KPTZ 91.9 FM Radio Port Townsend

Friends of Fort Worden

(Airdate: January 10, 2022) Larry Stein talks with Gary Larson and Will Barrett, two board members of Friends of Fort Worden, a volunteer organization that helps maintain and improve the Fort for all of us. Gary is Communications coordinator, and Will is the head of Trail Team projects, which take on specific maintenance and upgrades for the Fort’s network of trails. Also featured are the two AmeriCorps Service members who work with the Park Rangers, and the Friends of Fort Worden. They plan to be leading some interpretative Nature Walks in the Spring and Summer, in addition to their maintenance work on trails.

County Public Health Report ~ 1/10

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, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

In today’s address, Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry said the healthcare system is experiencing shortages of beds, shortages of staff and shortages of tests and medications. She urged individuals to get vaccinated, wear a mask and limit social contacts for the next few weeks – especially limiting the amount of time spent indoors with others. She said traveling by air is not a good idea at the moment and that supporting restaurants by ordering take-out or eating outside is preferable to indoor dining. “If you are fully vaccinated, you are well protected against the worst of COVID-19,” she said. “We’re seeing good protection against hospitalization for the folks who are fully vaccinated and even better protection for those who are boosted. So it really does still make a huge difference.” She suggested upgrading your mask, using well-fitted KN95 or N-95 masks. The county has a supply of these models and they be distributing them through local businesses, grocery stores and schools. “The very best mask you can wear is the on that you will wear continuously, “ Dr. Berry said.

In her weekly Commissioners address, Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry predicted that Jefferson will reach peak COVID-19 transmission at the end of January, with peak hospitalizations through mid-February. Dr. Berry said the COVID-19 news for this week is “not good,” with incredibly rapid rises in cases throughout the country. The Omicron variant is “incredibly contagious and a lot of us will contract it in the next couple weeks.” In Jefferson, cases are rising rapidly. She said our case rate is 795 per 100,000, which is the highest it has been. As of today, there 125 new cases for a total of 1,825 cases, with five people hospitalized. Forty of those new cases are in the Olympic Corrections Center in West Jefferson County. Nationally, cases are up 215%, with 650,000 cases reported each day and hospitalizations up 80%. “As crazy as these numbers sound right now, we anticipate that they will be worse for the next couple of weeks and the strain on our healthcare system will be worse for actually even longer,” she said.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and 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 meeting (Tuesday, January 18, due to the MLK holiday).

Community Tides ~ 1/07

Since 1999, Jumping Mouse Children’s Center has helped kids heal through expressive mental health therapy. In the Center’s warm, homelike environment, children confront past and present hurts and discover lasting resolutions. In this edition of Community Tides, KPTZ’s Chris Bricker and co-host Siobhan Canty, President and CEO of Jefferson Community Foundation, talk with Kimberly Gorman, in her new role as Executive Director of Jumping Mouse, and Jean Scarboro, Clinical Director. We’ll learn about their important work, and how our local children are faring in these trying times.

Roots & Twang / Karen Anderson

Roots & Twang, which aired Fridays in the 3-5pm time slot from June 2022 through April 2024, was your weekly dose of Country, Roots and Americana music hosted by Karen Anderson, the “Truck Driver’s Daughter.” Karen brought a diverse mix of artists you wouldn’t hear on commercial Country radio stations, and broke the stereotypes of the genre with her eclectic musical selections. Some listeners said, “It’s the country show for people who don’t like country.”

Karen says, “This is my dad Charlie Anderson in 1972 with the steel delivery truck that he loved to drive. I grew up listening to him singing Okie From Muskogee and A Boy Named Sue, among others, and country music just got into my soul. When I was a teenager, I rebelled against the twang and ventured off into the worlds of punk, new wave and reggae. Then in 1981, while working as a clerk at Tower Records, I snapped up a copy of Elvis Costello’s newly released Almost Blue, and the country torch was reignited to burn brighter than ever.” Email Karen.

Jefferson County December 2021 Case Numbers

Jefferson County had 205 new cases in December 2021 (through Dec. 30) for a total of 1,508. That’s an uptick from 164 in October and 139 in November, but lower than our highest month, September 2021 with 305. But as of Jan. 5, we had 1,636 cases, an increase of 128 over six days. It’s believed the sharp increase reflects both holiday gatherings and travel as well as the extremely contagious Omicron variant, which is prevalent in Washington and the US.

The one encouraging metric is Jefferson County’s COVID-19 death rate, which is one of the lowest in the country, according to Dr. Allison Berry, our public health officer. We had 20 COVID-19 deaths through December of 2021, but our rate is about half the state rate and a quarter of the national rate, she said. Twenty is too many, but it would have been 40 or 80 if our rate was comparable to state and national rates. Dr. Berry attributes our lower death toll – in spite of our significantly older demographic – to a high vaccination rate, masks and social distancing, and the vaccination requirement for bar and restaurant patrons.

Like many other hospitals, Jefferson Healthcare Hospital is very short of staff and unable to operate at full capacity. This makes it more difficult to treat critical patients with heart attacks, strokes, car wreck trauma, etc., let alone new COVID-19 patients, about two-thirds of whom are unvaccinated.

Nature Now #548
Winter Walk with Lichens

(Reprise airdate: January 6, 2016) For the New Year, reflect back to the first week of 2016 and join Mary Robson and Dr. Katherine Glew, University of Washington, for a “Winter Walk with Lichens”. Now that the snows of late 2021 have gone in many places on the Quimper Peninsula, explore the winter woods with an eye to the small living world on the barks of trees and covering the ground and rocks. (First aired January 6, 2016).

Local News for 1/06/22

January 6, 2022: Simon Jaynes – PT schools meeting amid climbing COVID rates; hwy. 101 still closed betw. Hoodsport and Quilcene. (TRANSCRIPT)

50 Years of Washington Sea Grant

(Airdate: January 5, 2022) Since 1971, Washington Sea Grant, a little-known marine research gem based at the University of Washington, has been supporting our state’s marine environment and maritime economies, having spearheaded or supported cutting-edge marine research, outreach and education for over 50 years. Host MaryAnn Wagner talks with Washington Sea Grant’s director Russell Callender about the next 50 years of projects for Washington’s shorelines and waters.