By now, readers may have gotten a little used to change at the Bremerton Patriot. Since the paper got its start in 1999, the majority of those changes have been in staffing. Today’s new Bremerton Patriot, however, is just the start of what readers can soon come to expect.
And while change isn’t always easy, the key to accepting and even embracing it is to look at it for its positive qualities.
Years ago, I forget how many, but at least 20, someone gave me a picture they took of me and I was surprised to notice a brown spot about the size of a quarter on my cheek.
Every now and then someone puts a book into your hands and says, “You must read this.”
You think, “Hmm, as many books as there are published every day, why would this one prove meaningful to me?”
And yet, it always does. Doesn’t it?
It’s as if the rich kaleidoscope of books they share contain important messages you need to hear and the people themselves, well, they’re some sort of angel.
Years ago, I forget how many, but at least 20, someone gave me a picture they took of me and I was surprised to notice a brown spot about the size of a quarter on my cheek.
Its not that I hadn’t ever noticed it before but if it was becoming significant enough to catch the eye in a photograph, I figured I should look into it.
I delved into the American Medical Associations Family Medical Guide, where I learned I was sporting whats called a pre-cancerous skin spot caused by over exposure to the sun many years ago.
I.e., if you don’t do something about it, it will continue to grow and develop into one of three types of skin cancer.
With the confidence borne of someone who won’t have to face the voters again until 2011 (assuming he even decides to run at that point), Port of Bremerton Commissioner Bill Mahan last week went to bat once more for his pet project, the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) business incubator he envisions being built in the South Kitsap Industrial Area.
Speaking at a luncheon event on Wednesday with the Kitsap County commissioners, Mahan lamented the lack of progress on SEED and blamed the gridlock on leaders who lack his vision.
A squirrel sent us back to the Stone Age on Monday morning. Yes, in this sophisticated society in which we are traveling to explore other planets, map the human genome and teach our children how to use computers before they can use the potty, a squirrel can still rock our world.
Years ago, I forget how many, but at least 20, someone gave me a picture they took of me and I was surprised to notice a brown spot about the size of a quarter on my cheek.
It’s not that I hadn’t ever noticed it before but if it was becoming significant enough to catch the eye in a photograph, I figured I should look into it. I delved into the American Medical Association’s Family Medical Guide, where I learned I was sporting what’s called a pre-cancerous skin spot caused by over exposure to the sun many years ago.
Last week, Don and I stopped at the Colonel’s in Poulsbo for a quick bite. It reminded me of an article by James and Dick Thorpe in their book “Ancient Inventions,” published in 1994.
One chapter tells that the bucket-of-chicken-type restaurants are not really as new as we may think. Ma Yu Ching opened a “Bucket Chicken House” in China, in the city of Kaifeng. A very good business in 1153 AD.
The dictionary says a friend is ‘one with whom a person shares mutual affection, respect and regard. A person that cares.’
Look around you. How many people can you count as a friend? Is it the fellow next door that mows your lawn sometimes when he mows his? Is it the one that phones you for no reason, but just to say hello? Could it be a person you don’t know, but they write books you love to read?
As I write this I count myself so lucky. I have many friends.
There are a lot of things going on in the North End of Kitsap County that I thought I would share with you this month. Next month I’ll try to write more in depth about some of them.
I was as shocked when I heard about the release of a homeless sex offender in my district, who was instructed by community supervision officials to live under the 88th Street Bridge, which crosses State Route 2.
The bridge is located less than five miles from the home of the offender’s victim and near an elementary school.
Sometimes it seems that South Kitsap — Port Orchard in particular – is one step behind the competition in — trying to obtain economic development funding.
Many primitive people of noble, highly developed civilizations treated trees with great respect. Trees were often associated with having supernatural powers, being gods, ancestors and associated with different forms of worship. The Druids, particularly, believed that trees possessed great mysterious powers. Since ancient times, man has been influenced by trees.
Now that some sort of civics class is no longer required for high school graduation, it seems that fewer and fewer people are really familiar with how our form of self-government really works.
Are you thinking about God this week?
What is it around you that brings God to mind?
I tucked these questions inside the cover of my planner so I would be challenged as the week progressed. Visual cues such as these are helpful to people like me who tend to narrow our focus in times of increased stress.
Ruby Roberts has made a habit out of physically assaulting running tracks throughout the state. Her latest victim, the Mount Tahoma High School’s track in Tahoma, fared no better than victims past.
Roberts, a sophomore — yes, she’s only a sophomore — became the one to beat and the one who’s unbeatable all in the same day. During May 24’s 2A state track meet, she surpassed her own expectations with a jaw-dropping 1600-meter time of 4:59.76. She ran an entire mile in just a shade under five minutes.
O, for the days of regulated airlines. Prices and routes were predictable. Airlines provided good customer service. They offered incentives to travel with them: free hot meals, pillows and blankets, unlimited free checked baggage. And that was for all flyers, including coach. Nowadays, that sounds like something from a fantasy, especially if one flies coach.
Probably the most important position in South Kitsap — and by far the highest paying government job — is superintendent of South Kitsap schools.
On Tuesday Bremerton lost a former mayor and city councilman, a family lost a loving, generous husband, father and grandfather and the world lost a great human being as Maurice “Morrie” Dawkins died after battling a long illness.
This issue is the last one where the title, Editor, will follow the name Charles Melton, but that doesn’t mean a complete disappearance from the Bremerton Patriot. It merely means that after 335 days after returning to Bremerton after two years in Poulsbo, a new challenge awaits beginning Sunday afternoon.
