This Week
Discussion of FLUSH The Documentary. Oct 11th
How do sewers work? How much does flushing cost households? What is science and medicine learning from poop? How do climate change and environmental justice affect housing affordability? The Housing Solutions Network’s Kelsey Caudebec moderates a discussion of the overlapping issues in FLUSH The Documentary. Among her guests are Shawn Shaffner of the People’s Own Organic Project and Dr. Ole Ersson , who will answer questions about the Kailash Ecovillage dry toilet and treatment system approved under ANSI/IAMPO WE•Stand code. Register here for links to this Zoom gathering and to the film.
Time: 5:30 PM to 7 PM. Location: Online
Meet the Candidates Night – Wed, Oct 12th
Meet the Jefferson County Commissioner candidates, Marcia Kilbon and Greg Brotherton, at the Chimacum Grange on Wednesday, October 12th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. The candidates will have the opportunity to present their ideas and platforms followed by brief rebuttals. At that point, the floor will be opened for audience questions; each candidate will be given time to respond to each question. Come and participate in person in this lively give and take upstairs in the Grange Hall, across from Chimacum School on Rhody Drive. The public is also invited to join Grange members for an informal potluck meal at 6:15 p.m. downstairs, and get a small taste of delicious local food and what Grange is up to in 2022. No charge, but bring an appetizer or dessert item.
Time: 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM | Location: Chimacum Grange Hall
Master Gardener Program Presentation – Thurs, Oct 13th
The Jefferson County Master Gardener Foundation will present “The Master Gardener Program”. Jennifer Marquis, Statewide Master Gardener Program Leader, will talk about The Master Gardener program, how it is connected to WSU (a land grant college) and the role Master Gardeners play in horticultural education for the community as well as environmental stewardship. This presentation will take place on October 13, 2022 at 2:30pm. For more information on this presentation go to jefferson.wsu.edu or jcmgf.org.
Time: 2:30 PM | Location: Online via Zoom
Master Gardener Lecture Series – Weds Oct 12th, Oct 19th
This fall the Master Gardeners’ Growing Groceries Team is offering a free short lecture series on Growing Small Fruits for the Home Garden!
Home grown fruit is one of the most delicious and economically effective ways to grow groceries in your home garden. Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries and Currants (for those of you with shady gardens) are expensive to buy, but relatively easy to grow at home. Recommended varieties and caring for these small fruits will be presented in two zoom lectures. Join us now to start or improve your small fruit harvest next spring and summer.
Fruit trees will not be covered in this session but will be the topic of a future offering.
Time: 6:00 PM | Location: Online Via Zoom
Brinnon JeffCo Repair Event – Sat, Oct 15th
Join the Marine Science Center for this free community gathering in which people with repair skills share their time and talents to fix their neighbors’ belongings. For this event, they will have volunteers donating their time to help repair small appliances and electronics, textiles/clothes, tool sharpening, and other household items. Limit of 2 items per person. If you know the specific part needed to repair your item, we ask that you bring it along. Learn more or Contact Mandi
Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM | Location: Brinnon Community Center
Upcoming Events
River Otter Beach Walk – Weds, Oct 19th
Join Jenn Riker to learn about these cute and curious creatures that live throughout the Puget Sound. They’ll be taking a beach walk on East Beach past the Wansboro Battery and discussing the river otter’s life cycle, behavior and where you might find them. Perhaps they’ll even see a few! Bring comfortable shoes, warm clothes and a rain jacket. Register here
Time: 10:00 AM | Location:East Beach past Wansboro Battery
Annual Harvest Dinner – Weds, Oct 19th
This year they return to a community celebration with an in-person Harvest Dinner at Finnriver, featuring a fresh and healthy meal prepared by Chimacum, Port Townsend, and Quilcene Schools’ Food Service Directors along with students from the school Culinary Arts classes. Because wellness is their goal, they are limiting seats and prioritizing space and air flow—and they’ll have a remote option for local folks who aren’t yet ready to gather or are unable to join them in person! A take-out meal and Zoom program will allow you to participate from the comfort of your own home. (Or the internet-connected location of your choice!) Their program will feature photos and stories of progress, updates from Community Wellness Project and partner schools, and dreams for the future. Your contributions at the Harvest Dinner will support student well-being through healthy school meals, local ingredient sourcing, and school garden programs. By sourcing locally, Food Services Directors are able to purchase the freshest, most flavorful, and most nutrient-dense food, to act nimbly during supply chain disruptions, and to support the food and farm producers that sustain our community. The proceeds from last year’s Harvest Dinner brought over 4,000 pounds of locally produced fruit, veggies, meat, and dairy to school cafeterias! For more information, or to purchase tickets, see here.
