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 It didn't take long for the home of a well loved downtown Poulsbo brewery to acquire a new taste is intended to pair well with Front Street's busy restaurant scene Patrons will acquire a tap card upon entering then tap the card at the tap they'd like to taste and select an amount of beverage which Huffman said will focus strongly on wines She said it'll be ideal for people looking to taste a broad variety or those who want a smaller or quicker drink while waiting for a table at a restaurant nearby or even make your own wine blend," said Huffman who's own professional experience in the wine industry includes being a partner with Fletcher Bay winery on Bainbridge Island leading the Kitsap Wine Alliance and founding The Social Sip Tap cards for under 21 patrons will be available as well The under 21 cards will work for craft sodas or cold brew coffee they intend to have on tap as well There will be some physical changes from the former Slippery Pig set up with the former brewery's bar at the east entrance being removed to create a wine lounge which will be 21 and over and host the wine taps open room on the west side home to the slate of taps with beer The old game room will be refreshed but remain in the same spot focused on snacks that have a "board theme," Huffman said: think charcuterie boards The Huffmans were sorry to see Slippery Pig close but the availability of the downtown building matched perfectly with their own timing to launch a business in Poulsbo "It's such a perfect opportunity to bring this vision to the community where we live," Huffman said Among Kitsap residents gathered at Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park in Poulsbo every Sunday Ollie and Janice Pedersen can be spotted with signs that stand out: "WEAR A PAPERCLIP." The Bainbridge Island couple also hands out paperclips at rallies protesting the Trump administration and another sign they hold -- created after learning about a movement that repurposed the office supply staple as its symbol over 80 years ago -- adds more clarity to the message: "NORWEGIAN WWII RESISTANCE," complete with the Norwegian flag "We want to give people something they can rally around that unifies us and shows solidarity peaceful way of protesting," Janice Pedersen said when Janice learned of the historical movement while reading a book about Norwegians immigrating to the United States Both she and Ollie have relatives that immigrated from Norway and the couple have visited the Scandinavian country many times even getting married there almost 50 years ago in traditional dress "My father was born in Norway in 1896," Ollie Pedersen said "His family immigrated to Bainbridge Island in 1907 but he left when he was somewhere between 16 or 18 for Great Britain because he was too young to be with the U.S He fought in three major wars and died of war connected wounds when I was just four years old His whole life was completely devoted to democracy and so I feel compelled to do something in his honor to support what he lived for." around 300,000 German Nazis occupied Norway As a way of subtly protesting German occupation without retribution Janice said many Norwegians began wearing paperclips as a symbol of their resistance and to be able to identify others who shared that opposition to an authoritarian government the parallels to the current political climate are frighteningly similar "This does not feel like a democracy," Janice Pedersen said "My husband and I both feel that there is now an authoritarian government in our country there is an occupation at least at some level Because of our ancestry and the sacrifices our own families have made that we would carry on the will to demonstrate and do what we can to resist authoritarian governments and preserve democracy that our families fought so valiantly for." When they heard there was going to be a protest in Poulsbo earlier this year the couple thought there would be no better place to launch the paperclip as a symbol of protest than in Little Norway They showed up with signs and a seven-foot tall paperclip in tow naturally attracting many curious questions from other protesters After sharing the history of the Norwegian resistance the rally organizers asked Janice and Ollie to lead the protests downtown After a very large showing on April 5, part of a national movement another protest is scheduled for downtown Poulsbo for Saturday the MAGA movement would not have been so successful without the MAGA hats," Janice Pedersen said We have attended several protests since and now when we hand a paperclip to somebody they usually already have one and show us their paperclip." Janice's sister has also introduced her hometown in Montana to the movement making hats and other clothes with a paperclip etched into it With hopes of spreading the movement across the country and overseas the couple have started to bring paperclips and hats with the paperclip symbol along with them during their travels and have contacted several news outlets to spread their story Ollie Pedersen wrote a letter to and received a response from New Jersey Sen who recently made headlines for his record-breaking 25-hourlong speech he gave on the Senate floor criticizing President Trump Previously featured in a historical museum in Norway Janice said they have contacted the museum with their movement again and sent hats to the Holocaust Museum in Oslo "When you have such a strong moment in time where the administration has come in and created so much chaos and fear stop and hopefully reverse many of these negative changes," Ollie Pedersen said but I think the real power in this country for change really lies with all of us the requirement for extreme pushback will converge with that path of peaceful resistance to morph into a reunification and rebuilding of the country." Paid parking in downtown Poulsbo is coming the Poulsbo City Council on March 19 passed a resolution to explore implementing options that will increase awareness of parking availability and enforce some parking limits on and around Front Street A month earlier the council considered charging for parking as soon as this summer Referred to as “option three,” the city will aim to improve signage increase employee parking spaces and enforce parking restrictions New signs would display time limits on spaces and designate employee and customer parking spots which are planned to be enforced by a third party company which specializes in parking management “We’ve ignored downtown parking for decades,” said Gary McVey “Lots of inaction over a long period of time by many different councils I think it’s time we quit kicking the can down the road we listen to our population protections and we plan for the future Poulsbo.” A previous resolution was proposed in February that outlined implementing paid parking this summer like proposed rates of $2 an hour from 10 a.m the council has yet to decide whether the new policy will include a reprieve on Sundays Paid parking is planned on Anderson Parkway on Front Street from Hostmark Street to the King Olaf parking lot and on Jensen Street from Front Street to Iverson Street A proposal presented to city council last week identified over 100 potential employee parking spaces as well as the estimated costs to improve signage and for enforcement Estimated revenue from enforcement is expected to be around $8,000 a month which could potentially increase to $1 million once paid parking is implemented Passing this resolution was necessary for the future of Poulsbo as finding a spot downtown is expected to get worse McVey said Poulsbo’s population has practically doubled the past two decades and is projected to see 5,600 more citizens by 2044 Many downtown businessowners attended the city council meeting to voice their concerns over paid parking and the potential impacts on business with many urging the council to pass option three instead of the previously proposed model is to really look and listen to what we’re saying,” said Megan Martin “My hope and prayer is that every single option will be exhausted before we go onto the full-on paid parking model I know it’s not going to be easy … and we’re probably going to hear about some costs it will incur Martin said although tourists would be willing to pay for parking she is worried that it will discourage single-income or families she knows personally from visiting downtown shop and eat downtown are reluctant to be forced to pay for that privilege when they have been paying through taxes for all the amenities downtown to now suddenly be charged for that,” said City Councilmember Ed Stern the only councilmember to vote in opposition of option three separate from any commercial concerns about visitors and tourists that locals will be cut off from their own waterfront park and that we’re establishing the precedent for paid access to a city park that’s already been paid for by resident taxpayers.” To learn more on Poulsbo’s downtown parking issue and track the city’s progress in finding a solution, visit Poulsbo’s website but the day after the Lamberts made the announcement the brewery was packed for one last hurrah A line of regulars wrapped around the building on Friday Co-owner Shawna Lambert said she gave more hugs that night than she had her whole life Karaoke closed out the night and everyone who took the stage sang with exuberance “When you are feeling any emotion for the first time in years it’s like…it was a good time,” he said after a pause Things were looking up just over a year ago. Dave Lambert was moving furniture and brewing equipment into a new retail space on Callow Avenue in Bremerton, ready to open a second location The Lamberts had dreams of a larger space furnished with pinball machines skee ball and a textural wall with moss and tree branches they planned to build a “tank farm” and a tap room and finally remodel their kitchen at the Poulsbo location But the brewery’s future got caught in the transition the small business owners found themselves straddling two rents awaiting permits for the new building and watching prices rise while sales struggled to keep pace Lambert had the keys in hand for the Slippery Pig’s second location in September 2023 the building became just an expensive storage container as they waited on permits while the business began to encounter increasing obstacles elsewhere “We took the keys in 2023 and we were like we've shown steady growth every single year We weren't planning on that same rate of growth.. the Lamberts were finally ready to move forward and were ready to “make this thing happen.” But 2024 wasn't a good year the Slippery Pig had to raise its menu prices Their margins began to slim while nationwide it seemed like people were going out to eat less They weren’t seeing new customers coming in like they used to asking for 21st birthday shots on a Poulsbo bar crawl Taxes were going up and so was minimum wage An investor for the Slippery Pig’s second location said he couldn’t just keep funding power bills while