Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 • A 5
The big – and little – stories of 2017 LEADER STAFF NEWS@PTLEADER.COM
cargo jet and is a flight instructor, owns the five-seat single engine Beech Staggerwing, built in 1937. Bow said he was taking the plane out for a warm up and it had fuel but that the fuel wasn’t getting to the engine.
Stories. There are so many of them every day that sometimes we lose track of where we’ve been. There were big and little stories in 2017, some that impacted all of us and some that impacted a few only briefly. Stories matter because they inform us and help us decide our future. As we head into 2018, we thought we’d remember some of the stories that affected the community this year.
Dem chair resigns weeks after election Linda Mederios Callaham announced she was resigning as head of the Jefferson County Democratic Party after being elected in a controversial vote Dec. 4. The Jan. 26 meeting, set for the Tri-Area Community Center, had to be moved across the street to the Chimacum High School auditorium because so many people wanted to talk about that as well as actions taken by President Donald Trump.
January
700-plus housing units in PT planning hopper Boom times are back again for the residential construction industry and it could lead to more than 700 new housing units in Port Townsend in the next few years. If all the proposals become reality, it could represent a 17 percent increase in the city’s housing capacity. “It’s of a scale that we have not seen before since I’ve been here,” said City Manager David Timmons. “It’s going to challenge [city staff], in a good way. Another twist with the housing projects: All of them are being promoted by local people. By June, all of those projects were on the backburner.
Minimum wage goes to $11 per hour January 1 saw Washington state’s minimum wage increase 16.15 percent, from $9.47 per hour in 2016 to $11 per hour in 2017. It’s a move that some in Jefferson County are afraid could indirectly harm the very same struggling employees, it’s intended to support, by hampering their employers.
County relies on Ludlow residents as monitors One estimate was that 1,000 people showed up Saturday, Jan. 21 to join in the Port Townsend Womxn’s March. The crowd filled the area surrounding Haller Fountain and spilled out onto Taylor Street and up Washington Street. Photo courtesy Bob Page
Teaming up for mental health care
Women, men join Women’s March
Jefferson Healthcare and Discovery Behavioral Healthcare are eyeing funding to build an outpatient mental health facility that could have transitional housing in the same building. “We’re going to develop and submit a proposal that has outpatient health services on the ground floor and on the second and third floor, transitional housing,” Jefferson Healthcare CEO Mike Glenn told commissioners. Glenn told commissioners that he and Adam Marquis, executive director of Discovery Behavioral Healthcare – previously known as Jefferson Mental Health Services – are watching Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed budget to see what money might be available for such an innovative project.
First, there was one bus. Then there were two buses. Then three. Now there are four buses of women and men from Jefferson County heading to Seattle Jan. 21 to march in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington, taking place that same day in Washington, D.C. There are also men and women from Jefferson County heading to the D.C. event, which is timed to take place on the day after the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the United States’ 45th president.
February
Hoist fails, boat dangles Mike Deach expected to be
halfway home to Lopez Island by noon on Monday aboard Bernice, his 60-foot commercial fishing vessel that had been three weeks in the Port of Port Townsend Shipyard. Instead, he was sipping coffee and waiting for his boat to be returned to the yard after the port’s 75-ton mobile hoist failed while preparing to lower Bernice at the Boat Haven. The boat dropped about 15 feet in two increments, bow-down in the water but without hitting the concrete pier. No one was hurt.
Vintage aircraft ditches in bay A Beech E-17L, based at Jefferson County International Airport, made a water landing in Discovery Bay around 2:35 p.m. Jan. 24. Jeff Dow, a former flight engineer on cargo jets who now flies a commercial Boeing 767
Jefferson County is relying on property owners in Port Ludlow to help monitor timber activities of the Port Ludlow Associates (PLA) while expecting PLA to follow through with a pledge to inform the county of any harvest plans 30 days in advance if the harvest meets certain criteria. Those expectations emerged during a two-hour public presentation Jan. 25 by Jefferson County Administrator Philip Morley, Jefferson County Commissioner Kathleen Kler and PLA President Diana Smeland on a recent settlement agreement between the county and PLA over timber harvesting.
Brinnon man charged with assaulting deputy Glen Jones of Brinnon was to be arraigned Feb. 3 in Jefferson County Superior Court with two counts of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon stemming from a Jan. 29 vehicle chance that ended with Jones being See REVIEW, page 6▼
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A 6 • Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
2 0 1 7 ➥ Y EAR IN R EVIEW ▼Continued from page 5
tasered for allegedly attacking a sheriff’s deputy with a claw hammer. Deputy Derek Allen had been patrolling Brinnon at about noon on Sunday Jan. 29 when he encountered 59 year-old Jones, according to a probable cause statement.
Organizations join under one umbrella The Jefferson County Community Foundation (JCCF) and United Good Neighbors (UGN) are merging to create what they hope will be a new era in philanthropy and volunteer engagement in Jefferson County. The two organizations have worked collaboratively since 2012 with shared staffand facilities. Now, they intend to merge by March 31 with one board overseeing both.
BOCC affirms rights In front of a small crowd of onlookers, Jefferson County commissioners voted unanimously Monday, Feb. 6 to approve a human rights proclamation that is seen as a rebuke to the proposed immigration policies of President Donald Trump.
Jefferson eyes buying mental health clinic Jefferson Healthcare CEO Mike Glen told hospital commissioners Feb. 1 that he would seek approval for the public health care system to affiliate with Discovery Behavioral Healthcare effective March 1 and work toward acquiring the private nonprofit organization by Dec. 31. Although the two agencies are cooperating, by summer it was determined Jefferson Healthcare could not buy Discovery Behavioral Health because it wouldn’t pencil out.
Port needs revenue, seeks rate increases Raising user fees, attracting new streams of business revenue, potentially raising property taxes and operating more efficiently are all part of the solution to the Port of Port Townsend needing more operating cash to stay afloat, port officials told about 30 people on Feb. 1. “The port has been on a trajectory toward insolvency for quite some time,” said port commissioner Brad Clinefelter.
