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County Public Health Report ~ 4/03/23

The following is a recording 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. The summary below was provided by Jim Burke, producer of KPTZ’s Tuesday’s Local News.

Jefferson County Public Health’s COVID-19 weekly reports and the transmission risk dial were replaced with state data, yesterday, April 3. Jefferson County Public Health’s Communicable Disease Team will continue to post information about COVID-19 on their website, however that information will now come solely from the Washington State Department of Health. The state’s information will be embedded onto the county’s website here. Residents may report their positive home tests results to the state directly via an online portal here.

Jefferson County Public Health reports the two-week COVID-19 case rate is 134 cases per 100,000 people. Jefferson County Public Health estimates that 1 in 20 COVID-19 cases in Jefferson County were reported to public health last week. No one is currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Jefferson County. There were no new deaths this week, so the total number of those who have died due to COVID-19 is 37 in Jefferson County.

In Clallam County the case rate is 80 per hundred thousand, and the case ascertainment is also 1 in 20. Two patients are currently hospitalized, and no new deaths to report, so the total number of those who have died due to COVID-19 in Clallam County stands at 166.

Dr. Allison Berry spoke to the Jefferson Board of County Commissioners yesterday and discussed the wind-down of emergency declarations across the country, the state, and Jefferson and Clallam Counties. She said that we are still seeing a downward trend in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19 nationally, in Washington State, and locally. It is too soon to tell, she said, if we are seeing a seasonal fall off in cases. As we are fully in the endemic phase of the pandemic, she stressed that COVID-19 is here to stay, and time will tell if we have seasonal surges, as we have with the flu.

REDD/KCPT & PTHS Media Lab

(Airdate: April 3, 2023) This week on Attention Please!, Jim Burke interviews Gabs Nathanson and Tomoki Sage, two cast members of the new play, REDD by Kat Agudo, which opens in previews on Wednesday, April 5 at Key City Public Theatre. We then spoke with Yari Cervas, the play’s Director. We also have a special interview from the Port Townsend High School Media Lab. Devon Hellman spoke with City Manager John Mauro about the need for public spaces for youth in our community.

Brewocracy Now ~ 3/30/23

Brewocracy Now on March 30 featured a grab bag of different topics.  Co-host Taylor Clark talked to John Mauro about recently passed changes supporting housing, and we looked towards what will be happening to support housing going forward.  John talked about The Community Read event last Tuesday and an upcoming meeting in Chimacum about the pool.  John asked that if people have time, could they please fill out the Pool Survey (linked here) which closes Friday, March 31 at 5pm.  We also heard some pending budget items at the state level that might possibly benefit Port Townsend, and then, sadly, we ran out of time.  

Nature Now #612
Backyard Habitat, part 2

(Reprise Airdate: March 30, 2023) Ron & Rosemary Sikes invite Nature Now host Debaran Kelso and recorder Meg Amos to their backyard wildlife sanctuary in Port Townsend to discuss how to create and improve wildlife habitat in our own backyards (Part 2 of a two-part program).

Friends of Lighthouse, part 1

(Airdate: March 30, 2023) Located at the edge of Admiralty Inlet is one of the more unique locations to volunteer – Point Wilson Lighthouse. The Point Wilson Lighthouse is one of the most important navigational aids in Washington, connecting Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca and has been serving the navigational needs of our waterways since 1879. Missy Nielsen of Everybody Can visits with Dick Richardson and Dave Ehnebuske on location to learn more about the Point Wilson Light Station Preservation Project and the unique volunteer opportunities at this iconic landmark.

Booklovers’ Cafe – Anna Quinn, Angeline

(Airdate: March 28, 2023) Anna Quinn returns to Booklovers’ Cafe to introduce her new novel  Angeline. Erica Bauermeister says “Angeline is a call to open arms, a clear-eyed view of our often flawed humanity and how the power of compassion can change everything.” Cris and Anna talk about the setting in a liberal convent on an island in the Pacific Northwest and all about the humans inhabiting this place without revealing Angeline’s story. Anna unravels the mystery of her past in dream-like layers. The prose is poetic with messages for all readers. Anna is the founder of Writer’s Workshoppe in Port Townsend and the author of the bestseller, Night Child.

Pool and Bench Build

(Airdate: March 27, 2023) This week, host Jim Burke interviews Carrie Hite about the effort, finally, this year to replace the Mountain View Pool and community engagement. Jim also interviews Lisa Widner who is organizing the Community Bench Build Challenge with the goal of bringing highly decorated benches to Point Hudson.

Heads Up on Local Housing

On Monday evening, March 13, KPTZ presented two recorded half-hour programs addressing the current challenges and lack of housing in our community, hosted by KPTZ News Producer Jim Burke.
– Housing Connections, part 1 covered “What Is a Comprehensive Housing Plan and Why Does Port Townsend Need One?” and features Kim Herman, Peggy Webster and Naushard Cader. 

– Housing Connections part 2 discussed “Inclusionary Zoning Myths” will feature Judy Alexander, Fred Kimball, and Kim Herman.

On Tuesday, March 14, as part of KPTZ’s Pi Day event, Housing Connections, part 3 was a special live forum to address the challenging housing situation in our area, in an employer-focused panel discussion, moderated and hosted by Phil Andrus. The forum comprised Jake Beattie, Northwest Maritime Center, Linda Rosenbury, PT Schools Superintendent, Buster Ferris, Edensaw Woods, and Chief Bret Black of East Jefferson Fire Rescue.

Brewocracy Now ~ 3/23/23

KPTZ News Producer Jim Burke sat in for Taylor Clark this week and with his co-host, City Manager John Mauro, spoke with Planning and Community Development Director Emma Bolin and Mayor David Faber. They discussed:

  • What happened at council Monday, what it means, and what to expect next Monday.
  • How’s it is part of the City’s bigger picture housing strategy.
  • And, if time allows: what’s next?

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