Beach Sediment & State Park Pics - 1-10-11

December Storm Sediment Deposits.   There was much concern a month ago (on 12/12/10) when heavy rains caused Illahee Creek to overflow its banks and filled the stream with sediment.  The velocity of the stream successfully carried the sediment through the culvert and deposited it on the flood plain and at the mouth of the creek.  We have been monitoring the culvert to see if the emergency clean out of the downstream end of the culvert is helping and will be reporting on that in a later update.

High Daylight Tides.  Because of the high daylight hour tides, it has been difficult to look at the sediment deposits in the nearshore area, that is until this past weekend.  We took some pictures and videos of the sediment deposits.  The first photo looks south at the mouth of the stream.  The second looks north toward the Illahee community dock.  The raised area to the north used to look more like a valley or depression (to give you a visual image of what it looked like before the storm), and is an indication of the amount of sediment that was deposited by the December storm waters.

Concerned Residents.  We have heard from some of the residents near the mouth of the creek who were amazed at the sediment buildup from the December storm.  Below is an email of from a local homeowner who has evidently been impacted with increased flood insurance requirements.

As the owners of one of the properties at the mouth of Illahee Creek, we have certainly noticed and been concerned by the increased sediment in Dr. Schutt's reservoir and the entire basin.  However, It seems there is too much focus on the culvert as this will not impact the rising elevation or sediment build up at the mouth.  This is presently impacting home owners and the community as the sediment build up effects the marine life in the bay, as well as the elevation of the flood plain.  The real problems lie more up stream with the flow of water and amount of sediment entering Illahee Creek and flowing down stream to the mouth as you noted below.  Correct that problem and you will not need to raise the culvert.  We would love to see more dredging or digging out of the flood plain even a few truck loads as a nice gesture as this problem has already cost home owners in the area with mandatory flood insurance requirements from mortgage lenders. 

Our Comments.  We concur with the above letter about the need to correct the upstream storm surges and the fact that the large sediment deposits are affecting marine life.  We are not sure though, that there is enough money or the environmental approvals necessary to dredge out a raised flood plain.

Illahee State Park Creek Sediment?  It appeared to us that there were some significant sediment deposits at the mouth of Illahee State Park creek, which is at the north end of the park.  We haven't talked much about this small creek, but it a recognized creek by the state, and is monitored by the Health District.  If anyone has information on whether our observation of the sediment buildup is correct, please let us know.

Illahee State Park Improvements.  We have been asked how the Illahee State Park sewer improvements have been progressing.  The park has been closed because of the ongoing work and we have not talked with the park rangers, but we did take some pictures near the beach parking area, during a beach walk on Sunday.  If you have any information on the progress, please let us know so we can pass it on.

Various Items - 9/8/10

Friday Evening Accident.  Not many details, but several reports and pictures of a pickup truck that went off Illahee Road about 11:30 pm Friday (9/3/10) at the trailer court on Illahee hill.  We were first notified about the accident on Saturday morning by those who passed by the accident scene late Friday, and then again on Monday, when they closed Illahee Road while they pulled the car out of the trees.  We dont know if anyone got hurt.  If anyone has any details of the accident please let us know and we will pass it on.

Illahee Preserve Dumping.  A number of bags of insulation were dumped at the Illahee Preserve Almira parking lot over the weekend - see the attached photo.  A Kitsap County parks department employee was picking up trash collected by a volunteer group who recently cleaned up along Thompson Lane, and picked up the trash at the parking lot.  We are thankful to have a very responsive Parks Department to partner with as volunteers work to maintain the Illahee Preserve.

Illahee State Park Temporary Closure.  Illahee State Park made the headlines of the Kitsap Sun on Wednesday regarding the temporary closure of the Park while a new sewer system is installed.  Following is the link to the article: According to the article it closes next week and will be closed until April, though people will still be able to walk in the park. http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/sep/07/illahee-state-park-to-close-next-week-for/

Memorial Fund for Kara Established.  Also in Wednesday's Kitsap Sun was an article regarding a memorial fund that is being set up for Kara Radabah.   The headline and link to the article follows:  Fund Established Honoring Bremerton Woman Found Dead Near Park  http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/sep/07/fund-established-honoring-bremerton-woman-found/

Petition Distribution.  Between 1,100 and 1,200 petition packets have now been delivered to residents living within the Port of Illahee boundaries.  It appears the number of households in the Port must be around 1,300 to 1,400, so not every resident received a packet.  We attached the contents of the packet, the petition, a FAQ, and a stormwater brochure, to an earlier email Update.  If you need us to send you another, or have a neighbor who needs a packet, please let us know and we will pass the information to the ICC.  

