A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE
NEWS-TIMES WHIDBEY
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010 • Whidbey News-Times
Grab your party hat, it’s birthday time at the bridge By KATIE MCVICKER
At a glance
Staff reporter
Like New York City’s Statue of Liberty, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge or Seattle’s Space Needle, Deception Pass Bridge has become a famous landmark and destination place that draws thousands of visitors each year. So it only seems natural that as the bridge approaches its 75th year, local officials would want to throw it a fabulous birthday party. Jack Hartt, park manager and a member of the Deception Pass Park Foundation, said the bridge holds huge meaning for the island. “Without the bridge we wouldn’t be who we are,� he said. “It allows commerce to take place, visitors to get here and residents to get on and off the island.� Hartt will serve as emcee for the ceremony which begins at noon Saturday, July 31, in the parking lot at the south end of the bridge. State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, Rep. Barbara Bailey, Island County Commissioner John Dean and Oak Harbor Mayor Jim Slowik will give a few short speeches and share pieces of the bridge’s history.
• What: 75th birthday party for Deception Pass Bridge. • Date: Saturday, July 31. • Where: Ceremonies at the bridge. • Time: Speeches at noon, old car caravan 12:25, Navy flyover around the same time, followed by ribbon cutting to reopen the bridge. • Picnic: 1 to 5 p.m. at Cranberry Lake in Deception Pass State Park, with food booths, entertainment, stories, games and more. • Concert: Shifty Sailors at 7 p.m., East Cranberry Lake Shelter. Around 12:25 p.m., a parade of pre-1935 cars will drive across the pass and Navy planes will fly overhead, closing the bridge to traffic for about three minutes. After the procession, a ribbon cutting, much like the one that took place 75 years ago, will be performed to reopen the highway. After the ceremony, there will be a variety of activities going on at East Cranberry Lake in Deception Pass State Park. A community picnic is scheduled from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. On site there will be food vendors like Shonuff BBQ, Samish Salmon Fry and kettle corn. Activities will include historical photos booths,
games, storytelling and music by Cannery Row. “This is just a way to celebrate what it does for us,� Hartt said. “It connects our communities and keeps us from getting isolated on the island.� Later in the evening at 7 p.m., the Shifty Sailors will be performing at the East Cranberry Lake Shelter as part of the “Summer Art in the Park� free concert series. The Shifty Sailors are a group of 20 Whidbey Island men who have been singing together for 17 years. They have toured in Europe, Hawaii and on the East Coast. Member Vern Olsen said they are happy to
Courtesy of the Island County Historical Society
Crowds gather at the original ribbon-cutting ceremony for the bridge on July 31, 1935. be part of the celebration. “We’re always excited about singing and we love to do things that have real ties to the water and history,� he said. Members of the planning committee advise people to take public transit to the celebration as parking will be limited. There will be no parking available at the bridge. The lots near East Cranberry will be open, but people who want to park
there will need to get their spots early. Between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., a roundtrip shuttle will be taking people from East Cranberry Lake to the ceremony. The shuttle is first-come, first-serve and seating is limited. Additionally, there will be shuttle service from an overflow parking lot south of Soundview Shopper between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
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Deception Pass Bridges BRIDGE EVENT NO PARKING
Deception Pass State Park Cornet Bay Cranberry Lake
MAIN EVENT Limited Parking, Shuttle Available
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$ To Oak Harbor Shuttle service is available from two locations to the celebration events on a first-come, first seated basis. Please leave early and plan accordingly to make the most of the day’s events. Traffic will be heavy, so delays are to be expected.
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THE FOLLOWING GROUPS & INDIVIDUALS OFFERED TREMENDOUS SUPPORT, TIME, MONEY, AND SERVICES TO MAKE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE.
