SUQUAMISH — For Joan Bittinger of Poulsbo, the pilgrimage to Chief Sealth’s grave site was part art lesson and history lesson. With four children and husband in tow, she was among hundreds who gathered for the wreath laying ceremony at the cemetery held Friday.
“I just wanted to find out more about the chief,” she said as she waited in downtown Suquamish for the arrival of tribal, Seattle, state and county officials. She was doing research for her latest painting depicting the white, black and Native American cultures. Bittinger used the occasion as a history lesson for her 11-year old son, who is home-schooled.

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POULSBO — The word was uttered just moments after city council voted unanimously to refuse the final offer from the Poulsbo Police Department bargaining unit, sending over a year of contract negotiations into arbitration.
“Censure” was first discussed earlier this year after councilman Mike Regis violated city protocol by discussing executive session material pertaining to the proposed contract with a law enforcement official.

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POULSBO — Incumbent Mayor Donna Jean Bruce topped challenger city councilman Mike Regis in the unofficial general election counts and will continue her position in Poulsbo’s top seat for the next four years.
Bruce, who served the last three years as appointed mayor, was re-elected on the platform that she would ensure the Poulsbo’s small town character remains intact and that the enhanced quality of life here continues to improve. She also promised to continue her “lead, don’t meddle” governing style which has proven effective for the city during her tenure.

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POULSBO — The scoreboard didn’t get a lot of use in a recent girls’ basketball game hosted by Poulsbo Parks and Recreation — but the players did.
The game, which was played at Fairview, was led by Central Kitsap 5-2 after eight minutes had passed. North Kitsap, Central’s opponent, managed three more points at the half, but the score when the two teams huddled was 16-5.

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POULSBO — Karla Hawes, a former player and assistant coach at Central Washington University, has been named as the new girls’ basketball coach at Poulsbo Junior High.
Hawes will take over for NKHS teacher Tony Bressan, who is on a leave of absence.

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SUQUAMISH — Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested DuWayne Bender, a 24-year-old Suquamish man, on suspicion of the July murder of Barbara Sneed at her home in Suquamish.
Police arrested Bender at about 7 p.m. Thursday at another Suquamish residence. An arrest warrant was issued after a match was made between DNA evidence at the murder scene and samples given by Bender, said Chief of Detectives Mike Davis.

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KINGSTON — In 1944, a wounded American sergeant named John Hawk found himself in a furious battle against German tanks near Chambois, France.
Despite a wound that opened his right thigh Hawk, who had enlisted in Bremerton, manned a bazooka, then offered himself as a human aiming stake for the American tank destroyers.

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PORT ORCHARD — The 1999 DUI and cocaine charges previously dismissed against Suquamish Tribal Attorney Scott Wheat were reinstated by a Pierce County judge on Monday following a daylong hearing. Judge Frederick Hayes decision was based on strong circumstantial evidence that false drug test results were given to the Drug Court on five different occasions.

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PORT GAMBLE — It’s late fall but John Hurd and David Jensen don’t seem to notice. They’d wear their tell-tale short sleeves to work whether there was snow on the ground or sleet flying from the sky.
“You can’t work here and not like heat,” Ahmis Loving said with a laugh. “Look at Dave. It’s November and he’s wearing sandals.”

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POULSBO — Dark clouds rolled over the dirt, scrub brush and mud at Olhava Monday afternoon, but blue skies were pushing through from the west. A sign of better things to come?
Perhaps.
Supporters of Olympic College Poulsbo this week received their first good news since the project received the approval of the Poulsbo City Council over a year and a half ago. The $13 million in state funds, which represents the fiscal backbone for the branch campus, are safe and sound, according to the Office of Financial Management.

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POULSBO — As many families throughout North Kitsap are enjoying the prospect of an enormous Thanksgiving turkey and a Christmas tree ringed deep with presents, others are hoping that they will have enough food to get them through the fall and winter months.
Despite all the celebrations, holidays are tough times for some here — something that local food banks like Fishline are trying to rectify.

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Voters in Poulsbo overwhelmingly chose Randy Odden over his opponent Ginger Magures to Position 2 on the District 18 Fire District Board.
“I am pleased to be able to continue working with the board,” he said Tuesday night. But he added, there is a lot of work after the campaigning is over.
In the district’s other race, Darryl Milton was unopposed for Position 5 on the fire board.

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Dick Endresen recturns to the board, as does Bethany McDonald.Brad Camp is the only new face on the board.

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DeCarlo holds slim lead over Nan Mader

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Leon Thomas holds slim lead over incumbent Ivar Slothaug.

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By the numbers, unofficial election results from 10:15 Tuesday night.

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Henry, Stern, Rudolph, Quade ahead in city council races

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LITTLE BOSTON — As the wooden totem pole carved by her husband was raised at the Port Gamble S’Klallam Early Childhood Center Tuesday, June Jones wiped tears from her eyes.
She said the emotions are full of joy and seeing the pole raised in her honor is “a little overwhelming.”

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POULSBO — It will be a red, white and blue Veterans Day in North Kitsap schools.
All of the schools in the district are planning assemblies to celebrate Veterans Day (which is Sunday, Nov. 11), but the content of each assembly is up to the individual schools.

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SUQUAMISH — Ed Barnhardt and Carol Rose hope to create some solace in Suquamish, as new owners of the Coffee Cantina.
One of the first things they did was change the name to match their vision.

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