Spring is in the air! Despite the snow and extended cold
weather this year, Kitsap County continues to heat up with major construction projects,
conversations on economic development that maintains quality of life amid major
growth, and planning for a future that meets the needs of generations to come.
We’re expanding our park lands and partnerships, and making substantial
investments and improvements to our infrastructure. Most importantly, we’re getting
more citizens actively participating in planning, stewarding our resources, and helping create a vision we can work towards and
accomplish together. Stay tuned - the stars are aligned for Central Kitsap and Silverdale.
As always, it's an honor to serve as your Kitsap County Commissioner.
Military Appreciation Day 2018 took place March 10 at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. Active-duty military, veterans and their families were honored and celebrated. I am pictured here (in the red shirt) with members of the American Legion John D. "Bud" Hawk Post 109 of Silverdale. Thank you to all who participated, including the sponsors and local businesses, and to the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce for organizing the event.
Construction is moving along on major projects in Silverdale – the Central Kitsap High and Middle schools (right and below) and
Harrison Medical Center’s new hospital (above). It was exciting to take hard-hat tours
of these projects last month that represent investments of over $730 million in
our Central Kitsap community!
Scheduled to open in January 2020, the new $500 million
Harrison hospital expansion will have many new departments as well as hundreds of private rooms. When construction is
in full swing, over 500 workers will be on the job.
The school construction project represents a taxpayer
investment of $233.8 million. The 313,000 square-foot building will contain
both middle and high school facilities, with a shared cafeteria, commons area
and auditorium. The new middle school is scheduled to open in spring of 2019
and the new high school will open next in fall of 2019.
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Last month, I was privileged to join other elected
officials as a board member of the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (KEDA) to participated on a panel that included the mayors of Bremerton,
Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island and Port Orchard. Our discussion focused on the Kitsap economy and outlook on Puget Sound-area growth and the associated impacts on our side of the water. We
anticipate major growth here in the county as cost of living continues to rise
in the Seattle area and drives people here to look for smaller, less crowded
communities and more affordable housing.
In Kitsap County, 65 percent of our population of 264,000
resides in unincorporated areas. Since 2010, our population has grown over 5
percent and the median income is up 18 percent.
With fast-ferry service in Bremerton, and coming
soon to Kingston and Southworth, our region is preparing and responding to
the anticipated growth. Kitsap County continues to invest in our infrastructure
with road, stormwater management and sewer improvements. Our expanding county
parks system of over 10,000 acres improves the health and well-being of our citizens and the
environment.
As your county commissioner, I am committed to focusing efforts
on balancing economic growth with the quality of life that we are used to here on
the natural side of Puget Sound. For more information on KEDA, visit http://kitsapeda.org/.
 Commissioner Ed Wolfe, Mayor Rob Putaansuu, Mayor Becky Erickson and Mayor Kol Medina on the KEDA panel
Over the last two years, we have made significant changes
to the representation and structure of the Central Kitsap Community Council
(CKCC) to better represent community organizations and stakeholder groups.
We’ve also worked to increase attendance at monthly council meetings by
coordinating special presentations on a wide array of topics specific to Central
Kitsap.
The 2017-2018 chair, Stacey Saunders, is a local attorney
and certified mediator. Serving as vice-chair is Brandon Myers, a deputy
sheriff with our Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office. To find out who else
represents the community on the CKCC and learn more about upcoming meetings and
opportunities to get involved, go to https://spf.kitsapgov.com/BOC_p/Pages/CKCC.aspx.
CKCC meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every
month at 5 p.m. in the Silverdale Beach Hotel, at 3073 NW Bucklin Hill Road. The
next meeting takes place April 4 and will feature the Kitsap Economic
Development Alliance.
 Commissioner Wolfe participating in one of the breakout sessions at the Boy Scout Merit Badge Clinic
One of my highlights last month was meeting
275 of our future leaders at a Boy Scout Merit Badge Clinic on February 3. I spoke
with the Scouts about my role as a county commissioner and issues in the county
related to public health and safety. Their interest and curiosity was
impressive, along with their commitment to serving as good citizens of our
community. I really enjoyed our discussion!
