boardwalk remodel project Feb. 26.

This is the third time in the walkway’s more than 40-year history that the club has come to the structure’s aid but the latest project — involving replacing much of the supporting beams and the entire walking surface — was the largest by far, said Lion Elda Armstrong.

$14.6 million city

campus approved

The city council gave its final approval to a $14.6 million municipal campus project on Nov. 16 in a 5-2 vote.

Mayor-elect Kathryn Quade and Councilwoman Connie Lord stood alone in opposition to the proposed municipal campus plan.

The vote came after an intense search for potential properties in the city, which culminated in the purchase of property owned by the Olympic Property Group near its headquarters on 10th Avenue.

The council also considered the former EDS building during heated debates over the site as well as architect selection. The architect for the project is BLRB Architects of Tacoma.

Concerns were raised about wetlands and groundwater issues on the site, but the feasibility study presented by BLRB alleviated those concerns for the majority of the council.

A formal groundbreaking is expected to take place sometime in May 2006.

Quade ousts Bruce

in mayor’s race

After outdistancing Mayor Donna Jean Bruce in the September primary, Councilwoman Kathryn Quade carried that momentum into November as she became the next mayor of Little Norway.

Quade is the first mayor since 1981 to win a contested election for their first term following in the steps of Poulsbo’s first female mayor June Atak, who beat incumbent Clyde Caldart.

Quade had 1,335 votes or 67 percent of the vote to Bruce’s 657 votes or 33 percent.

“I’m going to do my best to uphold the trust people have placed in me,” Quade said as she reflected on her victory.

With all of the challenges facing the city in the next few years, there is little time to waste, she said.

Sewage spill hits Liberty Bay

Almost exactly two years after the last major sewage spill into Liberty Bay, history repeated itself Sept. 29 as city crews sprang into action to repair a broken pipe near the head of the bay.

On Sept. 18, 2003, more than 350,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into the south end of Liberty Bay, resulting in a week-long closure.

Then, Sept. 29, 2005, a crew chief reported the leak at 9:30 a.m. because he saw something on the beach that didn’t look right, said Public Works Director Jeff Lincoln.

Final analysis concluded that the spill was more than 530,000 gallons of sewage, which is the largest in city history.

That spill was followed by a smaller spill in December at the Marine Science Center Pump Station during a power outage. The December spill was estimated at less than 1,000 gallons.

The spills resulted in the city reviewing its policies and expediting the purchase of a new telemetry system for both the water and sewer systems as well as replacing the pumps at the Marine Science Center.

Murray crowned

Miss Poulsbo 2005

Janna Murray was chosen as the 51st woman to wear the Poulsbo crown at the Miss Poulsbo/Miss Kitsap Pageant March 26 at Bremerton High School.

Murray, a 19-year-old freshman at Edmonds Community College, is the daughter of Chuck and Kerry Murray. Her platform was “mentoring their passions.”

MSC closes its doors

The Marine Science Society of the Pacific Northwest moved out of the Marine Science Center in March and the North Kitsap School District followed suit in August leaving the City of Poulsbo with an empty building and the community without a landmark.

As city officials scrambled to decide what to do with the building, Bill Austin and the Bight of Poulsbo led a charge to re-open the building as Mudstock returned for a 2005 edition.

The event raised more than $30,000 to help bring the center back to life and Los Cabos owner Roberto Soltero chipped in another $9,000 as he and Pa’s Plants owner Wally Harrison challenged the community to pitch in as well.

By year’s end, city officials agreed to give interested parties one year to come up with a sustainable plan for a new marine science center as the city will absorb any maintenance costs with the building in 2006.

McAfee crowned

Miss Viking Fest

Kayla McAfee was named Miss Viking Fest 2005 along with fellow princesses, Kaylee Ross and Jessica Hanna.

Ryan sells parts of Poulsbo Village

After years of nurturing and developing one of the most popular shopping districts in Little Norway, Tim Ryan sold a portion of it to Western Williams of the Seattle-based Laurel Hurst Apartment Company.

Tim Ryan Enterprises, which was created as a tool to manage the shopping center, will be dissolved.

The properties being sold are primarily retail in nature and include: the western strip of stores that houses Albertsons, the strip of stores that includes Coast Do It Best Hardware; the EDS building; Mitzel’s; and the building west of Mitzel’s.

Wal-Mart, Home Depot begin work

Waiting for Wal-Mart could soon become a thing of the past. After protests, appeals and numerous delays, construction of the retail giant’s new store has finally begun to take form at Olhava.

