KITSAPSUN.COM

21,August 2005

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Quade Offers

Poulsbo a

Visionary Mayor

THE VOTERS WON'T BE SEEING ANY new faces in the primary election for Poulsbo mayor @ all three candidates already are elected city officials. But that's where the sameness ends; each candidate is offering voters a distinct choice in style and vision of leadership for Poulsbo.

Vying in the primary election are incumbent Donna Jean Bruce and City Council members Kathryn Quade and Mike Regis. We are endorsing Quade.

Bruce has been mayor since 1999, when she was appointed to replace Mayor "Mitch" Mitchusson, who retired. She previously worked in banking for 15 years and has been a member of the Poulsbo Historical Society.

Regis has a background in municipal employment and land-use planning and currently works as manager of his church's custodial staff. Current or previous community involvements include Poulsbo Lions Club, Miss Poulsbo/Miss Kitsap Pageant, Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce, Viking Fest and others.

Quade is a free-lance commercial artist with

a background in graphics; she also worked as

an aerobics instructor from 1989 to 1997. Volun-

teer activities include the Kitsap County Superior

Court Diversion Board, North Kitsap School Dis-

trict Diversity Workgroup and various civic beau-

tification projects.

Each candidate is well-qualified for the position

and, as Bruce said at an editorial board interview,

"any of the three of us could do a good job."

In terms of leadership style, Bruce says her poli-

cy is "lead, don't meddle, expect the best and find

solutions together."

Regis responds that "leading isn't meddling"

and he feels a new approach is needed to help the

city and staff handle demands and future needs.

Like her opponents, Quade also is concerned

about challenges facing the city. But unlike them,

she seems more willing to explore bold new pos-

sibilities to solve them. She supports pursuing

a magnetic levitation commuter train between

Poulsbo and Winslow; Regis and Bruce feel it

holds possibilities for the future, but have been

more reluctant to explore its potential.

Quade says the large downtown waterfront

parking lot between businesses and the city park

is a "blessing and curse" and perhaps some of it

should be eliminated in favor of better uses @ a

proposal that would spark sharp controversy. She

also is a strong supporter of the Marine Science

Center and feels the city shouldn't consider selling

or making other uses of that property.

Although our editorial board hasn't taken a po-

sition on Quade's proposals, we feel they charac-

terize more of a visionary approach and willing-

ness to explore creative solutions than is found in

Bruce or Regis.

Poulsbo is a unique Kitsap community, with a

distinctive charm that is a big reason for its con-

tinuing growth. At the same time, the qualities that

make Poulsbo so desirable could be lost if the chal-

lenges of growth are not met with inspiration and

energy. These challenges will require dynamic, in-

novative leadership inclined to explore new possi-

bilities. We believe Kathryn Quade is best suited

to bring those qualities to the mayor's office.