Executive Committee Meeting Fort Worden Public Development Authority Tuesday, August 20, 2019 | 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Commons Building 210, Room B, Fort Worden
Public Meeting Agenda:
I. Call to Order
II. Changes to the Agenda
III. Correspondence A. Dave Robison and Jay Neville Correspondence B. 8.6.19 Post Alley article re: Marrowstone Music Festival C. 8.7.19 Leader article re: THING D. 8.12.19 Peninsula Daily News article re: THING E. 8.12.19 Letter from Partners re: Long-Term Lease Planning
IV. Review of Cash Flow Report
V. Review and Approval of July 16, 2019 Executive Committee Minutes
VI. Updated Amendments to Washington State’s Heritage Capital Program and the Building for the Arts Grant Agreements A. Staff Report B. Board Discussion Action: Motion to approve updated 2017-2019 Grant Agreements with Washington State’s Heritage Capital Program and the Building for the Arts
VII. Staff Update and Board Discussion A. Major Construction Projects B. KPTZ Lease C. Food and Beverage Presentation
VIII. Public Comment
IX. Adjourn
X. Executive Session to review personnel matters and lease terms and conditions in accordance with RCW 42.30.140 (4) and RCW 42.30.110 (c), respectively.
Page 1 of 31 Joan Rutkowski
From: Dave Robison Sent: Friday, August 16, 2019 4:27 PM To: Joan Rutkowski Subject: FW: Ph Con With Police Chief Evans / Valuable Suggestions
From: Dave Robison Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2019 5:00 PM To: 'Robert Birman'
Rob & Lisa,
Copying you on emails below from a Fort Worden neighbor as it will be in the PDA board packet in September. Just want you both to be aware of his concerns regarding access to and from the Fort, free parking, and Centrum ticket prices.
As you know, we are encouraging all fort users, vendors and partners employees to not use the Cherry Hill Street route to access coming and going to the Fort. Please encourage your staff to use the designated Fort Worden route on Redwood (its takes less than one minute longer). We will share this information again with Partners at their meeting on August 20.
Thank you.
Dave Robison Executive Director Fort Worden 200 Battery Way, Park Office Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 860-7943 (office) (360) 643-1770 (cell) www.fortworden.org
FORT WORDEN PDA NOTICE REGARDING PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Page 2 of 31 Public documents and records are available to the public as required under the Washington State Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). The information contained in all correspondences with a government entity may be disclosable to third party requesters under the Public Records Act.
From: J [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, August 2, 2019 1:25 PM To: Dave Robison
Hello Dave:
Thanks for the invite, but I don't think a meeting is necessary.
As long as you are speaking to the board here additional thoughts:
1) free parking went away in the 70's. Everyone expects to pay for parking. Fort needs to get with the times. All these culturally enriching events with ticket prices of up top $60 - these attendees have the ability to pay. The only questions should be how does the Fort collect the fee? how mush is the fee? which events are exempt?
When the Fort says we lack funds and when tens of thousands of cars park for free during the summer this is an obvious place to look to add additional funding.
Naturally the tenants will protest. Centrum will say you can't do this? Why not? We have multiple problems - a societal problem of too many vehicles on the road and a Fort funding problem. Maybe you can address one or both problems. This is no time for tenant push-back.
We have a saying in the law. When something is so obvious we use the Latin phrase "Res Ipsa Loquitor" - every lawyer is familiar with this phrase you see it in case law and it translates as The thing speaks for itself.
No one is entitled to free Fort parking and it is an enormous lost funding opportunity.
When I see 1,000 cars parked for free a=t an overflowing Jazz concerts where ticket prices are expensive I say this is a crime. Why is the parking given away for free? Is it not an asset that is scarce and should be rationed? is there not a need for extra funds? Answer: yes. Will this impose undue hardship? Answer: No.
One other thing - Centrum is no charity. Their ticket prices are expensive - I have an idea that if they owned the parking area inside the Fort they would find a way to optimize the pricing.
Page 3 of 31 I suggest a $2 fee for all parking on parade ground regardless of event. Event Parking: $3.
2) Fort Worden is such a jewel the Discovery Pass alone should not entitle one to free parking and access to beaches. Discovery Pass + $3 Fee should be required.
3) Peak Pricing should be implemented for campground pricing. Summer prices should be higher.
4) Vendor Fees. I see a little shuttle come in and out of the Fort. Great. You can pay a yearly fee of $50. Find other vendors who can be charged fees.
To amplify what I said in my earlier letter the goal should not be to pack in as many people as possible for the lowest price. is that how Disneyland operates? No. there need not be a profit motive but you told me how expensive the upkeep is - how many building are old and in disrepair. Then I see valuable assets like parking given away for free.
I go the Fort nearly every day - I keep my eyes and ears open. My 15 year old daughter Julia has a summer job working for housekeeping cleaning rooms at the Fort all week. She comes home and collapses. It is her first job and she will never forget it. I am grateful the Fort was able to employ her as a ob is a great teaching vehicle and I certainly feel even more connected to the Fort because of her job.
I share my ideas with you because I have good problem-solving skills and I want the Fort to get better and better and solve its money problems. I appreciate the beaches there - in my mind they are some of the prettiest beaches on the West Coast - guests to the Fort should pay an appropriate price for the upkeep of the Fort and yes to mitigate traffic both within the Fort (I am horrified by speeding within the Fort) and in the neighboring streets: Cherry, Redwood, W, San Juan, and the back road into town on the Western bluff.
Regards.
Jay Neville
On Fri, Aug 2, 2019 at 4:23 PM Dave Robison
Hi Jay,
Our staff is working on the vendor list and we have been directing all vendors and contractors to not use Cherry Street Hill. I also asked Greg from Public Works earlier this week on the status of the signs. He said he would call the sign company again. They are obviously behind schedule.
Page 4 of 31 I will provide you a detailed response to your email early next week unless you want to meet to further discuss these issues.
Let me know. I could make some time available on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon between 3 and 5. I will also share your letter (and my response) with our Board of Directors.
