Bremerton’s Blackberry Festival – Labor Day Weekend Fun

Labor Day weekend | 20th Annual Blackberry Festival

Sept 5-Sept 7, 2009

Hours: Saturday, Sept. 5th- 10 AM to 8 PM,

Sunday, Sept. 6th- 10 AM to 7 PM

Monday, Sept. 7th- 10 AM to 5 PM

You want to know where the action will be this weekend in Bremerton? DOWNTOWN – HARBORSIDE! This is the weekend for the 20^th Annual Blackberry Festival held down on the Bremerton Boardwalk.

There will be over 100 booths with everything from arts & crafts to you guessed it “FOOD”! You know what kind of food I am talking about! Hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken burgers, BBQ ribs, chicken and beef brisket, corn on the cob and oh man dare I say more!?

You will also find tons of amazing ethnic foods like teriyaki, shrimp on a stick, spring rolls, gyros, crepes and tacos! Don’t forget the Blackberry delights!! Blackberry slugs, scones, pie and that amazing Blackberry shortcake!! After all it is the Blackberry Festival.

I don’t know why I love it so – I sure hate those pesky bushes creeping up in my flower beds!! But on this weekend they are my friend!!

NWMLS Statistical Report July 2009 Kitsap County

The NWMLS has revised one of our rules to allow the members to republish NWMLS statitical press releases and reports on the Internet, provided I follow the rules which states I must include the following attribution to NWMLS

“Information and statistics compiled and reported by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.”

Click this link for the full report -

NWMLS Statistical Report July 2009 Kitsap County

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or send me a com -text, email, twit @jososs

Auction Date for North Kitsap Golf Course, Land Pushed Back : Golf : Kitsap Sun

Auction Date for North Kitsap Golf Course, Land Pushed Back : Golf : Kitsap Sun.

KINGSTON — White Horse, the Kingston-area golf course and housing development, could go on the auction block in two weeks.

The 18-hole course and 159 undeveloped lots in the development have been in foreclosure since March. If owner Bob Screen doesn’t find a buyer or pay off nearly $5.5 million in debt, the properties will be sold at auction at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 28 at the Kitsap County Courthouse.

Auction Date for North Kitsap Golf Course, Land Pushed Back : Golf : Kitsap Sun.

Real Estate News | NWMLS

Click the link for the Northwest Multiple Listing Service’s press release

November’s Housing Activity in Western Washington Reflects “Microclimates”

press release.

Port Orchard Video

A couple of months back I received a contact from Ron Finney of NorthWoods Productions requesting permission to use a photo I had taken and uploaded to Google Images. This photo uploaded to Google led him to my web site where the photo is used. You see Ron was in the process of putting together the Visitor’s Video for the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce and must have been researching for local area photos. Of course I said yes and have been checking for the video on-line every so often.

Well, today I was reading the blogs over at the Kitsap Sun – the local newspaper and found the information on Chris Henry’s blog Speaking of South Kitsap about the release of Ron’s video.

“Ferries, Bridges and Boats: The Adventure Begins with the Journey”

If you look real quick at 9:33 on the time line there is a picture I took of the Naval Museum in Bremerton. How exciting to be a part of the local area! Thanks Ron for including me in the video and you did an amazing job! I love it and will be sending the link to those relocating to the area!

Peninsula Girl Scout Program Center | Donor Recognition & Naming Opportunities

Peninsula Girl Scout Program Center

1600 Winters Road NE

Donor Recognition & Naming Opportunities

Girl Scouts of Western Washington

Girl Scouts of Western Washington is offering a wide variety of opportunities to leave your legacy on this new space. By naming one of the spaces you can recognize, honor or remember an individual, group, or a testament of your own as you recognize how important Girl Scouting has been in your life. At the same time you are providing financial support for a center that will be vital in the community for many years to come. The following is the list of naming opportunities as of November 6, 2008

Leadership Gifts

$300,000 Level

Naming of the Girl Scout Program Center

This new facility will be a cornerstone in the community as it functions as the activity center for hundreds of Girl Scouts, volunteers and community groups. This building will be viewed by thousands of people each year who drive by on Highway 303 between Bremerton and Silverdale.

$75,000 Level

Activity Hall – Already selected

As guests walk into the center the first area they see is the impressive Activity Hall. This room will be the core location for troop activities as well as community and volunteer meetings. With its vaulted ceilings and stage, the space is adaptable for many room layouts and will accommodate over 100 people at any time.

$50,000 Level

Multi-Purpose Area

This area will be designed to accommodate troops engaged in hands on activities such as program meetings and project meetings when groups would like to access the kitchen.

Additional Naming opportunities

$10,000 Level – 3 opportunities

Stage in Activity Hall

Regional Director’s Office

Kitchen

$5,000 – 9 Opportunities

Staff Offices – 7

Training room – 1

Work Room – 1

$4,999 to $2,500 Level

Name on a permanent donor wall in large lettering on Foyer

$2,499 – $1,000

Listing on donor wall in Activity Hall

Gifts of all sizes will be recognized on the donor honor roll and in publications.

If you are interested in one of the naming opportunities or you would like more information about the Peninsula
Girl Scout Program Center please contact the Girl Scouts of Western Washington at 360-373-9578.

