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Sequim Gazette, April 02, 2014

Page 1

Leaps and bounds

Flamingo flock helps grads A-2

Fair crowns queen

SHS track starts season with sweep

Sequim trio to reign

A-3

B-5

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

SEQUIM GAZETTE www

Sequim’s Hometown Newspaper

com

75 CENTS

Vol. 41, Number 14

A museum meltdown New MAC trustees opt for change Executive director resigns by MATTHEW NASH Sequim Gazette

Mark Cameron, of Sequim, visits the Museum & Arts Center last week. The museum closed on Saturday but reopened on Tuesday and will remain open with the help of volunteers. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

After a string of resignations, the election of a new board of trustees, and a brief closure and reopening of the exhibit center, the Museum & Arts Center in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley is moving ahead with and

without some key pieces. The past two weeks led to a nearcomplete overhaul of the museum’s board of trustees and staff: Executive Director DJ Bassett resigned on March 29. Of the paid staff, only the bookkeeper remains since the end of March. Priscilla Hudson, former trustee

vice-president, handed over keys and gave brief instructions for the new trustees at a special meeting on Saturday, March 29, inside the DeWitt Administration building on Sequim Avenue. Hudson gave her own resignation at the meeting, saying that for nine months she had received negative comments about her and the museum. She referred to the January annual members meeting as a “hostile war zone” and the

See MAC, A-11

City sets timeline for civic center construction

Frank Wajda tries out the cockpit of his bush planein-process. He has been steambending Sitka spruce for years to create the framework. The plane’s wingspan is 36 feet. Photo by Joan Worley

Project planners expect minimal inconveniences through early 2015 by MATTHEW NASH Sequim Gazette

In a few weeks, CPA Steve Kanters will see a new Sequim blue hole from his office’s porch. The bright blue of the former Serenity House Thrift Shop building will be replaced with an open space next to the City of Sequim’s future civic center and police station. “The open space is a positive,” Kanters said. He and his wife already created a garSteve Kanters’ dog, Lemonade, takes a brief moment to rest on den in front of the porch next to the soon-to- their offices, be demolished Serenity House which Kanters Thrift Store building that will said will carry create an open space for locals. Sequim Gazette photo by well into the new space. Matthew Nash As for the center’s impact with noise and traffic flow, Kanters said the way his office faces shouldn’t be a problem. “It’s not any worse than when they did repairs to Sequim Avenue,” he said. Traversing near the civic center might be a minor annoyance for passers-by, but it might be a morning wake-up call for dozens of neighbors with the project slated to go through early 2015. Over several weeks, Lydig Construction, the contracted Bellevue outfit, will begin demolition on two vacant houses that will

See CONSTRUCTION, A-8

Boatbuilder eyes the skies Frank Wajda T makes a bush plane from scratch

by JOAN WORLEY For the Sequim Gazette

he wood frame is Sitka spruce, shipped from Alaska then steam-bent by hand using a home-built steam box. Half-inch aluminum, bent with the aid of only a vice, makes up the engine mounts and the stays for landing gear. Frank Wajda of Sequim has been tenderly hand-crafting the Alaskastyle bush plane for the past 14 years. His eyesight failing and he wants to WAJDA hand the project over to someone who can complete, or at least preserve, his work.

For 40 of his 93 years, Wajda built boats in Wrangell, Alaska, hence his skill at steam-bending wood. This is the first plane he has attempted, but he has aircraft experience of the most intimate sort.

Desert, war and pigeons

The son of Polish immigrants, Wajda enlisted early in World War II from his home in Chicopee Falls, Mass., and spent the years 1941-1945 as a mechanic with the 12th Bombardment Group, 82nd Squadron. As ground personnel, the young enlistee joined

See BOATBUILDER, A-4

Gazette makes changes to website, subscriptions Print and digital subscriptions just $36 per year Along with sister paper Peninsula Daily News and sevWhat can $3 get you these eral other Sound Publishing days? Not much — but it can get weeklies, the Gazette will start you a month’s digital subscrip- charging frequent users of its tion to the Sequim Gazette. website beginning today, April 2. Sequim Gazette staff

now get free web access. Under this new system, nonsubscribers to the Gazette’s Home-delivery print subscribers print edition will have to pay will not be charged and will have after viewing five free articles per unrestricted free access to all of month. Sign up directly from the the Gazette’s digital products. website, or call us at 683-3311. In other words, if you’re already a print subscriber, you See SUBSCRIPTIONS, A-8

Sports B-5 • Schools B-8 • Arts & Entertainment B-1 • Opinion A-8 • Obituaries A-11 • Classifieds C-1 • Crossword Section C

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A-2 • April 2, 2104

SEQUIM GAZETTE

THE IMPACT

OF THE

HONEY BEE

SEF’s 2014 Film Festival is right around the corner

Timothy Lawrence, Island County WSU Director of Extension, explains what is happening to bees, beekeeping and agriculture at noon on Thursday, April 10, in the commissioners meeting room of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles. The presentation is part of the “Green Thumbs Garden Tips” brown bag series sponsored by the WSU Clallam County Master Gardeners on the second and fourth Thursday of every month in Port Angeles. Call 417-2279. Submitted photo

Submissions deadline is April 7

The Weather is Always Nice... When You’re With

360-452-9813

Cont Lic#ALLWEHC150KU

SUNRISE/SUNSET

WEATHER Date

High

March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 March 30 March 31 April 1

48 48 48 48 48 57 53

Low 37 37 32 28 39 35 46

816253

“Everybody Calls Us”

Date

Sunrise

April 2 April 3 April 4 April 5 April 6 April 7 April 8

Sunset

6:46 a.m. 6:45 a.m. 6:43 a.m. 6:41 a.m. 6:39 a.m. 6:37 a.m. 6:35 a.m.

7:39 p.m. 7:41 p.m. 7:42 p.m. 7:43 p.m. 7:45 p.m. 7:46 p.m. 7:48 p.m.

More than bragging rights are on the line once again. Students are working on films for this year’s ninth Sequim Education Foundation Student Film Festival, scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, April 18, in the Sequim High School auditorium, where students will compete for more than $7,000 worth of scholarships and awards. The deadline for all student films to be turned in is April 7. In addition to the regular competition, this year students Emily Glenn, middle school representative and board member will be able to submit films on of the Sequim Education Foundation Board, retrieves the “Elkie” behalf of their favorite school award from the middle school awards case. Submitted photo clubs. The film which best depicts how their club embodies school spirit Breath and Beyond” last April. Event organizers invite the community will win a $500 cash award for the club. The Sequim Middle School trophy case has been to come April 18 and help decide the fate of home to the “Elkie” trophy since the audience the “Elkie.” See www.sequimed.org or call Elna Kawal gave their loudest approval for Blake Wiker and his cousin Brendon Hudson’s film “Bad at 683-3027 for more information.

TIDE CHARTS These tides are corrected for Dungeness Bay.

Apr. 2

5:27 a.m. 7.4

12:00 p.m. -0.1

7:11 p.m. 7.2

NA .................

Apr. 3

NA

12:27 a.m. 4.0

6:00 a.m. 7.1

12:43 p.m. -0.1 .

Apr. 4

NA

1:23 a.m. 4.6

6:33 a.m. 6.7

1:29 p.m. 0.0 ...

Apr. 5

NA

2:32 a.m. 4.9

7:10 a.m. 6.3

2:19 p.m. 0.4

Apr. 6

NA

3:57 a.m. 5.1

7:54 a.m. 5.9

3:15 p.m. 0.8

Apr. 7

NA

5:23 a.m 4.9

8:51 a.m. 5.5

4:17 p.m. 1.2

Apr. 8

12:25 a.m 6.8

6:30 a.m. 4.6

10:09 a.m. 5.2

5:21 p.m. 1.5

RAINFALL Rainfall for Week of March 26-31, 2014 No precipitation March 26-27. March 28, 0.03; March 29, 0.19; March 30, 0.09; March 31, 0.01; Total, 0.32. Rainfall recorded at Mariners Outlook and reported at www.wunderground.com.

MOON April 7 April 15 April 22 April 28

First Quarter Full Moon Third Quarter New Moon

ATTENTION

Flamingos may be coming to a neighborhood near you as a benefit for the 2014 Sequim High School graduating class party. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Medicare Beneficiaries • Are you paying more than $190 per month for your Medicare Supplement?

High school grad party fundraiser keeping flamingo tradition in 2014 Sequim Gazette staff

Be on the lookout for a flock of flamingos making the pilgrimage to Sequim for a good cause. Parents of the roughly 240 Sequim High School graduating seniors are beginning to “flock” Sequim-area lawns with flamingo ornaments in a four-week-long fundraiser for a safe-and-sober party after graduation, to run 8 p.m.-4 a.m. Friday-Saturday, June 13-14, at the Sequim Community Church. The group asks a $25 “fee” to remove flocks and a $10 charge to send the flock to someone else. The goal is to raise $6,000-$7,000.

Melanie Bentz, fundraiser chairman, said at least 95 percent of SHS seniors attend the event, which serves as a good free and dry option after graduation. Organizers hope to raise about $30,000 for the all-night party, which includes prizes, games and food. Parents are also selling $5 raffle tickets for a chance to win multiple gift cards worth upward of $500, and they plan a four-man scramble golf tournament at the Cedars at Dungeness on Saturday, May 24. All donations to the Sequim Graduation Party are tax-deductible. For more information, call Bentz at 461-2848.

CORRECTION

• Is your CenturyLink group plan going away?

The Sequim Rainbow Girls Easter bread pick-up date is April 12. The March 26 issue of the Sequim Gazette listed an incorrect date.

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April 2, 2014 • A-3

SEQUIM GAZETTE

Elwha dams are subject of next SEF Science Café

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Sequim Gazette staff

The 2014 Clallam County Fair Royalty includes, from left, princess Hannah Fritz, queen Mia Steben and princess Hannah Gauthun. Sequim Gazette photos by Michael Dashiell

Crowning the fair royalty Steben selected queen, Fritz and Gauthun princesses at Clallam County Fair coronation

The 2013 Clallam County Fair royalty share a laugh as they watch a video recounting their year of service at the Clallam County Fair Royalty Tea and Coronation on Saturday. The royalty includes, from left, princesses Naomi Gish, Grace Koenigsaecker and Lily Paulsen, and queen Torrie McIntyre.

periences in the past three years in Alaska’s Bristol Bay (home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery) that helped her learn life lessons. “It takes struggles to achieve something,” Steben said. “I learned the importance of perseverance.” Fritz said her experience as a lifeguard taught her about leadership. “I’m definitely more confident,” Fritz told the judges. “I learned how to enforce rules. When you’re being a leader, you don’t want to always be a dictator.” Gauthun talked about her experiences playing tennis for the Sequim High School team, and her inspiration that came from learning about Maureen

Grief support series to begin

USPS 685-630 ISSN: 1538-585X

T he Sequim Gazette is published every Wednesday by Sound Publishing Inc. at 147 W. Washington St., S e qui m WA 98382 (360) 683-3311. e-mail: circulation@sequimgazette.com. Subscription prices are $36 per year by carrier in Clallam County; $64 by mail outside Clallam County. Periodical postage paid at Sequim WA. Postmaster: send address changes to The Sequim Gazette, P.O. Box 1750 Sequim, WA 98382.

presented by Sequim Education Foundation When: 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 8 Where: Paradise Cafe, 703 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim Presentation: “Two Dams and the Beach: Dam Removal as Coastal Restoration” with Dr. Ian Miller Admission: Free More info: www.sequimed.org young adult audiences interested in current developments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Science Café events are held on the second Tuesday of the month at the Paradise Cafe. Admission is free and food and beverages are available for purchase. For more information about Sequim Education Foundation, see www.sequimed.org.

Upcoming Science Café events May 13 — Alex Bradbury on “Mollusks and Looking Beneath the Surface of the Salish Sea” June 10 — Dave Brasher on “Explosive Welding”

Connolly Brinker, winner of nine Grand Slam singles titles in the early 1950s. “I became so inspired (and) I fell in love with the game,” Gauthun said, noting her effort to earn a spot at the 2A state tournament last spring. “I know that I want to get back (to state). It will take commitment and determination. If you’re committed and determined … you can do anything.” Event attendees were encouraged to sip tea with the court and some well-known “Disney” princesses and help the royalty court by bidding on silent auction items. The county fair queen earns a $500 scholarship and princesses earn $400 scholarships.

