Is located in downtown Port Orchard, Kitsap County, WA.
The Gallery location is:
724 Bay St., next to Moon Dogs and Rings & Things.
Phone: (360) 895-4270
Email: pnuchims@aol.com
Hours: Tues.--Fri.: 11 to 5, Sat: 10-4, Sun: 12-3
Other times by arrangement.
Director, Dr. Paul Nuchims
Dr. Paul Nuchims
Candidate for KC Commissioner, District 2, Independent
Open Letter to South Kitsap Commissioner Candidates from one “bowing out.”
Dear Colleagues, Tim, Monty and Charlotte:
After this coming Tuesday, I will not be joining you in the “race”
to the general election in November. My electioneering was laughably
minimal (ca: $30., copying, a little gas and my filing fee).
However, I do pledge to attend commissioner meetings for the
coming year (as I have done for the last few months)
and share my ideas with you and the sitting commissioners.
One of you will join me Tuesday, another in November.
It was a great experience. I learned a lot.
I trust the 1 percent of the vote that I receive is not
resented by you. Consider it a protest to the inanity
of the political rhetoric that continues in the media as I write this.
Again I salute you for your willingness to serve.
I trust I’ll be useful to you and the county for the foreseeable future.
The issues and needs remain:
1. Limit redundancy and waste in our county government.
This duty starts with our commissioners!
You could start with giving back a portion of your salary.
2. Become knowledgeable and proactive in the region,
especially vis a vis the other counties of the CPSGMHB.
GMA: “identifying and protecting critical areas and natural
resource lands, designating urban growth areas,
preparing comprehensive plans and implementing them through
capital investments and development regulations.”
3. Kitsap County: should become a Charter County.
See: http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/Governance/locgov12.aspx
4. Safe and comprehensive bike lanes throughout the county.
We are an outdoor people. Make it safe to walk, run and bike in this county.
5. A great university is needed, located just west of the
central metropolitan areas of the county.
6. The need for SART (BART with a “Sound” instead of a “Bay”).
Do you have any idea what our growth would be
like if we just started planning for this for the counties
of the CPSGMHB (Snohomish, Pierce, King and us)?
7. A clear definition and understanding of the differences
between the responsibilities of the county
and the Port of Bremerton. Cooperation.
8. Establishment of local TV & radio.
9. Expanded volunteer programs (see bike lanes above).
10. We could be the first county to have a comprehensive plan
to preserve and protect one of our most important
property rights, namely, our views.
11. The need for a resolution to the legacy lots
and the downtown problem in Manchester.
The greater issue is the need for comprehensive planning
that would finesse issues like these.
Let’s see how prescient and competent our commissioners can be!
12. And lastly, there is an “elephant in the room,”
our naval bases. If Kitsap County were a country,
would we be the third most nuclear armed country
in the world after the US and Russia?
Further, of our major employers, the naval base(s)
is/are by a factor of 7 the largest employer in the county.
It wouldn’t hurt to understand and plan with these facts
in mind.
Sunday morning, 8/17/08
Dr. Paul Nuchims, candidate, primary, District 2, Commissioner’s race
copies: newspapers, friends, citizens
______________________________________
Kitsap Sun's Questions, June/July, 2008; my answers:
Q: What is your opinion of the value of Kitsap's membership
in the Puget Sound Regional Council? How would you address
concerns of constituents who view membership in the PSRC
as detrimental to Kitsap residents with regard to autonomy
of land use planning? What would you personally do to strengthen
Kitsap's representation within the PSRC?:
A: It is up to Kitsap County to chart its own future rather
than always saying that some state or federal agency
is the cause of its lack of systematic and long-range planning.
Property Law, from English Common Law: One owns from
the center of the earth to the sky. This is essentially a
vertical concept. The problem up until now has been with fossil
fuels underground and the history of the quitclaim deed in America.
In Kitsap County, the analogous value is literally, “The View.”
In terms of law that’s the rub: The view is horizontal,
and extends infinitely! There is no common law precedent in
defining how the view is bought and sold. Yet, it remains
the most important property value in KC, “the most beautiful
county in America!” What should we do?
Case study: Manchester: I had a gallery in downtown Manchester
until last April. The razing of the existing buildings
has taken place and condos and stores are being built in
their place. The fight has been over height of the buildings
and whether additional condos and stores can be built on the
other side of Main St. It is a Mumbledypeg situation.
