Kitsap Transit Identifies Site for
New Ferry Dock on Seattle Waterfront
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Kitsap Transit officials have identified a preferred site for a new passenger-only ferry dock on the Seattle waterfront.
The agency’s board voted Tuesday morning to select Pier 48, which is just south of Colman Dock and the King County passenger-only ferry facility where Kitsap fast ferries dock now, as a location for further consideration. The Pier 48 site, currently owned by the state, is home to an old wooden pier and an uplands area that has been used for overflow vehicle holding for Washington State Ferries during the reconstruction of Colman Dock.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder. “When we ventured into the (passenger-only ferry) realm, at least fast ferries, one of our biggest concerns was being – pardon the pun – the captains of our destiny. We have been really reliant upon the generosity and the schedule of other entities – being King County Water Taxi. We need to be in control of a facility that supports the service that we’re providing to our community, and this is the way to do that.”
FILE PHOTO: Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry Captain Becca Johnston docks the M/V Melissa Ann at the Bremerton dock on Thursday, October 18, 2018. MEEGAN M. REID/KITSAP SUN
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Chamber Luncheon
Wednesday, March 22, 2023, 11:00 am
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Renew your membership today to ensure your place as a Charter Member of the Greater Kitsap Chamber! Questions about when to renew or how to upgrade your membership? Contact Irene now!
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Missed a previous edition of the Chamber's Community Connections?
View all the past issues on our website HERE.
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New Members - Welcome to the Chamber! |
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18819 3rd Ave, Ste. 110
Poulsbo, WA 98370 | (360) 394-1662
5790 Soundview Drive
Gig Harbor, WA 98335 | (253) 853-3633
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Registration Now Open
Thursday, March 30, 2023, 11:30 am
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Whaling Days Accepting 2023 Vendors
Street & Food Vendor Applications Now Available
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Whaling Days is a free, family-oriented, community festival held annually in “Old Town” Silverdale over the last weekend in July. Through generous sponsorship donations and attendance at the yearly festival, Whaling Days is able to provide a fun, annual event enjoyed by people from throughout Kitsap County, and beyond. Whaling Days also gives back to the community by donating proceeds to local charitable organizations and through scholarships for high school graduates of the Central Kitsap School District.
Silverdale Whaling Days is a registered, 501(c)(3), non-profit organization.
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We are proud to serve the Silverdale community and have been proud Chamber members since 2004. We're located across from Kitsap Mall, next to Panera Bread. Stop by and see us!
Membership with BECU truly makes all the difference. When you become a member, you join a group of people who care about their community and neighbors and do their best to help them succeed. BECU is happy to provide the following services at the Silverdale location:
- ATM deposits/withdrawals
- Cashier's checks
- New accounts
- Loans
- Mortgages
- Home equity signings
- Account inquiries
BECU is different than a bank, because we aren't a bank. We're a credit union, so we don't answer to stockholders. Instead, we answer to, you, our members. We don't issue stock, and we don't issue dividends like larger banks. We're a financial cooperative institution with over 990,000 members. BECU also offers very competitive credit card rates for members.
Our goal is to improve the social and economic well-being of our members, and in return, give them valuable financial guidance, advice, and services. We want your experience at BECU to be of the best value and service with complete trust. Come visit us in Silverdale today.
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9995 Silverdale Way NW | Silverdale, WA 98383 | (800) 233-2328 |
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Weekly Legislative Updates
2023 Session: Week 9 Report
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As an exclusive benefit to our paid membership, the Greater Kitsap Chamber has again enlisted the services of Brad Boswell and team from Boswell Consulting to provide weekly legislative updates during the 2023 legislative session. Brad will also host a monthly Q&A on the last Friday of each month via Zoom to answer your questions directly. |
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Sen. Emily Randall Hosts In-Person Town Halls
Saturday, March 18, 2023
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In-person town halls will also be offered on March 18th at four locations:
📍 Bremerton: 9-10 a.m. at Olympic College
📍 Port Orchard: 12-1 p.m. at South Kitsap High School
📍 Gig Harbor: 2-3 p.m. at Swift Water Elementary School
📍 Key Peninsula: 4:30-5:30 p.m. Long Branch Improvement Club
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Member Education & Training Resources |
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Small Business Cybersecurity Training Series |
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Small businesses are under cyber and data-breach attacks more than ever given the current climate. Cyber attacks happen every day, and for a small business they can be very costly and cripple business operations. Having your systems and information compromised is not only a direct threat to your confidential data, it can also ruin your relationships with customers and cause legal vulnerability. It is imperative to learn how to boost your cyber defense systems.