The 203,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter is expected to open in January 2006.

The Home Depot also sunk its roots into Olhava as it began construction on its 125,000-square-foot building in midsummer with an expected grand opening also in January 2006.

The Home Depot officials say they expect the store to improve customer service at its Silverdale location and both stores should benefit from the other.

City continues

annexation blitz

The annexation engine continued moving full speed ahead as the Poulsbo City Council approved seven annexations since August 2004.

The most recent annexation of 115 acres north of Finn Hill Road, the City of Poulsbo has brought almost half of its Urban Growth Area (UGA) into its boundaries.

The recent wave of annexations brought 440 acres into the city limits and increased Poulsbo’s land size from 1,920 acres to slightly more than 2,300 acres, said Planning Director Barry Berezowsky.

PFM begins

midweek markets

A year after its initial Saturday market the Poulsbo Farmers’ Market took another step forward as it began a midweek market.

The market got off to a slow start but heated up throughout the summer as commuters and other shoppers were able to take advantage of the midweek selection.

Organizers were pleased with the overall success of the market and plans are already underway to bring it back next year.

Visioning process stalled by disagreement

Mayor Donna Jean Bruce embarked on an ambitious journey to begin a visioning effort that would help define the city’s future in early June.

However, after the first meeting, concerns were raised about the facilitator, which led to the postponement of the process.

The disagreement over the facilitator culminated in the council sending the selection to the city’s long range planning committee, which was still searching for one at the year’s end.

City OKs initial

SR 305 design

As the start of the State Route 305 widening project nears, proposed access changes have received initial approval from city officials.

The most noticeable changes will occur on the south end of the project centered around the intersection of Hostmark Street and the state highway.

The existing open frontage to the highway in front of the old Sands building will be blocked by a sidewalk and access to the property will be via a driveway on Harrison Street. Also the adjoining parking lot shared with the strip mall that includes Money Tree and Los Cabos will be divided as well.

While things appear straightforward for many of the properties, access to the strip mall will be significantly reduced.

Currently, three driveways exist along that portion of the highway, but under the proposed changes, that number will be reduced to a single, right-in, right-out only driveway on the south end of the property. Thirteen parking spaces will be eliminated as well.

Anderson named Marine of the Year

Marine Staff Sgt. Matthew T. Anderson can’t recall any childhood dreams of wanting to be in the service, but 11 years after graduating from North Kitsap High School he was named one of the best in the Corps.

Anderson was honored as the United Service Organization’s Marine of the Year on Sept. 18 at its annual gala in Washington D.C. en route to his new assignment as an instructor at the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

“It’s still hard for me to believe,” Anderson said. “There are guys I’ve served with who deserved it more than me.”

Princess Martha Louise stops by

Even though the sun didn’t shine for the princess, the smiles on children’s faces as she read to them were a more than sufficient substitute.

Children of all ages filled the Sons of Norway lodge Oct. 15 for a glimpse of Norwegian royalty as the Princess Martha Louise read from her children’s book, “Why Kings and Queens Don’t Wear Crowns.”

Three of those smiling faces included Nicholas, Sophia and Sasha Woltersdorf from Poulsbo who came to see the princess and hear her story.

“I’ll probably read it as soon as I get home because I’m a big reader,” said 8-year-old Nicholas, who was dressed in traditional Norwegian attire.

First Olhava residential development begins

Pacific Properties of Bellevue has proposed to build 185 single-family residences on two residential sites under the Olhava Master Plan.

The 41.42-acre property is bound by State Route 305 to the north, State Highway 3 to the west, Finn Hill Road to the south and Viking Avenue to the east.

The proposal is expected to go before the city council sometime in January or February 2006.

Mental health

worker killed

A mental health worker responding to call from a concerned mother was killed in a violent altercation Nov. 4 as he called 911 for assistance.

Poulsbo Police Department officers received the emergency call from the Vikings Crest condominiums shortly before 5:30 p.m. and when they arrived minutes later, they found Marty Smith, 42 of Poulsbo, dead.

Smith, a county-designated mental health professional with Kitsap Mental Health Services, was attempting to have Larry W. Clark, 33, of Poulsbo, admitted for a mental evaluation because Clark’s mother believed he presented a danger to himself and others.

Clark was formally charged with murder in the first degree in Kitsap County Superior Court and bail was set at $1 million.

After being read his rights after the incident, Clark confessed that he murdered Smith, according to the statement of probable cause filed in Kitsap County Superior Court Nov. 7.