Squid, Theft, KRCC Report - 1-31-11

Squid Fishermen.  Just about every evening during the winter months squid fisherman can be seen at the Illahee community dock jigging their lures, such as we photographed here on a cold winters night.  We like to check in with them every so often to see what they are catching, and to see if they have caught anything unusual (one time someone caught a nice mackerel and didn't want it so we took it home and ate it).  That question regarding unusual catches is when we found out about someone catching a lobster which we will describe in a future Update.  

Larger Squid.  On Monday evening (1/31/11) we noticed one squid in a bucket that was twice the size of any of the others, and asked if we could take some pictures.  After a couple of camera flashes along with lying on the dark decking, the squid quickly changed colors to suit its surrounding, which can be seen by comparing the two photos.

Forage Fish Report.  The other interesting news is that they have also snagged some of our primary forage fish while squidding, which are herring, smelt, and sand lance (candle fish).  (Forage fish are small fish that are preyed on by larger fish.)  While these forage fish are not seen in the numbers of decades earlier, it is encouraging to know they are still around.  If it wasn't for these fishermen's reports, most of us wouldn't be aware that these forage fish are using our nearshore and shoreline areas in Illahee.

Illahee Preserve Rain Garden Thefts.  While getting ready for Saturday's work party at the Illahee Preserve, we noticed that 3 logs and a rock had been taken from the rain garden.  We have attached a photo that shows where the rock and one log were.  This is disappointing as it takes lots of volunteer coordination and volunteer work to make the Preserve and the Rain Garden special and some are wondering if we can install a video camera to cover the parking lot.  If anyone has any ideas or expertise in this area, please let us know.

KRCC Public Meeting Report.  We saw at least 4 Illahee residents at the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council public hearing regarding the Countywide Planning Policy document.  One of the most interesting presentations showed a graph of the projected populations used to determine the urban growth boundaries in the county, and how the actual population figures are coming in at about half the projections.  We don't have all the facts, but understand that is why either the courts or the Growth Management Hearings Board are asking the county to take a second look.  The link to the Kitsap Sun coverage of the meeting is:  http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jan/28/tribal-members-speak-out-against-large-scale-in/

Community Input.  Two residents testified during the public hearing and we received two comments that were emailed to the KRCC, which we have attached below:

Thank you for allowing public comment to the "Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy" draft document proposed by the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council.

I attended the public hearing last evening and I'm not sure I was as clear in my comments as I should have been with my last point.

My concern is with the wording changes in the document that tightened the language by replacing "should" with "shall" when it came to issues such as annexation, and then when it got to Element E (which looks at open space preservation, critical areas, and water quality/quantity), the language was loosened by replacing "shall" with "should".

After hearing the testimony about the importance of natural resources and open space, etc, I don't know how you can not change this wording back to "shall".  

Additionally, I would state that current science has more than ever supported the necessity to preserve and protect critical areas and resource lands, such as critical aquifers.  We know that the Kitsap Peninsula is for the most part hydrogeologically self contained, that our ground water comes from precipitation, and that some areas, such as Illahee, are at water balance, meaning we are withdrawing and supporting stream flow with what is already being infiltrated.  The implications of this fact alone are staggering.

If you really believe that "Water is a Resource" then your wording in this county wide planning document needs to support that policy.

Thank you for considering changing the "should" back to "shall".

Thank you for allowing public comment to the "Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy" draft document proposed by the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council.

I am requesting that Illahee be considered for withdrawal from the urban growth area that it has been assigned to. A majority of  Illahee is made up of critical areas: steep slopes, canyons, Illahee Creek, state park and Kitsap County forest preserve, in addition to documented category one aquifer recharge areas. All that is in possible jeopardy if its future is to be annexed to a city.  Under GMA and the definition of UGAs, it clearly spell out the incompatibility of urban growth and protection of important aquifers. Given that population projections have been exaggerated in the establishment of UGAs here in the county, it makes sense for a rural entity such as Illahee  be withdrawn from the UGA.

Your Thoughts?  Let us know how you feel on the issue of annexation, which is what is being proposed as a "shall" in the Countywide Planning Policy document.  