This four-part training series was developed to help small businesses be cyber safe. The series will be a combination of cybersecurity presentation, subject matter expert panel and Q&A. Join us and become cyber safe today!
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Part 1: Protection
March 7 | 10:30 a.m.
Part 3: Systems
April 4 | 10:30 a.m.
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Part 2: Authentication
March 21 | 10:30 a.m.
Part 4: Implementation
April 18 | 10:30 a.m.
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WA Hospitality: 2023 State of the Industry
Wednesday, March 22, 2023, 10:00 am
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This special virtual hospitality event is hosted by the Washington Hospitality Association's own President & CEO, Anthony Anton.
Special guests include Jenn Pickett of Wenspok Companies and Patrick Yearout of Ivar’s & Kidd Valley Restaurants. The two will join us for a deep dive into labor trends and the Clean Buildings Act.
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SCORE: 2023 Puget Sound
Women-Owned Business Pitch Contest
Register by March 30, 2023
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Our aim is to help prepare women entrepreneurs and business owners to successfully seek financing, whether it's from an angel investor or a bank. The winner(s) of the Pitch Contest will receive a cash prize.
Finalists will be announced on April 4th. All finalists will be invited to make in-person pitches to a panel of judges on April 27th, which will include angel investors and bankers. The pitch presentation will be held at the SCORE facility at 2401 4th Ave, Suite 450, Seattle, WA 98121.
Winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
The winners of the Pitch Contest will be honored at the 2023 Small Business Awards Gala on May 3, 2023 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
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Military Relations Committee |
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Sign-Up Now for the Armed Forces Day Parade
Parade applications now available online!
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Thank You to Our MAD Sponsors
Save the Date for 2024: March 2, 2024
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Business News & Resources |
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Hospitality Grant Portal Opens Today
$100 million available to support businesses affected by pandemic
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The Washington State Department of Commerce announced a new grant opportunity for businesses in the hospitality and lodging industry that suffered business losses due to the pandemic. The application portal opens today at wahospitalitygrants.com.
The $100 million in grants was provided to the Department of Commerce through the Coronavirus State & Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which was part of the federal American Rescue Plan. Of the amount provided, $15 million has been set aside expressly to reimburse qualifying lodging establishments that experienced economic losses during the state’s eviction moratorium under the governor’s proclamations.
The grants are targeted primarily for small businesses with $5 million or less in annual gross receipts or sales within designated NAICS codes. If Commerce is able to fund all the eligible applicants from the target pool, and funds remain, Commerce may be able to provide grants to additional businesses who have annual gross receipts or sales larger than $5 million.
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AWB Analysis: Carbon Auction Shows High Prices Ahead for Businesses, Consumers |
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Higher gas prices: Washington’s program is modeled after a cap-and-trade program in California. Under California’s program, every $10 added to the price of carbon equates to a 9 cents per gallon increase at the pump. Washington businesses and consumers can expect a similar effect, with gas jumping 43 cents per gallon based on the current carbon price, AWB Government Affairs Director Peter Godlewski wrote in a new AWB analysis of the cap-and-trade program.
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"Achieve More" Grants for Minority
and/or Women-Owned Businesses
Deadline to Apply: March 19, 2023
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WA MBDA has allocated $200,000 to provide direct business resiliency grants that help minority and/or woman-owned businesses “achieve more.”
Recipients of the Achieve More Grant (AMG) can use the funds for infrastructure improvements, employee training, and business equipment.
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Lunchtime Lightning Talks
March 21, 2023, 11:30 am
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Matchstick Lab Microbusiness Accelerator Founders and members invite your participation at monthly lunchtime lightning talks guaranteed to spark new ideas, conversations and collaborations.
BYO lunch and arrive at 11:30 for conversation and networking. Lightning talks begin at 12pm and end promptly at 1pm.
