Peninsular Thinking

Patricia Moncure Thomas, a long-time Port Orchard resident, has spent years delving into the history of her family, the Moncures, whose pedigree includes black and white members. Moncure Thomas was featured in a 2002 article in the Kitsap Sun, and she has written a book about her family, dating back to the 1700s.

Moncure Thomas since 2006 has taken part in a group called Coming to the Table, which focuses on the legacy of slavery and it ongoing effects. The six women who make up the group include descendants of slaves and slave owners.

Today (Feb. 26), Moncure Thomas and others in the group will meet at the Northwest African American Museum (Seattle) to culminate an eight-week workshop. She has been a facilitator.

Moncure Thomas’ website, Moncure Place…Connecting Family and Friends, contains stories, interviews, photos, family trees, and history of the times and places in which her Moncure family lived. She is President of the Black Historical Society of Kitsap Inc.

Her goal, as stated in her bio on the Coming to the Table website, “is to uncover and document untold stories about the legacy of slavery that have been left out of our United States history — stories, she says, that connect everyone as important parts of American history.” She attended a pilot Coming to the Table event in 2006 with a white Moncure descendant, and is now a member of the group’s community practice board. She is the principal of Browns Point Elementary in Tacoma, WA.

On Sunday, Kitsap County will wrap up its observance of Black History Month with the 12th annual Salad Bowl Sunday. The event — set for 3:30 p.m. at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion, 1200 NW Fairgrounds Road, Bremerton — was founded by Emmanuel Apostolic Church Bishop Lawrence Robertson as a celebration of diversity. The theme of this year’s event is “Designed to be Different.” The event is hosted by area churches and includes speakers and performers. If it’s anything like previous years, it concludes with a Pavilion-sized potluck.

So, question of the day: How have you celebrated Black History Month?

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1970s chick magnet

On the way to work today I saw a verifiable Ford Pinto parked along Fifth Street. That’s noteworthy for anyone these days. Pintos, of course, became the butt of jokes and the source of grief for America in the late 1970s, because they had a penchant for exploding if hit from the rear. (For the record I’ve been known to explode when hit from the rear.)

The Pinto’s reputation earned it a spot on Time Magazine’s list of 50 worst cars ever. The explosive capabilities was known by Ford, as it turns out, because the company had a memo comparing the cost of fixing a defect they knew about versus settling claims in court. Court was deemed to be cheaper, so the message was if you’re going to ride in the back of one, bring marshmallows just in case.

My own experience with the Pinto was from my friend, Kevin, who inherited his from his brother Charlie. It was a black number that Kevin had outfitted with shag carpet (courtesy of our friend Dave, who now runs his father’s carpet business) and a T-handle stick shift to go with the killer stereo. The stick shift knob was an easy and inexpensive way to customize a car, as I’m sure it is today. Another friend, Larry, had a Hamms Beer tap stick shift knob in his car. I bought a classy VW knob for my 1966 Beetle to go with the stereo, carpet and European taillight covers. The knob, the stereo and the light covers were stolen while I was at psychology class at the junior college. The thieves left the carpet.

Whatever you might think of the Pinto now, for Kevin it complimented his already sizzling status with the ladies, something I could never match. I remember a lot of rides in that car, a couple times to Anaheim Stadium, once to Hollywood and once when we ditched school and went to the beach. For Kevin I’m sure the memories are even fonder, involving company that was not me or Dave.

For that reason while everyone else in America might have been chuckling at the Pinto’s descent into infamy, I was kind of saddened by it. To see one again today was kind of life affirming.

Should I see it out on the road, though, I’ll give it plenty of distance.

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In preparation for Thursday’s Veterans’ Day story on Thuong Kien “T.K.” Mac, I contacted Bainbridge Island’s Frederick Scheffler, who served in Vietnam and is currently the adjutant at the island’s Colin Hyde Post 172 of the American Legion.

