Down at the port, the sunny season is up and running and the crew is staying busy keeping the parks, parking lots and visitor docks in good shape.

A couple of days ago, I was walking through the park and found several dozen youngsters running around and playing on the lawn and the performing arts gazebo. They were having a ball.

As the state ferry pulled in, a couple of adults gathered up the kids and got them to a bus. I asked the two women in charge of the group where they were from. They had come from The Madrona School on Bainbridge Island. The group was on a field trip to the east side of the Sound.  They told me that Kingston was a great place to wait for the ferry if you have a bunch of kids with you because of the great park we have for them to run around in.  It sure is fun to have the Farmers Market back in business. We’ve had pretty wonderful Saturday weather to make our visits there enjoyable. I can’t wait for the flower baskets to arrive; they sure make our town look happy.

It’s been an interesting couple of months on our waterfront. The SoundRunner passenger ferry has had the lion’s share of the news. I see no need here to expound on that here, with the exception of asking you to watch for upcoming schedule announcements and opportunities for you to ride.

A dead cow found on Saltair Beach kept the staff busy for a while. Weekend paddleboard and kayak enthusiasts also found the creature tethered to one of our mooring buoys and was an interesting destination for their workouts.  We finally towed the poor old gal out to deeper water and with the aid of some chains and cinder blocks she was finally laid to rest. A resident along the beach thought that they spotted a second expired bovine inside the cove at an extremely low tide, but investigation found that to be the cabin of a old sunken boat.

Have you stopped at Arness Park and walked under the new bridge on South Kingston Road yet?  It is interesting to see all of the dynamics that this change in the ebb and flow of our waters is having on the estuary and our tideflats. The small river that used to send ebbing water from the saltmarsh to the sound has changed its course and moved further north. What impact that has on the silt buildup in the bay will be interesting to watch.

Remember, when you are walking on and enjoying the beach in Apple Tree Cove, the tidelands above the zero tide line belong to the upland property owners.  Please respect their property and yes, it is appropriate to clean up after your pets even on a sandy beach.

Nautical terms
Do you know the history behind the black neckerchief worn by our sailors in their “Cracker Jack” uniforms? The custom hails from a British naval tradition which began upon the death of Lord Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. It became part of the American uniform as it was patterned very closely after the British regalia. Wow, there are a few nautical terms to ponder.

On a personal note, I would like to thank each of you who shared your warm wishes and condolences on the passing of my mother Dorothy. Many of you knew her and would agree that she was quite a grand old gal.

That’s about it for this month. I can’t believe how quickly the 4th of July is approaching. Watch for next month’s edition to fill you in on all the scheduled events.

As always, thanks for taking a few minutes to read this stuff. I appreciate it. Don’t forget your sunscreen.

­­— Pete DeBoer is a Port of Kingston commissioner. Contact him at pete@petedeboer.com.