| This Week Harbor Seals on the Beach – Wed, Jul 13th What are those spotted furry creatures that we see on our shores? Where can I see them? Why are they on the shore in the first place? What should you do if you see one? How can you help them? Join Friends of Fort Flagler for a short walk on the beach to find and talk about the Pacific Harbor Seals. Binoculars are recommended. Meet in front of the Beachcomber Café in the lower campground. Presenter: Deisy Bach is a resident of Jefferson County and on the board of Friends of Fort Flagler. Deisy has over 18 years’ experience with marine mammals including volunteering with The Marine Mammal Center, Ano Nuevo State Preserve, SR3 and Port Townsend Marine Science Center Stranding Network. To learn more about Friends of Fort Flagler, visit their website, or register for the event here! Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Location: in front of the Beachcomber Cafe, 1321 Flagler Campground Road, MarrowstoneOlympia Oyster Population Survey – Fri, Jul 15th *New* The Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee is looking for just a few more volunteers to help with an Olympia oyster population survey at one of its restoration sites in Discovery Bay. Volunteers will help to count and measure oysters, contributing to data collection that informs future restoration efforts. Mud boots and comfort walking through mud are a must. To RSVP or ask questions, please contact Monica at monica.montgomery1@wsu.edu. Clamming at Fort Flagler – Sat, Jul 16th Join the Friends of Fort Flagler to explore and harvest our local clams at the lower campground of Fort Flagler next to the Beachcomber Café. You will identify local shellfish, discuss the common harvest tools and how to use them, how to read a tide table book and why! How to care for your catch after harvest and finally a few suggested ways to prepare them. As Michael Zimmerman said, “It’s a treasure we have in Puget Sound and particularly at Fort Flagler to spend a low tide watching the sea and beach life and the rewards of harvesting your own dinner, fresh from the beaches. If we do it right, the resource will be there for us, generations to come.” For more information and to register for the event, go here! Time: 10:00 AM | Location: Lower Camp Area, Flagler Campground Road, MarrowstoneChimacum’s Interdependence Day Pancake Breakfast Invitation The fluffiest buttermilk pancakes in town will be served starting at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 17th at the Chimacum Grange hall! The Grange is supporting Chimacum’s Interdependence Day Celebration with the continuance of their pancake breakfast tradition, the third annual. The menu of pancakes and maple syrup, Egg and I pork sausage, juice, and coffee will be served until 11:00 a.m. Thanks go to Chimacum Corner Store, Keith Kisler (Finn River Farm and Grainery), and Doyle Yancey (Egg and I Pork) for the donations of local food ingredients, and Finn River Kitchen. Come and bring your family or friends, first come first served. A donation of $5 for adults is requested; kids eat free. Time: 9:00 – 11:00 AM | Location: Chimacum Grange hallJeffCo Repair Event – Sun, Jul 17th Join PTMSC for the Port Townsend Repair Event! Bring your toaster that no longer toasts, sweater with a hole in the elbow, and excitement to get these belongings repaired while also learning how they did it and ways you could do it yourself next time!Repair Events are free community gatherings in which people with repair skills share their time and talents to help fix their neighbors’ belongings. This event will have volunteers donating their time to help repair small appliances and electronics, textiles/clothes, bicycles, tool sharpening, and other household items. Limit of 2 items per person. If you know the specific part needed to repair your item, please bring it along. Learn more here. Questions? Contact Mandi at mjohnson@ptmsc.org. Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Location: Jefferson County Fairgrounds in the Art Building |