Mac, a former Vietnamese refugee, wrote in gratitude to soldiers who served in the Vietnam War on our “Your News” site.

Scheffler’s response did not get to me on time for the story, but I wanted to post it here.

I served with the Vietnamese in the Mekong Delta. Reading this man’s account brings back memories of the young Vietnamese soldiers that we recruited and trained. They all had one thing in common and that was a fierce determination to see their country become what they thought America was. America was a beacon and inspired semi-literate farmers to risk death by participating in the national elections in 1967. The vote was something that was precious to them and they were willing to risk the wrath of the local Viet Cong by voting. They were an example that I will never forget. His story is one that has been lived by thousands of Vietnamese who risked everything to come to this country and make a new life. They have demonstrated their dedication to living the American dream and have excelled. When we left Vietnam in 1975 we left a lot of good people. When the North Vietnamese invaded the South in 1975 these people who had been our friends and comrades paid a heavy price.

The Vietnam War was the coming of age for a generation of young Americans. The world has turned many times and Vietnam has changed from when we went there. It has evolved and gone through some terrible growing pains. Although I fought in that war and lost friends, the war we fought was not against the Vietnamese people. My memories of them is not framed by those we fought but rather by the noncombatants, the children are especially memorable . I have a picture on my wall of 20 of them that we brought medical attention to in a small village on a Mekong tributary. Those are the memories of Vietnam that I hold dear. This man’s perseverance and what he has achieved speaks volumes. I wish him and those who made it to the States welcome and remember those who did not in my prayers.

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Assuming you read Ed Friedrich’s story you know that construction on a new Manette bridge could begin in July. The old bridge won’t be gone until 2012 or 2013, but a new path is coming.

The picture here is one I took one day from the bridge. In the more than seven years I have worked for this paper, I never had walked it before. My first three years were in Poulsbo covering Bainbridge Island, so I deserve some slack there. But one day a few weeks ago I had walked to the fountain park during my search for profanity and the air temperature was neither too cold or too hot. I didn’t have something desperately awaiting my attention back at the office, so I decided to make the walk I always said I wanted to do. For the record, I did cross the Warren Avenue bridge some time ago.

Like so many places here, the view from the bridge is spectacular. This picture, taken with my cell phone, doesn’t come close to doing it justice. In 2013 that view will remain. I’m sure the walk will continue to be wonderful.

The view of the bridge will be vastly different. The kind of picture Larry Steagall took with Ed’s story won’t be available when the green goes down. State Rep. Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, had at one time questioned whether the steel pieces that give the bridge character could be maintained as a facade. It’s possible that it could be, from what I remember a state transportation telling me. But it would cost more. Given tight dollars these days, the state sure wouldn’t pony up the money.

If one of you wins a lottery, a really big one, I’m sure you could at least pay for an audience.

During that walk I saw that it was dedicated on June 21, 1930. With a little research I’ve found that the only person born in Kitsap County on that day died 30 years ago, but still has at least one relative living nearby. I still haven’t tracked down the whereabouts of the girl given the honor of dedicating the bridge. She’d be in her 90s now.

If you have never taken the walk over the bridge, I’m one who would recommend it, especially because a deadline looms. In this business we know all about deadlines.

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Angela Dice, web editor here at the Kitsap Sun, was poking around the archives Monday and found a story she shared with me about Bremerton revitalization dreams made in 1987. Among the items on the wish list:

• Professional offices
• Retail
• Apartments
• Condos
• Museums
• Art galleries
• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Boardwalk
• Waterfront park
• Boat moorage

The city stood ready to condemn properties owned by people who weren’t keen to redevelop soon enough to turn the parking lots into something splashy for the waterfront. The city’s chief planner emphasized that it was just a proposal.

All those things happened, except for apartments, and Ron Sher has it in mind to build those.

Two other things the dreamers wanted that have yet to arrive:

• Tourists
• Shoppers

Here’s the story:

1987 story on Bremerton revitalization

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