The board of trustees of the North Olympic Library System has appointed Margaret Jakubcin, assistant director of the library, to be the next director, to succeed Paula Barnes, who will retire in July. Jakubcin has been assistant director at the library since September 2007. The Board considered conducting a regional or national recruitment for the JAKUBICIN next director, but after surveying the staff, Friends of the Library and Library Foundation members, they decided to follow the library’s established practice of recruiting internally first. “After reaching out to the staff and the library’s affiliate groups through an online survey, the board confirmed the fact that the library is on the right course,”

board chairman Don Zanon said As assistant director, Jakubcin, 54, has been integrally involved in developing community partnerships and expanding the library’s rich calendar of programs and events. She also has played a leadership role in creating the library’s management team of branch managers and department heads, as well as planning facility upgrades and drafting and updating NOLS policies and procedures. “I’m delighted and honored to be given the opportunity to continue my leadership role with NOLS,” Jakubcin said. Jakubcin will make $85,500 per year when she assumes her new position in July. She and her husband, Michael, live in Port Angeles. Their son, Tor, graduated from Port Angeles High School and Peninsula College, and will receive a BFA from Western Washington University in June.

New location for ballot box The ballot box in Sequim has been moved from the City Hall parking lot on Cedar Street, to the Sequim Village Shopping Center, next to the PUD and city payment boxes. The move was

to register, call the hospice office at 360-452-1511 or group facilitator Debby Smith at 360-797-1074. Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County provides free services to terminally ill patients and their families. For more information about Hospice, visit the website at w w w.vhocc. org/.

be mailed today April 2. They must be placed in the ballot drop box no later than 8 p.m. on April 22. necessary for the construction of a new Voters also may mail ballots by placSequim City Hall. ing proper first class postage on the The ballot box is clearly marked for return envelope and mailing the ballot ballots only. so that it bears a postmark no later Ballots for the April 22 election will than April 22. Walk-in Tubs • Roll-in Showers

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Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County will offer a fi ve-week grief support group series in Sequim beginning April 7 and ending May 5. The group meets from 1-3 p.m. each Monday at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave. The program is free and open to the public. Registration is required as group size is limited. For more information or

Two dams on the Elwha River disrupted the flow of sediment to the Strait of Juan de Fuca for nearly 100 years, contributing to erosion of the Elwha River delta and altering coastal habitat. Dr. Ian Miller describes how researchers are tracking the response of coastal systems (both physical and biological) and describes their most up-to-date findings at the next Science Café, presented by Sequim Education Foundation, slated for April 8. Miller is Washington Sea Grant’s coastal hazards specialist, working at Peninsula College in Port Angeles as well as the Olympic Natural Resources Center in Forks. Miller works with coastal communities on the Olympic Peninsula to increase their ability to plan for and manage coastal hazards, including tsunami, chronic erosion, coastal flooding and hazards associated with climate change. Find him online at the Coast Nerd Gazette. The Science Café is a community service of Sequim Education Foundation. Programs present expert speakers for adult and

Library board names Jakubcin new director

Sequim Gazette staff

Mia Steben, a home-schooled sophomore from Sequim, stood before her fellow royalty court candidates and a room full of wellwishers Saturday afternoon. “I’m a person that likes challenges,” she told them. A few minutes later Steben was crowned Clallam County Fair Royalty queen, and now Steben and her princesses — senior Hannah Fritz and junior Hannah Gauthun — can look forward to a whirlwind of royalty responsibilities. The 2014 fair royalty court are scheduled to ride in nine parades, participate in multiple community service events totaling more than 400 hours each and stand in the spotlight at the Aug. 14-17 Clallam County Fair. Steben won over the judges at the Clallam County Fair Royalty Tea and Coronation with her presentation Saturday at the Clallam County Fairgrounds, detailing her experiences with family members as they work in the commercial fishing industry. She recalled ex-

Science Café

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A-4 • April 2, 2014

SEQUIM GAZETTE

Boatbuilder From page A-1

joined thousands of other soldiers on the overseas trip from the U.S. around the Cape of Good Hope and up to Suez, part of an effort to relieve British forces recently defeated at Tobruk by German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. In the war for North Africa, Wajda spent most nights camped in a two-man tent under the wing of a B-25 medium range bomber. He serviced the planes by day and guarded them from sabotage and air attack by night, moving with the planes through Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. Wajda recalls days when the planes were too hot to work on, followed by dust storms “thick as night and black as hell.” The 82nd weren’t the only fliers out there: One night a carrier pigeon waddled into Wajda’s little tent; Wajda and his buddy turned the banded visitor and its message over to the proper authority. Once Rommel’s campaign was demolished, the squadron was sent on to Italy, India and the Burma theater.

A Buick to Alaska

Dream to lend

Cpl. Wajda took a lot of chaff during the war about his oftexpressed determination to go to Alaska. Once he was rotated back to the U.S. in 1945 and discharged, he made good on that dream, heading out in a 1929 Buick. At Seattle he sold the car to purchase a spot on the boat to Ketchikan, Alaska, then flew by small plane to Wrangell. There he found work in carpentry until he built cabinets for a cabin owned by Olaf Anson. The boatbuilder hired Wajda to build boats. “It took me about seven years to really learn how to build a boat,” he said. But in his career, Wajda built 82 boats of wood, two of steel and one of aluminum. While working for Anson, Wajda met and married his wife Martha, and the two had a daughter. In 1974 the family moved to Sequim. Wajda had built three houses in Alaska and he was to build nine more in Sequim, one with an all-wood spiral staircase. He also built three milking parlors for local dairies. In 1997, Wajda built a last boat and sailed it from Sequim to Alaska and back.

Since that trip, Wajda’s major project has been the creation of a true-flying Alaska bush plane. On the property where he lives near his daughter, Cathy Martineau, Wajda began sketching out the design and building plans, then ordered the wood from Alaska and started work. The plane’s framework is complete, sculpturally beautiful as it sits, but meant to be clad in a skin of 5/32-inch plywood and mounted with two Corvair or Rotamax engines. The plane has a 36-foot wingspan, a 21-foot fuselage and a height of seven feet. The 15-degree sweptback wings have a 14-inch dihedral, curving 14 inches higher at the tip than near the fuselage. With torque tube controls and a tri-cycle landing gear, the plane is ready for completion. “To begin with, I wanted to fly it,” said Wajda. When problems with his eyesight arose, he knew flying the plane was impossible. Now he is ready to crane up the wing section, move the plane out of the barn and see his work taken over by someone who shares his skills and his dreams.

P B

Frank Wajda built the plane’s framework using a home-made steam box and boiler to bend Sitka spruce. Photo by Joan Worley

Buses with Clallam and Jefferson transits will pick up and drop off riders on the northwest corner of the Clallam Transit building along Second Avenue during construction of the new City of Sequim civic center and police station. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Construction From page A-1

become the home to Clallam Transit’s park-and-ride. Lydig will then demolish the old city hall and Serenity House buildings. David Garlington, project manager for the City of Sequim, said construction is set for weekdays from 7 a.m.3:30 p.m. with no night work. They haven’t set a firm demolition date as of Tuesday, April 1, but will post the information on the city’s website at www.sequimwa.gov. During construction, the City of Sequim plans to display a live feed on its website of the project from a camera at the public restrooms on Sequim Avenue.

Local impact Vehicles moving along Sequim Avenue shouldn’t be affected, Garlington said.

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lam Transit building for a ride until the project is complete. Once finished, bus pickups and drop-offs will go to the soon-to-be leveled lot on Spruce Street. Garlington said the city is still in the process of purchasing a second lot next to the house it plans to demolish.

Voices of citizens Parking was one of the big concerns for local businesses but Garlington said parking on the south side of Cedar Street will be unaffected. Those living and parking in the alley will need to park elsewhere, though. Kevin Bell, who owns business and residential buildings south of Cedar Street, thinks the city will do a good job on the project. “It’s going to be a problem for a little bit but they’ll keep

it going smoothly,” he said. Civic Center construction impact timeline Kanters said he’s pleased • April the city will close the alley Demolition of existing buildings: former city hall, former Serenity behind his business during House Thrift Shop and two vacant homes near Spruce Street and construction because people drive through it too quickly. Second Avenue. Lisa Bridge, market manSidewalk closed around the new civic center site with a six-foot ager for the Sequim Farmfence around its entirety. ers Market, formerly the Fencing will also go up around the city’s new site for the park-andSequim Open Aire Market, ride in front of the two properties on Spruce Street. said they’ll be moving to • May-June Centennial Place at the The alley between Cedar and Spruce Street from Sequim Avenue to corner of Washington Street Second Avenue will close for several weeks for utility work. and Sequim Avenue during Portions of the sidewalk on Spruce Street will close as well as the construction. entrances to the alleyway. “The move has its share of For a few days, Cedar Street will become one lane. challenges and we will not know how well it suits us un• June 2014-winter 2015 til we actually set up and run Alleyway is closed to vehicles. a handful of markets there,” Sidewalks around site remain closed but no traffic alterations are she said. expected. Once completed, the market plans to move onto green space to the east of the civic architects kept the market in will likely be to our advancenter and onto Cedar Street mind for the space. tage,” she said. east of Seal Street. “Relocating back to Cedar For updates on the project, Bridge said she was told St. and to the new civic center visit www.sequimwa.gov.

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The initial construction schedule for the City of Sequim Civic Center and Police Station closes sidewalks in April around the project and in front of a soon-to-be demolished lot northwest of the site. Submitted graphic

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For a few days, however, Cedar Street between Sequim Avenue and Second Avenue will become one lane for utility work sometime between May and June. At night the lane will reopen with metal plates over the holes. Other roads remain relatively unaffected except for the alleyway between Spruce Street and Cedar Street. It will close for several weeks to replace a manhole and later to ground utilities, Garlington said. There are three residential lots north of the property with dozens of residents in houses and apartments. Throughout the project, the Sequim Avenue sidewalk on the west will be closed in front of the former Serenity House Thrift Shop and around the site including the north side of Cedar Street. A six-foot fence will surround the entire project’s site. A portion of Spruce Street will also close in front of the city’s new property for the park-and-ride near the northwest corner of Spruce Street and Second Avenue. Pedestrians, particularly residents who access their homes from the alley, will have access but not vehicles. Those looking to catch the bus will need to go to the northwest corner of the Clal-

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FROM THE POLICE BLOTTER March 26 8:28 p.m. — Warrant arrest, 100 block of River Road March 27 12:02 p.m. — Warrant arrest, West Spruce Street/ North Fifth Avenue 1:47 p.m. — Vehicle prowl, 2000 block of West Hendrickson Road 3:50 p.m. — Warrant arrest, North Fourth Avenue/West Cedar Street 6:04 p.m. — Vehicle accident, 600 block of Cays Road March 28 11:16 a.m. — Vehicle prowl, 1000 block of West Brackett Road 11:56 a.m. — Vehicle prowl, 1000 block of West Brackett Road 11:57 a.m. — Vehicle prowl, 1000 block of West Brackett Road 1:54 p.m. — Vehicle accident, 100 block of Letha Lane 4:55 p.m. — Vehicle accident, 600 block of West Washington Street 8:23 p.m. — Theft, 1200 block of West Washington Street March 29 8:26 a.m. — Vehicle accident, 100 block of River Road 9:38 a.m. — Burglary, 700 block of West Sequim Bay Road 1:45 p.m. — Vehicle accident, 1200 block of West Washington Street 8:12 p.m. — Theft, 1200 block of West Washington Street March 30 2:01 p.m. — Burglary, 1000 block of River Road 4:41 p.m. — Theft, 259000 block of US Highway 101 March 31 8:30 a.m. — Vehicle prowl, 300 block of Cameron Road 12:57 p.m. — Vehicle accident, North Sequim Avenue and Washington Street 2:06 p.m. — Burglary, 200 block of West Sequim Bay Road 7:21 p.m. — Drug violation, 200 block of House Road 7:26 p.m. — Assault, 200 block of House Road

APPLES

COMMUNITY NEWS BRIEFS Boosters raise funds for Oso victims

an-

ect,

THE TRAINED EYE

The Sequim Softball Boosters and varsity and junior varsity softball teams will be selling concessions at the Building, Remodeling, and Energy Expo on April 5-6 at Sequim High School. All proceeds go to the victims of the recent landslide in Oso, Wash. Stop by the Expo concessions stand in the gym or mail donations to Sequim Softball Boosters, 8707 Old Olympic Hwy., Sequim WA 98382; make a note on the check that reads “OSO.” Call 460-0380.