Community Meeting Discussion Item?  We would like to suggest this be a discussion item at the next Illahee Community meeting that has just been scheduled for February 23, 2011 at 6:30pm at the Sylvan Way Library.

Jim Aho

Various Items - 9/16/10

Illahee Road Accident Info & Photos.  Received some more information and some photos of the accident that occurred last Friday evening on Illahee Road.  Thanks to neighbors who helped and then passed the following information on to the community as this accident was not reported in the papers.

Here are some pictures my son took of the wreck. The driver
fled the scene - he was lucky to be alive! Sure hope everyone drives
safely!

.......terrible crash.....lots of police and fire trucks ........  ;-(

We ran down  to check and call 911....but the people from the trailer court were even faster and had called ....

The driver did however crawl out of the wreck and up the steep slope and ran away...... unbelievable that he was able to do that......

We talked with other people who knew him and he came apparently from the house only a bit up the road (with big gate) and drove full power in the ditch.....

The truck is gone....but the driver is O.K.       thank goodness

That is the third accident this year down below us.....!!!!!!!

Deer Photos.  Received the following note and the deer pictures this afternoon as we started this update.

These 4 deer were grazing in my front yard (University Point Circle) this afternoon. The 4 point buck looked like he had some mixture of fallow deer.

Illahee Creek Culvert Partial Clean Out.  Early last Thursday morning (9/9/10) the county cleaned 4 or 5 truck loads the sediment out at the outlet side of the culvert that goes under Illahee Road.  By removing the sediment and creating a depression (hole) at the end of the culvert, they are hoping the sediment level inside the culvert will decrease enough to prevent the failure of the culvert.   

Illahee Creek Culvert in Jeopardy?  The clear opening at the inlet (upstream end) of the culvert before the clean out was 31 inches, which is significantly less than what the culvert was designed for.  The clear opening height will continue to be monitored by the community as well as the county.  If there were to be a storm like there was on December 3rd of 2007, there is a strong likelihood the culvert would not be able to handle the stormwater and the culvert and road would probably wash out.

The Rain Garden Solution.   The initial cost to fix the stormwater problems affecting the culvert, Illahee Creek, and Puget Sound is estimated at $20 million, but if each resident in the watershed installed a bio-retention facility it could go a long way to help.  That is why some 1600 copies of the attached brochure have been printed and distributed at public events like the Fair and have been partially circulated in the community.  As the brochure states "While major work will be required to correct all the sedimentation problems, the immediate solution of having home owners install rain gardens is one thing that can be done now...."  The brochure is also downloadable on the illaheecommunity.com website.

Illahee Community Petition.  We have been asked if we could resend the petition as a number of you reported either not receiving the petition packet.  Attached is an updated black and white version of the petition and the Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) sheet, which are also available at the website illaheecommunity.com.  While the current response is 94% in support of the petition, they are reportedly well below the 500 responses desired and are asking that residents would respond one way or the other.

Request for Email Petition.  We found out that a few had send email responses, and we have been asked if that was acceptable.  We contacted the ICC and they were advised by their local legal counsel that email responses such as attached below or on the website are acceptable and should be sent to:  web@illaheecommunity.com

Jim Aho

_____Yes!  I agree with the petition and add my signature in support of the Port taking these actions.

_____No!  I am sorry but I cannot support the petition.  (Please let us know your reasons.)

Comments:    ______________________________________________________________________________

                       ______________________________________________________________________________

                       ______________________________________________________________________________

                       ______________________________________________________________________________

NAME        _____________________________________SIGNATURE__________________________________

ADDRESS __________________________________________EMAIL__________________________________

CITY, STATE, ZIP ___________________________________________________PHONE__________________

Wildlife Responses & Miscellaneous Items - 7/8/10

Deer Thinning Question.  We were asked to question whether there were any in the community who thought our deer numbers were so high that they should be thinned.  We heard from a number of you who said no and several who said yes.  The comments that have come in so far are printed below:

Wildlife has not grown to a point where they are trouble just a nuisance to some in some minor way.