| Upcoming Events Local 20/20 Council Meeting – Wed, July 20th *Online* The monthly Local 20/20 Steering Council meeting is open to all and welcomes those interested in active involvement in Local 20/20 leadership. Newcomers are always welcome. If you’d like a virtual orientation, please us at info@l2020.org. For online meeting information, contact us at info@l2020.org. Time: 4:00 – 6:00 PM | Location: Online Rain Garden Work Party – Fri, Jul 29th *New* The Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee is seeking volunteers to help with stewarding some of the rain gardens across Port Townsend. Volunteers will help to remove weeds so that these rain gardens can continue to effectively collect stormwater, treat pollutants, and beautify our communities. Register here. To suggest new rain garden locations anywhere in East Jefferson County, contact Monica at monica.montgomery1@wsu.edu. Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Location: Port Townsend, Benton and Clay Sts.Low Tide Walk – Fri, Jul 29th *New* Join PTMSC for a guided walk on the beach at low tide and learn how living things survive and thrive in the intertidal zone! Meet at the Museum exhibit portico entrance in Fort Worden State Park for a guided Low Tide Walk on the beach with PTMSC naturalists. Explore tide pools and learn aobut how marine organisms are adapted for the challenges and daily extremes of living in the intertidal zone. Weather appropriate clothing and shoes with good traction for moving around on wet, slippery rocks are recommended. The beach is a 0.4 mile walk from the Museum; closer parking spots are available near the beach. $7 for adults and $5 for youth ages 6-17. Includes admission to the Aquarium and Museum at Fort Worden. Members are always free! Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Location: Museum at Fort Worden |
| Recurring Events Styrofoam Recycling – 1st Tuesdays and 3rd Saturdays The Port Townsend StyroCyclers can only accept pieces that are white, rigid, clean, and dry, with all tape, labels, paper, and cardboard removed. They also accept clean and dry packing peanuts of all colors and types (separated from the styrofoam), as well as white styrofoam food trays that are clean and free of stains and writing. Your materials will be inspected at your vehicle, and disqualified materials will be returned to you. Thanks to the Fort Worden PDA, the styrofoam is packed and stored at the Fort Worden Battery Putnam, then delivered to Kent once per month thanks to OlyCap and Northwest Harvest food bank trucks. At the Kent facility, a densifier machine uses heat and pressure to convert the styrofoam into a toothpaste-like consistency that cools into heavy, glassy blocks, which are then sold to manufacturers of products such as picture frames, construction details, and surfboard blanks. The densified product is in high demand because it is less expensive than virgin plastic. You can check the schedule and/or message them at any time at PTStyroCyclers@gmail.com or through their Facebook page. Port Townsend Styrofoam Recycling pick-up – 1st Tuesdays & 3rd Saturdays For residents of East Jefferson County only Time: 10:00-noon | Location: Fort Worden’s Battery Putnam, which is near Alexander’s Castle (229 Alexander’s Loop). Park your vehicle in the middle of the street in front of the battery. Port Ludlow Styrofoam Recycling pick up – periodically Tuesdays (no set schedule) Time: 9-10:30am | Location: Port Ludlow Marina, Bridge Deck off Harbor Drive Road Ask a Master Gardener! – Thursdays, May-Sept *Online* Do you have a gardening question? Get quick, expert help from a Master Gardener in Jefferson County. Master Gardener volunteers are trained para-professionals who will provide you with information that is research-based and focused on environmentally friendly gardening practices. Schedule a live zoom session on Thursdays, 12:00 – 2:00; May – September! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e48aca72da1f49-talk OR Submit questions to our online form or Register for Zoom session here: https://extension.wsu.edu/jefferson/gardening-2/plant-clinic/ Time: 12-2pm | Location: Online Birding in the Park – 2nd and 4th Fridays Beverly McNeil, Admiralty Audubon trip leader and photographer, is conducting bird walks at Fort Flagler. Birding and nature tours are on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month. Wear sturdy footwear and dress for changeable weather. Bring binoculars and your own water. Registration: Please send Bev an email, including where and when you’d like to join at Bevybirds53@gmail.com. It is important to include this information as Beverly does walks in multiple locations and dates. Please note this program is dependent on good weather. Beverly’s photographs are displayed at the Port Townsend Gallery. Time: 9 am | Location: Fort Flagler | Dates: 2nd and 4th Fridays Protest Chase Bank’s Climate Crimes – Fridays Join local demonstration at Port Townsend’s JP Morgan Chase on Fridays, 11 am to 1 pm. Their Artful Action will include giant art posters and banners drawing attention to Chase’s continued funding of fossil fuel expansion and undermining indigenous rights. Held in coordination with protests around the world, defund campaign info at Stop The Money Pipeline. RSVP to hold art or help out: communityartworks@gmail.com. Or