(Airdate: March 7, 2022) The directors of the two libraries in our county tell what’s coming to their libraries in the coming months. Tamara Meredith, Director of the Jefferson County Library, talks of leading her library out of the COVID-19 pandemic after implementing innovations to keep it open. Melody Sky Weaver, Director of the Port Townsend Library, introduces this year’s Community Read and upcoming library activities.
KPTZ is pleased to present a long excerpt from the Sequim-based podcast 10,000 Heroes. The bi-weekly podcast features one hour interviews with “heroes” in all different walks of life and is hosted and produced by executive coach Ankur Shah Delight. KPTZ will broadcast the Fighting Woman episode in celebration of Women’s History month on Monday. March 7 from 8-9pm. Classic Jazz will return the following Monday, at its usual time.
Fighting Woman is also known as Pamela Bond, who is a Councilwoman on the Snohomish Tribal Council and the Fish, Wildlife, and Environment Director for the Tribe. She is also the Founder and Co-Director of the community organization Salish Sea Environmental Education and Action. Fighting Woman is a Cultural Educator and Traditional Teacher for the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, and a Traditional Plant Medicine and Food Specialist. She is also an incredible weaver of cedar bark, makes documentary films, and happens to be legally blind.
From 10,000 Heroes host & creator, Ankur Shah Delight: “Before sitting down with her, I really wanted Fighting Woman to soothe us with some epic stories. She went much further and challenged me on many levels, including the role of storytelling and the responsibilities of those who hear, those who tell, and those who travel.”
Song Club Radio Hour debuted on KPTZ on Friday March 4. If you missed the first episode or want to listen again, the program is available for streaming for two weeks at the SCRH Program Archive link. Song Club Radio Hour is a show where participants are given a randomly selected song title along with a combination of three prompts and parameters. Using these guidelines, they have one week to write and record a song. Host Joel Myers compiles all of the submissions and the resulting show is a magical potluck of songs and sounds no one has ever heard before! Welcome to Song Club Radio Hour. Most of the club is localized to the Pacific Northwest, with some clubbers on the east coast and California. A few of the members are located right here in Port Townsend! Tune in for the future of radio, weekly on Fridays at 10pm on KPTZ. You can find more information on individual clubbers on Song Club Radio Hour’s bandcamp page.
On alternate Fridays during the noon hour, hosts Chris Bricker and Siobhan Canty, President and CEO of Jefferson Community Foundation meet to discuss new developments, new paradigms, and the new normal in Jefferson County as we roll towards springtime and all that it offers. Any museum experience is shaped by the people who care passionately about this work. There are countless stories beneath the surface of our communities, just waiting to be brought to light.
Having earned a Masters degree in Museology from the University of Washington, Shelly Leaven’s connection with Port Townsend began when she was an intern at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle. Her interest in the the Arts, the natural world, and related non-profit organizations eventually led her here to raise a family and take the position as the Historical Society’s Executive Director in 2018. She brings a quality perspective on what history means for us today, and the chance to offer a revitalized vision for the 139-year-old organization. If objects, walls, pictures and art could talk, what would they say? And how would they say it?
Today on Brewocracy Now KPTZ host Tim Quackenbush and City Manager John Mauro were joined by Port Townsend Library Director Melody Sky Weaver. Topics discussed included: the current Community Read, effects of book banning efforts in other parts of the country on Port Townsend, and the upcoming tour for new City Council members of the Port of Port Townsend.
There were 450 new COVID-19 cases in Jefferson County in February 2022, less than half the record 1,108 cases we had in January. Those two months account for 51% of all the cases we’ve had during the two-plus years of the pandemic (the total number of cases is higher, because not everyone who takes a home test reports it, and some people don’t get tested because they didn’t have any symptoms).
With the decline in cases here and elsewhere, the state and county mask mandates are slated to be rescinded on March 12, although masks will still be required in medical facilities, public transit, senior living facilities, etc.
Local health officials note that Jefferson Healthcare Hospital continues to hit 100% occupancy repeatedly, in part because the hospital does not have enough staff to operate all of its beds. In the last week of February, for example, it operated only 15 of its 26 regular beds and four of its six ICU beds, and all beds were occupied.
(Airdate: March 2, 2022) Coastal Cafe‘s guests this week are George Harris, the President of the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA) and Jay Jenning, Vice President of Government Affairs. George and Jay spoke with host Aaron Barnett about upcoming life jacket legislation in Olympia, Southern Resident Killer Whale regulations, boat sales in the age of COVID-19 as well the 75th celebration of the NMTA’s creation.
(Airdate: March 2, 2022) Ron & Rosemary Sikes invite Nature Now host Debaran Kelso & recorder Meg Amos to their backyard wildlife sanctuary in Port Townsend to discuss how to create and improve wildlife habitat in our own backyards (Part 1 of a two part program).
