You have to take your hat off to Bremerton. Stephen King and James A. Mitchener combined couldn’t use all the story material Bremerton has to offer. When it comes to this town you can’t make up this sort of thing.

I write a weekly column for the Patriot. And yes, I don’t like that name, but after a year, it is growing on me. My column is called “more than you want to know” and is primarily about Downtown Bremerton. People keep asking me when I’m going to run out of topics about this discarded little place. I laugh. I laugh. I laugh. Bremerton writes its own material on a daily basis.

Bremerton’s biggest secret is art. We know its there but the significance always takes people back a bit. A couple of months ago I shared with you the results of an ad I placed in local papers, “artist seeking to buy a house, walking distance from ferry, and will pay $50,000.”

Hundreds of artists flocked here in the last year looking for live/studio space. Especially since they’re being pushed out of Pioneer Square. Five hundred dollars seems to be the magical number, give or take a little.

My ad produced interesting results. A lot of calls and I looked at almost two dozen houses. Many old houses sit empty and a lot of investors who purchased ten years ago have grown have grown disgusted with Bremerton’s lack of progress.

So, here I am with opposite attitude, strutting with excitement and confidence like an over-stuffed gerbil. One pinprick and I’d burst like a circus balloon.

I bought two houses. Normally my private life is my private life, but you may enjoy this journey. So jump in the cart and let’s ride. Success or failure it will be fun. Bremerton leads the list in house sales. Buying Bremerton makes sense. But aside from the investment my concern is on artist live/studio project.

One of my purchases was $52,000, 3-bedroom, fireplace, carpet, energy saver, and nothing to do except fix the gutter.

The second was $78,000, more than I wanted to spend, but its one of the only houses almost right downtown, and with a special unique feature. It wouldn’t be anyone else’s special feature. In fact, most people would consider it a definite detriment. Raise your hand if you want a two-story concrete wall almost the full length of your property line five feet from your cute little house.

I do! I do! I do! And, what’s even better is that the mass concrete surface is highly visible to its surrounding area. The downside is that this art opportunity is a less than Saintly part of town. But, only murals can be painted on surfaces where surfaces exist.

The dream is as clear as a billboard on the LA Freeway. Discounted rent for a mural artist to live in the house while being paid to create a beautiful mural - which will in turn improve the neighborhood, and hopefully, be the catalyst for more needed murals.

OK - three problems.
1) Finding a mural artist to execute my ideas.
2) Talking that artist into living in Bremerton in that house.
3) Raising money to pay for him or her.

Next week I meet with my first applicant, an out of state mural artist who has created large stage murals in Hollywood. Sounds like the house would suit his needs. If he’s right for the project, can I sell him Bremerton?.