Wednesday, August 5, 2026 | |
Wildfire Smoke Arriving in Kitsap
Likely to Last All Week
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Published in the Kitsap Sun, August 3, 2026
Photo: Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun
Kitsap County will continue to see smoky and hazy skies in the next few days, and that will probably stay until Thursday due to the wildfires in Spokane and the northeast wind that brings the smoke to Kitsap Peninsula and the Seattle area, the National Weather Service in Seattle said on Monday, Aug. 3.
"As of Monday afternoon, midday, we are seeing some smoke aloft, so above the surface, so leading to those hazy skies across Kitsap County," said Jacob DeSlitch, meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Seattle, told the Kitsap Sun.
That's due to the northeast wind, which allows smoke from wildfires in eastern Washington, and even up into British Columbia, to filter down into western Washington, including Kitsap County, DeSlitch said.
"And that's going to continue," DeSlitch said.
Read the article here
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Chamber: Off the Clock
Tuesday, August 18, 2026, 5:05pm
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August Membership Luncheon
Wednesday, August 28, 2026, 11:00am
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Accessible Healthcare with NICE
Business Health Trust Has You Covered
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Less downtime is a benefits strategy.
When care is slow, employees wait. They miss work. They delay treatment. They head to urgent care because it feels like the only available option.
Business Health Trust helps chamber members offer benefits that are built for real life. Members can access broad plan choice and the buying power of a statewide association health plan, helping small and mid-sized employers compete with stronger benefits.
Many BHT medical plans also include Nice Healthcare at $0, with no copays or deductibles for Nice visits. Employees can use Nice for common illnesses, minor injuries, stress, physical therapy needs, and ongoing concerns. Faster access means people can get help sooner, ask questions earlier, and spend less time navigating the system.
🔗 Webpage Link: https://businesshealthtrust.com/products/nice-healthcare/
Questions? Contact BHT!
(425) 201-1972
nice@businesshealthtrust.com
Not a BHT member? Are you ready to build a better benefits package?
Visit bhtquote.com to learn more and get a free quote.
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Renew your membership today to ensure your benefits as a member of the Greater Kitsap Chamber! Questions about when to renew or how to upgrade your membership? Need a new membership window cling or digital badge? Contact us 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 & Renewing Members for July
Thank you for your continued investment & support!
| New Members - Welcome to the Chamber! | Now Recruiting: OC Vet Corps Member | |
Olympic College’s Military & Veteran Programs is recruiting a Vet Corps member for the 2026–2027 service year.
This stipend-supported AmeriCorps service opportunity is ideal for a veteran or military family member who is passionate about supporting military-connected students and strengthening connections across the campus community.
The Vet Corps member will help lead Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE), provide peer mentorship and resource navigation, support outreach efforts, and coordinate student engagement activities within the MVP Student Engagement Center.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates should submit a resume and letter of interest to Tatiane Simons: tsimons@olympic.edu. Applicants must also create a profile at my.americorps.gov and apply through the official AmeriCorps listing:
https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=130106
Application deadline: August 16, 2026
Service begins: September 16, 2026
Please share this opportunity with veterans and military family members who are ready to support students, build community, and serve at Olympic College.
| Coffee Oasis: Back to School Shoe Drive | |
Every August, The Coffee Oasis hosts Back to School events throughout Kitsap and Pierce County to provide youth ages 13–25 with food, games, community resources, and something many of us take for granted—a brand new pair of shoes.
Sponsor a pair of shoes for a local youth. A gift of $75 provides one young person with a brand new pair of shoes, helping them start the school year with confidence, dignity, and the reminder that they matter.
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CMMC-PNW 2026 Conference
August 17 - August 18, 2026
| With a $7 to $10 billion Navy dry dock headed to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and RFPs releasing this fall, a majority of regional subcontractors will soon need to show CMMC readiness to compete for that work. CMMC-PNW 2026 is a two-day conference built to help Pacific Northwest contractors understand exactly what is required and how to turn compliance into a competitive advantage. Sessions cut through the myths, decode the flow-down rule, lay out realistic paths to getting compliant, and put primes on stage to tell subcontractors directly what they check for. Attendees leave with a concrete action plan or find a solution provider that can get them across the finish line. It runs August 17-18, 2026 at the Clearwater Casino Resort in Suquamish, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM both days. Tickets are $159 and include breakfast and lunch both days, plus a happy hour and dinner Monday evening. | |
Changing Faces, Changing Places
Share your business news today
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Has your team recently welcomed a new hire, celebrated a promotion, or marked a retirement? Kitsap Business magazine's Changing Faces, Changing Places section highlights the people powering our local business community. Chamber members are invited to share their staff updates for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
Send your announcements to news@kitsapbusiness.com and let us help you recognize the faces behind your success.
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Business & Professional Development Committee | | Member Education & Training Resources | | |
SCORE: Funding Your Dream
Exploring Loans, Equity, Crowdfunding & More
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 9:45am
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In this **FREE Webinar** Learn about the many sources of funding your business.