Best,
Dave
Dave Robison
Executive Director
Fort Worden
200 Battery Way, Park Office
Port Townsend, WA 98368
(360) 860-7943 (office) (360) 643-1770 (cell) www.fortworden.org
FORT WORDEN PDA NOTICE REGARDING PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Page 5 of 31 Public documents and records are available to the public as required under the Washington State Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). The information contained in all correspondences with a government entity may be disclosable to third party requesters under the Public Records Act.
From: J [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, August 2, 2019 1:00 PM To: Dave Robison
Hello Dave:
In response to my letter to you and the Chief he called me. He said the following:
1. as much as we would like to help we have no funding for even one traffic patrol officer and you can ask the City Council to allocate us funds - which means essentially drivers are free to speed at will in PT
2. He told me that the Fort gets one million visitors a year
3.the new signage is being fabricated and Public Works is waiting delivery - essentially the check is in the mail
4. I told him I wanted a list of all the Fort contractors so I could contact them he said good idea you can complete a FOIA request for that, I replied I will just ask Dave
My comment: it is pathetic that a city the size of PT has not one traffic patrol car. Irresponsible is another word that comes to mind.
Page 6 of 31 Suggestions:
1. Can you send me the vendor list and appoint me some kind of unpaid intern or liasion so I can make some progress on at least getting vendors in line.
More important suggestion: 2. In one our first meeting you said the Fort is strapped for funds (the same complaint I hear from Chief Evans!) and there is no funding to pay for any kind pf traffic mitigation, including manpower at the gate or other traffic baton people.
You went on to say the Fort therefore ":must" attract more users to the Fort/more corwds and cars in order to generate revenue. This sounds reasonable on the surface. But there is another way and the Fort should con=sider this. Not more crowds, more people to the Fort. The Fort and its beaches and facilities are pretty maxed out. The answer is not bigger numbers - it is fewer people paying MORE for what the Fort offers. The City/State have a great asset we all agree - and it is oversubscribed. You are giving it away. Too cheaply. You need to ration those assets. Fewer people yet charge more. The State did this when they implemented the Discovery Pass. That was a great start. The Fort must go further. Yes I know the State must decide some of these issues. A pass to use the jewel known as Fort Worden must cost more than the base rate of $30/year. The pass must be reuired for more than the beaches. Parking fees must be assessed for all events. The concerts and festivals and Fourth of July events. It could be .50 it could be $1. When I hear you say the Fort is strapped, essentially broke, then the answer is to charge for what you are giving away for free. This is basic logic. I am anb Economics major, attorney, and man of common sense. The solution is not to pack ever larger crowds into the Fort - the plan of the Fort Mangers is wrong-headed.
Tax Dollars Issue - I pay $5,000 in property taxes each year for City services. How much proprety tax is paid by the Fort and its tenants including non-profits? I think the answer could be Zero which creates a Free Rider problem. The Fort and its tenants attracts one million visitors a year and then they pay in property taxes less than a single homeowner. The Fort and its tenants are not paying for road improvements or traffic patrols made necessary by the hordes of visitors that use the Fort. Yes - you can claim your users pay sales tax or bnb tax - but I am excluding that. Should the Fort and tenants be paying more? Yes! How doe we make that happen? Higher fees including parking fees. Draw the well-healed. In the real world all is rationed by price. Mariners tickets etc... And I hear that concert tickets at the Fort can cost $30 - $60 and not $1 per ticket can be allocated to a traffic mitigation fund? And all the parking is free?? People drive BMW';s from Seattle or Portland for an expensive event and they are prepared to pay for parking and yet is given away for free? This is mis- management.
I sent you an email about the dangers of excessive tourism. The answer is rationing. Mt Everest had numerous climber deaths on the mountainside this year. Too many climbers. too crowded. Climbs were disrupted and the result was death. The answer will be to impose rationing on Mt Everest. The answer is the same for the Fort - user fees must be raised and a fair portion dedicated to and set aside for traffic mitigation. The large crowds. throngs to the Fort tell me there is no shortage of users. When I see 1,000 cars as I just did for a Jazz Concert at the Fort and the Fort collected not ten cents for parking I shake my head. It did not takes years of schooling for
Page 7 of 31 me to reach my conclusions that Fort is "giving away" valuable parking and other assets of value. This is common sense.
I will be taking this letter to City Officials and WA state officials but I offer it to you first.
There are answers to some of the problems we face. Too many cars and crowds / not enough funds to pay for improvements and manpower. Yes we ration access to the Fort and we start by charging for event parking which is given away FOR FREE. Additionally, all state agencies should do what they can to discourage driving and encourage use of mass transit. A parking fee, a reasonable fee that 90 percent of the drivers will have no issue paying is a start.
Kind Regards,
Jay Neville
Page 8 of 31 Joan Rutkowski
From: Dave Robison Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2019 4:48 PM To: J; Curtis White; [email protected] Cc: 'Hageman, Brian (PARKS)'; Joan Rutkowski; board; Herb Cook Subject: RE: Curbing Trailer Size / Diesel Ban / Power Boat Restrictions
Hi Jay,
This is in response to your email below and your email on Friday 8/02 regarding low‐emission zones (copied and added below). Both emails suggest measures that are outside the authority of the Fort Worden PDA. Your suggestions and recommendations below would require state laws, and possibly federal laws, to change. For example, banning diesel engines; limiting the size of an RV; banning BBQ’s when having a picnic in a State Park when there is not a burn ban in effect, and; banning campers from a campground that was designed for RV’s and part of the mission of Washington State Parks are all outside of the authority of the PDA as well as the Port Townsend City Council. These issues are state and federal issues.
I copied Brian Hageman, manager of the Olympic View Parks (including Fort Worden State Park) on this email. He concurs with this and stated “individual state parks cannot make up their own policies, they must follow the Washington State Laws and State Park Agency policies.”
While I stand committed to address the issues that affect our management of the 95‐acre campus in Fort Worden (signage to the Park; notifying our vendors to use designated collectors and not neighborhood streets; parking in the campus area of Fort Worden, etc.) these other issues need to be directed to state agencies or state legislatures.
I hope that helps to clarify things.