Petition Results.  We know that statistically responses to these type of distributions are lucky to have a 10-15% return.  When earlier distributions were made in Illahee they received around a 40% return.  Up through Saturday the early response has been 93 for and 6 against, which would be a 9% return so far, but with distributions ending this week, they are hoping the numbers responding will be closer to normal.  The big difference is the petition is asking residents if they would agree to a possible increase in Port taxes in this case.  Please let the Illahee Community Club and Port of Illahee know how you feel.

Our Thoughts.  We are amazed at the current high percentage supporting the petition and that so many are supportive of the possibility of having their taxes raised for a few years in order to protect the Illahee Creek corridor.  We are hoping that with the addition of the golf course, which brings current Illahee Preserve acquisition to 80% of its Master Plan, that a Land Trust may be willing to come in and help, along with possible grants and gifts, thereby negating the need to raise anyones taxes. 

Your Thoughts?  Let us know your thoughts so we can pass them on.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 5/27/09

Letters to the Editor re Homeless in the Illahee Preserve.  There was a recent letter to the editor in response to the Kitsap Sun article covered in our last Update.  The blog entries following the initial article weren't very thoughtful or helpful in our mind, but the responses to the letter to the editor were much more interesting and insightful.  See the attached link: http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/may/20/homeless-camps-raising-the-ire-of-illahee-park/

Response to the Illahee State Park Email.  In our last Update we included the text of an email expressing concerns about housing the homeless in a mothballed Illahee State park.  We received comments on both sides, with many of them phone conversations.  Most of those who live near the park and use it often have not experienced problems.  We talked with Steve Ryder, one of the Park Rangers, who said in the four years he has been there that there have been very few incidents and that Illahee is a very quiet and peaceful park, specifically when compared with other parks he has worked in.  He gave as an example this past Memorial Day weekend when the park was full and there was only one havesting citation issued at the beach. We had one person write us that after their hip surgery they started walking through the Park, but stopped when they saw some suspected drug people, which was the only other negative response.  The consensus was that there will always probably be some incidents at any public facility, and that there needs to be some regulatory presence, which is what the email was getting at.  Thank you to all for letting us know your thoughts!

Illahee Bird Watching.  Attached is the results of a recent bird watching event, and an announcement of another one coming up.

On Saturday, May 23rd Idie Ulsh led a guided bird walk thru Illahee Forest Preserve.  A total of 31 different species of birds were identified by sight or sound.  Highlights included a "first time" identification of a Hammond's Flycatcher.  Numerous Western Tanagers were heard thru-out the forest, but not seen.  A Wilson's Warbler was sighted near the gate on Thompson Lane.

Illahee Preserve Birding Tour
Idie Ulsh will be leading a bird walk thru Illahee Forest Preserve on Saturday, June 13th.  The focus will be upon sounds of forest birds.  Idie Ulsh is a Master Birder and past president of Seattle Audubon.  Idie is remarkable with her abilities to bird by ear.  Meet in the new parking lot located on Almira Drive at Illahee Forest Preserve.  From the traffic light on Highway #303 at Lowe’s Hardware, take Fuson Road up-the-hill and follow the hard right hand turn onto Almira Drive.  The parking lot is just ahead on your left.  Space is limited to about 12, so advanced sign up is required.  Bring binoculars. Bird books optional.  Start time is 7AM.  Questions or sign-up?  Please contact Vic Ulsh at work (360) 479-6900 orvic@bradleyscottinc.com.

River Otters.  We have had two emails asking what to do about river otters.  One has 5 of them living under their house and the other wasn't specific.  We used to have three of them living near us, but we have some small dogs that get loose now and then and are small enough to go through the brush to their den, and so we think they moved, and probably ended up at these other residents.  It shouldn't be too long before the otters will have their young and will hopefully move on. 

Suggestion?  Those with the otters are asking for suggestions on how to deal with them, other than contacting the Department of Fish and Wildlife.  If you have any ideas, let us know and we will pass them on.