- Traditional Loans:
- Overview of bank loans, lines of credit, and Small Business Administration (SBA) loans.
- What does a bank look for in a potential borrower?
- Equity Financing:
- Definition and examples (angel investors, venture capital).
- How does it work: selling ownership stakes in exchange for capital.
- Pros and cons, such as loss of control versus growth potential.
- Crowdfunding:
- Introduction to various crowdfunding platforms.
- Types: reward-based, equity-based, and donation-based crowdfunding.
- Grants and Subsidies:
- Availability of government grants, private grants, and subsidie
- Alternative Funding Options:
- Peer-to-peer lending, microloans, and bootstrapping.
- How these alternatives work and when they might be suitable.
- Advantages, such as less stringent requirements, and potential drawbacks.
This is the second in a series of 3 consecutive finance webinars. Please register for each class you wish to attend.
Registration Fee: FREE
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SBDC: SBIR Proposal Prep
Thursday, August 6, 2026, 1:00pm
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Geared toward first-time applicants, this high-level session walks through several sample solicitations and offers practical strategies for tackling your first SBIR proposal. We'll also highlight common pitfalls and frequent solicitation missteps, giving new applicants the tools to approach the process with greater confidence.
The presenter, Elliot Hoy, is the Lead Technical Advisor at Tributary Insights. He works directly with clients to develop competitive proposals and refine their messaging throughout the SBIR submission process. He holds a Master's degree in Water Science and Management and brings a decade of experience across the environmental sector, having worked in both the United States and Europe.
His project background spans mine reclamation work with the Bureau of Land Management's Abandoned Mine Land program and sediment transport modeling for rivers in Northeast India. Drawing on a combined academic, industry, and IT foundation, Elliot has guided clients in securing SBIR funding and led the Phase 0 program for the FAST grant initiative in Washington.
Registration Fee: FREE
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SBDC: Smart Cash Management
Fueling Your Business Forward
Thursday, August 13, 2026, 1:00pm
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Cash flow is the lifeblood of every successful business, and managing it effectively can mean the difference between growth and stagnation. In this webinar, we will break down the fundamentals of cash flow and equip you with practical strategies to strengthen your financial position.
Participants will gain a clear understanding of how cash moves through a business, learn to identify common cash flow challenges, and explore both operational and strategic techniques to improve liquidity and stability. We’ll also introduce a forecasting tool that can help you plan ahead with confidence and make informed decisions.
Whether you're looking to stabilize your current operations or position your business for growth, this session will provide actionable insights and tools to help you take control of your cash flow and drive your business forward.
The instructor, Ann Zimmerman, is a Washington SBDC Certified Business Advisor. She earned her BA in Accounting from Western Washington University and received her Master’s degree in Accounting and Tax from Washington State University. Ann has over thirty years of experience in business and has worked in various industries, including retail, construction services, manufacturing, healthcare, and not-for-profit.
Registration Fee: FREE
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Business News & Resources | | |
Survey: WA Employers Lose
Confidence in State Economy
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Published in by the Association of WA Business, July 29, 2026
Washington employers remain pessimistic about the state economy, continue to look outside Washington for expansion opportunities and overwhelmingly cite taxes as their biggest challenge.
The latest survey by the Association of Washington Business shows confidence in Washington’s economy continues to decline, even as views of the national economy have remained relatively steady. Nearly 4 in 10 employers (38%) rate the state economy as weak or very weak, up from 26% last summer.
The summer survey shows employers remain far more likely to expand outside Washington than within it. One-third plan to expand in another state or country in the next year or two, while just 14% plan to expand in Washington.
Read the article here
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KEDA & Child Care Action Council Present:
Kitsap Toolkit for Success
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KEDA and Child Care Action Council have launched the Kitsap Toolkit for Success, bringing licensing, permitting, business planning, financing, insurance, workforce, training, and other essential resources into one practical guide.
The toolkit helps childcare providers build stronger businesses while expanding childcare capacity for Kitsap families and employers.
| | The Greater Kitsap Chamber is proud to serve as a resource partner with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Stay tuned to this section quarterly for education, resources and more from L&I. | | What an Accident Prevention Program Is and Why Every Employer Needs One | | |
Every employer in Washington state is required to create and maintain a written Accident Prevention Program (APP) to address safety and health hazards in the workplace. Many employers consider their APP to be the cornerstone of their overall safety program, but what exactly is an APP, and why is it so essential?
What Is an Accident Prevention Program?
An Accident Prevention Program is a plan of action that involves both workers and management in maintaining a safe workplace. An effective APP identifies and controls workplace hazards and clearly outlines procedures for responding to injuries, unsafe conditions, and workplace emergencies. By proactively addressing risks, employers can prevent accidents before they occur and ensure that, when incidents do happen, they are handled consistently and appropriately. You must establish, supervise, and enforce your accident prevention program in a manner that is effective in practice.
