gonzalez wants to use her voice to advocate for those who need it "Many of my teachers at my current school, Washington Virtual Academies plus my community at Chopin Academy of Music were cheering me on from back home That really made the experience all the more powerful," Gonzalez recalled the moments on stage in an interview with Kitsap Sun Gonzalez is an 8th-grade student at Washington Virtual Academies and now studies piano at the Chopin Academy of Music in Issaquah Her everyday life includes taking a variety of online courses and pursuing her extracurricular interests such as participating in her school's student council She's also a member of the Bremerton West Sound Symphony the thrill of performing on stage and being able to share her music with others has driven her to practice piano over the past few years She started playing piano at the age of seven or eight Besides winning the Crescendo International Music Competition, Gonzalez is also a Distinguished Gold Medalist at the Classical Viennese International Piano Festival in June 2024 and a Silver Medalist at the Bach and Charleston International Piano Festivals in November 2024 The Port Orchard student said that virtual education offered by her school has given her the flexibility to pursue all of her interests She was transitioned from the Lighthouse Christian School to Washington Virtual Academies in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic Those interests include her skills to write in HTML which led her to become the National Innovation Challenge Overall Champion and People’s Choice Awardee in June 2024 She is also a top 10 finalist at the National Civics Bee in November 2024 Her extracurricular activities also include playing an active leadership role at the Associated Student Body (ASP) of her school That includes using her coding skills to create a newsletter platform every month "to foster a sense of interconnectedness" and allow writers to express their views through the newsletter "I was initially a little skeptical about going online and I found out that it was the best decision I've made for my academic growth," Gonzalez said Every time Gonzalez has an event abroad or in another state While Gonzalez had her family's full support her parents hope she's able to enjoy her time as a kid "They actually kind of encouraged me against pushing myself too far," Gonzalez said "They do want me to still enjoy my childhood But I really enjoy pursuing my academic interests for all of my extracurriculars are incredibly meaningful to me." Starting this fall, Gonzalez will study law at the University of Washington. She received the acceptance letter from the Robinson Center for Young Scholars a one-year program at the University of Washington which allows her to transition from middle school to college directly This means that Gonzalez will graduate from high school at the age of 13 and complete a one-year transition before becoming a full-time college student at the University of Washington "I decided on the Robinson Center because of that one-year transition which is a little bit of a lengthy process and I believe that would save me a lot of time and resources to get to where I want to be in the future," Gonzalez said Gonzalez hasn't had a solid answer regarding what area of law she will be interested in pursuing but she plans to use the one-year transition to explore her horizon "I really enjoy the invigoration of actively advocating and I've gotten a chance to experience a mini courtroom in my mock trial scenario And I really want to be in an environment where I can continue using my voice to advocate for those who need it." Gonzalez highly encouraged those students who are looking to pursue virtual learning to take the jump and embrace every opportunity "You'll find that the result will be very fulfilling," she said The award-winning Port Orchard pianist will soon offer a live performance for Kitsap residents to attend Gonzalez will play at the Rising Stars of Bremerton Westsound Symphony Concert at North Point Church in Poulsbo at 3 p.m the Saints Car Club's annual Cruz classic car show and its 36 years of history will take place at the Rodeo Drive-In Theater on Highway 3 outside Bremerton this summer The approximately 500 classic cars that attract an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 visitors to the beloved community event will no longer take place on Bay Street due to safety concerns brought up by the city According to a statement from the city on Monday the event organizers were unable to meet the city’s safety requirements related to the road closure Ernie Chamberlin, president of Saints Car Club described those requests as "ridiculous requirements" in an interview with Kitsap Sun and confirmed The Cruz will take place at the outdoor movie theater's grounds on August 10 "The event holder’s request is to allow cars to leave freely throughout the event, while thousands of pedestrians are on the streets," according to the city statement. "As our neighbors in Gig Harbor experienced in 2024 as well as other incidents nationally have demonstrated that combining moving vehicles and pedestrian traffic presents serious public safety concerns that can result in injury if not adequately addressed." five people were hurt when a van struck a trailer during a parade in the downtown area The city's statement said conversations with the city's insurance provider affirmed that vehicle and pedestrian interactions need to be avoided during public events The city offered solutions during multiple meetings with The Saints to mitigate the risks but "a satisfactory resolution to these safety concerns could not be reached." Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu called the situation a "very unfortunate outcome" in the city's statement the City’s paramount duty is to provide for the safety of our residents and visitors Allowing potentially unsafe conditions during public events is not a risk the taxpayers of Port Orchard and visitors should be asked to accept," Putaansuu's statement read Concerns over pedestrian won't necessarily end or move a different downtown show While the city hasn't received the Mustangs' application for this summer because that annual car show has fewer cars a smaller crowd and is hosted in a parking lot City leadership hopes to have additional conversations with the event organizers to continue to host the car show in Port Orchard But Chamberlin said the city's safety requirements added this year were ridiculous and that the car club will not comply During the planning process for this year's event the car club had a meeting with Putaansuu Police Chief Matt Brown and other public works staff in which they discussed pedestrian and car control during