Puget Sound
Actions speak louder than words
On the same day that Kitsap County Department of Community development was informed by WSDOT that they would not be building a temporary dock in Port Gamble for Environmental concerns, our County Commissioners denied two appeals filed by the S’Kallam Tribe and the Friends of Port Gamble Bay and gave county approval to build a permanent dock on the exact same spot. The WSDOT decision was based on concerns from Department of Natural Resources and Department of Ecology that the bay quality was not suitable to withstand the additional ferry traffic. Information that was available to county commissioners at the time of their decision included a determination by the National Marine Fisheries Service that the proposal is likely to cause impacts to endangered species and habitat. Scientific data showing the presence of toxic sediments at the dock site, concerns documented at the public hearing by the tribe’s biologist that among other impacts, prop wash will re suspend the toxic material from the bottom and settle on the tribes’ shell fish beds and documented history that two boats sank at an illegal dock on the same spot, causing a diesel spill that closed the shell fish beds in Port Gamble Bay.
The OPG dock is planned to be used as a Marine Terminal for float planes, commercial vessels and as a proposed destination for Argosy Cruises. Jon Rose, OPG president, proudly stated at the Public Hearing and then again to the County Commissioners that when the WDFW said that the dock could not be built as it was a herring spanning area, he went to Olympia and got the decision reversed. As Mr. Rose has stated numerous times “We’re a publicly held company, we are going to do the best by our shareholders that we can.”
Although Commissioners Bauer wrote a very interesting article, “Protecting our Puget Sound legacy” in the Kingston Community News, it seems like actions speak louder than words. How is approving this dock without conclusive evidence that Port Gamble Bay will not be impacted protecting anything except the profitability of OPG? After all, OPG has turned land that was given to POPE in the 1850’s by the federal government into a Real Estate company that trades stock on the NASDAQ currently valued at $35/share.
Gwenn Thomas,
Port Gamble
Port Gamble
It’s haunted, alright
In the interest of journalistic accuracy, the incident attributed to Ms. Smith actually happened to my wife, Carol Wetmore. She was with a group from Advanced Ghost Hunters of Seattle/Tacoma (AGHOST). She had forgotten her EMF detector, but had the digital recorder running. The “Liar, Liar” EVP (electromagnetic voice projection) was one of several malicious “voices” Carol has recorded. Carol has done several independent investigations of Port Gamble locations with the permission of Ms. Smith and has numerous EVPs and mysterious photos as a result. The Walker-Ames House in Port Gamble is especially active and my wife refuses to go into the basement alone.
Ray Wetmore
Kingston
She saw it, too
I used to work in Port Gamble, and there was several nights when I was there cleaning up late at night. I can honestly say, that the store I worked in, (The Tea Room in Port Gamble) is truly haunted by a kind woman with an ear for music. Oftentimes at night the lights would flicker on and off in the main dining room and our CD player would suddenly turn on very softly, changing songs to a lovely version of Pachabels’ Cannon in D major. No one ever saw her clearly but I had several experiences while working on a slow day. I would be in our main dining room cleaning and would catch a glimpse of a woman in an 18th century style dress standing behind me watching. I would turn around to greet the customer that I thought was there only to discover that no one was in the building but me. I soon nicknamed the woman “Serinade,” and after a while I would hear someone singing with the music.
Amber Mathisen
Poulsbo
Hansville
Meeting was a riot
I had the unique pleasure of attending last night’s community meeting in Hansville presided over by Kitsap County Commissioner Steve Bauer concerning the traffic calming devices installed last year. What a donnybrook it turned out to be! American democracy in action! People from all walks meeting with their representative, their county Sheriff, and fire officials. A replay of the presentation given last year, which many of us missed for some reason or other, was given, also, the impact of the traffic calming devices on speeders driving on Hansville roads.
Even Sheriff Boyer had his moment to discuss the speed tables. And, according to what I heard from him, apparently they not only slow down speeders, they also help in cutting down on methamphetamine traffic, breaking and entering, and are even contributing to the war on terror! Honest! He did mention 9/11! At a local meeting on speed bumps!
With all the stats given, I am now confident that speeding has slowed in Hansville. Mission accomplished! But, when asked for statistics about automobile accidents and property damage due to speeding having been reduced, Commissioner Bauer looked a little lost, until a resident came to his rescue. She lives on Cliffside Drive and she has pulled out fewer errant drivers from a ditch near her house since they were installed. A telling statistic, don’t you agree?
Mark Barabasz,
Hansville
Editor’s note:
More letters to the editor concerning the community meeting in Hansville — and the Herald’s coverage of the meeting — can be found online at www.northkitsapherald.com.
