KPTZ joins together with local cideries and The Production Alliance to herald a weekend of autumnal celebrations of the season and regional tastings. The Olympic Peninsula Apple & Cider Festival offers live music, cider, orchard tours, and all-ages fun, happening at local cideries, AND online. In person events are taking place at locations throughout Jefferson County. Festival schedule and more information are at appleandciderfest.com.
This week on the Compass, in a reprise of a show we did in July, we talk with Benji Project founder Cynthia Osterman and child psychologist Lexa Murphy about the results of a survey of local teens on the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and about things adults can do to help teens in crisis.
This week John Mauro responded to questions about the City’s new Infrastructure Committee and the consolidation of existing committees to gain efficiencies for the city. Other topics included seasonal changes to downtown parking limits, infrastructure challenges at the city’s sewage treatment plant, and the status of Port Townsend ‘s pending water system agreement with the mill.
Email your questions in advance to [email protected].
KPTZ is pleased to join up with the League of Women Voters of Jefferson County and the American Association of University Women of Port Townsend for the upcoming virtual Candidate Forum on Thursday October 7 at 6pm.
Moderated by Renee Klein, the first hour of the forum will feature Position 1 candidates Cameron Jones and Ben Thomas, followed in the second hour by Position 5 candidates Tyler Vega and Libby Wennstrom. KPTZ will simulcast the forum and livestream it at the above Listen Live button.
Candidates will give timed opening and closing statements, and answer questions submitted by the public. Submit your questions here by October 5. Concise, unbiased questions will be given priority. Some questions may be combined, and every effort will be made to cover a wide range of subjects. Links to the forum, accessible by computer or phone, will be posted on the League’s website.
Ballots for the November 2 election will be mailed October 13 and must be turned in by November 2. New online and mailed-in registrations to vote must be received by October 25. In-person registration at the Jefferson County Courthouse is possible during business hours through November 2. See the Jefferson County Elections website for more information on deadlines and ballot box locations.
(Airdate: October 4, 2021) This Attention Please! brings two guests with two topics. To begin, Skip Cadorette announces the 2021 WAVE Food Drive, explaining how we can help grow food security in our community. In the second half of the show, Cindy Jayne, Chair of the Jefferson County/City of Port Townsend Climate Action Committee, describes strategies for the reduction of carbon emissions in Jefferson County.
(Airdate: October 5, 2021) Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Rocky Friedman, the owner of the Rose Theatre in Port Townsend. Rocky fell in love with movies at a young age. After graduating from USC’s famed Film School, he decided that his future was not as a star but as a great screenwriter. Rocky and his wife ultimately moved to Port Townsend – a great place to write. But Rocky soon realized that the town was ripe for a special kind of movie theater. He spent seven long years researching and scheming. Oddly enough, he never even realized that the glory of the original 1907 Rose Theatre was lurking behind cheap remodels. The old tin ceiling and murals were carefully restored before opening in 1992. The Rosebud followed in 1995 and the adult venue Starlight Room opened in 2013. Then came the pandemic and Rocky – like all business owners – faced the trauma of shutdown. A “go-fund-me” campaign helped him hold on through the 499 days of closure. But the Rose is now back and Rocky is loving returning with the movies he loves. (Did you know he personally picks which movies run at the Rose?)
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. Spokespeople from Jefferson Healthcare joined to address the meeting. Also Willie Bence, Director, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.
County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry told the Commissioners this morning that both Jefferson and Clallam counties are leading the way in the Puget Sound area with some of the largest decreases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Currently, Jefferson Healthcare has no positive inpatients for the first time in a long time. Dr. Berry reported there are two county residents who are currently hospitalized in out-of-county facilities. Clallam County has 8 people in the hospital, down from a peak of 21.
From Dr. Allison Berry today in her briefing to Commissioners:
Washington State cases decreased by 12% in the last week, but that does not tell the regional trend story. There are still “incredibly high case rates” on the east side of the mountains. Jefferson County’s case rate is up to 1019 cases, 276 per 100,000. Dr. Berry said we are “still very high, not as high as it was, but so much higher than we would like it to be.”
Currently, there are two people in the hospital at Jefferson Healthcare – both were unvaccinated. There is one other resident hospitalized out of county. Jefferson Healthcare now has bed space, which is a dramatic change from where have been. Some elective and non-urgent procedures will begin again. Dr. Berry said we are seeing many more cases that are related to primarily unvaccinated out-of-county or out-of-state travel, or by having guests from out-of-town. “We are investigating a cluster of cases in the Brinnon area among kids, and so we’ll be working very closely with the school district on that,” she said. “It does look like there’s some social transmission, some sports transmission, and we’re going to be doing some close investigation to assure that there’s not any in school transmission.”
Appointments at Jefferson DEM’s large-scale booster dose clinics this Saturday at the Chimacum School District’s Multi Purpose room and next weekend at Blue Heron Middle School are filled. About 600 people have signed up for boosters for the Pfizer vaccine only. Space currently is available at the Quilcene clinic on October 23, with about 200 appointments available. It will be at the Quilcene School. Go to the Jefferson County Public Health website or call DEM at 360-344- 9791 for scheduling.
PLEASE BRING YOUR VACCINATION CARD WITH YOU TO THE APPOINTMENT.
Here’s a link to the Washington My IR database. You can register and have your immunization record available on this website: https://wa.myir.net.
Pharmacies have been offering booster doses as well. Check with your local pharmacists or call DEM for details. If you are still in need of a first dose, call DEM and we’ll help you find a way to get it. Some pharmacies and primary care providers are helping accommodate those people. DEM is working on clinic details for 5-11 year old vaccination clinics when it is approved and available for this age group.
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.
