U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) released the following statement May 14 after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the Pentagon will furlough about 800,000 civilian employees for 11 days due to the across-the-board cuts known as “sequestration.” Employees in Navy shipyards will be exempted from furloughs; however, employees throughout Naval Base Kitsap including at Bremerton, Bangor, Naval Hospital Bremerton, Manchester Fuel Depot and NUWC Keyport will be affected. In addition, these impacts will also be felt for Department of Defense civilian employees at Joint Base Lewis McHord in Pierce County and NAVMAG Indian Island in Jefferson County.
In response to the Navy saying it could manage the across-the-board cuts without furloughs to shipyard workers, Kilmer previously signed a letter urging the Department of Defense to allow services the flexibility to deal with the cuts as they see fit rather than imposing one policy across the board. read more »
Last week marked four years since regulators shut down Westsound Bank in Bremerton and sold its deposits to Kitsap Bank. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which took over most of Westsound’s assets, still is owed millions of dollars.
As of March 31, the FDIC as receiver listed nearly $87 million in losses. That’s significantly lower than the $109 million in losses estimated when the bank failed on May 8, 2009. Losses can improve over time because of a healthier economy, higher property values and asset sales.
Not that lawsuits yielded much: The FDIC’s attempt to collect at least $15 million in damages from the bank’s former management and directors ended last November with the agency settling for a measly $1.7 million that was paid by their liability insurer. The case had been scheduled for trial this summer. read more »
At least three positions on the Bremerton City Council have drawn multiple candidates so far during the filing week for Kitsap County 2013 elections.
In Bremerton’s District 3, incumbent Councilman Adam Brockus is running for re-election to a four-year term and has two challengers, Jerry McDonald and Bremerton Chamber of Commerce president Mike Strube.
Former Councilman Roy Runyon, who represented District 4 but resigned in January because he moved out of the district, has filed to run against District 6 incumbent Faye Flemister. The winner in District 6 will serve a two-year term.
Cynthia Triplett Galloway and Mike Sullivan have filed to run for a four-year term in District 1. read more »
Kitsap County election changes will allow prospective candidates to file for office online this year and pay filing fees using a credit card. Online filing begins May 13 and is available until 4 p.m. on May 17.
“This is an exciting new option that enables us to expand and enhance our services for candidates,” says Kitsap County Auditor Walter E. Washington. “We hope they will value the convenience of online filing and payment.”
Candidates also may file in person at the Kitsap County Auditor’s Elections Division Office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 13-17. read more »
Boeing will shed 1,500 information-technology positions in the Puget Sound region over the next three years, the company planned to announce May 13.
The cuts will affect almost a third of the total 4,700 Boeing IT positions here, and continue a wave of job reductions that has hit several corners of the company since March.
Managers were briefed last week on the plan, and Boeing spokesman Andrew Favreau confirmed the details May 10.
The IT positions include systems engineers, applications developers and database administrators. The nonunion workers are mostly highly trained, middle-aged and well-paid with good medical and pension benefits. read more »
PR Newswire
A career fair event geared toward the technology and engineering fields will be held May 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, 1400 Sixth Ave.
Job-seekers with technology and engineering skills will be able to speak with recruiting representatives from tech and healthcare companies, as well as local government agencies.
Preregistration is recommended at www.dicecareerfairs.com where attendees will also find a complete list of companies attending. read more »
The Kitsap Community Foundation will mark its 20th anniversary at the annual Kitsap County Celebration of Philanthropy on May 17.
At the event, KCF will honor nonprofits working to improve Kitsap County, including the foundation’s 2013 grant recipients and 2013 philanthropy award winners: Steve and Debbie Hill, recipients of the Hannah Langer Spirit of Philanthropy Award; Orchard Foods, LLC, recipients of the Organization Making a Difference Award; and Dan Diamond, M.D., recipient of the Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award.
Established in 1993, the Kitsap Community Foundation was created to provide financial support to nonprofit organizations in the county and to help generous individuals or businesses establish a legacy of ongoing financial support for the benefit of the community and its future generations. The foundation has provided nearly 150 nonprofit organizations with a total of more than $1.3 million dollars in grants over the past 20 years. read more »
The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners is proposing an Agricultural Signage Pilot Program to allow farmers additional signage opportunities. The program is designed to address the need for county farms to advertise locally grown products during the 2013 growing season, and will take effect May 14.
The county’s Department of Community Development will manage an interim 180-day pilot program so farm merchants can help customers find the agricultural products grown locally for sale.
A comprehensive update to existing sign code cannot be completed in time to accommodate the 2013 growing season. The interim pilot program is a responsive alternative to promote locally grown agricultural products this growing season. The pilot program provides flexibility to the existing code (KCC 17.445), and collects data as to what works and does not in regard to signs. read more »
The Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (KEDA) was recognized for creative marketing by the Washington Department of Commerce at the Associate Development Organization (ADO) semi-annual meeting in Tacoma on May 8.
KEDA received the Excellence in Economic Development Coloring Outside the Lines award for overall creativity in marketing traditionally and/or online for the Kitsap Connected multi-media campaign. read more »
