| This Week Jefferson Healthcare expansion virtual education sessions – various dates below *Online* Jefferson Healthcare will host virtual meetings to share the new hospital expansion project. Five scheduled virtual sessions will provide opportunities for the public to learn about planned building improvement and service expansion priorities to continue to meet the health needs of the community. Each session will begin with a brief presentation about building improvements and replacement as well as service expansion priorities. The remainder of each meeting is reserved for community questions and feedback. Chimacum Grange Meeting with JCCD ED – Wed, May 18th *New* Chimacum Grange #681 will host Joe Holtrop, Executive Director of the Jefferson County Conservation District to speak about the work of the Conservation District on behalf of local agriculture. He will share the history of success of local farmers in implementing conservation practices in critical areas, especially relevant to the recent attempt by the Washington State Legislature to establish much larger buffers on streams. Local 20/20 Council Meeting – Wed, May 18th *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. Mr. Jay Bakst, their Community Lean Resource will share ideas that you can use to increase your effectiveness and productivity. In this era of limited resources, can you produce everything needed to serve your customers? For more than 35 years, Jay Bakst has worked with organizations large and small to improve their operations in order to better support their customers. The Community Lean Resource provides training classes as well as individual workshops and coaching to help you improve your business. From identifying wasteful activities to streamlining how you get things done, Lean Thinking is a proven methodology that organizations large and small use every day. No need to register, just join them via this zoom link. Learn more here. Time: 12:00 | Location: Online Quilcene JeffCo Repair Event – Fri, May 20 *New* This event will be in conjunction with Quilcene’s Show Us Your Community Night which will also be serving a free hot meal to community members. Join them for this free in-person community gathering in which people with repair skills share their time and talents to fix their neighbors’ belongings. 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! Learn more. And if you are interested in helping repair items, contact Mandi. Limited, modest stipends are available per event. Protest Chase Bank’s Climate Crimes – Fridays *Updated* 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. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center will host its 5th annual, 24-hour BioBlitz at Fort Worden State Park. Join the fun at a safe social distance, and help us record all living species (including plants, animals, fungi, and everything else) within the park boundary! |
| Upcoming Events TLAB Meeting – Mon, May 23 The Transportation Lab is a Local 20/20 Action Group working to promote a transportation system that minimizes need for personal motor vehicles. Such a transportation system must be safe, convenient and healthy, and it must be based on: People walking, the most healthful mode; People bicycling, the most efficient mode; Mass transit, the most efficient for moving large numbers of people: Private vehicles for providing services and moving small numbers of people Time: 4:30 – 6:00pm | Location: In person. Contact Richard Dandridge (dandrpt@gmail.com) Restroom Deserts: where to go when you need to go. Tues, May 24th *New* *Online* The dearth of public restrooms affects nearly everyone. For older people, the uncertainty surrounding one’s ability to access a public toilet causes many to stay home and can lead to isolation. Join World Toilet Founder Jack Sim and PHLUSH President Genevieve Schutzius as they explore restroom innovations that help all members of society actively engage in the public sphere. Featured in the Equity by Design series of AARP International. Register here. In addition to shaping sessions like this one, PHLUSH tracks public and publicly available toilets in Jefferson County. Their current listing will soon appear as an interactive map. Please submit additions and corrections here. Time: 8-8:30am | Location: Zoom Coastal Processes and Shoreline Erosion: A Shore Friendly Workshop for Waterfront Owners – Tues, May 24 *New* The Shore Friendly program of the Northwest Straits Foundation and the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee are hosting a workshop and beach walk for shoreline landowners to learn about coastal processes that form our beaches and best practices for managing erosion through proper drainage and use of native vegetation. Featured speakers include Jessica Cote and Traci Sanderson of Blue Coast Engineering. The workshop will be followed by an optional beach walk at East Beach Park on Marrowstone Island till 1:30pm. This workshop is intended for Jefferson County residents and is limited to 35 participants. More information and registration here. Time: 