Garden club to meet Sequim Prairie Garden Club will meet at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 8, in its clubhouse at Pioneer Memorial Park, 387 E. Washington St. in Sequim. April’s speaker is the Wildwood Nursery owner, Greg Haskins. Dessert will be provided by hostesses Diana Stafford, Joyce Hoover and Susan Shiffman. For information on renting the clubhouse or about the Garden Club, call Diane 808-3434, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.

OMC board meets The OMC Board of Commissioners meet in their regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, in Linkletter Hall at Olympic Medical Center. Meeting topics include contributions to the “Red, Set, Go!” program, a resolution for the Sequim School District Facilities Construction and Replacement Bond, and an interlocal agreement with the City of Port Angeles.

Clallam planning commission meets The Clallam County Planning Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight, April 2, at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles. The meeting agenda includes an overview of implementation of I-502 (Recreational Marijuana Initiative) and discussion of the Clallam County Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan draft. Call 417-2277.

Pioneer dinner tickets go on sale

The Sequim Pioneer Association announces that tickets for the Annual Pioneer Dinner will available for purchase starting April 2. Tickets will be $17 and available through Hazel Ault at BrokersGroup, 681-8878. Proceeds go toward honoring the 2014 Grand and Honorary Pioneers of the Irrigation Festival and the funding of the association’s Pioneer Scholarship.

Carlsborg advisors meet

The Carlsborg Community Advisory Council meets from 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at Greywolf Elementary

Local professional photographer Ernst Ulrich-Schafer addresses Sequim High School students on the school’s Career Day on March 25. Photo by Patsene Dashiell

School, 171 Carlsborg Road. Agenda items include project schedule updates and Carlsborg land use/zoning issues. Call 417-2323.

or make a comment about the city or the community. Contact Pratt at cpratt@ sequimwa.gov or call 5820114 for more information.

Easter bread sale set

Chicks 101

Sequim Rainbow Girls are taking orders for their annual Easter Bread sale. Order deadline is April 7. Call Mary Miller at 417-9236 with any questions or for more information about any ingredients. Send order and check to Sequim Rainbow Girls, c/o Mary Miller, 830 N. Minstrel Road, Sequim, WA 98382. Orders will be available for pick up at the Masonic Lodge, 700 S. Fifth Ave., from 3-5 p.m. on April 7.

The Co-op Farm & Garden, 216 E. Washington St., Sequim, will have a free Chicks 101 seminar at 11 a.m. April 5. Roger Lampitt from Land ‘o Lakes/Purina will discuss the basics of raising backyard chickens and he will answer questions. Chicks are available for purchase through the first weekend in May.

Amateur radio classes The Clallam Country Amateur Radio Club will hold free Technician and General License instruction classes and an exam, beginning April 5, 12 and 19. These three days will be based on chapters from the ARRL Technician or General Class Manual. April 19 will consist of a class first, then a review. The exam session is at 1 p.m. at the Port Angeles Fire Station, 102 E.

Cancer support groups

Coffee with the mayor Sequim residents may meet informally with Sequim mayor Candace Pratt, on Thursdays, April 3 and 17 at 8:30 a.m. at The Oak Table, 292 W. Bell St., Sequim. The mayor will be at a different published location each month, along with a notepad to take notes, to listen to anyone who wants to chat, ask questions, express a concern

8

Sunny Farms ’ Fresh

261461 HWY. 101 WEST, SEQUIM (360) 683-8003 • WWW.SUNNYFARMS.COM EVERY DAY 8 A.M. - 8 P.M.

and fourth Tuesday of the month. • 1-2:30 p.m. Monday, April 21, Look Good, Feel Better, OMCC conference room. Call 582-2845 to register. • 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, Women’s Cancer Support Group, OMCC library, second and fourth Tuesday of the month.

Olympic Medical Cancer Center offers the following support groups in April: Spirit session planned • 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, Women’s Cancer Support Azella The Barefoot Prophet presents “A Walk with Group, OMCC library, second Spirit” session from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at the Sequim Library meeting room. The fee is $15 paid at the session. For questions or information, call Azella at 681-3191.

$ 49

-

o

Fifth St. There is a $15 processing fee for the exam. To register, call Chuck Jones at 452-4672 or Dennis Tilton at 452-1217.

Squeezed

Sequim Senior Nutrition Site menus are served at 4:30 p.m. at Suncrest Village Retirement Apartments, 251 S. Fifth Ave. Suggested donation is $5 (60 and over), $8 guest, and a 24-hour advance reservation is needed. RSVP to 683-8491. Menus are subject to change. Thursday, April 3: Threebean salad, ravioli w/marinera, garlic bread, steamed spinach, carrot cake Friday, April 4: Tomato juice, biscuit w/sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, chocolate mousse Monday, April 7: Mushroom medley soup, salad, tuna fish, dessert from Prairie Springs Tuesday, April 8: Spinach salad, spaghetti, green beans, garlic bread, fruited gelatin Wednesday, April 9: Green salad, chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice, refried beans, baked custard.

Farm Store & Nursery Located next to Sunny Farms Country Store on Highway 101. Open 8-6, 7 days a week

(360) 683-8003

It’s Spring!

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• Prepared On-Site • No Sugar Added • Not From Concentrate • Half Gallons or Quarts

Senior Nutrition Menu

44995827

and

April 2, 2014 • A-5

SEQUIM GAZETTE

YOGURT PRETZELS

4$ 69 BANANA CHIPS $379

$ 99

6

LB

LB

$ 19

BULK • REG. $3.69

SWEETENED

BULK • REG. $9.19 RASPBERRY FLAVOR

YOGURT PRETZELS

7

LB

1 10 49 79 1 3 3 1 4 4 88 7 1 GreenONIONS 2 1 4 4 4 5 Russet Baker POTATOES 39¢ 7 4 ¢ Fresh CAULIFLOWER 89 30% Carlson® SUPPLEMENTS Organic Organic 5 $ 99 99 $ %N % SEQUEL Grape TOMATOES 2 HERB MIX F 2 25 20 Organic APPLES $199 30% Calcium Citrate ALL PRICES EFFECTIVE 4/02/14 through 4/08/14.

LB

$ 49 $ 99 LAUNDRY LIQUID 1 STRAWBERRIES JONAGOLD SEEDLESS ¢ SESAME TAHINI RICE NOODLES ¢ APPLES WATERMELON ORGANIC BEANS LB $229 $129 1 Meyer’s LEMONS BAG $ 99 $599 $ 49 Earth Balance $ 99 Tasty! Muscat GRAPES -n-Sweet BUTTERY SPREAD SLICING $ ON-THE-VINE $ 58 $ 29 $ 99 CUCUMBERS 2 1 TOMATOES CHEDDAR CHEESE PORK LOIN CHOPS ¢ Head LETTUCE $ 29 $ 99 ROAST BEEF $ CHICKEN THIGHS California Grown

Earth Friendly

LB PACK

EA

Once Again

• 3 Scents + Free & Clear • 100 HE Loads

Thai Kitchen

EA

REG. $9.69

SAVE REG. $3.70 $3.09

16 OZ.

SAVE REG. 80¢ $2.09

ORGANIC •NON GMO TRADITIONAL or THIN STYLE NO ADDED SUGAR or SALT GLUTEN FREE

F O R

LB

HEAD

F O R

$ 99

FRUIT MEDLEY • REG. $5.49

LB.

HAWAIIAN DELIGHT SALAD SALAD BAGS COLESLAW

$ 79

ATURAL ACTORS Supplements

Solaray

15

OFF MSRP

%

JĀSÖN

OFF MSRP

$ 79

• 3 Varieties

LB.

Supplements

With Vitamin D3

OFF TOOTHPASTES • Flouride-Free

LB.

441008387

OFF MSRP

LB.

$ 99

OFF MSRP

OZ

LB

$ 49

FRESH CUT • REG. $5.49

LB.

TRUE COD

LB

$ 99

SUNNY FARMS’ • REG. $5.49

LB.

LB FRESH • WILD • USA

1

LB.

LB.

TOP ROUND STEAK

$ 69

LB

NITRATE FREE • REG $8.49

SIRLOIN TIP ROAST

LB

REG. $5.89

LB.

DRAPER VALLEY FARMS, WA

USDA CHOICE BEEF

EA

FOUR VARIETIES BPA FREE POUCHES

MILD • REG. $5.29

ALL NATURAL • BONELESS

USDA CHOICE BEEF

PINT

SAVE 80¢

10 OZ.

• Tub or Sticks • Whipped or Soy-Free •Vegan

LB

Organic YAMS

100 OZ

Jyoti

LB

LB

Golden Delicious

REG. $14.89

• 180 Caps • Superior Absorption

Oral Comfort Paste & Mouthwash also on sale!


A-6 • April 2, 2104

SEQUIM GAZETTE

April 2014 City Web site: www.sequimwa.gov

Meeting dates & locations City Council Regular Meeting

Transit Center 2nd & 4th Monday • 6:00 p.m.

City Council Study Session Transit Center (when required) 2nd & 4th Monday • 5:00 p.m.

Planning Commission Transit Center Tuesday, April 1 6:00 p.m.

Parks & Recreation Board PW

615 North Fifth Ave. 2nd Tuesday • 6:00 p.m.

Lodging Tax Advisory Committee

Transit Center Conference Room Quarterly - Next meeting June 13, 2014 • 10:00 a.m.

“Coffee with the Mayor” Sequim residents can meet informally with Sequim Mayor Candace Pratt on Thursdays, April 3 & 17 at the Oak Table Cafe, 3rd Ave. & Bell Street at 8:30 a.m. The Mayor will be at a different published location each month to meet with anyone who wants to chat, ask questions, express a concern, or make a comment about the City or the community. Please contact Candace Pratt at (360) 582-0114 or cpratt@sequim wa.gov with questions.

Audit Correction

The March 2014 Sequim News said that the City had received a clean audit on the 2013 financial statements. The audit was on the 2012 financial statements, which marks 24 straight years of clean audits for the City.

SEQUIM PARKS TRIVIA

How well do you know your City parks? Sequim has a large variety of parks for many different activities. Which ones have you visited? Which ones don’t you know about? Look for Sequim Parks Trivia each month in the newsletter, “like” the City of Sequim Government facebook page or go to www.sequimwa.gov to find out what you’ve been missing! 1) How many parks does the City of Sequim maintain? A. 2 B. 4 C. 8 D. 12 2) What is the largest Park in Sequim? A. Pioneer Memorial Park B. Carrie Blake Park C. Kirner Park D. Dr. Standard Park 3) What is the smallest Park in Sequim? A. Carrie Blake Park B. June Robinson Memorial Park C. Pioneer Memorial Park D. Seal Street Park

SEQUIM NEWS Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Demolition for New Civic Center to Begin Sequim residents will begin to see progress on the new Civic Center site beginning in April. Early in the month, Lydig Construction will secure the perimeter of the site with fencing. The fencing will remain for the duration of the project construction. Residents can expect some sidewalk restrictions along Sequim Avenue, and portions of the sidewalk will be closed at times. Abatement (the removal of asbestos) and demolition will begin first with the duplex at 171 N. Spruce Avenue, followed by the City Hall building at 152 W. Cedar St., and then the Serenity House Buildings along Sequim Avenue. There may be some traffic restrictions during the Serenity House buildings demolition. Removal of the buildings will be followed by work to move the utilities underground. Cedar Street is expected to remain open during construction, although it will be restricted to one lane at times. For the duration of the project the Clallam and Jefferson County bus stop will move from W. Cedar St. to 2nd Avenue between Cedar and Spruce Street. Lydig Construction and the City will hold monthly neighborhood meetings to keep the community informed. The City website www.sequimwa.gov will post weekly updates on what is happening once the project begins. Please contact City Engineer David Garlington at (360) 683-4908 or dgarlington@sequimwa.gov with questions.

