An Old-Fashioned Bridge in Manette

The Manette Bridge played a significant role in the building and expansion of Bremerton. Built during the Great Depression, the Manette Bridge is the oldest of two bridges that connect East Bremerton to West Bremerton.

In this photo, Manette is to the right, West Bremerton on the left side. The Port Washington Narrows goes north toward Silverdale. The Olympic Mountains are in the distance. (Much appreciation to Capt. Alan R. Beam, USN, ret., for the photo. Thanks, Dad!)

Prior to the building of the bridge, Mosquito Fleet ferries made the crossing each day to allow families from East Bremerton to go to their jobs in West Bremerton. If a laborer missed the last ferry, he would have to make an extremely long commute around the north end of the inlet, through Chico, Silverdale, and Tracyton.

Construction on the bridge began in October 1929, and continued until opening day in June of 1930. The bridge was originally a toll bridge, charging $.25 per car and $.05 a passenger. The toll continued until 1939.

Shortly after the toll was lifted, it became clear that the little two-lane bridge would not support the growing traffic burden, and talk of a second bridge began. This resulted in the building of the Port Washington Narrows Bridge, commonly known as the Wheaton Way Bridge, in 1958 as a toll bridge.

At that time, the toll was placed back on the Manete Bridge. Why pay the toll on the Wheaton Way Bridge if you could cross the Manette Bridge for free? The tolls were lifted in 1972 when both bridges were paid for.

Today, residents of the charming neighborhood of Manette use the bridge to cross to West Bremerton, Naval Base Kitsap - Bremerton, and the Washington State Ferry Terminal to commute to Seattle. Unfortunately, the charming Manette Bridge is currently considered unsafe. The bridge is scheduled for demolition when a new bridge is constructed, beginning in 2010.

For more information on the neighborhood of Manette, including a list of homes for sale in Manette, Bremerton, stop by Realty Station. Or visit our website for more on Bremerton and Kitsap County real estate.

Military Appreciation Day at Kitsap Mall

Military Appreciation Day at Kitsap Mall is scheduled for next Saturday, March 29, 2008. This annual event, sponsored by Kitsap Mall, the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce, and local military installations, is a salute to our military men and women as well as their families.

Local businesses will be on hand offering demonstrations of their products, as well as discounts and specials. Many military divisions will also be showcased. Entertainment includes NJROTC drill units, Navy EOD divers, Navy Working Dogs, and performances by Navy Band Northwest. Other local entertainers will be the Clan Heather Dancers and Halau Hula O Healani.

For elementary kids, the Marine Security Force will hold a special mini-boot camp, featuring a climbing wall and giant slide.

The event is free and runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Displays will be both inside and outside Kitsap Mall in Silverdale.

Famous Dave's Opens in Silverdale

Famous Dave's, the largest barbecue franchise in the nation, has opened a restaurant in Silverdale! The grand opening was today, March 17, 2008, at 3276 NW Plaza Road, between Pier One Imports and Target.

I first became familiar with Famous Dave's when my friend and past client Tara S. heard we were moving to Kansas for a year. She said we absolutely HAD to go check out this barbecue joint next to the Kansas City Speedway. Turns out, we stumbled across it when we went to Nebraska Furniture Mart, and I have to say it is some of the best barbecue I have ever had, a big compliment coming from someone born in Georgia.

Famous Dave's has "five ways to get sauced", including their Georgia Mustard sauce and the Texas Pit sauce. I haven't been brave enough to try their Devil's Spit sauce yet, and I doubt that I ever will. I'll let hubby try that one out!

They serve pork ribs, barbecue brisket and barbecue chicken, with sides that include Wilbur beans, coleslaw, and corn on the cob. The service at other Famous Dave restaurants has been exceptional, even if the lines can be long at peak times.

I am definitely looking forward to dinner at Famous Dave's later this week!

Update: The phone number to Famous Dave's is 360-307-9999. They do not take reservations, but you can call ahead to find out how busy they are.

FREE Over-the-Counter Meds for Military

I've been a navy spouse for eight years now, and was a navy brat for more than, well, I won't tell my age. I like to think I am a pretty well-informed military spouse, but I had no idea how easy it was to get over-the-counter meds free from the Bremerton Naval Hospital until recently!

I had heard that you could get certain meds free, but I always assumed that it would be a huge pain in the rear to do so, like so many "benefits" of the military are. But my good friend, Barbara A., told me to go check out the drive-through refill pharmacy at Jackson Park, near the Bremerton Naval Hospital.