the event The city told Chamberlin it does not want any interface between cars and people in a situation that some participants may leave the car show earlier Even though Chamberlin wrote up a special requirement that the club will escort any person who is leaving the car show personally hold them at five miles per hour and clear the path They don't want any car movement with people in the area," Chamberlin said The city also required the car club to determine a particular time to end the show and that is the time when everybody has to stay there until you let them go," Chamberlin said "Then we would have to flush all the people away from the car show and then let them exit or somehow you can separate the people from the cars." what has that got to do with a car show in Podunk Port Orchard?" Chamberlin said The car club looked for an alternate place and decided to move the car show to Rodeo Drive-in Theater on private property near the Port of Bremerton's Industrial Park outside Bremerton The Rodeo's owners agreed to allow use of one of the lots of its three theaters for visitor parking and the other two venues on the hill to showcase the hundreds of classic cars on Saturday The Rodeo Drive-In is traditionally open during summer months for outdoor movies during the evening "We want it in Port Orchard for obvious reasons But we cannot comply and will not comply with ridiculous separation of cars and people," Chamberlin said "We're really disappointed because that's where we'd like to have it," Chamberlin said A Port Orchard man who shot and killed a man whom he believed to be stealing from his mailbox two years ago was found guilty for murder in Kitsap County Superior Court on Friday A jury rendered 41-year-old Chad Wilson guilty on counts of first-degree murder with extreme indifference and drive-by shooting 31-year-old Richard Taii of Puyallup was shot and killed by Wilson after Wilson spotted Taii's vehicle outside his home in Port Orchard and believed Taii and the two women with him were committing mail theft blocked them from exiting a cul de sac at one point and shot Taii in a neighborhood near South Kitsap Regional Park around 11 p.m Wilson was arrested by Kitsap County Sheriff's deputies the next day The two women from Tacoma who were Taii that night were arrested and prosecuted for mail theft in January Wilson testified he pursued Taii after witnessing him open his personal mailbox and take items out of it Wilson said he followed the three in an attempt to get his mail back and to prevent them from stealing others' mail Wilson's defense argued that he was legally entitled to carry out a citizen's arrest under the circumstances and therefore would be justified in using "reasonable force" to stop criminal activity the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney's Office responded that a citizen's arrest was not warranted as there is insufficient evidence to prove probable cause for the arrest Court documents said in Wilson's testimony he could only recall two mailboxes that the vehicle's occupants stopped at which falls short of the legal definition of mail theft A law enforcement officer would not have probable cause to make an arrest at that moment Wilson will return to court for sentencing on March 28 A 18-year-old man had been charged in Kitsap County Superior Court after multiple witnesses reported a woman being beaten in downtown Port Orchard The Port Orchard Police Department responded to a call on the 1800 block of Bay Street on Friday According to charging documents from Kitsap County Superior Court for a ride home from Planet Fitness on Lund Avenue and got into the car the driver asked the woman if she would purchase alcohol for them a statement from Port Orchard Police Department said The suspect eventually pulled over on Bay Street and forced the woman out of the vehicle a nearby resident went outside and discovered the suspect striking her head The resident immediately called 911 to report the assault POPD contacted multiple sources who were involved as part of an investigation The police department's statement said that based on the information gathered the suspect was arrested for a charge of first-degree robbery The suspect appeared in Kitsap County Superior Court on Monday where he pleaded not guilty to second-degree robbery He remains in custody at Kitsap County Jail POPD urges anyone with information concerning this incident to contact the police department by calling 911 or emailing police@portorchardwa.gov PORT ORCHARD -- Beverly Kincaid pulled rolled up pillows out from small plastic bags setting them aside in clusters to puff up on a row of shelter beds in the new Pacific Building homeless shelter As the weather grows increasingly cold and the need for new shelter solutions grows increasingly high the much anticipated opening of the Pacific Building comes just in time The Pacific Building will likely begin sheltering Quality Inn guests and incoming clients in the coming week with the anticipation of eventually having room for 75 individuals “If you can give people a glimmer of hope in their lives it's hard to tell how far they can go,” Kincaid said standing in a large open space that will become a sleeping room for couples “They just need that encouragement and not to be constantly discouraged.” The Kitsap Rescue Mission’s move from the Quality Inn, where it housed about 100 guests in a variety of hotel rooms since 2021 On-site services will continue at the new location and clients will have more tools at their disposal to move up the housing continuum and build skills that will help them succeed in their ascension out of homelessness “The Rescue Mission has grown in such a way that it's more into meeting needs successfully than just putting a roof over someone's head,” Kincaid said watching the pillows slowly puff up to full size wondering how they would finally get there The Pacific Building shelter was alive with volunteers unpacking beds to be built picnic tables and other various equipment as Lund gave a tour through the new facility The building features a commercial kitchen where KRM will soon hire staff to serve three meals a day a large open space that will serve as a dining room and a living room along with an assortment of amenities like men’s and women’s showers smoking area and offices for security and support staff who will be available 24 hours per day couples without children and one for families along with an extra overflow room for isolation in the case of a COVID-19 outbreak or anything that requires some type of quarantine volunteers made beds in the family room where beds will be arranged in family pods sectioned off by drapes for privacy and centered around a rug The families will also have a