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM | Location: Finnriver Farm & Cidery
Global Earth Repair Summit – Fri, Oct 21st-24th *New*
Friends of Earth Repair are called to join the Global Earth Repair foundation for a weekend summit. They are bringing in some of the world leaders in eco-restoration together to educate the public, create an archive of world-class information and create a Global Earth Repair Action Plan. Please consider donating/sponsoring the summit. Register or sponsor here.
Location: Online
Southern Resident Orcas Presentation – Sat, Oct 29th
Join Brad Hanson, a Ph.D. Wildlife Biologist, to learn about our Southern Resident Orcas, how they are doing, and recent research. Join Friends of Fort Flagler for an in-person Presentation at the Fort Flagler hospital and learn about the Southern Resident Orcas at the Hospital. Brad is an ecologist with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and is currently studying foraging and habitat use of Southern Resident killer whales and health assessment of harbor and Dall’s porpoises. Previously, Brad worked as a Wildlife Biologist at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, WA. Brad received a Ph.D. from the University of Washington where he worked on the development of improved tag attachment systems for small cetaceans. He also holds an M.S. in Fisheries from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Zoology also from the University of Washington.
Time: 7:00 PM | Location: Fort Flagler Hospital
Recurring Events
Plastic Recycling Pop-Up Drop-Off – 1st and 3rd Saturdays
Are you ready to start recycling your plastic bottle caps and can connectors? PT Potential is now open for collections! Swing by their next drop-off event with your clean plastic items and learn how they plan to recycle them! Join us in mitigating our pollution and working towards a more local, circular economy.
Collecting caps, lids, and can carriers.
Don’t have plastic collected? Swing by anyway, we’d love to chat plastics!
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM | Location: Check the current schedule
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
Tues, Oct 4th and Sat, Oct 15th
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 – email for schedule
Time: 9:30-11:00 AM | Location: Port Ludlow Bridge Deck (on Harbor Drive: above Beach Club parking lot, 121 Marina Drive)
New Guided Tour at Fort Flagler State Park- Saturdays through Oct 22nd
View the Batteries in a Whole New Light! Have you toured the batteries at Fort Flagler State Park? If so, you haven’t seen them quite like this before! Come explore the batteries in a whole “new light”, with an Interpretive Ranger. Learn how the batteries are slowly turning into caves!
This program is for ages 8+ due to the nature of the tour. The batteries are very dark and have a strong echo. The theme of the tour has been designed for older kids and adults.
More information and registration. Limited capacity- 15 people per tour.
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!
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 – 4th Fridays
Beverly McNeil, Admiralty Audubon trip leader and photographer, is conducting bird walks at Fort Flagler. Birding and nature tours are on the 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: 8:30 AM | Location: Fort Flagler | Dates: 4th Fridays
Protest Fossil Banks’ Climate Crimes – Fridays
Join a local demonstration at Port Townsend’s JP Morgan Chase Bank on the first three Fridays of the month from 11:00 Am to 1:00 PM. They bring big art and fliers to educate bank customers about Chase and Wells Fargo’s continued funding of fossil fuel expansion. They aim to move local money away from fossil banks, in line with divestment campaign stopthemoneypipeline.com. On the 4th and 5th Fridays of the month, they make new art and regroup in Irondale. More info & RSVP: communityartworks@gmail.com. Protest Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, first 3 Fridays | Location: Chase Bank, 419 Kearney Street, Port Townsend
Art Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 4th and 5th Fridays | Location: Irondale (email RSVP for address)
Community Notices
Adams Street Community Gardens Looking for New Members
As the pandemic eases in the months ahead, they find many members unable to continue with their group due to other commitments. After 10 years they have developed a truly successful community garden, with amazing soil, sound infrastructure, and impressive production. They encourage people to drive by on Adams St. between Blaine and Roosevelt to see what they have accomplished.
It will be a huge challenge to continue this garden with a significantly smaller number of members. They are reaching out to would-be gardeners to consider joining us in 2023! No experience necessary and no requirement to live in the neighborhood…just energy to help, a few hours a week to participate, and enthusiasm for growing things.
Please leave a message at 360 379-9708 to receive a call and become part of our team!
Volunteer Bookkeepers Needed *New*
Community Build seeks a volunteer familiar with QuickBooks to do bookkeeping for their all-volunteer non-profit that builds housing for unsheltered people in Jefferson County. Be part of a wonderful community effort by pitching in 2-3 hours each week with an additional 1-2 hours at the end of each quarter. For more information, call Annalee McConnell at 907-723-5183 or email her at annalee.av@gmail.com.