Sure enough! It only took ten minutes, and I didn't even have to get out of my car. A really cool thing, especially since I am on crutches right now and had my three year old son in the car.

Take the second right turn off of Austin Drive into the Jackson Park navy housing complex, and the refill pharmacy is immediately on your right. As you pull in to the drive-through window, you will see a box of forms on the driver's side. Grab a form for each of your family members, and fill it out as you wait in line or pull back into a parking spot to fill it out if the line is short.

Military is allowed 3 unique products per family member in any 30 day period. I got adult acetamenaphine, children's liquid acetamenophine, cough suppresant, antacid, and a cream for hubby's athletes foot (welcome to hot days on deployment in the gulf in bad shoes and socks!). All free!

Do understand that these are not name-brand products, but they have the same ingredients and work just as well. When you realize how much it would have cost me to buy these items in a drug store, it was definitely worth the drive and a few minutes of my time. And, they are open on Saturdays!

PS I thought I was the only navy spouse who didn't know about this, but then I ran into my friends and past clients Chris and Tammy K. at Wal-mart, and they were surprised that it was so easy too!

This post is worth $100!!!!

Well, I certainly got your attention, didn't I?

Yes, seriously, you can make $100 for doing a few simple things that many of us should be doing anyway - saving and investing. Perhaps there is another, less risky, short-term way to do that than investing and buying a home in Bremerton, in Kitsap County. Even if you do own investment property, never put all your eggs in one basket.

In Suze Orman's new book Women and Money, Orman and TD Ameritrade offer Orman's readers the chance to open a brokerage account at TD Ameritrade and TD Ameritrade will put $100 extra in their account at the end of one year. The investor must agree to invest at least $50 a month into the account and the money can not be withdrawn until the year is over.

So, save $600 this year, and get another $100 in addition to the "competitive" interest you will receive anyway. That's quite a nice return, don't you think?

For more details, go to Suze Orman's website at http://www.saveyourself.com/. You can also find more information in her book Women and Money, beginning on page 85. It's worth $100 to you!

What Can Your BAH Buy You?

Buying with BAH

“We want to buy a house, and we’re probably going to use our VA loan. Can you tell us how much we can afford? We’d like to keep our payments below our BAH.”

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard young military couples (and a few singles) tell me this. It’s a good goal, but I have to tell you that, depending on your expectations for a home, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish this goal. Don’t get me wrong, it does happen, but it usually takes some re-prioritizing and perhaps settling a little.

Allow me to explain…..

The Basic Allowance for Housing was put in place to pay rent for military service members who either can not or choose not to live in military housing. That’s right, I said rent. BAH was not designed to allow military personnel to purchase a home without taking any money out of their regular pay.

Also, different paygrades are given enough BAH to rent a home that is specific to the lifestyle that the military imagines that particular paygrade to have. For example, an E-3 with dependents are given enough to rent a two-bedroom apartment. An E-5 with dependents is given enough to rent a two or three bedroom townhouse. An E-7 should get enough to rent a single family home.

The same generalization applies to Officers and Warrant Officers too. The lower paygrades will have enough to rent attached family homes, while the higher paygrades will have enough to rent a single family home.

And remember, that is to rent a house, not to buy. Right now in Kitsap County, you can rent more hosue than you can buy for the same amount of money. In other words, you can afford to rent a nicer house than you can afford to buy.

With all that said, if you expect to buy a house and not pay more than your BAH, you will not be buying your dream home right away. Compromises will have to be made. And yes, you will probably end up taking money out of your pocket, as it were.

It all depends on what you are looking for, and what you can give up and what you absolutely can’t live without.

Sit down with your lender and your real estate agent and decide what you are willing and able to pay, and what you expect to get for the money. Do this before you start looking at houses – it will save you a lot of heartache.

Recycle your Christmas Tree in Kitsap County

The Christmas hoopla is over. Time to take the lights down, pack away the ornaments, put away the inflatable "Frosty" lawn spectacle (or, in my family's case, the Home Depot and Lowe's cars currently racing across our front lawn), and make your home look a little less glitzy.

Now, what to do with the tree? Let's face it -- we live in the Pacific Northwest. Most of us have real Christmas trees. Some of us even cut our own. Seems a shame to waste them.

Don't! Recycle those trees instead! Kitsap County makes it so easy. Trees are accepted for recycling at most facilities until at least January 15, 2008.

First, remove all ornaments, lights, tinsel, etc. from the tree. Only clean trees will be accepted for recycling. remember that next year before asking to have your trees "flocked." Flocked trees are not accepted, and neither are garlands or wreaths.

