Great Strait Sale
Canceled
The 2020 Great Strait Sale, usually held the second Saturday in September, has been canceled as a precaution due to the Covid-19 virus. The flea market sites at Joyce, Clallam Bay, and Neah Bay will not be set up this year.
There may still be individual sales at homes/businesses along Hwy 112 on that date. Please check the garage sale classified for such sales. If you have any questions, contact Sandra Balch by email at sandrabalch@olypen.com.
Registration open
for September coastal cleanup
Registration is now open for the 2020 International Coastal Cleanup Sept. 19.
The annual cleanup will be unique, in that volunteers will be asked to follow all COVID-19 guidelines set out by the state Department of Health, and many beaches are closed.
All beaches in Olympic National Park and on the NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary as well as those on the tribal lands of the Makah, Quinault, Quileute, and Hoh are shut down to protect the health of coastal communities from the unique coronavirus pandemic.
Washington CoastSavers is urging people to clean up beaches close to home.
About 15 beaches on the North Olympic Peninsula are available for volunteer clean up. To register, and for more information, go to https://www.coast savers.org/index.php/icc-cleanup/
The Port Townsend Marine Science Center will participate between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Volunteers will gather at the museum entrance under the portico to get instructions, locations, trash bags and gloves before heading out to area beaches.
During the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup last September, over 1 million people removed more than 24 million pounds of trash from some 25,000 miles of coastline.
Beach cleanups have been taking place on the southern Washington coast since 1971, with early efforts organized by the Pacific Northwest 4-Wheel Drive Association and Washington State Parks.
Efforts were expanded with the Olympic Coast Cleanup in 1999 to remove marine debris from the northern Washington coastal beaches.
Today, Washington CoastSavers is made up of thousands of volunteers, an executive committee, a steering committee, and a program coordinator.
The steering committee is comprised of representatives from private organizations, nonprofits and government agencies, including individuals from the Lions Club International, Discover Your Northwest, Grass Roots Garbage Gang, Surfrider Foundation, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Clallam County Waste Management, Pacific Shellfish Growers Association, Clallam County Marine Resources Committee, NOAA Marine Debris Program, Olympic National Park, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the latter serving as the fiscal agent.
For more information, email coordinator@coastsavers.org.
Residential Utility Relief
Clallam PUD is the sub-recipient of CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) funds from the County to go towards residential utility relief related to COVID-19 financial hardship and is now accepting applications.
The funds are designated for Clallam PUD residential customers and will be disbursed on a first come-first served basis to qualifying customers who submit a completed application with documentation to demonstrate a financial hardship directly related to COVID-19 such as reduced hours or job loss. The amount received in total is $45,200 and will be applied as a credit to the customer’s account based on an income matrix available on the PUD’s website. The funds must be disbursed by Oct. 15.
To apply, customers should visit the Clallam PUD COVID-19 customer support page at www.clallampud.net/covid-19-customer-support and click on the red “Apply for Assistance Online” link provided. Early application is recommended as limited funds are available and PUD staff needs a minimum of five business days to process the applications.
“Propagating
Rhododendrons from Cuttings” by Rosalie Preble
Rosalie Preble, a member, and past president of the Juan de Fuca Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society will discuss propagating rhododendrons from cuttings on Thursday, Sept. 10, from noon to 1 p.m. She will provide information on taking and preparing rhododendron cuttings, providing optimal environmental conditions that encourage rooting, and caring for the new plants. Her talk will add to gardeners’ understanding of the variables involved in successful rhododendron and other woody trees and shrubs propagation.
Rosalie is an alumna of the WSU Clallam County Master Gardener program class of 1997. She has more than 20 years of experience in propagating numerous species of shrubs and trees, including rhododendrons and azaleas. Preble enjoys sharing cuttings with family and friends and WSU Clallam County Master Gardeners for their plant sales fundraising events. Rosalie was awarded the Golden Trowel for lifetime achievement for her contributions to the WSU Master Gardener program.
To join Preble, access the link from WSU’s website: https://extension.wsu.edu/clallam/events/.
Please log in early to ensure the connection is working properly, volume on the speakers is adequate, microphone is muted so that attendees cannot hear background noise from your location and video is off.
The “Green Thumbs Garden Tips” education series is sponsored by WSU Clallam County Master Gardeners. Live streaming presentations are available on the second and fourth Thursday each month through October. In November, December, and January, one program is offered. These lectures educate home gardeners on topics relevant to planting and maintaining sustainable gardens and landCall 360-565-2679.
PC TO OFFER FINANCIAL AID AND WORKER RETRAINING INFO SESSION AUGUST 31
Peninsula College is offering a Worker Retraining and Financial Aid Information Session online on Monday, Aug. 31, beginning at 6 p.m. Attendees will learn about college funding options, how to apply for aid, scholarships and more. Questions are encouraged at this interactive session.
To register for the session, please visit discoverpc.pencol.edu/events/booking/80. A Zoom meeting link will be sent upon registration.
The event is free and open to the public. Please contact PC’s Recruitment Department at DiscoverPC@pencol.edu for more information.
CLALLAM COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY
The court has taken significant steps to ensure the safety of those who participate in jury trials in Clallam County. These steps include the following: 1. Allowing potential jurors to automatically postpone their jury service based upon their own or family member’s medical needs. 2. Arranging a location for jury selection that allows for physical distancing to be maintained. 3. Altering the configuration of the courtrooms to allow jurors, parties, and witnesses in a trial to maintain physical distancing during all phases of the trial. 4. Requiring the wearing of personal protective equipment by all participants in jury trials. 5. Consulting with local health officials to ensure that the implemented processes are sufficient to respond to the ongoing health crisis. Within this context, the court has carefully considered the significant increase in the number of Clallam County citizens testing positive during the last seven days.
All jury trials scheduled to occur from Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, through Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, are postponed until after Sept. 7, 2020. For criminal trials affected by this order, the parties are directed to appear in court on the Thursday prior to their scheduled trial date for purposes of resetting the trial. Individuals who are not in custody will appear at 1 p.m., and individuals who are in custody will appear at 3 p.m. For civil trials affected by this order, the parties are to present an agreed order with a new trial date, or alternatively schedule a trial setting to occur on the normal trial setting calendar. The court will continue to conduct bench trials and other motion calendars as previously ordered.
FEMA Announces
Lost Wages Grant for Washington
FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor approved Washington for a FEMA grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program. FEMA’s grant funding will allow Washington to provide $300 per week — on top of their regular unemployment benefit — to those unemployed due to COVID-19. FEMA will work with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to implement a system to make this funding available to Washington residents.
On Aug. 8, President Trump made available up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Americans who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the state of Washington agreed to administer a lost wages program for its citizens who are unemployed due to COVID-19.
FEMA looks forward to working with the governors of additional states who agree to administer a lost wages program to bring financial relief to unemployed Americans.
To see a list of states previously approved for lost wages assistance, go to: https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/lost-wages-assistance-approved-states. Visit: https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/fema-lost-wages-supplemental-payment-assistance.