615 vote yes for levy The Chimacum School District four-year replacement maintenance and operation levy was approved Tuesday, Feb. 14 by
Steel and wood form the curved roof, which, when finished, is intended to give the appearance of floating. This is a construction scene from January. Photo by Patrick Sullivan
voters with a 61 percent approval rate. “Every single person who took the time to vote matters,” said Superintendent Rick Thompson.
Sanctuary debate on While a human rights proclamation passed Feb. 6 by Jefferson County commissioners was greeted with applause, the Port Townsend City Council’s Feb. 13 workshop to discuss declaring Port Townsend a sanctuary city was met with divided responses from the moment the public was invited to speak. “I don’t support this,” Brody Turner said. “These people don’t belong here. If they want to become legal, then fine. If we become a sanctuary or ‘welcoming’ city, then I will do my best to notify the authorities about these people. I don’t want to have to worry about these people, and whether they have criminal intent.”
Union, mill sign 5-year contract A five-year labor contract between the Port Townsend Paper Corp. and the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 175 was approved Feb. 7 by union members with an overwhelming 115 yes votes to 32
votes cast against it. The mill’s first offer was narrowly rejected in January.
Chimacum principal Meissner resigns Whitney Meissner announced she would resign as principal of Chimacum High School once her employment status as superintendent of the La Conner School District is confirmed. The resignation took effect June 30. Meissner, 46, said her family is from the Skagit Valley and she’s been talking about moving back to that area. She graduated from Sedro-Woolley High School.
Grant Street Elementary: Six names Grant Street Elementary is being replaced with a new school, slated to open in September 2018. The new school merits a new name, district officials decided. Elementary students and the general public were asked for suggestions, and the list of 131 nominees has been pared down to six: Chetzemoka, Discovery, Kah Tai, Salish Point, Salish Sea and Salish Trails. Salish Coast was subsequently chosen as the school’s new name in March.
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Dave Thompson has worked on the waterfront since 1980 and recalls only one other time when a Port of Port Townsend mobile boat hoist failed. Thompson is a shipwright who worked on the 60-foot Bernice, which was dropped Jan. 30 when a set of pulleys on the 75-ton hoist failed. Photo courtesy of Dave Thompson
March
Stebbins steps down from Quilcene post Quilcene principal Gary Stebbins promised the Quilcene School District he would stay on as its principal for two years, but it’s only now, as he reaches the end of his fourth year, that he’s retiring. “In my 44 years as an educator, this is my fourth retirement,” Stebbins said of retiring one last time.
PT couple safe after close call in Guatemala A Port Townsend couple is now safe in Mexico after a close call with Guatemalan authorities that nearly landed them in jail. The two had been in Guatemala on a Women on Waves mission, which was cut short when authorities would not allow them to disembark and then expelled them from the country.
‘Watchdog’ wins $18,000 judgment Tom Thiersch won a $18,000 judgment for having been vigilant in 2015 and catching the Jefferson County Public Utility District and Commissioner Wayne King acting
in violation of the state Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA). Jefferson County Superior Court Judge Keith Harper signed a judgment order Feb. 27 in which the PUD and Wayne King agree to pay Thiersch $4,000 for violating RCW 42.30.120(1). That law states that each member of a governing body who attends a meeting with knowledge that the meeting is in violation of the law should be exacted a civil penalty. The PUD and King did not contest the order.
$115K in stolen gold, silver recovered The discovery of more than $100,000 worth of stolen gold and silver Feb. 28 and March 1 has left law enforcement in Jefferson and Clallam counties wondering to whom the treasure belongs. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Detective Joe Nole confirmed that a home in Kala Point was reported burglarized Feb. 18, when neighbors discovered an open door. The resident returned home and reported that coins from a collection were missing. The name of the collector was not being released.
City imposes moratorium The Port Townsend City Council approved a 180-day See REVIEW, page 6▼
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Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 • A 7
201 7 ➥ Y E AR IN R EV IEW
Utility workers had to take down some power lines so that the two-story apartment building could make its way along Decatur Street and Sims Way on May 11. The power was out for two and a half hours at the Boat Haven fuel depot. Photo by Chris Tucker ▼Continued from page 6
moratorium on permits for “tourist home” rentals on March 20. Following the council’s unanimous approval of the moratorium, April 3 was established as the council’s next date to discuss shortterm rental rules. April 17 has been set aside for a public hearing on the moratorium on new conversions of homes to tourist homes.
Port changes operations at Quilcene Site safety issues and a new management plan have led the Port of Port Townsend to make staffing changes at Herb Beck Marina in Quilcene. Jim Speer, who has worked at the port’s Quilcene operation for 21 years and has been the official on-site caretaker for 10 years, had his contract terminated Feb. 28. Jim and his wife, Donna, are also being evicted from the port-owned dwelling on the Quilcene property.
Japanese study Quilcene clinic
April
New women’s health clinic ready to serve Women can now avoid a trip to Seattle for gynecological care thanks to Jefferson Healthcare’s new women’s health clinic, which opened for service April 3. Lisa Holt, chief ancillary officer for the hospital, said the “dynamic duo” of Dr. Ann Hoffman and Jane Albee, ARNP, run the clinic. “These ladies are so enthusiastic, so excited,” Holt said. Holt said a rigorous search was conducted to find a doctor who would be a good fit for the area. One of the challenges was finding an obstetrician/ gynecologist who was willing to walk away from a busy obstetrics practice to instead focus primarily on gynecology.
