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Viewpoints

A Bridge to Possibilities
By Patrick Branco

 

February 13, 2006
Monday


A lot of talk is being bantered today about the "bridge to nowhere" in Ketchikan, Alaska. To fully understand this issue, it is critical to have a point of reference. In 1928, the people of a busy little city began to complain about their feelings of being isolated. The only access to the town was by boat, or plane, or a very long drive. After much debate, a plan was derived and the "bridge that couldn't be built" was begun. It would link this city with a deserted peninsula of land via an incredibly expensive bridge. There were only a couple of fishermen shacks on the peninsula but nevertheless the bridge was built. The promise was to improve access to the city and provide a better means of transportation at a significant savings to the individual travelers.

On May 28th, 1937 the first car crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. It left San Francisco and headed into Marin County. Marin County was truly nowhere. There were no quaint little restaurants, or shops, or even people. Sausalito was simply a ferry landing with some bars for the riff-raff of the area. The Golden Gate Bridge changed commerce for the city of San Francisco in profound and positive ways because a few visionaries could see that a "bridge to nowhere" has great possibilities. Have some vision and let yourself dream.

Patrick Branco
Ketchikan, AK - USA

About: Patrick Branco arrived in Kodiak in 1974, spent a career in the Coast Guard and the Navy and returned to Ketchikan in 2002.



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