toy chest and one stuffed animal they will be able to take with them Each resident will also receive a quilt they can take with them after they move on to create an environment that mitigates trauma to the degree that the children may not even realize they're in shelter,” Lund said “That would be my goal that we do it so well that they feel really safe here and they're able to be kids.” The Rescue Mission will move about 20 clients over from the Quality Inn shelter and has been preparing them for the new living configuration Residents will still be able to pack their belongings into two tubs but they will also have lockers and can give the extra belongings they’ve accumulated to shelter staff who will stow them in a secured storage unit across the road until permanent housing is secured “The guests that are here are going to take care of their home,” Lund said speaking to the transition for some from a closed hotel room to an open congregate shelter “They will participate in housekeeping to the best of their ability… we're helping them build living skills so that moving forward Guests at the shelter will also have access to numerous on-site services to help them get a leg up Peninsula Community Health Services will operate a health clinic in a Pacific Building office once a week MSC Counseling Group LLC will provide a mental health counselor and Agape Unlimited will provide a substance use professional both of whom will be at the shelter full time The shelter will also have offices for Rescue Mission case managers and housing navigators WorkSource and Skookum are also partnering with the Rescue Mission to provide employment development “It really is a community project…  by working together our guests have the best possible outcomes to heal from their trauma and also become self-sufficient.”   But for many homeless people who have been on shelter waitlists for a long time because they have pets one of the real kickers will be the Pacific Building’s pet services but the Pacific Building will be able to shelter up to 20 pets – 10 dogs Operated in partnership with Kitsap Animal Rescue and Education (KARE) KARE is also preparing to serve at Pendleton Place and the Salvation Army Winter adds additional pressure Though the Pacific Building will likely open next week A ribbon-cutting was even held on December 6 An occupancy permit for the building has been held up “due to a bad compressor and an issue with the Ansel system in the kitchen,” Kitsap County Board of Commissioners spokesperson Krista Carlson told the Kitsap Sun in an email on January 10 adding that the building had recently passed multiple inspections “We anticipate opening this facility very soon.” Kitsap County Severe Weather Shelters have opened up five times in January for freezing weather conditions and the Salvation Army’s walk-up shelter has been beyond full in recent weeks surpassing its previously configured 75-person capacity The Pacific Building shelter and the Salvation Army’s shelter do not provide the same service because guests cannot walk up to stay at the Pacific Building But guests at the Salvation Army can apply to stay at the Pacific Building which would lift some of the burden off of the Bremerton shelter when the hybrid shelter would supposedly be completed but the taskforce has not selected a shelter operator or location “We definitely want to make sure that we're getting people in as quickly as possible because it's really cold out It's getting colder,” Lund said of the Pacific Building “And then also because our other partner agencies are full Advancing through the housing continuumFor a while the Kitsap Rescue Mission had to start slowing its intakes of new clients the homeless service needed to trim down its number of guests to fit into the Pacific Building At the Quality Inn, the Rescue Mission could accommodate up to 110 guests and was full when the Kitsap Sun checked in about a year ahead of the Pacific Building’s projected opening in 2023 the Rescue Mission re-opened the gates because “the opening of the Pacific Building was delayed." The Rescue Mission is only taking roughly 20 people over to the Pacific Building from the Quality Inn they served 131 people at the Quality Inn shelter and found permanent housing for about 80 of them Clients interested in a bed with the Rescue Mission apply through Kitsap Community Resources’ Housing Solution Center And the Rescue Mission is proactively doing intakes at the Salvation Army They will fill up the 75 beds gradually to give themselves time to settle into the new space and anticipate being at full capacity by the end of February There is a normative expectation that guests stay at a Rescue Mission shelter for 90 days but they can apply to extend their time by 30 day increments The current average length of stay is 145 days The end goal is to move people up the housing continuum into transitional and permanent housing Guests at the shelter will have an opportunity to find new housing with help from the housing navigators who browse the Housing Solution Center’s landlord list respond to rental ads and connect them with housing vouchers from Bremerton Housing Authority The Rescue Mission also leans on its community partners like Eagle’s Wings Kitsap Homes of Compassion and sober living homes “We want people to know they're cared for and that we support them and that they can succeed Two people were taken to nearby hospitals after a crash on Highway 16 in Port Orchard that blocked the highway Monday afternoon for several hours initially hit another car traveling east and then struck the median barrier The truck rolled over just before the Sedgwick Road exit stopped near the exit on the right shoulder according to WSP Trooper Katherine Weatherwax though an investigation is still ongoing and indicated charges for the driver may be possible Dirt and rocks spilled across the highway in both directions The trailer was moved out of the way about an hour after the 3 p.m crash to allow traffic to begin moving again Drivers initially were diverted at the Tremont Street exit to leave the highway and avoid the closure to the eastbound lane troopers were allowing some vehicles to pass on the shoulder to ease the congestion that backed up past Gorst and into Port Orchard on Highway 166 as drivers attempted to navigate around the closure The dump truck reportedly struck a jersey barrier, which have been in place while WSDOT completes a culvert replacement project with a new bridge to improve fish passage on Blackjack Creek Work on the eastbound span is complete and the westbound span is anticipated to finish later this year Debris discovered in an area near Highway 16 in Port Orchard has been confirmed as human remains by police and an investigation