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ThoughtsOnKeepingCalmWhileOpeningtheDock

&RunningforIndianolaPortCommissioner

AnopenletterfromMatthewSmith,write-incandidateforDistrict2

Severalweeksago,afterthesudden&unexpecteddecisiontoclosethedockbythe

IndianolaPortCommissionjustassummerhadfinallyarrived,Ipostedaflyerdowntownreading:KeepCalm&OpentheDock.Itwasatongue-in-cheekpokeatthosewhowere

insistingthatwe,thecommunity,keepcalm&acceptthattheCommissionersdecisionto

closethedockwithafence,whiledifficult,wasprudentandnecessarygivenwhatthe

Commissionersclaimedwasanimminentthreatposedtoitsagingstructureevenbynormal

useeventhoughtheirclaimwasnotbasedonanyfactualevidence.Theflyerwasalsoa

pokeatthosewhosespontaneous,emotionalreactionsledthemtorepeatedlyteardown

thefenceanddisposeofitinavarietyofmoreorlessconfrontationalways.Theflyerhada

moreseriousunder-text,citingtheresponsibleandintelligentwayinwhichSeattlehas

calmlydealtwiththethreatposedbytheagingandfragileViaducthighway,whichthey

havecalmlykeptopentotenthousandcarsandtrucksadaywhileengineeringand

constructingitsreplacement.

Well,havingsaidallthat,attherecentPublicMeetingheldbytheIndianolaPort

CommissionattheClubhouse,Ifounditextremelydifficulttoheedmyownadvice.I

honestlytriedtoKeepCalmasPortCommissionerJudithFrank,withwhomIhavenothada

personalaxeofanykindtogrind,aggressivelyaccostedmeoutsidethemeetinghall,

minutesbeforetheproceedingsgotunderway,levelingonescurrilousaccusationafter

another,someborderingonlibelous,basicallygettinginmyfacetothepointwhereIhadto

finallytellhergetawayfrommeandstopharassingme;ItriedtoKeepCalmwhileIwas

repeatedlyinterruptedduringthepubliccommentperiodasIdrewattentiontoJudiths

dubiousactions,allthewhileneglectingtosaymuchofanythingsubstantiveaboutmyown

candidacytoreplaceherinJanuaryasDistrict2PortCommissioner(IdidmanagetocalmlyandpubliclyaskforanapologywhichIdidntreceive);&IeventriedtoKeepCalmwhen

PortCommissionerJoanWaldranupandgrabbedthemicrophoneoutofmyhandat

preciselythreeminutesintomystatementyellingThatsyourproblem!afterIpointedout

thatIhadnotyethadthechancetoformerlypresentourPetitiontoReopentheDock

whichcontainswellover400signatures.(LetitbeknownthattheIndianolaPort

Commissionreceivedthepetitionsignaturesandmustpreservethem,astheyarenowpart

ofthepublicrecord.LetitalsobeseeniftheyincludethePetitionpresentationintheir

meetingminutes.)

IreallydidtrytoKeepCalm.Butwhathappenednextcausedmetoleavedecorumbehind

asIfailedtoKeepCalmanylonger.IdidnotKeepCalmwhenacertainresidentoftheIndianolaSpitscoldedthevastmajorityofthe150orsocommunitymembersinattendance

fornotshowingupatpastmeetings,asthoughourlackofpresenceinthepastbothered

himsodeeplythathecouldntseeareasontobehappyattheoutpouringofpublic

attentionnow.IdidnotKeepCalmwhenitbecameevidentthattheCommissionerswere

arbitrarilygrantingadditionalpublicspeakingtimetocertainpeople(eventhoughIagreed

withmanyofthem)aftercuttingmeoffsosharplyduringmystatement.AndIsureashell

didnotKeepCalmwhen,afternearly3hoursofinternaldeliberations,engineeringand

insurancepresentations,andimpassionedpublictestimonies,whenthethreePort

CommissionersturnedtheSpecialPublicMeetingintoafarceandashambyunveilinga

pre-drafted,twopage,typewrittenresolutionessentiallydeclaringthat accordingtoCoast

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&HarborEngineering thedockrepresentsanurgentemergency,isinimmanentdangerand

needstobeclosed indefinitely(Imparaphrasingbutnotexaggerating,andIvesenta

formalrequesttothePortCommissionforacopyoftheresolutionasoriginallyproposed.)

