Monthly Archives: January 2009

That Ticket You Made a Big Show of Shredding? No One Will Ever Know

Grace Park, a woman whose names both have context related to this story.

A couple of miracles are at work here. First, our regular InterWeb site got this news out before I did on this here blog, even though I wrote the durned thing and had every intention of rushing right over here to post as quickly and dramatically as I could. I like doing that.

My trouble was that during my absence from The Bremerton Beat I was no longer welcome as a contributor. So I couldn’t log in with ease. That was fine with me until about 27 minutes ago, when I was trying to post the miraculous news that the city of Bremerton was no longer going to make you pay for your parking indiscretions while it was snowing.

Andy Binion, who turned this blog I created into the BEST (pause) BLOG (pause) EVER (pause) made the case on Christmas Eve that Bremerton was issuing tickets “like spiked punch at a freshman mixer.”

I’ll have you know I dared Bremerton to cite me, envisioning the day I could go to Municipal Court and take down the man by showing photos of the street where my car was parked before and after I was cited, then asking the question, “You really want to make me pay for parking on that day?” There I was, a humble servant of the public, daring drive into work and I get tagged $25 for the privilege. The judge was sure to cower and beg mercy.

Somehow the little scooters with tire chains missed me. They didn’t today, though. I got a ticket on my first day back on the Bremerton Beat. I deserved this one, but barely.

Anyway, if you got cited between Dec. 18 and Dec. 26, you don’t have to pay it. If you already did, call the municipal court. Those of you who dared dance an inflamed tantrum on the icy streets while ripping up your ticket on one of those days, it was all for naught. Your righteous anger was noted in Heaven, to your benefit or detriment, but there will be no one here reminding you of it. The day it’s overdue will pass like, um, like, um, coeds walking by those passed-out students on the lawn, the ones who attended that mixer the night before.

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Sun Shines Again on the Sub-Area Plan

David Nelson

The Manette Sub-Area Plan officially came back to life early last month, and will walk among us again next week at the Norm Dicks building.

The city has set the open house to accept public input and answer questions, 4 p.m., Monday, in downtown Bremerton. Judging from the packed house when the Manette plan was cracked open for public questioning in August, stretching to a 4-hour forum in a larger space is a good idea. That raucous August meeting packed the senior center, almost axed the city’s commitment to the process, frustrated some with questions that didn’t get answered, at times exasperated the consultants hired by the city to shepherd the process, and made a lot of people stand in a stuffy room for a few hours.

Not that I’m complaining about involving that many passionate folks, but I did get tired standing that night. So here’s another chance to offer opinions that strengthen the neighborhood’s investment (and hopefully the city’s decision making) in what the Manette of 2025 (give or take a few years) looks like. Catching my attention so far are what becomes of the intersection at the base of a new Manette Bridge, how soon infrastructure improvements come along 11th Street and whether we’ll ever see condos above a sub shop. Click here for the full list of topics and background from the city.

Manette neighbors are knocking doors to spread the word about the meeting, I’ve been told, so maybe you’ve already made your plans. I’m the editor of this newspaper and a Bremerton resident (and now, apprentice Bremerton Beat blogger) who watched the boil-over on this one with interest last summer, so here’s my part in reminding folks of the second round.

Forward the link around, maybe you’ll save some energy for Monday.

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Starting a Petition for a Bridge from Bremerton to Bainbridge

adice

Ferry docked in Bremerton (Larry Steagall | Kitsap Sun)

With all this talk of Bremerton runs possibly on the chopping block, maybe it’s time to re-ignite debate about other options:

Ferries were only supposed to be a temporary fix when they were introduced in 1951, as officials started pushing for a bridge from Kitsap to the East side. In 1959, a plan that would have added a couple of bridges from South Kitsap at Fragaria over Vashon to someplace by Burien failed by one vote. It kept coming up year after year, especially when the state proposed a new Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Well, maybe that plan is out now.

How about this one:

Through the years, letter-writers and even a former county commissioner have advocated a bridge from East Bremerton to South Bainbridge Island. Stan Stageberg of Poulsbo was a huge promoter of such a thing (to get traffic off of 305).

The time may be finally be ripe for some enterprising, Seattle-loving group to start a petition for it. Throw in a commuter rail, and the overall commute would be reduced by 10 minutes.

Ferry-lovers shouldn’t fret. This plan never had any political will, and never will. But here’s my semi-devious contention: if Islanders thought there was any true chance that Bremertonians could swarm Bainbridge via a 15-minute drive, just imagine the strings all those lawyers and rich property owners could pull to restore Bremerton ferry service (and thereby keep we Bremertonians off their Island).

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Bremerton on Zooey Watch

adice

Hello fellow Bremertonians! This is Angela Dice here, Sun Web editor and writer over at The Food Life blog. I’ll be one of several folks taking over the Bremerton Beat blog now that we’ve had to say goodbye to Andrew Binion.

I’m going to start off this transition a little light, a little trite:

OK, Bremerton, you’ve officially been put on Zooey watch.

Zooey Deschanel, that is. (Pronounced ZOH-ee)

She’s a singer/actress (the dark-haired beauty with big, blue-eyes who played Will Ferrell’s love interest in “Elf”, Wark Wahlberg’s in “The Happening” and the upcoming “Yes Man”) newly engaged to Bremerton-raised rock star Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service fame.

Gibbard’s family still lives in the area, so it would seem likely that he’d bring his sweetheart home to mom, right?

So, keep your eyes out, but don’t embarrass the rest of us Bremertonians. A smile and a nod of the head will suffice.

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