Next, drop your tree of at any of these locations. Best to call and confirm hours of operation, if possible.

Bremerton: Public Works Department at 100 Oyster Bay Avenue in West Bremerton, or the Water Utility Building at 3027 Olympus Drive in East Bremerton.

Silverdale and Central Kitsap: Silverdale Recycling and Garbage at 8843 Dickey Road, up Newberry Hill.

Poulsbo: Poulsbo Recycle Center at 710 Iverson, downtown Poulsbo.

Port Orchard: Olalla Recycling and Garbage at 2850 SE Burley-Olalla Road. Also, the Olympic View Transfer Station at 9300 SW Barney White Road near the airport.

For all of Kitsap County: Please consider donating your tree as well as a $10 donation to Boy Scout Troop 1506! They will dispose of the tree for you! You can drop your tree at the front door of the Scout Hall in Tracyton and leave your donation in the mail slot. This way, you don't need to worry about hours of operation, and it is so convenient to help out the Scouts!

At Realty Station, we plan to recycle our Christmas trees. The giving season doesn't have to end at Christmas -- keep recycling all year.

A great way to check out my latest listings!

Kitsap Real Estate is changing. From Bremerton to Seabeck, Port Orchard to Poulsbo, Silverdale to Kingston, the way we Realtors do business is steadily becoming more and more influenced by the internet. At Realty Station our goal is to stay ahead of the times!

Many people these days do not begin their home search with a Realtor. Up to 82% of today's homebuyers begin their search on the internet. Why then are so many agents only running print ads, or worse, putting up a sign and waiting for something to happen?

My team depends heavily on internet marketing to find buyers to purchase our clients homes. One of the ways we do that is by giving each home it's own website, with a domain name specific to that home.

To see examples, check out my latest listings:

http://www.2950delphicourt.com/

http://www.2145easthighlands.com/

http://www.4065coniferpark.com/

This enables to post easily on websites such as Craigslist.com. It allows us to track the number of hits on our sellers individual sites, which tells us how well our marketing effort are working. It also enables us to gauge whether or not the home's price is correct. For example, if we are having lots of website hits, but few showings and no offers, we are overpriced.

Good photos and a well-staged home are essential to internet marketing, especially when we devote so much time and attention to our client's websites. That home needs to outshine all the others, by being cleaner, bigger, brighter, etc.

Consider getting a private, personal website for your home when it is time to sell. We'd be happy to help you! Call Realty Station at 360-377-5699, or call me at 360-689-6836.

KitsapWithKids: Ways to Spend the Winter

Kart Trax Now Open!!!

Every boys' dream has arrived in East Bremerton! Little girls will even like this place!

Go-karts that go up to 24 miles an hour, a race track, a bounce house, and video games are all part of this awesome new franchise. The cars aren't cheap, but they are fun....

You buy a membership card (current price is $5 per card), then put money on the card and use it like a debit card. Makes it easy to control the spending of the kids and daddies!

This place is perfect for teens and tweens on a school day afternoon or a weekend evening. During the day, bring the smaller kids for some fun. The bounce house has room for up to six children at a time. Children have to be 42 inches tall to drive a race car of their own, but children under 42 inches can ride with a responsible guardian driving.

Be warned -- Kart Trax had not had their grand opening as of six days ago, and the facility still needed some fine tuning as well as final construction. However, the race course was not crowded, and the staff was friendly. We're anxious to see it when it's totally finished!

Be sure to call and check prices and hours of operation, and watch your smaller children closely while visiting this facility.

My family had a great time at Kart Trax. My husband took my three year old at two in the afternoon and they had the place to themselves. Hubby drove son around the race track several times, and let him go jump in the bounce house several times. They even played air hockey! I see Kart Trax becoming a regular hang out for them.

Be sure to check back often for more KitsapWithKids postings. Even though this is supposed to be the Kitsap Real Estate blogsite, I want to give as much to my friends, clients and community as I possibly can. Make sure you check out the Kitsap Moms Meetup link over to the right....

KitsapWithKids: Ways to Spend the Winter

Remember rollerskating to Jesse's Girl, by Rick Springfield? Rollerskating backwards to "Another One Bites the Dust", by Queen? Going 'Around the World' at the local rollerskating rink? Well, it's time to relive those days...



In East Bremerton, you can do just that. Check out Skateland! If you are expecting a new, beautiful, well-lit rink, this is not the place for you. But, to go back to 1979, you need to see this place! Skateland is located on Fuson Road, just off Highway 303 across from Lowe's.