VOLUNTEER CORNER Volunteers Make a Difference

Pat and Dick Gritman have lived in Sequim for almost 16 years and have worked as volunteers maintaining the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) for 15 of those years. “We love the trail. We can be outside anytime walking a safe path through town, farmland, forests and parks, over streams and along the Strait with views of the Olympics, San Juan Islands, or Canada,” Pat said. Dick and Pat Gritman on the The Gritmans were instrumental in carving out ODT by the new Dogi Pot. the path for the Adventure Route of the ODT. “We did a bit of everything from bushwhacking the proposed route to digging down to mineral soil, clearing brush, spreading gravel, installing trail signs and bollards, and generally having a great time with hard-working folks who also think we live in the best place,” Pat added. Since the beginning of the Adopt-A Trail program they have maintained the section of the ODT from the Visitor Information Center to the Lofgren Access. Early this year, they noticed a problem with dog waste on their section of the trail. They passed the information along to the City and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly the City responded by installing a Dogi Pot station on the trail. The Gritman’s work on the trail involves mowing, litter pick-up, scraping soil and overgrowth build-up along the edges, and trimming shrubbery. Thanks to the Gritmans for all of their hard work! To learn more about how you can make a difference by volunteering with the City, contact Volunteer Coordinator Pamela Leonard-Ray at 5822447 pleonard-ray@sequimwa.gov or City Clerk Karen Kuznek-Reese at 681-3428 or kkuznek@sequimwa.gov.

City of Sequim Police Department Offers Project Lifesaver Program

In light of the recent wandering disappearance of dementia patients in Clallam County, the Sequim Police Department wants to remind the public of the Project Lifesaver Program available in Clallam County. Project Lifesaver is a program that is proven to locate people who wander due to disorienting disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Down Syndrome, Autism or any other disorder that can cause disorientation or wandering. The client wears a wrist or ankle band which emits an individualized tracking signal on an assigned radio frequency. The caregiver notifies 9-1-1 if a client goes missing, a team will respond to search for them. The average rescue time is less than 30 minutes. “We are very happy that the individuals who went missing recently were recovered, but they were not in very good shape when they were found,” said Sequim Police Chief Bill Dickinson. “The Project Lifesaver Program can help locate, and return clients safely to their home or care facility much more quickly and reduce their risk of harm or increased health problems.” Project Lifesaver operates in more than 1,000 jurisdictions across the nation. The Sequim Police Department (360) 683-7227 manages the program and enrolls clients for east Clallam County. The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office (360) 417-2376 manages the program and enrolls clients west of Deer Park Road. The Sequim Police Department, Clallam County Fire District #3, and the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office all have personnel trained as Electronic Search Specialists and the agencies work together to electronically search for a missing client. Once a client is enrolled in the program, a caregiver will be required to check their transmitter daily for battery power. Participants must be seen on a monthly basis to replace the transmitter battery. There is a one-time $50 fee to enroll a client in the program. The Project Lifesaver Program is available by the Sequim Police Department through generous funding from the Ray and Donna Guerin Family Foundation. Please contact the Sequim Police Department at 683-7227 or visit the City’s website www.sequimwa.gov with questions.

Telephone: 360-683-4139

Upcoming Public Hearings APRIL 14 - 1) Strip Mall Signage APRIL 28 - 1) Marijuana Moratorium

Joint Meeting City Council and Planning Commission Monday, April 14, 5:00 p.m., Sequim Transit Center

Welcome New Employees! Marshall Baker, Public Works 2/18 (temporary) Dustin Baker, Public Works 3/3 (seasonal) Joe Irvin, Special Projects Manager 3/31 (temporary)

Sponsors Needed for Sequim’s Music and Movies in the Park

The City of Sequim is looking for sponsors to support the 2014 Music and Movies in the Park summer concert series. The program is held at the James Center for the Performing Arts, located at the Water Reuse Demonstration Site on Blake Avenue, and is scheduled to run on Tuesday evenings from June 24, 2014 through August 26, 2014. All performances begin at 6:00 p.m. An outdoor movie will be shown at dusk on the last Tuesday of each month following the musical performance. All programming is dependent on available funding. Each musical performer receives $400 for their performance, and each movie costs approximately $2500 for the screen and movie license. Music and Movies in the Park is a popular community event series that relies on the generosity of community sponsorships and presents an opportunity for sponsors to promote themselves to the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Community. Donations may be tax deductible (IRS Code, 26 U.S.C. 170 (c) 1). Sponsorship opportunities come in many levels. Visit the City of Sequim website www.sequimwa. gov for complete sponsorship information. Please contact City Clerk Karen-Kuznek Reese at 681-3428 or kkuznek@sequimwa.gov with questions or to learn more about becoming a sponsor for Music and Movies in the Park.

Pooling Water in the Streets?

Help the City document flooding or other runoff problems by sending photographs and videos of problem areas to Ann Soule at asoule@sequimwa.gov with the location, date, and time the image was taken. Contact Ann at 582-2436 with questions. To learn more about the Stormwater Needs Assesment project, visit http://www.sequimwa.gov/ index.aspx?NID=560

GET THE LATEST CITY NEWS Sign up to receive City news and announcements directly through your email. Visit http://www.sequimwa. gov. and click on E-Notifications.

Answers: 1) D; 2) B; 3) D

This page is a public service on behalf of the City of Sequim and does not reflect the views or opinions of the editorial staff of the Sequim Gazette or Sound Publishing.

SEQ

B

a


April 2, 2014 • A-7

SEQUIM GAZETTE

BUSINESS

Crabfest up for Best Northwest Escape?

SEQUIM GAZETTE

A-7

Creating a deli of delights Pacific Pantry’s John Pabst opens artisan deli, butchery by PATRICIA MORRISON COATE Sequim Gazette

If his customers are as enthusiastic as butcher and artisan deli owner John Pabst is about freshly cured meats, then Pacific Pantry is bound to be a “go to” place in Sequim for local, natural meat and produce. Pabst’s interest in butchery, a service mostly lost over the past generations, began about a decade ago when he worked in a South Carolina restaurant. He’s been a chef for five years. “I’m fascinated with butchery because it’s something not many people do or do correctly,” Pabst said. “It’s really important for me to get animals raised properly and humanely because it makes a big difference in flavor. The public doesn’t have access to properly raised meats with no hormones or antibiotics. We are what we eat.” In Europe and in large American cities, customers still go the local butcher to pick up their favorite cuts of raw and cured meats. Before the rise of supermarkets after World War II, a local butcher’s shop was just one of the daily stops of the American housewife. Pabst is calling his venture an artisan deli/butchery where the 12-seat deli will have a menu of three hot and/or cold soups, three sandwiches and three salads that will change monthly. In the deli case there will be beef, pork, lamb “and probably even a little goat, plus smoked chicken breasts,” Pabst said. He also makes his own mustard and sauerkraut and will stock fermented vegetables by Sequim’s own Getting Cultured. “I want to get as many local products as I can get in here,” Pabst said. After the

Three additional projects aimed at increasing tourism in Clallam County have been funded by the Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau. Grants include: • ASB Sprint Boat Races, $2,000. Two races will take place in 2014, Aug. 9 and Sept. 6. Much of the promotion will be off the Olympic Peninsula to the Seattle and Victoria markets, encouraging overnight stays. See www. extremesportspark.net. • “Paint the Peninsula” Plein Air Competition, $2,500. This eight-day event will bring 30 artists to paint outside for 4½ days across the Olympic Peninsula. Sponsored by the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, this event also includes a judging competition, concluding with a viewing and sales in the gallery. See www.paintthepeninsula.org.

The peninsula’s annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival, scheduled for Oct. 10-12 this year, has been nominated for “Best Food Festival” as part of the Best Northwest Escapes contest run by KING5 television’s “Evening Magazine.” The winners are decided by the public. To vote, visit http://nwescapes.king5.com/best/ food-festival/family-fun/northwest by April 11. For more information on Crabfest and a detailed program, visit www.crabfestival.org, e-mail info@ crabfestival.org or call 452-6300.

BUSINESS NEWS Shop reopening Anne’s Sequim Antiques, 253 W. Washington St., reopens after a winter hiatus from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 4. The shop will be open Fridays and Saturdays.

Vendors wanted Chef and butcher John Pabst recently opened Pacific Pantry, a deli/butchery on South Sequim Avenue. Sequim Gazette photo by Patricia Morrison Coate

Pacific Pantry

A subsidiary of Misty Mountain Meats 229 S. Sequim Ave., Sequim 360-797-1221 Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday animals from Clark Farms, Nash’s Organic Produce or Spring Rain in Chimacum are slaughtered by a USDA-approved slaughterhouse, Pabst will get halves or quarters of the animals and will cut and cure the meat with natural spices and no chemicals. People who buy half a hog from Nash’s or Clarks’ can have Pabst butcher it into their preferred cuts. “Every country had their cured meats, so I’ll make salamis from all over Europe,” Pabst said. “It takes about two to 10 months to cure meat and I believe in not rushing the process so the flavoring

really develops. When we open (April 1) I’ll have lots of fresh cured meats such as ham, pastrami, bacon and sausages like bratwurst and knockwurst.” Deli case meats and cheese from Mt. Townsend Creamery in Port Townsend will be available by weight and Pabst hopes people will make it part of their weekly routine to swing by and get something for dinner or supper. “I don’t want to limit it to a specific genre of food — I just want to have fun with it,” Pabst said. “There also will be some tarts, cheesecake and other pastry items. I grew up around baking. Within six months to a year I want to do a cut-andwrap service.” He also plans to offer brunch-type fare on Sundays. Pabst is jumping in to be part of the community — he’ll feature a different local artist in the deli monthly and will be part of April 4’s First Friday Art Walk.

Visitor bureau awards another Seeking vendors $7,000 for area tourism grants for ‘Fire Centennial’ • North Olympic Discovery Marathon, $2,500, to promote the race between Sequim and Port Angeles along the Olympic Discovery Trail. See nodm.com.

About the grants Tourism Enhancement Grant funds are earmarked to encourage longterm economic growth through tourismrelated projects or events that attract overnight destination guests. The bureau distributes these funds locally as long as funds are available. Grant guidelines and applications are available at www.olympicpeninsula. org/page/tourism-grants, or call Diane Schostak at 452-8552. Year to date, $24,550 has been awarded. There is $10,450 remaining in available TEG

Vendors are wanted for the Sequim Fire Centennial Celebration, set for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Water Reuse Demonstration Park north of Carrie Blake Park. The event includes music, food, games and antique fire engines from across the entire Pacific Northwest. Co-hosted by 7 Cedars Casino and sponsored by the City of Sequim, Clallam County Fire District 3 and along with local businesses and vendors, the event begins with an antique fire engine parade at 10 a.m. and continues at Carrie Blake Park, concluding with a “Burning Down the House” afterparty at 8 p.m. at 7 Cedars Casino. Go to www.redlightsirens.comand and click “vendors” to download an application. E-mail Kelly Jo Hill at Fire3Cent@gmail. com, call 461-3950 or fax 683-6834.

Vendors are wanted for the Avamere Olympic Rehabilitation of Sequim 3rd Annual Craft Fair & Raffle from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 25. For information, contact Cherie Cariou, Life Enrichment director at 582-3900, ext. 3941 from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Sebastian joins Estes Builders Carla Sebastian has joined Estes Builders as an administrative assistant, bringing with her more than 18 years of administrative and office management experience. She will direct the administrative areas of the Sequim and Poulsbo offices. Sebastian has strong family ties to the Sequim area. She has been an SEBASTIAN active volunteer with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event as well as with youth sports.

Landscaper adds license Doug Cockburn of Landscapes by Cockburn has passed the Washington State Pesticide License tests and is licensed to apply herbicides and insecticides in the state of Washington. The four-hour test was given at the WSU Puyallup Extension Station on March 20 after two and half days of classes. Cock bur n is t he pre sident of L a ndscapes by Cockburn Inc., which has been in operation for 20 years. Call 681-0132 or e-mail landbyc@ dungenesslandscaper.com.

