Emergency management hero passes away
Islander Carter Powell, the “Home Town Hero” for Mercer Island Emergency Management in 2015, died peacefully at his Mercer Island home on Nov. 10 at the age of 94.
“Carter was at city hall every Tuesday to conduct the weekly radio check-in with Washington State Emergency Management,” said Jennifer Franklin, the city’s Emergency Manager. “He was also instrumental in starting the Mercer Radio Operators after the famous windstorm of 1993. Carter’s presence will be greatly missed.”
Powell was born in 1921 in Oakland, Oregon, and graduated from high school in 1939. He attended a commercial radio school where he earned his ham radio license, W7IAG, and commercial radio licenses.
He joined the U.S. Navy as a radio operator, then earned degrees in engineering and education, teaching then working at Boeing after leaving the Navy in 1945. He married his wife, Verna, in 1950.
After the January 1993 windstorm, the city’s Public Safety Director mobilized the Island’s ham radio operators, including Powell, to provide backup communications for the critical first responders. Mercer Island Radio Operators (MIRO) traces its heritage to that power outage.
Powell’s remains have been cremated and will be interred at the Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent. At his request, there will not be any other services.
City adds electric vehicle to fleet
After several years of research and test projects, Mercer Island recently added its first full-featured, commercial-grade electric vehicle (EV) to the fleet to replace a retired vehicle.
Primarily designated for City Building Inspectors, the new Kia Soul EV is suited to numerous short, stop-and-start trips, and has a 90-mile range. Favorable leasing fees make this vehicle cheaper to own than a standard gas vehicle, and it will also help lower vehicle-related emissions from city operations. Low electricity rates make EV fuel costs about three times cheaper than gasoline at today’s prices.
The city installed its public EV charging stations about three-and-a-half years ago at City Hall and the Community and Event Center. The School District also has units. As more EV car models come on the market, the chargers have become more popular.
Terry Pottmeyer recognized for service to city
Nov. 16 marked “caretaker” Councilmember Terry Pottmeyer’s last City Council meeting.
Pottmeyer served on Council for the past six months in the vacant seat left first by Tana Senn, then Joel Wachs.
Pottmeyer was a former School Board member and president, and was named 2011 Mercer Island Citizen of the Year for her work on the ”Mercerversary 50″ Committee in 2010. She was also the former CEO of Eastside nonprofit Friends of Youth, and founded the Band Boosters and the Giving from the Heart breakfast.
Jeff Sanderson will be sworn in at the next Council meeting on Dec. 7.