Best regards,
Dave Robison Executive Director Fort Worden 200 Battery Way, Park Office Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 860-7943 (office) (360) 643-1770 (cell) www.fortworden.org
Page 9 of 31 FORT WORDEN PDA NOTICE REGARDING PUBLIC DISCLOSURE Public documents and records are available to the public as required under the Washington State Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). The information contained in all correspondences with a government entity may be disclosable to third party requesters under the Public Records Act.
From: J [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, August 5, 2019 3:47 PM To: Dave Robison
Dera Dave:
To further the email correspondence we are having with regard to campers and trucks (and I include FW Neighborhood liason member Curtis White and neighbor Cynthia Walker) I add a few pertinent thoughts.
Vehicles
I see enormous motor homes/coaches entering the Fort. They appear to be 40 to 45 foot in length. Initially I was happy just to think that the majority would be shuffled off to Redwood Street.
Upon reflecting on the disagreeable facts: 1) that someone would think it is acceptable to buy such an oversized vehicle and drive it on the roads, and 2) that Fort Worden welcomes them! I have concluded that the proper action to take - and I hope the Neighborhood Committee now picks this up from here and that the FW BOD take the necessary action is twofold:
a) for all new reservations, limit the size of campers and coaches to 25 feet.
b) phase out the welcome mat for diesel vehicles of all stripes within 5 years.
I know it sounds alarmist, and I suppose it is the politician in me, but these diesel vehicles are killing us. I need not cite to the deleterious effects of diesel particulates. It is well-documented that it is a cause of early death.
At one time it was acceptable to smoke in offices and airplanes. And then it was banned across the board. One day diesel will be banned outright. Does it not seem a little incongruous that in a haven, a sanctuary, a place of nature and clean recreation diesel vehicles face no restrictions?
Dave you once said that the Fort is the only one in the state system that has but one entrance and that is reachable only by traversing through a city. If the State Parks HQ objects they must be reminded of the unique factual drivers here.
Diesel vehicles create noise pollution and aire pollution leading to real documentable health hazards. I hope that the the Fort in the pursuit of a few dollars does not continue to welcome these troublesome vehicles.
If I were to knock on doors to draw support for policy reform at FWSP I think the hot button issue where people would say Count me in! would include curbing diesel rigs and large motor homes.
Page 10 of 31 With regard to restrictions on the size of motor homes please see that size is determined by each park - there is no uniform size - I include two links here: https://www.parks.ca.gov/RVlength https://traveltips.usatoday.com/california-state-beach-rv-parks-52136.html
I mentioned last week that the cash-strapped Fort should not be giving parking away for free. In order to encourage the use of clean vehicles whatever parking fee scheme is used, free or reduced rate parking should be allowed for hybrid or EV cars. If the objection to free parking is parking spilling into neighborhoods, and I am anticipating an objection, I will say that I am a former resident of Berkeley, CA and permit and restricted parking for residents works well to allow residents to park on their own streets.
Fort Worden Barbecues
I was at the Fort last week reading a book when the breeze blew the smell from the cooking grills located near the beach shelter. At first the smell was lighter fluid an then later grilled meat. It seemed as though I had stepped back into a time machine from an earlier day. Why is lighter fluid permitted as a fuel inside the Fort? I would recommend ripping out all of the grills and informing park users that petroleum lighter fluids are banned.
Power Boats on the Beaches
Last week I saw an otter pair feeding in shallow waters about 25 feet from the shore. They left the pier area and were making their way down to the lighthouse. Just then a powercraft beached on the sand maybe 20 feet from the pair and the otters were forced to return to the pier. Meanwhile the pilot stepped out and carried an ice chest to the sand. There is something not right with this picture. Are craft entitled to park on the beach? Are they entitled to tie up to buoys as I have seen? For how long and what are they charged? No doubt these powerboats are interfering with the otter habitat? Who is in charge of the welfare of the otters please so I can correspond with them? The otters need an advocate - I had thought that the Rangers would be advocates for Park wildlife and yet Rangers allow diesel-powered rigs into the Fort with no restriction, allow grilling with petrochemicals, allow dogs leased and unleashed to romp on the beaches. I see all of this and I say, something needs to be done.
To close this letter we hear about global warming - let's have Fort Worden lead the way to a cleaner and more sensible use of this shared space. Im asking for the imposition of restrictions to curb the natural impulses of thoughtless park users to defile. Some people just don't know any better, lack common sense and concern for environment, don't know that their "use and enjoyment" of roads and beaches interferes with other people's sensibilities. As always, I want to spark positive change and not polite push-back.
Kind Regards,
Jay Neville
Email from 8/02 titled Low-Emission Zones
I forgot to add em element to my memo to you. For long term planning please run this past the board,
Metro areas around the world are banning select diesel or older gas burning vehicles.
Page 11 of 31 It makes sense diesel and older gas cars are highly polluting.
There are numerous articles on this. Most European capital cities, including Paris.
Here is a link to the country of India imposing a ban,
https://www.livemint.com/Politics/WyuoVB1IM65ELIKWs2TYBL/Govt-may-stop-private-vehicles-in-Delhi- if-pollution-worsens.html
Is there a amore liberal, progressive, "enlightened" city in all of Washington than Port Townsend?
I submit: no.
Fort Worden should be a pristine jewel for the native species of flora and fauna, the firs, the otters, the eagles, and more.
I would embrace - love to see Fort Worden banning super-polluting vehicles like diesel or older gas models. Dollars and cents be damned - at some point Ft Worden will have to get on board with this.
I am a private stock investor - oil stocks are shunned as though they peddle toxic assets and solar companies are the hottest stocks in the entire market. The world is going electric - this is very positive. The Fort needs to start thinking when and how they can get onboard.
Jay N.
Page 12 of 31 FORT WORDEN PDA NOTICE REGARDING PUBLIC DISCLOSURE Public documents and records are available to the public as required under the Washington State Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). The information contained in all correspondences with a government entity may be disclosable to third party requesters under the Public Records Act.
From: J [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, August 6, 2019 5:19 PM To: Dave Robison
Dear Dave:
Quick response.