the restaurant sat in limbo The Slippery Pig was once a small outdoor taproom with no cover just four taps stuck through the wall of a root cellar at their farm a picnic table for customers and a barbeque grill anyone could use Lambert was into home brewing and his friends urged him to go bigger until he finally opened his business in 2010 Lambert remembered there were six inches of snow on the ground when a four-wheel-drive truck pulled in asking if the Slippery Pig had its outdoor heaters running sharing a beer when another pickup rolled in The Lamberts had pigs and chickens roaming the farm and would occasionally sell pork and eggs on the side After they moved the business to a space on Front Street in Poulsbo they began to sell more food in order to comply with permits so they could start selling liquor it felt like we accidentally started a restaurant.” The new space on Callow Avenue would’ve allowed the Slippery Pig to expand its kitchen and move in new equipment Lambert once hoped to have the second location open this spring and believes if they’d been able to stick to that timeline the business wouldn’t be in a position to close now Once the decision to close was out of their hands the Lamberts began to feel a weight begin to lift His stress levels began to subside and soon he found that he didn’t recognize the space While they broke down the restaurant and did paperwork he realized “my eyelid doesn't twitch anymore… I don't even know when that started.” Lambert is excited by the idea of working only 40 hours a week and has already picked up shifts to work a couple of days a week at Coast Hardware in Poulsbo and are realizing there's a life outside of work “Maybe I can get back into things that I enjoy doing I want to get back to playing guitar a little bit When Lambert was told the Slippery Pig would need to close his initial response was “I don't want anything to do with this industry again in any way But he’s beginning to come around and lovers of The Pig haven’t yet seen the last drop of Lambert’s brews After the West Sound Homebrewers threw a going away party for the Slippery Pig, Lambert was urged to pour at the annual Strange Brewfest in Port Townsend this weekend Slippery Pig brews will also make an appearance during a “tap takeover” at Ridgeline Brewing – the Callow Ave brewery that would have been a neighbor to a Bremerton Slippery Pig – and at Dog Days Brewing in Bremerton Lambert is also selling off the last of the Slippery Pig merchandise leftover cases and even its brewing equipment on Facebook Even the Slippery Pig’s mug club, for frequent customers, has found a new home, at Western Red Brewing just a few blocks away in Poulsbo Lambert was distraught at the thought of leaving his mug club hanging but he had no way of refunding money back because the business was broke had known Lambert since his days brewing on the farm and told him their brewery could rehome the mug club They could offer a shelf for customers’ mugs deals throughout the year and special events like a St Paddy’s Day potluck where Smyth cooks brisket and invites a Celtic band to come and play music “It was something that we could afford to do that just really truly lifted his spirits when he was in a time of need,” Smyth said Western Red and the Slippery Pig have collaborated in the past including a traditional Nordic brew that Lambert couldn’t execute alone Smyth hopes Lambert will come back and brew one of his unique beers -- ingredients like dandelions blueberries and more were part of the tap list -- for the mug club He will remember the Slippery Pig for Lambert’s creativity and will miss their working relationship sending customers between their two breweries downtown to compare the brewers’ styles “It really struck home in a lot of ways,” Smyth said of the closing just seeing my friend sad because he was just heartbroken but then when you look at it from another brewery perspective that could be us tomorrow… I don't think any of us are above one little bad month and we might be right there.” That’s why Lambert urges beer lovers to support local businesses this year decorations and memories from their Poulsbo location Dave looked back on the history of the building He knows the next business will move in quickly He already has his suspicions as to what could be next The Front Street space hosted a string of businesses that folded one right after the other Lambert remembers a Chinese restaurant that ran for a long time His grandmother liked to have her birthdays there and the family would gather around a large table Lambert and his sister got to drink coffee without sugar to help go to sleep they got to have “endless amounts of tea.” Lambert liked to tip a packet of sugar in and sip out of the little tea cups “It was pretty neat to be in the same building.” POULSBO — Summer Anderson was awestruck the first time she walked into a Recovery Cafe The place's beauty and energy felt palpable She had never experienced a cafe during her own recovery but almost immediately after walking into a Tacoma one nine years ago she fell in love with the concept “I got the full chills and goosebumps,” she said where she herself struggled with substance use She belonged to a group trying to start one in Bremerton around 2020 Now as the director of  North Kitsap Recovery Resource Center in Poulsbo she is on the precipice of bringing her dream to reality Last week she submitted an application to open a cafe inside the city’s center hoping to join a network of similar facilities across the United States and Canada that offer long term support to those in recovery has been so much more meaningful because this is where I live and this is where I did a lot of my dirt under the tagline “everybody is recovering from something,” are built on the philosophy that people who experience homelessness substance abuse or other serious trauma need somewhere they can go long after they have finished a traditional treatment program but attempt to build a communal atmosphere in a setting not unlike a coffee shop or club Enrolled members of a cafe commit to once-a-week check-ins Proponents of the model say providing an ongoing support network is often a missing step in most people’s recovery They argue that everyone who is overcoming trauma is also dealing to some degree with feelings of isolation and loneliness The effects of their experience make people crave belonging and a place where they are accepted “Recovery is more broad than we traditionally think,” Anderson said “People are in recovery from all kinds of things from being unhoused Community spaces take all of that into account.” Beginning with a cohort of five “emerging member cafes” the nonprofit now supports 77 facilities across the United States and Canada. They report an estimated enrollment of 20,900 members, according to a March 2024 report Cafe’s exist both in cities and have found success in rural communities a resource center for people impacted by domestic violence sexual assault and other crimes in Jefferson County Manager Brian Richardson says the facility meets a huge need in an area where resources can be sparse The cafe serves 50 to 70 meals four times a week and has over 70 enrolled members Survivors need a place like where they can rebuild their lives “I think everywhere needs a recovery cafe,” he said Anderson and Poulsbo staff have been touring recovery cafes in the region including those in Port Townsend and Seattle as they look to embed the model inside the city’s recovery resource center Three weeks ago, in preparation, Anderson also started the laborious process of cooking and serving lunch to center clients for two hours each day using donations from Red Apple Market and the Central Kitsap Food Bank. She hopes to eventually delegate the project to volunteers through a meal membership program Around noon Tuesday, a handful of clients are already seated in the cafe, a former office next door to the recovery center that staff have remodeled In front of its freshly painted yellow walls clients grab plates of stir-fry and begin to chat More are expected to trickle in as an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting concludes next door As she watches it unfold, Kim Hendrickson looks out at the small group of people sitting and “clearly comfortable,” beaming. It is exactly the kind of community space the city envisioned when it opened the recovery resource center in October 2023 says the concept of Recovery Cafe has informed much of the development of the center They offer substance use treatment for 80 to 100 clients a month – “and that’s important” – but it was never the entire focus They wanted to build a communal space where people would feel welcome to spend time and offer support to their peers no cost center provides a hub for a handful of providers in the community It also offers about 10 support groups a week Poulsbo Police Chief Ron Harding says the center has simplified the process for people in the judicial system and helps officers get people the help they need Often residents experiencing homelessness or addiction have a range of both medical and administrative needs Throw on top of that you have to go to Bremerton to get most of those things,” Harding said It makes it really hard for them to be successful when you give them nothing but hurdles.” The team in Poulsbo will find out in the next few months if their application to the Recovery Cafe Network is accepted the team would go for training in the first part of May That is followed by weekly check-ins as they begin implementing components of the cafe Staff will also look to expand community events like crafts They hope to become a full-service Recovery Center by the fall It would be the first city-run Recovery Cafe in the country a milestone she believes is important to showing other jurisdictions there are alternative ways to provide for residents in long-term recovery Hendrickson said the cafe would be open to all clients at the recovery center Membership is free and open to anyone “with an interest in recovery.” The limitation is designed to emphasize the communal nature of the cafe Members are expected to make frequent appearances participate and engage with members of the community “We need more places where people can just drop in and get a free meal “This is a cafe for our members that is really built on this idea of taking care of each other contributing groups – It’s not just lunch.” reporting for the Kitsap Sun and Gig Harbor Now through a program managed by Washington State University In just seven weeks of operation a single new traffic camera in Poulsbo generated hundreds of speeding tickets surpassing city officials' expectations for a project intended to slow traffic in busy areas Located on Viking Way near the trailhead into Fish Park the camera began issuing citations for those traveling at speeds over 10 mph over the speed limit on October 22 895 speeding tickets have been issued and the city has collected over $24,000 in revenue from fines court administrator for Poulsbo Municipal Court “We’re averaging about 20 tickets every 24-hour period and that seems like quite a bit to me,” said Poulsbo Police Chief Ron Harding but that’s a lot of people that are going way too fast.” The volume of citations has kept the court busy as Knutsen said the new traffic camera’s tickets has significantly increased their workload “We spend about a third of our day answering phone calls responding to emails and so forth,” Knutsen said “A good portion of our day is just answering questions overall Two other cameras were also installed in addition to the one on Viking Way One on Noll Road is located near Poulsbo Elementary School and one on Highway 305 at its intersection with Bond Road The camera on the highway does not measure speed but takes photos of people who run the red light there With another camera expected to come online in the next few weeks Knutsen said she hopes they can tackle the new tickets more efficiently by adding another clerk to the team Mayor Becky Erickson confirmed the addition of another clerk and said the large number of speeding tickets from the camera is representative of an issue in Poulsbo “We’re kind of the traffic center of North Kitsap County,” Erickson said “We have a lot of cars going through our city and we have a lot of pedestrian activity in Poulsbo so we need to slow people down and make them abide by traffic laws.” Erickson said she hopes that once people become aware of the traffic cameras the cameras’ vendor said high volumes of citations are common in the beginning “Their statistical data says that this pattern will occur for the first several months,” Harding said and then word gets out and people learn to slow down We think we’ll see that; we just haven’t got to that point yet.” People who need to pay fines for photo-enforced tickets, contest tickets or request a hearing should visit the Poulsbo Municipal Court’s website POULSBO — The first indoor pickleball facility in Kitsap County is now open to long-waiting players on the peninsula — both beginners and pros On Friday the Arizona-based company Pickleball Kingdom opened its 12th location and its first in Washington state, featuring 12 pickleball courts in Poulsbo's Olhava neighborhood The facility welcomes players at all skill levels and provides courses and guidance for those new to the Bainbridge Island-born sport Pickleball Kingdom Northwest Chief Operating Officer Mara Hylton said Friday where beginners can meet each other," Hylton said And a lot of it is around the beginner community." attended by Pickleball Kingdom Northwest investors who flew to Washington to join the ceremony The company is growing fast around the nation and the Poulsbo location is unique because it is located just next to where the sport that has changed his life was born "We'll have over 100 clubs open this time next year I honestly just can't afford to go out to all of our grand openings right now I had to be here at this one," Rodrigues told Kitsap Sun Pickleball Kingdom has locations in Arizona Pickleball Kingdom NW will open another facility in Lynnwood in three weeks and has plans to open more facilities in the Puget Sound area "We're thinking we can fit 10 (Pickleball Kingdom locations) between like Poulsbo who has played pickleball since junior high in 1993 and is an active member of the local pickleball community in Kitsap said many people are excited about the opening of Pickleball Kingdom in Poulsbo "At least two to three hundred people were already signed up before they even broke ground," Gregg said adding that over 100 people had signed up for a one-year membership before they even saw the facility so I can come and then meet other community members," Gregg said Courts in the Pickleball Kingdom are equipped with replay screens where members can watch the replay of their games save the videos on their phones via the company app a family member of one of the Pickleball Kingdom NW investors attended the opening ceremony from Oregon and played pickleball with other attendees She mentioned that all courts at Pickleball Kingdom are completely enclosed which are much better than those that aren't because the balls won't go through different courts "Everything I see looks well done," Thompson said Editor's note: This story was updated to include the cost of playing at Pickleball Kingdom Following the longtime Poulsbo Municipal Court judge's retirement a partner at Jeff Tolman's law firm is set to be his replacement Mayor Becky Erickson announced Maureen McKeeman's selection on Monday McKeeman will step into the position once Tolman's final term concludes at the end of the year concluding 31 years on the bench for the city McKeeman graduated from Seattle University's law school in 2010 and has lived in Kitsap County since 2014 McKeeman's criminal law experience includes serving as a pro tem judge in Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island's municipal courts since 2022 and working as a prosecutor with the Bremerton city attorney’s office She has also worked as a criminal defense attorney in private practice “We are very fortunate to have Maureen join the Poulsbo Municipal Court team," Erickson said in a statement "While most people think about the time in the courtroom so much happens behind the scenes with the Court Administrator and Clerks The focus of the judge is not just on the proceedings but as a key member of the team that will maintain service to our community and focus on the change and modernization that is required I’m confident Maureen is ready to do just that.” felt good after walking into the tribe's first off-reservation business and saw the brand-new convenience store hosting the first group of customers on Tuesday morning "This is amazing," Carper said in the store "I think it's definitely gonna benefit the community as it's gonna resonate profit for our youth." After eight months of construction Clearwater Market on Bond and Gunderson Roads is now open to serve travelers and residents in the region with a 5,000-square-foot convenience store and a 2,700-square-foot Agate Dreams cannabis store The market will provide 35 jobs and generate revenues that will support the next generation of the tribe "It's gonna benefit the tribe by putting us in a position to help drive tax revenue back to the tribal government so the tribe can provide services for the youth and for the community at large," Rion Ramirez CEO of Port Madison Enterprises told the Kitsap Sun Ramirez hasn't had an estimation of how much profit the market could make annually Port Madison Enterprises is the tribe's business arm A ribbon-cutting event celebrating the grand opening of the market was attended by Suquamish tribal members "It's great to be out here in Poulsbo," Forsman told the attendees "For us to get our footprint out here on ancestral territory is a big statement And we really look forward to us contributing to the economic growth of this area to try to balance that with sustainability and trying to maintain our environment as well." The cannabis store at the Clearwater Market is the third Agate Dreams location besides one in Suquamish and a seasonal facility at the White Horse Golf Club development in Kingston The tribe's cannabis business is overseen by the Suquamish Evergreen Corporation "Right now we're on the other side of Poulsbo so we're really hoping we can just kind of pull people that are in this area to come here," said Windy Anderson the general manager of Suquamish Evergreen Corporation Anderson also anticipated that as the store is located on the route to the Kingston ferry terminal the area would get busy around the holiday time Port Madison Enterprises operates three gas stations on reservation property: the Masi Shop Longhouse Texaco and Suquamish Village Chevron The business plans to open more Clearwater Market locations A fatal collision on Christmas morning closed Viking Way for hours as law enforcement investigated the scene According to the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office a 2008 Suzuki was headed southbound when the male driver crossed into the northbound lane to pass a vehicle at the 16200 block of Viking Way sometime around 9 a.m The sheriff's office said evidence shows that the driver failed to return to the southbound lane after passing and collided head-on with a 2019 Toyota Highlander Poulsbo Police Department and North Kitsap Fire and Rescue crews arrived on the scene to find the driver and sole occupant of the Suzuki dead The male driver and female passenger in the Highlander suffered "serious but non-life-threatening" injuries During the investigation that closed the roadway for several hours KCSO collected evidence that leads them to suspect speeding and driving under the influence as possible causes for the collision Paid parking could be coming to downtown Poulsbo as soon as this summer pending approval from the Poulsbo City Council on Wednesday The council is poised to establish a timeline to implement paid parking in certain downtown area Some details will continue to be hashed out in further meetings but the resolution coming before the council on Wednesday gives an idea of what the parking system restructure will look like An array of streets were recommended for paid parking implementation by Walker Consultants in November 2024 The firm proposed paid parking on Anderson Parkway on Front Street from Hostmark Street to the King Olaf parking lot on Jensen Street from Front Street to Iverson Street There are 274 spaces proposed for paid parking planning and economic development director Heather Wright told the council in a meeting on February 12 There are 1,289 total on- and off-street parking spaces in Poulsbo and the city owns 413 of them according to a resolution drafted by Mayor Becky Erickson for the council’s consideration But the council has not reached a decision on the exact specifications of the parking rules and expressed interest in early morning grace hours or Sunday as a potential reprieve from paid parking Revenue collected from paid parking would go right back into downtown Poulsbo The dollars collected would fund management and enforcement of paid parking program the creation and financial support of an employee parking program increased public safety and the creation of more parking capacity The resolution would also establish expanded employee parking addressing community concerns about Poulsbo’s lack of designated spaces for workers downtown a portion of the King Olaf parking lot will be reserved for employee parking at a price of $20 per month for each employee The city’s parking implementation web page specifies that 42 spaces could be designated for overflow parking in the King Olaf overflow lot The timing of the parking implementation is the heart of the resolution the council will again discuss the details of paid parking The paid parking plan has received pushback from the Poulsbo community over those years Business owners on Front street worry that paid parking will drive away their customers while some have called on the city to enforce its parking