Skateland in Bremerton offers roller skating leagues, free skates, adult skates, even birthday parties. The owners often work on the premises, and the place seems to run much better when they are around. People are just happy at Skateland.

Lockers are available, and skates can be rented. There is a food stand with typical roller skating rink fare. One word of caution: the front doors are often left open, so do not leave your children unattended, especially younger children.

For an afternoon of cheap fun, Skateland is a cool place to be.

DON'T send a Christmas card to "A Wounded Soldier..."

It's a nice idea, really. I was about to send one myself, until my husband, currently stationed aboard the USS John C. Stennis, stopped me.

"That's nice, honey, but it'll never reach anyone."

At first I didn't believe him, but then we watched the news last night. It was covered on at least ABC News and Fox News. The information has also appeared in the Associated Press and the New York Times.

Any mail not addressed to a specific soldier, whether they are currently stationed on a military base overseas, in the US or at a medical center, will not be delivered. According to officials at Walter Reed Medical Center, this has been a problem for years. The mail to "A Wounded Soldier" has either been returned to sender, or destroyed.

The fear is that terrorists will send contaminated mail to our soldiers. An understandable fear, in my opinion.

Have we gone overboard in protecting ourselves? Is this a violation of rights? How are we going to support our troops with rules like this "protecting" them?

There are so many ways that you can choose to show your love and support for our servicemembers. The group Soldier's Angels allows citizens to adopt a soldier. Freedom Is Not Free is a unique charity directed by current and former members of the military, the "Purple Heart Board". Finally, Salute America's Heroes does some simple yet effective support gestures, such as selling armbands for our vets and heroes.

Please, don't be upset because your Christmas Cards may not get to the wounded soldier that you wanted to receive it. Be thrilled that the government is doing their best to protect our military, and find another way to show your gratitude. It's so easy, there are so many choices, and they really need our support!

Military: Scholarships Available for Military Kids

Your eligible child can receive scholarship money for winning an essay contest sponsored by military commissaries!

Every commissary that receives an entry from an eligible applicant will give away $1,500 in scholarship funds through the 2008 “Scholarships for Military Children” program.

Applicants must be under 21 and planning to attend or currently attending college, or under 23 and currently attending college. Scholars must have a 3.0 GPA based on a 4.0 scale, and must be in the DEERS system, meaning he or she must hold a current military ID card.

Scholarship funds are available to unmarried children of active-duty, retired, Reserve and Guard service members. Children of deceased service members are eligible as well. Applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited college or university as a full-time student for the fall 2008 term.

The question for this year’s essay is “Every able-bodied citizen should be required to serve a two-year period of time in the military. Why or why not?” Applications can be found at any military commissary or by clicking here.

Kitsap County is Recovering from Floods

Kitsap County residents had a rough day yesterday. However, today is much better for most of the people in our area. However, there are many homes that flooded, some badly. Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers.

Some roads in the county are still closed. Many of the closed roads were shut down due to mudslides. Some are still closed because of water across the roadway.

Click here to see an interactive map provided by Google which shows road closures. It is the best site currently available, although it does need to be updated. Just leave plenty of time to get wherever you need to go, and be patient.

Also, schools are scheduled to reopen tomorrow, Wednesday, on a normal schedule. However, to be safe, please check your school district website to be certain.

Be safe!

Flood: School Closings and Delays

Several school districts are closed for tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 4.

All public school in the Central Kitsap School District are CLOSED, and all after school activities are cancelled.

All public schools in the North Mason School District are CLOSED.

As of midnight, public schools in North Kitsap School District are two hours DELAYED. There is no a.m. kindergarten or preschool. All other classes will begin two hours late. Continue to monitor for updates.

Again as of midnight, public schools in Bremerton and South Kitsap are on schedule. However, continue to monitor for schedule changes.

Kings West private school in Bremerton is CLOSED.

Olympic College in Bremerton will hold classes as normal. However, Olympic College campuses in Shelton and in Poulsbo will not open until 10 a.m.

Again, to know for sure, please call your child's school, or check the official school website.

Flood Update (5:05 p.m.)

Our drive home from East Bremerton to Ridgetop in Silverdale wasn't too bad. Our only challenge was the road closure northbound on Highway 303 at Central Valley road. Lots of water on the road, had to get off at Central Valley and take the back way through Island Lake.
The good news is that one southbound lane on Highway 3 through Gorst is now open. However, many roads in Kitsap are still closed, or have closed recently.
Bond Road, also known as Highway 307, is closed due to a mudslide. Also, the Hood Canal bridge is closed. The bridge over Chico Creek has washed out, as well as the bridges over the Tahuya and Union Rivers.
The rain has lessened, at lest for the time being. We'll see if the clearing skies continue....