 Outlined is the segment of property purchased from Pope Resources
Thanks to a unique partnership, community fundraising
events, and my fellow Commissioner Rob Gelder, Kitsap County has just added
1,500 acres of park land for residents to enjoy just outside of the historic
town of Port Gamble. The Kitsap Forest & Bay Project raised $3.5 million to
purchase the last segment of property from Pope Resources, bringing the Port
Gamble Forest Heritage Park to an area of approximately 4,000 acres. The
bargain price allows Pope Resources to retain logging rights in the park for
the next 25 years. After the tree farms are harvested for a last time, the county
will replant the areas to restore native trees, diverse growth and vegetation,
habitat and heritage.
The park is nearly five times larger than New York’s
Central Park, and eight times larger than Seattle’s Discovery Park. Before the
effort began to preserve the land, it was at risk of being divided into home
sites. Now, it will be preserved for generations to enjoy!
Volunteers from various groups have built and maintained
trails in the park, and will continue to serve as stewards in the future. I
encourage all county residents to enjoy this
amazing park!
 In a unique partnership between the Central Kitsap School
District and the Kitsap County Parks Department, two of the four athletic fields at
Kitsap County's Lobe Fields are getting much-needed upgrades. This is a
community win-win for Central Kitsap families.
The school district is investing $2.5 million in synthetic
turf for two fields at Lobe. Other upgrades will be made to the dugouts, bull
pens, accessibility, and nearby tennis courts. The school district will take
over maintenance of the fields and scheduling their use for school athletic
events and public use, freeing up resources of our Parks Department.
Both Central Kitsap Schools and Kitsap County serve the same taxpayers and this partnership shows that working together is cost effective and maximizes resources to provide amenities like playing fields for residents now and into the future. It's a cooperative effort that is good for the community and a win-win for Central Kitsap families.
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 I was honored to attend the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce 45th Annual Accolades and Installation Banquet in January to welcome the new 2018 board of directors and recognize local businesses and individuals who made significant contributions to the Chamber’s mission.
- Non-Profit Business of the Year – Stand up for Kids
- Business of the Year – Monica’s Waterfront Bakery
- Paul G. Linder Service Award Member of the Year – Kristal Baker
- Citizen of the Year – Shannon Bruce
- Business Pioneer of the Year – Myers Inc. All-Star Lanes
Central Kitsap is fortunate to have so many great businesses and people that support them. To keep up to date with the Silverdale Chamber and all it does for the community, visit https://silverdalechamber.com.
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I was happy to volunteer with the Rotary Readers program
through the Bremerton Rotary and Bremerton School District. Now in its 11th
year, Rotary Readers matches a volunteer to each of 22 kindergarten classes in
the district’s six elementary schools. Rotary Readers read to about 400 children
each week!
I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to visit Naval Avenue Elementary and read to energetic five-
and six-year-old friends. In this photo, my class is still sitting still and
paying attention five books in!
The Rotary also has a program that gifts a Scholastic
Children’s Dictionary to every Bremerton third grader. The books have more
information than an average dictionary, and many kids use them right up through
high school. It’s a wonderful program that helps build a foundation of learning and
love of reading for our young people.
For more information on the Rotary Readers program visit the Bremerton Rotary website at https://portal.clubrunner.ca/700/.
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It was truly a stellar evening and an honor to take part
in and sponsor Kitsap County’s 3rd Annual Night to Shine event on February
9 at the Kitsap Pavilion. About 450 special needs VIP guests and 700 volunteers, along with
dozens of community sponsors, created a night for everyone to remember. The Tim
Tebow Foundation sponsors the event, with Newlife Church hosting it locally. In
the photo here, I am with my friend Hanna, who had a great time at Night to
Shine. For more information on this exciting event, visit https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/ministries/night-to-shine.
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My wife, Wendy, and I were delighted to attend a “Brunch
with Bach” fundraising event with the Bremerton Youth Symphony. These young
musicians are fantastic performers. The event supports youth scholarships, and
featured terrific music by the symphony, orchestra and jazz ensemble. I
encourage anyone who enjoys classical or jazz music to attend a performance. More
information and a schedule can be found at http://bremertonsymphony.org.
 Commissioner Wolfe (right) and Congressman Derek Kilmer (in blue sports coat) join other dignitaries as Bainbridge Island Mayor Kol Medina cuts the ribbon on the first stretch of the Sound-to-Olympics Trail on Bainbridge Island. The 0.8 mile stretch connects Winslow Way, just north of the ferry terminal, to High School Road. The trail, which will eventually stretch from the ferry terminal to the Hood Canal Bridge, allows bicycles and pedestrians to travel safely separated from traffic on Highway 305.
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