Mumbledypeg Territory was a game we played as children,
which involved throwing a jackknife into a rectangle in
order to amass as much “territory” as possible. Grownups still
do it metaphorically. There have been extensive meetings,
proposals and plan changes. But there have been no city
meetings because Manchester is unincorporated. The county
has been, is, and will be unprepared for these kinds
of planning problems because of unincorporation, lack of view law,
and an indifferent and misfeasant bureaucracy which is
allowed by the commissioners.
The county never dealt with the problem in a comprehensive way.
If Manchester were a city like Port Orchard it would have had
a vehicle to deal with the problem, namely, a Design Review Board
and a competent city department handling all proposed building.
Now, Kitsap County is faced with a couple of law suits because the
county has been inconsistent in what it has allowed, without
complete vetting of the situation relative to height of buildings,
parking, and adequate community input. This will cost us, the
taxpayers, millions of dollars.
Proposed Solution: Therefore, all of District 2, except that
which belongs to Bremerton should become part of
Port Orchard or become the City of South Kitsap (like Bainbridge Island).
A competent Planning Commission would not have allowed to happen
what will cost not only the esthetic considerations relative to the view,
but congestion from inadequate parking and law suits. Before Olalla,
Manchester and other unincorporated areas are trashed the County Commissioners
have to act responsibly soon or let Port Orchard handle all
building projects in South Kitsap.
Q: What strategy should the county adopt to address its revenue shortfall,
which is projected to continue at least through the next five years?
What do you think should be the county's priorities in spending?
List three areas where you would suggest significant cuts
be made to balance the budget.:
A: 1. Establish a volunteer corps to beautify and keep our communities,
side roads, and bike paths safe. This is not a cut, per se, but as
people retire from the county we should, if at all possible, not fill
the empty positions.
2. The 3 candidates for commissioner that are not elected
should volunteer to act as ombudsmen for the county after
the November election. Your question implies that revenue is the main problem.
Not so. The problem is complacency, inefficiency, and misfeasance.
Shame!
3. Sure the county bureaucracy is complacent and the commissioners
should be ombudsmen for the people. But you, our newspaper,
“our fourth estate,” should do a better job of exposing the
inefficiency, misfeasance and waste that you would ask of us.
Q: Given the current revenue limits, what changes do you see for the
county park system? Will it be possible to develop acquired park lands
without more dollars for maintenance and operation?:
A: There has to be treatment of the county similar to the depth
and consistency that a city like Port Orchard gives to development.
The tragedy of downtown Manchester is the example I’ve given.
Could we have had a park developed there instead of squeezing in condos?
Yes. The urgency of planning, not just for 2-5 years but,
20-50 years in important. 'Postage stamp' tragedies have to be prevented.
We have the expertise in the county. We need a 'blue ribbon'
cross section volunteer group to do the vetting and planning for the
whole county, including a county park system.
Let’s start with the 4 candidates as outlined above.
Q: What role can Kitsap County play in the effort to protect and restore
Puget Sound?:
A: Community Volunteers.
Ask the Friends of the Manchester Library how to organize volunteers.
We have people who live near the water all around the county.
We need to ask them to be involved in protection and restoration
of all our water areas. The commissioners should take the
lead in organizing this volunteer project with the help of
the Port of Bremerton.
Q: Should Kitsap County keep trying to diversify its economy?
Is the SEED project a viable effort, and, if so, how should the
county contribute to the project? What kinds of business should be
encouraged to locate here, and what role does the county
play in that effort?:
A: The county and the Port of Bremerton should work together
to promote tourism. This is the most beautiful county in the country.
Where else in the world do you have the biking, sailing, kayaking, walking,
horseback riding, fishing, etc. with both the Olympics
and the Cascades in view? A self-sustaining rural population with
low taxes rather than smokestack industries is the key.
Q: Do you support the goals of the Growth Management Act?
Why or why not? What kind of changes do you think are needed to make it work better?:
A: Of course I support the general goals of the GMA. However,
the county should be able to finesse state and federal bureaucracies
if we do our own long-range planning. It can be done.
We should not always be in a "react-ionary" position.