Flood Update (3:31 pm)

The Annapolis (Port Orchard) to Bremerton foot ferry is closed.
Port Townsend ferries are shut down completely.
The Kingston to Edmonds ferry run is down to only one boat, so plan for a very long wait, probably upwards of two hours.
The Highway through Gorst is still closed. The Washington State patrol said that the best way to get to Port Orchard from Bremerton is to wait until after high tide. No, I'm not kidding. That's actually what they said.
Unfortunately, high tide was shortly before noon.
The coast guard just went past a beach here in East Bremerton. Wonder where they are going and what they are doing?

Kitsap County is Flooding (3:03 p.m.)

This never happens. We have rain, but not like this!

Kitsap County is now in a state of emergency. Major flooding and road closures are causing traffic problems all over the county. Transportation departments are doing what they can.

As of noon, there is no way to get from Bremerton to Port Orchard except to go all the way out to Lake Symington, then go south on Lake Tahuya Road, then go past Mission, Panther and Tiger lakes, through Belfair, then go south near the airport on either Lake Flora Road or Sunnyslope. A very long trip...

Both exits to Newberry Hill Road are closed. Anderson Hill road is closed. Downtown Poulsbo is having major issues. Central Valley overpass at Waaga Way is closed.

Stay away from old downtown Bremerton if you can. the ferry backup has stopped most traffic.

If your spouse is on a ship at Naval Base Kitsap - Bremerton, tell him to stay there for now.

Check the websites for the various school districts. If I had a school-aged child, I would plan to pick them up if possible. Buses are delayed...

Best advice? STAY HOME!!!!

I will update with further developments later....

Toys for Tots Takes Over Kitsap Fairgrounds

On December 15 from 10 am to 2 pm, low income families can go to the Kitsap Pavilion at the Kitsap Fairgrounds and get a bag of toys for their children.

Volunteers from Toys for Tots have spent the last several weeks wrapping holiday gifts for children of financially challenged families. The Toys for Tots Holiday Giveaway is the culmination of a year of hard work for all of them.

To receive your child’s bag of toys, parents must bring picture identification of themselves, and a utility bill showing that they live in the area. Last year parents were also required to bring their child’s social security card and their child’s DSHS or Quest card, but that has not been confirmed for this year.

If you may qualify, head over to the fairgrounds on Saturday, Dec. 15. If not, spread some extra holiday cheer by donating new, unused toy. Donations will be collected until after Christmas and saved for next years Toys for Tots campaign.

Remember that you can bring your Toys for Tots donation to Realty Station. We would be happy to deliver it for you!

KitsapWithKids: Ways to Spend the Winter

Dr. Seuss Comes Alive

in Port Orchard

Western Washington Center for the Arts is performing a wonderful musical adaptation of several Dr. Seuss books. This show is sure to please children of all ages, and parents as well!

"Seussical" the musical, once played on Broadway, is a charming menagerie of many different classic children's books including The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Green Eggs and Ham, plus 13 other literary creations.

Through December 16, WWCA will present the show on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 5 pm. The musical is being performed at the WWCA Playhouse at 521 Bay Street in Port Orchard. Tickets cost between $10 and $15.

For more information, call 360-769-7469.

KitsapWithKids: Ways to Spend the Winter

I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for 16 of the last 20 years of my life. I should be used to the winter weather by now. Problem is, it isn’t just winter weather. It’s winter, spring and fall weather. It’s nine-months-of-the-year weather. It’s cold-and-damp, what-will-we-do-inside-again-today weather.

Don’t get me wrong, summer more than makes up for the wet months. It’s glorious and beautiful and, well, perfect. But ugh, the gray skies that come in October!

Well, in the past, I just (excuse the pun) weathered through the weather. However, now I have a three-year-old. How do I entertain him without going crazy on those weekend afternoons when the sky is drizzling and we’ve been home a little too long?

Thus, begins the new series “KitsapWithKids: Ways to Spend the Winter”. I will highlight different things to do with children here in Kitsap County and in surrounding areas. I will try to post something every few days, and hopefully that will keep many of you busy during the worst days of winter.

Some of these ideas will be for on-going entertainment opportunities, like cinemas, indoor pools and gyms. Other posts will be about local kid-friendly events. This series is aimed at children of different ages, so it includes families with infants and toddlers as well as families with teenagers.

If you have a suggestion for a feature for KitsapWithKids, please let me know. And keep checking back for new ideas. Have a safe and sane winter!