Whidbey Island Amateur Radio club Whidbey Island Camera Club Barb Lyter, Lyter Photography Whidbey Cruzers John Aydelotte, vintage cars Jim Cross, vintage car Don Barnham, vintage car Deception Pass Park Foundation: Liz Merriman, President; Barry Wenaas, Harold Harrington, Steve Young, Maria Litrenta, Board members. Event Sponsored by Deception Pass Park Foundation
Adam Lorio, planning Whidbey News-Times Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce Washington State Patrol Washington Department of Transportation Deception Pass State Park Deception Pass Tours Karl Krieg The Mount Baker Council of the Boy Scouts of America The Soundview Shopper Wizards of Ooze NAS Whidbey
THANKS
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010 • Whidbey News-Times
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‘The bridge’ stirred imaginations from the beginning By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
“The bridge, completed, flaunts itself arrogantly across the sky line, it looks far down into the swirling pools and eddies of the pass’ treacherous waters, it looks out on either side upon a view of surpassing beauty and grandeur.� Thus, the Island County Farm Bureau News, the predecessor of the Whidbey News-Times, announced the completion of the Deception Pass Bridge on July 25, 1935. The flowery language and sheer volumes of newspaper stories about the building of Deception Pass Bridge, during the midst of the Great Depression, underscores how important and impressive the project was for people in the region. At the time, the graceful but imposing steel spans even seemed alarming to some folks. “I remember hearing a number of women say, ‘There’s no way they will get me over that,� said John Tursi, an Anacortes resident who was at the bridge opening ceremony 75 years ago.
Newspaper accounts from the time and original documents, especially the “final record notes� of the project from the state Department of Highways, tell the story of the bridge’s inception and construction. As early as 1908, state lawmakers considered building a bridge at Deception Pass to unite Whidbey Island with Skagit County and the mainland, according to the Farm Bureau News. Several bridgebuilding proposals went through the Legislature over the next couple of decades, including a plan to build a toll bridge. A couple of North Whidbey residents played pivotal roles in finally getting the project off the ground. Lyle Muzzall was president of the Deception Pass Bridge Association, a lobbying group that formed out of Oak Harbor’s American Legion. Pearl Wanamaker, a state representative, worked tirelessly with state and local officials to get the bridge built. A breakthrough came in 1933 when the proposed bridge was listed as a project to be partially funded through the federal Public
Construction crews in the 1930s slowly inched their way across Deception Pass to complete the bridge that opened July 31, 1935. A celebration is planned to mark the bridge’s 75th Anniversary. Works Administration, a New Deal agency. That same year, an allocation for the bridge project was made within the Washington Emergency Relief Administration, which was established to provide public relief during the
Depression. On June 19, 1934, the Puget Construction Company of Seattle was awarded the contract to build the bridge, with a low bid of $304,755. The structural steel for the bridge was trucked in from Wallace
Bridge and Structural Steel fabricators in Seattle. As the final record notes explain, the famous structure is actually two bridges with tiny Pass Island between the two. One is a steel cantilever design that’s 900 feet long,
with a main span of 550 feet, connecting Whidbey Island to Pass Island. The other is a steel arch design, 450 feet long with a main span of 350 feet, connecting Pass Island SEE BRIDGE, A14
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010 • Whidbey News-Times
Construction crews work on the road surface of the Deception Pass Bridge in the months leading up to its opening in the summer of 1935.
BRIDGE CONTINUED FROM A13
to Fidalgo Island. The bridge is 180 feet above the swirling waters of Deception Pass. Construction started on Aug. 6, 1934, as workers began excavating the solid rock for the footing of pier No. 1. Tursi was a 16-year-old member of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was doing work to improve facilities at Deception Pass Park. He was the only member of the CCC to actually
work on the bridge, though it was just for a couple of days of manual labor. He explained that he was “traded” to the construction company in exchange for the use of a cement mixer. “The people working on the bridge got a little angry because I was only getting a dollar a day,” he said. But the CCC boys did work on the approaches to the bridges. Tursi said he also worked on an underpass and a parking lot next to the bridge. An average of 50 men worked daily on the bridge, according to final record notes. Nobody was killed
during construction, but there were injuries. Tursi witnessed a man get his fingers “clipped off” while helping to haul a steel girder. The contract for the bridge was completed July 25, 1935, and the dedication ceremony for the opening of the bridge was held July 31, 1935. “It is your bridge. Use it. Enjoy it. And as you use and enjoy it give a thought to those who labored that it might be yours. Thank them from the bottom of your heart, for its strength, its beauty, its safety and its convenience,” the Farm Bureau News stated on July 25, 1935.