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Small Business Disaster Relief Grants
Applications Due March 31st
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Commerce has $9.7 million available for grants to small businesses with annual gross receipts of $5 million or less that have sustained a reduction in business income or activity as the result of:
- Natural disaster such as flood, earthquake, or a comparable
- Human-caused disaster such as a major utility disruption resulting in property damage or prolonged outages
Grant limit is $75,000 per business. Funds may be used to reimburse the following eligible expenses:
- Payroll
- Utilities and rent
- Marketing and advertising
- Building improvements and repairs
- Replacing damaged inventory and equipment
- Other operational and business expenses related to a qualifying disaster
Applications are due March 31
First, identify and contact the Associate Development Organization (ADO) (webpage) representing your county. You will need the name of your local ADO and a representative's name and contact information to complete the online grant application.
In addition to the ADO information, eligible businesses must provide all of the following in the application:
- Washington State Business License
- proof of address
- W-9 and 2019-2021 tax returns
- documentation of receipts
Questions?
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WA Revenue Up $89 million Over November Forecast as Economic Slowdown Looms |
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Washington state's economy has been a mixed bag, according to a Friday morning presentation to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council by Executive Director Steve Lerch. On the positive side, revenue collections remain higher than expected for the time being.
“And right now, if we look at our revenue collections since the November forecast, we have a positive variance of $89 million,” Lerch said.
Lerch conceded that a recession is likely, according to economic forecasters in general, but did provide some reassuring context. “Again, a lot of economists are not very optimistic,” he said, referencing recent surveys that show a majority of economists expect a recession to begin later this year.
According to a February survey by the National Association for Business Economics, 58% of 48 economists who responded envision a recession sometime this year.
A January Wall Street Journal survey found that 61% of business and academic economists expect a recession in the next 12 months. The relatively good news, according to Lerch, is the likely nature of any possible recession. “I think the general consensus is that recession would be mild, but that tends to be the thinking across a lot of forecasters,” he said.
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Nonprofit News & Resources |
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The Greater Kitsap Chamber is proud to be one of only five Chambers statewide selected to partner with the Nonprofit Association of Washington (NAWA) to bring education and resources to nonprofits in Western Washington. Stay tuned to this section of our weekly newsletter for education, resources and more for our nonprofit community. To learn more about NAWA, please visit their website here.
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2023 Washington State Nonprofit Conference
May 17-19, 2023
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We spent time adjusting to life in a pandemic, and now is the time to recognize the need for moving boldly as we embrace what comes next. At the 2023 Washington State Nonprofit Conference, we will explore the theme "Moving Boldly."
How are we taking risks to challenge norms, evolve practices, and center justice to achieve the changes we seek in the nonprofit sector? Moving boldly requires courage, confidence, and strength that is found across nonprofits and in the communities we serve. This Conference is an invitation for us all to move boldly together.
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Commission on Children and Youth
Announce RFP Opportunity
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The Kitsap County Commission on Children and Youth is requesting proposals for public matching dollars from organizations and/or youth-serving agencies who are working to prevent and reduce the impact of adverse childhood experiences through building resiliency in youth ages birth to eighteen in Kitsap County. Proposals must be received by Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 2:00 pm.
For RFP questions contact Glen McNeill at 360-337-4789 or via email Glen McNeill.
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Kitsap Public Health Selects
Johns Hopkins Group to Lead Local
Healthcare System Assessment
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The Center for Health Security, part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was one of nine organizations that responded to a request for proposals issued by the Health District in December. The Center's proposal was selected following a review of proposals and two rounds of interviews.
Health Officer Dr. Gib Morrow and Health Board Member Becky Erickson presented the selection to the full Health Board on March 7.
"I think that they are going to do a remarkable job, they interviewed brilliantly," Erickson said. "I'm really hopeful that we will get some really good data and some suggested solutions to our healthcare shortages in our county."
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COVID-19 Updates & Resources |
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Masks & COVID Testing Kits Available
Free at the Greater Kitsap Chamber & Visitor Center
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The Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management provides local businesses with free KN95 masks and COVID testing kits. Pick up your supply at both Greater Kitsap Chamber locations today. |
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COVID-19 Support & Resources |
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Kitsap County Health District is now posting a regularly updated list of COVID-19 vaccine providers in Kitsap County. This list can be found here.