I will contact the State group - for all state parks.
There are steps that you can take.
Examples:
You can remove a single RV camp spot for one 45 foot coach and turn it into a camp spot for two cars. Imagine doing this for all of the large RV spots. Then you are not banning large RV spots. Instead you are creating more spots for non large coaches.
Then when the owner of a 45 foot coach tries to book a spot the answer is sorry - we can not accommodate you.
Why would you need any approval to re-configure the layout of your own RV spots.
You see I called it a "ban" but this action does not "ban" anything - you make changes so that you can not accept them.
This is san expression of sound logic and sound problem solving skills.
Page 13 of 31 Re banning fuel starters there is a like logic. a) why not suggest other means to start fires? b) you have more than enough grills at the Shelter Area. Why not remove half or all? No approval needed.
Re: the sea otters I think the Fort's expansion plans for motor craft launches and general boating activity interfere with the main habitat of the sea otter. I reached out to the Legal Team of a Friends of the Sea Otter group out of Carmel, CA and I want to work with them to document harm to sea otters by increased boating activity in their habitat at the Fort. I have no idea if Federal laws are being violated in the Fort's expansion plans - but they will know. Perhaps the Fort will have to file an environmental impact report.
In closing Dave - I am focussing on un-regulate or poorly regulate traffic into and out of the Fort. I am focusing on diesel rigs as being a real problem. I am focusing on unchecked expansion of all Fort property, including the beach area.
I don't see you offering any valuable alternatives.
I was a US Navy lawyer from 1986 - 1991. I went to Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island. One day Captain Denis McCoy, the Commanding Officer of the school came to class. His words were few, but they were valuable. This is what he said, "You will all be graduating from Justice School soon. You will go to your commands who will ask you for advice. It is all too easy to say, No that cannot be done. You are lawyers. Find a way to get it done - fond a way so that your command can get the action they want. Do not take the easy route and say, It cannot be done."
Dave - If i bring a serious problem to your attention please find a way to fix it. Please do not tell me - Oh that might sound nice. but are hands are tied. No you do not work for me - I am giving my valuable time and energy to the Fort to solve real problems that people on the payroll are unable to see or fix. My interest is in making my community and FWSP a more vital place.
I really want to work with you and Brian Hageman.
Signed,
Jay Neville Former US Navy LT, JAG Corps
Long Live the Sea Otters!
Page 14 of 31 Joan Rutkowski
From: Dave Robison Sent: Friday, August 16, 2019 4:25 PM To: Joan Rutkowski Subject: FW: Curbing Trailer Size / Diesel Ban / Power Boat Restrictions Attachments: Boundary Map with Makers Square.pdf
From: Dave Robison Sent: Wednesday, August 7, 2019 8:43 AM To: 'J'
Jay,
Yes, the appropriate contact regarding issues in the park areas of Fort Worden is Brian Hageman, Olympic Area Manager, and Washington State Parks (WSP).
To be clear, I operate and manage the 95‐acre campus area (where the buildings are located) which was designated a conference center back in 1974 (see attached aerial with yellow boundary around it). I have no control, or authority, over RV or power boat use or BBQs in the Park portion of Fort Worden State Park (outside of the yellow boundary on the aerial).
WSP operates and manages the two campgrounds, the beaches, Artillery Hill and its trails and forests and wildlife stewardship.
But, I am working closely with WSP and the City to find corrective measures to minimize traffic impacts to and from the fort. I hope, as you do I am sure, that the new signage on Cherry and Redwood Streets will be in place any day.
Thank you for your understanding.
Dave Robison Executive Director Fort Worden 200 Battery Way, Park Office Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 860-7943 (office) (360) 643-1770 (cell) www.fortworden.org
Page 15 of 31 4
Page 16 of 31 8/8/2019 Marvelous Marrowstone Revisited | Post Alley
ARTS BLOG Marvelous Marrowstone Revisited
DAVID BREWSTER AUGUST 6, 2019 0
From the Seattle Youth Symphony website
Relatively unnoticed, the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras have become one of the biggest arts success stories in our region. SYSO is the largest such organization in the country, and the eighth-oldest youth orchestra programs. The summer orchestra camp it runs, Marrowstone Music Festival at the Western Washington University in Bellingham, is an orchestra-training festival, the only one in the Northwest. The quality of the music-making is stunning. These musicians are playing these works for the first time and their energy is infectious. It’s like hearing these works fresh, almost for the first time.
A couple of decades ago, when Marrowstone was located at Port Townsend’s Fort Worden, our family was deeply involved. Joyce was SYSO board chair and our daughter Anne, a cellist, played at the festival and then was a counselor there for several summers. Joyce and I would always spend a week in Port Townsend, going to master classes, rehearsals, and performances. Then as now, fine players (high school and college age) would come from all over the nation, to be coached by excellent orchestra professionals. Grand, super- energized performances would result.
Last weekend, Joyce and I enjoyed a nostalgic trip up to attend some concerts in Bellingham. We found the same remarkably musical and technically amazing playing, savored the attractions of nearby Fairhaven (especially the Colophon Cafe, a dead ringer for the old Elliott Bay Books Cafe), and admired the campus and music facilities at WWU. The two-week Festival has just ended, but I recommend you go up there for a fine weekend next year (last week of July, first week of August), when the SYSO’s newly named music director, Juan Felipe Molano from Colombia and Los Angeles, will be the maestro.
A short history, since the SYSO and Festival are celebrating their (sorta) 75th anniversaries this year. The youth orchestra began in 1942 when the Seattle Symphony concertmaster, Francis Aranyi, newly arrived in Seattle, gave the downbeat. It came into its glory under Vilem Sokol, a charismatic Czech conductor who led the organization from 1960-88, turning it into a pace-setting youth orchestra(s). It now has 470 students playing in four orchestras and a string ensemble; the top orchestra performs three concerts a year at Benaroya Hall. Page 17 of 31 https://www.postalley.org/2019/08/06/marvelous-marrowstone-revisited/ 8/8/2019 Marvelous Marrowstone Revisited | Post Alley Marrowstone derives its name from an early location at Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island, just east of Port Townsend. Joe Wheeler, a Tacoma music teacher, led the development of Fort Worden for arts and education programming and induced the migration of Marrowstone to the romantic, wondrous old Fort. (Fort Worden, an old artillery fort, is now managed by a new public development authority that is much better at filling up the place with summer festivals, conferences, family reunions — it even now has good food!) Strains with the State Parks administration led to Marrowstone’s exodus to WWU’s campus, which has first-class facilities at its large music school. I particularly admired the display of first-rank Northwest art in the handsome lobby areas, and the good acoustics in the main auditorium.