is now underway On Monday morning city public works employees found what they believed to be the remains of a deceased animal on the 1100 block of Old Clifton Road When officers arrived on the scene at 9 a.m. according to a statement from the Port Orchard Police Department POPD is investigating this case as a suspicious death The deceased's identity and cause and manner of death are unknown at this time pending the results from the Kitsap County Medical Examiner's office Anyone with any information regarding this incident should call 911 or email police@portorchardwa.gov This story will be updated as more information is released PORT ORCHARD — Nearly 140 people joined a protest in front of Port Orchard City Hall against the Trump administration's series of controversial policies echoing a nationwide movement taking place on Presidents Day Monday's was organized by the locals in solidarity with the 50501 Movement, which stands for "50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement." The events are "a decentralized rapid response to the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration and its plutocratic allies", according to the nationwide organizers. most people brought their signs or posts to express their various opinions and disagreements on the direction that the Trump administration is taking the country generations and geographical areas of Kitsap Peninsula wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat and livestreaming himself questioning or responding to protestors disappointment and deep concerns on issues including mass buyouts of workers in federal agencies executive orders that have been deemed unconstitutional disruption of international orders and the termination of diversity A similar event was held in Poulsbo Monday "This is what democracy looks like," the crowd shouted echoed by some drivers passing and honking on Bay Street took his 3-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son to the event The kids were playing in and around a wagon while the adults were protesting Fitzpatrick said he and his wife felt a need to come out in response to everything that has happened over the past few months "I think we've all felt like there's an overall sense of deflation and sort of like there's nothing we can do," Fitzpatrick said "And I think it's just important to teach our kids that it's important to say when something's not right." Fitzpatrick was concerned about what he thought was "an empowerment of the executive branch" that hasn't been seen in the nation's history and the unconstitutional nature of some of the executive orders And the opportunity for something like this is to express some energy Jennifer Walters of Port Orchard said many people were feeling "quite hopeless" and "a little bit helpless" right now that we can start feeling like we're doing something for the country," Walters said showed up at the demonstration to support the community Kolp has seen the direct impact caused by the new administration's immigration policy as his wife works for a law group that deals with immigration law "A lot of the policies that are being turned over right now directly affect not only our local community and the families that are in it but ultimately it affects the economy as well and I think the wellbeing of our community," Kolp said I'm out here just doing my best to stand in solidarity with those people." More: State hospitals advised to prepare for immigration officers Meeshka Brand of Poulsbo said there is a lot of fear in the community impacting "our Hispanic brothers and sisters." Brand has friends who have decided to stay home because they're terrified and don't know what's going to happen to them "That is not the United States of America that I grew up in and it's not the one that I want to leave for the generations who come after me," Brand said "I do think that us coming together and showing up for one another is going to help us move past that fear and realize that we're stronger together." wore a black and white Palestinian traditional scarf kufiya on her neck and held up her protest sign at the protest scene Nagy graduated from college in 2023 and moved to Port Orchard a year ago Nagy said she was at the demonstration for "so many different reasons," but as a staff of Washington Conservation Corps she worries that her job our jobs are kind of up in the air for the next year They're not sure if our grants are going to be renewed," Nagy said More: Shipyard employee resource groups end after Trump's order on DEI programs served 27 years in the Air Force as a flight surgeon and held a sign: "Stop the Steal $$$" "Stop the steal of the money Congress allocated," Slyter said "The executive branch is taking over the legislative branch deciding where money can go and who gets it A co-organizer of the Port Orchard protest said she was disappointed to see the Trump administration "destroying" the international order and resulting in other countries forming new trade alliances that exclude the United States Cone mentioned multiple reasons and issues that motivated her to protest on the Presidents Day She also expressed frustration about the mass layoffs in the government agencies and the lack of transparency to the public regarding these decisions Cone designed a colorful "VOTE" sign that consisted of graphics that represented the values she upheld: "vote anti-gun "I am here to make sure that my voice is heard And they have to stop tearing everything down," Cone said the franchisor and operator of fitness centers famous for its "Judgement Free Zone" workout environment will open a new location on Lund Avenue near Subway and Walmart in Port Orchard The company confirmed the expansion with The Kitsap Sun in a written statement and said construction of Planet Fitness Port Orchard is underway in the Bethel Place Shopping Center at 1948 SE Lund Avenue Planet Fitness Port Orchard is expected to open in late December The 16,000-square-foot space will provide cardio machines and strength equipment fully equipped locker rooms with lockers and showers Planet Fitness entered Kitsap County in 2017 since it took over the operation of the former Fitness Evolution on Wheaton Way in East Bremerton The Port Orchard location will be the second Planet Fitness on the Kitsap Peninsula "We are thrilled to invest in the Port Orchard facility and bring our Judgement Free Zone to the community," Justin Drummond one of the largest franchise divisions of Planet Fitness "We are confident our non-intimidating fitness experience will be appreciated by all fitness levels in the community." Partnering with Sound West Group, the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties opened its new Marina Square Express YMCA on Washington