Bill Murtha on Harper Pier’s Recreational Purpose
Bill spoke up at Kitsap Transit's Harper Community Meeting on October 13, 2021 in opposition to Kitsap's Transit's proposal to moor and maintain ferries at the Harper Pier. That prompted Tom Piscitelli to interview Bill on October 16, 2021. Longer interview coming soon.
“I’m one of the few left that took down the old ferry dock—tore it down with the help of the Port of Bremerton… it was going to be strictly for pleasure—not for any business to come in. Once businesses get a foothold, they seem to keep growing until the people in the community that actively use it for pleasure, which it has served very well over the last 50 years almost, maybe more... If we start the facility, it’s going to keep growing until it’s not going to be a fishing pier anymore; it’s going to be a business pier.
I don’t think that we really need it. You have facilities. I would think that working with Washington State Ferries would be much better for the community than to take away our pleasure spot.”
Bill Murtha, Southworth-Harper area resident since 1945, shares story of how Harper Pier was transformed through community efforts and resources into a recreational-only pier.
