Wow, only two months left until we turn to another year. It has been 13 years since the big millennium celebration.

Remember when we all thought that the world wouldn’t be able to make that technical jump into the 21st century? I think technology did just fine and here we are with electronic tools that blow the mind.

The technology of today enabled us to create a simple survey and get some of your thoughts on how the port and town should look toward the future. It was through such a survey and two open public meetings that we heard from the residents of the port district on how you would like us to proceed in development of the two new properties that the port owns. Keeping those parcels in green/open space seemed to be the most popular choice. Now we are in the planning phase and within the constraints of the budget; you will see some subtle changes mostly on the property referred to as “The Old Kingston Inn Property.”  As time goes by, there will be a few more public meetings to keep you posted on progress.

Of course you can attend our monthly meetings at 7 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month to find out other things going on down at the port.

Nov. 30, we will once again light up the park with those wonderful holiday lights. Yup, the volunteers have been working all summer to bring you an even better show than last year.

In early October, our Executive Director Kori Henry informed us that she had taken a job with North Kitsap School District as executive assistant to the superintendent.

That’s great for the school district, but it sure leaves a big void in leadership at the port. We all understand that things like this happen and everyone involved with the Port of Kingston wishes Kori all the best in her new position.

What are we gonna do now? Well, Steve Hyman, who used to skipper the Spirit of Kingston, has been hired as interim director. We will take a good look at the job description and make any necessary adjustments and then start looking for a new leader for our little port district. If you are interested, watch for advertisements.

The dredge project has been put on hold as the federal government was shut down. I am writing this on the afternoon of Oct. 16 and it looks like Washington, D.C. has once again put the wheels back on the wagon for a while so we will see what happens now. Stay tuned.

If you are interested in applying for a spot on the waiting lists for our A, B and C docks, now is the time to do that. Usually, you will be required to put a deposit down to hold your place on the list. For the month of November we are waiving that fee. The lists have moved pretty quickly on those three docks over the past few years and there is a good chance that if you get in early you might get a slip pretty quickly. The E and D dock lists still have pretty long waiting lists. I have been on the E dock list for 14 years.

If you are interested in getting a spot on the waiting list, call the port office 360-297-3545, or stop in during regular business hours.

NAUTICAL TERM

I know that some of you have been through the Panama Canal and have seen the large ships that transit that spectacular man-made wonder of the world. Ship designers have always strived to create vessels that can bring their cargo between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.  Panamax is the term used to describe a vessel deliberately built to the largest dimensions possible for use in the Panama Canal. Normally, the ships are about 950 feet long, with 105 feet of beam and a 38-foot draft. Panamax cargo ships can haul about 4,500 containers.  So there it is, our November Nautical Term of the Month. And it looks like I am starting to run out of space here too.

I hope that you found something interesting or informative here. As always, thank you for taking a few minutes to read this stuff. I will be seeing you around town.

— Pete DeBoer is a Kingston port commissioner. Contact him at pete@petedeboer.com.