just show up! Homemade signs welcome. Time: 11am – 1pm | Location: Chase Bank, 419 Kearney Street, Port Townsend Farmers Markets – Saturdays & Sundays Port Townsend Farmers Market on Saturdays –The Port Townsend Farmers Market operates 9-months out of the year from the first Saturday in April through the 3rd Saturday in December. Located in the heart of uptown Port Townsend on the 600 block of Tyler Street between Lawrence and Clay streets, the market offers a wide variety of seasonal produce, pasture-raised meat, hard cider, honey, artisan cheese, bread and pastries, prepared food, as well as fine arts and crafts from Jefferson and neighboring counties. From locally grown food to pottery, the items sold travel no more than 50 miles to reach the market. Some of our vendors even bike their products to market. More information. Time: 9am-2pm | Location: 650 Tyler Street, Port Townsend Chimacum Farmers Market – Sundays Want to shop for locally grown food in the heart of our farming community with your dog at your side? Well, the Chimacum Farmers Market is the market for you. Located just a stone’s throw from several participating farms in Jefferson County’s farm country, the Chimacum Farmers Market operates Sundays, June-October. More rustic than its sister market in Port Townsend, this jewel of a market offers a remarkable variety of seasonal produce from neighboring farms as well as artisan food and crafts. Look forward to seeing you! Time: 10am-2pm | Location: 9122 Rhody Drive. Chimacum’s only 4-way stop, in the parking area of Chimacum Corner Farmstand, where Highway 19 meets Chimacum Road and Center Road. Forest/Orchard Bathing Walks – Sundays From Olympic Peninsula Mindfulness. Walk – Sit – Walk: As you cross the ‘threshold’ into the woods and meadows of Fort Worden or the orchards at Finnriver, you can walk comfortably and safely far apart without masks, or as you choose. Walks follow paths linking the woods and meadows in the park. At Finnriver, they will meander around the orchard to quietly observe natures’ progress through the life of apples and pears. Several times they will pause, listen to a nature poem, and sit or stand in silence, andjoin in an occasional guided meditation led by Ellen Falconer, mindfulness teacher. Please wear clothing which will keep you warm and dry, as you may be walking, sitting or standing about in wet, chilly, invigorating seasonal weather.For more information call 360-316-6544 or visit their website. Walks are on Sunday mornings, either at Fort Worden or Finnriver Farm and Cidery. Times and meetup places are described on the website. Registration is encouraged! |
| Community Notices2nd Annual Eat Local! CampaignThe 2nd Annual Eat Local! Campaign begins now and runs through September. The campaign is hosted by The Salish Sea Transition Hub, a regional group of representatives from the Salish Sea area, including Port Townsend. Join their 3-month plan to get to know our local farmers and the kinds of food they offer us.The 3-month campaign: In July – Locate your local farms, farm stands, and Farmer’s Markets and discover the delicious, organic foods that are available. In August – Create dishes from your favorite local foods and share your creations with family and friends. In September – Preserve local foods for use during the winter.For more information and a free PDF copy of the Cookbook – Recipes for Preparing our Local Foods, send an e-mail to: sustainablelifelearningcenter@yahoo.com and/or go to The Sustainable Life Learning Center website and click on the Small Garden Permaculture tab. Water Safety: Discovery Bay, Chimacum Tidelands, Irondale Beach Discovery Bay Shellfish Closure: Port Townsend, WA. Recent shellfish samples taken from Discovery Bay contained elevated levels of the marine biotoxin that causes Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP). As a result, the Washington State Department of Health has closed Discovery Bay beaches for recreational shellfish harvest for all shellfish species. Danger signs have been posted at public access points warning people not to consume shellfish from these areas. For more information about DSP and locations to safely harvest shellfish, go here. Chimacum Tidelands Closure, Irondale Beach Warning High levels of E. coli bacteria have been detected in a stream that enters Irondale Beach Park in Port Hadlock. As a result, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has closed a portion of the Chimacum Creek Tidelands south of Chimacum Creek to recreational shellfish harvest. The beach is open north of Chimacum Creek. In addition, swimming and wading are not recommended in the creek or on the beach. Warning signs have been