Celebrate public works week Monday

Kitsap County has planned a series of events to celebrate National Public Works Week, beginning Monday May 16.

A proclamation passed by the Board of Commissioners reads “we call upon all citizens and civic organizations to acquaint themselves with the issues involved in providing our public works and to recognize the contributions which public works employees make every day to our health, safety, comfort and quality of life.”

One of the week’s most popular happenings is the “Touch a Truck Event,” which shows off all the heavy equipment used by the department. Held Saturday, May 18, it takes place from 9 a.m. to noon for school field trips and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the general public. The event takes place at the Public Works Annex in Bremerton.

The county is also offering tours of the Olympic View Transfer Station, the Moderate Risk Waste Collection facility and the Central Kitsap Treatment Plant.

Additionally, the department is offering free classroom presentations for local schools. These include a “sewer safari” to learn about wastewater treatment, a look at signs an d road markings and the equipment used to make them, a presentation about stormwater including video from interpipe cameras and a presentation about worms.

To begin Public Works Week, the county is offering a yard waste amnesty day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 14 at Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue in Silverdale.

Materials accepted include brush, branches, stumps, grass, leaves and clean lumber. Material not accepted are treated or painted lumber, railroad ties, garbage, plastics, tires, scrap metal, and household hazardous waste.

For more information about any of these activities call (360) 377-5777.

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