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City Council Candidates Forum Available for Viewing

Anyone unable to attend the October 7 Port Townsend City Council Candidates Forum can now view the video of the candidates for Position 1: Cameron Jones and Ben Thomas – and Position 5: Tyler Vega and Libby Wennstrom – via a link posted at https://www.lwvwa.org/Jefferson or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG2mNm241u8. The League of Women Voters encourages all voters to watch the forum, view the candidates’ websites, and read their responses to written questions on Vote411.org prior to voting.

The League of Women Voters of Jefferson County sincerely thanks moderator Renee Klein, co-sponsor (the American Association of University Women-Port Townsend), and media partner (KPTZ 91.9 FM, Port Townsend’s Community Radio) for their support of the forum. They are equally grateful to local filmmaker Dennis Daneau, who edited and produced the video. For additional information, contact the League of Women Voters-Jefferson County at [email protected].

Ballots for the November 2 election will be mailed starting 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 at https://co.jefferson.wa.us/1266/Elections for more information on deadlines and ballot box locations.

Jefferson County has an Accessible Voting Unit located in the Courthouse, next to the Auditor’s Office. Access is available  weekdays from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Election Day hours are from 8:30am to 8pm. Questions: 385-9119. Or email [email protected].

Hood Canal Oyster Initiative

(Airdate: October 27, 2021) Coastal Café host Aaron Barnett spends the morning with a group of middle school students working to help the native Olympia oyster. The Hood Canal Shellfish Initiative Implementation Project is focused on advancing a custom-fit strategy for restoration of Olympia oysters in Hood Canal. With data collected by these middle schoolers, the initiative hopes to create detailed “restoration prescriptions” for potential growing sites.

Nature Now #539
Ecological Benefits of Community Forests

(Reprise Airdate: October 27, 2019) Erik Kingfisher and Carrie Clendaniel from the Jefferson Land Trust join Nature Now host Nan Evans at Valley View Forest south of Chimacum to talk about the ecological health of forests, optimizing ecological and human benefits from a “community forest’, and recent activities at Valley View.

Connie Gallant

(Airdate: October 25, 2021) KPTZ host Steve Evans talks with 2021 Eleanor Stopps Environmental Leadership Award winner Connie Gallant, who was a key organizer of a grassroots fight to prevent the clear-cutting of Mt. Walker years ago and has been part of virtually every fight to preserve wilderness on the Olympic Peninsula since.

County Public Health Report ~ 10/25

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 Deputy Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke. 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.

During her briefing to Commissioners this morning, Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry said Jefferson County has 1130 cases diagnosed so far in this response. The current case rate has gone up in the last week to 254/100,000. Four of our citizens are currently hospitalized, with three at Jefferson Healthcare. Dr. Berry said 74% of our cases at this point are among those who are unvaccinated. The primary driver of our rise in cases is workplace outbreaks. She said there is a workplace outbreak in a Jefferson County location with a relatively low vaccination rate, with 12 cases so far. She also reported that there’s a very large outbreak in Grays Harbor county that is spilling over into Jefferson County. There are some Jefferson County residents who are employees.

Currently in Jefferson County, 70% of our population is fully vaccinated; 77% of those who are eligible are fully vaccinated. Dr. Berry noted it’s one of the highest rates in the state. “We continue to see some lagging in our pediatric populations,” she said. “Of the eligible kids, only 50% of those 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated.” Dr. Berry offered the following: “I want to encourage everyone in our community. If your kid is eligible for getting vaccinated, please get them vaccinated soon. And regardless, the more that we can keep our overall case numbers down in the community, the better our schools will do. And the higher likelihood that our schools can stay normal, which is so critical for our kids’ mental health.”

Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence offered information about the County’s next mass vaccination clinics focused on the Moderna booster. Booster shots have been approved for those over 65, anyone with a significant underlying medical condition, and anyone who is in a high-risk workplace or living situation. If you received your second dose six months ago or more, you are eligible for a booster of Moderna.

For those who received the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine more than two months ago, they are eligible for a booster as well. The CDC has approved the mixing of doses, and this is particularly important for those who received the J&J. Bence said J&J recipients are seeing a better response to one of the mRNA vaccines – either Pfizer or Moderna. Moderna Booster Clinics will be held November 6 at Chimacum School with 360 appointments available 1-4pm and on November 13 at Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend. For more information or to make an appointment see the Jefferson County Public Health website or call 360-344-9791. Local pharmacies and your primary care physician are also offering boosters.

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.

Compass for 10/23/21

On today’s program we speak with Doctors Kees Kolff and John Geyman, who are kindred spirits in that they are both current County Board of Health members for Jefferson and San Juan Counties respectively. Both have a thorough grasp of rural health care. Dr. Geyman is a noted author and Professor of Family Medicine, with 14 books on health care and the health care system to his credit. Kees, a former pediatrician, was also Medical Director for a group of rural health care clinics. We have an informative and stimulating discussion surrounding the state of health care in the United States, and challenges and solutions for reform.

Through Science to Health ~ 10/22/21

KPTZ’S Chris Bricker speaks with Dr. Allison Berry, Health Officer for Jefferson and Clallam Counties, and also with Bonnie Obremski, who fills the newly created role of COVID-19 Communications Specialist. We live in a world where there is also a pandemic of misinformation, and Bonnie explains the importance of communicating accurate and vetted information through the many communication platforms that exist today. Doctor Berry shares and clarifies the good news about vaccine boosters, and we talk about our children and what’s on the horizon for them as we balance their need to be in school, supported by the hard work of our education administrators and professionals. Dr. Berry also gives us advice for our fall and winter concerns, travel, and holiday gatherings.

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