posted at the beach, the stream, and the parking lot. For more information, go here. Local 20/20’s Weekly Announcements is Seeking a Weekly Newsletter Editor Do you like to write? Do you have a passion for building local sustainability and resilience? As our volunteer editor you review submissions and edit them for brevity, clarity, and coherence, and check to see if they are still current. The Editor needs editing skills of course, plus basic writing and computer skills and an interest in keeping track of what’s going on in our community. Coaching in MailChimp will be provided, and a byline is an option. A great way to get experience! Our weekly distribution goes out to a list of about 1200 subscribers. Your weekly time commitment would be approximately 3-7 hours depending. It can be a fun and rewarding way to contribute to our community. Those with questions or interest are asked to email us here. The Quimper Community Harvest Joins Food Bank Growers The Quimper Community Harvest has been part of Local 20/20’s Local Food efforts for a number of years, and has done amazing work at gleaning excess fruit from local trees since 2008. The fruit is given to schools, food banks, non-profits, and senior centers, an incredible model of local resiliency and sustainability! It’s been a great partnership. Local 20/20 also helped start many community gardens that are now dedicated to providing fresh vegetables for the food bank. After incubating under Local 20/20, these gardens then formed their own nonprofit “Food bank Growers.” Since the Community Harvest efforts fit so well with the mission and work of Food Bank Growers, and has some great synergies and efficiencies regarding grant opportunities, etc., their board and Local 20/20 Steering Council recently signed an agreement with Food Bank Growers to transfer the Quimper Community Harvest group and associated funds to the Food Bank Growers nonprofit. Local 20/20 will continue to share information about Quimper Community Harvest on the Local 20/20 website, and of course, in our announcements. Any questions regarding this can be sent to cindy@l2020.org. Car Free Day a Success! Here are a few more stats on the June 1st Car Free Day. 91 people across Jefferson County participated, and reduced their driving by a total of 1195 miles. 39% biked, 21% rode a school bus, 14% walked, 10% took Jefferson Transit, and 9% carpooled. Some of the top comments on what would make it easier to commute that way in the future include better bike routes, more frequent buses, and better weather! 85% of participants said they are likely or very likely to commute this way again! Many thanks to all who participated, to the businesses that donated prizes, and to the organizing team! Summer Camps for youth at Sunfield Farm and Waldorf SchoolJoin Sunfield Farm for a summer of exploring seeds and soil, grains and gardens, and forests and farm animals! Options include week long farm camps as well as American Sign Language for children and families and the return of the Sunfield Shepherds 4-H Program in this year’s Jefferson County Fair.Camps run June-August for youth ages 7-15.For more information and to register please visit Sunfield Farm’s summer program page. |
| Community Resources Just Soup on Tuesdays Every Tuesday at 11:30 – 1:30, Just Soup provides free, hot soup lunches at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1020 Jefferson St, on the Tyler St. bus line (by the Bell Tower). Enter the rear church parking lot on Franklin, and whether you are on foot, bike, or car, you will be in line for curbside pickup, with masks, gloves, and safe distancing protocols in place. Pick up a lunch for yourself or your neighbor in need. No questions asked. Many partners and supporters have come together to feed Port Townsend one bowl at a time. Time: Tuesdays, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | Location: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1020 Jefferson St. Emergency Text Alerts from Jefferson CountySign up to receive Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management’s emergency alerts by text on your mobile phone and/or by email. NIXLE messages provide crucial information in an emergency & are sent directly to your text-enabled device and/or email. The sign up web page also has information about other alert and warning systems, including the tsunami warning system and the WSDOT alert system. NPREP: Prepared Neighborhoods Prepare for emergencies with your neighbors by joining or starting an NPREP neighborhood. There are currently over 100 NPREP neighborhoods organizing here in Jefferson County. Learn if you live in an NPREP trained neighborhood. Learn about NPREP. A