A man of few words, but many actions

Published 3:00 pm Saturday, March 18, 2006

HANSVILLE — Steve Bauer would prefer that he goes unrecognized as he goes about his business, which is going the extra mile when volunteering his time and effort at pretty much any Hansville event — kids’ holiday parties, concerts in the park, working on trails within the Hansville Greenway, cooking at holiday breakfasts and being on committees for many community issues.

But the Hansville Community Center Board of Directors decided to give credit where it was due Wednesday and awarded Bauer the HCC’s Citizen of the Year Award at its monthly neighbors luncheon.

While appreciative of the award, Bauer remained humble, saying, “The way I was raised, you aren’t supposed to draw attention to yourself.”

Bauer purchased a home in Hansville in 1998 but only visited on weekends and moved there full-time when he retired in 1999. His first volunteer efforts started at the community center with the children’s activities, such as the “needle in the haystack” game during the Easter Egg Hunt, the games at the annual Concert in the Park and activities during the youth Halloween and Christmas parties.

On a more formal note, he became involved with the HCC board in 2001, first as second vice president, then as president in 2003 and co-president with Becky Ellison in 2004, helping the center become more fiscally responsible. He’s also been a staple at the annual rummage sales, during the spring cleaning activities and in meetings regarding major public projects within the community.

More recently, after the infamous April Fool’s “Roller Coaster” sign showed up in 2003 on Forbes Landing, which also happened to be in front of his home, he headed up the development of what is today the Hansville Futures Project and helped designate the Greater Hansville Area, which incorporates the communities of Eglon and Cliffside.

“Without Steve spearheading this effort, there might just be condos being built in front of his house right now,” HCC president Lynn Hix said in jest.

Outside of Hansville, Bauer has been a volunteer with the wildlife rehabilitation center at Bloedel Reserve, has rescued and released local eagles, won the award for Outstanding Volunteer in 2000 with Hansville Fire Department (before its merger with North Kitsap Fire & Rescue) and continues to participate as a mediator with the Dispute Resolution Center for Kitsap County.

After listening to Hix read his resume of volunteer work, Bauer said he realized that all those efforts were not just of his doing but of the many in Hansville who work together to make things happen.

“Everything that happens here is a product of everyone working together,” he said, noting that he accepted the award on behalf of all those people.