Avenue this month which developed the Marina Square complex on Bremerton's waterfront which includes residential areas and a market said the agreement with the YMCA is a five-year lease at the site The gym facility is available to Marina Square tenants as well as other residents who work or live near downtown and a reciprocal agreement allows YMCA Express members to also use the organization's Bremerton Family YMCA facility on Homer Jones Drive in Manette Pilates chain coming to BainbridgeClub Pilates, the largest Pilates brand and studio network worldwide with 1000 studies across the globe, will expand to Bainbridge Island in Spring 2025 according to the company's announcement on Oct The new location will be near Safeway at 275 High School Road NE PORT ORCHARD — Three days before the opening of Tea Alchemy & Gilded Exchange in Port Orchard After spending 15 years in tech and the past few months selling tea and other items at small markets the pending debut meant Espy's first time running a tea shop on her own Despite the nerves — Espy described as if she was having a baby and the due date was coming — the shop was almost ready to welcome customers Dozens of colorful loose-leaf teas were stored in big glass jars and placed behind the counter Smaller samples are put on the shelves for customers to observe and smell 72 types of loose-leaf tea are on display in the store Espy will roll out an additional 30 teas in the next couple of months "I knew that one of the most important things about tea was people need to be able to smell it and see it before they decide that they're going to buy it," Espy said tiny apothecary jars with tea in it that people can open They can put it in their hand and look at the leaves." The store also sells hot and iced drinks to go meaning every loose-leaf tea customers see on the shelf can be turned into a cup of tea in their hands when they walk out of the store Espy used her experience as a customer to design her tea shop The Tea Alchemy & Gilded Exchange is located at 834 Bay Street between Khao Soi Thai restaurant and the Polaris Theater in downtown Port Orchard Espy will guide them to choose the types or blends that best suit their needs a "Banana Split Fruit Tea" blended with dried coconut Espy may recommend caffeine-free options like chamomile vanilla honey tea the store also sells other items like tea bags Espy emphasized her intent to promote local products from the Pacific Northwest when selecting what she sells in the store she supported a Seattle-based company called TJ Tea that has a family-owned tea farm in Vietnam and grows tea with ethics and fair trade "One of the biggest things that I really want to do in opening this tea shop is I really want to support the local tea distributors in our area," she said it was important to me that the honey was local and many teawares in the store are also from suppliers in Seattle Selling teas grown outside the United States — China and more — means Espy's tea shop may be affected by the possible tariff imposition among countries "The tariff situation is very concerning," Espy said Now a Kitsap County resident, Espy's family moved to this side of Puget Sound from King County four years ago when her mother was opening Poulsbo Candy Shoppe Espy started selling vintage at the Bremerton Vintage Flea Market on Pacific Avenue Her tea has become popular and attracted many people to return to her small booth when Espy was notified that her tech job would be outsourced early this year and a Port Orchard location happened to be available Espy decided to turn her tea business into a full-time commitment So the thing about tea is you can get a really high-end high-quality tea and it really affects your mood and affects your day And it's something small that feels so personal and luxurious that you just feel like a little bit more taken care of." "It's either like self-care or taking care of your family Espy said she's grateful to be in a place where she was given the support to open the tea shop "I think I just want people to know that I'm excited to be part of the Kitsap community that I've felt very welcomed ever since we moved here I found it to be different than on the other side of the water and I'm just very grateful for the support that I've received throughout the community for the tea shop." Tea Alchemy and Gilded Exchange opens on Friday PORT ORCHARD — Jennifer Hardison was shocked when she heard of the Trump administration's plan to freeze federal grant spending last month which Hardison leads as executive director was planning to use a reimbursable federal grant of $1.755 million to purchase a new home for the food bank sorely needed after years in an aging house on Mitchell Avenue that lacks heat The freeze on federal grants and spending was blocked by a judge's order, which was extended this week South Kitsap Helpline closed a deal last week to purchase an existing building on Mile Hill Drive and begin to move ahead on multiple ambitions for growth the provider has for its future A building that was most recently occupied by Everybody's American Cookhouse & Sports Theater restaurant was purchased by SK Helpline for $1.6 million The 8,400-square-foot space will allow the food bank to expand and serve a growing population in South Kitsap including room to operate market-style food bank similar to what others in Kitsap like Bremerton Foodline or North Kitsap Fishline offer a cafe and potentially a commercial kitchen to run a hot meal program which is "an experience that offers so much more dignity than what we have," Hardison said really important to me that there's no shame associated Nobody feels like they're just getting a handout It's more like a grocery store," Hardison said And little kids come in with their parents So that's what we're really excited to do." South Kitsap Helpline won't totally leave its site on Mitchell Avenue The food bank purchased the property in 2010 and has used the nursery sales building several systems have failed and the food bank hasn't been able to use the greenhouse to grow food for the last five years In 2023 Helpline announced ambitious plans to build a new building on the site but the project was challenging and expensive due to the condition of the property and related regulations to rebuild Last spring the food bank pivoted to purchasing a commercial building as its new headquarters with the idea to retain the current location and renovate existing buildings into warehouse space and focus on using the greenhouse to grow produce again and multiple entrances at the new property are what the food bank needs to better serve its clients our food bank market is like half the size of this room," Hardison said this week standing in the front part