10am-1:30pm | Location: WSU Classroom (97 Oak Bay Rd) in Port Hadlock Port Townsend Marine Science Center Volunteer Interest Meeting – Thurs, May 26 *New* The Port Townsend Marine Science Center invites potential volunteers to explore opportunities to promote conservation of the Salish Sea. Learn about becoming a docent, explore Citizen Science opportunities, discover ways to educate and engage visitors through conservation and marine science advocacy. Questions? Time: 4-6 pm | Location: PTMSC Museum at Fort Worden Car Free Day Event – Wed, Jun 1st – Get Ready! *Updated* An amazing set of prizes have been donated for this event, see them at l2020.org/carfreeday.To participate, on June 1st, drive less, and use less car-dependent ways to get to school, work or run errands. Once you have, fill out entry form at the link above. For more information, please contact them. Mark your calendar for June 1st, and start making your plans now. Who can you carpool with? What bike route or bus might you take? Join our community in reducing our car-dependence, and reducing our carbon footprint! Tri-Area Repair Event – Sat, June 11th *New* Join them for this free in-person community gathering in which people with repair skills share their time and talents to fix their neighbors’ belongings. 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! Learn more. And if you are interested in helping repair items, contact Mandi. Limited, modest stipends are available per event. Time: 4:30 – 6:30 pm | Location: Quilcene High School Recurring Events COVID-19 Update – Mondays *Online* Join the weekly 9:00 am meeting of the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), including the 9:45 am COVID-19 update with Public Health Officer, Dr. Allison Berry. You can also listen live to Dr. Berry on KPTZ. Additional COVID-19 information is on the County website here. Styrofoam Recycling – 2nd Mondays & 4th Saturdays (PT) & some Tuesdays (Port Ludlow) 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 For residents of East Jefferson County only Monday, May 9th & Saturday, May 28th 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 – No May pickup Time: 9-10:30am | Location: Port Ludlow Marina, Bridge Deck off Harbor Drive Road Cooperative Cafe – 2nd Mondays *Online* An online incubator talking space for emergent cooperatives. Offering supportive mentored environment for new housing linked to grower and work spaces (studios, workshops, etc). Beyond Leasing: Co-develop new right-sized sustainable independent housing and land ownership through producer cooperatives. Opening new investor pools for coop financing in the region. Video Call Link – Free and Open Event: econ4peace.org/econ4peace-video-call/ Questions? Write directly to: salishsea@econ4peace.org Time: 6pm | Location: Online Climate on Tap – First Wednesdays – Postponed until June Climate on Tap postponed until June – Green Transportation – Learn about cargo bikes! May’s Climate on Tap session is postponed until June. The presentation will focus on using cargo bikes to transport you AND your groceries, etc. as well as learn about how you can support local businesses who are using cargo bikes to deliver their goods! Summary of April 6th “What is the Carbon Footprint of Our Recycling?” Climate on Tap is back – in person in FinnRiver’s cozy Pavilion! Each Climate on Tap is held on the first Wednesday of the month from 7-8:30 pm. Co-sponsored by Local 20/20 Climate Action, Jefferson County Public Health, and FinnRiver Cidery. This is not a lecture series, but a discussion format. For further information email Laura Tucker or call 360-379-4491. The Groundwork Project – Wednesdays The Groundwork Project – The Institute supports local people in establishing meaningful, place-based indicators of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship. Two-Year, 3 County Pilot Study – Kitsap, Clallam and Jefferson – to establish baseline indicators of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship. Drop in event. Stop by when you can. Limit of 20. Or, choose one circle for ongoing involvement. – Lunch circle : 11am to 1pm (drop in for min of 45 minutes) – Supper circle: 4pm to 6pm (drop in for min of 45 minutes) – Debrief/Analysis: 1:30pm to 3:30pm. (optional) Questions? econ4peace.org/the-groundwork-project. Online options with preregistration. Write salishsea@econ4peace.org for link and password. Research will culminate Earth Day week with evenings online and two sessions of in person time at the Chimacum Grange on Saturday, April 23. You are welcome to join in at any time. Times: see above | Location: Chimacum Grange 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 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 Notices Editor announcement: Historically, we have not accepted “sales-related” submissions to this newsletter. We are reevaluating this position, and will now accept submissions related to vending and sales that are related to our mission on a trial basis for addition to this Community Notices section. Please refer to the bottom