KPTZ 91.9 FM Radio Port Townsend

County Public Health Report ~ 3/14/22

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry said that COVID-19 cases continue to fall in Jefferson County. Total case numbers are 3,130, putting the case rate at 189/100,000, dipping below her desired threshold of 200/100,000, Our percent positivity is 7.4 which is also downtrending. Jefferson is no longer in the high risk category, moving to medium risk for COVID-19 transmission rates. Dr. Berry is recommending mask wearing in indoor settings until the case rate is below 100/100,000. This is especially important in crowded indoor spaces where vaccination status is unknown. Masking is also recommended for those who are in a high risk group or who are immunocompromised, on cancer treatments, or taking immunosuppressive medications. She anticipates a small surge in cases in a couple weeks because the mask mandate has been lifted. She does not anticipate a super-spreader event like the previous ones. For the long term, Dr. Berry believes COVID-19 will become a more severe version of the flu that moves in a seasonal pattern. She said that summer will be a time to enjoy the outdoors, but anticipates next fall/winter there could be a spike in case numbers as the population retreats back indoors.

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence today said the EOC emergency response to COVID-19 has turned the corner and is now in an ongoing maintenance mode. Meetings with Public Health and informational briefings with leadership and partners will remain in place on a weekly basis until the end of this month. The large mass vaccination clinics have been scaled back. Stores are being supplied with masks for the public. He had high praise for the many volunteers who turned out to help with the response. “We had hundreds of people come forward over the past few years and come out with a response for my department, whether it be doctors or nurses who are actually administering shots,” Bence recalled. “We have logistics volunteers who help with putting up parking cones and helping with traffic control. They’re helping set up and clean up after clinic, things like that. So we are absolutely going to maintain those those volunteer resources.” Bence said he has plans to establish the “Medical Reserve Corps,” a volunteer program composed of doctors and nurses who can be called upon during a future pandemic or emergency event. The next few months will be a time for the EOC to conduct focus groups and hold conversations about what worked and didn’t during the response to the pandemic. A report to the Commissioners will be provided when the information becomes available.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and to Willie Bence by emailing [email protected]. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

Interview by Emillia Nunn and George Marie

(Airdate: March 14, 2022) This week’s program features two stories by new contributors to Attention Please! Emillia Nunn, a 2021 graduate of PT High School, took on the controversial issue of the developing plan for the Poplar trees that line Sims Way as you enter Port Townsend. George Marie talks with the new managers of Fort Worden Hospitality, Aislinn Diamanti and Natalie Maitland, about their plans for welcoming the public to the enjoyment of the Fort and its varied services and activities. The producer for this week’s program is Larry Stein.

Our Working Waterfront ~ 3/11

In this special Fund Drive edition of Our Working Waterfront, KPTZ’s Chris Bricker, along with co-hosts Port Commissioner Pam Petranek and Port of Port Townsend’s Director Eron Berg, update us on happenings around our busy Boat Yard. Then we speak with marine trades and sailing icon Diana Talley about her project to explore the vast network of women here who love the sea and are deeply connected to it. She also arranged the first-ever group photograph of waterfront women, taken at Port Townsend’s City Dock on March 11.Then we pay a visit to Greg and Joey Veitenhans (pictured above) as they sit on the port rail of f.v. Voyager. Greg speaks of five generations of fishermen, tells us how he met his wive, Ava, and what it was like to raise two sons, Henry and Joey, on a fishing boat. Greg and family could ply us with enough stories for three more episodes! Joey, by the way, just earned his 100-ton Master Captain’s license at age 19.

Happening Now on the Local 91.9FM Airwaves!

We are asking for your support during this FLASH FUNDRAISER. Help KPTZ sustain and grow! Make a Donation ~ here on the website, and certainly all forms of payment are welcome! This two-day FLASH FUNDRAISER will go twice as far in funding your community radio station, because: Up to $10,000, every dollar you contribute will be matched! And it’ll be over almost as soon as it starts.

