| This Week Eat Local First Olympic Peninsula Challenge – Sept *New* There is still time to enter the Eat Local First Challenge! Do any of the 9 activities on the Eat Local card, post and share them, and fill out a survey by Oct 1 to be entered into a chance to win prizes. September is a great time to enjoy the bounty of goodies produced by our many local farms. From fresh dairy products, to delicious vegetables and fruits, to high quality meat and eggs, shoppers can meet virtually all their grocery needs buying directly from farms and local retailers right here on the Olympic Peninsula. Help Plant a New Rain Garden in Port Hadlock – Fri, Sept 23rd The Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee and WSU Extension are seeking volunteers to help plant a new rain garden behind the WSU Extension building (121 Oak Bay Rd) in Port Hadlock. Once established, this rain garden will help to collect and treat stormwater flowing from nearby roads, parking lots, and building tops before making its way into South Port Townsend Bay. We are asking volunteers to sign up for shifts, but feel free to come late or leave early if you need to! Refreshments will be provided. Find more information and sign up for a shift. For questions, contact Monica. Time: 9:30 AM –12:00 PM, 12:30–3:30 PM and 3:30-6:30 PM | Location: Behind the WSU Extension building (121 Oak Bay Road) in Port Hadlock. ARTs for ANiMALs Silent Auction Fundraiser – Ends Sun, Sept 25th *New* Benefits local artists and Center Valley Animal Rescue 10 local artists painted and adorned 5 honeybee hive boxes and 5 mason bee houses. These one-of-a-kind works of art are displayed at Wilderbee Farm tasting room (12-5pm Sat & Sun), or see them online here. Contact Wilderbee Farm or stop by during open hours to bid! 360-379-2434 or email. |
| Upcoming Events TLAB Meeting – Mon, Sept 26th 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: 4:30-6:00 PM | Location: In person. Contact Richard Dandridge Home Composting Classes – Tues, Sept 27th, Wed, 28th or Sat, Oct 1st *In-person OR Online* Join your fellow Jefferson County citizens for an engaging interactive workshop with instruction on how to create and maintain a healthy compost system with food and yard waste. Create compost to amend your soil, retain moisture, provide essential nutrients for your plants, & MORE! Workshop cost is $25. Participants will receive a $125 Earth Machine compost bin. One per household, please. Participants must attend the full workshop to receive their compost bin. Additional family members and/or friends may attend at no charge with one paid registration. Available to Jefferson County residents only who have not attended a previous compost class. Click on a link to register for one class through Brown Paper Tickets: 1) Tues, Sept 27th; 10-11:30AM; online via Zoom; register – OR – 2) Wed Sept 28th; 7-8:30PM; online via Zoom; register – OR – 3) Sat, Oct 1st; 10-11:30AM; in person at FinnRiver Cidery in Chimacum; register For more information, email Laura Tucker or call 360-379-4491. Forest Ecology Hike in the Olympic Rain Shadow – Wed, Sept 28th Learn about the forest ecology in the Olympic rain shadow of our native forest. Join Friends of Fort Flagler for an in-person hike and discussion at Fort Flagler and learn about our forest and plants. We’ll start at the lower campground and hike a loop which should take about 1.5 hours. During the hike, we’ll discuss the trees and plants, as we encounter them. Register here. Learn more about Friends of Fort Flagler. Time: 3:00 PM | Location: Meet in front of the Beachcomber Café, lower campground, Fort Flagler 1st Annual EV Expo and Request for Vehicles – Sat, Oct 8th *New* The Chamber of Jefferson County is holding an EV Expo that will include a variety of electric vehicles (including cars, RVs, bikes, trucks, etc.), breakout sessions on vehicle information, EV owners panel discussion, EV myths, carbon footprint, and more! Partnering with the Chamber on this event is the City of Port Townsend, Local 20/20, Jefferson PUD, and Jefferson Transit. This is a great opportunity to touch, feel and explore these new opportunities. For additional information, visit the Chamber’s website, or phone 360.385.7869 Additionally, if you have an EV (car, bike, truck, etc.) you would like to show off at the Expo, please contact Cindy at cindy@l2020.org. Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Location: The Chamber, 2409 Jefferson St, PT Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Classes – Sundays Oct-Dec *Registration Open Now* Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a mindfulness training program that helps us access and strengthen our own inner resources, to more actively engage in the moment, and find greater balance, ease, and peace of mind. MBSR is the original mindfulness course, has been exhaustively researched, and is considered to be the gold standard in mindfulness training. Two eight week courses. More information and registration (deadline Oct 1st). Time: TBD | Location: In person 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, Sept 6th and Sat, Sept 17th 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 Tues, Sept 13th 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 *New* 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 Local Fruit Distribution with PT Gleaners *New* 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 *New* 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. Housing + Sanitation Learning Series survey closes. Fri Sept 23rd *Updated* The survey to help shape the upcoming Housing + Sanitation Learning Series closes this week. Please take two or three minutes to help planners identify topics of interest. Recommendations on speakers, books, films, and field visits that show how various wastewater treatment technologies impact housing affordability are welcome in the open-ended survey items. Take the Housing + Sanitation survey. The Housing Solutions Network and PHLUSH thank the thirty-eight respondents who have completed the survey so far. Check back next week for a summary of the results along with an invitation to October events as the Learning Series launches. Online sessions and face-to-face sessions will bring together housing activists, local officials, and technical experts to explore the intersection of housing and sanitation. 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/ |