Status of Incubating Goose Eggs.  We had reported earlier of a disturbed Canada goose nest that still had two eggs in it.  We tried incubating the eggs for five days without success (see the attached photo).  We finally broke open the eggs to see if they had been fertilized and the found they had with nearly complete chicks inside that would probably have hatched if they hadn't been disturbed by probably a raccoon or possum. 

Jim Aho

Meeting Reports - 5/22/09

Tuesday's Illahee Preserve Meeting.  One of the nice things about having the Press at a meeting is they have a deadline and one doesn't have to wait long for their report.  Such was the case for the Illahee Preserve meeting on Tuesday (5-19-09).

 

Brynn Grimley Article.  We have been impressed with the Kitsap Sun reporters and especially Brynn Grimley who frequently covers Illahee items.  She did an excellent job of covering Tuesday's meeting - click on the following link for her story: 

http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/may/20/homeless-camps-raising-the-ire-of-illahee-park/

 

Monday's Illahee Community Meeting.  One of the primary objectives of the Illahee Community meeting on Monday (5-18-09) was to see if the community could come up with a "counter proposal" to the Timbers Edge plans, that the Illahee Community could live with.  There proved to be too many different thoughts and ideas expressed by attendees for there to be any consensus, so it was decided some of the key representatives would try to pull together the various issues and come up with a draft for the larger group to go over at a later meeting. 

 

Other Actions.  The Community did vote to establish a fund raising team to look at various options in anticipation of significant legal costs in the future.  If anyone is interested in helping, let us know and we will pass your name on.  The group also voted to establish a committee to look at the possibility of becoming a Wildlife Habitat sanctuary similar to the city of Shoreline.

 

Illahee State Park Email Comments.  We received a number of responses, both verbal and written, regarding the email that we included in our last Update that expressed concern about the homeless using a mothballed Illahee State Park.  We will pass along some of those comments in a later Update.

 

Status of the Nesting Goose.  We finally have one gosling from the nesting goose family.  It appears the nest was discovered by something on Wednesday evening as early Wednesday morning there was one gosling with the mated adults, one warm egg still on the nest, one egg that had evidently rolled down from the side-hill nest, and one egg that was some distance uphill that had been smashed and eaten.  We were advised that we should put the remaining two eggs under a warming light to see if they might hatch, but now three days later, nothing has happened.  If this is the same mating pair as last year they had a nearby nest of three eggs that never hatched and they eventually abandoned the nest, so I guess we should be happy to have the one gosling.

 

Wildlife Stories?  Let us know your wildlife stories so we can pass them on.

 

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 5/18/09

Monday Illahee Community Meeting.  The Monday (5-18-09)meeting @ 6:30 pm at the Unitarian Fellowship Church on Perry Ave is a quarterly ICC meeting, but theprimary issue to be discussed is whether the Illahee Community can come up with a counter proposal to the Timbers Edge plan.  There is evidently a draft of a proposal that will be passed out at the meeting.  If you have any questions we will be glad to pass on what we know.

 

Tuesday Illahee Forest Preserve Meeting.  This meeting will be held on Tuesday (5-19-09) at the Eagles Nest at the Fairgrounds beginning at 6:30 pm.  The primary issue on the agenda is a sheriff''s representative to talk about various issues within the Illahee Preserve, the major one being homeless camps.  This should be a great interest to Illahee residents because of the potential for fire damage to the 460 acres of Preserve forest land in an otherwise urban setting. 

 

Concern Regarding Homeless Camps in Illahee State Park.  We received a copy of an email that was sent to Patty Lent, who was quoted in a Kitsap Sun article as suggesting that if Illahee State Park is mothballed that maybe the homeless could camp and help take care of the Park.  We think that the Park will not be mothballed, but found the email very insightful regarding possible issues with those using the facilities.

 

I realize that your suggestion regarding the use of Illahee State Park if it is closed to the general public because of budget constraints was based on your compassion for the individuals that are homeless. My wife and I have lived adjacent to the park for 23 years. I have been a park volunteer in the past. We know exactly the events that occur in the campground on a daily basis under "normal conditions". The campground host is not there to be a friendly guide for campers, they are there to control the behavior within the campground. Sometimes they do and sometimes they are not able to maintain control. I truly believe that you don't understand the impact of your homeless shelter proposal.