Highlight of the concert on Sunday was a riveting performance of “Scheherazade,” maybe the best I’ve ever heard, conducted by Alastair Willis, formerly associate conductor of the Seattle Symphony. We began the day by sneaking into his rehearsal of the work, where he fine-tuned transitions and held back the enthusiastic young musicians from rushing.
We also had a chance to talk with the new music director, Molano, who was on scene for four days of the Festival. He comes from Colombia, which has a large youth-music program modeled on the famous (and now precarious) el Sistema of Venezuela. These Latin American countries have perfected a way of spreading classical music instruction to all classes; at the top of the pyramid are members of world-class touring orchestras and conductors, notably Gustavo Dudamel. Molano is also involved with these outreach efforts at YOLA, the youth orchestra under the LA Philharmonic, and in Colombia. It may be that these youth orchestras, already full of Asian-American players, will lead the way in drawing in other minorities and young people denied exposure to classical music. Who better than SYSO?
That said, the SYSO has had some struggles in finding a successor to the legendary Vilem Sokol, someone who can build on his significant legacy; Molano will be the fourth in the past 30 years to try. Assisting will be an impressive new executive director, Kathleen Allen, and a board that has excellent leadership.
Finding the right venue for Marrowstone has been a challenge. The festival needs a bucolic setting, major performance facilities, and a congenial host and partner. Being this far from Seattle audiences (not to mention I-5 congestion) creates other hurdles. Still, the auditorium Sunday was packed with music lovers and appreciative parents up to collect their talented offspring.
A final note: One of the things I admire about Western Washington University is its full embrace of Northwest culture. The campus is a virtual museum of Northwest architects such as Ibsen Nelsen and Fred Bassetti (who did the master design). This gives it a rare unity of approach (humanistic modernism), harmony, materials, and scale. Thanks to donors such as Virginia Bloedel Wright (Bloedels were big timber interests in the area), it has fine public art.
All in all, an impressive encounter with what a small city can do, and how a Seattle arts organization can quietly move, with decades of commitment, to the front ranks.
David Brewster David Brewster, a founding member of Post Alley, has a long career in publishing, having founded Seattle Weekly, Sasquatch Books, and Crosscut.com. His civic ventures have been Town Hall Seattle and FolioSeattle.
Page 18 of 31 https://www.postalley.org/2019/08/06/marvelous-marrowstone-revisited/ 8/14/2019 THINGS cooking along | Port Townsend Leader
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(/uploads/original/20190806-155702-De La Soul[1].jpg) Page 19 of 31 https://www.ptleader.com/stories/things-cooking-along,63700? 8/14/2019 THINGS cooking along | Port Townsend Leader Hip hop trio De La Soul is one of several big-name acts expected to do their thing at the THING arts festival Aug. 24-25. Courtesy photo PHOTO COURTESY OF DE LA SOUL
Posted Wednesday, August 7, 2019 3:00 am
Chris McDaniel [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
With THING Music Festival at Fort Worden just weeks away, Adam Zacks is feeling the last minutes approach.
“I am feeling great,” said Zacks, Seattle Theatre Group’s Chief Programming Of cer. “I was just looking at a calendar and it s even closer than I had it in my head.”
Fort Worden Public Development Authority and STG have been working together to get ready, Zacks said.
“We have been out there an awful lot, which has been super fun. I have been able to meet with a lot of people. We hear the negative feedback as well as the positive, but I have to say by and large people’s attitudes towards this have been really supportive. I get the sense everyone wants to see this go well.”
Since announcing the festival in the spring, Zacks has visited Fort Worden at least a dozen times, he said.
“Things are cooking along. It is an awful amount of work doing anything in its rst year. You don’t know what you don’t know until you are facing it. We are trying to anticipate everything and make sure we plan it as best we can so everyone has a good time.”
THING is being billed as a “multi-disciplinary event” by Zacks, who founded the Sasquatch! Festival at the Gorge Amphitheater, which concluded its 16-year run in 2018.
n many ways, the planning phase for both festivals is similar, although Sasquatch! was much larger, Zacks said.
“The logistics of getting people wristbands and parking and all of those sorts of things are true for any event.”
But there are quirks unique to Port Townsend, Zacks said.
“This park is very unique and we are attempting things programatically where there is not an exact analog for us to compare against. We are attempting to do something new. There are a lot more unknowns.”
Because of the unique composition of the community, Zacks and his team have been careful to move in a way best tting the area, he said.
“We learned a bit about the mill and the politics of the mill and how some people don’t take kindly to commenting on the occasional smell of the mill. That was really good information to have that would have gone over our heads if we had not gone out there and met with people face to face.”
Port Townsend is ready for such a big event, said Natalie Maitland, Fort Worden Public Development Authority events and marketing manager.
“THING looks to complement our community’s love of big gatherings and contribute to the arts landscape that Port Townsend is known for.”
Planning between STG, the City of Port Townsend Police Department, Jefferson County Fire, Washington State Parks and Fort Worden, along with other local organizations, has been highly collaborative, Maitland said.
“Traf c management, parking, and public safety have been a high priority throughout the process, and continue to be a point of focus as we put the nal touches on the event.”
Fort Worden’s facilities team is conducting some road painting, the grounds team is busy readying the outdoor venues, and the culinary team is nalizing food and drink menus, Maitland said.