Fort Worden squares up to begin arts center
The Fort Worden Public Development Authority (FWPDA) is moving ahead Although an ocean and with plans for the proposed several time zones sepaMakers Square, an area of rate them, both Jefferson Fort Worden State Park that County, Washington, and the Ishikawa Prefecture in would be dedicated to arts, cultural and educational Japan are home to rural programming. residents whose distance Signal Architecture and from big cities can limit the medical resources read- Research, which has developed the plan for the $13 ily available to them. million project, presented a A delegation from the two-hour update on March 29 Ishikawa Prefectural to an audience that included Nursing University made the FWPDA board, the the trip to Jefferson Fort Worden Coordinating County on March 24 to Committee, the Friends of see how the South County Medical Clinic in Quilcene Fort Worden and other interested parties. ensures that local country dwellers can receive quality health care. Merrily Mount serves as the nurse practitioner for the clinic, a position that doesn’t even exist The swooping roof taking in Japan, so her visitors shape on a new dwelling expect it will take at least atop Port Townsend’s a half-dozen years to prop- Morgan Hill has some erly emulate her practice. people calling it the “spaceship” or “eyebrow” house. Designed as “organic”
New ‘spaceship’ house lands in PT
architecture in the same vein of Frank Lloyd Wright (18671959), it’s certainly one of the most unusual residential construction projects ever undertaken in Port Townsend. “It’s a one-of-a-kind project. There is lots, lots of work here that nobody has ever done before,” said Eli Semke, project manager for Don Tankersley Construction of Portland, Oreg. “Lots of problem solving and being inventive.” The house has been commissioned by Sam and Berry Shoen, who have lived in Port Townsend nearly 25 years.
Anthony “Tony” DeLeo has decided to retire and not seek what would have been his eighth six-year term in office. “The decision to leave office at the end of my current term was not an easy one,” DeLeo said. Cheri Van Hoover announced she would seek the seat DeLeo has held.
Marijuana plan draws attention
An application by Olympus Gardens to build a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse to grow marijuana on Marrowstone Island has drawn the attention of islanders. Stephen Hermanson Austin Smith of Seattle remembered how his brother, filed a request with Eric, loved his cat, Handy. The Jefferson County March cat remained near 57-year-old 7 for a cottage-industry Eric Hermanson after he died permit to process recrein a house fire early Saturday ational marijuana inside a morning, April 8, Hermanson 10,080-square-foot, 23-footsaid Monday. tall greenhouse at 9272 Heavy smoke claimed the Flagler Road in Nordland. life of 57-year-old Eric Paul Hermanson following a basement blaze at a Cook Avenue Extension home. Hermanson died from accidental asphyxiation caused by a house fire, an autopsy concluded, according Jefferson County has to Jefferson County Sheriff’s agreed to pay Michael Office Detective Joe Nole. Belenski and his expert witness $150,000 to settle a state Open Public Records Act lawsuit. The county also agree April 24 to implement measures intended to After more than 40 continuous years as a Jefferson provide greater online transparency, including hiring Healthcare commissioner,
1 dead, 1 uninjured in PT house fire
County pays $150K in records settlement
After 40 years, DeLeo to retire
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A 8 • Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
2 0 1 7 ➥ Y EAR IN R EVIEW ▼Continued from page 7
with questions about student discipline and academic issues, and asked to take action, not just listen. The board presented the event as a “special forum for local citizens,” during which board members and the superintendent could receive public comments on what the district itself acknowledged has been poor student performance. Dozens of parents, volunteers and concerned community members without children in the district expanded the event’s stated focus on low scholastic achievement to include student behavioral issues.
a full-time public records administrator. County Administrator Philip Morley was joined by Philip Hunsucker, the newly hired chief civil deputy prosecutor for the county, in addressing the finer points of the settlement, which is the culmination of Belenski’s 2012 lawsuit under the state’s Public Records Act, after he’d made requests in 2010 and 2011 for the county’s internet access logs.
PTPC fined $30,000
After spring drive, Victims: Ride concert, radio station caught on bolt One of the three riders airs new ideas who fell about 15 feet from a
The Port Townsend Paper Corp. (PTPC) has been fined $30,000 by the state Department of Ecology for two emissions violations in 2016. It was the largest fine the mill has received since 1991, when it was fined $20,000 for a water-quality violation. Ecology spokesman Andrew Wineke said Monday that state inspectors observed the Aug. 19, 2016 pollution release during an unannounced inspection, and that a Nov. 10 release was found by mill staff as a result of a routine test and was reported to Ecology by mill employees.
Following the success of last year’s sold- out Joni Mitchell tribute concert and this year’s popular Beatles tribute, KPTZ-FM’s Tim Quackenbush is hoping to organize more events that bring the community together and support the local nonprofit radio station – in addition to the annual birthday tribute show held in early May. “I would like to produce a few concerts per year, so that we can have fun while we’re fundraising,” the KPTZ concert producer said of the possibility of adding a late summer or fall concert.
May
City plans upgrade for Water Street Downtown Port Townsend should look different by June 2018 after a significant reworking of Water Street between the ferry terminal and Taylor Street is completed. The Water Street Enhancement Project is just one aspect of a $13.8 million plan that also includes upgrading the Port Townsend Public Library; improving the “triangle” on Sims Way in front of the Jefferson County Visitor Center; working on Howard Street and a State Route 20 pedestrian walkway near a ravine; improving the intersection at Washington and Jefferson streets; funding preliminary design for Seventh Street; and repaying an interfund loan that covered the cost of previous sidewalk work on Landes and Sheridan streets.
ride on opening day. Rhododendron Festival vice president Brandi Hamon, who has been coming to the festival for 40 years, was at the carnival May 18 with her son, Nick, and Rhody Fest president Debbie LaFollette and LaFollette’s son, Levi, when the incident occurred at about 5:30 p.m. They were called on to help with crowd control after three people fell about 15 feet from the purple no. 2 gondola of what is called the Phoenix wheel. “The Ferris [Phoenix] wheel was supposed to be the focal point of the carnival,” Hamon said.
