For a project that has been on the rocks more times than the scotch in Dean Martin’s glass, we are a bit guarded when any claim is made that Olympic College’s Poulsbo Branch Campus is a “done deal.” Or even close.
Not that significant progress has not taken place over the past decade or to take away from the thousands of hours spent keeping the project on track, but it seems as though every time OC begins to get a good head of steam going the obstacles magically appear out of the woodwork.
To say the trend has been an unwelcome curse would definitely be an understatement.
Nonetheless, proponents from Olympic College, the City of Poulsbo, Kitsap County, First Western and the state have not been deterred from the final goal of higher education in North Kitsap. The goal is an admirable one but it has proven elusive as well.
Since its inception, OC Poulsbo has had to scratch for every inch forward and dig in deep before making another inch. It has slipped but has not fallen yet, thanks to a safety net of community support. Everyone who has been close to the project or watched its slow progress from afar will surely agree that for the branch campus to get to the bidding stage next month is nothing short of a miracle.
Even so, while Olympic College Vice President Mike Connolly may have presented Poulsbo City Councilman Ed Stern with a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey — a wager between the two on the campus getting to its current stage — he probably won’t do any celebrating until the Olhava-based building is bid, constructed and the first student sets foot on campus.
This is how we feel, too.
It’s easy to get caught up in the inches with such a worthy project but we all must remember that the race for higher education in the north end spans miles. The campus has covered a lot of ground, however, it still has a way to go.
We urge cautious optimism at this point and ask the entire community, not just the city, county, state, college and private parties — but from everyone for continued support.
If OC Poulsbo is to succeed it will need more than early celebrations, it will also need a lasting commitment.
