Another Auction-Block Mistake -- Everett District That Sold Sculpture Also Got Rid Of School's Mixer, Tables

EVERETT - Imagine Bob Barker accidentally selling "The Price Is Right" announcer Johnny Olsen's car to the highest bidder and you'll have an idea how Everett School District officials must feel these days.

They have admitted to a second case of mistaken auctioneering.

This time a commercial mixer and a couple of steel tables belonging to one of the district's elementary schools ended up on the auction block, a mistake that has officials vowing to review their procedures.

Little more than a month ago, they acknowledged the sale of a surrealistic R. Allen Jensen sculpture to Lake Stevens car salesman Nick Agostinelli for $25. It was worth $13,000.

The sculpture didn't even belong to the district, but to the Washington State Arts Commission.

Everett had to buy back "Starship" for $2,500 - the amount Agostinelli said an Eastern Washington restaurant owner was willing to pay. The 48-foot sculpture was to be turned into a salad bar.

Chances are the mixer and tables escaped the district's possession around the same time "Starship" was sold.

The kitchen equipment had been temporarily moved out of Lowell Elementary while the school was being remodeled, and ended up in the wrong place.

"It got put in with items that were going to be surplused and sent to auction," said Byron Viger, financial-services director.

At least the mixer and tables brought a fair price. Viger said the items fetched about $3,000.

That pleased auctioneering service manager Al Eastman, who said the mixer, under normal circumstances, would have drawn at most $2,200, since auctioned items usually are considered unusable by the district. "So certainly we did pretty well on that one," he said.

The district has brought in an underused mixer from another building for Lowell Elementary.

Viger said the whole situation probably could have been averted if remodeling hadn't delayed the equipment's return to Lowell.

So is all finally accounted for?

"Well, I sure hope so," he said.

"Starship" is back in storage.

And Everett officials are retracing the paper trail and mulling changes in procedure, including tagging items to identify their intended purpose.