of the new building we've served more clients in Kitsap County than any other food bank for more than two decades we could serve between 80 and 100 households in the five hours that we're open through a small little space like half the size of this room a dedicated room in the back of the new building would be suitable to host community events "We want to be able to partner with Meals on Wheels and have senior meals here," Hardison said SK Helpline relies heavily on donations from community members Expressing frustration with the administration's intent to freeze federal funding that could affect either their building project or low-income clients she said donor support will be key to the organization's future "I would love to never have to (rely on federal funding) because it really is a lot to navigate," Hardison said "I just think we're going to need community more than ever." The food bank currently has about 15 to 20 regular volunteers As the food bank will move to the new building soon and will start its kitchen the group will need more volunteers to be involved Two men face charges for a drive-by shooting that targeted siblings of an individual convicted of a drug transaction gone wrong that claimed the life of Tyrone Sero nearly four years ago 20-year-old Demondrae Jones and 19-year-old Rocco Anthony Fanara appeared in Pierce County Superior Court on Dec 30 and pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault in the first degree and a drive-by shooting charge The charges are related to a violent incident that took place in Gig Harbor on June 6 the 19-year-old was killed in Port Orchard after meeting with Stephens to sell marijuana the siblings arrived at Chipotle Grill on Point Forsdick Drive and observed a group of men inside the chain restaurant The group disappeared by the time the siblings exited with their food two vehicles approached them at high speeds and fired shots at the siblings as they passed but the victims’ vehicle sustained five bullet holes A relative of the siblings told officers that they believed the incident to be an act of retaliation connected to an ongoing gang-related confict between the family and a group from Port Orchard Law enforcement also established a connection between Sero and Fanara through posts on social media Charging documents said that upon reviewing Chipotle’s video surveillance footage Fanara and Jones were identified as part of the group inside the restaurant when the siblings visited that night The driver of one of the involved vehicles confirmed Jones was a passenger and had fired shots at the siblings’ vehicle One of the siblings also identified Fanara as one of the individuals involved in the shooting and ballistics ran on one of the 9 mm magazines found by police at the scene of the crime allegedly identified Fanara’s DNA court documents said they initially denied involvement but allegedly admitted later that they had participated in the drive-by The suspects remain in custody at Pierce County Jail and are scheduled to go to trial in front of a jury on Feb After being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence a man in Port Orchard was arrested again the following day for breaking into his former partner's home According to a probable cause statement for his arrest the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to a call on Monday at approximately 11:30 p.m after a truck had crashed into a home on SW Old Clifton Road near SW Berry Lake Road The 36-year-old man lost control of the vehicle when approaching a curve in the road left the paved street and collided into the front of a nearby residence causing significant structural damage to the home officers observed the driver's behavior such as his speech pattern and physical appearance to be consistent with someone under the influence of stimulant drugs Michael Medical Center to receive treatment for injuries he sustained during the crash The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and blood samples were collected to be tested for the presence of drugs or alcohol but he was released at the hospital to continue receiving medical attention KCSO responded to a domestic violence call at a home on Lovely Lane in Port Orchard The suspect's 10-year-old daughter was inside the home while her mother was at work she opened the front door to inquire further about his presence and the suspect entered inside the residence This violated a protection order that forbids the 36-year-old man from entering within 500 feet of the protected parties' home and he was arrested by KCSO The suspect is currently in custody at Kitsap County Jail and is scheduled to appear in Kitsap County Superior Court on Thursday on a felony charge of residential burglary Kitsap County Prosecutor Chad Enright said charges in connection to the suspected DUI are pending the lab results of the blood sample — The Washington State Department of Agriculture is investigating a report of a possible northern giant hornet found in Kitsap County one of which included a penny to show the size of the insect The northern giant hornet, which used to be referred to as the Asian giant hornet or murder hornet,is native to Asia and was first found in the U.S in Blaine near the U.S.-Canadian border in 2019 The invasive insects have been the target of eradication efforts in Whatcom County and British Columbia after hornets were discovered in both locations The WSDA said Monday it could not confirm whether the report is a northern giant hornet as officials have not been able to obtain the specimen ALSO SEE | Murder hornets given new common name by entomologists The insects are the world's largest hornets They are considered invasive in North America for their ability to kill other bee and hornet species which is how they got the nickname "murder hornets." Washington state entomologists have eradicated a total of four northern giant hornet nests since the end of 2021 All four nests were found in western Whatcom County No hornets were detected in Washington state in 2022 and 2023 A northern giant hornet was discovered in Snohomish County in June 2021 which left scientists perplexed by the finding at the time A resident found the dead hornet in Marysville and reported the finding to officials ALSO SEE | Giant Asian 'murder hornet' found in Snohomish County for first time The specimen was very dried out when WSDA entomologists retrieved the hornet in 2021 and were able to confirm it was a male Officials said they believed the hornet was an old hornet from a previous season that wasn’t discovered until then due to the time of year and that the specimen was exceptionally dry Scientists said at the time that new males usually don’t emerge until at least July - and there is no obvious