Funtastic Carnival manager Keith Ellefson (left) looks over the Phoenix wheel with Richard Spromberg, a state-licensed ride inspector, at Memorial Athletic Field on Friday morning, May 19 after three people fell out of the ride at about 5:30 p.m., Thursday night. The ride remains in Port Townsend, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, and is to be taken to Portland later this week for further inspection. Photo by Chris Tucker
$1.2M jury award overturned
1.5% tax proposed on income in PT
A $1.2 million judgment against Jefferson Transit has been reversed by the state Court of Appeals because an expert witness was not allowed to testify in a jury trial and because an attorney made prejudicial comments that judges concluded led to “arguably excessive damages award.” Port Hadlock plumber Michael Gilmore was awarded $1.2 million in 2015 after a six-day trial in Jefferson County Superior Court, seven years after a Jefferson Transit bus rear-ended him at a Port Townsend traffic light. Jefferson Transit initially appealed that decision to Superior Court Judge Keith Harper, asking for a new trial and calling the verdict excessive.
An income tax for highincome Port Townsend residents? A small Port Townsend group led by Tobi McEnerney says such a tax would be a remedy for Washington state’s regressive tax structure. The group favors a 1.5 percent tax on income of more than $200,000 and it plans to hold a forum on the idea.
themselves in the lurch. The new locks are planned to be installed, along with a $58,191 renovation of the bathroom/ shower facility, in order to better serve the port’s customers. Port Commissioner Steve Tucker wants to make sure that homeless and off-thegrid folks have some way to stay clean and heed the call of Mother Nature.
Fourplex rolls through PT A buzzing drone, dozens of spectators and a small army of workers in yellow safety vests were all part of the spectacle of moving a two-story, four-unit apartment building from the Port Townsend waterfront to a plot of land near the Grace Lutheran Church on May 11. Just a day before, the home had been floating offshore the Port Townsend waterfront on a Harken Towing barge that was towed by the tug D. D. Catherwood.
Legislator supports Downtown income tax idea ‘Bathroom summit’ When the issue of income merchants brace for project come up, Rep. Mike proposed by Port taxes Chapman remembers his
When electronic card access locks are installed at the Port of Port Townsend’s bathroom and shower building this fall, homeless and off-the-grid people who use those facilities may find
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mother and when he was growing up. Chapman, a Democrat from Port Angeles, said there are women who are living in their cars with their children, scared to death that they could be deemed unfit mothers because they can’t afford housing. “There are times when I heard that and I thought back to my mom, who worked so hard that we didn’t have to live out of our car,” he said to an audience of about 24 people who gathered at the Cotton Building in Port Townsend on May 11 to talk about possibly implementing a citywide income tax.
Chimacum parents: Deal with discipline The Chimacum School Board intended to listen to concerns of parents May 13, but instead was peppered
The number of parking spaces following the completion of the Water Street Enhancement Project should remain the same, and sidewalk installation is expected to be the most disruptive part of the project for businesses. Parking and sidewalks were two of numerous issues discussed during a May 10 meeting about the estimated $2.65 million Water Street road project from the ferry terminal to Taylor Street, which is planned for Jan. 5 through mid-June 2018. About 70 people attended the meeting, which was sponsored by the Port Townsend Main Street Program.
Carnival ride accident a first The 82nd Rhododendron Festival will go down in Rhody history as the first to make national headlines in at least 30 years, after three people fell and were injured at a Funtastic Carnival
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carnival ride May 18 during the Rhododendron Festival told police that the Phoenix wheel gondola she was riding in got caught on a bolt and tipped them out. Witnesses to the incident say that the riders may have been standing up in the ride, which is not allowed. Port Townsend Police Department (PTPD) reports offer conflicting information. Three riders were taking a cell phone selfie just before they got tipped out and landed on the ride’s metal platform May 18 at Memorial Athletic Field, according to the reports. One person was seriously injured in the accident; that victim was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The cause of the accident remained under investigation.
June
Chimacum band performs in D.C. The Chimacum school marching band, which has no stranger to traveling out of state, whether to Victoria, British Columbia, to take part in its Victoria Day parades, or to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, to perform in its Memorial Day parade, went to the nation’s capital as participants in the May 29 National Memorial Day Parade.
Chimacum goes on brief lockdown The Chimacum elementary, middle and high school campus went on lockdown for approximately 10 minutes on Tuesday, May 30, after a former middle school student, who had been barred from the campus, returned with a knife. The 14-year-old youth, who was not named, was apprehended by Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies on the sidewalk outside the school, according to Chimacum Superintendent Rick Thompson.
Price set at $28.1M for Salish Coast The new Salish Coast Elementary School has a price cap of $28,113,881 after the Port Townsend School Board voted May 30 in favor of a contract with Absher Construction Co. See REVIEW, page 9▼
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 • A 9
2 0 1 7 ➥ Y EAR IN R EVIEW after hanging himself Sept. 16, 2016 in Jefferson County Jail, has filed a lawsuit against Jefferson County. Attorneys for Kele Lorecki, one of Lorecki’s grown sons, filed the suit March 28 in Kitsap County Superior Court, alleging that the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and corrections staff failed to “adequately supervise Lorecki despite his obvious suicidal state.” In a response, attorneys representing Jefferson County led a brief April 24 contending that Thomas Lorecki “was responsible for and assumed the risks of his conduct which was the proximate cause of his death.”
And it’s a win for the community, he said … On July 5, the boat school officially announced its plan to purchase and lease out the Ajax property to the cafe and install a septic drain eld on its upper campus. The purchased property would expand the school and also connect its upper and lower campuses, which now are separate.
Security cameras on campuses
Lynch new principal at Chimacum The Chimacum School District confirmed June 6 that Jason Lynch has been selected as the new principal for Chimacum Elementary. Chimacum Superintendent Rick Thompson issued a press release touting Lynch’s “rich background” as an elementary teacher, Title I director and administrative intern who was selected “from a very competitive pool of experienced educators.