Thisdespitethefactthat150people,manyofwhomwerebuildingindustryprofessionals,

engineersandarchitects,watchedhawk-eyedasCHEsuggestedreopeningthedockafter

theadditionofsimplecrossbracingandalimitonlargegatheringstechnically,nolive

loadsover50psf,whichisaboutwhatyouraverageresidentialhouseisengineeredfor.

ButIwasnttheonlyonewhocouldnolongerKeepCalmonehotvoiceafteranotherwasraisedtocalloutthefactthattheCommissionwasbrazenlyignoringtheirownengineers

findingsintheirpre-writtenresolution,aswellasignoringthepleadingsofthemajorityof

theirpresentconstituentsto cometoreason .Eventually,theaudienceappliedenough

pressuretocausetheCommissionerstoremovelanguagedeclaringastructuralemergency,

andtoinsertlanguagefora45dayreviewofsaidpre-scriptedresolution.

Everyoneleftthemeetingdisheartened,frustrated,andquiteupset.Itwassuchabitter

contrasttoacelebratoryIndianolaDaysweekendinwhichthetownhadjustshownthe

bestofitselfwithaverymemorableStuntNight,abrilliantasalwayssandcastlecontest,the

communalsalmonbake,andareportedlybest-everClubhousedance.Sowhatgives?!How

comethedockcrisiscantbetackledwiththesameinspiring,community-wide,creatively

energizedoutpouringofhomespuncan-dospirit?WhydoesPortCommissionerJeff

Henderson,withallhisgenuinelyexpressedbestintentions,continuouslyrespond,Well,I

dontknowifwecandothat!everytimeanofferofvolunteerhelpandresourcecomes

up?Whatsstoppingus?Wehavebuildingcontractorsofferingtheirtoolsandknowhow;

tree-fallersofferinglumberandequipment;engineersandarchitectsofferingpro-bono

professionalservices;andcountlessactivecommunitymemberssomeofwhomhavebeen

hereforgenerationssomeofwhomhavejustrecentlyarrived&someofwhomgoway

backtobeforetheystucktheOlaonIndianallsteppingforwardofferingtheirvaluable

timeandlabor,theirpersonalandprofessionalresources,eventheirhardearnedmoney,to

helpmakeourgloriouspublicdocksafer,strongerandbetterthanitseverbeen!

HowcanwenotseethisasoneofthemostamazingopportunitiesthatIndianolahas

encounteredtodosomethingtrulyremarkableof,byandforitsownextraordinary

community?Dowereallyhavetofearthethreatoflosingthisprecioushistoricpublicasset

totheunendingmarchofProgress&BigGovernmentGrantsthatcallforaBigSolutionlike,

oh,sayanewdock?Andjusttonipinthebudthatnobodystalkingaboutit,Iheardtalk

ofthepossibilityofanewdockasanoutcomefrombothCommissionerJeffHendersonand

myopponentintheDistrict2campaignrace,EricCookson(whosename,asmanypeople

areawarebynow,willappearontheballotwhileminewillnotsinceIamrunningasa

write-incandidate.)Sonowthatsalloutintheopenandwecanmoveon.

