Carrier salute set for Pier 1

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, April 23, 2003

EVERETT — It’s official: Pier 1 is where the city will have its homecoming celebration for the USS Abraham Lincoln when it arrives the week of May 4.

The Everett City Council voted Wednesday to sign an agreement with the Port of Everett to use the pier, which is just east of where the Lincoln will dock at Naval Station Everett.

The city is expecting 10,000 people to greet the carrier, city spokeswoman Kate Reardon said.

The Navy has not released a specific arrival date for the carrier, which launched airstrikes in support of the U.S. effort to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

To make sure there’s plenty of parking for spectators, parking will be available at the pier, and the city will run a shuttle from the 10th Street boat launch to the celebration site, Reardon said.

The Everett High School band and the Tulalip Tribes’ Canoe Family will provide entertainment, Reardon said.

The Port of Everett may have to move railcars and cargo off the pier to accommodate the crowds, said Ed Paskovskis, the port’s deputy executive director. It may also have to change cargo delivery dates. But it will be worth it, he said.

"We’re anxious to welcome our Navy and our sailors back to Everett," he said.

To honor the more than 5,000 sailors, the city will produce 20,000 commemorative bottles of water.

"Because we think the city’s water is so good, we thought it would be a really cool commemorative item," Reardon said. "We’ll be able to share a real piece of the city with anyone who comes to the homecoming."

The city will give away some of the bottles to the Navy and ask people at the pier and on the route of a downtown homecoming parade to give a donation for the bottles, to cover production costs, she said.

The bottle’s label will feature the logo for the Lincoln homecoming, which was designed by Lt. Cmdr. James Felty and city employees. It shows a U.S. flag, the carrier’s hull number, a picture of President Lincoln and a photo of the carrier itself, along with, "USS Abraham Lincoln Homecoming, May 2003, Everett, Washington."

The label will also say, "This city of Everett water was specially bottled to celebrate the USS Lincoln homecoming and to honor the dedication of the thousands of sailors who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom."

The city has long bragged about the quality of its water and has been discussing whether to sell bottles of it at the Everett Regional Special Events Center, which is under construction downtown, and at other city-owned facilities.

Water is not the only thing that people will be able to take home as souvenirs of the homecoming. The city will distribute more than 20,000 yellow pompoms, 5,000 of which will be given away at the pier. Thousands of other commemorative pompoms will be distributed beginning Saturday at Everett Mall near the entrance to Mervyn’s department store. The pompoms arrived at the mall Wednesday.

The rest of the pompoms will be handed out during the downtown homecoming parade, which will take place the Saturday after the carrier’s arrival.

Reporter David Olson: 425-339-3452 or dolson@heraldnet.com.