R2AK arrives It’s time to party in Port Townsend this week and wish bon voyage to 63 boaters heading out to sea on a 750-mile Race to Alaska (R2AK). “We were on CBS Sunday Morning today,” said Jake Beattie, a cofounder of the race and current executive director of the Northwest Maritime Center, in an email. And this year, in addition to the Race to Alaska, which was held later in June last year, Port Townsend and Chimacum high school graduations are scheduled at Fort Worden State Park on Friday and Saturday.
Chimacum teacher honored A Chimacum High School teacher who was recently name a Teacher of the Year is using a hands-on approach to teach students about bees and put the high school on a nationwide bee-friendly map. Gary Coyan has worked for seven years at Chimacum’s high school and middle school, where he teaches the horticulture, foods and art classes.
PUD checks out bank land property An empty Union Bank building at 2200 Sims Way could become headquarters for Jefferson County Public Utility District (PUD) depending on the outcome of a 90-day review. Jefferson County PUD commissioners voted unanimously June 6 to enter into a purchase and sale agreement with MUFG Union Bank of San Francisco to buy the building for $1.2 million – if it passes an environmental inspection and a feasibility study.
Housing crisis prompts levy talk “The level of affordable housing in the county is at crisis proportions,” Jefferson County Administrator Philip Morley told the county commissioners Monday, July 19, as he opened a dialogue on a potential levy for a Home Opportunity Fund. “Housing and rental costs keep going up, and rental availability rates continue to drop,” Morley said.
Former student faces charges A former Chimacum Middle School student who was arrested May 30 by Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies after trespassing on school grounds is heading to a bench trial June 29. During a June 14 pretrial hearing in Jefferson County Juvenile Court for the 14-year-old defendant, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Anna Phillips asked to add a fifth count of assault in the second-degree with a deadly weapon to the other four counts of assault, with which he was already charged.
Board: Don’t add Lincoln School to National Register The Lincoln School building on the Port Townsend High School campus has been nominated to be included on the National Register of Historic Places. School officials say it could cost millions to rehabilitate the 1892 building and that restoring it may not be the best use of school property. Port Townsend School Board members Nathanael O’Hara, Laura Tucker, Connie Welch and Jennifer James-Wilson voted 4-0 during a June 16 school board meeting to send a letter to the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation stating their opposition to adding the building to the register.
Burd brothers sail away with 1st Just four days after the third annual, 750mile engineless-boat Race to Alaska started in Port Townsend June 8, three brothers from Massachusetts, Tripp, Trevor and Chris Burd made it to Ketchikan, Alaska, on June 15 to become the firstplace finishers. R2AK communications manager Anika Colvin reported times for Stage 2 of this year’s race, encompassing the 710 miles from Victoria, British Columbia, to Ketchikan, which put Team Pure & Wild/Freeburd literally just minutes ahead of second-place Team Big Broderna.
July
Last dairy closes: Bishop sells herd Gerald Bishop couldn’t sleep the night before he was to close a chapter on his family’s 112-year-old dairy farm in Chimacum. “It was a rough day for me. I was worried about cows going down in the truck. That’s a long way to go. They had to go on the ferry,” Bishop said of the day, June 16, 2017, that he ended his more than 60-year career as a dairy farmer and 103 of the dairy’s cows were sold and moved from Jefferson County to Skagit County. With the departure of Bishop’s dairy cows, there are no longer any large cow dairy farms in Jefferson County. Bishop’s was the last.
State OKs historic listing Lincoln The odds of the Lincoln School being demolished have dropped after the Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted unanimously in favor of listing the building on the National Register of Historic Places. “The advisory council approved listing on the state register and approved forwarding it to the National Park Service [NPS] to make a final decision on listing on the National Register,” said Allyson Brooks, archaeologist and state historic preservation officer with the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.
Projects face downsizing Where have all those housing plans gone? Earlier this year, more than 700 housing units were proposed to be moving forward in the Port Townsend area. Now, one project has been scaled back, and others are not moving as fast as some had thought they would.
Boat school works to keep cafe afloat The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding’s plan to help bring back the Ajax Cafe, announced July 5, is what Marrowstone Island resident Bruce Carlson calls a “win-win-win.” It’s a win for the cafe. It’s a win for the boat school.
& residential real estate
Lawsuit filed over PROFESSIONAL suicide in county jail The estate of Thomas Lorecki, who died Sept. 17, 2016 at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle
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Salish Coast Elementary is to replace the aging Grant Street Elementary building, which was built in 1956. Ground is to be broken for the new school at 8:15 a.m. on Friday, June 16. The new school is funded by a $40.9 million bond that voters overwhelmingly approved in February.
changes, Jefferson County taxpayers should expect to pay more in property taxes, according to Jefferson County Assessor Jeff Chapman.
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Jefferson County commissioners Kate Dean, David Sullivan and Kathleen Kler listen to people commenting on a proposed housing levy. The levy was put on the November ballot and failed. Photo by Kirk Boxleitner
A total of 117 security cameras were installed at Port Townsend High School (PTHS) and Blue Heron School as a school security project before classes began. The Port Townsend School District board voted unanimously July 17 to approve a $151,399.97 bid from Double D Electrical of Port Hadlock to install 49 cameras at Blue Heron School and 68 cameras at PTHS.
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Naval Magazine Indian Island gets new CO Naval Magazine Indian Island bid farewell to one commanding officer while welcoming aboard another June 29, and in the process, Marrowstone Island has gained a new civilian inhabitant. Cmdr. Nicholas Vande Griend, the outgoing commanding officer, was born and raised in Iowa, where he also met and married his wife. However, in the wake of his 30 years of naval service, the last two spent on Indian Island, he and his family plan to settle down on Marrowstone.