Why Do You Need an APP?
Under the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) every employer is required to have an APP. During a DOSH inspection, employers may face citations and monetary penalties if serious hazards are identified and no APP exists or if the APP has major deficiencies.
Beyond regulatory compliance, an APP plays a critical role in improving workplace safety. A well-designed program helps prevent costly injuries and keeps employees healthy and working. APPs can also help control industrial insurance (workers’ compensation) costs. Since an employer’s premium rates are influenced by injury claims, preventing accidents can directly benefit a business’s bottom line.
What Should Be Included in an APP?
For many employers, a General Industry or Small Business APP template will meet basic requirements. However, because every workplace is different, APPs must be tailored to the specific hazards and operations of each business, and additional elements may be required depending on the industry.
At a minimum, all Accident Prevention Programs must be:
• Written and available to employees
• Customized to the specific worksite and tasks performed
• Inclusive of employee safety orientation and ongoing training
• Supported by safety meetings or a safety committee, as required
• Actively implemented, supervised, and enforced
How Do You Know If Your APP Is Effective?
An APP is considered effective when regular and predictable hazards are
identified and addressed, and when serious or recurring injuries are not
occurring. L&I offers a wide range of tools and support to help employers build
and maintain effective APPs.
To learn more and access L&I’s resources, visit: Lni.wa.gov/safety-health/preventing-injuries-illnesses/create-a-safetyprogram/accident-prevention-program
| | Nonprofit News & Resources | |
Balanced Nonprofit Board:
How to Build the Right Mix for the Future
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Published by NonprofitPro, July 27, 2026
Photo courtesy of NonprofitPro
Walk into enough nonprofit board meetings and you notice a particular kind of silence. The agenda moves briskly. Motions carry. Heads nod in the right places. By every visible measure, the board is doing its job, and yet something is missing: a question that should have been asked, a perspective that never made it into the room.
Nonprofits tend to treat board recruitment as a numbers problem. Fill the seats, staff the committees, keep attendance high — and the work is finished. But a board can have every seat filled and still be out of balance. In mission-driven organizations, the cost of imbalance is seldom obvious in the moment. It surfaces later, in the strategy no one pressure-tested, the risk no one was positioned to see, the community that quietly stopped feeling represented by the people deciding its future.
Read the article here
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KPUD Board Places Public Power
Authority Measure Before Voters
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Press Release, KPUD, July 28, 2026
The Kitsap Public Utility District (KPUD) Board of Commissioners voted today to place a measure on the November 3, 2026, General Election ballot asking Kitsap County voters whether they wish to authorize
KPUD to provide electric utility service.
If approved by voters, the measure would grant KPUD the legal authority to construct or acquire electric facilities for generation, transmission, or distribution of power as permitted under Washington law. Approval of the measure would not require KPUD to provide electric service, acquire an existing electric system, or construct new electric infrastructure.
Read the full press release here
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Poulsbo Waterfront's Paid Parking
Will Go Into Effect August 15
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Published in the Kitsap Sun, August 4, 2026
Photo courtesy of the Kitsap Sun
Paid parking along the Liberty Bay waterfront in Poulsbo, tentatively planned to start in August after months of just time limits being enforced downtown, is like to begin mid-month, the city has confirmed.
In a statement released on social media, the Poulsbo Police Department said that paid parking is anticipated to begin on Aug. 15. Once underway, those who park in the Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park off Front Street will now pay per hour, with variable rates based on season. Other public parking in the downtown corridor, such as street parking on Front Street and Jensen Street, will still follow enforced time limits that have been in place since last fall.
The new paid model was likely take effect at the start of August, the Sun previously reported, pending the arrival of signs from ParkMobile, the company that will enforce the new model. According to Poulsbo City Administrator Rob Gelder, the city has received the signs and over the next two weeks staff will post signs so that paid parking rules are clearly stated to drivers.
Read the article here
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Port Orchard Concerts by the Bay
Thursday, August 6, 2026, 6:30pm
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Bremerton First Friday Art Walk
Friday, August 7, 2026, 5:00pm
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Summer Nights at the Bay
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 6:00pm
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Kitsap County Fair & Stampede
August 26 - August 30, 2026
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Clearwater Casino Presents:
21 Guns - Green Day Tribute
Friday, August 7, 2026, 8:30pm
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Almost Human - Kiss Tribute
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 8:30pm
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2026 Taste of Kitsap
August 7 - August 8, 2026
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West Sound Film Festival
August 7 - August 9, 2026
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2026 Blackberry Festival
September 5 - September 7, 2026
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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 our weekly Community Connections!
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Office (360) 479-3579 | 705 Pacific Avenue in Downtown Bremerton
Silverdale Office (360) 692-6800 | Kitsap Mall
PO Box 1218 Silverdale WA 98383
If you need assistance, please contact us directly.
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