 I am among those whose newly planted flower garden has been raided by the local deer, yet I am NOT willing to reduce the number of these magnificent animals.  What I have found that works, is to place a sacrificial planter in front near the street, this seems to keep them away from the plants that are deeper into the yard.  I have also heard that cougar urine can be purchased and lightly spread around the property and it will deter the deer from coming in.  I have seen it on the market as "Deer Off" (I think) but have not tried it.  Like yourself, we are grateful to have the wildlife we do and so sorry to see reckless drivers reduce the population.

We love seeing the deer come into our yard.  We don't see them enough, but that's probably because we don't have a garden.  We do have a cherry tree, so we're hoping we see them soon.

I don't feel its necessary to thin the deer population. I used to see them in my yard and loved it but I have nieghbors with dogs all around me. I used to have a male and female pheasant. They were so pretty. I have 5 gray squirrels and 2 brown. Had to take some abandoned baby squirrels to the Wildlife shelter on bainbridge Island last year. And an injured squirrel to the animal hospital in Gorst. They work with the wildlife shelter. That organization is awesome, I try to donate a little here and there. I love living here, and love the critters. Unless the deer are injured or sick they have a right to be here too. There isn't a whole lotta room for them left anymore. Thanks again for the information Jim. I was sorry to hear about your neighbor. That whole situation is so sad, my heart goes out to the family. Thanks for all your hard work in our community.

I am in favor of killing 2 of 3 raccoons in my backyard as I have read that relocation is unkind.  My problem is I don't own a weapon (bow & arrow or 22 rifle) to do the job.

I thought that the population was CONTROLLED EACH YEAR. Guess I was misinformed.

My family agrees with you, extra effort on our end is worth the co-existing. We love the deer and geese, they can come visit our yard any time!

Actually, I think that there are too many people in the area.  However, I do not believe that we should thin them out.  I just drive defensively and wash my hands frequently.  Deer numbers are, if anything, too low.  A "NO" for the thinning proposal.

.... you can add us in the yes pile, of those that would like to see a reduction in the deer population here. Nice to have a few around, but the herd needs to be thinned out a bit.

Allowing the deer to feed on the bounty in my yard is part of my "community service" and I would rather alter my own habits than cull them.  

Same for the geese. Thanks for doing this informal survey. 

Please do not pursue 'thinning' out the deer, they are beautiful and were here first!

Thanks for the update. I generally don't mind the deer. I too have been a victim of their midnight raids. I should have taken photos of years past when I tried growing strawberries. All during the spring they grow lush leaves, get blossoms with the beginnings of berries and in one night they become leafless sticks. 

While I accept that the deer were here first and I do enjoy seeing them around, it might be wise to get Fish and Wildlife to do an assessment as to whether there are too many for the land (presumably the preserve are) to support.  I still have to get off my rear end and put up my wildlife camera to capture the little midnight raiders in the act! I bought the thing three years ago and have yet to set it up. If I ever do, you will be first on my list for the pictures.

The deer visit my yard every year and love my roses.  They also "helped" trim my raspberry plants and eat my pole green beans down to the ground.  But I love seeing them and am willing to put up with their munching.  If I was really worried I would put up some fencing....but I haven't bothered with it yet.

The wild animals were here long before we came along and messed up their habitat.  The least we can do is LEAVE THEM ALONE!  "Thinning them out" is just a disgusting idea.  If you don't want them eating your plants....let's get creative and come up with a more civilized way to detour them! 

And Recommended Solutions:

My wife and I enjoy your newsletter.   I for one (or should I say "we for two") dread the thought of thinning out the deer population in our area.   Like you... living amongst the wildlife in Illahee is one of our favorite things about living in this area.  Although we have been "victims" of the deer foraging on our flowers right on our own deck... we feel it's a small price to pay for the beauty we get to enjoy every day here.  

That being said... we have taken our own steps in detouring the deer away from certain areas in our yard that we would like to keep uneaten by our 4 legged neighbors.   While researching different types of deer deterrents... we found a GREAT solution that has worked very well for us. 

We have a puppy that spends lots of time playing in the yard, so we didn't want any of the chemical/spray types around (plus my research showed they're not very effective anyways)... and we didn't like the thought of having to put up any type of fencing with the height required to keep a leaping deer out.   One day, searching on Amazon.com, we came across something INGENIUS, highly rated by previous customers and exactly what we needed... motion sensing sprinklers!   We bought 2 of them a couple months ago and we love 'em!