It is true that I do have somewhat of an "not in my backyard" attitude but we understand the unpublished events that happen on numerous occasions within the campground and the remainder of the park. Today neighborhood families will not let their children walk through the campground and park without supervision because of what has happened in the park. I know of adults that won't walk into the park without a weapon on their person. The park manager and assistant park manager carry weapons for their own protection. These conditions exist in a facility open to the general public. Do you have any concept of what conditions would be like if the front gate were locked and as you suggested the facilities become a homeless refuge?

I do hope we can continue this dialogue.

 

Let us know your thoughts and we will pass them on.

 

Jim Aho, Phone 479-1049

Miscellaneous Items - 5/15/09

Important Meeting on Monday.

 

ICC Meeting Monday (5-18-09).  A very important Illahee Community Club meeting will be held Monday evening at 6:30 pm at the Unitarian Fellowship Church at 4418 Perry Avenue.  The meeting is the quarterly ICC meeting, with the primary item on the agenda being to come up with a community "counter proposal" to the Timbers Edge project.

 

Counter Proposal.  The reason for coming up with a "counter proposal" is to see if the community and the developer can come up with an agreement both parties can live with.  The developer and his engineer have decided what kind of development they would like build, but the community has some major concerns with what they are planning, so now it is time for the community to come up with a counter proposal of what kind of development they would like to see.

 

Primary Meeting Goal - A Counter Proposal Acceptable to the Community.  We have talked with many and all have agreed that the developer should be able to develop the property, but not with the adverse impacts on the community, the creek, and the aquifers.  During prior discussions with community members alternatives have been presented and seem to have a common theme.  It is that common expressed theme that we think will be expressed on Monday and will result in a proposal that is acceptable to the community.

 

Illahee Residents Need to Attend.  This single project has the potential to impact the Illahee Community more than any single project in recent decades.  We would encourage as many people as possible to attend.

 

Help With Fundraising?  Linda Hinde, an ICC board member, is wondering if there are any volunteers who would like to work with her on looking at fundraising possibilities?  Let us know if you would like to help and we will pass the information on to Linda.

 

Another Important Meeting on Tuesday.

 

Illahee Forest Preserve Meeting on Tuesday (5-19-09).  Another important meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2009.  The Illahee Forest Preserve meets at the Eagles Nest at the Fairgrounds from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.  The primary item on the agenda for this meeting will be a meeting with a Sheriff's representative to talk about what to do with the homeless who are setting up camps in the Illahee Preserve.

 

Homeless Camp Report Today.  We received the following report of more homeless in the Preserve:

 

I just received a report of 3 (or possibly more) new homeless camps within Illahee Forest Preserve.  Location is reportedly near Highway #303, just south of the Park-N-Ride.  The report suggested the property adjacent Safeway has gotten so full of homeless camps that some of the homeless are now moving their camps directly across Highway #303 into Illahee Forest for more space.  Apparently there is a faint trail access along the fencing immediately north of the vacant car sales lot.  This is not believed to be the primary point of access because the trail is not well defined.  I hope to check this situation out myself early Saturday morning.

 

Illahee State Park Update.  We received the following information from our State Representative Christine Rolfes regarding what was happening with the State Parks.

 