hours instead to encourage space turnover and crack down on people leaving their cars parked in public spaces overnight Public comment will also be available at February 19th’s meeting during the citizen comment periods POULSBO — At the end of every business day around 6 p.m., Daniel Bates, head pastry chef at ChocMo Chocolatier & Café The unsold items are destined for a new home as Bates includes them in a varying number of "surprise bags" the Poulsbo cafe can offer into another revenue stream and reducing the company's waste The bags Bates assembles are made available for purchase on the "Too Good To Go" app which offers products from restaurants at a deep discount Pastries in a bag that would sell for $18 total in the morning are offered for just $6 and pick up their discounted baked goods the next day ChocMo sells about two to four bags per business day The Poulsbo cafe is the first business in Kitsap County that's available on Too Good To Go It joined the Denmark app to reduce food waste in mid-December the surplus ingredients were cooked as "family meals" to serve the employees "Now we can make sure that it [surplus food] goes to people that are a little bit more hard up especially with inflation increase," Bates said Too Good To Go is a certified B Corp social impact company founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2015 and the app was launched in 2016 The company now has over 100 million registered users and 170,000 active business partners across 19 countries in Europe and North America The platform has help to save over 350 million meals from being wasted some businesses that sell surplus food via Too Good To Go include Whole Foods A Whole Foods' bakery bag worth $21 is sold for $6.99 A Rubinstein Bagels' surprise bag worth $18 is sold for $5.99 A Circle K Treats & Eats worth $12 is sold for $3.99 An IKEA's restaurant bag worth $18 is sold for $5.99 7-Eleven's donuts worth $12 is sold for $3.99 The head pastry chef said he first heard about Too Good To Go from the ChocMo owner who thinks the platform fits their business model to not to waste food and another person mentioning the Bates that there is no business joining the app within probably 30 miles that people that don't have the money to buy stuff that they can get things at a discount," he said Bates always makes sure ChocMo's surprise bag has baked goods $18 or more "I always try to make sure I round up," Bates said Bates has heard positive feedback from those who picked up the surprise bags The only concern that may be raised would be if people constantly wait for the goods to go on sale and not buy them when the goods are fresh that's a small percentage of people that would do that because the small percentage of people that would do that are probably the people that are the most desperate," Bates said "They don't go out to eat often because they don't have that $100 just blow on a dinner Bates encouraged other businesses to join the platform and help those in need All you're doing is you're helping people," Bates said "Even if you go take a week break and you don't have anything to offer people are not going to look at you and say A local business consultant and insurance strategist has announced he'll run for mayor of Poulsbo the second candidate to do so for a job opening up in 2025 Dan Weedin announced in a press release on Tuesday that he will be joining Ed Stern, who announced his intention last week in the race to win a role that will be restructured in the coming year “With the city’s move to a part-time mayor structure alongside a professional city manager this election marks a pivotal moment for Poulsbo,” Weedin said in a statement “It’s an opportunity to blend professional management with strong visionary leadership rooted in community values I’m running for mayor because I believe my skills and experience make me uniquely equipped to serve Poulsbo effectively in this new structure.” Weedin has lived in Poulsbo with his family for more than 30 years and has been actively involved with the community through leading organizations advising Poulsbo business owners and volunteering particularly with North Kitsap High athletics He is also a speaker and author of books that offer business and lifestyle guidance upgrade public spaces and cultivate opportunities for future generations “This campaign is about us — the people who make Poulsbo special,” Weedin said Editor's note: Dan Weedin has been a long-time editorial contributor to the opinion page of the Kitsap Sun and former Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal Due to his announcement to run for elected office which will make him the subject of news coverage Kaiser Permanente plans to close medical clinics in Poulsbo and Gig Harbor next month The health care company confirmed plans to permanently shutter both clinics on Dec Kaiser cited a competitive market was behind the closure “As the health care market changes rapidly it is critical that we continue to adapt by allocating our people and resources where they provide the greatest value to our patients and customers,” the company wrote in a statement The Poulsbo Clinic was located at 19379 Seventh Ave The Gig Harbor Clinic was located at 5216 Point Fosdick Dr Most employees at the two clinics are being reassigned but there will be a “small reduction of positions.” Kaiser will continue to operate clinics in Port Orchard Patients who have questions about their care and coverage can contact Member Services at 888-901-4636 "Like all health care organizations in the wake of the pandemic we are having to find new ways to meet the growing demand for care while the costs to deliver that care are rising driven by a host of factors," said Kaiser's District Director of Operations Randy Hartman "As we look at how to respond to these challenges our first consideration is how we can most effectively meet the needs of our members in Washington  That has included evaluating our current operations and opportunities to combine services more effectively and to drive up quality as well as ensuring we are aligning our clinics with the needs of our member population." Just more than a year after telling investigators that a 25-year-old man had shot himself before crashing a car along Tracyton Boulevard near Silverdale 2023 crash appeared in Kitsap County Superior Court on Tuesday after being charged with manslaughter was arrested and booked into Kitsap County Jail on Monday and charged with one count of first-degree manslaughter which includes a maximum penalty of life in prison for the reckless death of Bradley Michael Joshua Smith last September Streun's initial statements to law enforcement were deemed "implausible and extremely unlikely," according to charging documents According to a probable cause statement for Streun's arrest Kitsap County Sheriff's deputies arrived at a single-vehicle crash on Tracyton Boulevard at NW Selbo Road and appeared to have struck a power pole and series of mailboxes clearly in pain and with blood on his shirt Deputies found Smith dead in the front seat of the Subaru with a gunshot wound on the right side of his head and an hour later spoke to a KCSO detective Streun said that the two men were friends and had been at a birthday party at a Silverdale restaurant that evening The report notes that Streun appeared intoxicated and he confirmed drinking beer and hard alcohol at two different locations and said the two intended to go to a third restaurant They had incorrectly gone to the wrong location and were returning to Silverdale when the crash occurred Streun claimed Smith had waved a loaded gun in the car while the two were listening to music Streun said that he had not felt threatened by Smith and admitted he had handled the gun in the car as well Detectives found a Smith and Wesson 9 mm handgun in the car which was registered to Smith and had a loaded magazine and a round in the chamber as Streun told detectives Smith planned to move to Florida the next day 25 by Kitsap County Medical Examiner Lindsay Harle found small abrasions known as "powder tattooing" around the victim's wound made by gunpowder particles that can indicate the distance a shot was fired from and Harle said Smith may have been shot by as far as 2 feet away Detectives wrote that the finding led them to request further testing to determine what distance Smith was shot from A forensics team in California was contacted to study the shooting and evidence and in May a scientist determined Smith was shot at a distance of between 10 and 15 inches using a Subaru WRX offered by a local dealership attached to the muzzle of the gun recovered from the scene Two detectives that approximately matched Smith's height and weight attempted to pull the trigger at each of the distances and even at 10 inches each detective noted the difficulty in squeezing the trigger They also tested the gun while sitting in the passenger's seat aimed toward the driver at the three distances "From this position I could easily squeeze the trigger with no strain or additional effort." Allen Tencer of the Harborview Biomechanics Laboratory also concluded that it would not have been possible for Smith to pull the trigger of a gun pointed at himself while in the car writing it is "unlikely he fired the gun at himself." Smith's family testified that Smith was left-handed and his right hand would have been on the stick shift of the Subaru as it was moving They also told detectives their son was "militant" about gun safety and had taken firearms safety courses Smith's family also provided detectives photos from a Snapchat video apparently made earlier on the night of Sept that show him playing with a gun that matched the one in the car who is dressed the same in the video as he was seen after the crash is shown in court documents as pointing the barrel of the gun through the zipper of his pants and a second Snapchat image shows Streun holding the same gun in August Streun was scheduled to make an initial appearance at 3 p.m Jail records show he is still held on $500,000 bail This story will be updated to include Streun's plea during his scheduled arraignment the animals have been coming around in swarms for the past six weeks She did admit to feeding the animals for decades before the situation finally got out of hand “I’ve certainly never seen anything like this None of the deputies have ever seen anything like this This was new for everybody,” Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Kevin McCarty stated Other longtime Poulsbo residents told KOMO News it's common to see the masked mammals on their properties near wooded areas and even sent us their photos of the animals but they've never seen anything like what this woman experienced They certainly shouldn’t feed them,” McCarty said so a lot of them are showing up because they expect they’re going to get a meal.” She just didn't give up,” neighbor Jim Malmbord said State law says all animals trapped by a wildlife control operator must be released on-site or euthanized and properly disposed