The product is called "The Scarecrow" by Contech Electronics.   At $45 a piece, they aren't the cheapest way about it... but they are the quickest and least intrusive by FAR.  They are fully adjustable for sensitivity as well as water pressure, so you can dial in exactly the area you want to detect motion (i.e NOT the neighbor everytime he walks on his lawn next door)... how far it sprays (i.e. NOT the afore-mentioned neighbor walking on his lawn)... and the spray coverage area (small arc or 360 degree circle).   Here is a link to the sprinkler on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Contech-Electronics-CRO101-Scarecrow-Motion-Activated/dp/B000071NUS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1278562113&sr=8-5

Not a big water-waster at all either.   When it does detect motion and sets off, it only goes for 3 seconds and then resets.   And it's one of those ratcheting sprinkler heads, so the sound and sight of that pulsing water stream scares them right away and they eventually learn to not even go in that area anymore.  

Two is all we needed (one at each end of the area we wanted to keep "deer free") and now they just re-route and pass through the other side of the house where they're more than welcome to graze about.  

These things are GREAT.   Well, until the day you forget to turn it off before venturing in front of it and get soaked... don't ask me how I know... lol  :-)

Anyways... I just wanted to pass this on.   We absolutely love 'em.  No chemicals to worry about, no fencing to block the view of all the hard work you've done in the garden/flower beds... just a quick harmless spurt of water.

For Geese:

Landscape modification is one of the most effective and environmentally sound methods for reducing goose populations and/or damage to lawns and yards.

This can be accomplished by:

1.  Planting shrubs, hedges or replacing lawn with unpalatable ground cover (no english ivy please....).

2.  Urban geese obtain much of their food from grass and they feed in areas with the most nutritious grass (i.e. lawns that are mowed and fertilized regularly). Consequently, geese can be discouraged from foraging at a site by making the grass less appealing. Techniques for this may include:

         a.  Mowing and fertilizing the lawn as infrequently as possible (think of it as one less "honey-do"). It is difficult for geese to access the young shoots if the grass is tall and older stems are not as appealing as young shoots.

          b. Planting a less-palatable grass species (not guaranteed to get rid of your problem if there are limited feeding areas as a less appealing feeding area is better than no feeding area).  Although geese will feed on almost any grass, they exhibit a feeding preference for Kentucky bluegrass. They dislike tall fescue, especially certain varieties which contain an endophytic fungus (be careful as this endophytic fungus is not good for goats, sheep or horses and can make them sick).

3.  Geese avoid sites with bushes, hedges, or other objects that would allow a predator to approach without being seen. Other methods that make a lawn appear less safe to geese include:

          a.  Placing shrubs or boulders close to foraging areas. The obstacles should be large enough for other animals or predators, such as a dog, to hide behind.

          b.  Planting tall-growing trees or not removing tall trees in the area. Geese prefer not to use areas where trees obstruct their ability to fly.  Geese are so heavy that they gain altitude slowly when flying--they require a low flight angle of about 13° to take flight.

Another Controversial Issue?  Beach Walking.  With over 3 miles of saltwater shorelines in Illahee there are probably strong feelings as to whether beach property owners have the right to prevent people from walking across their beaches (below high tide).  The Kitsap Sun did an article recently presenting the issue http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jul/05/the-legal-dilemma-of-beach-walking/ followed by a blog article and questionnaire  http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2010/07/08/beach-walkers-are-still-waiting-for-a-legal-answer/.  We researched the issue some time ago and came to the same conclusions as the article and wonder how others feel.  Also, this is one of the issues the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) update is to be discussing so we thought it would be good to get the thoughts of Illahee residents.

Illahee Preserve Handicapped Parking Complaint.  Most are aware of the 460 acre Illahee Preserve and that the surrounding community and the East Bremerton Rotary have been volunteering to support and maintain the Preserve.  The other day we found out a complaint had been registered that the handicapped parking area was being filled with wood chips.  Before we could get out there to look the situation over some pro-active Park's Department personnel had already taken care of the problem.  The Preserve support group sent out the following email and photos in appreciation of the prompt attention.