State Parks and Recreation Commission
schedules special meeting in Olympia
OLYMPIA – May 11, 2009 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will have a special meeting May 19, to adopt an implementation plan for the 2009-11 budget, contingent upon the Governor’s signing.
The special meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 19, in Room N 108 of the Tumwater Office of the Washington State Attorney General, 7141 Cleanwater Drive S.W., Olympia. The agenda is available online at www.parks.wa.gov. Time for public comment will be made available for items on the agenda.
Parks will remain open during the 2009-11 biennium as the result of action taken by the Legislature to establish a new revenue source for State Parks. When vehicle owners register a new vehicle or receive their annual license tab renewal notice from the Washington State Department of Licensing, their total bill amount will include a $5 donation to keep parks open, unless they specifically choose not to include the donation. Budget language adopted by the Legislature says that parks will remain open in 2009-11 unless sufficient revenues are not collected from the program.
In its Operating budget, State Parks will take a reduction of $52 million in General Fund tax dollars in 2009-11, out of $100 million General Fund in the current budget. The Legislature intends that most of this funding will be replaced by the new donation program and a temporary shift of fuel taxes associated with off-road vehicle and marine recreation uses. In addition to replacement funds, expenditure reductions are necessary which are outlined in the implementation plan. These reductions include holding staff vacancies and reducing functions at headquarters to reduce $3.8 million; consolidation of region offices from four to three to save $1 million; reduction of non-core programs at $1.3 million; and reduction of equipment expenditures by $2 million.
The plan also will include a fee increase of $2 for camping effective July 1, 2009. The camping fee increases were authorized by the Commission in August 2008 but were administratively delayed until the budget process was completed. The fee increase will apply to new reservations made after July 1. The increase will bring the range of camping charges to $19 to $24 for standard (tent) sites and $25 to $33 for utility sites.
The agency’s Capital Program budget for new projects is $25.5 million in state bond money, reduced by 60 percent from the current budget. The agency must cut indirect and management costs by approximately $3 million. The plan also reduces reliance on outside consultants and reorganizes Capital Program staff in the three remaining regions. 
The Commission has been encouraged by the Legislature to continue pursuing transfers of 13 parks that were deemed potential transfer candidates earlier in the state budget process. Any of these that are not transferred to be operated by other local governments will remain open under State Parks management in the 2009-11 biennium, unless collections of new donation and other revenues prove insufficient.
The Commission also will consider a proclamation of appreciation to the public, the Legislature and the Governor for demonstrated support of State Parks during the past several months while the state budget was being prepared.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission manages a diverse system of more than 121 parks and several recreation programs, including long-distance trails, boating safety, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The 96-year-old park system will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013.

 

Canada Goose Report.  The Canada goose goslings are emerging.  We have had one family with 4 goslings that are getting quite big, and another family with 5 small goslings.  The goose that we are monitoring is still sitting on her nest.

 

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 4/23/09

Canada Goose Nest.  Our neighbors have a Canada goose that has been faithfully sitting on a nest for the last three days.  We tried to see if we could see how many eggs there are as she leaves the nest for about a half hour each morning, but she had covered them up with small feathers and nesting material.  We were hoping to monitor the nest until the eggs hatch but will be out of town for a week.  If someone else has a similar situation and is willing to take photos, we will pass them on.

 

Deer Photos.  Attached are some photos that were sent in after the dead deer photo.

For all those that were upset about photos of the dead deer, here are some photo's of a very lively one in my back yard.

 

Illahee Dock Inquiry Inspiration for Squid Jigs.  During the winter months the Illahee dock is often lined with squid fisherman.  We have been monitoring the squid fishing there for years and this year especially noted the wider hooked squid jigs were much more productive than the old style that has been around for years.  After the article in the Kitsap Sun, we know they are not only locally produced, but their inspiration was from a trip to the Illahee dock.  The link for the story is:

http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/apr/20/squid-jigs-made-by-bremerton-couple-hit-the-big/

 

Timbers Edge Appeal.  We understand there are several persons working on the Timbers Edge appeal to the County Commissioners that is due on Friday, 4-24-09.  We will try to get a copy, since it will become a public record, and pass it on as an attachment.

 

Illahee State Park.  We have been asked what can be done to help make sure Illahee State Park is not mothballed or turned into a homeless camp.  We aren't sure how to respond, but did notice in the Kitsap Sun a short article on Wednesday that the House passed a measure to add a $5 "opt out" fee to annual vehicle registrations in order to keep our state parks open.  The bill then goes to the Senate.  The Park's Commission hopes the new fee will add $20 million for parks.  We will continue to try and monitor this, but could use some help since we will be out of town for a week.

 

Jim Aho

Wildlife & State Park Info - 4/18/09

Recent Photos.  In the past few days we have been receiving a number of wildlife photos.  In this update are some bird photos.  Deer (alive) photos will be sent in a later update.

Killdeer Nest & Killdeer.  The first three photos were evidently taken on Thursday.  Following is text of the email we received.

Here are some pictures of our Killdeer and her nest.  She first scolded me, then tried to lead me away with the old broken wing trick, then she watched as I took pictures of her babies.  Where's Waldo:  In picture 10 can you find the nest?

