Local News for 5/31/23
In Appreciation for John Clise
All at KPTZ are saddened at the loss of the inimitable and fun-loving John Clise, who passed away on May 27. We and our listeners are very fortunate that John fed the KPTZ airwaves regularly to share the Community Calendars and his fine persona, for over 10 years. On May 15, the very day before he himself, turned 91, John joined the Monday morning crew during KPTZ’s 12th Birthday Fund Drive in making his final 91.9FM appearance, as shown in this photo with Donn Trethewey at the console and Phil Andrus also in the studio.
“I shall miss him,” says KPTZ’s Taylor Clark, who since 2013 was John’s production partner for the voiceover work Mr. Clise contributed. “John did voice, I did the engineering. It was a lot of reading but John always came prepared: having looked up pronunciations and marked out his cadence. After he left for the day I would do the edit and remove any flubs. There weren’t a lot of mistakes, but the outtakes often made me laugh. ‘Oh Balls!’” As we send love and comfort to Pam Clise and to all their family and friends, may John’s significant contributions to KPTZ, Port Townsend and our planet serve as inspiration to us all. To hear more of John’s story, and his voice, and to experience some of his humor, check out Maryanne McNellis’ interview with him from one year ago, in the Our Town archives: Episode #201: John Clise, Renaissance Man
Next Door Neighbor: Next Door Neighbor: Your Community Bulletin Board and More
(Airdate: May 30, 2023) NextDoor is a social platform that provides a space for neighbors and community members to inquire about local resources, crowd sourced updates within smaller neighborhoods and more. Missy Nielsen of Everybody Can, speaks with volunteer Dan Needles about his role with NextDoor and to share tips on how to get the most from this resource. Join our discussion as we learn about special interest discussion groups and a little known “How can we help?” map featuring neighbors who might have a skill to share.
#223 Nathan Barnett: Mr. Steampunk
(Airdate: May 30, 2023) Maryanne interviews Nathan Barnett, the force behind the upcoming Steampunk Festival. Steampunk is basically Victorian science fiction, Nathan explains. So what better venue than Port Townsend? In addition to running the Steampunk event, Nathan and wife Cindy are owners of the Old Consulate Inn. When not in full Victorian mode, he’s a techie with long-time ties to Microsoft and Google. Remote working was common in the tech industry well before Covid – making it possible to telecommute from Port Townsend. The two-day Steampunk Festival (June 16-18) makes for great people watching. There’s also a wealth of events such as a Victorian Fashion Show, duel fighting, card games, the “bazaar of the bizarre,” and a makers market selling all things Steampunk.
Local News for 5/30/23
PT Creative District Survey
Calling all Creatives! The Port Townsend Creative District goals include connecting audiences with artists to strengthen the opportunity for their financial success, and help support a year-round economy for artists. They are looking for artists’ input. Please take this brief survey before May 30 on how the Creative District can best serve our local artists and community: Creative District Survey
Autonomy Art Show
(Airdate: May 29, 2023) This week host Jim Burke speaks with Sharle Osborne and Gayle Brauner about the Autonomy Art Show taking place on June 3 during Art Walk. He also speaks with Sarah Dixit of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington. The show is raising money for Planned Parenthood of eastern Washington.
Community Tides ~ 5/19/23
This summer Wilderbee Farm is hosting Poetry on the Salish Sea, monthly poetry readings in its Meadery Garden by sixteen poets from around the Olympic Peninsula and beyond. The series is free to the public, from May through October. The readings are sponsored by Wilderbee Farm, Imprint Book Store, the Port Townsend Arts Commission, and The Production Alliance. Kathryn Hunt is the series curator. She’s a writer and teacher, and makes her home on the Salish Coast. She has three well received books of poetry and two chap books to her credit. Kathryn is joined by Alice Derry, author of six volumes of poetry, three chap books, and has thirty years of experience teaching at at Peninsula College where she curated the Foothills Poetry Series. She’s currently working with local tribal members on the Peninsula who are writing poetry. Kathryn and Alice join us to tell us about poetry, the event, and its participants.
Booklovers’ Cafe – Rebekah Anderson, The Grand Promise
(Airdate: May 23, 2023) Rebecca Anderson comes to Booklovers’ Cafe to introduce her new historical novel The Great Promise. This book was inspired by Rebecca’s family and stories about life in Eastern Washington during the building of the Grand Coulee Dam during the depression years of the mid thirties. “A great read from characters to description and authenticity throughout.”
County Connections
(Airdate: May 26, 2023) This week on County Connections co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Greg Brotherton spoke with Brent Butler about his new role in the Jefferson County Dept. of Community Development about big and small changes coming to Jefferson County as a result of declared Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) in Port Hadlock and Port Townsend. “Stock Plans” are being uploaded to the County website on June 15 for a 3-week public comment period. Stock plans are ready-to-go plans for commercial buildings and housing to streamline the design and permitting process to save time and money for builders and developers to build out Port Hadlock and Port Townsend over the next few years to increase housing and business development.
