On Thursday, March 26, Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro conducted his weekly coffee meeting with the public on KPTZ’s Discovery Road, with host Tim Quackenbush. Mayor Michelle Sandoval joined as well. Both City officials shared information about local plans being enacted for the days ahead. The half-hour conversation can be streamed and downloaded here.
(First airdate: March 26, 2020) Coastal Cafe host Aaron Barnett speaks with the director of Washington State’s oil spill response program about their preparedness, response and prevention plans for catastrophic and small oil spills in Washington and the West coast.
On Monday, March 23 at 9:45am, Vicki Kirkpatrick, Jefferson County Public Health Director, and Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management provided public updates during the County Commissioners’ weekly meeting about COVID-19 and our county’s preparedness.
KPTZ broadcast via 91.9FM and streamed at KPTZ.org this timely COVID-19 information, which was also videostreamed live and recorded for online viewing any time thereafter at the Jefferson County website.
(First airdate: March 25, 2020) A close look at the behavior of Hummingbirds, with Christie Lassen of Wild Birds Unlimited and host Mary Robson.
(First airdate: March 24, 2020) JEFFERSON HEALTHCARE’S FUTURE. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Mike Glenn, CEO of Jefferson Healthcare, Port Townsend’s dynamic health hub. We may be a small rural community, but healthcare standards in Jefferson County are quite high. Over the past decade Jefferson Healthcare has added (or expanded) departments in oncology, cardiology, orthopedics surgery, dermatology and several other specialties. A dental clinic opened last June, filling a huge need in the area. By closely monitoring shifting demographics Glenn & his team read the pulse of community needs. One success story is the rapidly expanding “Wellness Center” which offers innovative programs such as “Dancing with Parkinson’s.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the world economy into a tailspin, and last week any hope that the Olympic Peninsula might somehow sidestep the calamity was struck down as the first evidence of community spread of the potentially lethal disease emerged locally, and a gubernatorial decree closed down the bars, restaurants, and event venues that together form the heart and soul of the local economy – with no clear answer to the question of when (or even whether) life will return to normal.
This week on the Compass we first talk with a popular longtime Sirens Pub bartender who abruptly found herself laid off last week. Then we talk with Port Townsend Main Street Program Director Mari Mullen about the crisis facing local businesses and what resources are being mustered to help them out. And finally, we talk with Centrum Executive Director Robert Birman about the likely fate of the summer festival season upon which so much of Port Townsend’s economy relies.
(Original airdate: March 13, 2020) Phil Andrus hosts presenters who had planned to share their stories at this year’s cancelled event: Joyce Gustafson and Allison Demmert, along with program planners Chrissy McLean and Kelley Watson, and Helena Taylor-Lund, current participant in the Girl’s Boat Project.
Tossed Salad host Phil Andrus spoke with KPTZ Virus Watch Team members Lynn Sorensen and Kathleen Keenan, both of whom are Port Townsend residents experienced in Public Health service related to contagious diseases. The half-hour conversation addressed information responding to concerns many are expressing since local-area COVID-19 cases have been announced. The segment will be a regular feature at 1pm on upcoming Fridays, to start the weekly Tossed Salad mix.
On Thursday, March 19 KPTZ aired a joint meeting at City Hall of the Port Townsend City Council and the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners for their COVID-19 strategy meeting. This informative meeting featured speakers including Dr. Tom Locke of Jefferson County Public Health, Willie Bence of Jefferson County’s Emergency Operations Center, Siobhan Canty on behalf of Jefferson Community Foundation, PT Main Street, Local Investing Opportunities Network (LION), and the Port of Port Townsend. There were other speakers and comments read from our local citizenry.
