POULSBO — It’s been like watching a couple of tennis players try to whack a bowling ball over the net, but after seven years of trial, error, confusion, derision, agreement and debate, efforts by Kitsap County and Poulsbo to create an Urban Growth Area for the city could be coming to a close later this month.
Kitsap County commissioners Wednesday night said they hoped to make a final decision on the long-standing issue by the end of the year and now all city officials can do is wait and see what happens.
They will not be alone.

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When an unexpected snowfall hit North Kitsap on Wednesday, residents were overcome by an urge to do dumb things.

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Bellringer donations are beginning to pour in, maybe it was the snowy weather that inspired giving, but we received donations from many old friends.

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KINGSTON — The turkey’s soup. Time to take out the tinsel.
This weekend a crew of volunteers will transform downtown Kingston into a garlanded splendor. They are decorating for Kingston’s biggest event of the year — one rivaled only by the Fourth of July.

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Hey kids, what did you do during your snow day off from school?

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Thanks to donations of time and talent, the holidays offer a wealth of distinctive Kitsap seasonal fun.

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POULSBO — A former cheerleader is suing the North Kitsap School District, contending that the district violated its own safety policy and rules and that violation resulted in her injury.
Kelli Fredrickson, whose name was Kelli Ratley-Alvarez when she attended North Kitsap High School, claims in a suit filed in Kitsap County Superior Court that she was originally injured during an away game against Olympic High School on Oct. 8, 1998.

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POULSBO — When Capt. Ed Shields was asked why he wrote his book “Salt of the Sea,” he didn’t hesitate before responding, “I’m the only person who could do this. If I didn’t, no one would and it would be lost.”
The statements are as true as the ocean is deep.

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POULSBO — They’re not as mean as they look. And despite the fact that they wear horned helmets, thick furs and carry such weapons as battle axes and swords, Poulsbo’s Vikings are actually a pretty decent group.

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Trips to the post office are so much more fun during the holidays because we always find the Bellringer checks waiting. Some arrive in colorful holiday cards, and others with notes remembering a loved one. and we’re glad to receive every contribution—large or small.
In just our first week, the North Kitsap Bellringer Fund is already over $1,000, a joyful beginning.

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Poulsbo and Kitsap County find their UGA planning philosophies diverge in one location–Finn Hill.

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POULSBO — For the North Kitsap girls’ basketball team, last year wasn’t nearly enough of a good thing.
The team went 10-10 under first-year head coach Dan Weedin but didn’t make the playoffs: this year, that’s the goal.

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POULSBO — After being delayed and derailed for the last nine years, Poulsbo’s long-awaited train of growth management progress could finally be chugging into station within the next few months.
The city’s Urban Growth Area plan has been on and off the tracks countless times since the process began in 1993, stalling completely at junctions while leaving both Poulsbo and county residents wondering their attendance at numerous meetings was worth it.

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POULSBO — On Sept. 11, as the World Trade Center towers in New York were destroyed by terrorists, students at North Kitsap High School watched the unfolding tragedy on television.
And while no day since has been so intense, the subject has not left the classrooms.

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No sooner had we announced the beginning of the 50th annual North Kitsap Bellringer Fund on Wednesday, than the first contributions arrived at the Herald office. Many generous friends make an annual donation to the Bellringer as a way to express gratitude for their own blessings and remember their loved ones during the holidays.
This year’s Bellringer goal is $25,000, an increase over the $22,000 donated by community members last year.

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KINGSTON — During the past several years, Bayside Community Church has put its mark on Kingston with a food bank, the new park and ride and other community programs.
Now the church is proposing something even more ambitious: the Ed Moon Community Center.

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POULSBO — It’s been in the works for over a year and despite taking huge strides towards a much-anticipated conclusion, the City of Poulsbo and the Poulsbo Police Department are still a long way from finding common ground in terms of a new law enforcement contract.
The lengthy process, during which officers have had pay increases frozen, hasn’t been easy for either side. Talks between the two entities stalled just prior to September and city promised that if things did not improve it would be forced to enter arbitration — a threat which the Poulsbo City Council made good on during a Nov. 7 meeting.

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This past election day, 82 percent of the Kitsap County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild voted no confidence in Sheriff Steve Boyer’s leadership and administration.
“He’s a nice guy and we like him,” said guild president and county detective Mike Rodrigue. “We just want him to be the leader we know he can be.”

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INDIANOLA — It’s not yet the biggest retail shopping day of the year, the Friday after Thanksgiving, but people got a head start this weekend at the Holiday Bazaar in Indianola and the Harvest Market in Kingston.
“I’m having better sales than ever,” said Corena Chamberlain, who sold luminaries and stationery items. She and several vendors packed into the Indianola Club House this weekend. And so did the people.

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