of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said the raccoons have dispersed since the woman stopped feeding them WDFW shares information throughout the year reminding people to avoid feeding raccoons to keep them from getting comfortable around people Poulsbo City Council member Ed Stern has announced his intention to run for mayor after occupying a city council seat for over 25 years Stern announced his bid at last Wednesday's city council meeting where he is currently serving his seventh consecutive term since taking office in 1998 He was appointed as deputy mayor at the start of the year and previously worked as a financial advisor managing three brokerage offices Stern’s experience in local government originated prior to moving to Poulsbo when he was a community development director for a city in Montana “I started in municipal government right after university and now I’m back there,” Stern said Current Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson has announced she will not be running for re-election once her term ends in 2025 leaving the seat open to new candidates for the first time since 2010 Not only will Poulsbo see a new face in charge in 2026 but there will also be another local leader in the mix City administrator role restructuring Poulsbo governmentThe city council in June approved a new business tax to fund a city administrator to work alongside Poulsbo’s mayor which acts as an alternative to a mayor system of government the city administrator is appointed by an elected council to manage the city’s internal operations As one of the leaders who spearheaded the structural change Stern said he hopes to facilitate this transition in rebalancing responsibilities as the mayor “The picture I want to paint is Simone Biles coming off the pommel horse after a great routine,” Stern said like hers where her feet land with her hands above her head it doesn’t matter how well your pommel horse went It’s not going to look good and you’re going to have points removed so I really would like the city to land this well.” Now that the mayor’s position will be altered to part-time Stern said he hopes this new system will encourage more people to run for the titular office “Instead of it being an ‘either or’ choice “Part of this design was to broaden the pool of people who run for mayor in the years ahead.” Poulsbo residents will vote to elect a new mayor as well as three city council positions that are up for reelection The new year will officially introduce the newest addition to Poulsbo's city government when former county commissioners Rob Gelder returns to Kitsap as the first city administrator Mayor Becky Erickson announced Gelder's appointment in a statement on Wednesday and confirmed he will take up the position on January 16 "Rob brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable to our city’s future," Erickson said in a statement and strategic planning will help provide the stability and guidance needed as Poulsbo moves forward." His responsibilities currently involve managing the county's budget legislative agenda and several public departments Gelder was selected due to his history of leadership in local government as his professional experience aligns with the demands of Poulsbo's new role "I have a passion for local government,” Gelder said in a statement “It’s where we touch the lives ofresidents every day and I am excited to support the City of Poulsbo in implementing itscommunity-developed vision for the future I look forward to working alongside the Mayor and residents to ensure that Poulsbo continues to grow and thrive whilemaintaining the values that make it such a special place.” Poulsbo's city council voted in June to approve a business tax that funds the full-time city administrator Background: New tax on Poulsbo businesses starts July 1 to fund full-time city administrator Not to be confused with what's known as a city manager system of local government which is how Bainbridge Island's city operates the city administrator is selected by the mayor to oversee the operations of city offices Erickson said the position is like the mayor's "chief of staff." "I'm thrilled to be able to work with him again," Erickson said I have very specific ideas about what the city administrator needs to do and it is nothing Rob is unfamiliar with." 2025 will be Erickson's final year in office as she announced she will not run for re-election City councilmember Ed Stern and local business consultant Dan Weedin have both announced that they plan to be mayoral candidates in Poulsbo's 2025 election Delays between Poulsbo and Suquamish are anticipated on Tuesday when crews will connect the spans of the second land of a new bridge over Sam Snyder Creek The lane closures are scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the stretch of Highway 305 near Totten Road and Lemolo Shore Drive, where one-way alternating traffic will be in effect, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation Drivers heading from Poulsbo to Suquamish or Bainbridge Island are encouraged to plan ahead for delays More: Culvert replacements around Sinclair Inlet will affect traffic starting 2026 part of of the state's efforts to replace aging culverts across Washington that have become fish barriers Completion of the new 239-foot steel bridge will replace two former concrete culverts the stream had traveled through The first half of the bridge was completed for use last August and the second span's completion means the project is nearly finished The second of three new traffic-monitoring cameras in Poulsbo goes live next week with one in a school initially distributing warnings to those caught speeding near Poulsbo Elementary School the city will begin sending warnings to drivers who the camera records exceeding the speed limit according to a statement from the Poulsbo Police Department and then real citations will be issued following Speed safety cameras are located at the entrance to the school on Noll Road Vehicles that speed during the warning period will receive a notice in the mail describing the incident and reminding them to abide by school zone speed limits to ensure the safety of students When the traffic camera begins giving out tickets the police department said penalty fines will vary based on speed If a driver surpasses the posted limit by six to 10 mph Going over by 11 to 15 mph amounts to $200 and any speed recorded over 16 mph will incur a fee of $250 Cameras will capture photos of offending vehicles' license plates and send the visuals through secure video law enforcement will review the infraction prior to issuing a fine The city plans to install another traffic camera that would monitor the red light traffic signal at Highway 305 and Bond Road That would capture drivers who run the red light and is scheduled to go into effect early this year More information about Poulsbo's new traffic cameras can be found on the city's website The first of three traffic cameras planned in Poulsbo to monitor for speeding and red-light violations which may lead to tickets issued to drivers Automated cameras will eventually be on Viking Way near the trailhead into Fish Park which is on the block north of Finn Hill Road and south of Highway 305 on Noll Road near Poulsbo Elementary School and on Highway 305 at its intersection with Bond Road The Viking Way camera is now measuring speeds of approaching northbound traffic, and after recording a violation an infraction will be mailed to the address associated with the vehicle's registration. For the first 30 days, until Oct. 22, a notice or reminder will be sent rather than a $145 ticket. Residents issued a ticket will be able to see the footage of the violation at www.violationinfo.com According to an earlier report by the Kitsap Sun the locations for cameras were chosen by the city on the recommendation of the police department as places where enforcement is often heaviest or crashes have been often observed No date has been announced for the speed camera on Noll Road near the entrance to Poulsbo Elementary or the red-light camera at the intersection of 305 and Bond Road to be operational Poulsbo Police Chief Ron Harding told the Kitsap Sun in August that the Viking Way camera was anticipated to be operational by Sept with the other two to undergo testing during September before being turned on A man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after sheriff's deputies discovered his car in Dyes Inlet Tuesday night a 22-year-old man from Poulsbo is believed to have submerged his car in the water at Tracyton boat launch Officers responded to a call at around 10:30 p.m. and when they arrived the vehicle was on the boat ramp several yards into where the tide had come in After tracking wet footprints on the ground who was sopping wet and smelled strongly of alcohol The suspect allegedly admitted he had been drinking and claimed he did not realize what had happened until he noticed the water at his feet KCSO said he told officers he was unsure how his car ended up in the water but he escaped the vehicle before it filled with water Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue launched a boat at the scene to conduct a search for passengers in the car though KCSO said the driver had been alone in the vehicle The driver is in custody at the Kitsap County Jail and is scheduled to appear at Kitsap County Superior Court to face a DUI charge Two men found stabbed to death in a Scandia neighborhood home on Wednesday were apparently killed by their half-brother who was arrested in Bonney Lake later that night was charged in Kitsap County Superior Court on Thursday He faces two counts of second-degree murder with potential additional penalties due to the crimes being considered domestic violence as well as an assault charge for hitting a Kitsap County Sheriff's Office detective after he was in custody according to charging documents filed in court Thursday and told a dispatcher that his half-brother had slit his own throat A 911 dispatcher later told Kistap County Sheriff's detectives that the phone then went silent Background: Two people found dead near Poulsbo, suspect arrested in Pierce County When KCSO deputies arrived at the home on Scandia Road NW just north of the intersection of Central Valley Road and Highway 308 one man could be seen laying on the floor inside the home who noted that there were no visible signs of blood elsewhere At the top of a flight of stairs a second man's body was found and the two were later identified as brothers also was surrounded by blood and his throat was slit The report noted a handgun was on a nearby table Detectives learned that South lived in the home with the other two men and was likely driving a black Toyota Tacoma South told the family member "you're with me or you're against me," and confess to have killed "the boys." A different family member told detectives that South denied killing anyone during a phone call that afternoon who also reached South on the phone at around the same time of the 911 call told detectives that South