Results of Survey on Housing + Sanitation Learning Series
A summary of the responses to the survey that is helping shape the HSN-PHLUSH Learning Series is available here. They are grateful to the 42 individuals who took the time to reply with their preferences and notes on knowledge gaps and misconceptions relating to housing and sanitation. Topics that attracted more than half of respondents include greywater, rainwater, and composting toilet systems, even though most are not currently permitted here. You want to know the rules regarding toilet systems for those living in RVs and various other types of small dwellings, issues for which they’ll turn to County officials. To launch the series in early October, they’ll address choices #3 and #4. In the first week of October, they’ll offer free on-demand viewing of FLUSH: The Documentary. A discussion of the film with two experts in it will take place online on Tues, Oct 11th at 5:30 pm. An online session on Sanitation Justice on Tues, Oct 18th at 5:30 pm will be presented by Abigail Brown, a member of the University of California faculty. See next week’s Local 20/20 Announcements for registration links.
Local Fruit Distribution with PT Gleaners
Every week until the end of October, Port Townsend Gleaners will be harvesting figs, apples, pears, and plums this season. It’s a low year for local trees, so if you have a tree that’s doing well and would like them to help harvest and distribute to local schools, please get in touch with them.
Learn more about how to understand when fruit is ready to pick at the Food Bank Growers website: https://www.foodbankgrowers.org/when-to-pick-fruit
If you’ll be using ladders to harvest, brush up on ladder safety here:
https://www.foodbankgrowers.org/how-to-orchard-ladder
To join the team or offer your fruit trees for harvesting, visit the Local 20/20 Community Harvest webpage: https://l2020.org/local-food/community-harvest
PSP Closure: Fort Flagler, Mystery Bay, and Kilisut Harbor
Recent shellfish samples taken from Mystery Pay and Fort Flagler were found to contain elevated levels of the marine biotoxin that causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). As a result, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has closed Fort Flagler, Mystery Bay, and Kilisut Harbor for recreational shellfish harvest for all species of mollusks. This does not include crabs and shrimp. Danger signs have been posted at public access points warning people not to consume shellfish from this area. Learn more.
You can check others areas at the Shellfish Safety Information Map.
Seeking Environmental Educators for 2022-2023 AmeriCorps Term
Inspire students, visitors, and the whole community to explore, experience, connect with, and take action to protect and steward the unique ecosystems of the Salish Sea.
These are full-time, 10 ½ month positions starting October 17, 2022. Full application details and the position description are on our website at www.ptmsc.org/employment. Applications accepted through September 30, 2022. AmeriCorpsApplication@ptmsc.org.
GERF Online Tech Coordinator Job Opportunity
The Global Earth Repair Foundation (GERF) located in Port Hadlock is seeking an Online Tech Coordinator for preparing and managing an online international Summit in October, 2022. GERF serves the grassroots, restoration movement to regreen our planet and re-carbonize our soils. This is a great opportunity to work closely with GERF staff as we develop and launch this event. Please see here for more information.
Preserve for Winter – 2nd Annual Eat Local! Salish Sea Campaign Continues
The 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. During September, the focus is on the PRESERVATION of local foods for use this winter. Freeze, dry, and make jam from local fruits and vegetables.
For information on locating our farmers, to receive a free PDF copy of Recipes for Preparing Local Foods (including a super-easy jam recipe), and to find out how to use your EBT card for extra coupons at the Farmer’s Markets, send them an e-mail.
Community Resources
Eat Local First’s Washington Food & Farm Finder Map
Eating local — and supporting our community’s farmers, fishers, and other food producers — is easy with the Eat Local First Washington Food & Farm Finder, from the statewide group Eat Local First (ELF) Collaborative. Enter your location by zip code or town/city name and use the detailed search criteria to find food grown, caught, raised, or made near you, navigating the handy map to explore further. Filter your search to find specific products, delivery options, and more.
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 over 15,500 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.
Car Free Day Results
Find out what we learned from the recent Car Free Day, including what forms of car free transportation participants used, and their ideas on what would make commuting that way easier in a recent Local 20/20 column in the Port Townsend Leader by Cindy Jayne. Not surprisingly, better weather was a common answer! The author shares some experiences of learning to commute year round, and offers ideas on various ways to reduce driving. And she reminds us that any day can be a car-free or car-less day!
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/
