Patriot Bremerton
ROCKIN’ THE FAIR AC/DC tribute band, rodeos and greasy food are hits at fair Page 9
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013 | Vol. 16, No. 30 www.bremertonpatriot.com | 50¢
9/11 beams installed By Seraine Page
spage@soundpublishing.com
Seraine Page/staff photo
Dave Fergus (left) and Margie Torbron chat after the steel beams from the World Trade Center were placed in Evergreen Park last Saturday. A dedication is planned for Sept. 11.
There’s no denying that the steel beams look right in place at the Kitsap 9/11 Memorial. The memorial, based in Evergreen Rotary Park in Bremerton, will be completed by the 12th anniversary of the attacks on America. The design incorporates metal that was found in the rubble at the World Trade Center site. “They fit like a glove,” said Roy Lusk, chairman of the Kitsap 9/11 memorial. Lusk estimated that around 150 people came out to the lifting and placement of the beams on Saturday. The memorial is still not finished, but committee members of the project are hopeful it will get done. When asked how it felt to finally have the beams in place after weeks of looking at the metal beams sitting on the back on a semi truck, Lusk slapped a hand to his chest and let out a sigh with tears in his eyes. Just like the folks who watched the beams rise up, Lusk is proud to have the piece of history call Bremerton home. He’s equally proud of the volunteers who have camped out 24 hours every day since the artifacts arrived on site. The original plan was that the round-the-clock volunteer watch would end once the beams were in place.
But Lusk believes the volunteers are showing extreme dedication in their newest actions. “They’re gonna watch the place until all construction materials are gone,” he said. In addition to the beams from the WTC, the memorial will also have a piece of the concrete from the Pentagon and soil from the Shanksville, Pa. site where Flight 93 crashed. The soil came from a friend of Margie and Jack Torbron. “We are representing all three locations,” said Margie Torbron, a Kitsap 9/11 Memorial committee member. Torbron, who was present for the placement of the beams, said she cried upon seeing the metal pieces sitting upright. “I kept having goosebumps,” she said. The memorial is a special place to the couple, and it also reminds the two of what could have been a very different fate. Jack Torbron, who worked for Keyport, was to be in the Pentagon on 9/11. His meeting got canceled the day before. “I have no explanation for it,” the former government worker said. Although he is not part of the committee, Torbron said he is happy to volunteer his time and effort with his wife in assisting with the memorial project. See Steel beams, A17
Concerns raised about maintenance costs at site By KEVAN MOORE kmoore@soundpublishing.com
Bremerton City Councilman Jim McDonald is making no apologies for the fact that no agreements are in place to cover the maintenance costs for the soon to be completed Kitsap 9/11 Memorial on city owned Evergreen Park property. “Frankly, and I can’t speak for the whole council, I am not really concerned with the maintenance costs of projects like this,” he told the Bremerton Parks Commission Tuesday night. “We’re getting a big benefit from the memorial and it’s really a public gift to us.” McDonald said that the benefits of the memorial and associated improvements, including irrigation improvements that the city couldn’t afford to do on its own, outweigh any concern See 9/11 Maintenance, A17
Bremerton Marina sees an increase in boats By Leslie Kelly lkelly@soundpublishing.com
The goal was 50 new tenants and that’s what they got. Consultant Bob Wise told the Port of Bremerton commissioners Wednesday that he’s met his goal of bringing 50 new tenants to the Bremerton Marina since he was hired five months ago. His contract with the port ends Sept. 10. “We’re really happy about
how things have gone,” said Wise. “The marina is at its highest (occupancy rate) point in its history.” Wise was hired by the port, which owns and operates the Bremerton Marina, to bring new boats to the marina which historically has operated at a 25 to 33 percent occupancy rate. The marina has been open for about five years and has 220 permanent slips. Wise said, by retaining the
current tenants with financial incentives, adding 30 new long-term boats, and adding another 20 smaller boats, the occupancy rate at the marina is now at 60 percent. The total number of boats in the marina as of Wednesday was 134. “We’ve pretty much doubled the number of boats in the marina,” he said. That was accomplished through a marketing plan that included offering small-
er slips to smaller boats at a discounted price. Previously small boat owners had to pay $288.25 a month for a 36-foot slip, when they didn’t need that much space. A change was made to allow boats to lease space based on length. An example is that a 18-foot boat owner would now pay half, or $144.13 per month. Moorage rates at Bremerton run from $144 to $591 depending on the size of the
boat. The marketing plan also offered a year’s moorage free for one year paid. The lease was set up so that boat owners would pay moorage every other month, and sign a twoyear lease agreement. That brought in 30 new tenants, Wise said. With those changes, and by taking on an advertising campaign in select print media and through social media, Wise
was able to target the marina to a better, more interested audience. “By using social media and by advertising in top boating publications in the Northwest, we were able to show what a great product we have,” Wise said. “It wasn’t long before the word got out.” He noted that the Bremerton Marina’s Facebook See marina, A17