New VP at bank Columbia Bank has appointed Julie Hatch as vice president and manager of its Port Angeles branch. In her new position, Hatch will be dedicated to overseeing customer relations, including attracting and providing service for new and existHATCH ing customers. She has more than 30 years of banking experience.

Spring renewal at Nash’s

DIXON

to the public.

Culinary nutritionist and registered dietitian Dr. Monica Dixon will present “Spring Renewal: Ten Steps to Finding Your Summer Mojo,” at Nash’s Farm Store, 4681 SequimDungeness Way in Dungeness at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 7. The presentation is free and open

Professional Directory Helping you find the professionals you need.

683-5700 321 N. Sequim Ave. Suite D

Dentistry for the whole family. Teeth cleaning to teeth replacement.

683-4850 321 N. Sequim Ave., Suite C

INTERNAL MEDICINE & WOMEN’S HEALTH

INTERIOR DESIGN

PACIFIC FAMILY & INTERNAL MEDICINE

(360) 452-9080

Securities and Advisory services offered through FSC Securities Corporation, member FINRA/SIPC. Tracy Wealth Management is not affiliated with FSC Securities Corporation or registered as a broker/dealer or investment advisor.

24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICES

360-775-3515 info@pfimhealth.com • www.pfimhealth.com 522 N. 5th Ave. Sequim

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George Mathew, M.D., PhD

Rhonda Carrell is a • Bill Paying/Balance Registered Nurse with Checkbook over 30 years of local • Housework/Meals nursing experience and the owner/manager • Errands & Shopping of Caregiver Home • Medication Reminders Health, Inc. Port Angeles (360) 457-1644 • Personal Care (360) 683-7377 • On Call 24 Hours/7 Days PortSequim Townsend (360) 379-6659

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973930

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973919

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Keeping pace with change

HOME CARE ONE STOP HOME SERVICES Your Local Home Care Team

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Our three friendly hygienists Scott, Susan and Pam are here to brighten your smile Gentle Dental Care

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DENTISTRY

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A-8 • April 2, 2014

SEQUIM GAZETTE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Vote for Sequim schools Imagine a Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post Cover and it‘s Sequim High School! People smile, “That’s our school … we can go there for everything!” Two women were coming in the school room and I was moving as quickly as I could to meet them at the doorway in the far corner. One woman was pushing a baby carriage and the other had a toddler in tow, so I arrived before they had advanced very far. I was surprised and shocked that this entourage would just enter my biology classroom. Then I saw it — they had brought a spider in a glass jar for me to identify. This was only the first of several “drop in” visitors off the street, generally as harmless as the spider in the jar, although the delivery of a boa constrictor snake that someone found wandering around Dungeness was shocking! Rooms in many of the high school buildings open directly to the outdoors. Because there is no extra space, many students wear their coats all day and keep a pile of belongings on the floor around themselves. This impedes quick movement around the room when dealing with emergencies. As a retired teacher from the Sequim School District, I hope our community always will see their schools as the place “to go.” But Norman Rockwell doesn’t live in Sequim and it is terrifying to picture a different scenario as strangers enter our schools and classrooms. Help make our students and teachers as safe as possible. Join me in voting YES to support Sequim Schools. Shirley Anderson Sequim

School bond too big a bite At $154 million, the Sequim school board is asking approval for a huge amount of money, leading toward the billion-dollar state and federal level. Sequim is not the California Silicon Valley where they pave the streets with million dollar bills! Having been involved in these types of projects, there is no way (even with outside project support), given the size and experience of the Sequim School District staff, that they can execute this magnitude of project in a COST-efficient and effective manner — they are simply not prepared to oversee, as the owners’ representative, a project of this magnitude and complexity. That is a matter of fact. The board needs to return to the planning table and first, establish a long range plan setting individual priorities for each aspect of the total project, taking into consideration “necessary vs. nice.” Then, this needs to be divided into phases over a reasonable period of years in a manner which can be efficiently and effectively managed and financed with smaller individual bond issues. It seems that, to some degree, the school district has not planned and performed appropriate professional maintenance to the facilities over the years for them to have gotten into the disrepair condition that they are in today. Please overlook the emotional promotional sales and marketing effort by the school board and their vestedinterest supporters which distorts facts. If anything, higher property taxes make homes less attractive with a lower property value as opposed to their statement of increased property value — this is just common sense. If approved as proposed, this bond will substantially increase each and every homeowner’s property taxes by nearly 20 percent! Is this an amount that everyone can afford all at one time? Approving a bond in this size will also significantly

See LETTERS, A-9

To submit a letter 147 W. Washington St., Sequim, WA 98382 Phone: 360-683-3311 • Fax: 360-683-6670 E-mail: editor@sequimgazette.com Deadline noon the Friday before publication

OPINION Wednesday, April 2, 2014

SEQUIM GAZETTE

A-8

SEQUIM GAZETTE Published every Wednesday 147 W. Washington St. Sequim, WA 98382 Phone: 360-683-3311 Fax: 360-683-6670 www.sequimgazette.com Sound Publishing Inc. Vol. 41, Number 14 USPS 685-630 • ISSN: 1538-585X

Verbatim: Lauren Holloway Lauren Holloway, produce manager at Nash’s Farm Store, stopped to tell her story as she shopped the store for healthy snacks to take on her next adventure: a walkabout.

“Tomorrow I’m taking a day of personal evaluation. I’m going to fill a backpack with snacks and water and I’m planning to walk away from my home in Dungeness and just go. I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t know how long I’m going to go or where I’ll end up, but it just feels like a good thing to do. And who knows what I’ll encounter? It’s a daylong thing; I can’t afford more time than that right now. I really am inspired to walk the pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain at some point. My boyfriend and I have been thinking of ways we could get the same experience without actually having to travel to Spain. We’ve been talking about doing our own little ‘Camino’ right here, from back in the Olympics all the way to the water, but I kind of feel like I need something sooner, so I’m just going to head out on foot. It’s important for people to take time to be with themselves.”

PUBLISHER John Brewer jbrewer@peninsuladailynews.com 360-417-3500 EDITOR Michael Dashiell editor@sequimgazette.com 360-683-3311, x5050 SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR Patricia Morrison Coate pcoate@sequimgazette.com 360-683-3311, x5054 NEWS & PRESS RELEASES news@sequimgazette.com REPORTER Matthew Nash mnash@sequimgazette.com 360-683-3311, x5056 DISPLAY ADVERTISING Advertising Representatives Harmony Liebert hliebert@sequimgazette.com 360-683-3311, x3050 Mindy Aisling maisling@soundpublishing.com 683-3311, x3060 PRODUCTION production@sequimgazette.com Ad Designer, production Mary Field 360-683-3311, x4050

Everyone has a story and now they have a place to tell it. Verbatim is a first-person column that introduces you to your neighbors as they relate in their own words some of the difficult, humorous, moving or just plain fun moments in their lives. It’s all part of the Gazette’s commitment as your community newspaper. If you have a story for Verbatim, contact editor Michael Dashiell at editor@ sequimgazette.com.

Shining a light on school bond, classrooms Kelly Shea, the ing athletic fields, superintendent of transportation and Sequim Schools, will warehouses. spend hours with I felt a twinge of you showing you nostalgia over high school facilities and school games I atexplaining why the tended and school district wants the pride I felt but I was community to apready to move on to prove the $154 mil- THINK ABOUT IT ... the real money. lion school bond on ‘What’s wrong Bertha Cooper the April 22 ballot. with the old?’ So I took him up on his offer and hapIt’s too old for today’s education pened to be on the tour with an needs, but I understand the quesinterested Sequim resident who tion. I took it personally when my wanted to make the point that the elementary school was torn down most important role a school can ripping away any nostalgic memoplay is to prepare children to become ries I exhumed when I drove by it. productive, satisfied persons. Then my high school was closed for He wondered as many do if a bond lack of interest in yet another failure this size was necessary to achieve to honor the history of my youth. that goal. Looking fully like a superSeems my elementary school, intendent who had just heard his rea- which by the way was built almost 30 son for being eloquently described years before I was born, was sitting by this concerned resident, Shea on a prime piece of view real estate. explained the school isn’t keeping up I will admit to not caring about the with the facilities that children need view of both the Olympics and Castoday to learn the skills needed for cades when I was in the fourth grade the jobs today. but I did like touching and smelling the old wood. ‘But then there’s that stadium!’ In a fit of ironic destiny the school The stadium attracts the laser-like was torn down and replaced with focus of many even though it repre- condominiums for retired teachers, sents only three percent of the bond. although probably not mine since Is it necessary? Shea described the they seemed older than dirt when I stadium as a stand of seating with a attended school. roof. “We cannot host a game here All those havens of brick craftsbecause we don’t have facilities. All manship and wood that seemed to our games are away games.” oil itself went the way of new sleek Ninety-two percent of the School school construction that multiplied Bond is for classrooms, buildings like fast-food places to keep pace and areas essential to a safe learn- with the swelling baby boomer ing environment. The remaining generation. five percent is for grounds, includSomehow those flat-roofed wood-

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en structures didn’t endure like the old stately brick schools. I can imagine it was in the frenzy of construction and cost control that someone wondered why we need to build schools to last 100 years. Kids run, play, throw things and bump into walls. Parents know it; that’s why they buy kid furniture and save the nice stuff for the day the last kid leaves home. At one time the Sequim school system consisted of the Dungeness School House, now home to community activities and the chair that rides up and down the steep staircase only when it feels like it. The stately old brick Sequim high school was built in 1935, followed by the gymnasium a leisurely 22 years later in 1955. Then the kids came first as a trickle then a flood when baby boomers started having babies. The capacity of the high school was expanded in 1968, complete with trendy flat roofs, small windows and thick concrete walls later covered with stucco. Helen Haller, the elementary school, was built in 1967 and an addition in 1978. The kid population continued to explode and portables were brought in for use as temporary classrooms.

Temporary classrooms Portable classrooms put on surrounding lands emptied out when Greywolf Elementary was built in 1991. Some portables were sold, some remained at Helen Haller and others were moved to the high school to handle kids moving into upper grades. Those would be the same portables I was in during the tour with Shea.

We toured the classrooms built 46 years ago and temporary portables installed 22 years ago. I imagined generations of kids passing through and bumping into walls. Somehow it all felt like a well-maintained but tired old battleship still trying to serve its country. In truth, the school rooms probably have about the same window-towall ratio as battleships or a slightly above-ground bunker. I don’t know what the theory of learning in 1968 was but it didn’t include an environment of daylight and fresh air. I wondered for a moment if the designers even liked kids since they kept them in the dark. Studies have shown that adults and children read better in daylight. We also think more clearly when we breathe air made fresh by bringing in outside air, exchanges not in buildings of the 1960s. The tour moved on. We came to what was for me the rarified metal shop that only boys went to in my youth and next to it I was surprised to see a large area with partially dismantled cars on hydraulic lifts. We had inadvertently stepped into a museum disguised as an opportunity to develop mechanical skills to repair 21st century cars; it was only equipped to fix pre-computer cars. This is a lot like training surgeons to do robotic surgery using the latest in rearview mirrors and scalpels.

Stumbling blocks We passed the tennis court on which an instructor was patiently coaching kids to hit tennis balls. I wonder if you become a better or

See COOPER, A-10

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LETTERS POLICY Your opinions on issues of community interest and your reaction to stories and editorials contained in your Sequim Gazette are important to us and to your fellow readers. Thus our rules relating to letters submitted for publication are relatively simple. • Letters are welcome. Letters exceeding 250 words may be shortened. We strive to publish all letters. • Letters are subject to editing for spelling and grammar; we contact the writer when substantial changes are required, sending the letter back to the writer for revisions. Personal attacks and unsubstantiated allegations are not printed. • All letters must have a valid signature, with a printed name, address and phone number for verification. Only the name and town/community are printed. • Deadline for letters to appear in the next publication is noon Friday. Because of the volume of letters, not all letters are published the week they are submitted. Time-sensitive letters have a priority. • Letters are published subject to legal limitations relating to defamation and factual representation. • To submit letters, deliver or mail to 147 W. Washington St., Sequim, WA 98382; fax to 360-683-6670 or e-mail editor@sequimgazette.com.