A birds-eye view of the construction of the Deception Pass bridge shows the trestle stretching the length of the water.
Deception Pass bridge connected park to the mainland By JACK HARTT
Park Manager Deception Pass State Park
Busiest park. The jewel of the system. One of the top ten attractions in Washington. Best views. Fastest tidal flow. Best place to take out of town visitors. Created in 1922 from a military reservation, Deception Pass State Park was popular with Whidbey residents right away. After the Civilian Conservation Corps created facilities in the 1930s, and the bridge linked the park to the mainland, its popularity grew exponentially, and continues to grow. With over two million visitors a year, it is the busiest park in the state. Many come to merely see the bridge and look at the majestic views. Summer crowds stretch the patience of many locals as they clog highways and fill the parking lots. These crowds also leave behind mil-
lions of dollars for the local economy, and take away precious memories of island life and stunning natural beauty. Many go beyond the initial attractions and begin to explore the many other beauties hidden within the boundaries of the park. For
those of us privileged to live near this special place, we can get to know the quieter qualities of the park, in all its moods, summer and winter, rain or shine, with warm winds or in the biting cold. Here is an alphabetical guide to some of these lesser known places:
Ben Ure Cabin Ben Ure Island sits in Cornet Bay, with views of the bridge to the west and Mount Baker to the east. The park offers a cabin for rent on the island for just two people. Accessible only by kayak or canoe, the cabin offers modern amenities as a cozy retreat any time of the year.
Bowman Bay Popular for its playground at the waters edge and an intimate campground of only twenty sites, Bowman Bay is
also one of the main kayak centers in the area. Anacortes Kayak Tours offers guided kayak trips out of Bowman to the quiet waters northwest of the pass. The nearby wharf is a great place to get out over the water and watch a winter sunset.
CCC Museum Created in an old Civilian Conservation Corps bath-
house at Bowman Bay, the CCC museum illustrates the story of the men who built many of the parks and roadways of our state. Nearby is the statue of a CCC worker, donated by former CCC workers to commemorate their work. On the Whidbey side, a new sign tells the story of one enrollee, John Tursi, who not only helped build the park but continued to support the park throughout his life. Find the Discovery Trail underpass to see it.
