Coronavirus concerns cause event, meeting cancellations
Published 2:00 pm Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Sequim-area community groups and organizations continue to suspend, postpone or outright cancel events over the concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus, the outbreak now listed as a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization.
Keep up with notices of cancellations, postponements and re-openings online at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/sequimgazette and facebook.com/sequimgazette.
Shipley Center
Michael M. Smith, executive director at the Shipley Center, initially said on March 13 the center will be closed for the next three weeks, then extended the closure to match the Sequim School District’s closure of six weeks.
The center, at 921 E. Hammond St., is projected to open Monday, April 27.
“We are creating resources and various ways to stay in touch with our members,” executive director Michael Smith said.
“Our café (The Café at Shipley Center) may start offering take out meals as soon as Monday the 23. Will let you know of updates on that with menu, pricing, procedures to call orders in ahead of time, etc.”
The center offers a number of activities and classes such as: balance exercise, watercoloring, knit and crochet, seniorcise, standard and stretch and chair yoga, computer clinic, funk poker, ukelele, ping pong, beginning and advanced tai chi, cribbage, fiber arts, SHIBA, bridge, mahjong, tap dance, Italian and Spanish classes, dancing, pilates, water color classes, pan, Bingo, Scrabble, basic meditation, singing bowls, stitchery and sing-a-longs.
See www.shipleycenter.org or www.facebook.com/ShipleyCenter.
Clallam Mosaic
Looking to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Clallam Mosaic — a local nonprofit empowering people with special needs — is canceling the last two weeks of classes for the Winter Term.
All classes held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (301 E. Lopez Ave., Port Angeles) and Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church (925 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim) have been canceled.
The Snappy Players performances scheduled for April 3-4 have been canceled. The performances will be rescheduled for June with dates to be determined, Mosaic representatives said.
In addition, the monthly dance scheduled for Saturday, March 21, has been canceled. Parent to Parent activities, the Individualized Education Plan Seminar scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, and the Family Fun Night scheduled for Friday, March 27, have been canceled.
Clallam Mosaic is planning to restart classes with the beginning of the Spring Term on Monday, April 13. Registration packets for the Spring Term 2020 will be available at the Mosaic office, 301 E Lopez Ave. No. 4, Port Angeles, beginning on Monday, March 23.
For updates and announcements, visit www.clallammosaic.org or www.facebook.com/ClallamMosaic.
For more information, call 360-681-8642.
Water series lecture
The League of Women Voters’ next public lecture, “Storm Water and Water Quality: What Steps Are Being Takes to Protect Our Waters” slated for March 18, has been pushed to the end of April, league representatives said last week.
Presenters for this, the sixth in the lecture series, are members of the Sequim-Dungeness Clean Water Work Group, with co-chairs Robert Knapp, Environmental Planning for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe; Heather Watts, Water Quality Specialist for Clallam County, and Ann Soule, Resource Manager for City of Sequim.
The league still plans to host the next in the series, “Safeguarding Our Natural Resources: What is Endangering the Future of Salmon,” on April 15.
For more information about this lecture series and the League of Women Voters, go to www.lwvcla.org/story-water or email hullc892@gmail.com.
VHOCC events
Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County (VHOCC) has canceled a “Living Alone Now” workshop that was scheduled for Thursday, March 19, in Port Angeles, as well as a Community Education and Volunteer Training series that was slated to start Friday, March 20, and run six consecutive Fridays through April 24 in Sequim.
Plans are to reschedule at a later date, VHOCC representatives said.
Learn more about Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County at www.VHOCC.org.
Tour de Dungeness
The Tour De Dungeness, Sequim’s premier annual bicycle racing event, was expected to kick off the first of two weekends of bicycling on March 14, its 23rd year. However, race organizer Mike Van Doren said the event has been canceled. Concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus led to a lack of available volunteers.
For more information, call Van Doren at 360-775-7796.
Sunrise Rotary Club
The Sequim-Sunrise Rotary Club has canceled it’s regular Friday morning meetings, effective March 20, until further notice, club representatives said this week. See www.facebook.com/SequimRotary for more information.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church has closed its building through at least Sunday, March 22. No community groups will meet at the church, and no church groups or gatherings will take place. Weekday and Sunday worship services are canceled through at least March 22. The church office is also closed.
The Taize service on March 23 is cancelled. Music Live will not resume until May.
The Soup’s On lunch will not be held through Wednesday April 8. Soup’s On is planned to reopen on April 14; updated information will be published if that changes.
“We will continue to asses the health risks associated with transmission of the coronavirus,” St. Luke’s representatives said. “We may extend the closure. If we do, we will publish new information as it develops.”
Dinner at Trinity United
The monthly community dinner at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., scheduled for Thursday, March 26, has been canceled because of concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus, event organizers said. The church normally holds the free dinners on the last Thursday of each month.
Green Thumb series
For the time being, Green Thumb lectures are being streamed live rather than gathering at the County Commissioners’ Meeting Room for in-person presentations, program organizers announced.