A big thank you to the Kitsap County Park's Department personnel who took care of moving the chips out of the handicapped parking spaces and putting back the sign that had been either taken out or knocked down!!!!!!    When we ask for free chips for use on the Preserve trails the landscaping and tree removal companies are generally really good about placing them back in to woods where they don't interfere with anything and especially parking.  This time we got so many loads of chips that they spilled over into the handicapped parking stalls faster than we could organize work parties to take care of them.  When we went out there this morning (Thursday) to see what we could do we found that the Park's Department had already been there and had taken care of the situation.  See the attached photos.  While we like to think that the Preserve is being primarily taken care of by volunteers, it is really nice to have the support of Parks when situations like this arise.  Bravo Zulu and Thank You to the Park's Department!!!! 

Last Mulching Work Party on Monday.  We need to spread the remaining mulch on rain garden Plot #4 and will do so on Monday (7/12/10).  Since it may still be warm we are scheduling to go from 5:30 - 7:00 pm at the Almira parking lot.  This is the last plot to be mulched and it should finish off the last pile of mulch.  Thank you to all who have helped and will help on Monday.

Jim Aho

Wildlife Update - 6/30/10

Deer Report.  Lots of deer reports including a doe with twin fawns at Illahee North.  Lots a raspberry eating and young apple tree grazing in one area along with a report of what they think must be one big deer because of the size of the droppings.  The attached picture was sent in from Ambleside along with the following note:

These two have been feasting on shrubs and rose bushes here in Amblesidesfor the past several months. I chase them out of our yard about once aweek.

Mountain Beaver Captured.  Not many people ever see mountain beavers because they are nocturnal and very timid.  They captured this one using watermelon rinds.  We received the following report along with the attached photos.  These are really quite nice looking animals and their fur is very soft.  We found out they let the mountain beaver loose the next day.

(So . . . have you heard of Snipe hunts? Well then, have you heard of mountain beavers? One of our neighbors claims to have captured one and sends these photos to prove it. What do you think?)

Young Raccoons at the Beach.  We have seen more raccoons at the beach this year than ever before, but finding three young ones at the beach was a first.  At first they tried to get down low and hide and then just starred as we took their pictures.

Another Rain Garden Plot Mulched.  When we put out an Update about a volunteer work party we never know how many people will show up.  It has ranged from two to over 20 and no matter how many are present we still get the job done.  On Wednesday we had a young man who, though only 12 years old, set the pace for the other four workers.  Corey Hamilton turned out to be one strong and energetic young worker who kept the rest of working as he loaded wheel borrow after wheel borrow and then brought the heaping loads for us to spread.  We never would have completed the plot if hadn't been for his hard work.  The other person in the photo is his dad Edward and the last photo shows the plot completely mulched.

Plot #4 Still Remains To Be Mulched.  We have one plot yet to mulch and we have a big pile of mulch right close by.  We will let you know when the next work party will be held.  This is the last plot that needs mulching and it should be the easiest.  Let us know if you would like to help.

Jim Aho

Mulching Work Party Scheduled for Wednesday - 6/29/10

Wednesday Mulching Work Party. In our last Update we asked if there was a preferred day and/or time for work parties and only got a few requests with others saying they are generally available. We have decided to go with tomorrow, Wednesday (6/30/10), from 4:30 -7:30 pm for our next work party, which should be enough time to deplete the two big piles of mulch and complete the weeding and mulching of our native plant demonstration rain garden at the Almira parking lot of the Illahee Preserve. Note: We are sorry for the short notice but want to get the mulch down on the plots before it disappears as this has been a problem in the past with our wood chips.

Illahee Preserve Maintained by Volunteers. The Illahee Preserve is maintained by community volunteers, the Rotary Club of East Bremerton, the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee, the Illahee Forest Preserve Non-Profit Corporation, the Port of Illahee, and other groups, with administrative support from the Parks Department. Some have said the Preserve is a successful experiment of letting the surrounding community plan, support, and maintain a major county park. With the financial limitations of the county it is good to have so many community groups and volunteers stepping forward to help. A big thanks to all those who have volunteered and are interested in volunteering.