We have to know what we want. So far we haven't a clue. Too bad.
Q: Given the rising cost of gasoline, what can county government
do to help the average person? Better transit? Improved bike trails?
Increasing development in urban centers?
Encouraging alternative sources of energy? :
A: 1. Improved and safer bike lanes; top priority!
2. Along with Pierce and King Counties, we need a Sound Transit
system modeled after BART in the San Francisco Bay, Bay Area Rapid Transit.
It can be done! 3. Of course alternative sources of energy,
but how about living smaller, i.e., living in more compact spaces
without using fossil fuels at all? The new paradigm will be "smaller is better."
After all we have moderate temperatures all year long.
This is the most desirable place to live in the country.
We do not need air conditioning and we can dress warmer in the winter.
3. We can take the lead in R & D for the country in developing smaller,
safe, alternative vehicles that do not need fossil fuels.
Why not here? Did Microsoft have to be in Seattle rather than St. Louis?
Then how about Kitsap County? Think and act like we are “The Champions.”
Q: What kind of leadership should the county provide in dealing
with the ferry system? What specific ideas do you have for
improving the system with respect to cost and service?:
A: The ferry system will be fun to keep as a curiosity
and as a tourist attraction, but what we need is a five-year plan
for "SART," Sound Area Rapid Transit. It can be done,
and has to be done, now! See preceding answer.
Q: Describe your vision of the county's evolving role as annexation
of urban growth areas proceed.:
A: Case Study: Downtown Manchester is a horrible example of what
can happen if the county and the citizens just let things happen.
What about access? What about fairness? What about parking?
What about aesthetics? What about involving the community in
decision making about their community? What does this portend for
the rest of the county? Mumbledypeg? How about making all of District 2
part of Port Orchard (like Bainbridge Island?) because Port Orchard
does a better job than the county in vetting proposed building projects.
I have no problem in urban growth areas as such, just do a better
job of planning. Comprehensive planning for the whole county
has to be done. Not just words in a folder that is called a "plan."
Q: What should the county do with regard to social issues, such as helping
people who are mentally ill, homeless and/or low income? :
A: Continue to do what we have been doing I suppose.
This seems to be mostly a city problem.
People in rural areas seem to have a sense of old fashioned community
responsibility. My prejudice? Maybe. Our inherent religious values
are our strength and we should ask our organized religious groups
to work with us to solve these problems.
Q: What issues unique to South Kitsap need to be addressed by the board?
What would you do to promote the concerns of constituents in
that part of the county?:
A: Establish a blue ribbon committee of South Kitsap people whose
responsibilities would include the planning I've suggested in
previous answers. Our unique location between Mason County,
Pierce County and greater Bremerton places us in an advantageous
situation for development. However, it can't be hit & miss.
It has to be done prudently and comprehensively. NOT like it continues
to be done as I pointed out above, in Manchester.
Q: What issues unique to North Kitsap need to be addressed by the board?
What would you do to promote the concerns of constituents in
that part of the county?:
A: Obviously the military is a key to North Kitsap. However,
the planning and tourism I suggest in earlier answers apply there as well.
Q: What issues unique to Central Kitsap need to be addressed by the board?
What would you do to promote the concerns of constituents
in that part of the county?:
A: Obviously the military is a key to Central Kitsap. However,
the planning and tourism I suggest in earlier answers apply there as well.
Dr. Paul Nuchims, candidate, County Commissioner, District 2, pnuchims@aol.com
phone: 360-895-4270
What follows are essays (latest first) related to the 2008 election
of the Kitsap County Commissioner, District 2, and a few
art works of mine plus a photo of downtown Seattle by a friend
taken from the town of Manchester, WA.
For Immediate Release...June 26, 2008
Dr. Paul Nuchims presents the 3rd Meeting of “The View Forward”
Tues. July 1:
Recreation and Quality of Life
6-8 PM, Manchester Gallery, 724 Bay St., Port Orchard
The purpose of these meetings for discussion is to flesh out
the themes, issues, and concerns, not only of and for
the citizens, but of and for the candidates in this
primary race for KC Commissioner.
First, I want to thank Charlotte Garrido
for participating in the last meeting on the
need for a major university in South Kitsap.
Second, I want to thank Tim Matthes for being an
unofficial ombudsman for the people at the
commissioners’ meeting last Tuesday.