admitted killing someone but did not say who a friend of South's reported to have heard the suspect say he was going to Missouri next The warrant for South's arrest and alert for his vehicle was made statewide was told that Pierce County Sheriff's deputies had South in custody along a highway in Bonney Lake caused by spike strips placed by law enforcement KCSO deputies arrived and inspected the truck South was taken to a Pierce County Sheriff's Office location where he was interviewed by two KCSO detectives South admitted to have stabbed the victim found in the kitchen but claimed that man had killed the victim found on the second floor he allegedly "shot forward" into one of them leaving the detective with a cut on his head South is currently in custody at the Kitsap County Jail and scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Thursday afternoon Drivers through North Kitsap should plan for additional time using Highway 305 between Poulsbo to Suquamish this week with regular traffic stops planned for Tuesday The delays are part of a project to build a new bridge over Sam Snyder Creek where work has been ongoing for months near the highway's intersection with Totten Road/Lemolo Shore Drive just south of Poulsbo and a few miles west of Suquamish Work will not occur during the primary commute windows on Highway 305 according to the Washington State Department of Transportation announced schedule WSDOT said that brief traffic stops will occur between 4 a.m That interruption is to allow girders to be brought into the work zone and one-way traffic will be allow during those times drivers can expect traffic stops of up to 30 minutes long as the girders are installed Those stops are scheduled to happen through each day until 2 p.m One-way alternating traffic will be offered as is needed and possible Drivers are encouraged to plan for additional time through the work zone particularly those headed to catch scheduled ferries at the Winslow terminal on Bainbridge Island Traffic over Sam Snyder Creek is currently using a bypass bridge which is anticipated for use through March The project overall is part of the state's effort to open up fish passages and this portion will remove two concrete culvers under the highway and replace them with a 239-foot-long steel girder bridge The project has a cost of around $36 million It's a conversation that's been unfolding in Poulsbo for more than a decade: How can the city improve downtown parking efforts to answer that question ramped up — which means change may be coming for Poulsbo drivers Finding parking in downtown Poulsbo — a network of streets tucked between Highway 305 and Liberty Bay — has always been difficult but the problem has only grown as Poulsbo's population has increased by nearly a third since 2010 "The overall issue is there just isn't enough parking for all the people that want to be downtown," said Denver Smyth the president of the Historic Downtown Poulsbo Association (HDPA) Skye Loyd, who manages the Verksted Gallery Artists' Cooperative said Poulsbo's lack of designated employee parking is particularly frustrating especially when she has to bring larger art pieces into the shop "You have to park illegally across the street and stand there waving at people and holding the car," added Shannon Kruger Loyd and Kruger often use the public parking spots at City Hall but those spots are closed on Monday and Thursday "I just drive around until I can find a place," Kruger said Business owners and employees aren't the only ones who face parking difficulties downtown. Kirsten Puhr, who owns The NW Dog said she hears from customers who book appointments to have their dogs' nails trimmed "It's the biggest source of complaints," she said "Downtown Poulsbo is just so busy," said Tasha Zetty a RE/MAX broker and the president of the Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce people just turn and go to the next city," bypassing Poulsbo businesses entirely MORE: Poulsbo Nordic Cottages project moves ahead for senior housing Those reports identified concerns similar to those raised by the most recent parking committee the parking committee — composed of city staff members and members of the Planning Commission — drew on the Walker report to identify four main areas of improvement: signage and wayfinding The May presentation kicked off a process that may eventually lead to more enforcement and potentially even paid or hybrid parking in the downtown core the city's planning and economic development director said that Walker Consultants has been working on a proposal around the four areas of focus that the council discussed during their May 15 meeting "Council know[s] they want to do signage," Wright said They know they want to do some kind of enforcement It's what kind of enforcement and what it looks like that all has to be figured out And that's what the consultant is going to help us with." "There's all [this] connecting the dots that Walker's going to put into focus for us." Initial proposal made public in AugustWright said that Walker will present an initial proposal at the Wednesday council members will decide whether to grant a budget amendment that would allow Walker to begin officially working with the city to manage Poulsbo parking a city council member who also serves on the parking committee said he is generally in favor of charging for parking in what he calls "front-row" areas of downtown Poulsbo such as Front Street and the Anderson Parkway lot He compared the practice to buying seats on an airplane "you typically charge for the best spaces," McVey said "I think it's fair if we keep some of the free spots available for people who are willing to park further out and [don't] want to pay for the front row location I think it's important that we offer both options." McVey noted that his opinion could change based on Walker's proposal next week when the council will have a better sense of what potential parking solutions will cost some council members expressed impatience and a desire to finally make progress on the parking problem while others cautioned against rushing into a sloppy fix a council member who serves on the parking advisory committee urging her fellow council members to explore the paid parking model "in earnest." "We have to take a step to get beyond where we are now," she said and then the fear and trepidation prevented ever getting beyond." Livdahl did not respond to a request for further comment Council member Ed Stern served with Livdahl on the committee He said that before members of Poulsbo's government take any action they should place the city's parking struggles in perspective "I look at things like this in two ways," Stern wrote in an email to the Kitsap Sun Parking issues due to so many people wanting to visit our charming waterfront downtown is a good problem to have." "The key for me is making sure the cure isn’t worse than the ‘illness’ that we the city take great care not to create a bad problem in parceling out parking restrictions." MORE: Front Street's newest bakery brings back creativity of a pair of Kitsap chefs Many of the business owners on Front Street oppose one cure in particular: paid parking. Walker Ranson, who co-owns Liberty Bay Books said that paid parking is the "worst of all the ideas" that the city has put forward is one of many business owners who worry that if the city starts charging for parking "Why would the locals [pay for parking] if they could go to The Trails?" Simnioniw said referring to a shopping mall in Silverdale Simnioniw is also concerned about the logistics of paid parking "If they do it so you've got to use your phone [to pay] the upcoming Walker Consultants proposal will help clarify many of the logistics associated with a paid parking model McVey said that he believes paid parking would actually help businesses a restaurant in downtown Poulsbo that stopped taking reservations because so many people skipped out on their reservations after failing to find parking "Would you rather have someone parking [in the Anderson Parkway lot] for six to eight hours at a time?" McVey said "Or would you rather that space turn over with more customers for your business?" said that the HDPA will continue to be an "information avenue" between the city and local businesses as parking proposals advance Despite the general Front Street opposition to paid parking many business owners are in favor of other aspects of the parking committee's proposal including enforcement for cars that have overstayed parking time limits "I think it's a step in the right direction," said Kristen Puhr Walker Ranson of Liberty Bay Books said he wants the city to crack down on people who leave their cars overnight in the Anderson Parkway lot "That's definitely something that needs to stop," he said Any revenue generated by a paid parking model would ideally "stay downtown" and fund effective parking enforcement McVey said that it's a good time for Poulsbo to be considering fixes for the parking problem though many of those fixes are contentious "I think we're in a position of strength right now," he said But I think if we were to make some changes...now is a good time The community is growing at a very steady rate and that's likely to continue." McVey continued: "I think doing nothing is not an option." By Kerrie Houston Reightley April 8 There’s more good news on the Pacific Northwest pickleball horizon for those who can’t get enough. The sister-brother team of Mara and John Hylton recently converted 31,500 square feet of former OfficeMax and Big 5 space into Poulsbo Pickleball Kingdom PPK The Hyltons have secured 21 franchise licenses for Pickleball Kingdom The greater Seattle area is quickly becoming the epicenter of pickleball, with several major pickleball centers set to open soon, including: The Picklr, which will open in the Fremont neighborhood this fall; and Picklewood, set to open this summer in SODO Pickleball, of course, was founded on Bainbridge Island in 1965. Two years ago, then-Gov. Jay Inslee declared pickleball the official sport of Washington state. It is the fastest-growing sport in the United States Will I give up my USTA rating that has fluctuated between 4.0 and 4.5 for decades And give up my leopard-print Don Jo “Flirty” tennis skirts and hot pink racer-back tops for a traditional pickleball outfit of long-sleeved shirts What I do know is that I’ve witnessed the dark side I like to tell people that sports brought me to Seattle This is technically correct: My first trip to the city was to watch a college basketball game The truth is that generosity is what got me here Seattle is about to host some of the biggest soccer matches in the world the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup comes to town It’s the largest club soccer tournament ever held in the U.S Watching the WNBA’s Seattle Storm just got a whole lot more convenient The Storm have a new multi-year partnership with Sinclair affiliates KOMO (ABC) and KUNS (CW) to air the club’s games The deal means the Storm will now reach 2.3 million