“It has been a team effort all around to set up THING for success.” Page 20 of 31 https://www.ptleader.com/stories/things-cooking-along,63700? 8/14/2019 THINGS cooking along | Port Townsend Leader Major Talent
During the festival, a combination of music, comedy, lm, dance, podcasts and visual arts perform on three primary stages, and the Parade Grounds overlooking Puget Sound.
“It is great to see Fort Worden’s historic venues being utilized in a new and exciting way,” Maitland said. “Venues like the Wheeler Theater and McCurdy Pavilion will be showcased to event attendees along with the beauty of the setting on the Olympic Peninsula.”
The big name actors and bands have extended their excitement at being involved in the inaugural event, Zacks said.
“People seem to be grocking to get here,” Zacks said. “People are getting the vibe we are trying to do something unique and different. For the type of artists we have booked, speci cally, that is really refreshing because there are so many festivals out there now and the lineups are the same. A lot of them are very commercial.”
Headlining acts include Violent Femmes, hip-hop pioneers De La Soul, Mexico’s Café Tacvba, and a joint appearance by Calexico and Iron & Wine.
Recently added to the list is Giants in the Trees, Zacks said.
“That is Krist Novoselic’s newish band. That is kind of exciting to get a Nirvana.”
Actor and musician John Reilly will have his roots group in tow as they tap into the spirit of the old West.
Also on the schedule is Napoleon Dynamite Live!, featuring a conversation with Jon Heder and other members of the cast, as well as a screening of the classic movie.
Speaking engagements with stage, lm, and television actress Natasha Lyonne of “Orange is the New Black” fame and writer, comedian, and activist Lindy West will take place, as well as a set from comedian Todd Barry.
Podcast offerings include live tapings of Seattle radio star Luke Burbank’s “Too Beautiful To Live” with Andrew Walsh, “The Tobolowsky Files” with Stephen Tobolowsky, and “Bunny Ears” with former child star Macaulay Culkin.
“Seattle Theater Group has curated a vibrant lineup of entertainment providing an eclectic mix of music, arts and performance,” Maitland said. “I am looking forward, of course, to the big name musical acts but also seeing how the live reading of An Of cer and a Gentleman is executed.”
Big names and local talent
n addition to nationally renowned bands and movie stars, there will be local considerations at the festival too, Zacks said.
“There is going to be a memorial for Jarrod Bramson that is part of the event.”
Bramson, 43, a well known musician in Port Townsend, died of an overdose on March 27.
“That is something that a musician brought to our attention,” Zacks said. “We coordinated with her and the family to have a nice memorial in the Wheeler Theater in the afternoon. I think that should be a beautiful thing in the community for people who knew him.”
Even those who have not secured tickets for the Festival will be allowed to attend the memorial, Zacks said.
On a lighter note, members of NANDA and The Flying Karamazov Brothers will perform at the festival’s night market, Zacks said.
The combination of local and national acts means there should be a good mix of tourists and locals at the festival, Maitland said.
“Looking at current ticket sales there is a great mix of locals, those from the peninsula, Seattle and out of state as well.”
Tickets
Single day tickets are sold out, while two-day passes are still available. Page 21 of 31 https://www.ptleader.com/stories/things-cooking-along,63700? 8/14/2019 Podcast hosts to bring ‘Too Beautiful to Live’ to Thing festival | Peninsula Daily News
Andrew Walsh, left, and Luke Burbank, hosts of the podcast “Too Beautiful to Live,” visit “Larry the Lobster” in Kingston SE, Australia, during one of their latest adventures. The podcast is nearing its 3,000th episode and will be featured live during Thing at Fort Worden on Aug. 24 at the Wheeler Theater, where Walsh got married. (American Public Media)
Podcast hosts to bring ADVERTISEMENT ‘Too Beautiful to Live’ to Thing festival Former Port Townsend resident spoke of city characters on show
By Brian McLean Monday, August 12, 2019 2:08pm ❙ NEWS JEFFERSON COUNTY
PORT TOWNSEND — It might be a surreal X experience for Luke Burbank, host of the popular We're glad that journalism matters to you! Get unlimited digital access for just 99¢. podcast “Too Beautiful to Live.”
He’ll probably talk about it, too. Page 22 of 31 Already have an account? Click here to log in. https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/podcast-hosts-to-bring-too-beautiful-to-live-to-thing-festival/ 1/5 Burbank,8/14/2019 formerly of Port Townsend,Podcast hosts to bringwedded ‘Too Beautiful to Live’ to Thing festival | Peninsula Daily News his wife, Carey, at the Wheeler Theater at Fort Worden. When he returns this month, he’ll be with his co-host, Andrew Walsh, performing as part of Thing, a two-day arts festival Aug. 24-25 produced by the Seattle Theatre Group at the state park. Clallam Two-day tickets were still available at www.thingnw.org on Friday, but single-day County Fair passes were sold out.
A 45-minute version of “Too Beautiful to Live” August 15– 18, 2019 is scheduled to be recorded live at 4:45 p.m. Aug. “Red, White & MOO! 24. It’s our 100th Too!” Burbank has been a radio host for National Public Radio, KIRO and others, and he served for three years as a co-host with Dave Ross in Seattle.
But his vision extended to a conversational piece Click here for Fair Info! he and Walsh lovingly call “TBTL,” (“Too Beautiful to Live”) a place where pop culture mixes with news and often goes down tangential paths of their own lives.
“It started out as a nighttime radio show in Seattle over 10 years ago, and the producer at the time and I worked on a lot of di erent radio shows,” Burbank said.
He often found it unsatisfying and wanted to take it in another direction, knowing there was a chance it would be canceled immediately.
“I thought, ‘This might be too beautiful for this world,’ ” Burbank said. “We were, in fact, red after about a year and a half.” X We're glad that journalism matters to you! By that time, the show had a small following. When it last hit the radio Get unlimited digital access for just 99¢. airwaves, Burbank knew he wanted to continue it in another format.
Page 23 of 31 Already have an account? Click here to log in. https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/podcast-hosts-to-bring-too-beautiful-to-live-to-thing-festival/ 2/5 “We8/14/2019 had our last show on a FridayPodcast hosts night, to bring ‘Tooand Beautiful I started to Live’ to it Thing from festival my | Peninsula house Daily the News following Monday,” he said.
