UPDATE, April 23, 2015
Going into the last week of the National Mayor’s Challenge,
Bremerton is struggling to regain the top spot. Bremerton Mayor
Patty Lent has been encouraging people to take the pledge, and
reminder cards are out at many businesses. Several schools are
getting involved, according to Kathleen Cahall, Bremerton’s water
resources manager, and a lot of people took the pledge yesterday at
the Earth Day booth at Norm Dicks Government Center.
—–
UPDATE, April 12, 2015
Bremerton has slipped from first place to third place in the
National Mayor’s Challenge, while Olympia has climbed from ninth
place to seventh place. Seven of the 10 cites in Bremerton’s
category are from California, as Kathleen Cahall, Bremerton’s water
resources manager, pointed out to me. It’s probably not a
coincidence that California is going through the worst water crisis
in the state’s history.
—–
Once again, Bremerton is off to a great start in the National Mayor’s Challenge, a program sponsored by the Wyland Foundation to encourage people to conserve water and energy, reduce waste and do other conservation-minded things.
Bremerton won the challenge the past two years among cities across the country with populations between 30,000 and 100,000, and Bremerton is already running in first place this year. Olympia also is doing well in ninth place so far.
The challenge runs through April, and anyone can go to the National Mayor’s Challenge website, answer a list of conservation questions and boost the standings of any city you wish to support.
Each year, Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent and her staff make a special effort to get the word out about the challenge, and they must be doing something right. The major said in a news release:
“Water is Bremerton’s remarkable resource. I encourage all Bremerton residents to pledge to learn more about their water and energy use at home. This challenge, which runs through April, is an exciting opportunity to learn about water wise habits as we engage in a friendly competition with other cities across the nation to create a more sustainable environment.”
Prizes are awarded to selected individuals from the winning cities, along with daily prizes for anyone who enters. Top prizes this year are a Toyota Prius and a $1,000 shopping spree, but there are many smaller prizes. Last year, more than 40 Bremerton residents won a prize.
Besides Bremerton and Olympia, Seattle is the only city in Washington state to be in the top 10 for their size. Seattle is number 5 on the list of the largest cities (600,000 and over).
In Kitsap County, the other cities are: Port Orchard, ranked 46; Poulsbo, 263; and Bainbridge Island, over 500.
The video below shows support for the challenge from the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
UPDATE, April 12, 2015
Bremerton has slipped from first place to third place in the National Mayor’s Challenge, while Olympia has climbed from ninth place to seventh place. Seven of the 10 cites in Bremerton’s category are from California, as Kathleen Cahall, Bremerton’s water resources manager, pointed out to me. It’s probably not a coincidence that California is going through the worst water crisis in the state’s history.
Now Bremerton is back to #2 for the Mayor’s Water Pledge. Every pledge makes a difference and we appreciate everyone who takes a minute to learn about easy ways to protect water resources and maybe win a prize at http://www.mywaterpledge.com
UPDATE, April 23, 2015
Going into the last week of the National Mayor’s Challenge, Bremerton is struggling to regain the top spot. Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent has been encouraging people to take the pledge, and reminder cards are out at many businesses. Several schools are getting involved, according to Kathleen Cahall, Bremerton’s water resources manager, and a lot of people took the pledge yesterday at the Earth Day booth at Norm Dicks Government Center.