homes across the Seattle area The deal calls for 33 games and has… Exhibit celebrates 50 years of the Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks and MOPOP are teaming up for two nights of free NFL draft parties April 24 and 25 The free party offers the first look at MOPOP’s new pop-up display Seahawks 50: A Legacy in Blue and Green The exhibit showcases 50 years of Seahawks history and features items including game-worn gear Sign up and get Seattle's best events delivered to your inbox every week Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Sandra Duran and her husband were at work in mid-November when their landscaping trailer was towed from their home in Poulsbo and impounded the couple may now lose the trailer rely on as a source of income to survive in a mobile home park community where ownership changes have at times compounded existing struggles for people like the Durans Notices had been posted in the Poulsbo Mobile Home Community where the Durans have lived for the last 16 years that parking rules residents agreed to in September 2022 would be enforced on December 1 in an effort to improve safety and park aesthetics along with 11 other vehicles deemed noncompliant with funding from the City of Poulsbo and North Kitsap Fishline an effort that has since spread to other mobile home communities Now the city has re-entered conflict in the mobile home park this time to help dissolve the language barrier between management and numerous Spanish-speaking tenants who did not understand the parking notices written in English and attempt to help people like the Durans retain their property others still in limboSince the mass-impound on November 13 owners of six of the 11 impounded vehicles were able to retrieve their vehicles some at a cost of more than $600 in towing fees As the clock ticks towards the possible sale of their vehicles in a live auction which is allowed by state law to cover outstanding towing debts residents are racking up a bill with an additional $101 storage fee every day that they don’t retrieve the vehicle The Durans' trailer was parked on a field in a corner Park management previously told them that there was no problem if they parked the trailer in the field But a letter from park manager Carrie Wood notified residents that starting on December 1 the "regulations to enhance the safety and overall experience for everyone in our community" would take effect detailing areas where parking violations “frequently occur," acknowledging that “in the past some of these rules may not have been consistently enforced.” Duran said she was not given the notice until November 18 The notice came attached with a form to register the vehicles with park management Prior to November 13 Andrew Holt of Kitsap Chico Towing walked through Poulsbo Mobile Home Community with Wood who identified vehicles that were in violation of their parking regulations Holt told the Kitsap Sun that he explained to Wood how Kitsap Chico Towing would not release a vehicle to a resident if they were not the registered owner they are typically sold off during monthly live auctions The money collected from the auction of a vehicle is used to pay the outstanding impound bill it'd be best to let these residents know that they should register these vehicles if it's theirs The park then authorized the towing of vehicles deemed out of compliance Five vehicles have not been released due to registration issues that in order to get the car back according to Washington state law you have to be the registered owner." Wood declined to comment Related: Volunteers flock to effort helping mobile park tenants stay in their homes The Durans’ trailer is correctly registered through 2027 in California but the couple wasn’t able to pay the price of the impounding bill Duran’s neighbors who had their cars impounded paid about $900 and $1,200 to Kitsap Chico Towing She says it continues to climb up about $45 per year Tenants looking to retrieve one of the five cars still impounded must first register their ownership with the Washington State Department of Licensing park ownership has agreed to offer a minimum of $800 in lot rent credit for residents who were able to redeem their cars and will need to make decisions on a case-by-case basis in reimbursing impounding bills that exceed $800 The situation may be more complicated for those who did not get their vehicles back and the park's owners have yet to make a decision “We don't have any guidelines yet,” Shah said So we're still trying to determine what the best way to remedy this is.” The park owners have negotiated with Kitsap Chico Towing not to auction the vehicles off in December but there is a pending auction on January 3 Holt also said he will not take the outstanding impound bills left over from the auctions to collections because of the unique registration issue city leaders been “very eager to figure out a resolution for how those cars can get back to their owners,” said Poulsbo Housing Health and Human Services lead Kim Hendrickson Hendrickson and Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson took a walk through the mobile home park alongside Duran a project lead from the Bluebills volunteer group and a park response team project manager Bob Keever of the Bluebills wrote in an email “Bluebills are disturbed with this trend in which large investment corporations are buying up low-income mobile home parks charging for utilities that were previously included and issuing mandates to beautify the homes and yards Though the city has no stake in the park and does not represent either side Hendrickson said the city has since hired a Spanish language translator to serve as a resource from people in the park seeking help with registration issues Many residents speak Spanish as their first language and the letter about parking regulations was not provided in Spanish The translator can be reached at (360) 394-9795 “There's always going to be the language barrier between us and management,” Duran said “We don't have Spanish forms where we can understand what we're going to sign for And that's very frustrating because people are so scared now should we sign or should we wait until she gives us an actual Spanish sheet where we can at least know what we're signing for?” Shah acknowledged that there is a language barrier and could not confirm if the notice was sent out in Spanish The company is wary of potential liability issues that could ensue if they were to provide notices in Spanish because they may be required to do so in all languages but the company has not inquired about the legality for a couple of years park ownership will position a manager who is fluent in Spanish at the Poulsbo Mobile Home Park to help address the language barrier — A woman living near Poulsbo's home was recently invaded by over 100 raccoons last week The woman said she's been feeding raccoons in the area for almost four decades she was surrounded by the animals and contacted authorities for help Kitsap County deputies eventually came to her rescue after she was forced to run away in her car to escape the raccoons The woman told deputies she's been feeding nearby raccoons for about 35 years but didn't experience the inundation until around six weeks ago The woman said the raccoons surround her day and night She also noted she's been quoted prices as high as $500 per raccoon to trap and relocate them Deputies said they referred her to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to help find a solution MYNORTHWEST NEWS 8:00 AM | Updated: 9:23 am A sea of raccoons swarmed the yard of a Poulsbo home (Photo courtesy of Kitsap County Sheriff's Office) BY JULIA DALLAS A Poulsbo woman who found herself surrounded by a gaze of raccoons Monday has regained her home Bridget Mire with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed to MyNorthwest via email on Wednesday the woman stopped feeding the animals “Our wildlife conflict specialist for Kitsap County met with the resident who has stopped feeding the raccoons,” Mire wrote “The raccoons appear to have started dispersing now that they are no longer being fed and we are glad for a positive outcome to this case.” Mire added the best way to avoid a similar situation is to remove attractants and not feed wild animals ‘Vaccination is critical:’ Contagious, deadly rabbit disease rises again in Washington The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) reported, via a Facebook post Monday the woman first started feeding raccoons outside her home 35 years ago the woman looked outside to find nearly 100 of them “She said around six weeks ago the number of raccoons ballooned to more than 100 and the new animals were far more aggressive,” Kevin McCarty with KCSO said in an email to MyNorthwest “She said she repeatedly had to throw food to them to get them to leave her alone.” She called for help to which Kitsap deputies responded “She was forced to run away in her car to escape the furry and very hungry creatures,” McCarty stated in the video The woman told deputies the raccoons started getting out of control about six weeks ago The woman added the raccoons often surround her day and night demanding food She said she had been quoted as much as $500 per raccoon to trap and relocate them Deputies referred the woman to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to help her “find a solution to her pesky problem,” KCSO stated “Our involvement was to make sure she was safe educate her on what can and can’t be done under the law regarding removal of wild animals and refer her to the WDFW for further information and assistance,” McCarty told MyNorthwest The WILDCOMM team at WDFW referred the woman to wildlife control operators in her area according to an email from Bridget Mire with WDFW to MyNorthwest on Monday Mire added the woman told officials she was working with a trapper “all animals trapped by a WCO must be released on-site or euthanized and properly disposed of Wildlife experts urge people to not feed raccoons, according to WDFW’s website What you should know: ‘Zombie deer, elk disease’ confirmed in Washington WDFW said that feeding raccoons can create undesirable situations as raccoons that are fed by people often lose their fear of humans and can become aggressive when not fed Other recommendations to keep raccoons away are keeping garbage secure locking pet doors and closing off areas that raccoons could make into a den For more on raccoons, visit WDFW’s website Editors note: This story was originally published on Oct It has been updated and republished since then Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here The Kitsap County Medical Examiner's Office on Friday identified the two men killed in an apparently homicide on Scandia Road Wednesday South made an initial court appearance on Thursday in Kitsap County Superior Court where he is charged with two counts of second-degree murder He is being held in Kitsap County Jail without the possibility of bail ordered by Superior Court Judge Bill Houser According to court documents South