Recreation:
This should be the key to long term economic development
considering our beauty. Where else in the world do you
have the biking, sailing, kayaking, walking, horseback
riding, fishing, etc. with both the Olympics and the Cascades in view?
A self-sustaining rural population with low taxes rather than
smokestack industries is the key. I hope the Port
of Bremerton and the present county
commissioners, and candidates for same,
are listening!
Quality of Life:
We’re losing it! But what can we look forward to keep
and expand our quality of life in this
the most beautiful county in the world?
A few suggestions:
Art, Culture, a Major University, Safe Bicycle Paths,
Reasonable Parking, and a less costly and more humane
county bureaucracy. These and other topics
will be discussed next Tuesday.
Outlook:
There is a dark and gloomy outlook that pervades
our county population, with good reasons:
The climbing tax rate, postage stamp high-end housing
development that “mumbledypegs” the rural character
of our county, and the anti-humane treatment of our citizenry
by our county bureaucracy.
The Dyes Inlet Road location of a Montessori school
was not the question, last
Monday at the KC Commissioners’ meeting, as much as
where the parents would drop off their children.
The hearing examiner and the commissioners’ decision would have
made Solomon shake his head in disbelief.
At the very minimum the commissioners should have
required our vaunted bureaucracy to continue to
monitor the situation rather than a final decision of squeezing
more traffic on a narrow road in front of the school
instead of using the much wider Dyes Inlet Road NW as a drop-off point.
I talked to the owner of the school. He was more concerned
about a couple of apple trees rather than the
safety of the children in the neighborhood. I still
think the school should establish a small area off the much
wider road for the parents to drop off and pick up their children.
Solomon would have been much more humane than our
commissioners, who leave a community divided, worried and angry.
Commissioners should bring people together. Shame!
Maybe we should add the word humane between efficient and effective,
in our county mission statement, to remind our officials of their basic humanity.
You are cordially invited to be honored guests at the first meeting of:
Kitsap County: The View Forward
at the Manchester Gallery in Port Orchard, next week,
the evening of Tuesday, June 3rd, 6-8 PM.
(Transportation & Housing)
The details follow.
Much obliged, and thanks, Paul
Dr. Paul Nuchims, candidate
June 3:
Purpose:
To help educate the other candidates and the voters on what
the real issues are and to help the other candidates and citizens be prepared
for the future.
The voters nationwide seem entranced with the presidential race,
forgetting their responsibilities in setting priorities in their own lives
and being involved in change which will confirm the destiny that has been
the mothers milk promise we were nurtured on since childhood as Americans.
I'm trusting the citizens of Kitsap County, the most beautiful
county in the country, will understand and act on their responsibilities.
Meetings:
Dates: The 1st & 3rd Tuesday of June (3 & 17) and July (1 & 15)
Times: 6-8 PM,
Place: The Manchester Gallery: 724 Bay St. in downtown Port Orchard
I’m inviting the other candidates and the present commissioners
to be honored guests,
Tuesday, June 3rd, for our first meeting.
They will have the privilege to make their statements
and put forth their views on the subject of
Transportation and Housing.
They are invited to the other meetings to voice their views
on the subsequent subjects of The View Forward.
June 3: Subject: Transportation and Housing
With the soaring gas prices we must have alternatives to driving 2 ton
vehicles from one place to another. Walking, biking,
and public transportation must be a safe
and exhilarating experience.
The disparity between housing and condo prices and empty rentals
is cause for concern. What can we do, relative to infrastructure
and financing to moderate the problem as well as keep our communities safe?
June 17: Subject: Education and Communication
July 1: Subject: Recreation and Quality of Life
July 15: Subject: Responsibility and Methodology, the Future
For more information contact:
Dr. Paul Nuchims, candidate for Commissioner, Distr. 2, Kitsap County
email: pnuchims@aol.com
phones: business: 360-895-4270, home: 769-2123
Let me hear from you.
Thanks, Paul
Our home address(Joan Marie Brooks and Paul):
3034 Marjorie Lane SE,
Port Orchard, WA 98366-8806
email: pnuchims@aol.com
phone: 360-769-2123 (home)
Paul's cell phone: 360-551-9144
Joan's cell phone: 360-551-9236