Cornet Bay The gateway for boating access to the waters of the pass and the San Juans, Cornet Bay has six boat launches and moorage for overnight stays as well. It is crowded when the salmon
are running or the shellfish season is open. But it’s also a tranquil maritime scene in the off-season, as local anglers fish from the docks for perch or smelt. The popular Deception Pass Tours start from Cornet Bay to explore the Pass by boat. SEE PARK, A17
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 • Whidbey News-Times
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75 years later:
Whidbey Witnesses recall Deception Pass Bridge opening By NATHAN WHALEN Staff reporter
With the celebration of the Deception Pass Bridge 75th anniversary drawing near, several Whidbey Island residents remember the original dedication that took place in the mid 1930s. They were little kids when they attended the original dedication held July 31, 1935, but the bridge created memories that never faded. Mary Fuller was 5 years old when she attended the bridge dedication along with her parents and several of her siblings. She doesn’t remember all of the day’s events but she still keeps a copy of the program that has tattered and yellowed over the years. Since then, the bridge has been a fixture in her life. She has painted images of the bridge and her son wrote about the history of the bridge for his thesis at Western Washington University. Fellow islander Myrtle Whitehead said she and her three sisters, Francis, Hazel and Alice, were among the first to cross the bridge after the ribbon cutting. “We ran across the bridge and yelled freedom! freedom! freedom!� said Whitehead, who grew up in the Crescent Harbor area and has lived on Whidbey Island her entire life. Coupeville resident Dorothy Keefe was one of the youngest people to attend the ribbon cutting. She was 10 months old when her dad, Tom Clark,
Nathan Whalen/Whidbey News-Times
Despite being only 5 years old at the time, Mary Fuller kept a copy of the original Deception Pass Bridge dedication held July, 31 1935 who was Island County sheriff at the time, carried her across the bridge after it opened. “I just thought it was really neat. I don’t think there were that many babies out there,� Keefe said of the event. As for photos of the event, neither Fuller, Whitehead nor Keefe had any. “We didn’t take picture back then like we do now,� Whitehead said. According to a news printed in the Island County Farm Bureau News, the predecessor to the Whidbey News-Times, estimates show about 12,000 ventured to Deception Pass that day either to picnic or enjoy the dedication ceremonies. State Representative Pearl Wanamaker, who was influential in getting the bridge built, used silver shears to cut the ribbon. Then a
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procession that included state and Whidbey Island elected officials along with the drum and bugle corps of the George Morris Post of the American Legion marched over the bridge and then returned. Officials at the time said the new span with mean a new era for Whidbey Island, according to the news article. Once the dedication was complete, approximately 5,000 people enjoyed a picnic at Cranberry Lake. The articles states that Whidbey resident Frank Siegfried spent several hours that day counting cars crossing the bridge. In the first couple of hours, he counted 714. A Deception Pass Bridge dedication marking its 75th anniversary takes place Saturday, July 31, at noon at the parking lot located south of the bridge.
Nathan Whalen/Whidbey News-Times
Oak Harbor resident Mary Fuller shows the program of the original Deception Pass Bridge dedication 75 years ago. She was 5 years old when the bridge opened.
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Historic photos, nostalgic news articles and items of interest about the origins of the Deception Pass Bridge
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010 • Whidbey News-Times
Bridges of the past set to span the future By JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter
When it comes to the bridge spans over Deception and Canoe passes, the old adage of “They don’t build them like they used to� may ring particularly true. This year marks the bridges’ 75th anniversary. No one knows just how many vehicles have crossed the spans over the past three quarters of a century, but the current daily average is estimated at 15,000 vehicles each day. That’s chalks up to a whopping 54.75 million vehicles over the past 10 years alone. But, while there is some speculation that the spans may be nearing the end of their expected lifespan, state and local officials alike agree that both remain in markedly good condition. In fact, they are in such good shape there is no plan in place that examines how or when they will be replaced.
Not on the radar
Whidbey News-Times file photo
State Department of Transportation bridge inspectors examine the span over Deception Pass in 2009. The span over Canoe Pass was examined the same year. Per the Federal Highway Administration’s standards, both are inspected on a biennial basis.