will be evaluated at Western State Hospital before making a court appearance for a hearing on his competency on Friday resulting from South striking a Kitsap County Sheriff's detective after he was taken into custody According to the probable cause statement for South's arrest and reported that one of the two victims had been injured by a knife and South referred to the man as his half-brother South's home address is listed as the same address on Scandia Road where the men were found KCSO deputies and first responders found one man dead in a first-floor kitchen and another dead at the top of a staircase on the second floor of the home He was pulled over several hours later by Pierce County Sheriff's deputies in the town of Bonney Lake From the dancing Sugar Plum Fairy to a climactic battle with the Mouse King many are familiar with one of the most popular shows in the ballet world This holiday season, InMotion Performing Arts Studio is creating a performance of “The Nutcracker” that may be able to reach audiences who don’t usually frequent the theater The dance studio in Poulsbo will be putting on their first "sensory-friendly" performance of the popular Christmas tradition which small changes to the performance to accommodate patrons who may be sensitive to loud music or can't sit for a full-length ballet these kinds of accommodations are gaining traction in the live theater industry and can even be seen on Broadway “We want to make the theater available to everybody because we think it’s just a really important experience to get to be a part of,” said Chris Price “We know some families that have grown children with down syndrome but have never really had the opportunity to take them to the theater before They’ve already bought tickets and they’re super excited.” InMotion is no stranger to kids with special needs as one of the instructors has a child with autism who grew up dancing at the studio Price said both have been with the studio for years so they have a lot of firsthand knowledge with children of similar backgrounds “A lot of my teachers here at the studio are special education trained and teach in public school systems we had some really good resources in that respect to help make sure that the show might be a better fit for kiddos with sensory specific challenges.” Occurring on the weekend after Thanksgiving this performance will feature a shorter run time that is about an hour in length compared to the show’s normal run time which is closer to two hours The volume of the orchestra’s music will be lowered and the lights will be dimmed but not completely turned off so kids in attendance are able to move along the aisles if needed Price said there will also be a pre-show talk that introduces the characters and gives the audience an idea of what to expect to help dispel anxieties that could arise during the more tense scenes attendees can also pick up a visual guide that maps out the show and can be followed for the duration of the performance Even though this will be the dance studio’s first trial of a performance with accommodations InMotion plans to incorporate this kind of show in their annual run of “The Nutcracker.” we would love to do it every year the same way that families already come to our shows year after year “We would hope it would then become their annual tradition as well.” The sensory-friendly performance is open to anyone ranging from those looking for an accommodating experience as well as novices to ballet who are interested in their first exposure without the two-hour commitment and some aides of explanation InMotion’s sensory-friendly performance will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30. Traditional showing of “The Nutcracker” will be on Friday, Nov. 29 at 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30 at 12 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 1 at 3 p.m. All performances will be at Central Kitsap Performing Arts Center. For tickets visit https://www.inmotionperformingarts.org/ 'The Nutcracker' around Kitsap this holiday seasonInMotion's performance of “The Nutcracker” is one of several being offered by area dance studios this holiday season Others performing the timeless classic include: Dance Arts Theatre in Silverdale: 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, at the Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center. Tickets and info at https://danceartstheatre.org/ Peninsula Dance Theatre in Bremerton: 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center. Tickets and info at http://www.peninsuladancetheatre.org/ Academy of Dance in Port Orchard: 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 and 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15 at the Central Kitsap Performing Arts Center. Tickets and info at https://myacademyofdance.com/ Groove Studios in Port Orchard: A 'Nutcracker High Tea,' with an interactive performance, snacks at tea, is at noon and again at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15 at the Port Orchard Masonic Lodge. A full performance of the ballet is a6 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20 and at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Central Kitsap Performing Arts Center. Tickets and info at https://www.groovestudioswa.com/ by Gabe Katzman — A man is dead after a head-on collision with another vehicle in Poulsbo on Wednesday morning according to the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) The KCSO said the crash involved two cars and happened just after 9 a.m in the 16200 block of Viking Way Northwest The driver of a 2008 Suzuki vehicle heading southbound entered oncoming traffic to pass a vehicle but deputies said evidence revealed he did not return to the southbound lane once he had made the pass The KCSO said the man's vehicle then collided head-on with a 2019 Toyota Highlander heading northbound The male driver and female passenger did not have life-threatening and were treated at the scene The road was shut down for several hours as investigators gathered evidence Deputies believe impairment and speeding could be what led to the collision and North Kitsap Fire and Rescue responded to the crash POULSBO -- Months after expanding its recovery center and opening a sober living community Poulsbo is in the early stages of developing yet another facility for individuals facing addiction in North Kitsap the Poulsbo City Council allocated a $20,000 grant from the State Department of Commerce to explore recommendations and funding strategies for the development of an overnight diversion center that would be shared with Bainbridge Island Plans also aim to create several small recovery residences throughout North Kitsap said the diversion center would offer a low-barrier facility primarily for the unhoused population It would provide access to shelter for individuals looking to start the recovery process and then move them into transitional housing City officials envision the diversion center as the focal point of a “hub and spoke” system designed to provide wrap-around services for those facing addiction. The plan is modeled after the Snohomish County Diversion Center in Everett The diversion center plans to offer 30 days of temporary shelter as well as connections to case management and other services to individuals starting the recovery process clients would be transitioned out of the diversion facility and move into smaller recovery houses composed of other residents who have also completed an initial detox These homes would function similarly to the city-run Nelson House a five-bed home at Nelson Park opened this year serving men who are 30 to 90 days sober and have finished a detox or inpatient program The house keeps its residents connected with programming or “spoke,” part of this model is critical The presence of stable housing after a detox period makes it more likely those with serious addiction can reach sobriety “It won’t work unless there are these spokes to help people when they really need it,” she said “It's really important that people have somewhere to go.”  While the construction of these facilities is at least a few years away — initial plans are expected to come before each city council in early 2025 — approval of the small grant formalizes the work of the ad-hoc Intragovernmental STEP (Shelter has met a handful of times over the last year to discuss recovery housing Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson convened the first meeting of the group in September 2023 the consensus was that there is a high need in Central and North Kitsap for an overnight facility that connects unhoused people to recovery services They also acknowledged a need for supportive housing for people facing substance use disorders tough problems,” Erickson told the Bainbridge City Council “The need for a diversion program for mental illness and addiction is a big The Bainbridge City Council officially agreed to work with Poulsbo on the project in June Bainbridge Mayor Joe Deets said they remain committed to helping individuals facing substance abuse disorders with nowhere else to turn and there was a feeling that the city had to do something both for the city and broader community “These are people from North Kitsap County We can’t say everything stops at Bainbridge” Efforts to build a recovery center are the latest undertaking by the small city of Poulsbo to address substance abuse and provide low-income housing in North Kitsap Hendrickson said the city has opened two STEP housing facilities within the past year. They include the Nelson House and the Nordic Cottages an 8-unit housing development for low-income seniors The city also opened and later expanded the North Kitsap Recovery Resource Center a walk-in treatment facility for Poulsbo and Bainbridge residents “This council has taken some very dramatic action to support STEP Housing in the past few months,” Hendrickson said “But the obligation obviously goes beyond those two projects.” This story has been updated to include new information A 23-year-old man was arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of killing two people who were found dead at a home in the Scandia neighborhood near Poulsbo earlier in the afternoon The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office said Seth R South was arrested in King County Wednesday evening after a warrant was issued for his arrest earlier in the evening Two teenage boys were found dead around 3 p.m Wednesday in a home on Scandia Road near where it meets Virginia Loop Road Detectives found evidence that led to the warrant being issued for South An early report from KCSO said the victims were adults It is believed that South is related to the two victims though the exact relationship has not been announced and he was booked into Kitsap County Jail on suspicion of two charges of second-degree murder and one assault charge Scandia Road was closed all afternoon and residents are asked to avoid the area As of Wednesday evening detectives and deputies were still investigating the crime scene.