of this newsletter for how to submit an announcement. Anderson Lake High in Toxins *New* Elevated levels of the potent nerve toxin anatoxin-a were detected in a water sample taken from Anderson Lake on Monday, April 25th. The toxin level is 1.30 micrograms per liter, which is just above the Washington State recreational criteria of 1 microgram per liter. The bloom of cyanobacteria in the lake contains toxin-producing species of algae, including Dolichospermum (formerly Anabaena) and Aphanizomenon. Anatoxin-a can result in illness and death in people and animals when ingested. Washington State Parks has posted “Danger – Keep Out of Lake” signs at access points to the park alerting visitors of the potential hazards. Recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming are prohibited until the toxins dissipate and the lake is deemed safe for recreation. Anderson Lake State Park remains open for other recreational activities such as horseback riding, hiking, and birdwatching. Learn more here. Website Volunteer Opportunity – Local 20/20 Local 20/20 is looking for one or more volunteers to help maintain our website. This is a great opportunity for those who want to grow in their website experience and/or contribute to their community’s sustainability and resilience! The website is based on WordPress, but WordPress experience is not required. We can provide training. Lots of flexibility in the amount of time you choose to contribute. Lots of opportunity to meet and help community members working in the sustainable arena. For more details, contact Cindy. Food Bank Growers hiring AmeriCorps Summer Associate *New* The Food Bank Growers network grows, gathers, and gives organically grown fruits and vegetables to build healthy, vibrant communities, improve food security, and decrease food waste for our Jefferson County neighbors. This AmeriCorps opportunity is a project of Harvest Against Hunger. The AmeriCorps Summer Associate (SA) program will serve an intensive level of summer service for 10 weeks, and will be working with Food Bank Growers to coordinate metrics on what crops are needed and when. Full time, biweekly living allowance. Choice between Education Award ($1,374), or Cash Award ($345). Application deadline: May 31, 2022. Details here. Old Alcohol Plant Inn and Restaurant is hiring! We are hiring at the Old Alcohol Plant Inn and Restaurant, a unique social enterprise company that exists to serve the mission of Bayside Housing and Services, a non-profit transitional housing program providing housing, meals, and services to those in need. Located in Port Hadlock on the beautiful waterfront of Port Townsend Bay, our boutique hotel and garden-to-table restaurant are committed to furthering our sustainable hospitality efforts and creating a unique hub of authentic eco-tourism. Join our team and know your work supports housing solutions and sustainable business practices! Positions include: Events and Sales Coordinator, Front Desk Receptionist, Cook, Server, and Housekeeper. Bayside Housing is also in search of a Full Charge Bookkeeper. Learn more about Bayside’s impact in a recent Seattle Times article: A Trauma-Informed Model for Addressing Homelessness. Contact sustainability@oldalcoholplant.com or call 360-390-4017 if you have any questions. Kul Kah Han Native Garden (KKH) – A Call for Volunteers & Educational Opportunities! Their mission is to inspire and guide our regional community toward the appreciation, cultivation and use of native plants in home landscaping. They hold Volunteer Working Days at HJ Carroll Park every Wednesday from 10:30am to 2:30pm (March-October). KKH is seeking new volunteers to join their passionate team. If you are interested, please contact their Volunteer Coordinator, Alan Potter alan.potter25@gmail.com, to arrange an introduction and orientation of the garden. They also sponsor educational presentations on related subjects such as wildlife habitat, beneficial mycorrhizae, wise water use, propagation, ethnobotany, sustainable landscaping and more! Please contact their Outreach Coordinator, Christina Ballew ballewsingh@gmail.com, if you are interested in these educational opportunities. Gardening requires lots of water – most of it in the form of perspiration! They look forward to seeing you at the Garden! WSU Seed Library on JC Library Bookmobile The JCL Bookmobile is partnering with WSU Master Gardeners to bring seeds directly to you! Borrow a variety of seeds from the Seed Library and grow beautiful, healthy plants to eat and for seed saving. At the end of the season, return a portion of your seeds to the Seed Library for the next year’s borrowers. The Seed Library will visit all bookmobile stops (except Paradise Bay) during the last week of each month, March through October. This year they will be offering only seeds grown within Jefferson County—the best seeds grown by your neighbors, friends, and local seed growers. Learn more and get the schedule Summer Job Opportunities with CedarRoot Folk School CedarRoot is looking for enthusiastic instructors