Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola was as surprised as everyone else seems to be by Cary’s Bozeman’s resignation as Bremerton’s Mayor and appointment today as CEO of the Port of Bremerton. Coppola, who last week appealed to the port for support of his city’s Town Center Revitalization Project, said he suspected breaking news would come out today’s port meeting.
“I knew something big was going to happen at the port meeting today, but I didn’t know what it was,” he said.
Coppola sees Bozeman’s new role with the port as a plus for his city. He and Bozeman are both personal friends and professional allies, he said. Coppola has contributed to Bozeman’s current mayoral campaign.
“My relationship with Cary has been painted in the press as somewhat antagonistic,” Coppola said. “Nothing could be farther from the truth. … I think it’s going to open a lot of doors for us.”
Coppola received a less than lukewarm reception from Port Commissioners Cheryl Kincer and Larry Stokes to his letter last week suggesting that the port foot 50 percent of the cost of Port Orchard’s town center, to include a parking garage, library and community center on a campus like setting. The estimated cost is $18 million. Stokes and Kincer said they were “disappointed,” to say the least, in Coppola’s letter, which, they say, implied the port has done nothing for Port Orchard in the last decade, while focusing heavily on Bremerton’s downtown development.
Coppola said Bozeman will be an asset to the port.
“I think Cary is a good choice. He has a long history of being able to bring diverse groups of people together,” he said. “I think downtown Bremerton speaks for itself. At this point in his life, this is a good career move for him.”
““My relationship with Cary has been painted in the press as somewhat antagonistic,” Coppola said. “Nothing could be farther from the truth. … I think it’s going to open a lot of doors for us.”…”
Do you mean by “open a lot of doors for us”… that Bremerton’s former mayor is in your pocket and will work more for PO than he will for the Port’s best interest?
Certainly the idea that the port pay any part of … “port foot 50 percent of the cost of Port Orchard’s town center, to include a parking garage, library and community center on a campus like setting. The estimated cost is $18 million….” approaches the height of asininity.
In my opinion…Sharon O’Hara
If Bozeman will be damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t, he may as well decide to take an opportunity of this nature and create new strides. Good luck to him.
Boseman will do an outstanding job for the port, just as he did for Bremerton. He is the perfect ticket to bring the port into full capacity.
Sharon O’Hara