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April 2, 2014 • A-9

SEQUIM GAZETTE

School facility bond needs your support On April 22, the Sequim community will face a huge decision that will significantly affect the future of our community and the children and families living here. I will vote “yes” for the much-needed Sequim School District facility bond for the following reasons: • Our community needs to recruit and retain physicians and other health care professionals. There is a significant shortage GUEST of physicians both naO PINION tionally and locally and rural areas in the U.S. Eric Lewis have 20 percent of the population but only 10 percent of the physicians. In my role as CEO, I work on recruiting physicians every week. When talking to physicians considering moving to Sequim, the No.1 question that I get is, “What is the quality of the local schools?” Physicians with families often decide where to live and practice by the quality of local schools. By passing this bond, Sequim schools will become a magnet for recruiting and retaining physicians and other health care professionals. The quality of our local health care system is directly connected to the quality of our schools. You can impact the availability of quality physicians locally by voting for the school construction bond. • Our 2,700 children need the best education we can give them. To maximize the education we offer our children, facilities and technology are critical. Up-to-date science labs, computer networks, modern classrooms and technical training facilities better position students and teachers to excel. The promise of the U.S. has always been that each generation sacrifices for the next generation so they may have greater opportunities. The “American Dream” is under intense pressure and today’s children need an excellent education to keep this country moving forward. Sequim children can’t vote but we can certainly give them the best opportunity to succeed. • Sadly, Sequim schools are falling apart. The facility bond will address these problems. Our high school needs to be massively upgraded. Helen Haller must be replaced. Our middle school roof leaks. Greywolf needs to be expanded to fit new students and full-day kindergarten. Our school kitchen is too small and badly needs new equipment. Our schools have

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serious security issues. Before deciding not to support this bond, tour the high school, Helen Haller and other facilities, or watch the videos on the Sequim School District’s website to see for yourself. Thankfully, due to extremely low interest rates, it will never be cheaper to fund these much-needed improvements. Reduced interest rates will come to an end. Inflation will make the construction costs go up if we further defer this work. Kicking the can down the road is not in the best interest of tax payers. • Public investments improve our quality of life and support our economy. Can you image Sequim without the SARC, the Highway 101 bypass, John Wayne Marina, and the Sequim OMC campus? These large public investments have made Sequim a more desirable place to live. Improved school facilities will lure more families (including physicians) to Sequim. Our local economy will benefit from this public investment in our schools. With strong schools and healthcare services, selling homes will be easier due to more people moving here. • If this bond passes, the total property tax supporting our local schools will be $3.85 per thousand, which is below the average of all other school districts across the state, which is $4.44 per thousand. If passed, Sequim will be 13 percent below the state average and if it does not pass, Sequim will be 52 percent below the state average. The manner in which we fund our local schools in Washington is much different from other states and relies heavily on local property taxes. This may seem like an odd way to fund schools, but this is the system we have. Other communities have clearly stepped up for their schools: Sequim should do the same. My two children are too old to benefit from these new facilities, but I am going to vote for these facilities. Sequim needs more physicians, and it needs to be a place for local kids to get an excellent education; Sequim school facilities must be improved to meet the demands for classrooms, current technology and security, and we need people to want to move and live here to maintain/improve our local economy. We can accomplish all this and still have a school property tax rate that is well below the state average. Please join me as we help determine the future direction of our community. Eric Lewis is CEO of Olympic Medical Center, a Sequim resident and father of Sequim School District students.

Back to drawing board with school bond proposal In just a few weeks voters in the Sequim School District will be asked to vote on Proposition 1 — School Improvements General Obligation Bonds — $154,325,000, the largest school bond proposal in the history of Clallam County. The actual cost for the taxpayers would be $262.1 million, which includes $107.8 million in estimated interest. The bonds are 20-year general obligation bonds. The issue is not being GUEST for or against providing O PINION quality education for our children. It is about Jerry Sinn identifying the priorities to achieve quality education and determining options that are within our means. The optimum solution should balance three elements — what is essential, what is reasonable and what financial impact it will have on the middle- and lower-income families. With the wide range of projects in this proposal and a lack of prioritization, there is no clear determination of what is essential. We the taxpayers are faced with an all or nothing choice. The total package includes projects from safety improvements and a new elementary school to building a league-approved football stadium with an artificial turf, a new bus barn and shop, a central warehouse, new tennis courts and a new gym, to list a few. Are all these projects essential, reasonable and of equal priority? The safety of our children is a priority. As much as we value our open campuses, uncontrolled access creates a difficult environment to manage. This must be addressed. There are a variety of ways to improve safety in our schools. A few examples of what has been done elsewhere include: installing reinforced external doors, cameras for monitoring, perimeter fencing that directs all access to controlled points and campus security guards. We will need a solution that meets the essential need, is reasonable and is affordable. How are the educational needs being met? Quality education is measured by outcomes such as the percentage of students that graduate on time, graduates that pursue post-secondary education; graduates entering four-year colleges that require remedial math and/or English, etc. How will spending $262 million on facility replacement and remodeling improve these measures? Great educations are more the result of great teachers and strong curriculum than they are on the amount of money we spend. This point is demonstrated by the fact that the state with the highest

expenditure per student is ranked No. 32 in 50 states – in terms of their performance. Is Proposition 1 a reasonable proposal or a wish list? As reported by the Sequim Gazette, the committee co-chairman, Sue Ellen Riesau said, “The committee put together a vision for what the future should look like.” She noted that worrying about the dollars wasn’t part of the assignment. “It was our job to dream.” At a cost of $262 MILLION can we the people of the Sequim School District really afford this vision, “The Dream”? It represents an 80-percent increase in the amount now assessed for schools on your tax bill. It results in a 16-percent increase in your overall tax bill. On a $200,000 home, the added cost to the tax bill would be approximately $340 per year, almost $7,000 in additional taxes over the term of the bond. Today, annual taxes per student are $10,635. This figure includes taxes from all sources for the school district’s general fund and debt servicing, divided by Full Time Equivalent (FTE) students. If the bond is passed, the taxes per student would increase 45 percent to $15,489. Many residents in the Sequim School District are senior citizens; many are on fixed incomes. A tax increase of this magnitude will adversely affect them. Young families and individuals would not escape the impact even though they may not own property. The heavy burden of higher taxes would result in increases in rents to adjust for the increase in cost to rental property owners. Yet we are being asked to pass the largest local bond proposal in our history. Here are the facts! Clallam County schoolaged population has decreased 11.5 percent since 2000. Unemployment is high at 9.8 percent. The labor force is shrinking with 2.8 percent fewer employed since 2005. Working age population is decreasing. Retired population is increasing. Sales tax receipts are dropping (25 percent lower than 2005). Median individual worker income is $24,064. Median household income within the Sequim School District is $47,942. The only item that is increasing is taxes. Total property taxes in constant 2000 dollars are increasing; do we believe that all other taxing authorities will hold their assessments, fees and taxes constant for 20 years while these bonds are being paid? How about new libraries, new city halls and new police facilities, utility rate increases? We must say “NO” to this bond proposal and encourage the school board to go back to the drawing board, take a more realistic approach and prioritize the projects. Jerry Sinn is a Sequim resident.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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Letters

munity needs. It would have been encouraging to see a similar level From page A-8 of leadership from our city council. Jim and Jo Ann Roberts reduce the opportunity for approval Sequim for other bond needs of the community, such as a much-needed Support bond issue expansion of the library. As co-presidents of a ParentI urge a NO vote for this Sequim Teacher Organizations here in School Bond in the amount of Sequim, we see first-hand how $154,325,000. This needs to be re- special the Sequim School District placed in a rational, logical, respon- is. The educational opportunities sible and professional manner with are broad and deep, including not a new proposal in phases which can only the core areas (e.g., English, be cost-effectively managed over a social studies, math, science) but period of time. also award-winning programs such John Sartori as drama, music and athletics. The Sequim district offers high school cur-

Council fails to lead on bond issue

ricula in both agricultural science and building trades. The district has an alternative high school and provides a home schooling-based program at Olympic Peninsula Academy. This richness of program is not without purpose, for through it we are preparing our students for their impending roles in our community. These are our future citizens and voters. These are our future business owners and taxpayers. These are our future leaders. Unfortunately, much of the physical infrastructure of the district fails to support this purpose. Aging, inflexible and crowded buildings are inadequate to meet the needs of learning in 2014. If they are failing today, what will the picture be tomorrow? Please join us in learning the facts and voting YES on April 22 in support of our schools. Sequim can wait no longer. Kyra and Steven Humphrey Sequim

The Sequim City Council seems to have forgotten what it means to provide leadership for our community. If, by a 6-1 vote, the council can “provide general support” to the school district in “seeking voter approval to fund the acknowledged need for districtwide improvements in its education facilities,” why vote down a resolution supporting the bond issue? One of the most important duties of the city council is to provide visible support to the things that make Sequim strong (great schools, first-rate health care, a strong public library). While it may not have direct control over many of these community resources, surely it can and should make its support known in the strongest way possible. There has been a major effort to identify the capital needs of our schools. We have known about SHS grad votes YES many of these needs for some time I am a proud Sequim High — but ignored them. The school board has said they should not be School 2012 graduate, and I voted YES for the school renovation ignored any longer. In short, the school board evi- plans. My biggest concern for the renodenced the leadership that our com-

vations is the plans for the Band, Choir and Theater departments. My entire high school career I was involved in the Choir and Theater departments, and I loved every minute of it but there are problems with our facilities. My biggest issue is that the band and choir rooms are located offcampus. Many might think this not to be a big deal but it is. Being across from the main campus we are cut off from everything. The intercom and telephone systems don’t work, so if there was an emergency lockdown, say God-forbid a gunman on campus, the students wouldn’t know and would be put in harm’s way, simply because we are so out of the loop. The classrooms are small as well. As years go by the programs are thriving and growing and the classrooms simply cannot accommodate the numbers of students joining the programs. As far as I’m concerned everyone should be voting YES. It might be expensive but in the end it creates a safer environment for future generations; after all we are doing this for students we have now and the students of the future. Although I am now at college in Idaho, Sequim will always be my home and one day I would like to raise a family here. I want my kids to go to a school that’s safe and can enrich their education. Walt Disney once said, “Around here ... we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious ... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” I think it’s time for the Sequim High Wolves to go down a new path and see what new doors we can open. So please vote YES to the proposed school changes. Sarah Stoffer SHS Alumni Class of 2012 Boise, ID

Budgets and exemptions

She taught us to look for beauty everywhere, to understand nature by observing it. She taught us to revere life. She was a gifted artist in her own right, deserving of a museum filled with her marvelous art somewhere in this valley she loved so dearly. I remember her now and urge everyone to vote “YES” on the School Bond issue to replace our aging, decrepit school buildings. I hope that a big, naturally lit art studio is in the plan. It should be named “The Dorcas Taylor Studio.” Tim Wheeler Sequim Sequim High School Class of 1958

I have always lived on a budget, and have been against most bond issues because I either thought them unnecessary or overpriced. If I have to live on a budget, and do without, or make do with less, then government should be held to the same standard. It is not government’s money, it is the tax payers’ money. Now that I am a retired senior citizen I have learned great news. If you are 61 years old and make under $35,000 a year, you qualify for property tax exemptions. You can vote yes on the school bond and not have to pay for it. Your part of the tax increase can be passed on to your younger Students deserve safe, neighbor. modern buildings Why not vote yes on the bonds? Our community has supported I ask you, isn’t America wonderful? Sequim Schools in the past. We Gary Thomas now have the opportunity to make Sequim a significant improvement to our students’ learning environment. It Art of teaching is my hope that voters take time to On a spring day in 1957, my art understand both the need for this teacher, Mrs. Dorcas Taylor, an- bond and the solution it offers. With nounced, “Get your sketch pads and the bond’s passage our students will pastels together. We are going out- enjoy the benefits of a safe, modern side to do some drawings from life.” and efficient campus. Currently, our school facilities I found a cherry tree across the street from Sequim High School. are not meeting the needs of today’s The boughs were bent with pink students and will prove even more blossoms. Mrs. Taylor walked from inadequate in the years to come. student to student. “Bring out the The student population is expected contrast, dark and light. It will make to rise, driven in part by a new state mandate for all-day kindergarten. the image pop,” she told us. Later, we carved animals from The current facilities cannot acblocks of salt. I still have the charg- commodate these new students ing bull I carved. I did a watercolor within existing classrooms. The still life. It won a Hallmark Scholas- bond addresses this need and builds tic Gold Medal and was on display at classrooms under one roof instead Frederick & Nelson in Seattle along of growing the number of tempowith art of other Washington State rary portable buildings. Many buildings at our high students. In the years that followed, I school and community school have covered the walls of our house, our reached the end of their useful life. children’s and neighbors’ houses See LETTERS, A-10 with bold, colorful images.