Jim Aho

SMP & Rain Garden Progress - 6/24/10

Illahee Shoreline. The Illahee Community has over 3 miles of salt water shoreline with many waterfront residents and with our easterly sloping topography many others with views of Puget Sound. These and other Illahee residents are assumed to be concerned about the future of the Sound. Kitsap County is updating and revising their Shoreline Master Program and is soliciting input, currently on the "Kitsap County Shoreline Inventory and Characterization (which is a large document of over 400 pages with the majority being maps) and available for viewing at the County's website.

Shoreline Master Program (SMP). There have been a number of different articles on the SMP process that is going on in Kitsap County with the following article describing it in further detail: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/feb/27/shoreline-planning-under-way-in-kitsap/ Official information on the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) is available on the Kitsap County website: http://www.kitsapshoreline.org/index.html

SMP Task Force. A 20 member Task Force was selected to come up with recommendations for the County Commissioners, with their meetings being periodically reported in the Kitsap Sun. The link to the first meeting is noted below, followed by the link to a later meeting: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/apr/23/work-shoreline-task-force-gets-under-way/ and http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/04/kitsap-county-shorelines-discussion-comes-under/

SMP Representatives. Representatives were chosen to represent groups such as the Homebuilders and KAPO, and then it appears they were looking for representation geographically. We know a number of Illahee residents volunteered, with myself appearing to be the one selected to represent this general area.

Illahee Citizen Input? If you have input you would like me to bring to the Task Force deliberations, I will be glad to pass it on. So far we have mostly been receiving reports and data and just began formulating some goals. I will try to keep you posted on the SMP Task Force progress.

Rain Garden Progress. It was touch and go Wednesday as to whether we could weed and mulch rain garden Plot #3 with only 4 volunteers before it got dark. You can see from the first photo that the plot was full of weeds (we had been asked to do a before and after shots by those who helped on Tuesday). We started at 4:30 pm and finished at 8:30 pm with enough light to document the finished product and need to thank, from left to right in the last attached photo, Pat Graves, Don Jahaske, and Brett Aho, for all their work and for sticking it out until it was complete.

Two More Plots To Mulch. We have the two end plots yet to spread mulch on, which should be easy as we will spread the mulch over the existing wood chips. In other words those plots have already been weeded so all we need to do is get some wheel borrows and operators along with some with rakes to spread the mulch. The goal is to put it on thick so we don't have to pull another weed.

Best Time To Help? We scheduled the Tuesday and Wednesday work parties based on input from those who suggested weekday evenings were best for them. If anyone would like to help with this final mulching effort, please let us know what day and time works best for you.

Jim Aho

Wednesday Work Party - 6/22/10

Wednesday Weeding & Mulching Work Party Scheduled. We have one rain garden plot left in the Illahee Preserve's Almira parking lot that needs weeding and mulching and we want to complete it on Wednesday (6/23/10) from 5-7:30pm.

Volunteers Are Needed. We completed Plot #1 (see attached photo) on Tuesday evening with 8 volunteers, and many of those are not able to be there on Wednesday so additional volunteers are needed.

Mulch Delivered Tuesday Morning. 30 yards of mulch was delivered on Tuesday morning - see the attached photo - at a cost of over $400. 15 yards was placed by each of the rain garden plots to minimize the amount of wheelbarrowing.

More Links re Illahee Shooting. Since there are a number who don't receive the Kitsap Sun we have provided the latest attached links to the shooting of Bill Green.

79-Year-Old Murder Suspect Told Deputies Her Husband 'Egged Her On'

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/21/woman-79-makes-first-court-appearance-in-death/

Elderly Suspect in Illahee Shooting Formally Charged, Then Released
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/22/elderly-shooting-suspect-charged-released/

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 6/21/10

Tuesday 6/22/10 Illahee Events.  Two big events going on in Illahee on Tuesday afternoon/evening.  The weeding and mulching starts at 5 pm and the Port meeting begins at 7 pm.  

