This ignores the fact the repair work was being done using non pressure-treated wood. It’s my understanding of the building code that any wood surface exposed to weather and the elements is required to be pressure-treated. Is anyone paying attention over at Port Orchard City Hall? Obviously not Mayor Kim Abel or her hand-picked public works director, Mahar Abed.

The facts are pretty straightforward. The city paid the consultant to define the scope of the work. The consultant made two major errors by totally missing the dry rot and the lead paint. This incompetence led to a decision by the city council to repair the marquee, when if it had all the correct facts initially, it may have elected to just tear the marquee down, spending a lot less of the taxpayer’s money in the end than it will have to now — no matter what decision it ultimately makes.

To me at least, this says the consultant was negligent at best and bears responsibility — and probably some serious financial liability. Although Abel has a reputation as a micromanager, why she and the city attorney aren’t leaning hard on the Bellevue consultant and its insurance company is a puzzlement. To me at least, the lack of leadership on the marquee issue is symptomatic of all that is wrong in Port Orchard.

I’ve been asked by numerous readers about our endorsement policy for the upcoming elections.

Obviously we’re not doing endorsements for this month’s primary. We will however, be doing endorsements for the November general election. As we’ve done previously, we’ll put together an ad hoc editorial board made up of myself and six other politically knowledgeable readers — with a relatively even split from both parties.

We will interview candidates, deliberate about the initiatives, and publish our decisions next month, before the mail-in ballots go out.

Speaking of the primary… Here’s how I see the outcome. Let me make it clear this isn’t an endorsement for any candidate, just my unscientific predictions of the results in contested races only.

Commissioner — Republican:
I believe in spite of the backlash against Patty Lent by her own party over her deciding Critical Areas Ordinance vote, she’ll prevail — but it could be a real squeaker.

Commissioner — Democrat:
Josh Brown will probably beat Wally Carlson who got started way too late.

26th District House — Republican:
Could go either way. Ron Boehme has more money, but his ultra right-wing religious beliefs scare people. Trent England is more knowledgeable on issues, and sincere and impressive one-on-one.

26th District Senate — Republican:
A toss up, but I give Jim Hines the edge. Lois McMahan may pull it out but it will be close if she does. If McMahan, a perennial candidate, loses, hopefully she’ll hang it up and not handicap her party in the future.

35th District Senate — Democrat:
Tim Sheldon. The party’s all out war against Sheldon will backfire. Kyle Taylor Lucas is a carpetbagger and party lap dog — and voters in the 35th know it.

Finally, believe me when I say that considering some past things I’ve written, the irony of what I’m about to say isn’t lost on me. But I feel it necessary to comment on three separate mixed-use developments proposed for “Downtown Manchester.” All would have retail at ground level and upscale ($500,000+) condominiums above.

I lived in Manchester for more than 20 years. It offers spectacular views of Mt. Rainier, Puget Sound, the ferries, and the downtown Seattle skyline — not to mention some of the most magnificent sunrises you’ll see anywhere on the planet. It’s so-called “downtown” — encompassing all of about a block — is home to the Port of Manchester’s boat launch and park, an under-stocked grocery store, the post office, the library, a restaurant, tavern, art gallery, mom and pop real estate office, barber shop, beauty shop, a fire sprinkler contractor, a small amount of office space, and a new medical practice that refurbished a building which sat empty and decaying for decades. At one time, I seriously considered buying the art gallery building for our office, which would have blended perfectly into the character of “Downtown Manchester.”

What bothers me about these projects isn’t that someone wants to build them — frankly, the proposed quality will be a significant improvement over what’s there now. What frightens me is the sheer volume of strip retail anticipated for the ground floors of these buildings.

A small amount of retail to replace what’s there now and lost to these developments — leased to local entrepreneurs, not national chains — would be appropriate. A locally-owned coffee shop, another small, independently owned grocery store, and medical and/or professional offices, along with businesses serving boaters using the launch would be a much better “fit” for this quiet, peaceful community.

The last thing I want to see in this sleepy bit of paradise is Starbucks, Subway, a check-cashing place, an auto parts store, and a mini mart complete with gas and a car wash. But based on the recent decision by the county’s hearing examiner to uphold construction of a completely out of scale, out of character “McMansion” built on an illegally permitted, illegally aggregated site that now blocks resident’s views, I’m truly afraid that’s how Manchester will end up. If that’s allowed to happen one of the very last, best places, will be lost foreveer.