A-10 • April 2, 2014

SEQUIM GAZETTE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters

From page A-9 Problems include poor physical condition, security difficulties, the inability to upgrade technology and the inefficiency of 50-year old building designs. In addition, athletic fields and courts show the wear of many years of hard use and are in need of modernization. By acting now we capitalize on today’s low interest rate environment and the benefits of a thoughtful building plan that incorporates all district facilities. Many of the details are available at www. sequimschools.wednet.edu. Please vote yes. Jon Jack Sequim

Vote no on bond issue Education is one of the most important issues facing America today. The U.S. ranks 24th in math and 16th in science among the major nations of the world. A recent study found that 50 percent of U.S. adults were not able to read an eighthgrade level book. I have not been able to find a single retail cashier under the age of 25 who can make change without the use of an electronic cash register. I cannot find anything in the proposed school bond issue that does anything to address the education of the students. Fancy new bricks and mortar are not going to improve the education of our children. The tax burden imposed by this bond proposal does not deliver a meaningful return on investment. I urge a no vote and hope the school board will search out programs to improve education instead of building new facilities. Steven Miller Sequim

Reinvest in schools This April, we have the opportunity to create learning environments that encourage high academic performance. I’m writing to support secure schools, adequate spaces and a properly functioning educational system in Sequim. What did a functioning educational system mean for me? It meant a worldclass education in a small town — from my first day of kindergarten at a brandnew Greywolf to graduation from SHS. It meant mentorship and support from a fantastic team of teachers. It meant wellequipped facilities to allow me to explore

Cooper

From page A-8 worse tennis player when you also have to learn to avoid cracks in the concrete; that would be if you didn’t break something stumbling over them. Traveling to the band area, Shea pointed out that band students must travel from class to the band area, pick up their instruments and travel back to the auditorium to practice, an inefficiency that costs about ten percent

The Greenhouse A Growing Business

and learn through extra-curricular activities. It meant that I was prepared for college and law school at the University of Washington. I’m proud that I grew up in Sequim, a community that cares. I’m grateful for my training and growth in Sequim schools. And I’m hopeful that the citizens of Sequim are still invested in its children. Let’s prepare them to make a positive impact on the world by making this small commitment to our shared future. Sequim’s levy rate is the second-lowest in all of Clallam County. Even if April 22’s bond passes, our rate still would be significantly lower than districts of similarly assessed values. Please do your part to reinvest in our education system. Please vote YES FOR YOUR SCHOOLS! Holly Golden (Lange) SHS Class of 2004 Seattle

Add SARC to priorities A suggestion to property owners, the ultimate taxpayers: Prioritize. Have you ever thought how many community services require your tax dollars? We know of schools, fire and libraries, but do you know you own and operate a recreational center? Yes, it’s called the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center. I understand the name doesn’t impart instant awareness but it’s a junior taxing district much like the library. Both serve the community. While SARC hasn’t asked for a bond or levy for 13 years, it has kept your kids off the street, taught them how to swim and allowed them to physically test themselves in a controlled, clean facility for those years. Not to forget the older set; SARC, although its name doesn’t refer to the whole community, does enlist and instruct hundreds of those of older age every week in maintaining healthy lifestyles. Unlike most social services, SARC has charged a minimal user fee to extend your past bond and levy contributions. All this to say, come this next ballot on bonds and levies, please don’t forget one of your most financially competent community services; save a dollar or two for your 25-year-old recreation center’s forthcoming (within two years) levy action. Prioritize your current and future tax dollars. Jan Richardson Sequim

of class time. At least it’s an opportunity for sun except when it’s raining. I wonder if the school nurse monitors Vitamin D levels. Two thousand meals a day pass out of the kitchen that was built for a student population of 1,200 in yet another building in the maze. This culinary feat becomes all the more masterful when one sees that the kitchen is equipped with decades-old equipment, including one device that blew enough of something to cause a fire recently. 81 S. Bagley Creek Road & Highway 101 Port Angeles, WA 98362 (360)417-2664

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League aims to explain, boost Charter Review Commission 15-member board sets county vision by MICHAEL DASHIELL Sequim Gazette

The future of Clallam County starts at home. One of just six counties in Washington State to use the Home Rule Charter form of government, Clallam looks to 15 representatives — three from each of its commissioner districts — to amend the county charter, a kind of constitution for our region. Since it was established in 1976, Clallam County’s Home Rule Charter has undergone review by five commissions, in 1982, 1988, 1993, 2001 and 2006. Charter review commissioners serve one year, from the date they are elected. In November of 2014, county residents have a chance to run for and elect fellow residents to a review commission. “It’s a way for our citizens to have a say in how our county is organized,” said Sue Erzen, who was on the 2006 charter review commission. To that end, the League of Women Voters is hosting a pan-

el, “Running for the Charter Review Commission,” beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, April 14, in the Raymond Carver Room at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St. Panelist and County Commissioner Mike Doherty, explains what it means to be a charter county, tells how and why Clallam became a charter and discusses his experience with the charter over the years. League members Norma Turner and Mickie Vail talk about what it takes to be an effective charter review commissioner, and County Auditor Patty Rosand explains what to do to file for the election. The event also includes a time for questions from the audience. Those interested must file for the general election. The filing period this year is May 12-16.

‘Home’ rules Home Rule Charters allow counties to address matters not covered by state law. Charters can also provide the powers of initiative and referendum to the citizens of the county. The Clallam County Charter undergoes periodic reviews — now once every eight years

Forum on running for office set A public information forum on everything you need to know about filing and running for public office will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 19, sponsored by the Republican Women of Clallam County at Clallam County Republican Party Headquarters, 509 S. Lincoln St., Port Angeles. Shoona Riggs, elections supervisor at the Clallam County Auditor’s Office, will present information about running for office and discuss all the pertinent requirements to file as a candidate. Filing is coming up May

It happens that this device was purchased from the Navy, which strengthens my battleship analogy. We finished the tour in Helen Haller elementary school, which will be rebuilt in the east end of the district. The classrooms were as dark and stale as high school classrooms but more convenient, although I’m not sure that one toilet for each gender is enough in a building that seemed to hold at least 100 children. Part of the old Helen Haller will be torn down and some will be refurbished and used for Olympic Peninsula Academy, the school home for kids in home-school programs. We walked back to administration through the open campus, in which restrooms opened to quiet sidewalks, and Shea talked about safety and security. The bond will provide for connections between buildings so that students will walk through

12-16 for candidates for U.S. Congress, state Legislature, most county officials and various judicial posts. This also is the opportunity to file to serve on the County Charter Review Commission and as precinct committee officers. Have you always wanted to make a difference, but did not know how? This is your chance to learn all about the process and requirements. Questions that will be answered include: What are the qualifications for each position? What forms do I need to fill out? Are there

corridors instead of outside. The idea, besides getting out of the rain, is to provide control of access to buildings and enable a plan of protection in the event of suspicious activity. He said someone suggested building a fence and I envisioned the same chain-link fence that keeps prisoners in minimum security facilities.

Teachers and kids make a school Throughout the tour I noticed that each dim classroom seemed to take on a character of its own, which I suspect had much to do with the teacher creating a learning environment. Clearly teachers were making the effort to do the best they can with what they have. Smiles for and interest in the kids were the order of the day. The spirit of learning was alive and I concluded that children were in good hands. Which raised the question of

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how much better learning Shine a light in the would be in an environment classrooms in which form follows funcAs the man said, it’s all tion and equipment meets about the future of kids. Kids the needs of the 21st century learn better in daylight and student. fresh air. Is there a reason not to make schools efficient, safe ‘Why not wait and build parts of it later?’ and secure? Our permanent school buildings are built for Seventeen million dollars, the functions of the 1970s and said Shea. The district wants temporary portables should to take advantage of current not be permanent. Form construction costs and inter- needs to follow function and est rates. Shea says the need there just aren’t enough jobs won’t go away and the district for fixing 1970s cars. will come back to the comGo to www.sequimschools. munity with another bond wednet.edu/Page/3630 to measure. take your own tour. The School Board conThink about it and vote by sidered a bond in 2008 and April 22. decided for reasons we all know that 2008 was not the Bertha D. Cooper is retired year to ask. Shea makes the from a 40-plus year career point that the district has as a health care administraalways been a good steward tor focusing on the delivery of the bonds. The 1996 bond system as a whole. She still was refinanced when interest does occasional consulting. rates fell and as a result that She is a featured columnist bond will be retired at the end at the Sequim Gazette. of this year, three years earlier Reach her at columnists@ than its due date. sequimgazette.com.

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filing fees? What Public Disclosure Commission rules apply? The RWCC especially invites local voters who may be considering running for public office or helping Republican candidates campaign. The public is welcome and light refreshments will be served. The RWCC business meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. prior to the public forum. For more information, contact Stephanie Noblin, RWCC Publicity, at sn@larrynoblin. com.

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— to determine the charter’s adequacy and suitability. “This gives citizens an opportunity to have a voice in government without having to make the incredible life commitment,” Vail said. “You don’t have to have an agenda. I found it a very good learning experience.” Erzen said, “It’s a good mix (with) five from each district.” Vail, who served on the 2006 commission with Erzen, added, “It’s just like any board: fifteen people coming from fifteen places.” One of the more significant changes to the county charter, Erzen noted, was the decision to make the Clallam County Director of Community Development staffer into an elected position, the only one like it in the nation. “(That rule) will probably come up again this year,” Vail says. Erzen says the issue of number of county commissioners may come up as well. Other Washington State “Home Rule” county governments exist in King, Pierce, San Juan, Snohomish and Whatcom County; 33 other counties in the state operate under the commission form of government provided by state law.

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April 2, 2014 • A-11

SEQUIM GAZETTE

Sequim man found dead in Bogachiel River Sequim Gazette staff

Sequim resident William Rusk, 79, was found dead in the Bogachiel River in Forks on the morning of Thursday, March 27, after his boat overturned on March 21. Clallam County Sheriff’s De-

partment reported they recovered Rusk’s body at about 10:08 a.m. Thursday after a Forks fishing guide saw him submerged in about six feet of water. Rusk was found near the spot his boat was recovered days earlier, about two miles down river from the boating incident.

Quileute Tribal Fish and Wildlife Enforcement officers assisted with the recovery of Rusk’s body. Rusk’s boat overturned in the early evening of March 21 on the Bogachiel River in Forks just after he and friend Mark Roller of Vancouver, British Columbia, had

launched their drift boat from the Bogachiel Way fish hatchery. Roller made it to shore and threw Rusk a life jacket. Rusk held onto the life jacket and the boat as it drifted down the river. Roller called 9-1-1. Law enforcement searched for

NAMI sponsors series of classes The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Clallam County will sponsor a Family-to-Family Education Program beginning Saturday, April 12. This free, 12-week course is de-

signed to meet the needs of family members and close friends of an adult who is living with a mental illness. The course will meet from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Port Angeles at

Olympic Medical Center, 939 Caroline St., each Saturday. Information on bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and co-occurring disorders will be presented, along with

coping skills for handling crises and relapse. Other topics include current brain research, treatment and medication options, listening and communication techniques, and

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Priscilla Hudson, former vice-president of the MAC board, top left, leaves the room after addressing the board of trustees in a special meeting on March 29. She was the last person of several volunteers to resign, which led the MAC’s exhibit center to temporarily close through Tuesday morning until former volunteers opened it. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

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self-care for caregivers. The course is facilitated by trained family member volunteers. Curriculum for these classes was written by an experienced family member/mental health professional. Class size is limited, so early registration is advised. For more information or to register, call 452-5244.