Weeding and Mulching Volunteers Needed.   On Tuesday 30 yards of mulch is being delivered to the Illahee Preserve's Almira parking lot.  This is one big load of mulch which will fill one large truck and one large trailer.  Volunteers are needed to weed the rain garden plots before the mulch is put down and it is hoped that with enough volunteers the project can be completed on Tuesday, though we have also planned for Wednesday if needed.  If you can help it would be appreciated as the mulch will be dumped at the parking lot and needs to be placed quickly between the plants in the rain garden plots.  Please email us if you have any questions.

Tuesday Port of Illahee Meeting.  We noted Monday that there are a number of signs out in the community notifying residents of the Port of Illahee information meeting on Tuesday (6/22/10) at 7:00 pm at the Port's new office at 5560 Ocean View Blvd .  The Port is hoping for another evening of good attendance as this the third community meeting where they explain what their options are with respect to the Illahee Community Club petition that will be distributed soon to the majority of residents, and has been distributed to a few neighborhoods.  If you haven't received a petition yet they will be available at the meeting.  

East Bremerton Rotary Citizen of the Year.   We have been asked to include the following announcement in an Illahee Community Update of the East Bremerton Rotary Citizen of the Year:

Special Announcement

This past Friday Jim Aho was honored by East Bremerton Rotary as our Citizen of the Year .  Jim was recognized for his phenomenal contribution to Illahee and the greater East Bremerton community thru his tireless contributions toward protection and preservation of Illahee Forest and Illahee Creek.  East Bremerton Rotary adopted Illahee Preserve as an on-going Club project roughly 5 years ago.  East Bremerton Rotary Club members have taken a strong interest in Illahee Preserve and have seen first hand how Jim has poured himself into the improvement of our community thru his work in "all things Illahee."  This is an annual award provided thru the Rotary Club of East Bremerton.  Jim and Kay attended the annual officer installation meeting last Friday where we surprised Jim by presenting him with this award.  The East Bremerton Rotary is grateful for all Jim Aho has done to make our community a better place to live.  Hooray for Jim Aho!

Comment re Announcement.  As the person who edits and distributes the Illahee Community Updates and for the time being has the Update lists, it was necessary for the local Rotary representatives to ask me to include the above announcement in this Update.  While I appreciate the honor and the award, I am continually impressed by Illahee residents and the surrounding community for their support of the Illahee Preserve and Illahee Creek.  And we all need to be especially appreciative of the East Bremerton Rotary for all their support for the Illahee Preserve, from the purchase of the large signs to the spreading of wood chips on the trails.  They are really an amazing and dedicated group supporting many community projects and needs, and we appreciate their adopting the Illahee Preserve as one of those projects!!!

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 6/18/10

Weeding & Mulching Work Party Scheduled. On Thursday we evaluated some less costly mulching material and decided to order 30 yards so we could complete the weeding and mulching of the rain garden plots at the Illahee Preserve's Almira parking lot. We have asked for the mulch to be delivered on Tuesday (6/22) so that we could schedule a work party.

Volunteers Needed. We need volunteers to help weed and mulch on Tuesday (6/22), and possibly on Wednesday (6/23). We have been asked to schedule it for a late afternoon and evening so that those who work can participate and thus the 5-7:30 pm time frame.

Cost Comparisons. While beauty bark was running at roughly $30 a yard, we could order the other mulching material for $13 a yard delivered if we ordered 30 yards. This should be enough to mulch Plot #3 and finish Plot #1 with possibly some left over, depending on how thick it is applied.

Wood Chips Delivered on Friday. After the new mulch was ordered we had a tree service deliver a batch of mostly cedar wood chips to the Preserve, which is what the East Bremerton Rotary has been looking for for trail work. As one person noted isn't this the way it always works.

Sirens In Illahee on Friday. We were in the Preserve on Friday afternoon when we heard police and emergency vehicle sirens and were sad to find out later that an Illahee resident, Bill Green, was killed in a domestic violence situation. Bill was one of the nicest and gentlest persons we have known. We have provided the link to the story that will appear in Saturday's Kitsap Sun.