The next in the series — “Mycorrhizae” by Muriel Nesbitt — is set for noon-1 p.m. Thursday, March 26. Tune in to watch online by going to www.clallam.net/features/meetings.html; find “Master Gardener Green Thumb Lecture” in the event menu, and click on the “In Progress” link when it appears in the date column.
Join Nesbitt’s live streaming presentation to learn the importance of mycorrhizae (the association between a green plant and a fungus) to plant nutrition, soil biology and soil chemistry and why mycorrhizal plants are often more resistant to soil-borne pathogens, insects and soil toxicity.
KSQM studio
Representatives with KSQM FM 91.5 announced its studio and community room at 609 W. Washington Suite 17 will be closed to all persons “except those essential for broadcast operations.”
“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” KSQM representatives said in a press release. “In order to keep our radio service available we must protect our KSQM Volunteers. For the time being visitors & guests will not be allowed into our studios. This will include use of the community room. (Certain exceptions will be made for meetings that benefit the public health and safety).”
See www.KSQMFM.com or call 360-681-0000 (9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday).
Tax-Aide services
All AARP Foundation Tax-Aide services were suspended on March 16 until further notice, program officials said this week.
“We will continue to assess whether we can open again in some or all sites for the remainder of the tax season and if the tax season is extended,” Tax-Aide representatives said.
Visit the online site locator tool at aarpfoundation.org/taxhelp for the most up-to-date information, including site re-openings.
To file your own taxes see irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free.
Taxpayers who are due a refund can file their tax return at any time without penalty.
Those cannot complete your tax return before the filing deadline and either know they are not due a refund or are unsure can apply for an extension; see form 4868 available at www.irs.gov. Those who receive an extension have until Oct. 15 to file a tax return. To avoid a penalty, apply by the current tax filing deadline of April 15.
Puget Sound Anglers
The Puget Sound Anglers-North Olympic Peninsula Chapter has canceled its WDFW North of Falcon meeting set for Thursday, March 19, at Trinity United Methodist Church.
This is an annual meeting held by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to discuss with the public the data regarding salmon season setting for the upcoming year.
“All in-person public meetings with WDFW have been cancelled for the next 30 days,” said Mark Baltzell of WFDW-Puget Sound Salmon Fisheries Management. “We will be planning a live stream or some other options for presenting information via the web and exploring options for public participation in meetings.”
Check psanopc.org and facebook.com/psanopc for updates.
Grange breakfast
The Sequim Prairie Grange, 290 Macleay Road, has canceled a pancake breakfast set for Sunday, March 22.
“We will host the breakfast sometime in April,” grange representatives said.
For more information, call 360-582-0100.
Policy issues meeting
A series of upcoming community conversations hosted by the Ag and Rural Caucus, the Small Business Caucus and the Rural Committee of Washington’s Democratic Party has been suspended, organizers said.
No make-up dates were announced by press time.
The Sequim meeting had been scheduled for Thursday, March 26, at Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
For more information, contact Don Schwerin at don.schwerin@gmail.com or 509 522-0643.
Spring Fling at Windermere
The Windermere Spring Fling, scheduled for Friday, March 27, at Windermere Real Estate/Sequim-East, 842 E. Washington St., has been canceled. The free event was to see Windermere staff give home and garden demonstrations, homeowner tips, fun outdoor activities for children, drawings for prizes and gift certificates and more.
Vietnam veterans ceremony
The Clallam County Veterans Association and Michael Trebert Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution have canceled a planned National Vietnam Veterans Day set for Sunday, March 29, at the Veterans Center, 216 S. Francis St., Port Angeles.
For more information, call Ginny Wagner at 360-582-6820 or Jeff Reyes at 360-797-1791.
Friends of the NRA dinner
Representatives of the Northwest Peninsula Friends of the NRA have decided to postpone its 2020 annual Dinner and Auction formerly scheduled for Saturday, March 29, to Sunday, Sept. 20. The event will keep the time (5:30 p.m) and place (Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles).
Purchased tickets will be honored at the Sept. 20 event or refunds will be made upon request. For a flyer with more details or to request a ticket refund, call 360-477-4103 or email to jmcentire1@wavecable.com.
Proceeds from the auction will go to the NRA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization and separate from the National Rifle Association. Grants made by the foundation benefit shooting sports in Washington state, such as shooting range improvements and purchasing firearms and equipment for 4-H and school shooting teams.
MS support group
The Sequim MS (multiple sclerosis) Support Group will not be meeting in March. The group’s regular meeting would have been on the last Tuesday of the month, March 31.
The National MS Society support group meets from 2-4 p.m. at the Olympic Medical Center-Sequim Medical Building’s second floor conference room, 840 N. Fifth Ave. Call 206-817-5636.
Land Trust breakfast
In an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus over the coming weeks, the North Olympic Land Trust has decided to postpone the 12th-annual Conservation Breakfast originally scheduled for Thursday, April 2, Amanda Anderson, community engagement specialist for the Land Trust, said in a press release.