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Assessor: Property taxes to rise Schools in Jefferson County may be more adequately funded as a result of the new state budget, which was signed into law June 30. The budget is to increase education spending around the state by about $1 billion per year over the next four years. As a result of the
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A 10 • Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
2 0 1 7 ➥ Y EAR IN R EVIEW ▼Continued from page 9
New town center planned for PT
Affordable housing: Comments divided The Jefferson County Superior Courtroom was packed July 24 as county commissioners heard nearly four hours of testimony on whether to declare an emergency in affordable housing and place a seven-year levy to fund a home opportunity fund on the November ballot. Of the 60 who spoke, nearly 30 expressed support for the two measures, while more than 20 either opposed them or argued that they wouldn’t solve the problem. Close to 10 speakers offered alternate solutions without coming out either in favor of or against the proposed resolution.
Point Hudson: Lease explored Point Hudson is the “front porch” of Port Townsend, and the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) is making a case that it should be in control of the future of that porch by obtaining a master lease for it from the Port of Port Townsend. Jake Beattie, executive director of the NWMC, said the nonprofit could act as curator and steward for Point Hudson’s 14 acres, including its numerous historic structures and marina. He said the port approached the NWMC in October 2016 to discuss several different planning options for Point Hudson as the port considers its longterm plans.
There’s an uptown and a downtown in Port Townsend, and at some point in the future, a third “town center” is planned, to be located in the vicinity of Howard Street and the new roundabout at the street’s intersection with Discovery Road. Workers are currently building an $6.4 million extension of Howard Street on the west side of Port Townsend to connect Sims Way and Discovery Road.
A driver navigates Rainier Street on Wednesday, Nov. 1 after a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The road includes a well-marked bicycle path. The project is aimed at encouraging commercial development as well as paving the way for housing projects. Photo by Chris Tucker
August
New director Inmate charged chosen as the with assault in jail An inmate of the SSNW claims name ‘caretaker’ Jefferson County Jail, who A Washington native had been arrested July 10 of neighborhood with more than 15 years of on charges of burglary and experience in public, school theft, pleaded not guilty to organization and academic libraries has five counts of assault Aug. 4,
Security Security Northwest Inc. (SSNW) owner Joe D’Amico hand-delivered a letter to Robin Ornelas, addressed in care of the estate of her late husband, Gabriel, instructing her to stop using the name “Discovery Bay Alliance” under threat of legal action. A group opposing SSNW’s use of land in Gardiner has been using the name Discovery Bay Alliance since 2005.
been named the new director of the Jefferson County Library. Tamara Meredith said she is thrilled to accept the position. “I had such a good experience out there for the interview that I was kind of giddy for several days,” Meredith said. “Just being out there, meeting the people, was a wonderful experience.” On Oct. 9, Meredith assumed the role held for 27 years by Meredith Wagner, who announced her retirement earlier this year.
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allegedly committed July 12, while he was in jail. Port Townsend resident Kele Ryan Lorecki, 26, was already in custody for residential burglary (domestic violence) and theft in the second degree (other than a firearm, domestic violence) when he allegedly committed five counts of assault in the third degree on a law enforcement officer, with two counts against Deputy Erik Allen, and one count each against deputies James Webberley, James Brayden Goodier and John Thomas, according to court documents. Lorecki is suing Jefferson County over his father’s death in 2016.
Council grumbles over Growlers The rumble of jet engines has spurred the Port Townsend City Council to send a letter to the commanding officer of Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island stating the city is “extremely disappointed” in how the Navy measures jet noise. In an Aug. 8 letter to Capt. G.C. Moore, commanding officer of NAS Whidbey Island, Mayor Deborah Stinson wrote that the city was displeased that the Navy decided to use a 65-decibel measurement called the “day-night average sound level” (DNL) in the “area of potential effect” (APE).
Ferry: 1-boat woes; MV Salish out until end of August Washington State Ferries (WSF) has been left with no room for error after an evening grounding on Aug. 8 left one of the two ferries connecting Port Townsend and Coupeville, the MV Salish, out of commission until the end of August because of rudder problems in part caused by crab pot lines.
Hospital CEO: Affiliation but not acquisition
Print is Not Dead
people es daily war aginst the press, young As the present administration wag Yorker, New The . bers lications in record num are subscribing to legacy news pub e rang age 4 18-3 the e new subscribers in for instance, reports 106 percent mor ilar sim rt repo pers 4 in 2017. Other newspa and 129 percent more in ages 25-3 g (not a paper known for being left lyin nal trends. Even the Wall Street Jour year. last the in bers scri bled it’s student sub around dorm rooms) said it has dou ers. read h reac to trusted way Print is far from dead. Still a reliable, per – The Leader – today. And spa new cy lega l, loca Subscribe to your local paper. The future is bright. don’t hesitate to advertise in your Join us. Old Media” Source: “Young Subscribers Flock to by Jason Schwartz, Politico
Jefferson Healthcare is backing off its proposal to acquire Discovery Behavioral Health – formerly called Jefferson Mental Health Services – but is continuing to talk about how to affiliate itself with the private, nonprofit mental health care provider. Jefferson Healthcare CEO Mike Glenn told hospital commissioners Aug. 16 that after months of conversations between both organizations, a consensus on a framework of an agreement has been reached. And it doesn’t include an outright purchase of the nonprofit.
Rhody Fest carnival may relocate Heavy equipment used during the Rhododendron Festival carnival has damaged Memorial Athletic Field and is prompting festival organizers to consider a new location for the carnival in the future. Heavy rains that fell the week before the festival this year made it difficult for trucks to get on and off the field, said Brandi Hamon, vice president for the festival’s volunteer executive board.
Security upgrades ordered for courts
barge from Victoria, British Columbia, this year, City Manager David Timmons has told City Council members. The four-unit apartment building was barged across the Strait of Juan de Fuca May 10 and placed on land near the Grace Lutheran Church, located at 1120 Walker St.