Tool for Neighborhood Organization Nextdoor is a private social network for YOUR neighborhood. Use this link to join one of 59 Nextdoor Neighborhoods in Jefferson County. Currently there are over 15,000 subscribers, with many new members joining each day. Email Pete Hubbard with questions or comments. Calling Local Photographers Local 20/20 Weekly Announcements invites local photographers to submit images that capture the character of our community and its natural setting. For the opening photo of each weekly email (which is also posted to our website), we seek local color, horizontal (“landscape”) orientation, and jpeg format. Please no children, pets or recognizable faces. Kindly send to events@l2020.org. Please include your name in the jpeg filename. We are an all-volunteer non-profit, so compensation for your talent and generosity is a photo credit and our profound thanks. |
| Resilience Readings Do you have readings, podcasts or videos to share that are aligned with our Local 20/20 mission? Please submit them here. Recycling Simplified – Updated Plastics Recycling In Jefferson County Catch up on the most up to date changes for which plastics Jefferson County is now accepting for recycling. Learn why the change and other phenomena pertaining to human ways of being. In Local 20/20’s latest Port Townsend Leader column, Tracy Grisman of Local 20/20’s Beyond Waste group summarizes the recent changes. New Draft Report titled “Lower Snake River Dams: Benefit Replacement Draft Report” Now Available Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray have released a draft report to examine whether the benefits provided by the four Lower Snake River Dams (LSRD) can be provided by other means so that breaching of the dams could be part of a comprehensive salmon recovery strategy for the Pacific Northwest.The report notes that the dams have significantly altered the physical, chemical, hydrological, and biological processes in the Snake River, changing it from free flowing to a series of reservoirs. All Snake River salmon are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The LSRD significantly limit the ability for salmon to spawn in the main river channel and create slack water conditions that favor other species, many of which prey on salmon. Breaching the LSRD would have the highest likelihood of removing salmon from ESA listing and maintaining treaty and trust obligations compared to other alternatives.The draft report and action information is available at https://www.lsrdoptions.org/ The Story of Glen Canyon As the Pacific Northwest celebrates dam removals on the Elwha and soon on the Klamath, and dream of salmon passage restored with removal of the Snake River dams, the world’s eyes are also on Glen Canyon Dam. The Glen Canyon Institute shows us the re-emergence of the canyons as drought lowers Lake Powell. In the forward of Resurrection: Glen Canyon and a New Vision for the American West (2009), Bill McKibben, writes: Folly is always folly — yet this one is rare in that the mistake of damming Glen Canyon became clear within the lifetimes of the people responsible. But it’s also rare in that, here, we may really get a second chance. If the Glen Canyon Institute and others have their way, we’ll bypass this dam, fill Lake Mead, and designate Glen Canyon a national park…. When that happens, the drained Lake Powell and the resurrected Glen Canyon will be emblematic not of our folly but of the graciousness with which nature is still willing to meet our adolescent species halfway. It will be a monument to the possibility that we haven’t totally screwed up the planet forever, that we might still be able to back off a little and make our peace with the rest of Creation. Exploring Jefferson Transit’s New Kingston Express Service from Port Townsend to Seattle Cindy Jayne recently tried out Jefferson Transit’s New Kingston Express Service from Port Townsend to Seattle, and wrote about it in the latest Local 20/20 column in the Port Townsend Leader. In it, she shares how easy it was to use, and how it allowed her and her husband to have a fun day in Seattle without having to deal with parking hassles. It was easy to connect to the Sound Transit light rail and King County Metro buses to get up to the University of Washington, and back down to Pioneer Square for a snack before getting back on the Kingston Fast Ferry back to Kingston, where the Jefferson Transit Kingston Express was waiting. Plus it kept the carbon footprint of the trip low! Read the full article in the link above, or learn more about the Jefferson Transit Kingston Express, including schedule, costs, etc., at https://jeffersontransit.com/14kingstonexpress/. |
