Date:  Thursday, April 22, 2010

Contact: Marta Coursey, Director of Communications, 206-515-3918

PORT TOWNSEND – Gov. Chris Gregoire visited Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend today to congratulate students for naming the state’s newest classification of ferries.

“It’s an honor to visit and congratulate you for selecting a name with such rich history and meaning here in the Pacific Northwest,” Gregoire said. “The new Kwa-di Tabil class ferries will provide reliable service and stability to our state’s ferry riders for decades to come.”

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Ferries Division conducted a contest among fourth-grade students from Chimacum, Port Townsend and Whidbey Island studying Washington state history to name the new 64-car ferry classification. The winning entry was announced in January.

Blue Heron student Rose Dunlap submitted the winning entry, Kwa-di Tabil (pronounced kwah DEE tah-bayle), which translated from the Quileute dialect means “Little Boat.” Each fourth-grade class participating in the contest was asked to choose one name to submit for consideration. Classmates from teacher Scott Lundh’s fourth-grade class chose her entry as their favorite to forward to a panel of state and local officials, who picked the winner.

Many of the students used the contest as an opportunity to study Northwest Native American History, including Rose, who found the Quileute term Kwa-di Tabil while researching online with her mother and father Crissy and Piper.

The students were treated to a classroom visit by Governor Gregoire who presented them with a plaque commemorating their selection. The classroom visit was followed by an assembly featuring a presentation by the governor and a performance by local acrobatics troupe NANDA.

WSF’s vessels are categorized by several classes. The three largest ferries (Puyallup, Tacoma and Wenatchee) comprise the Jumbo Mark II class. The first Kwa-di Tabil class ferry, Chetzemoka, is scheduled to begin service in late summer on the Port Townsend/Keystone route.

Todd Pacific Shipyards was awarded a $114 million contract by WSDOT to build two more 64-car ferries, in addition to the Chetzemoka. Construction will support 360 family-wage jobs for highly skilled workers. The second and third Kwa-di Tabil class ferries are scheduled to begin service in summer 2011 on Port Townsend/Keystone route and spring 2012 on the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route.

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