Burbank, who now lives in Bellingham, once ran the podcast from a room he rented at the Port Townsend Post O ce. He likes to joke he had “10s” of listeners, and most of the fans of the show identify themselves as a “10.”
Now he’s approaching his 3,000th episode — “in a collector’s series,” as he likes to say when he starts the show — and Walsh is the longest running co- host, having joined Burbank in 2012.
Burbank also hosts a Live Wire show based in Portland, Ore., but TBTL is his where he focuses the bulk of his time. He connects from his Bellingham studio with Walsh — “in the Roosevelt neighborhood of Seattle,” Burbank says every day — and they spend a couple of hours with each other Monday through Friday, talking about strange news events and relating it to what’s going on in their lives.
American Public Media manages the podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Google Play music, Stitcher or Radio Public. It also can be found at www.tbtl.net.
It was a great relief for Burbank when he signed on with American Public Media.
“I was in North Beach, living in Port Townsend, and it meant I’d have a regular paycheck and bene ts,” he said. “My wife and I popped a champagne cork, and our dog went and got it and hid under a table and ate it.”
Port Townsend became a major part of the show because Burbank often would narrate his experiences with people and places in town.
Walsh said Burbank would do a bit called “PT Cruisin’ ” that listeners loved.
“He’d go around and talk to some of the people who caught your eye, X someone who looked like a character,” Walsh said. We're glad that journalism matters to you! Get unlimited digital access for just 99¢.
Page 24 of 31 Already have an account? Click here to log in. https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/podcast-hosts-to-bring-too-beautiful-to-live-to-thing-festival/ 3/5 Walsh,8/14/2019 originally from New Hampshire,Podcast hosts to bring is ‘Too a Beautifulradio to producer Live’ to Thing festival in hi | Peninsulas own Daily right. News He’d heard of Burbank and knew he was a public radio personality when he was still back on the East Coast; he relished the opportunity to work with him seven years ago.
“One of the things I’m really proud of is our listener interaction,” Walsh said. “We’ve built this entire community around inside jokes that we have. It’s almost like they have a language of their own. It’s unlike anything I’ve really seen before.”
Walsh said the barriers to broadcasting have been broken down with general access to smartphones and recording devices. But there are tricks of the trade, including the sound quality of voices, potential delay between multiple speakers and how well co-hosts jump in and out of a discussion.
“We maybe don’t give ourselves enough credit, because it’s a listenable, comfortable sound, like you could hear us on the radio,” Walsh said.
In terms of content, Burbank called their real-life experiences a “renewable resource.”
“One thing that happened early on is that we didn’t get a ton of emails,” he said. “Whenever we got a decent email, we would always read it.
“When I was a kid, I would call into this radio station and request a song. Sometimes they would record it and play it on the air. It’s the only one I’d ever been on, and I realized if people have their email read on a show, they’ll have more of a connection to it.”
There’s structure. There’s humor. There’s connection.
“It would still be tough to make it a success on radio, because radio is about broadcasting, where you’re trying to get as many people as possible to listen to your gig,” Burbank said.
“I de nitely think it being available as a podcast has been critical for its X success, and we got very lucky we got into this sort of thingWe're when glad that journalism matters to you! podcasting had just started.” Get unlimited digital access for just 99¢.
______Page 25 of 31 Already have an account? Click here to log in. https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/podcast-hosts-to-bring-too-beautiful-to-live-to-thing-festival/ 4/5 Page 26 of 31 Page 27 of 31
DRAFT Minutes Executive Committee Meeting Fort Worden Public Development Authority (FWPDA) Tuesday, July 16, 2019 | 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Commons Building 210, Room A, Fort Worden
All Executive Committee minutes are draft until approved by the Committee
❖ Motion to approve the June 18, 2019 Executive Committee Minutes. Unanimously Approved
Regular Executive Committee Meeting:
I. Call to Order: 9:00 a.m.
II. Roll Call Committee Members: Norm Tonina, Gee Heckscher, Jane Kilburn, Jeff Jackson (by phone) Immediate Past President: Cindy Finnie Other Board Members: Todd Hutton Staff: Rufina Garay, Diane Moody, Joan Rutkowski, David Opp-Beckman Public: Lane DeCamp, David Goldman, Linda Henriksen
III. Changes to the Agenda Board chair Norm Tonina stated that the committee will go into Executive Session at the end of the public meeting to review lease terms and conditions in accordance with RCW 42.30.110(c): A governing body may hold an executive session during a regular or special meeting “to consider the minimum price at which real estate will be offered for sale or lease when public knowledge regarding such consideration would cause a likelihood of decreased price. However, final action selling or leasing public property shall be taken in a meeting open to the public.” Tonina noted that no action will be taken in Executive Session. The committee also added time for public comment to the beginning of the meeting in addition to the scheduled comment opportunity at the end of the agenda.
IV. Public Comment Port Townsend resident Linda Henriksen expressed concerns about the State Parks proposal for an elevated boat launch at the Fort Worden beach. Henriksen said she believes that despite the State’s public meetings many people don’t know about the proposal, and she decided to raise awareness and capture people’s concerns. Henriksen presented the committee with a petition with approximately 375 signatures asking the State to reconsider the location of the elevated boat launch at Fort Worden or to withhold funding for that aspect of the larger shoreline improvement project. Petitioners are
Page 28 of 31 concerned that the boat launch and the trucks and trailers it would bring would adversely affect the beach environment and the pedestrians, bicyclists, and non-motorized watercraft users who use the area. Henriksen said she hopes the PDA will ask the Commission to find a different location for the elevated boat launch.
Executive Director Dave Robison provided an update on his communications with State Parks about the shoreline improvement project. He said he has requested the final preferred alternative and learned that it is still a work in progress. Robison said the board may want to consider whether or not to take a formal position on the project at a later date. Todd Hutton suggested Ms. Henriksen might want to contact the Friends of Fort Worden.
V. Review of Draft July 24, 2019 Board Meeting Agenda Staff and the Committee reviewed the draft board agenda for the July 24 board meeting.