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Rusk for two days. Chief Deputy Ron Cameron of the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department said they suspended the search as of Sunday evening after further searching. Rusk was a retired professional from California and new to the Sequim area.

From page A-1 trustees’ March 20 meeting as a “hostile takeover” after a handful of potential trustees applied and were voted onto the board. “You not only destroyed a part of my heart, you affected the lives of paid and unpaid staff and many volunteers and have damaged the professional state of the MAC,” she said. Trustee Candace Burkhardt said the museum will survive the changes. “We’re moving forward and the museum is going to be fine,” Burkhardt said. Following the resignations, the museum’s exhibit center, 175 W. Cedar St., did not open on Saturday, March 29, but new MAC board members and volunteers with Sequim Arts reopened it on Tuesday, April 1. Lester Ellis, a new trustee, said they’ve permanently switched back from a $3 entry fee to a donation. They also plan to be open for the First Friday Art Walk.

Financial issues The conflict, said Board of Trustees Secretary Bob Stipe, stems from the museum’s former trustees and staff not revealing financial information. New Board of Trustees President Jerry Brownfield said they’ve been following the financial issue for about a year and that a lot of red flags went up. New and old museum members brought up money issues at the members’ meeting, wondering why the museum should pay for two

consultants and staff when there is a shortfall. It was revealed the museum lost $138,998 in 2013 and is expected to lose $65,458 this year. The museum lost $43,466 in 2008, $3,094 in 2009, $45,317 in 2010, and $87,372 in 2011. In January the museum’s available operating fund consisted of about $40,000 from an endowment which is worth about $163,000, but $120,000 is restricted and can’t be used for general operating expenses. The museum closed its Second Chance Consignment Shop on Feb. 25 due to declining revenues, a move which may save $21,000 a year. Stipe said the board’s biggest focus right now is finances and trustees are unsure how much is due to staff and consultants Michael Friedline, who resigned on March 20, and Richard Beckerman, who resigned earlier. Robert Schlechter, who has worked on the MAC’s photo collection for the past three years, said Bassett tried to raise money and it didn’t happen. “(The consultants) never got a chance to prove themselves,” he said. Former volunteer Lyn Fiveash said Beckerman was an asset who changed the exhibit center, which finished a remodel on Feb. 2, for the better in only a few hours. “Sequim needs those tourists in … for revenue,” she said.

Director’s resignation Bassett resigned on March 28 in an e-mail to Hudson “due to the hostile take-over of the Board of Trustees by an outside self-interest group.”

From page A-1

Subscriptions are just $36 per year. Gazette readers who want to go digital-only will have that option as well. In addition, the Gazette is adding a “green” edition — a digital replica of the print edition. Previously, all content at www.sequi-

mgazette.com was available free. Urgent news stories of community importance — including a calendar of community events — along with classifieds, special sections and obituaries, will be placed outside of what’s called a paywall, meaning they won’t count toward a user’s free monthly access limit. The Sequim Gazette and Peninsula Daily News join 500 newspapers nationwide, including the Seattle Times,

because of the leadership they had. “They (the new board members) don’t know how to run a museum. It’s sad,” she said. “DJ, with Renee (Mizar, communications coordinator & executive assistant), has brought the museum up to a professional level.” Brownfield said he’s received multiple calls from past board members and volunteers looking to help since the changes. “It’s been a good response,” he said. “The community has been waiting for this to happen.” Randy Radock spoke to the board on Saturday, saying he wants to serve as a liaison between the museum and Sequim Arts. “We plan to repair the damage,” he said. Bob Clark, a co-founder of the museum and current board adviser, said he’s served as a committee member of the Dungeness Schoolhouse and they’ve worked to cut finances so that it is within $1,000 of breaking even. He hopes the facility will be rented during Lavender Weekend. Steph Ellyas, exhibit center manager for more than a year and a volunteer for four years prior, said she was laid off but would have quit due to the changes. “I liked the work,” she said. “I hope it keeps going, but I won’t come back.” Ellyas hopes volunteers do come back, though, because “It’s too nice of a place to see it go.” Trustees meet at 5 p.m. Thursday in the DeWitt Administration building, 544 N. Sequim Ave.

Kitsap Sun and Port Townsend Leader, in charging for digital content. The weekly Forks Forum, another sister paper to the Gazette and s, will not be participating in the pay system at this time for its website, www.forksforum.com. For more information, e-mail editor Michael Dashiell at editor@sequimgazette.com or call him at 360-683-3311, x5050.

evening classes will be from 6-8:30 p.m. on April 8, 15 and 22 at the Armory Square building at 228 W. First St. in Port Angeles. The field trips will be on the afternoons of April 12, 19 and 26. A $25 registration fee covers the cost of materials, including a book on native plants. To register, contact the Clallam Conservation District at 360-775-3747. The deadline for registering is April 4. One free field workshop on landscaping with native plants is being offered separately from the natural landscaping course. The workshop will be held at the Dungeness Recreation Area from 1-4:30 p.m. Friday, April 25. No fee is charged for the field workshop, but due to space limitations, pre-registration is required. Call the Conservation District at 360-775-3747 to register.

History Tales puts on ‘West of the Elwha’

Local researcher and author Alice Alexander presents “West of the Elwha” at the Clallam County Historical Society’s History Tales lecture series at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 6, at the First United Methodist Church, 110 E. Seventh St., Port Angeles. Alexander is the author of five books. In addition, she writes a monthly column for the Peninsula Daily News. She is active with the Clallam County Historical Society, Celebrate Heritage and the Heritage Advisory Board. History Tales is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Clallam County Historical Society’s office at 452-2662 or e-mail artifact@olypen.com.

OBITUARIES Tamera K. Flores Eugene, Ore., resident Tamera K. Flores died March 14, 2014, in Eugene. Survivors include her mother, Shirley Jahns, and brother, Troy Grahn, both of Sequim.

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He said most of the staff and volunteers have stepped away from the museum due to the “hostility” but he encouraged respect for the museum and the incoming volunteers. Bassett, who came to the museum in 2010, has been a point of contention for groups such as Sequim Arts after a dispute over finances BASSETT for an art show. Linda Stadtmiller, Sequim Arts president, said she and Bridget Baker, former exhibit center manager, will volunteer at the center on Tuesday and Sequim Arts volunteers through the week. In October, Sequim Arts publicized a conflict with Bassett about shared revenues, estimating the club lost $1,000 for Sequim Arts’ Juried Art Show held at the MAC. Stadtmiller said Bassett failed to honor their verbal agreement despite agreeing to it the previous year. She sent correspondence to former Board President Gideon Cauffman, but Bassett said he did not receive the letter and that there was no spoken contract between the agencies. Sequim Arts recently stopped renting space from the museum, as did Readers Theatre Plus. Olympic Driftwood Sculptors postponed its April 1 exhibit to a later date but looks to partner in the future, organizers said. Angelina Reese, a museum photo archivist since 2012, said volunteers were glad to donate their time and talents

Registration is open for the Clallam Conservation District’s annual spring natural landscaping course and spring landscaping with native plants field workshop. Conservation district manager Joe Holtrop is the instructor for both the course and the field workshop. The natural landscape course applies permaculture design principles to help participants develop their own sustainable landscape plans. Through a combination of lectures and field trips, course participants are instructed on how to develop landscape designs suited to the unique ecological conditions of their properties. The course emphasizes water conservation, stormwater management, wildlife habitat enhancement and minimal maintenance. There are three Tuesday evening classes and three Saturday field trips. The


A-12 • April 2, 2014

SEQUIM GAZETTE

2014 BirdFest ready for flock of visitors U.S. and Canadian birders flock to Sequim in early April each year to enjoy the three-day Olympic BirdFest. The 2014 Festival (April 4-6) offers “Birding by Land and Sea,” a new, two-day pre-festival field trip that offers an opportunity to see birdlife seldom seen from land. “We should have a very exciting time exploring a section of the Washington coast that receives little attention from birders — anything is possible,” said Bob Boekelheide, seabird biologist and one of the trip leaders. On Wednesday morning, April 2, the guided trip begins with birding around Neah Bay by van and foot to several birding hotspots and beautiful areas within the Makah Nation. After a freshly caught halibut buffet dinner, and weather permitting, the group will enjoy stories and camaraderie around the resort’s campfire. On Thursday, April 3, participants will board the M/V Wind Song in search of birds that spend most of their lives offshore. Boekelheide and expert birder Denny Van Horn will identify birds and wildlife as the Wind Song, crewed by Makah tribal members, takes them to the Juan de Fuca Canyon, Tatoosh Island and Swiftsure Bank. Shearwater, albatross, petrel and northern fulmar are some of the viewing possibilities. Meals, boat trip, expert guides and lodging are included in the $325-$395 per person trip cost. The Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society started BirdFest in 2004. The festival offers nearly two dozen guided trips, workshops and a gala banquet with silent auction and raffle. Noah Strycker, the 2014 banquet speaker, is a photographer, author and adventurer. He has a degree in fisheries and wildlife and is associate editor of Birding magazine. On April 7, following BirdFest,

THE FUN

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Seabird biologist Bob Boekelheide, left, and Denny Van Horn, right, are exceptional guides. Photos by Sue Chickman

Not open to visitors, Tatoosh Island is a former Coast Guard station with a decommissioned lighthouse. The Makah Tribe maintains treaty rights to the land, once a whaling base.

there are two more other birdingby-boat experiences. Boekelheide and Van Horn will be the naturalists on board a three-day birding and wildlife cruise to the San Juan Islands, and a second — very popular — three-hour cruise goes around Protection Island at Admiralty Inlet. Both cruises depart from John Wayne Marina in Sequim. A chapter of the National Audubon Society and a partner of the Dungeness River Audubon Center, OPAS created BirdFest to help support the educational programs and operations of the center and Railroad Bridge Park. To learn more about the Neah Bay seabird trip or the Olympic BirdFest, log onto www.olympicbirdfest.org or call the Dungeness River Audubon Center at 681-4076.

Charles Drabek, Sequim High School wrestling head coach, teaches a lesson to students about escaping a pin in the Mat Rats program, which emphasizes the fundamentals in wrestling for younger athletes. During March Sequim’s up-andcoming wrestlers learned the basics at Mat Rats. Coaches and high school wrestlers taught techniques and strategies twice a week to students ages 5-12 in the Sequim Community School gymnasium. More than 50 students participated in the camp which encourages and prepares athletes for middle and high school wrestling. Drabek said the program grew from last year and was another success. For more information on the program next year, contact Drabek at 477-7501, cshells@live.com or Anthony Gowdy at agowdy@sequim.k12.wa.us. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Four screenings set for tribe’s documentary Jamestown S’Klallam tribal elder Marlin Holden and videographer Al Bergstein will host four separate screenings of their new short film “Legacy of Our Ancestors: Treaty Resources of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.” Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to defray costs. Through interviews with tribal citizens who use modern methods to fish, hunt and gather, and those who remember the old ways, juxtaposed with historical photographs and explanatory narrative, this film reconnects viewers to the cycles of nature which allowed indigenous people to thrive through the millennia; knowledge of which is necessary not only for the survival of humans, but also for the

health of the planet. “Legacy of Our Ancestors: Treaty Resources of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe” was conceived by Marlin Holden, chairman of the tribe’s Natural Resources Committee, and filmed by videographer Al Bergstein, with financial support from Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Council. Holden and Bergstein interviewed tribal fishers, hunters and gatherers to create a film that captures the legacy left by ancestors, with Native methods that continue to serve the tribe well in the 21st century. The documentary will be shown at the following locations and times: • Elwha Klallam Heritage Center, 401 E. First St., Port Angeles

— Tuesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. • Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Avenue, Port Townsend — Wednesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. • Jefferson County Library, 620 Cedar Ave., Port Hadlock — Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. • Dungeness Schoolhouse, 2781 Towne Road, Sequim — Wednesday, April 16, at 7 p.m. This showing will include a special additional video: “Working for the River: Restoring the Dungeness River,” conceived by the tribe’s Natural Resources Environmental Planning Program, to help property owners along the Dungeness River understand the importance of preserving and restoring the riparian ecosystem for future generations.

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