Time for sunscreen (we hope)

Here comes summer. I guess the solstice this year is June 22 due to leap year. I am certain there will be ample celebrations to acknowledge how far north the sun has moved before it starts the long slow journey south.

First, I want to congratulate the Kingston High School soccer team for the great showing in their very first season. And the efforts of all of the parents and supporters who rallied to get the facility into regulation order to host the quarter-final game were a great reminder of why Kingston is so special to all of us.

The Kingston Farmers’ Market is up and running and from what I saw in May, this should be a pretty active year for the folks at the market. No need to use that expensive gas to go find fresh vegetables.

By the time you are reading this, our new grass should be sprouting up in the area where the asphalt along the sea wall used to be. Walk-on Washington State Ferries passengers should be using the new walkway through Mike Wallace Park. Now, we are looking for a spot to locate a permanent stage for musical and other performances to entertain us and our visitors on those soon-to-come warm summer evenings.

The flower baskets should be showing up on our lamp posts any day now and the Kingston Revitalization Association would love to hear from a few volunteer “water technicians.” I think Karen Ross at the John L. Scott office would be a good contact for that.

Port Manager Mike Bookey has been working with members of the Downtown Kingston Association to organize a series of Saturday evening musical (and eating) events during the month of August. I think three of the five Saturdays in the month have already been filled. We are looking for groups or businesses to sponsor an evening of entertainment in the park as part of our summer activities. See Mike in the port office for more information.

I met with a group of graduating seniors from Kingston High School and several very active community members to explore ways for the students to get involved in the community. A whole host of ideas emerged from this meeting including more youth-oriented activities in the park and implementing ways for the school facility to be used for community events and after-hour education opportunities. These young folks in our school are a great asset for the community and have a lot to offer. They want to be involved. If you are discouraged with the youth of America, (kind of like our own parents were) just spend a few hours with some of these kids and you will have a new appreciation for their energy and vision.

The long-awaited public hearing on the permit for the small vessel dock in the marina is scheduled for July 10 at the Kitsap County Courthouse. Due to the public comment period and other scheduling issues, it is unfortunate that the facility will not be ready for the big Paddle Kitsap event the first weekend in August. After the hearing, we should get our long-awaited permit followed in a few short months by the long-awaited small vessel facility. Oh well, it will be there for Paddle Kitsap 2009. I think I have said more than once, “Things sure take a long time.”

Speaking of Paddle Kitsap, this event should bring hundreds of visitors to Kingston in the first couple of days in August and there are many opportunities for people to volunteer to help out with different aspects of the two-day festival. I know Kiwanis, Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce and many other groups are gearing up to make our town shine. Of course, after the kayak flotilla leaves Kingston headed for Poulsbo, we will be it setting up for the first Saturday evening music event. As time draws near, more information will be showing up to cover these events.

I will be celebrating the summer solstice from a Holland America ship in the Inside Passage on a cruise to Alaska with my family. We will be celebrating mom’s 90th birthday. This should be a memorable one for us.

Of course, in just over a month, we will have our Kingston Fourth of July Celebration. There are lots of behind the scenes meetings going on to make this year’s party the best ever. As of mid-May, we had not received much in the way of donated money to put the show on but I am confident the folks in Kingston will come through as always. I believe that there will be another form in this issue for you to clip out and send in your donations.

Finally, from the entire staff at the Port of Kingston: Congratulations and best of luck to all of the members of the first graduating class from Kingston High School.

OK, looks like space is running out again but I think there is still room for the Nautical Term of the Month for June. So here we go: This one is kind of simple. FAIRLEAD: a ring through which rope is led so that it can change direction easily and without friction.

So there it is my friends, thanks as always for reading this stuff and I hope to see you around town. This should be the month when we can wear our Birkenstocks without wool socks!

Contact Pete DeBoer, Commissioner of the Port of Kingston, at pete@petedeboer.com.