That would be Tay Yoshitani, director of the Port of Seattle.
Forget tearing down the viaduct, we can't even get this effing eyesore off the supposedly recreational marina on Elliott Bay. It floats, remember? Couple of tugboats can move it, all 720 feet of the damn thing. It (or she, or whatever you call a container ship named Kauai) has been sitting there since October. A Port spokesman told a reporter in December that it didn't have space anywhere except the cruise ship terminal. But cruise ships don't linger, don't sleep on the couch and don't leave their dirty laundry lying around.
Matson, a worthy American-owned company, seems to have abandoned the vessel. No cargo's being loaded, no one's even aboard. If you're staying at the Marriott, across Alaska Way, your room overlooks the Kauai. If you're having lunch at Anthony's Bell St. Diner and expect a waterfront view of the Olympics across Elliott Bay, you're flat out of luck. You get a closeup view of a beige-brown, 28-year-old container ship instead.
It's inconceivable that Yoshitani and his staff are unaware of the blight on the public waterfront, since the Port's offices are just north of the bow. What's missing is a sense of outrage that nothing's being done. Here's an idea: the Port calls Matson with a straightforward message. "We love ya, dude, but it's time to pick up your ship and get the hell out of town."
Posted by Ronald Holden at January 25, 2009 6:51 PM | TrackBack
The International Kitchen
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