pathway for how the hornet got to Marysville While there haven’t been any confirmed sightings of northern giant hornets in the U.S officials are asking residents in Kitsap County to “keep an eye open and report any suspect sightings.” Northern giant hornet sightings can be reported to the WSDA by clicking here, or by sending an email to pest@agr.wa.gov Click here to learn more about northern giant hornets in Washington state. who once led a global recruiting team at Microsoft After rethinking what she wanted in her life the human resource expert with 30 years of recruiting experience in the tech industry started her permanent jewelry business in Port Orchard in 2024 Permanent jewelry is welded around one's wrist or ankle without a clasp so it can not be taken off easily often representing unique memories people created with their loved ones Kelso opened her first studio in downtown Port Orchard inside Port Orchard Public Market on Bay Street Kelso's Twisted Beautiful Permanent Jewelry is the latest addition to the indoor marketplace's existing tenants that continue to serve the community 10 years after the public market was established in 2015. More: New blood for struggling Port Orchard Public Market frame shopThe Public Market on Bay Steet is also home to Lizzy Rolando's Salmonberry Books Mallory Jackson's Custom Picture Framing shop which opened in 1994 and moved into the marketplace in February 2024 Although long-term tenants Dock Bar & Eatery and Sue's Fresh Juice Bar & Sandwich Shop closed at the end of August current business owners said their existing customer bases still support their sales and people continue to visit the marketplace for their unique products and services like our sales have been fine even with those closures Tacoma resident Kelly Miller was one of the customers who did their Christmas gift shopping at Salmonberry Books some days before Christmas The bookstore is just two blocks from her workplace at Kitsap Bank And Miller had luck finding some good books and records before she said on her third visit at Salmonberry on Dec "But we obviously want the marketplace to be full of tenants for them to have a lot of options," Rolando said "I think that a lot of people were confused when the restaurant closed because I think that the owners of this restaurant had given the impression that they owned this whole building so a lot of people assumed that the entire building was closed customized framing for clients who want to preserve pictures or even small items that can be put in three-dimensional shadow boxes The marketplace is Jackson's fourth location on Bay Street since she opened the business in 1994 Jackson uses the suite at the public market to meet clients and discuss their needs and did most of her work creating frames at home "It (the restaurant's closure) doesn't affect me at all," Jackson said the marketplace will welcome a new tenant in Spring owned by a couple Barbara Burck and Andreas Zellweger The Good Stuff Grocery's suite is formerly occupied by Sue's Fresh Juice Bar Burck and Zellweger named the business "Good Stuff Grocery" because they want to offer the community all the "good stuff" they need — from a $8 nutritious sandwich with fresh ingredients a cup of coffee and salad to groceries like eggs "You don't always want to go to a restaurant That's always going to be $20-plus dollars you're going to spend that much money at a restaurant And not everybody wants a pile of fries for lunch that might bog them down," Zellweger pointed out I have 35 to 45 minutes to get back in the office that's kind of the need we want to fill for the lunch crowd," Zellweger said And the grocery store will serve the Port Orchard residents who live nearby including those living in the boats who may not have a car "Every community needs a little mart," Zellweger said Zellweger is a chef at Damn Fine Pizza with experience working in some Linda Derschang's and Ethan Stowell's restaurants in the Seattle area Burck once served in the Peace Corps for two and a half years as a healthcare volunteer in Albania and has helped open up several businesses on the Kitsap Peninsula including the Ollallah Bay Market and the Gig Harbor Apothecary Burck is passionate about community development and shares the common vision with other business owners in the marketplace which is to make the public market a community hub where people would enjoy visiting and I feel like this space has been kind of like in flux we're really on the same page about what we want to offer We want this to be a main hub for the community," Burck said something people walk through," Burck said One of her creative ideas is to open community yoga classes in the middle of the marketplace Though the Dock Bar & Eatery is still for sale and it's unknown when a new restaurant will open there Burck and Zellweger are positive about the future of the building and their business "I imagine that when the restaurants go in that this place will just be buzzing," Zellweger said." You can get a good book and frame up that one picture you want to frame with the perfect frame that you want for your foyer or whatever come in and get some groceries and grab a beer all in the same building." "It's just kind of like a perfect little visit into the town," he said "I'm excited for the Good Stuff to open up something will happen with this space (the Dock Bar & Eatery location) But I liked the mix of different businesses and I liked the excitement that we had," Jackson said This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time PORT ORCHARD — One of Kitsap's oldest local businesses founded more than a century ago on Port Orchard's waterfront The DeFord family is looking for a buyer to take over its Peninsula Feed & Power Equipment business and building at 901 Bay Street two-story retail building was originally constructed in 1964 The business was founded around 1917 and operated until a fire destroyed the original building in the 1960s Peninsula Feed was moved to its current location a hay barn just next door to the original site were longtime employees of Peninsula Feed before they bought the business from John Endsley in 2018 the DeFord family is ready to wind down its ownership "We're ready to retire and move on," Brian DeFord told Kitsap Sun Peninsula Feed originally offered animal feed and farm supplies to cater to the small farms in the area. As the needs of the local population shifted, the business started to focus on selling power equipment in 2002, but kept "feed" in its name, according to the company's website "Keeping with the traditions and strong reputations of the past the name was changed to Peninsula Feed and Power Equipment but honoring the hard work and determination of the those before was