Land Trust officials will let the community know when the new date is set, Anderson said; track updates at www.northolympiclandtrust.org.
Dungeness Refuge volunteer training
The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge has postponed the Annual New Volunteer Training scheduled for Friday, April 3; a new date has not been scheduled yet. In addition, the afternoon annual refresher for returning volunteers has been cancelled.
For more information, call the Refuge office at 360-457-8451 or email to david_falzetti@fws.gov.
Elks’ egg hunt
The annual Sequim Elks’ Easter Egg Hunt set for Saturday, April 4, at 143 Port Williams Road has been canceled.
Pinewood derby
The third-annual Pinewood Classic, set Saturday, April 4, at Trinity United Methodist Church in Sequim, has been postponed.
A future date will be set, race participants who have already purchased cars for the event will be individually notified, and derby car sales will continue, event organizers said last week.
The event is open to community members ages 12 and older. Race kits are available in Sequim at Olympic Mortgage, 237 E. Washington St., and in Port Angeles by calling 360-504-2170 or emailing to sscott@seattlebsa.org. Or, at the Scout Shop, 10876 Myhre Place NW, Silverdale.
Purchase an entry and car starting with a $30 donation; proceeds benefit Mt. Olympus Friends of Scouting. For more about the event, see www.facebook.com/racing4scouting.
For more information, call Shana Scott at 360-504-2170.
WOW! Working On Wellness Forum
The free WOW! Working On Wellness Forum scheduled for Wednesday, April 8. Dr. Kip Tulin and his presentation, “Plant Based Eating: Good for you, good for the world,” has been rescheduled for January 2021, program organizers said.
Kids Fishing Day
The Puget Sound Anglers-North Olympic Peninsula Chapter has canceled the annual Kids Fishing Day scheduled for April 11 at Carrie Blake Community Park.
Club secretary Sherry Anderson said the group has the fish, that club members will start stocking the pond this week and continue to do so until the water temperatures deem otherwise.
“We will also hold some fish back, so we can start planting again in the fall,” she said.
See psanopc.org and facebook.com/psanopc.
Olympic Birdfest
Olympic BirdFest, a three-day event April 17-19 that brings birders to Sequim from all over the world during the tail end of the bird migration through the area, has been canceled, said Judith White, Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society president.
All proceeds from BirdFest support the Dungeness River Audubon Center.
“We look forward each year to welcoming birding enthusiasts at a banquet and auction on opening night, and have scheduled dozens of field trips in the area,” River Center director Powell Jones said.
This would have been the 17th Olympic BirdFest.
Field trips included many local bays, shorelines, estuaries and ponds, as well an overnight trip to Neah Bay to catch the migratory birds flying along the coast and a cruise to Protection Island.
“Its cancellation is so disappointing for the birders and for the Sequim hotels and restaurants that serve them each year, Jones said, “and the loss of revenue will be leave a huge gap in the center’s revenue.”
Refunds will be issued to all participants by Friday, March 20, event organizers said.
Sponsors for the event, which is co-sponsored by the River Center and OPAS, included the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, First Federal, Kokopelli Grill.
Those wishing to donate a gift to help the River Center recoup the estimated $30,000 loss from the cancellation of BirdFest 2020, go to dungenessrivercenter.org/our_story/support-us.
Next year’s BirdFest is scheduled for April 16-18, 2021. Registration opens Jan. 1, 2021.
‘Meowgaritas and Mutts’
The Olympic Peninsula Humane Society’s eighth-annual fundraising event, “Meowgaritas and Mutts,” scheduled for April 25, has been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reschedule date is set for Saturday, Oct. 17, at the same location: the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
The Humane Society will send out invitations again in September, representatives said.
“Even though the extent of outbreak in Clallam County is still unknown, we are following the recent recommendation of Governor Inslee’s, as well as the CDC’s guidelines,” Humane Society representatives said in an email this week.
“We have the utmost concern for preserving the health and well-being our community, donors, volunteers and staff alike. We thank you for your understanding in this regard.”
For more about the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society, see ophumanesociety.org.
Home and Lifestyle Show
The Clallam County Home and Lifestyle Show planned for March 14-15 at Port Angeles High School was postponed.
“At this point we are calling it a postponement, in that we remain uncertain as to when the situation will change such that we may be able to present the show again,” event organizers from Radio Pacific (KONP, KSTI, KZQM) said in a press release on March 12. “We apologize for the inconvenience, but we certainly feel this is the right decision in order to protect our community our clients and our own staff.”
Brown Maloney, owner of Radio Pacific said, “We have been in touch with local hospital executives, the County Health Officer and just as importantly, Home Show vendors. Please understand the level of concern over the coronavirus both locally and regionally is so high, that cancelling the Home Show this weekend is the right thing to do.”
Maloney added, “The show is a very important economic catalyst for our area. It is our responsibility to see it happen once again when the time is appropriate.”
