MCP&PSG 2-12-08
WEEKLY COFFEE & DISCUSSION SESSION 6:45AM MANCHESTER FAMILY INN
Attending today's meeting
were Ron and Joyce Rada, Peggy Warren, Richard Dillworth,
Bob and MC Edwards, John Winslow, Joe and Mary Ann
Blazevich, Bud and Wanda Larsen. A
news release from the Kitsap County Sheriff's office was handed
around. These special releases provide accurate and
current information about the status of criminal investigations and are very
effective to everyone concerned.
An email from Cpl. Bob
Millard was read, as regards a KNAT (Kitsap Nuisance Abatement Team) report on
property located on Long Lake
Drive, near Sedgwick. Bob has been
very helpful in seeing that a number of places in the area are cleaned up, we
appreciate his help.
We had invited Port
Commissioner Dan Fallstrom to attend one of our
meetings in the next month or two, so we could get to know him and discuss
goals and priorities. Dan has advised that due to work commitments
at this time he will be unable to join us anytime soon, perhaps in the Summer.
The grant writing meeting
last night, held jointly by the Port
of Manchester Commissioners
and the KRL/Manchester Library was discussed. There was an
excellent turnout for this special event, with 29 in
attendance. Ms. Kathleen Byrne-Berrantes
of GRANT SOLUTIONS a consulting firm, did an excellent job with her power
points presentation in letting the group know how to apply for grants, costs,
her fees, requirements for each grant, how they could work for the Port or the
Community, etc. There are many kinds of grants available
either singularly or piggyback, giving those interested in a Village meeting
place, or expansion of the current library, a lot to think about.
Commissioner Pederson provided refreshments for the event with Margaret Guariz doing the preparation, many thanks. If
you would like a copy of Ms. Byrne-Berrantes firm
profile January 2008, contact Wanda at bwlarsen@wavecable.com.
The regular meeting of the Port Commissioners followed the special event.
Many topics were covered. Interest in a website was evident
and contact with webmaster Arlene Brennan will be made by Commissioner Fallstrom. Also of interest was a report
by Alan Fletcher who has been contracted with to perform certain duties for
conducting Port business from the Manchester Water District offices. This
past month the District was instrumental in the removal of an abandoned
sailboat from the launch area of the Port, as well as some minor repairs at a
very reasonable fee.
Joe Blazevich
reported on a first draft for a Port
of Manchester survey with questions
for users of the launch area and the Pomeroy
Park area. The
survey would determine who uses both facilities, how often, for what purpose,
how far did they come from, etc. The
questions would be approved by the Commissioners in advance of two or three Fishing Season weekends and would be conducted by Manchester volunteers on
a daylight to dark schedule. Additional information will be
forthcoming.
Our guest next week will be Dee D'Haem, head librarian Manchester Library and
Sue Whitford of Kitsap Regional
Library. We will be discussing available services at the
library that could be helpful to our public safety and crime prevention
research. They will also be discussing the long term planning
of the Library system and other topics of interest. It was noted that on
March 1 a 3 day a week children's library program will start. Mark your
calendar for the 19th and plan to attend our 6:45AM meeting at the Manchester
Family Inn.
Mary
Cathern Edwards
reported on the emergency preparedness program for Kitsap County.
M.C. attended the special classes and is the authorized representative for our
area on building and strengthening disaster readiness among neighbors.
She can be scheduled to come to neighborhoods for a one hour class to develop
an effective safe and worthwhile program involving
from 10 to 15 residents who will then be able to work together in the event of
a disaster to insure everyone's safety immediately following a disaster,
selection of a gathering site and care center, neighborhood skills and
equipment inventory, guidelines for neighborhood mapping, neighborhood map and
contact list,
etc. As someone mentioned, we all know
Kitsap County sits on an earthquake fault and
there WILL be a disastrous quake. WHEN is what we do not know, so we need
to be aware and learn all we can to preserve are neighborhood.
APATHY will not work.
Interest in a Port of Manchester initiated Friends of The Port
Advisory Committee was discussed. The Committee would include
2 representatives of our group, 2 from the Friends of the Library, 2 from the
Manchester Community Council, 2 from the Manchester Community Assn. and 2 from
the general public of Manchester, within the Manchester boundary's. This is an opportunity
for citizen's to assist the Commissioners in research and study, as well as
volunteer efforts. A great deal of interest has been shown to
date in such a program and the Commissioners have been very responsive to the
possibilities.
Submitted
by: Wanda Larsen