||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||
Community engagement
Public engagement is crucial to the decision making we do at Washington State Ferries. Each year we host two rounds of systemwide community meetings to hear from those we serve.
In 2020 we changed our in-person meetings to virtual and have continued to do so out of convenience and accessibility for all of our attendees. Thank you to all who participated in our outreach last year and we hope to see you in 2023.
Members of our Executive Team and I answer questions from participants during a virtual public meeting this summer.
On Veterans Day we flew flags from all military branches on our vessels throughout the fleet. Kitsap (pictured) flew the U.S. Army flag, alongside the POW/MIA flag, which flew on all operating vessels.
In recognition of the Mariners ending their over 20-year postseason drought we held a media event on board the Tacoma, temporarily renaming the vessel the “Good Vibes Only” and naming announcer Aaron Goldsmith “Honorary Captain.” The Mariner Moose also made an appearance and took photos with our crew, including Capt. Harlow Wood (pictured).
I was glad to see more in-person events take place in 2022 as COVID-19 cases decreased, the mask mandates were removed and our ridership increased. Working with community organizations like local professional sports teams, the Youth Maritime Collaborative and visiting transportation professionals, we held tours, flew flags and had some fun for our riders.
All ferries serving Colman Dock flew Seattle Kraken flags on Wednesday, March 2, in honor of the first ever Kraken Day.
A sailing aboard Salish Saturday was extra special for bride Victoria and groom Chuck Shafer aboard the upper deck of Salish.
Joshua Treadway proposes to his girlfriend Sarah on the sun deck of Salish.
This summer the Wenatchee hosted the wedding of Lara and Matt Wilder. Congratulations to the newlyweds on your “Ferry Tale” wedding!
Simrun Chhabra proposes to partner Savanna Steele in the Puyallup passenger cabin. Photo courtesy Hannah Sabio-Howell.
A @wsdot Instagram follower has some ferry good gingerbread decorating skills! Check out this photo of their holiday interpretation of a San Juan Islands vessel!
Mukilteo Terminal Ticket Seller Briana Penafiel clears snow during a storm in December.
Service awards
Many of our employees celebrated incredible milestones in their careers here at WSF. Congratulations to our hard-working staff, especially those who celebrated anniversaries of 20 years and above! What amazing dedication to public service.
The Mukilteo recognition event included two 30-year employees, Ticket Seller Maria Mezich (fourth from left) and Relief Terminal Supervisor Irene Dodge (right).
Congratulations to Staff Chief Engineer Mike Bryne with a very rare 50-year service award at our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility!
With Senior Budget & Program Development Manager John Bernhard after presenting him with a ship’s wheel as recognition for 45 years of service.
We presented a 40-year service award to Relief Terminal Supervisor Phil Olwell. Phil has worked at our terminals since he started with us and has been a supervisor since 1998.
Ticket Seller Mary Hobson was presented with a ship’s bell and certificate for her 40 years of service.
Captain Hazard Book receives a service award for 40 years!
2022 Life Ring Awards
Tacoma crewmembers in a rescue boat that was immediately deployed after we received a report of a person in the water.
Safety is our number one priority while traveling across the Salish Sea. In 2022 our crews performed a number of lifesaving efforts including recusing people out of the water, performing CPR and prioritizing emergency services to help get people to medical care.
Each year we award the WSF Life Ring Award to either individuals or an entire ship’s crew who was clearly the difference in saving a person’s life.
Rescue crews save a person in the water off Seattle’s Colman Dock.
A rescue boat is launched off of Tillikum this summer as the crew works to save people onboard a sinking boat. Thanks to Mark Mason for the photo!
There were 10 Life Ring Award events this year and 67 total lifesaving efforts in 2022. I am so impressed with our crews who go above and beyond to keep our passengers and neighbors on the sound safe. Great job to all involved!
Quartermaster Dave Farmer used a Kitsap rescue boat to take a USDA Wildlife Services agent to free a seagull caught in a wire atop a dolphin at Slip 1 at Clinton terminal.
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Dear WSF: I am putting you on notice, ha ha. Traveling to Anacortes yesterday the 855 from Orcas was over an hour late leaving. I felt sorry for all the people who were trying to get to timely medical appointments and were late and /or missed them. The situation is beyond believable at this point. It is time we all stopped being so passive about this. I would like to call for a day of protest of some kind towards WSF. Their consistently lame excuses for the lateness of almost all ferries cannot be sustained any longer. We need to unite and risk jail time to make our point. Does anybody else care enough to want to make a splash of publicity around this issue??? Or am I alone in this. In either case, the status quo is not anywhere near okay any longer. Until we make it clear that we are “mad as hell and not going to take it anymore” we have no power. Talking about it is not getting any change. Larson are you listening??? Inslee are you listening?? Do we have to go camp out in front of your office in order to get some results??? I am ready to do something more.