WhoamI?Inanutshell,Imanarchitect/carpenterrunningasmall,localresidential

design/buildcompanywhilebuildinghisownfamilyshouseonFernStreet,andwhile

raisingthreewonderfullyenergeticboyswithmylovelywifeJulietaVitullo,whosomeof

youknowasagreatSpanishteacher,aswellasafinetangodancer.Iholdaprofessional

degreeinarchitecture&apartialmastersininfrastructureplanning;Ihaveadozenyearsof

experienceworkingdirectlywitharchitects,engineers,cityplanningdepartments,and

manymoreyearsworkingwithtalentedcontractorsandcarpenters.Iveworkedonprojects

aslargeastheNewLynnwoodHighSchool(forwhichIdetailedthecomplexsteelstructure

whileatBassettiArchitectsinSeattle),andassmallasagrowinghandfulofwell-crafted,

localresidentialdesign/buildprojects.

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ButIthinkwhatmostsuitsmeforthisposition,shouldIhavethehonorofthepeopleof

IndianolawritingmeinonNovembersballottobethenextPortCommissioner,ismy

experienceparticipatingin communitybasedurbanrenewalprojectssuchasinNewark,NJ

whereImfrom,andinNewOrleansafterHurricaneKatrinaleftitswakeofdevastation.

Yes,Imkindofnewintownhavingbeenhereallofthreeyears,butwhatIbringwithmeis

anabidingpassionandrespectforpublicparticipationandthedemocraticprocess.Thecivic

valuesInaivelyembracedwhileearningmyEagleScoutbadgein1991backEastIstillcarrywithmetodayovertwodecadeslaterinmylifehereintheGreatNorthWest.Ibelievewe

canworktogether,andgetalongboth.Butaswehaveallseen,thiscanonlyhappenwhen

wehonortheofficeswehavesetupforourselvesasasocietytoupholdthepublictrust,the

willofthepeople.

Howdowediscernwhatthewillofthepeopleis?Wedoitbyholdingcommunity

meetingsthatareintendedtodrawouttheofferingsandideasofthecommunity.Nobody

knowswhatafutureIndianoladockwilllooklike,certainlynotme,buteverybodyhasan

ideaandanopinionofwhattheywanttoseehappenandnothappen.Soweneedtoholda

seriesofcommunitybrainstorm&designmeetings,allofwhichshouldbemoderatedto

facilitateandencouragemaximumparticipationandinvolvement,wherenoonewillgrab

themicrophoneoutofyourhandafteryourthreeshortminutesareup,perhapsoutoffear

ofwhatyoumightsaynext;andnobodywillorderyoutostandacertainwaytoaddressthe

properauthorityastheCommissionersdid,effectivelyhumiliatingmorethanonerespectful

andthoughtfulspeakerfromthepublic.Wedoitbyopeningourmindstocreativeand

collectiveproblemsolvingregardingchallengeslikefundraisingandtemporaryoccupancy

limitations.Andthiscommunity-basedapproachwillactuallyencourageandfostera

respectfuladherenceto reasonablerulesandlimitationslargelythroughourownself-

regulationwithouttheauthoritarianatmospherethisCommissionhasengendered,whether

ornotitwastheirintention.Isntthiswhatfreedomandlibertyareallabout?

Tobesure,intheabsenceofthoughtfulstewardshipthedockwouldsurelybeascary

structure,asunsafeandunsoundasitwasintheearly70s,beforethecommunityback

thencametogethertorebuildit.Butif regulationisnotforthepurposeoffurtheringour

freedomsandenjoyment,ifitonlyservestoarbitrarilyrestrictus,orworstofallserves

somealter-agendaofaself-servingminorityassomanyIndianolansarenowsuspecting,

thenthoserulesandregulationswillhavebecomeonerousandoppressiveindeed.Thatis

notwhatwewantorwhatweneed.

SoletusseizethemomentchangethistownforthebetterbyelectingnewPort

Commissionerswhowilltrulyrepresenttheconstituentsthatputthemthere!

Isincerelyandhumblyaskforyourvote,andhopeyouwillhelpspreadtheword.

Write-inMatthewSmithforIndianolaPortCommissioner,District2

&calmlykeepthedockinthegoodhandsoftheIndianolacommunity!