Programming Extras:

Thursday 3/10, 1-3 pm ~ Founding Program Director Larry Stein shares music and conversation.
Friday 3/11, 9:30-11am ~ Buzzy Donahue Show ~ Buzzy’s hit parade, plus a chance to win a pair of 3-day passes to the THING Festival.
12:30-1pm ~ DJ/Host Chris Bricker features the newly debuted We Are KPTZ (part 1) documentary feature, by videographer Dennis Daneau.
View Video Here
1- 3pm ~ Filter Finale! The last episode of Filter. Tune in to say farewell to host Paul Rice. Guests include Program Director Ruby Fitch to talk with Paul about the new KPTZ show, Song Club Radio Hour.
Paul Writes of His Filter Experiences
7-8pm ~ Crushed Velvet Preview ~ Dominic Svornich is joined by guest DJs Marilyn & Millie for an hour of hip-hop, contemporary R&B, crossover jazz and throwbacks.

Filter Terminus

KPTZ’s favorite irreverent Friday afternoon talk and music show is coming to a close. Tune in from 1-3pm this Friday to say farewell to Filter. Host Paul Rice presents his last episode with special guests and maybe a few slices of pizza?? Read Paul’s reminiscences on his short and very intense experience in broadcasting.

From Filter Host Paul Rice:

Filter is ending after a year-and-an-eighth months and, god, it feels weird. It feels too soon, especially when I promised myself the show would go on for ninety-nine years.

I made that assertion several times on the first few broadcasts.

On the evening after my third broadcast, when I played a setlist of songs chosen by my wife because it was our anniversary, my wife told me that she wanted a divorce.

This turned out to be a really good thing, just so we’re clear. We are so much better off not together. Our children, who recently guested on Filter, they are better off without us being together. That’s enough said about that.

I start out with this story to show you how mercurial my life has been since Filter began. Since the pandemic began. And Filter began because of the pandemic.

The legendary Phil (Philter) Andrus ran a KPTZ institution from the moment the station shed its birth caul and stood up and became the community radio station it is today. The show was called Tossed Salad and it was LEGENDARY. Four hours (FOUR HOURS) of talk and music and community. That’s what Phil presented every week. It’s impossible to describe how difficult that is, until you actually produce one or two hours of live radio yourself.

I had listened to Tossed Salad since close to its birth in 2011. I moved to Port Townsend in August of that year, so Tossed Salad was a few months old. I made an effort to listen whenever I could. KPTZ brought this libertine urbanite closer than ever to his new community, and Tossed Salad was one of my favorite listens.

Phil loved having live music and live interviews on his show so much. So when everything went virtual, he decided that it was time to call it. After nine years, he would leave the Friday 1-3pm slot and move over to Sundays. And now KPTZ had to figure out what to put in its stead.

This is when KPTZ Program Director Ruby Fitch called me. It was late April and she told me that KPTZ wanted me to create a talk and music show to fill in for Phil’s. The best news was, I only had to do two hours, not four!

Of course I said yes, and set about creating a show that was designed to showcase community members doing great things, with some weird adventures of my own. I always wanted to find the fun and personal stories through what was happening in our community. I scripted out a bunch of shows at the start, and stayed up late coming up with musical setlists. I was in heaven. It was the biggest honor in the world to be asked to do it. I felt so lucky.

Click here to read the rest of Paul’s message

Local News for 3/11/22

March 10, 2022: Ann Katzenbach – Styrofoam recycling postponed a month; City Council resumes in-person meetings. (TEXT)

Brewocracy Now with John Mauro ~ 3/10

This week on Brewocracy Now, City Manager John Mauro and KPTZ’s were joined by Port Townsend Police Department ‘s newest officer, Kamal Sharrif. Officer Sharrif comments on joining the Department from his previous assignment in King County, provides insight into the intricacies of policing, and the skills necessary to effectively and compassionately protect the public.