Monthly Archives: December 2009

Fishing Downtown

The latest rendering of the statues proposed for Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue offers more color and shows that the fisherman looks more like one you would see around here. It still has the fish winning, but I’m seeing if there is a newer version to reflect the council’s 4-3 anti-whimsy vote Wednesday.

We had some ideas of our own for alternative statues at Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue. How about the images of the Kirk sisters or Nathan Adrian entering the water on one corner and coming out the other? It certainly passes the whimsy test.

A fish and a fisherman is what we will likely get, barring some momentum from I-don’t-know-where that would overturn the council’s decision to install the two statues we’ve come to know. I’ve received an e-mail from someone suggesting there was opposition on this on artistic grounds. I’ll elaborate when I get it confirmed.

One of the first comments was about unelecting the people who voted for this. Here’s the status of when they run again.

Will Maupin — Up for re-election in 2011.
Carol Arends — Just re-elected.
Adam Brockus — Just re-elected. Ran unopposed.
Nick Wofford — Just re-elected. Had an opponent who realized later he hadn’t lived in the district long enough.
Brad Gehring — Just lost a re-election bid in a close race.

Both Cecil McConnell and Roy Runyon, who voted “no,” and Dianne Robinson, who wasn’t in attendance, are up for re-election in 2011. Mike Shepherd, who also wasn’t there, ends his council service on Jan. 31.

We’re looking into what would happen to the money if it were sent back to the state and other issues in a follow-up story.

Finally, here’s my image of the swimmer. I drew it on the back of an envelope. Feel free to submit your own.

I’m not saying there should be art on the corners, but if there’s going to be something different you might want to consider this idea by me. I’d say it’s in alignment with the idea of connecting Bremerton with the water. Then again, I don’t live in incorporated Bremerton, and reporters are not supposed to offer ideas anyway. It’s not part of that conspiracy theory pact we all signed.

Tweet This Post

Klatman Resigns Bremerton Chamber Post

Steven Gardner

Silvia Klatman, executive director at the Bremerton Area Chamber of Commerce for nearly a decade, announced Tuesday she is resigning to take a new job.

Klatman will work in public affairs with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Keyport beginning in January.

Klatman said the new job offers a good opportunity for personal and professional growth. “They’re looking at expanding their communications with employees,” she said. “It sounded very interesting and intriguing.”

Steve Green, president of the chamber, said Klatman will be difficult to replace. “She’s done a wonderful job for the community,” he said.

Green said the chamber’s board will wait until Jan. 4 to begin accepting resumes for a new executive director. Between now and then board members will be coming to an agreement about what they are looking for in Klatman’s replacement.

In addition to running the day-to-day affairs for the chamber, Klatman was often the face of the organization, leading chamber lunches and moderating early-morning political debates during campaign season. She began as executive director in August of 2000 but had worked for the chamber before as well as for the Kitsap Economic Development Council.

Klatman said Bremerton’s volunteers and business leaders will continue to keep the city growing. “The big thing that Bremerton has going for it, and frankly has always has had going for it, are the people,” she said.

Tweet This Post

Sexton Proposes a Fish Tale at Fourth and Pacific

Steven Gardner

This rendering is of the proposed art to be placed on opposite corners at Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue in Bremerton. To give yourself a sense of the size of the sculptures, there is a human standing near the fisherman. The Bremerton City Council is supposed to consider the idea at the last meeting of the year, which is Wednesday.

Bremerton could have more art downtown as a continuation of work done at the Memorial Plaza. Gary Sexton, redevelopment projects administrator for the city, introduced the concept to the Bremerton City Council Wednesday, saying the statues of a fish and a fisherman would be another element to attract people downtown.

The art was designed by Communication Arts Inc. of Boulder, Colo. and would be manufactured and installed by Dillon Works! of Mukilteo. That firm built and installed at least one statue at Safeco Field and the company’s site shows extensive work at the Minute Maid Park in Houston, where the Astros play.

Sexton said the art is designed to be visible from a block away, establishing Fourth and Pacific as “ground zero” for downtown.

Andrea Spencer, community development director, said the statues will draw visitors. “It’s really going to make Pacific Avenue the tourist destination we want it to be,” she said.

You’ll notice in the picture that the fish is catching the fisherman. One statue would be at the Collective Visions corner at Fourth Street and Pacific Avenue, while the other would be near the Amy Burnett Gallery on the opposite corner. Both statues are about 14-feet high. Total cost is estimated to be about $250,000 using money from the Memorial Plaza project.

Brad Gehring, city councilman, asked if local firms could have done the work. Sexton said they could not. “There is no one local able to fabricate something this big,” he said. “As soon as you tilt the scale that’s here you go to a different market.”

Gehring was fine with the concept of the art, but didn’t like the fish and fisherman, saying it would be a better fit for Deer Lodge, Mont. For Bremerton, “It doesn’t represent the community, period,” Gehring said.

Dianne Robinson also disliked the art. “I don’t like this at all,” she said. Pointing to the fisherman Robinson said, “This looks like a baseball player here. I don’t know what this represents.”

Tweet This Post