too important to overlook," the store explained on its website The property, now for sale at $997,000 being right down there on the waterfront and right down there in the main part of Port Orchard," Anderson said the DeFord family wants to find a buyer who would be willing to take over both the business and the building including buyers who may turn Peninsula Feed into something else Anderson pointed out the building's potential to bring something new to the growing downtown Port Orchard considering converting it into a grocery store to serve the downtown area," Anderson said "Other people have thought maybe it would be a type of store that could be an adjunct to the farmers market because you could open up the outer doors during the summer time and just make it more of an outdoor Another idea was to remove the building and create more parking for the downtown area either on the ground or to build a multi-level parking area I think the whole downtown area has a lot of potential," Anderson said Highway 16 through Port Orchard was completely blocked at Tremont Street for around 4 hours Monday evening after a truck hauling a trailer hit the center barrier that a truck had almost went off the side of the road and the trailer connected to it was hanging off a hill along the road Until a tow truck large enough to remove the capsized vehicles could arrive traffic was backed up to the exit to Sedgwick Road and troopers were directing traffic to exit and head north on Lake Flora Road and the driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI The highway eventually reopened around 9 p.m Editor's note: Additional information has been added to this story after initial publication — A motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a truck in Port Orchard Wednesday night The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) said the crash happened in the 10400 block of Bethel-Burley Road Southeast around 9:30 p.m KCSO deputies investigating the collision said they found evidence showing the motorcycle was heading south on Bethel-Burley Road when it rear-ended a pickup backing out of a driveway and into the road ALSO SEE | Port Orchard man suspected of DUI found lying in road after crash into tree was declared dead at the scene by South Kitsap Fire & Rescue medics The victim’s identity has not been released pending notification of his family The Kitsap Interagency Traffic Team is investigating the collision Community invited for special membership discounts and prize drawings outside the Judgement Free fitness center that is expected to open by year end Planet Fitness Port Orchard (1948 SE Lund Ave. WA 98366) will host a Construction Preview event community members are invited to get a first look at the 16,000-square-foot club which is expected to open by year end In addition to getting a sneak peek outside the facility guests can enjoy complimentary refreshments and enter to win such prizes as: Those in attendance will have the opportunity to sign up that day for Planet Fitness membership at special discounted rates Either join with no commitment for $1 down then $19.99/month for the PF Black Card® membership then $15/month for the Classic Card membership which includes free fitness training led by a certified fitness trainer through the pe@pf® program “We’re thrilled to be hearing a lot of buzz about the Port Orchard club, so we encourage community members to stop by on Dec. 14 to learn about our non-intimidating fitness experience,” said Justin Drummond, president of Ohana Growth Partners (OGP) one of the largest franchise divisions of  Planet Fitness Planet Fitness Port Orchard will offer state-of-the-art cardio machines and strength equipment numerous flat screen televisions and Black Card Spa® with HydroMassage beds red light therapy and more – all in a hassle-free environment Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness clubs in the world by number of members and locations Planet Fitness had approximately 19.6 million members and 2,637 clubs in all 50 states The Company’s mission is to enhance people’s lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming More than 90% of Planet Fitness clubs are owned and operated by independent business men and women LLC owns and operates 79 Planet Fitness health clubs with more than 550,000 members in Maryland It also is a joint venture partner with six clubs in Australia OGP was named The Inaugural Franchise of the Year by Planet Fitness Corporate the group was named Planet Fitness Developer of the Year for opening 11 clubs in 12 months as well as receiving the award for Highest BER (Brand Excellence Review) awarded by Planet Fitness Corporate the group was again named Planet Fitness Developer of the Year awarded by Planet Fitness Corporate the group was given the Judgement Free Generation award for their exceptional work with the local boys and girls clubs in Tennessee by Planet Fitness Corporate © Copyright 2012 - 2023 | citybiz | All Rights Reserved As one of the people who brought The Cruz to the Port Orchard waterfront watching it become one of Kitsap County's largest festival has made me But with the news of this family-friendly tradition now leaving the perfect venue I am saddened and confused as to how this happened Port Orchard's city leaders have pointed out concerns of moving vehicles and spectators a more than reasonable solution to rectify a non-existing issue we were tasked as being the host club for a Goodguys Hot Rod and Custom event at the Washington State Fairgrounds which draws 3,000 cars and thousands of spectators At this event the participants are allowed to cruise their cars amongst the throngs of spectators At Port Orchard's Cruz and the Goodguys event just like it's a possibility an earthquake will happen or that asteroid will strike Perhaps the next casualty will be the Fathoms of Fun Parade Our community needs gathering such as The Cruz as it brings forth a sense of pride and a sense of unity at a time where it is sorely needed If we alter our way of life in fear of terrorism PORT ORCHARD — Drivers passing through downtown may need to tolerate one more day of travel delays caused by the construction of the new roundabout between Bethel Avenue According to the Washington State Department of Transportation on Thursday flaggers will alternate traffic in a single lane Travelers are encouraged to add 15 minutes of travel time to prevent delays The work zone includes the Bay Street-Bethel Avenue roundabout The crews will finish the final work related to the Bay Street roundabout project, which began last year. "Please slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones," WSDOT said in a statement The planned work will depend on the weather and is subject to change