Port Orchard: A Natural Disaster

Port Orchard, Washington is a town overflowing with rich forests, fresh air, and spectacular views. As Isaac Suttle walks from his front door, he can see the Two Brothers to the west and Mt. Rainier to the east. His home sits quietly in an area of Port Orchard surrounded by trees, the nearest neighbor hundreds of feet away. Like that of most western Washington, the weather is cool and rainy throughout the year with little relief in the summer. The drizzly rain can last for months; Isaac can remember a time when it persisted for 93 days straight. Though at times the weather can be miserable, it keeps the forest green and the air clean and refreshing.

Traveling ten miles out of his hide away home, Isaac comes to the downtown area. Right on the water, downtown holds a large marina, home to boats from all over Kitsap County. Small antique shops, a one screen movie theatre, and a few bars are scattered down the main street. The “best candy store in the world” sits on a quaint corner of the street and provides Isaac with his favorite treats as he walks down the small stretch of beach at the local park.

Not thirty minutes away is Isaac’s favorite escape destination, Point Defiance Park. A large park, it is home to a zoo, endless stretches of beach, hiking trails, and woods one could get lost in forever. It is a quiet place where Isaac can go to read and relax after an overwhelming week at a far from perfect school.

Port Orchard students attend school with more than 3,000 students throughout southern Kitsap County. Overpopulated, South Kitsap High is more of a hassle than an educator. Many students have to travel up to thirty minutes to get there, and when they arrive, there are not enough seats for them in classes of thirty-five. There are three other high schools in the county, and each is equally overrun. The lack of adequate facilities attests to the fact that the county was unprepared for the quick increase in population.

As more people settle into Port Orchard, more commercialized businesses are moving in as well. This once untouched wilderness is being tainted by companies looking to expand in every corner of the country. Wal-Mart has been able to push its way into the small town, with promises of more jobs and low prices. Local business owners are feeling the strain. They are now fighting against an expansion of the current Wal-Mart to a Super Wal-Mart. Large signs advertising Starbucks and Burger King are in stark contrast to the environment around them.

The jobs being offered by these large companies are hard to say no to by the residents of Port Orchard. A low to middle class population, they find good jobs are hard to come by close to home. Most work at the giant shipyard in the next town, or commute to larger surrounding cities like Bremerton, Tacoma, or Seattle. A ferry travels from Bremerton to Seattle on the hour everyday. It is one of the few ferries in the United States that are used frequently by commuters.

Though Port Orchard is growing, the excitement of the metropolitan across the water is still a great stimulus for residents. Many of the youth take the ferry to Seattle on the weekends to find entertainment not available in their small town. Concerts, coffee shops, and clubs are the main attractions. After a week of feeling isolated in the woods, Seattle gives a great sense of freedom.

It seems an escape is what most residents in Kitsap County are looking for. Whether it is getting out of the county all together, or just escaping a stable state of mind, nearly everyone is on edge. Kitsap County has the highest drug rate in the state. Methamphetamine labs are being busted several times a week. At one point, three mobile homes in the same community were discovered and shut down in the same night. Isaac found it very difficult as a teenager to stay away from the drugs. Many of his friends from elementary and middle school began to use drugs frequently in high school. A strong upbringing kept Isaac from experimenting and falling into the addiction. The few people Isaac knew who did not do drugs became his allies as his old friendships began to dissolve.

Most of Isaac’s classmates did one of three things after graduation. They either went straight to work at the shipyard, joined the armed forces, or, like Isaac, left for college vowing never to return. Although Isaac has no intention of returning to Port Orchard or anywhere in Kitsap County, he can see himself settling in an area of Washington State still untouched by commercial chains and overpopulation. Though Isaac enjoys being alone with nature, growing up near Seattle has given him the courage and confidence to leave Washington and travel hundreds of miles down the coast to San Luis Obispo. A completely different setting, Isaac hopes to use San Luis Obispo to help him become well rounded and ready for a successful future away from Port Orchard.