Port votes to consider bond To address the failing South Jetty at Point Hudson, the Port of Port Townsend voted unanimously Sept. 13 to start the process of obtaining a $3.2 million bond. Work on the South Jetty is planned to begin in July 2018, and materials would need to be contracted and paid for before that time, so the port would need bond funds by Feb. 1, 2018, according to port documents.
Complaints about mill odor mount There has been an uptick in the number of odor complaints about the Port Townsend Paper Corp. in the past month compared to the previous few months, both mill officials and state Department of Ecology (Ecology) officials agree. Felix Vicino, a spokesperson for the mill, said mill officials believe the odor issues can “mainly be attributed to a warm, high pressure and light southeast winds dominating the weather pattern during this time.”
Visitors to the Jefferson County Courthouse should notice some of the $270,000 in upgrades made to security measures, starting with high-definition security cameras, which are expected to be installed within the next two weeks. “We hope to receive most of the new security equipment within the next 30 days or so,” said Mark McCauley, director of central services for the county. “We’ve also ordered an X-ray machine, but my underPeople who act in an standing is that those are “unreasonably disruptive,” manufactured when they’re loud and boisterous manner ordered.” at the Port Townsend Public Library and other public properties could find themselves banned from such areas. The Port Townsend City Council unanimously voted A decision to hire a Sept. 18 in favor of a resoluconsultant to work with the tion that clarifies the city’s Jefferson Healthcare Board policy on trespass admonishof Commissioners on team building became contentious ments issued to people who act in a “unreasonably recently when two commisdisruptive” manner on city sioners publicly chastised properties. a third about discussions outside public meetings. Although commissioners had voted unanimously to hire Karma Bass of Via Healthcare Consulting, a consultant whom board chair Jill Buhler said is endorsed by the Washington Association of Public Hospital Districts, What began Monday, Commissioner Kees Kolff Oct. 2 at a Jefferson County raised concerns in an email commissioners meeting with after that decision was a moment of silence for the made. fallen who were shot and killed in Las Vegas ended with a surprise announcement from Joe D’Amico, who owns a controversial shooting and archery range in Jefferson County. “After 40 years in this county, we’re moving to Clallam County,” said Joe D’Amico, owner of Fort Fort Discovery Inc. has Discovery, which manufacbegun the pre-application tures, sells and maintains process with Jefferson rearms. He also operates County to locate a gun Security Services Northwest and archery range on 40 (SSNW), which provides acres of forest property on security and dispatch the north shore of Tarboo services. Ridge. The county received a pre-application from Fort Discovery president Joe D’Amico and is in the process of evaluating it. Fort Discovery Inc. A proposed full-service manufactures, sells and Jefferson County YMCA maintains firearms, would improve community while Security Services health and make it easier Northwest Inc., another for the area to recover from business D’Amico operates, a major catastrophe, project provides security and disproponents say. patch services, according to And they believe that the company. such a facility could be built as soon as 2020 or 2021.
City Council approves ordinance on ‘disruptive behavior’
Hospital board quarrels over email
October
SSNW moves HQ to Clallam
September Shooting range targets new site
City: YMCA crucial in disaster
Timmons: City should finance housing project
Port looks at NWMC alliance
Port of Port Townsend The City of Port commissioners have agreed Townsend should finance to explore collaborating with the completion of an affordthe Northwest Maritime able-housing apartment complex that was brought by See REVIEW, page 11▼
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 • A 11
2 0 1 7 ➥ Y EAR IN R EVIEW ▼Continued from page 10
Center and the City of Port Townsend in deciding the future of Point Hudson. Port Executive Director Sam Gibboney said that talks could result in the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) having responsibilities and control that are phased in gradually, with performance metrics used to ensure that expectations were being met. “This would be a phased approach,” Gibboney said. She is in favor of the talks and recommended that commissioners also back the idea.
Hospital denies 1 allegation; confirms 1 Jefferson Healthcare conducted an internal investigation last month into allegations that hospital employees have been pressured to support hospital commission candidate Bruce McComas and found no evidence that employees have been “threatened or coerced.” That same investigation did find evidence that some employees used public facilities inappropriately, according to an eight-page letter to the state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) that responds to a complaint led in August by Eva Raczkowski Bennett, who is supporting hospital candidate Cheri Van Hoover. Van Hoover is McComas’ opponent in the Nov. 7 election for a seat on the hospital board.
Residents: Deer pose safety hazard The feeding of deer by some Port Townsend residents has led to an excessively large deer population and may be creating a health and safety crisis, Uptown District residents told members of the City Council Oct. 2. City Manager David Timmons said he would talk with Police Chief Michael Evans and City Attorney Steve Gross to see what could be done.
Police called to Prop. 1 conflict Police were called Oct. 11 in response to an altercation between supporters and opponents of the Home Opportunity Fund levy at the Port Townsend Community Center. Bruce Cowan, manager of the Homes Now! campaign in support of Proposition 1, said shoving was initiated by attendees who failed to respect previously stipulated rules of behavior. James Scarantino, spokesperson for the Jefferson County Republican Party, which is opposing Proposition 1, alleged event organizers used physical force to circumvent free speech. No one was arrested.
Rate hikes at port raise ire Port Townsend Boat Haven tenants who work in the marine trades voiced their displeasure at a tenfold increase in lease rates, from 6 cents to 64 cents per square foot at an emotional two-hour meeting Oct. 11.
Hospital board splits on Prop. 1 With two votes in favor, one vote against and two abstentions, Jefferson Healthcare commissioners did not meet the required majority to endorse the proposed Home Opportunity Fund levy Oct. 18. On the ballot, the levy is titled Proposition 1.
November
New fire chief has experience with mergering districts East Jefferson Fire Rescue’s (EJFR) recently appointed fire chief wants to hear from his new community. “I’m really looking forward to going out into the community and finding out what they [want],” said Jim Walkowski, who on Nov. 17 was selected as the replacement for Gordon Pomeroy, who announced his retirement as EJFR fire chief earlier this year. Walkowski, 48, said the response he gets from the public would help dictate where the organization heads in the future.