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The Deception Pass bridges, which were completed in 1935, are not the oldest bridges in the state. Not by a long shot, according to Archie Allen, bridge superintendent for the state Department of Transportation’s Northwest Region. Of the 3,600 state-owned bridges in Washington, at least 43 were built prior to 1935. The oldest, which is actually
Happy 75th Birthday Deception Pass 1450 S.W. Erie St 0BL )BSCPS t
scheduled to be replaced in 2012, is the singlelane Pilchuck Creek bridge in Snohomish County. It was constructed in 1916. “People don’t realize we still have a lot of timber structures,� Allen said. The Deception Pass spans are also in excellent shape. Their condition is not something that’s taken for granted, he said. Per the Federal Highway Administration’s standards, each span gets a thorough and rigorous inspection every two years. They may be 75 years old, but they are a long way from needing replacement. “They aren’t even on the radar,� Allen said. The spans were last inspected in March and April of 2009. According to the reports, common findings included surface and pack rust, hairline leaching cracks and spalling in deck soffits (the underside supports of an architectural structure), trusses and support columns, and bent or damaged pedestrian hand railings. But the inspections don’t just examine structural deficiencies; they are designed to gauge if a bridge is meeting the current public need as well. For example, if traffic patterns are overwhelming its capacity, a bridge may be considered for replacement. According to Allen, bridges are assigned a rating after each inspection that ranges between 0 and 100. Anything lower than 50 and officials begin keeping a closer eye on the structure. While both bridges received ratings of 48 in 2009, there are no hard rules when it comes to replacement, he said. The combination of their excellent condition and a lack of funding makes them a low priority. “I think those bridges will be there for a while,� Allen said.
A vital link Confidence in the bridge spans is not universally shared, however. In recent years, they have been a source of controversy with many people, from candidates vying for political office to people lobbying for a new bridge. Much of the ammo used by bridge critics has stemmed from a 2001 Department of Transportation Study that examined cost and travel time savings if new bridges and or ferry routes from Whidbey Island were created. SEE FUTURE, A17
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010 • Whidbey News-Times
PARK
into the wetlands and marshes of Cranberry Lake.
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East Cranberry Lake
Cornet Bay Retreat Center Cabins, kitchens, large dining lodge and recreation hall, and a playfield in the middle of it all with views of Cornet Bay and Mount Baker – what could be better, unless it was also private and reasonably priced. This is the Cornet Bay Retreat Center, underutilized much of the year, offering room for up to 180 in the midst of beauty and fun activities.
Dunes Trail Just south of the hubbub of West Beach is a quiet paved interpretive walkway leading into the unique sand dune environment. Artistic signs tell the natural history of the dunes. Near the end is an overlook offering an unusual vantage point
CONTINUED FROM A16 The study indicated that peak traffic volumes may overload the spans capacity in 20 years, or by 2020. Delays could become a significant headache as the bridges serve as an important transportation link for Whidbey Island. In an e-mailed statement, Whidbey Island’s Naval Air Station’s commander, Capt. Gerral David, said that an average of 15,000 trucks use the Deception and Canoe Pass spans to supply the base each year. Many base personnel also used the bridges on a daily basis. “The Deception Pass Bridge is a vital component of the transportation system that connects NAS Whidbey Island to the services and products needed to support the operations of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island,” David wrote. But, according to Island County Public Works Engineer Randy Brackett, traffic counts have actually been on the decline since the 2001 study. That, along with a slowdown in development, could make many of the 10-year-old study’s con-
trails meander the ancient woods of Hoypus Hill, bringing hikers to a sense of awe as they experience the overwhelming size of the giants and the depth of wilderness silence here.
Near the main park entrance, this area used to be the busiest place in the park, until the West Beach road and parking lot was built. Now it lies quiet, off the busy path, but with a quiet beauty of its own. Fishermen and model sailboat racers enjoy the dock; picnickers enjoy the shady grass-covered slopes overlooking the lake.
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take the route that leads down into Naked Man Valley, where all sounds of civilization just disappear.
Ever changing driftwood lie like natural sculptures along the beaches of Deception Pass.
The highest point on Whidbey Island is right next to the bridge, atop Goose Rock. Access the trails from the parking lot at the bridge or at the park office. Trails surround the perimeter of the hill, offering views first of the bridge, then Ben Ure Island, then Cornet Bay. Climb to the top of Goose Rock for expansive views out over all that you survey, from the Cascades to the San Juans and Olympics. Please stay on the marked trail at the top to protect the abundant wildflowers and grasses that thrive in the open meadows during the spring.
