A park district was approved. A ferry floated. The second half of 2010 in the North End may have been the most dramatic six months in a decade.
Following another Fourth of July parade and fireworks show in Kingston, the North End got back to work.
The Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribes continued preparation for hosting Tribal Journey’s canoes enroute to Neah Bay. Canoes landed in North Kitsap on July 12 and 13 and were greeted with seafood bakes, drumming and protocol ceremonies that lasted long into the night.
Suquamish and S’Klallam canoes joined the journey, leaving Port Gamble July 14. Weather became unpredictable in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, forcing the families to tow canoes on land on several days. On July 19, 86 tribal canoes, hundreds of pullers and thousands of visitors arrived in Neah Bay, ending a harrowing journey and beginning a weeklong celebration.
Another journey of sorts came to a close in mid August. Supporters of a community center at Kingston’s Village Green spent the spring stumping for a metropolitan park district to raise operations money for the future building. North Kitsap voters were enthusiastic, passing the park district measure on an Aug. 17 special election ballot by about 55 percent. Five board members were elected to oversee the district, which will raise about $200,000 a year for the community center. The Village Green Foundation is seeking construction grants to build the community center.
Suquamish celebrated the 100th year of Chief Seattle Days with the unveiling of a new art installation. Three carved panels depicting the life of Angeline, daughter of Chief Seattle, were placed on Angeline Avenue above downtown.
The Angeline carvings were followed in November by the unveiling of a Veterans Memorial. The figures of Chief Seattle and Chief Kitsap guard a plaza overlooking the Sound. The names of area veterans are carved into marble canoes.
Hansville improvised a brand new tradition at the end of August. Garage inventors brought their homemade coaster cars to a hill off Twin Spits Road for a day of eccentric racing. The crowd-pleasing event will return in 2011.
After a few delays, the Port of Kingston launched its new passenger ferry service to Seattle on Oct. 18. An enthusiastic crowd rode SoundRunner on the first day.
“This is the future of Kingston,” Port Commissioner Pete DeBoer said. “This is the future of the North Kitsap Peninsula, and all the way to Port Angeles.”
But problems mounted quickly for the infant service. An engine threw a rod on the Spirit of Kingston during the first day of service, forcing the ferry to run on three motors. Mechanical problems and storms forced the the service to cancel sailings on several days. The port fired its ferry manager after the first week of service. As foul weather continued, the port was unable to safely load the second ferry, Kingston Express, rendering it useless as a backup boat.
The service was suspended Nov. 18 after a second engine failed. Port officials decided to repair the boat, smooth out logistical problems and improve customer service before relaunching. Though a $3.5 million federal grant paid for the boats and terminal, the port must also find fresh operating money to sustain SoundRunner in coming years.
Kitsap Regional Library is also on the hunt for funding after voters roundly rejected a lift of its levy in November. Along with increasing its money for materials and programs, the levy proposal would have allowed the library district to rebuild three of its branches, including one in Kingston.
The new Kingston library was also planned for the Village Green property. With no levy increase, the library district is searching for alternatives for funding the new building.
DeBoer, R-Kingston, fell short in his bid to unseat state Rep. Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, in the same November general election. DeBoer ran a higher profile campaign than Appleton’s previous challengers but still garnered about 47 percent of votes.
Later in November the first major snowfall of 2010 blanketed North Kitsap, turning roads into ice rinks. Accidents and falling trees blocked nearly every arterial in North Kitsap on Nov. 22, making it difficult for emergency responders to reach calls. Many communities lost electricity. Still, no major injuries or deaths were reported.
The foul weather didn’t stop a Department of Ecology contractor from completing the Hansville toxins cleanup. Wyser Construction removed 4,000 tons of soil from around Hansville Grocery and the Community Church. A section of Twin Spits Road and several parking lots were repaved as the work concluded.
“We’ll leave it better than we found it,” project manager Russ Olsen said.