Elderly Illahee Woman Jailed on Suspicion of Killing Her Husband

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/18/possible-domestic-shooting-illahee/

Effect of Sirens in Illahee Area. We talked with an Illahee resident Friday afternoon who reported the wail of the sirens had the coyotes in her area howling, which in turn started her dogs barking. We report this as Illahee, while in an Urban Growth Area, still has open space areas and the Illahee Preserve with wildlife that make it seem quite rural at times.

Jim Aho

Weeding & Mulching Work Party Postponed - 6/15/10

Weeding & Mulching Work Postponed. We need to postpone the work party that was mentioned in our last Update, which read as follows:

Weeding and Mulching Work Party on Wednesday? With the change in weather it is incumbent that we complete the remaining weeding and mulching ASAP. Don Jahaske will be checking on getting a load of beauty bark delivered to the Preserve parking lot, probably 10-12 yards. We are looking at getting the bark on Wednesday with a work party on Wednesday evening from 5 - 7:30 pm. We will be concentrating on weeding and mulching Plot #3, which was designed by a landscape architect, though we didn't follow her plans as well as we wanted because of plant availability. This plot does have small camas bulbs planted along the slightly winding waterway which will make the mulching in that area interesting.

New Mulch To Be Evaluated. We have essentially run out of wood chips at the Preserve Almira parking lot and we have not been able to come up with the bark or wood chips necessary to support a weeding and mulching work party on Wednesday. With bark mulch running about $30 a yard (or $450 for 15 yards, plus tax for Plot #3) we are looking at a less costly mulch. One of the Illahee Preserve Stewardship members will pick up a couple of yards of the less costly material tomorrow (Wednesday) to see if it is suitable for the rain garden area. Sorry for the delay but the cost was more than we had budgeted for. We will keep you informed of the new weeding and mulch date.

Thank you for all who were prepared to come on Wednesday.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 6/12/10

Rain Garden Progress Report. We completed weeding and mulching in one of the largest rain garden plots, Plot #4, on Saturday. Attached are photos from Thursday when 4 volunteers braved the rain and finished the weeding but not all the mulching. As you can see from the photos we were almost done with the mulching and down to bare ground at the chip pile when the rain got so heavy that we quit. The rest of the mulching was completed on Saturday and the wood chip pile is now just about totally gone.

Weeding and Mulching Work Party on Wednesday? With the change in weather it is incumbent that we complete the remaining weeding and mulching ASAP. Don Jahaske will be checking on getting a load of beauty bark delivered to the Preserve parking lot, probably 10-12 yards. We are looking at getting the bark on Wednesday with a work party on Wednesday evening from 5 - 7:30 pm. We will be concentrating on weeding and mulching Plot #3, which was designed by a landscape architect, though we didn't follow her plans as well as we wanted because of plant availability. This plot does have small camas bulbs planted along the slightly winding waterway which will make the mulching in that area interesting.

Volunteers Needed. We will want to complete the weeding and mulching on Wednesday so as not to tempt anyone from taking the bark should it not all get spread. We hope to have Aimee, our volunteer botanist and native plant expert, on hand to answer any questions. Once we have a commitment on the delivery of the bark, we will send out an email confirming the Wednesday (6/16/10) date.

Port of Illahee Meeting Signs. We noted that there are a number of signs out in the community notifying residents of the Port of Illahee information meeting on Monday (6/14/10) at 5:30 pm at the Fire Station on Old Military Road. The Port is hoping for a good attendance as they explain what their options are with respect to the Illahee Community Club petition that will be distributed soon to the majority of residents, and has been distributed to a few neighborhoods. We have been told a third meeting is being planned at the new Port meeting room at 5560 Ocean View Blvd at 7 pm on June 22nd in case residents can't make the Monday meeting.

Illahee Community Club "My Turn" Article in Kitsap Sun. We were surprised and pleased to see that the Illahee Community Club responded to the disparaging remarks made by Larry Croix about the Illahee Community Club when he blasted the Port of Illahee a couple of weeks ago in the Kitsap Sun. We like the response and have provided the link to the article below.

MY TURN | The Facts About Illahee Community Club

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/11/my-turn-the-facts-about-illahee-community-club/

Jim Aho