Pacific Islands President, Bainbridge Lawmakers Find Common Ground

Carolyn J. Yaschur | Kitsap Sun Kessai Note, the president of the Marshall Islands and First Lady Mary Note, share a laugh with Congressman Jay Inslee as they presented Inslee with a model of an outrigger canoe, which is used as transportation between the islands. Inslee joked that when he visits the Marshall Islands, he'll present the President and First Lady with a Washington State Ferry.

Carolyn J. Yaschur | Kitsap Sun From right, Clarence Moriwaki, representative of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial Committee, shows the plans for the memorial at Pritchard Park on Bainbridge Island to Kessai Note, the president of the Marshall Islands, and Banny de Brum, an ambassador from the Marshall Islands, while a member of the delegation looks on. The President and First Lady were on Bainbridge Island to learn about the Japanese American Memorial, which is being built at Pritchard Park, Wednesday.

Carolyn J. Yaschur | Kitsap Sun Mary Note, the First Lady of the Marshall Islands shows a model of an outrigger canoe, which is used as transportation between the islands to Fumiko Hayashida of Seattle. The President and First Lady were on Bainbridge Island to learn about the Japanese American Memorial, which is being built at Pritchard Park, Wednesday.

Bainbridge Island So here's how it goes: City Councilman Jim Llewellyn is dressed in his jeans and a holey work shirt and he stops by City Hall to get his mail Wednesday afternoon.</p> <p>Outside is this swarm of Secret Service guys and a caravan of dark SUVs with their engines revving. Inside are the president of the Marshall Islands and his official delegation.</p> <p>"I was just coming in to get my mail," Llewellyn said. "I forgot about this." </p> <p>The surprise visit was announced only Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee's office. </p> <p>Moments before Llewellyn arrived, the Bainbridge Island Democrat had ushered His Excellency Kessai Note inside City Hall for a five-star welcome.</p> <p>The national leader, first lady Mary, the Marshallese ambassador and other dignitaries visited Bainbridge briefly to take a look at the Japanese internment memorial at Pritchard Park now under construction. Some 10 percent of the Western Pacific nation's population of 60,000 is of Japanese ancestry, according to Marshallese Ambassador Banny de Brum.</p> <p>The visit was part of a rare whirlwind tour of the Northwest to touch base with an estimated 700 to 1,000 fellow Marshallese living here. The delegation was in Oregon on Tuesday; Seattle was the next stop. </p> <p>Inslee towered over the Micronesian leader, issuing a welcome to a "fellow islander." Helping things along was Clarence Moriwaki, the representative of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American community instrumental in bringing the leader here. Also on hand were several elderly Bainbridge Islanders of Japanese ancestry and state Rep. Beverly Woods, R-Kingston.</p> <p>Both sides came with cool presents. </p> <p>The U.S. representatives got a model of an outrigger canoe, basket and navigational aid made of sticks and shells. </p> <p>His Excellency got a bottle of strawberry wine, a book, some stuff from IslandWood, a T-shirt and flowers from Mayor Darlene Kordonowy, along with an apology because she couldn't be there.</p> <p>When asked by the Kitsap Sun about top problems at home, the president pointed to 30 percent unemployment and his attempts to develop the economy. Tourism is the big hope, with Continental Airlines just adding a flight there, he said.</p> <p>The president said he found Bainbridge "beautiful" and "very nice and clean." </p> <p>Before leaving for the internment memorial, there was time for one more flurry of official photographs. </p> <p>Llewellyn, with the holey shirt, winced as he was motioned to go and stand up in front.<