KPTZ 91.9 FM Radio Port Townsend

Local News for 10/20

October 20 2020: Local News – Ballots collected, roundabouts proposed. (TRANSCRIPT)

#163 – Robert Ambrose: Leading KPTZ To The Next Level

(Airdate: 10/20/2020) Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Robert Ambrose, the chairman of the board of KPTZ. Robert has an adventurous past including stints in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, England and the San Francisco Bay area before settling in Alaska. He and wife, Jessica, decided that they did not want to raise their sons in an urban center. They found life quite different in rural Alaska. It suited them well. He was a stay-at-home dad for a while and Jessica was in public health. But the call of the local community station soon had Robert more than just a little involved. All was good. But years later Jessica died in a tragic accident. Robert was undone and after some travel and life reassessment he decided to move. He was lucky to find Port Townsend. His passion for community radio is so deep that he pitched a show to Larry Stein, KPTZ’s program director, even before he got to town. Soon he was on the board and quickly after that became chairman. So now he’s in charge of all of KPTZ’s efforts. He’s leading the team through some tough times. The station is growing and adapting to the challenges of the Covid pandemic.. It also needs funds to help renovate quarters at Fort Worden. The show is scheduled to air on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and Sunday, Oct 25.

County Public Health Report ~ 10/19

At today’s Public Health Briefings for the Jefferson County Commissioners, Public Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke discussed:

Jefferson County Case count increased to 81.
Masks are more important than previously thought.
Bracing for 3rd wave of the pandemic.
Testing technology has improved, new 15-minute tests are being added to the resources.
Clinical application is better – death rates have reduced.
Natural immunity is still unknown following recuperation, but seems likely to be less than 1 year.

Willie Bence discussed:

Concerns about Halloween and upcoming holidays, information to be released in weekly reports.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Tom Locke by emailing [email protected].

Compass for 10/17/20

As we approach election day, the nation is focused on a Presidential race that features perhaps the highest stakes in the nation’s history. Some, including former President Barack Obama, feel the future of democracy itself is on the ballot. But here in Jefferson County, we are lucky to have only one local contest of a much milder nature, that for the District Two seat on the Board of County Commissioners between a pair of candidates who mostly seem to share a common perspective of community concern. This week on the Compass, we present excerpts from interviews with Board of Commissioner candidates Lorna Smith and Heidi Eisenhour conducted by KPTZ Reporter Lily Haight in early September. The two candidates were asked basically the same set of questions in separate interviews, but for the sake of brevity, the two interviews here have been cut together.

The Compass airs Saturdays at noon and repeats the following Monday and noon and five PM, exclusively here on KPTZ.

Through Science to Health ~ 10/16/20

The novel coronavirus continues to impact people around the world and, of course, locally. Chris Bricker, KPTZ Host and Lynn Sorensen, RN continue in their every other week series; Through Science to Health, to discuss local, state, and national news about the pandemic of 2020.

There is always more news and developments than Chris and Lynn have time for, but some of today’s discussion points were; the importance of getting a flu shot, the continuation mask wearing and other public health endorsed behaviors to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, and the definition of the term ‘herd immunity’.