VI. Review of June Cash Flow Report Chief Financial Officer Diane Moody reviewed the Cash Flow report (see packet on website). She noted that the only adjustment from the previous report was to June figures to reflect stocking up on Discover Passes for July. Committee members and staff briefly talked about how to increase publicity about dinner hours at Reveille, and Tonina recommended that this topic be discussed at the August Executive Committee meeting.
VII. Review and Approval of June 18, 2019 Executive Committee Minutes Action: Motion to approve the June 18, 2019 Executive Committee Minutes. Unanimously Approved
VIII. Staff Update & Board Discussion
● Construction Projects Director of Capital Projects David Opp-Beckman provided a report on campus construction projects. He said the State’s sewer project is both winding down and expanding to address other campus locations. Meanwhile, utility construction for the Glamping sites is underway and on schedule, he reported. The PDA will soon issue a request for bid proposals for the Community Hall (288), which will provide a gathering area as well as restrooms and showers for the four glamping sites that won’t have their own. Opp-Beckman said Makers Square also is proceeding on schedule, and he will soon move into value engineering conversations with Clark Construction to get closer to the original budget. He also is working with partners near the construction area to ensure their operations retain ease of access and visibility.
Opp-Beckman said he is meeting with State Parks staff to talk about upcoming projects the Legislature recently funded. Robison added that one of the most notable projects is the continuation of sewer work to NCO Row. The meeting with Parks staff will help with coordination to minimize impact to PDA operations and partners, but the work will still cause the temporary closure of some accommodations, he said.
● Hospitality Leadership Certificate Chief Strategy Officer Rufina Garay presented information about the developing Hospitality Leadership Institute, a partnership between Peninsula College and the PDA to expand educational support for hospitality workforce needs on the peninsula. The program would
Page 29 of 31 expand the college’s current online program to include in-person classes, she said. Peninsula College’s written proposal regarding a for-credit option and a not-for-credit option is forthcoming, she said. Garay said she recently presented information about the institute to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee and received positive feedback. She continues to meet with other organizations with an interest in the certificate. Board member Cindy Finnie stated that the program will benefit all hospitality and food workers in the area, and it’s important to build the community’s awareness of the program and its benefits for area employers.
Board member Jane Kilburn expressed support for the program as well as concern about whether it amounts to original programming by the PDA, which partners might find threatening. Garay said the PDA is not doing the programming or writing curriculum; it’s among a coalition of employers shaping the program through a relationship with Peninsula College. She noted that the PDA also is meant to be an economic driver for the community, and Fort Worden provides a great learning lab environment for hospitality skills that can be brought into the broader community. Kilburn noted the need to be careful about how the PDA talks about our role in the effort and suggested that the full board explore the topic of programming in either a full board meeting or a board retreat.
● Makers Square Operations Plan Robison reported that staff members are meeting weekly to develop an operations plan for Makers Square and are also communicating with board members Norm Tonina, Jeff Jackson, and Todd Hutton about their progress. He said staff plan to bring at draft framework to the August Executive Committee meeting.
● Old School 4th of July Review Robison referred the board to the report on the Old School 4th of July event (see agenda packet on website). Despite difficulties securing corporate sponsorships, the PDA brought in nearly $18,000 in sponsorships.
Kilburn noted that Port Townsend School of the Arts had a successful fundraising BBQ dinner on July 7 that featured an auction, music, and the creation of art. She thanked PDA staff for quickly establishing a fabulous setting in the Commons dining room when weather changed the original plans for an outdoor event.
● Five Year Strategic Direction Robison shared a draft of a PowerPoint presentation that is designed to provide context for the PDA’s mission and plans for the next five years. He said the presentation will be used for many audiences, such as the PDA’s partners, the City Council, and the general public. He will show the presentation at the July 24 board meeting.
● Leasing Update Garay referred the Executive Committee to a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the PDA and the Port Townsend School District to guide development of a shared space agreement that supports an outdoor learning center for K-12 students at Fort Worden (see board packet on website). She also referred the committee to the draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with KPTZ, which sets forth terms that would govern the construction of and payment for improvements to the basement space that KPTZ seeks to lease in building
Page 30 of 31 305 of Makers Square. Garay said the PDA’s intention is to negotiate a lease with KPTZ within 90 days of signing the MOA.
Garay also presented a PowerPoint about the PDA’s preliminary framework for approaching long-term leasing arrangements (see board packet on website). The presentation identifies the need to gradually move to market-rate lease arrangements to help the PDA remain financially sustainable and address approximately $100 million in unfunded capital needs for the campus. Garay noted that the committee will conclude the meeting in Executive Session to talk about possible pricing for lease options (per RCW 42.30.110c). She said the PDA seeks transparency and an equitable application of lease guidelines across the campus, and this is a main reason why the PDA engaged an appraiser to identify market rates for campus buildings (see appraisal documents on website).
The committee and staff discussed a draft of the process the PDA may use to guide the negotiation of long-term leases. Gary said the document also will help make the process transparent for partners. Kilburn questioned the predicted timeline of up to one year for negotiations and expressed a desire for a shorter duration. Garay said the goal is to move more quickly, but that the process can take longer when partner submission materials are in process and being revised. Kilburn suggested that the PDA only begin new long-term lease negotiations after all submission materials are complete so that it’s clear at the outset what is needed for success. Committee members said they will provide Garay with additional feedback before the July 24 PDA board meeting.
IX. Public Comment David Goldman commented on the relationship between the PDA and its partners and on how that relationship can inform the effort to clarify and rebrand the lifelong learning concept. He said he believes capital constraints are the underlying issue. Goldman said partners have an understanding about the soul-moving reasons participants seek their programs and the transformative experiences their programs provide. He said partners’ insights about participants could help the PDA with its branding effort while the PDA is working to overcome capital constraints to help all parties.
X. Executive Session Tonina announced that the committee will move into Executive Session to review lease terms and conditions in accordance with RCW 42.30.110(c). He noted that no decisions will be made during the session, and he expected the session to conclude by noon.
XI. Adjourned: 11:19 a.m.
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