Skagit and Hope Islands Ever wanted to camp on your own island? A handful of campsites are available at Skagit and Hope Islands east of the Pass for those who can get to them. Both are natural wonders with sandy beaches, rocky headlands, juniper forests and grassy meadows, and memorable opportunities to get away from it all for awhile. Several other islands in the park are off-limits for camping to preserve their natural qualities.
A place for everyone
Goose Rock
Hoypus Point and Hoypus Hill
FUTURE
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Lighthouse Point One of the most scenic and least used trails in the park, the hike to Lighthouse Point is only about a half mile long from Bowman Bay. It offers ever-improving views as you head toward the point, first of the bridge, then North Beach across the Pass, then of hidden coves and rocky headlands. A glorious place to watch sunsets at any time of the year.
East of Cornet Bay is a one mile paved car-free roadway down to Hoypus Point. Walkers and strollers enjoy the peek-a-boo views out over the Pass and out to the bridge, with views at the end over Skagit Island and Mount Erie and Mount Baker. Bald eagles live in the woods nearby. Hushed and muted by old growth forests and ferns, numerous
Pass Lake
clusions unreliable at best. The information in the study may be even older. The data was included in the transportation element of the county’s 1998 comprehensive plan update. It claimed that traffic on Highway 20 between Troxell Road and Deception Pass would increase from 17,100 trips per day to 28,020 in 2020. “As a professional, I would say the validity of this study is now called into question,” Brackett said. State Department of Transportation Planning Manager Todd Carlson confirmed that traffic counts hovered around 15,000 vehicles per day in 2000 and remained the same in 2009, although that count fluctuated above and below during the intervening years. “The issue of capacity is a huge red herring,” Carlson said. Furthermore, a 2007 update to the 2001 study revealed that most of its conclusions were still true. The bridge alternatives examined all had serious flaws, from environmental impacts and permitting difficulties to funding issues. It also concluded that the spans over Deception and Canoe passes could be preserved indefinitely, albeit at an ever-increasing cost.
“At some point in time replacement of these bridges, in their existing configuration, may be necessary in order to cost effectively maintain this vital transportation link,” the update said. “An in-depth analysis of when this would occur has not been done.”
Popular with fly-fisherfolks in the spring, Pass Lake is for human powered boats only, creating a quiet and serene oasis next to the busy highway. A trail follows the north shore, then wanders up a ridgeline and around by a different route for a loop trail hike. Or to really get away,
Next to impossible According to Glen Scroggins, a bridge preservation supervisor with the state Department of Transportation, it’s difficult to say just how much longer the spans will last. Variables ranging from environmental conditions, such as salty-sea air, or earthquakes can severely effect a bridge’s expected lifespan. However, in a 2008 Whidbey News-Times story, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, was quoted saying that state experts had informed her the bridges’ expected lifespan was about 80 years. Groggins said the Deception and Canoe Pass spans were built to last between 50 and 150 years. He said that’s a rough estimate and more weight is assigned to inspection report ratings than early lifespan
Rosario Far from the crowds of West Beach or the bridge, Rosario seems like a world apart. The parking area is limited in size, but often full of wedding guests or beach walkers on sunny summer days. Rosario is magnificent at any time of the year. Rocky tidepools are home to a variety of intertidal critters. A designated trail in and around the tidepools keeps the multitude of visiting feet from trampling the residents. Kokwalalwoot, a Samish maiden and story pole, watches over the tidepools from the nearby tombolo. Rising above, jutting into Rosario Strait, is Rosario Head, an unforgettable expanse for those who take the time to hike the five minute trail to the top.