PUD backs off on smart meters The Jefferson County Public Utility District (PUD) has put the brakes on plans to switch to “smart” meters, after more than 25 members of the public offered their input, which was overwhelmingly against the new meters. “This has been an education for me,” said Kenneth Collins, PUD Commission president, after fellow commissioners Jeff Randall and Wayne King had already weighed in following an informational meeting at the Chimacum fire station Oct. 30.
Rainier Street opens to fanfare As the Port Townsend High School band played Sister Sledge’s 1979 hit song “We Are Family,” Port Townsend Mayor Deborah Stinson cut a ribbon to officially open the new $6.4 million Rainier Street on a cloudy Wednesday. About 50 people gathered on the slightly chilly, overcast day to sip free coffee and watch the ceremony that marked the completion of the Rainier Street – formerly Howard Street – extension project. “This is the last large portion of commercial property in city limits, and this project brings the infrastructure that sets the table for all the many businesses that are going to want to set up shop here,” Stinson said.
Proposition 1 fails; McComas wins DeLeo’s seat Proposition 1, a proposal to raise property taxes for seven years to support affordable housing, failed by almost 70 percent in early returns Nov. 7. Cheri Van Hoover, who had a solid 400-vote lead in the primary over Bruce McComas, was trailing McComas by almost 400 votes for a seat on the Jefferson County Hospital District 2 board of commissioners. McComas went on to win the race. On the Port of Port Townsend, incumbent Brad Clinefelter lost to challenger Bill Putney; incumbent port commissioner Pete Hanke won back his seat to represent District 3. In the Chimacum School District, Jack McKay beat Wilma Hackman and Sarah Martin won over Ron Riggle.
Marrowstone pot facility denied An application to establish a recreational
Working toward a spring reopening of the Ajax Cafe are (from left) Jason Bates, Colleen Iverson, Betsy Davis, Graham Welch, Kristan McCary and Bill Bonyun. Courtesy photo
marijuana business facility on Marrowstone Island has been denied by Jefferson County Hearing Examiner Stephen Casseaux Jr., and the proponent cannot resubmit an application for one year. (That was later changed to six months.)
City to explore fire annexation The Port Townsend City Council on Monday voted unanimously in favor of negotiating a pre-annexation agreement with Jefferson County Fire Protection District 1. East Jefferson Fire Rescue (EJFR) is the business name for Jefferson County Fire Protection District 1. The fire district and the city are two separate entities, and city and EJFR officials say that merging the city with the EJFR district would improve efficiency.
Phoenix Wheel victims file suit Three members of a Port Townsend family who were injured after they fell 15 feet from a carnival-ride gondola onto a metal platform at the Rhododendron Festival in May have filed a lawsuit against the ride’s operator, Portland-based Funtastic Shows Inc. The suit was filed Nov. 9 in Jefferson County Superior Court.
Examiner: 6 months, not 1 year Instead of waiting one year to file for a new permit, Olympus Gardens owner Austin Smith has to wait six months to file for a permit to establish a recreational marijuana business on Marrowstone Island. Although an application to establish a recreational marijuana business facility on Marrowstone Island was denied by Jefferson County Hearing Examiner Stephen Casseaux Jr., the decision was changed to allow the proponent to resubmit an application after six months, rather than waiting for one year.
December
the spring after $375,000 was raised in collaboration with the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding (NWSWB). The NWSWB used the money to purchase the land the cafe sits on, and is to provide an affordable 30-year lease to the cafe. “We were able to purchase the property outright, which is really, really exciting,” said Betsy Davis, executive director of the NWSWB, of the property on which the cafe is located. The land – just under an acre in size – was purchased just before Thanksgiving, Davis said.
Water Street project to start The Water Street Enhancement Project is on schedule to begin Jan. 2 after the Port Townsend City Council voted unanimously Dec. 11 to approve a $2.3 million construction project to the low bidder, Interwest Construction Inc. of Sequim and Burlington. “Jan. 2 is right around the corner … major disruption is starting in a couple weeks,” said council member Robert Gray of the Water Street Enhancement Project. The project impacts Water Street between the ferry terminal and Taylor Street. Interwest was the “lowest responsible bidder,” and its $2.3 million bid was lower than the engineer’s estimate of $2.6 million, said David Timmons, city manager. Interwest’s bid was one of six bids the city received
Parents deem discipline drastic Parents of Chimacum High School students voiced concerns at a Dec. 6 forum about the school’s latest disciplinary practices. Few attendees left
satisfied, as measured by an informal show of hands near the end of the hourand-a-half meeting. This was in contrast to the Chimacum School Board’s May 13 meeting, during which parents said there was not enough discipline in the Chimacum schools. Joe Luciano set the tone for the parents who stood up to speak, reading aloud from an anonymous letter signed “concerned parents.” He declined to offer further attribution out of fear of possible retaliation against their children. “We parents are not at all upset with rules being enforced,” Luciano read. “We are upset with the way they are being enforced.” Reading from the letter, Luciano accused Mark Gudger, CHS dean of students, of creating “a hostile school environment” through “intimidation, coercion, harassment and veiled threats.” The letter’s “concerned parents” claimed their children had been “disrespected, interrogated, called liars, been baited, bullied and publicly humiliated.”
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Jefferson County commissioners voted unanimously Dec. 18 for a moratorium of up to one year on permits to modify existing or establish new commercial shooting facilities in unincorporated areas of the county. Commissioners are scheduled to receive public comments on the moratorium starting Jan. 15, with a public hearing slated for no later than Feb. 16, at which point the commissioners are directed to approve a contract for a consultant. “We had a lot of public input during our on-the-road meetings [November-December],” Commissioner David Sullivan said Tuesday. “Especially with the comp plan being rewritten, it’s a good time to step back and do some analysis.”
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