News today that Bill Mahan will not seek re-election to his post as District 3 commissioner for the Port of Bremerton already has me wondering who will step up to run for his seat. Mahan, a former Kitsap County Commissioner, elected to the port in 2000 will retire from the port at the end of 2011. At 75, he said, “It’s just time for me to go home.”
Mahan represents portions of South Kitsap, Southwest Bremerton, Seabeck/Holly/Crosby. District 2 Commissioner Larry Stokes represents downtown Port Orchard and portions of Eastern South Kitsap. His term is up Dec. 31, 2013. Roger Zabinski, the newest port commissioner, represents District 1, including West Bremerton and portions of East Bremerton through Dec. 31, 2015.
In other Mahan family news, it appears Sandy Mahan, wife of Monty Mahan, Bill’s son, has a serious illness. In a blog entry on “Monty’s view,” Monty Mahan said tests indicate his wife may have cancer in the bones around her spinal column. More testing is under way.
Monty writes, “We ask that anyone who wishes to help us in this difficult time show some patience and restraint for the time being. We’re still in shock and she’s not in a good condition to receive visitors or phone calls. We will certainly post more information as we receive it from the doctors, and we are likely to ask for help once we’ve had a chance to see where things are going and what we need.”
Monty Mahan, who ran unsuccessfully for Kitsap County Commissioner in 2007, is executive director of the Pierce Conservation District in Pierce County. He and Sandy have 9 children, including some who are adopted and some with special needs.
Good thoughts and prayers for Sandy, Monty, and their family.
I got the following e-mail yesterday from Kathryn Simpson:
“Any chance you could separate the two different topics about Bill Mahan and the other topic of Sandy Mahan’s illness in tonight’s blog posting into two separate blog postings?
It would be very difficult to discuss politics and Bill Mahan while it is in the same story as Sandy Mahan’s very serious illness. I, for one, just couldn’t feel comfortable with it.” (end KS)
As I told Kathryn, I’m not inclined to un-publish a portion of a post. Doing a strike-through and republish, also seems pointless.
In hindsight, I see it would have been better to post the two items separately and cross-link. I acknowledge Kathryn’s sense of discomfort and suspect others may feel the same. I think we all understand that any comments about politics don’t reflect on the Mahan family personally.
Chris Henry, reporter
Chris,
I do hope you will update us on Sandy. Monty and Sandy Mahan have a remarkable family and I’m really hoping and praying for a positive miracle for them.
I look forward to talking politics another day on a different thread. 🙂
Understanding that any comments here (about Bill Mahan the public official) don’t reflect on the Mahan family personally and showing a certain understanding of respect that the line between the public side and the personal/private side of elected officials needs to be vigilantly maintained are two different things.
If the two are NOT separated by a certain distance in the coverage itself, then I like Kathryn will institute my own separation by NOT posting anything other than my wishes that Sandy Mahan’s health does somehow, someway improve and save the political comments on the public persona for another place and time.
My best wishes and warmest regards to the Mahan family. I join everyone else in hope that a healthy future is in store for Mrs. Mahan.
I don’t know anywhere else to ask if it is true that in February new passports will eliminate “Mother” and “Father” and replace them with Parent 1 and Parent 2?
It can’t be so. Is it?
Sharon O’Hara
I don’t know anywhere else to ask if it is true that in February new passports will eliminate “Mother” and “Father” and replace them with Parent 1 and Parent 2?
It’s true. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/07/AR2011010706995.html
“…Rosemary Macray of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs shrugged off complaints of political correctness and described the switch as an unremarkable bureaucratic tweak.
“Really, there have been so many changes in the last 10 or 15 years with reproductive technology and the like, and so this is why it is important for us to accurately reflect families in these applications,” she said. …”
Is this woman out of her mind?!
I am a MOTHER! I was raised by a MOTHER and FATHER and had grandMOTHERS and grandFATHERS – not a Parent1 and a Parent2!
Is “Parent1” the mother? Or are children now conceived and spawned under rocks?
A secret sick political tweak – America, the land of the free just became a serious sign of a society in jeopardy…in my opinion.
Thank you… Sharon O’Hara
To keep up with Monty and Sandy Mahan, visit Monty’s blog.
http://montysview.blogspot.com/
Chris Henry, Kitsap Sun
Regarding the passports, the State Department backpedaled a bit on the change to “parent 1” and “parent 2” last week. According to the article I read at the Washington Post website, they were revising it again to a more middle-ground wording… to “mother or parent 1” and “father or parent 2”.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/11/AR2011011106598.html
The Link to Monty’s blog no longer works, does anyone have a new link or way to see how the family is doing?