predictions. “Even if the design life was 50 to 75 years, we don’t look at it and say, ‘OK, we’re done,’” Scroggins said. There are currently 35 bridges in the state that are in need of replacement or major rehabilitation. The price tag is estimated at $547 million. According to Scroggins, if the state were to replace the Deception Pass bridges exactly as they are, the construction costs alone would be at least $50 million. That calculation is based on a $1,000 per square-foot estimate. Haugen has said for years that a plan should be in place to rehabilitate or replace the existing bridges. The reason one doesn’t exist is because of a lack of funds and that the community hasn’t made it a priorty. Groups such as the Navy and the Skagit and Island County Regional Transportation Planning Organization have not voiced enough concern to merit the expense, she said. “You have to get your act together,” Haugen said. There was not a plan in place to replace the Steel-Electric ferries that served the Port Townsend-Keystone ferry route either. The boats were yanked from service suddenly
Somewhere to lose yourself and then to find yourself. Deception Pass State Park belongs to all of us. We all share in its upkeep, and we all benefit from the joys of beauty and natural wonder it provides. The bridge opens doors to connect us with the rich legacy and the abundant opportunities of this park. For more information about the park and how you can help, visit the Deception Pass Park Foundation website at www.deceptionpassfoundation.org To stay in touch with park happenings join the monthly e-newsletter by sending an email to decep tion.pass@parks.wa.gov .
in 2007 by Paula Hammond, the then newly appointed Washington State Ferries secretary. The first permanent replacement boat is set to arrive next month, nearly three years later. Haugen, who was not part of the decision to retire the ferries, said a few weeks before that she felt they were so unsafe that she wouldn’t allow her grandchildren to ride them during bad weather. Considering the state’s current financial troubles, and the good condition of both bridges, just getting funding together to pay for a plan would be difficult “if not impossible” politically, Haugen said. Transportation funding in Western Washington is extremely competitive. Until the state’s financial situation improves, getting a plan in place may require a catastrophe, such as the Steel-Electric ferries, to occur. “There is nothing like an emergency to get things done,” Haugen said. Barring such an emergency, the bridges at Deception Pass will be Whidbey Island’s main access to the mainland for years to come. Planning for their 100th birthday will start in about 24 years.
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010 • Whidbey News-Times
Deception Pass online photo contest connects web community
In honor of the Deception Pass Bridge’s 75th anniversary celebration July 31, the Whidbey News-Times held a special online contest to choose the photo for the cover of this special section. The full color cover photo winner by juried selection was the entry “Boating Through the Pass” submitted by Kelly L. Kellogg of Pacific Photo Art. Sue Symons, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Art School, co-chaired the jury that selected the photo from among the top 25 voted out of 254 online entries. “The photo was well composed, depicted the bridge at the height of the summer season, and demonstrated the photographer’s sense of color, scale and design,” said Symons. Kellogg moved to Whidbey Island in 1982 and has been here off and on ever since. “As a self-taught photographer, my interests have grown over time to more abstract Kelly L. Kellogg’s winning and experimental work but I still cover photograph, titled enjoy shooting the local scenics as “Boating through the well,” said Kellogg. “I find my inspi- Pass,” depicts a colorful ration from the diverse landscape seasonal shot of the of the Pacific Northwest and also Deception Pass Bridge. by all the incredible local artists we have here on Whidbey Island. I am a member of two cooperative galleries on Whidbey, the Garry Oak Gallery in Oak Harbor and Penn Cove Gallery in Coupeville. Each gallery is full of inspirational artwork created by Whidbey Island artists that I am truly thankful to be associated with.” His winning image was made several years ago with some “nice early morning light and dose of ‘photographers patience’ while waitTodd W. Martin, Sr.’s ing for a sailboat to come along and complete the composition.” winning photograph, The “People’s Choice” photo which received the most online titled “Lifted above the votes from our whidbeynewstimes.com web community was “Lifted Currents,” depicts a Above the Currents,” taken by Todd W. Martin, Sr. His photograph, popular scene of the at left, shows Deception Pass Bridge as it peeks through the early ethereal fog which can morning North Whidbey fog. Martin photographs many local quickly surround the events and scenes and has an online gallery of his work at www. Deception Pass bridge. photosbytodd.net.
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