for its summer outdoor Nature Studies programs. Instructors will create a safe and fun environment for youth to engage with the natural world through play, nature awareness, wilderness skills and landscape exploration. Several open roles including a new Olympic Exploration Lead Instructor role. See CedarRoot website for more information. Jefferson Transit’s Kingston Express Jefferson Transit is launching a pilot that connects with the Kingston Fast Ferry to Seattle! There will be a morning run and an afternoon run Monday – Saturday (note the fast ferry only runs M – F currently.) The Jefferson County stops are Haines P&R, Four Corners P&R, and the Gateway Visitors Center. Find out more at https://jeffersontransit.com/14kingstonexpress/. You can show your support for this pilot by getting on board, literally! Jefferson County Farmers Market BIPOC Start-Up Business Fund The Black Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) Start-Up Business Fund, now in its second year, accepts applications on an ongoing basis. They are excited to welcome more BIPOC vendors to market with small grants of $500-$1,500. Community Resources Biochar for Farms & Gardens The Olympic Carbon Fund is continuing its mission to increase carbon sequestration in the soils of our region by continuing to give away biochar for food-growing soils. Farms, market gardens and large shared gardens are eligible for a full cubic yard, while home food gardeners may partake of the “Bucket Share”. Other soil regeneration projects may also be eligible for free biochar, if community resilience is enhanced by the project. More information and order. New Public Health Dept E-Newsletter Sign up at https://jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/list.aspx, and allow your mail tool to receive e-mails from listserv@civicplus.com. Free art posters promoting peace and a healthy Earth HELP promote ideas of healthy change NOW! With WAR activities in Europe (risking Nuclear contamination) and the CLIMATE CRISIS growing, these changes are URGENT. Let’s stop destructive practices that are destroying our Earth, while protecting our communities and cultures. Art Posters are now available to download (more will come soon) on a new website www.thegentlerevolution.com. Please download these FREE posters to digitally post or print to post – in community places, storefronts or make into small handbills to give out. Let these ideas grow life with love. New informational Electric Vehicle web tools for Jefferson County Jefferson County’s 2018 Greenhouse Gas Inventory indicates that transportation accounts for 66% of our greenhouse gas emissions. This might be your best excuse yet for buying the most responsive (fast), fun vehicle you’ve ever had! Our community has a new set of web tools that can help you in your EV research: https://jeffersoncan.org/electric-vehicles/ 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 County Sign 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 14,724 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. The Story of Glen Canyon *New* 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. To learn more about the emergence of Glen Canyon, join Washington Friends of Wild Utah’s podcast by the Glen Canyon Institute on May 25 at 6 pm, The Return of the River: The Story of Glen Canyon. Preregister for the free event. 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/. A Better Transportation Future David Thielk shares the TLAB’s vision for a better transportation future in the latest Local 20/20 Port Townsend Leader column. A vibrant Water Street filled with walkers and cyclists, tourists on bikes, and the absence of cars are part of the vision. Learn more about the vision and the road map to getting there in the full column. New IPCC Report Warns Climate Change is Causing Dangerous Disruption in Nature and Affecting Billions of People “Human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks. People and ecosystems least able to cope are being hardest hit, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report…” notes the press release for the the latest IPCC report, “The Summary for Policymakers of the IPCC Working Group II report, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability”, which was released on 2/27/2022. The press release also notes that “”There are options to adapt to a changing climate. This report provides new insights into nature’s potential not only to reduce climate risks but also to improve people’s lives.” The report itself states that “Approximately half of the species assessed globally have shifted polewards or, on land, also to higher elevations.” The report also highlights that we need to act now to both reduce emissions and adapt to the changes – “There is a narrowing window of opportunity to shift pathways towards more climate resilient development futures as reflected by the adaptation limits and increasing climate risks, considering the remaining carbon budgets.” A shorter summary of the report can be found in this World Resource Institute article. |
