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Montage of Wing Point in Bainbridge Island and the Edmonds Ferry.

Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

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Inslee Enthusiastic About Future Pritchard Park Enhancement to Japanese American Internment Memorial

May 9, 2003

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell today commended recent steps taken by the Trust for Public Land and the City of Bainbridge Island towards protecting historic property on Bainbridge Island for a future park. The property is adjacent to the planned Japanese-American internment memorial, where hundreds of Japanese-American citizens were rounded up at the former Eagledale ferry dock and sent to internment camps during World War II. Inslee, Murray, and Cantwell recently passed legislation to determine if the site qualifies for National memorial status.

Said Inslee, "By remembering our history we honor those who sacrificed for our country in past wars, and learn not to repeat the same egregious mistakes in present times. I look forward to working in Congress along with Senators Murray and Cantwell to help bring the Memorial Study and Pritchard Park to fruition, and I certainly look forward to the day when our community has access to a future Pritchard Park and the Japanese-American internment memorial.”

“Our national parks and monuments protect areas of unique value in America. I'm proud of the steps that the Bainbridge community, TPL, and our state delegation are taking to help Washingtonians recognize and protect a part of our history that we must not forget,” Sen. Murray said. “We can't undo the injustice suffered by Japanese-Americans during World War II, but we can give them the recognition they deserve and an eternal reminder to all that this should never happen again.”

Said Cantwell, “This agreement is great news. This is a terrific opportunity to recognize the distinguished career of Joel Pritchard, to provide a lasting memorial to the Japanese-American community and create a public park for the citizens of the Bainbridge Island and the Puget Sound region. I will work closely with Senator Murray and Congressman Inslee, the City of Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County and the State of Washington to make the park and memorial a reality.”

In a plan recently approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Trust for Public Land will be able to start working with the City and local groups to raise funds from private, state and federal sources to eventually purchase the fifty-acre Wyckoff Superfund site for $8 million. Once purchased, the property would be transferred into public hands under ownership and management of the City. The property not required for the Japanese-American internment memorial would become a new city park named in honor of the late Joel Pritchard, who represented Bainbridge Island in the U.S. House of Representatives for 12 years before becoming Lieutenant Governor of Washington State. Pritchard championed several key environmental causes, including the federal Superfund program, which made possible the ongoing clean-up and restoration of this property.