Local News for 6/04/25
Community Tides ~ 6/03/25
Amanda Milholland is Executive Director of Jefferson County Farmers Markets. They’ve been selected to lead the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. It’s a nutrition assistance program that gives seniors with low incomes the buying power to purchase fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. We broaden our conversation to discuss food access and food security, focusing especially on seniors, with Patricia Hennessy, Executive Director of Jefferson County Food Bank Association, and Matt Sircely, Data Systems and Music Coordinator for the Farmer’s Market, about those impending government cuts and what plans are afoot to address them.
Local News for 6/03/25
Booklovers’ Cafe – Barbara Sjoholm, Reindeer of Chinese Gardens
(Airdate: June 3, 2025) Barbara Sjoholm visits Booklovers’ Cafe to talk about her latest novel The Reindeer of Chinese Gardens. This is indeed an intriguing novel that brings to life the history of Port Townsend from 1897 to 1907. We meet a trio of immigrants from Norway, China, and Lapland, all women and all strong and unique. This is a story of friendship intertwined with the themes of class, gender, and racial prejudice. This is a fresh and riveting history of our town, with very specific details of everyday life in Port Townsend as well as vivid images of the Klondike Goldrush and Sami camps.
Silk – 73
(Airdate: June 3, 2025) We’re in Gansu Province, and we’ve just left the town of Jiayuguan and past the fort on the Jiayuguan Path. The fort is where merchants stopped in ancient times to pay tolls, and travelers stopped to have their papers checked. Then they headed into the desert. Many wrote poems on the walls of the fort before heading into the unknown. Visitors still write poems, although the subject matter isn’t quite so ominous and heartrending as it once was….
County Public Health Report ~ 6/02/25
Dr. Allison Berry is on maternity leave, so Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence gives a report on this year’s fire season (raised to MODERATE fire danger as of June 1), public safety, and evacuation protocols. The BOCC issues two public declarations at the start: One: for Public Transit Month, and Two: for PRIDE Month. The All-County Emergency Preparation Event is on June 28 at Finnriver in Chimacum (formerly it was held at the All-County Picnic). Anyone with a cellphone can sign up for NIXLE alerts by texting JEFFCODEM to 888777.
Point Wilson Lighthouse
KPTZ’s Taylor Clark heads on down to Point Wilson to talk with David Ehnebuske of the US Lighthouse Society and Mel Carter, caretaker at Pointt Wilson for a tour and to hear more about the upcoming Lighthouse Celebration on Saturday June 7.
June 1-15 Programming Highlights
For a compendium of upcoming featured programs, check KPTZ Spotlight for June 1-15. Many of our program hosts provide specifics about what’s planned for this half month. If you’re not already a Spotlight subscriber, you’re invited to join our Mailing List. See KPTZ’s current Weekly On-Air Schedule and Daily Program Schedule.
In the Garden / Julia, Barbara, Mary Beth, Dianna
IN THE GARDEN (airing 6-6:30pm on Thursdays) shares practical wisdom and science-based research on all things gardening in our maritime Pacific Northwest region. Each episode is timed to the garden this month – what to expect from the weather, what garden tasks are calling, what to plant now, what’s ready to harvest, what to do, and not to do. The show covers a lot of ground – the how, the why and the when – the mistakes and the fun of gardening. Join Master Gardeners Julia, Barbara and Dianna, along with Food Bank grower Mary Beth, and friends each month. We welcome your comments and questions at [email protected].
Julia Cordz is a retired teacher, a certified professional horticulturist, and since 2019, a Master Gardener volunteer. Julia enjoys propagating plants from seed and cuttings for the biennial Plant Sale; researching solutions for Plant Clinic; and contributing to the Growing Groceries course held every Spring. Her interests include water-efficient landscape design that blends PNW natives with edible ornamentals; soil biodiversity; experimenting with animal-resilient planting strategies; and alternative approaches to food production such as straw bale gardening.
Barbara Faurot became a Master Gardener in 2018 and a Master Pruner in 2019. After writing a monthly “Garden Notes” column for the Port Townsend Leader for nearly five years, she is now editor of the “Seeds for Thought” newsletter for the state-wide Master Gardener Foundation. Barbara enjoys working with other volunteers to share gardening knowledge, lessons learned, and botanical history and folklore. Special interests include native plant gardens, rain gardens, pruning for plant health and structure, and backyard forest restoration.
Mary Beth Haralovich is a volunteer at the Quimper Grange Food Bank Garden, a three-time veteran of Growing Groceries, and former Board member of Food Bank Growers (FBG). She is on the team that produces the monthly Food for Thought series at Quimper Grange. Mary Beth is grateful to Growing Groceries and Food Bank Growers for their continual inspiration about growing in her small and shady home garden. She loves the adventure of the QG Garden and being in the Garden with FBG volunteers.
Dianna Wiklund has been a Master Gardener since 2011. She has worked with the WSU Growing Groceries team since 2015, and served as Garden Coordinator for the Food Bank Growers since 2022. For seven years, Dianna was the WSU Jefferson County Extension Food Safety and Preservation Specialist. She writes “This Month in the Garden” for the FBG newsletter, sharing her hard-earned knowledge of gardening here on the Quimper Peninsula. Dianna has a small farm/large garden on Marrowstone Island and likes to share all her gardening mistakes so others don’t have to make them.
County Connections
(Airdate: May 30, 2025) Co-hosts Jim Burke and Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour talk with Chris Macklin, Assistant Manager of Parks and Recreation, and Sam Miller, Recreation Supervisor for Jefferson County about athletic and recreational programs with Parks and Recreation this summer and fall mostly for children but also adults.
