Herald reporter Jim Haley and I once traced from news accounts when all this began — March 13, 1983. Certainly, Navy interest in expansion in Puget Sound predates our awareness, but on or about March 13, 1983, Sen. Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson took Everett Mayor Bill Moore aside and broached the subject of a possible naval installation on Port Gardner Bay.
The Navy arrived in 1983 "with a commitment to Puget Sound." Up and down Puget Sound, 13 ports, from Bellingham to Olympia, competed for the preferred site designation. Navy selection teams swept into towns evaluating, analyzing and documenting.
The selection team, led by Capt. Jim Ridge and Capt. Jim Cameron, scheduled its final visit to Everett 20 years ago last month. Local leaders fretted that Seattle’s political clout would outmatch our little timber-town resolve. From a list of 13 potential sites, the choice was whittled down to two, Seattle and Everett. While the untimely passing of Sen. Jackson in September 1983 left us with a great void, his absence was a great inspiration.
If our little timber town couldn’t romance the Navy like our cousins to the south, we could provide a better reception. Tipped off to an aloof Seattle welcome, Everett leaders seized the opportunity to demonstrate our resourcefulness.
The selection team arrived in Everett in March 1984 to find that representatives of any organization they might conceivably need to interview had assembled at the Port of Everett offices prepared to stay all day if need be. It was "interview a la carte," if you will — a buffet of government and community services from the PUD to medical care.
To compete with the big city wine and dine factor, we didn’t invite the team to a business dinner that evening. The city fathers invited the Navy team into their family rooms. The view over Port Gardner Bay that early spring night was spectacular, the spirit warm and the hospitality genuine.
The leadership and commitment of Mayor Bill Moore kept the community on course. Moore was convinced that Everett would be a good place for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Navy would be good for Everett. As we look at Everett and the Navy 10 years later, his prophetic words ring true with foresight and great vision.
On April 17, 1984, Everett was selected from among 13 ports as the ideal location for the new homeport.
The homeport became one of the Navy’s premier facilities, environmentally superior and economically sound. What has remained consistent over the years has been the unwavering support of the Everett-Snohomish County community, beginning with an overwhelming vote of public confidence in November 1984 and culminating with a moving tribute to the returning, war-weary USS Abraham Lincoln in May 2003.
Recently, local historian Larry O’Donnell recounted the history of Everett through the art of Bernie Webber. From the turn of the 20th century to the turn of the 21st century, the region’s history is logged within the frames of Webber murals and paintings.
The designation of the city as the namesake for the USS Henry M. Jackson in 1984 and the emergence of Naval Station Everett provided Webber with a new body of civic work. Many Webber paintings and murals grace the Trident Submarine Base at Bangor and Naval Station Everett in tribute to the memory of Sen. Jackson, the Navy and the community.
This week, our community celebrates the 10th anniversary of the dedication of Naval Station Everett. Webber’s most recent contribution is the design of the NSE 10th anniversary logo, newly minted on commemorative coins to be showcased at the anniversary luncheon today. As it has for decades, Bernie’s brilliant brush brings together the heritage of the community with visions of the future fulfilled through leadership, teamwork and determination.
Scoop Jackson and Bill Moore would be immensely proud of their little timber town.
Pat McClain is the City of Everett’s governmental affairs director, focusing his attention on federal, state and regional issues. He is co-chairing the city’s Navy Support Team and has represented the community in Navy matters for more than 20 years.
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