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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2012 | Vol. 28, No. 8 www.CENTRALKITSAPREPORTER.com | 50¢
Port looks at private sector for Bremerton marina By KEVAN MOORE kmoore@centralkitsapreporter.com
Port of Bremerton commissioners decided unanimously Thursday night during a special meeting to seek proposals from private businesses to take over operations of the Bremerton Marina. The $34 million marina opened in 2008 but sits mostly empty with a vacancy rate that hovers around 60 percent. In addition, the marina’s annual $1 million expenses outpaced revenues by about $365,000 last year and it is on track to run a similar deficit this year. The facility itself, funded with a 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation tax, is now paid off.
The port has decided there, but the marina is not to lower rates in an a business and must be effort to boost occupancy, run using good business saying that any such move practices.” would be bad for the Stokes said that conlong-term financial health trary to any rumors, the of the marina. Other maport has no intention of rinas up and down Puget closing the marina or letRoger Zabinski Larry Stokes Axel Strakeljahn Sound, meanwhile, sit ting the quality of service full of boats and many of at the facility deteriorate. them have waiting lists. “I’d like to ask every sioners Roger Zabinski and Axel Commissioner Larry Stokes said Strakeljahn. one, if this was your marina and he was approached about a month your money, would you not try All three commissioners lauded ago by a private business offering to port staff and the marina itself, but everything possible to stop the take over operations of the marina. said that looking at proposals from bleeding?” Stokes said. During Thursday night’s meeting, Strakeljahn said that no deciprivate firms is the responsible Stokes said that out of fairness, he sions about outsourcing the manthing to do. would not disclose the name of the agement of the marina have been “Some will take this personally,” interested party, which he said has Stokes said. “Some will be hurt and made and exploring that possibilalso had discussions with commisity is not a reflection of port staff. blame will be passed from here to
Strakeljahn also said he was tired of negative press and the portrayal of the marina in media reports. “If we’re presented with a business proposal and we don’t look at it, we are remiss of our responsibilities,” he said. Zabinski said that the marina is a huge asset to Bremerton and a great “doorstep to Kitsap County.” He, too, was highly complimentary of port staff and said that considering outside proposals to run the marina in no way should be construed as a criticism of their work. Zabinski also acknowledged that he doesn’t know what a private firm running the marina would See PORT, A7
USS Turner Joy raises scary funds Rescue mission
sends a message
Asylum tour proceeds go for YMCA program and dry dock for ship
By WES MORROW
wmorrow@centralkitsapreporter.com
By Dennis Box editor@centralkitsapreporter.com
T
he USS Turner Joy museum ship on the Bremerton Boardwalk celebrated Halloween by becoming scary. The Vietnam War-era destroyer featured another round of the Halloween Haunted Ship tour this week. Amy Bodlorick, the haunted-ship coordinator, led the expedition through the ship Monday. She worked this year as a volunteer and said, “my salary goes to the YMCA strong kids campaign. Bodlorick said the haunting theme for the Turner Joy last year was based on the “Philadelphia Experiment,” which is a story about the destroyer-escort USS Eldridge, and this year the theme was continued. The story of the USS Eldridge has become part of conspiracy-theory lore. According to the story, the Navy was conducting a secret experiment that made the Eldridge invisible, based on Albert Einstein’s Unified Field Theory. The experiment was said to have gone very wrong. Bodlorick said the ship was said to disappear and when it reappeared some on board were melted into the ship, others went in insane.
Dennis Box/staff photo
Marilyn Pincus dressed as an asylum ghoul for the USS Turner Joy museum ship “Haunted Asylum” tour. This year the Turner Joy was turned into an asylum for the witnesses of the experiment. Bodlorick said the proceeds for the scary experiment will be used to help the food bank, the YMCA program and rais-
ing funds to pay for placing the ship in dry dock. The tours continue through Saturday and the ship is located at 300 Washington Beach Ave. The cost is $10.
More than 50,000 letters soliciting help for the area’s homeless population are in the mail, bound for residents throughout Kitsap County. Volunteers and workers at the Kitsap Rescue Mission have been stuffing envelopes over the course of the last week, preparing for their first major fund-raising drive since opening in 2009. The Rescue Mission sends mail to about 1,200 constituents each month, but this is the first time they’ve attempted Wes Morrow/staff photo such a large mailing. Irene Brillhart stuffs envelopes for “(We) basically the Rescue Mission Oct. 26 want to get the word out about what we do and the needs that we have, to have that support in the community,” said Walter Le Couteur, executive director. Le Couteur hopes the drive will find people in a giving mood during the holiday season. “Most acquisition drives like this yield about 5 percent. I’m hoping and praying this one will be more fruitful,” he said. Between Tuesday and Saturday, 18 volunteers provided more than 200 hours of service stuffing envelopes, many even taking letters home to pack during the evenings. The Kitsap Rescue Mission is a Christian non-profit organization based in Bremerton. The organization, founded See RESCUE, A7