Peninsula Girl Scout Program Center| 1600 NE Winters Road, Bremerton

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity for you to truly make a difference in the lives of young girls by providing a special place to meet and learn — where they will be accepted and grow in a nurturing environment. An opportunity for girls to build character and skills for success in today’s real world. A place where they will develop their leadership skills by working together with other girls and committed adult volunteers; a place where they will build skills of courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place — skills that will last a lifetime.

Challenge

Since 1939, Girl Scouts has been serving girls from the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas out of a one room building in downtown Bremerton. While the land is owned by the city of Bremerton, the building was originally built by a local Kiwanis Club and donated to Girl Scouts and Campfire. The city has allowed Girl Scouts to operate out of the facility free of charge.

In 2006, the city of Bremerton made the decision to widen Warren Avenue the street that the building fronts. As a result, Girl Scouts will have to move out by April 2009, the building will be torn down and will no longer be available for our use. This closure means that:

· Girls and volunteers will have limited places for free meeting, activity and training space.

· Volunteers will not have quick, easy access to resources and trainings and

· We will no longer have space to house staff in close proximity to girls in the region, and

While the news of street improvements has been disappointing, this opportunity also gives Girl Scouts of Western Washington the chance to purchase a building that can better meet the needs of girls in the area.

It’s All About the Girls

Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls – all girls -where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, they build character and skills for success in the real world. Girl Scout programs respond to the unique educational and emotional needs of girls, addressing their current interests, the critical issues that affect their lives and their future roles as women. In partnership with committed adult volunteers, girls develop qualities like leadership, strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth.

Some 26,000 girls grades K-12 are served by Girl Scouts of Western Washington.

Funding will allow Girl Scouts to:

· Stay in the community,

· Expand and strengthen our programs to serve more girls,

· Provide free space for girl activities and adult trainings, keeping costs low and accessible to ALL girls, despite their economic circumstances, and

· To deliver on our mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

The New Facility

Since we were notified about the demolition Girl Scouts has been working with local volunteers to identify a new home to serve as the base for Girl Scouts in the Peninsula. In consultation with local volunteers, we have evaluated our options for leasing, purchasing, or moving the existing building and concluded that purchasing a building would be in the best long term interest of the program.

As a result, we purchased a 5,800 sq ft structure at 1600 NE Winters Road at the edge of the Bremerton city limits. The building requires modifications to convert the facility for youth program use. The modifications include interior changes, adding signage, replacing some windows, adding an ADA chair lift and bathroom, replacing the roof as well as a few other projects including new flooring, paint, etc. .

The facility is located on a major highway which facilitates easy drop-off and pick-up for after-school troop meetings and summer day camps and easy access to weekend events that typically draw from a larger geographical area. The facility will be designed to meet the needs of Girl Scout troops, weekend events and workshops with storage for equipment and supplies, thereby allowing for easy set up for activities. There is ample free parking to accommodate events serving large numbers of girls.

The facility will house our staff which include four full-time year round and two seasonal staff and provide room for expansion. It will serve as the hub for Girl Scout programs serving girls from grades K-12 living in the peninsula region.

Through troop meetings we expect to serve 50-60 girls a week. Through weekend activities and events we expect to serve hundreds of girls a year. Through summer day camp we expect to serve an additional hundreds of girls each day for two weeks each summer.

The size and flexibility of the facility will give us the ability to provide a much greater array of activities than our current site which had limited parking and could only accommodate small meetings. Having this facility will ease the burden on troops that are finding it increasingly difficult to find appropriate after-school meeting sites or sites that do not charge a fee for use. This program center is essential because it is a site the girls and volunteers do not have to pay for. Girl Scouts of Western Washington has already provided 41% of our member girls in the city of Bremerton with financial assistance to pay for camp and troop dues, and we have provided substantial financial assistance for girls from Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, and Mason counties.

The Campaign

The original purchase price of the property was $870,000 plus thousands of dollars in architectural, engineering, and construction costs. The C. Keith Birkenfeld Memorial Trust at the Seattle Foundation awarded the Girl Scouts of Western Washington $74,600 to purchase and renovate the new facilities. To date GSWW needs to raise $600,000 for this building. Of this amount, we are recommended to receive, subject to state legislative approval, $205,000 in state funding from the State Department of Community, Trade & Economic Development (CTED). Time is of the essence since we move into the building in April 2009.

Community assistance is crucial to the successful completion of this project. Foundations, corporations, local service clubs, Girl Scout families and individuals are urged to contribute via the Girl Scouts of Western Washington website (https://www.GirlScoutsWW.org/donate), or through checks made payable to GSWW-Bremerton Campaign, P.O. Box 900961, Seattle, WA 98109, in order to ensure the continuance of healthy and safe programming for girls in the Peninsula region.

About Girl Scouts of Western Washington

At Girl Scouts we know that given the opportunity, every girl can become a leader with the courage to act on her values, develop the ability to make clear decisions, and acquire the self-confidence to make a difference in the world around her. Girl Scouts helps girls grow courageous and strong through girl-driven programs, reflecting the ever-changing needs and interests of girls.

Girl Scouts of Western Washington currently serves more than 26,000 girls in partnership with nearly 12,500 volunteers throughout 17 counties in Western Washington. We operate program and regional offices located in Bremerton, Seattle, DuPont, Bellevue, Aberdeen, Marysville, Longview, and Renton, as well as six camp properties located in Longview, Hoquiam, Belfair, Carnation and Lilliwaup.