A kick-off meeting for the master planning of the Newberry Hill Heritage Park will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19 at Klahowya Secondary School. Members of the Newberry Hill Stewardship Committee, Central Kitsap Community Council, Parks Advisory Board and Clear Creek Task Force have been working with county parks staff to craft a master planning process that will not only be driven by community participation, but allow park stewards to begin work on trails and other park amenities next summer.
The Newberry Hill Heritage Park is a critical expanse of 1,000 acres of open space just west of Silverdale. Like the Illahee Preserve and Banner Forest, the county will rely, to a large extent, on local volunteers to improve and maintain the park over time. By crafting partnerships and collaborating, we will be able to not only maximize limited public resources, but the park will more acutely reflect the desires of the Central Kitsap community.
Thinking of our neighbors in need
At our Nov. 9 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution proclaiming Nov. 15-21 as “National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Kitsap County.” The number of homeless and hungry has risen due to the national recession, hitting families with children especially hard. Local food banks have struggled to keep up with increased need. With the cold weather months upon us, those without permanent shelter are increasingly vulnerable. It is important to educate ourselves and provide information on how we may help those in need. A week of events are planned to raise awareness and encourage support of neighbors in our community facing hunger and homelessness.
Events include:
• Thursday, Nov. 19: Olympic College presents “Connect—Resource and Health Fair” created by the Students in Need Group (SING), held at the Bremer Student Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 20: The faith community is walking in solidarity with its homeless brothers and sisters by sleeping outside, either in a tent or in a vehicle in church parking lots. Bishop Roberts and his church, Emmanuel Apostolic, encourage others to do the same. The public also is invited to join the homeless and local elected officials for lunch and discussion at the Salvation Army from noon to 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 21: A spaghetti feed fundraiser will be held from noon to 2 p.m. to support the Salvation Army at its building on 832 Sixth St. in Bremerton.
A complete calendar can be found at http://kitsapgov.com/pdf/HAW.pdf.
Along with the week of events, we are pleased that “Helping the Homeless” will be the focus of the 19th Kitsap County Annual Human Rights Conference. The conference is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 at the Kitsap Conference Center at Bremerton Harborside.
“More and more Kitsap County residents and families are finding themselves homeless. This conference provides an excellent opportunity to learn about the growing homeless problem, what local resources are available, where there are gaps in services, and how individuals and organizations can help our neighbors in need,” said Leif Bentsen, human services planner and coordinator for the Kitsap County Council for Human Rights. Nationally known poverty expert, Dr. Donna Beegle, will provide the keynote presentation “Best Intentions Might Not Be Enough: Understanding How to Communicate Across Poverty, Race, Gender and Generations.” In addition, other topics include “Being a Leader in Difficult Times” presented by Dr. Richard Strand, dean for business and technology at Olympic College.
Local experts will have a panel discussion about “Living On the Street in Kitsap County” and the Continuum of Care Coalition will speak about “Where to Get Help: Understanding Where The Resources Are And How You Can Help.” This yearly event is proudly sponsored by the Kitsap County Council for Human Rights and the Board of County Commissioners, and this year’s co-sponsors include Suquamish Tribe and Kitsap Tobacco, Alcohol & Other Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition.
Advance registration is required. Please visit the Council for Human Rights Web site at www.kitsapgov.com/hr/wsolympic/humanrights/hrcboard.htm to download a registration form and for additional information, contact Leif Bentsen, Human Services Planner, at (360) 337-4883 or lbentsen@co.kitsap.wa.us. Registration by Nov. 23 is $45 per person; tables also are available. Registration after Nov. 23 is $60.
Josh Brown is the Central Kitsap Commissioner.