Eggs Hatch.  On Friday we received the fourth photo and the following text:

3 of the 4 eggs hatched today.  The chicks are even harder to see than the eggs....

Eagle on Nest.  Today we received the eagle nest photos and the following text:

Attached are photos of an eagle sitting on a nest in Manette taken 4/18/09.  The Lombard Poplar tree has just begun to leaf out in the past 2 days.  I expect we should be getting very near hatch date for this nest within the next week or so (assuming 35 day incubation period). 

Plans for Homeless in Illahee State Park?  In Saturday's Kitsap Sun there was an article about the cut in social services that contained one solution that was being proposed which is to recommended Illahee State Park be used to house the homeless if the park is going to be mothballed.  We thought Illahee residents might like to look at the linked article.

http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/apr/17/groups-preparing-for-the-rollback-of-health/

Thank You!  Thank you to all for sending the photos.

Jim Aho

Illahee State Park - 4/3/09

State Park Information Received.  We received some more information regarding the mothballing of some of our state parks and a letter that was sent to the state regarding Illahee State Park.  We had previously provided links to local articles in the Kitsap Sun, the Bremerton Patriot, and the CK Reporter regarding Illahee State Park being on the mothball list.

 

Seattle Times Article.  The first is an article in the Seattle Times entitled "Would you pay $5 to keep state parks open?"  It talks about one of the proposals on the table to help fund the parks so they won't be mothballed.

 

Lawmakers eye $5 car-tab fee to keep state parks open

 

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has identified more than 47 state parks that could be closed temporarily or, in some cases, transferred to cities, counties or tribes to maintain.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008946248_parksclosing30m.html

 

 

Illahee Resident Letter.  The second is a very well written letter by the Barchecks that is the best we've seen.

 

Subject: Mothballing of Illahee State Park

We read with great concern your proposal to close Illahee State Park and others.  Our neighborhood borders the park and we and many of our neighbors use the park regularly year round.  We see the dock being used by the taxpayers of the Bremerton/Silverdale area for fishing, crabbing and diving.  The oyster and clam beds are used for shellfish harvesting in season.  Many families enjoy the picnic areas and playground facilities.  Illahee State Park has a limited number of camping spots so the potential for revenue collection is also limited but that doesn't mean the park is not getting used.  Your ill fated attempt at collecting parking fees for park entry of a few years ago showed that the taxpayers expect their parks to be funded as a part of the taxes they pay.  Most think that there is enough money in the state budget to get the job done even in an economic downturn.  Illahee State Park is unique because it is close to an urban area so it is very convenient for a large number of people that do not have access to a natural area where they live.  Closing other more remote parks would have less of an impact on the taxpaying public.
Closing the park will make it susceptible to crime and vandalism which could spill over into our neighborhood which is just across the street from the park.  It will become a magnet for the homeless to set up camp since it is within waking distance to food stores and other services.  Closure will make it less desirable and/or unsafe for regular use by the people in our neighborhood even if they are allowed walking entry.  All of this will depress property values and tax revenue from our neighborhood.
Please consider these issues in determining whether you turn Illahee State Park from an asset into a liability for the taxpayers of Kitsap county and Washington state.

Sincerely.
Andy and Sandi Barcheck

 

Thank You!  Thank you for sending in the information so we can pass it on.

 

Jim Aho

Illahee State Park on Mothball List - 3/22/09

Illahee State Park on the Mothball List. There has been recent information regarding Illahee State Park being on the list for possible mothballing. We know there are a number of you who do not get the local papers or are on travel. The first article came out in the Kitsap Sun on March 11th, and the second article came out this last Thursday in both the Bremerton Patriot and the Central Kitsap Reporter. See the following links:

http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/mar/11/bremerton-park-among-33-on-states-145mothball/

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/pat/lifestyle/41532097.html

Illahee and Other County Residents Concerned. We have been inundated with questions about this issue, and have been asked what, if anything, should be done.

The Short Answer. As we understand it, this is presently a budget driven exercise to determine the options available to resolve the state's money problems. If it gets more serious there is a process that will be followed to determine which parks will be affected.

In the Meantime? In the meantime we would like to get more answers, beginning with those who are representing our area in the state legislature.

Help Appreciated. We would appreciate any help in getting more answers so we can respond appropriately.

Jim Aho