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Bremerton WestSound Symphony
orKIDstra Concert - a Concert for All Ages
March 14 & 19, 2023
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Whaling Days Scholarship Applications Open
Deadline: March 31, 2023
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Applications are now being accepted for the Hank Mann Sykes Scholarship from Silverdale Whaling Days. Applicants must be from Central Kitsap, Olympic, Klahowya, West Sound Technical Center, Crosspoint Academy or Barker Creek Community School in the Central Kitsap School District. The executive board of Whaling Days provides various scholarships of up to $2,000 to seniors who have chosen post-secondary education at a college, university, or technical/vocational school.
Applications must be postmarked by March 31, 2023.
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Washington's 6th Congressional District
2023 Art Competition
Deadline: Friday, April 14, 2023
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Advertising Opportunity:
Put Your Business on the Map
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With nearly all 10,000 copies of last year's map distributed around the greater Puget Sound region, including 7,500 on our local ferries, the Greater Kitsap Visitor Center map is the place to advertise your business! The 2023 edition will include street maps of both Silverdale and Bremerton - perfect if you're new to the area or a long-time resident. Contact the Visitor Center for more information! |
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Ireland with Michael LIVE
Friday, March 17, 2023, 7:30 pm
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Ireland with Michael is a new travel and music series that debuted on PBS in 2021 and is created and hosted by Emmy nominated Irish tenor, Michael Londra. The live concert version of the show, Ireland with Michael LIVE is a multimedia experience, combining a five-piece band, world champion dancers, excerpts from the PBS show and the ethereal voice of Michael Londra. |
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Prom Date Mixtape
Saturday, March 18, 2023, 8:00 pm
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BIMA's Treasure Trek
April 1 - July 1, 2023
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Grab your galoshes and get ready to discover art where you least expect it in BIMA’s Treasure Trek: A Glass Float Seek & Keep. This spring, in celebration of BIMA’s 10th anniversary, 200 hand-blown glass orbs will be hidden on public lands across Kitsap County just waiting to be discovered and treasured by intrepid art lovers. The rules are simple: you find it, you keep it—however we ask that you just keep one so more people can enjoy the hunt.
Working in partnership with Tacoma youth development arts non-profit Hilltop Artists, young glassblowers are creating 200 unique glass balls stamped with BIMA’s logo. The balls, or “floats” (inspired by the glass fishing net floats used by Japanese fishermen), will be hidden in parks, on trails and beaches, and other public lands across the county. Never quite in plain sight, the floats could be behind a log, in a tree, in a hollowed-out stump, under a bush, or other spots that help camouflage the grapefruit-sized artworks. But there’s no need to go tromping around off-trail, these translucent treasures will always be about an arm’s reach from marked pathways.
Found one? It’s yours to keep! Keep just one, but continue to hunt and share photos if you’d like—share your find with the hashtag #BIMATreasureTrek and be entered to win one of five prize packages.
Our first float drop will be April 1, 2023 and more will be hidden over the next six weeks, so don’t give up if you don’t find one on your first outing.
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RECAP: Downtown Bremerton Association
St. Patrick's Day Parade & Fun Run
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The Downtown Bremerton Association's (DBA) annual St. Patrick's Day Parade returned this year after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Community members and businesses alike lined the parade route and filled the street during the morning celebration on Saturday. On hand for the festivities was Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler, DBA Board President John Morrissey, DBA Executive Director Erinn Hale and Greater Kitsap Chamber President/CEO David Emmons.
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Stay in the know with what's happening for events
in Central Kitsap by checking out and liking the
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Have something to share? CLICK HERE to submit stories and
events for Tuesday's Community Connections!
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David Emmons
President/CEO
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Irene Moyer
VP, Membership & Strategic Communications
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Brenda Kelley
Tourism Coordinator
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Bremerton Office (360) 479-3579 | 4th & Pacific Downtown Bremerton
Silverdale Office (360) 692-6800 | Kitsap Mall next to Macy's
PO Box 1218 Silverdale WA 98383
If you need assistance, please contact us directly.
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