Republican Women host Sequim school board member

The Republican Women of Clallam County host Michael Rocha, member-at-large on the Sequim School District board of directors, as its guest at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at its headquarters, 509 S. Lincoln St., Port Angeles. Social time begins at 5:30 p.m., with the meeting at 6 p.m. Cookies and coffee will be served. Rocha will share his observations of programs and directions developing in local school districts. He will be available for questions. Interested, well-mannered people are welcome to attend.

Botanical Garden talk focuses on drip irrigation

The Sequim Botanical Garden Society hosts its next “Work to Learn” presentation at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25 about drip irrigation with Dona Brock at the Terrace Garden in Carrie Blake Community Park. She’ll introduce gardeners to use drip irrigation to water your plants during the dry summer months and explain the principles, design, and installation materials, as demonstrated in the existing irrigation installed in the Terrace Garden. With Sequim’s unique climate, organizers say drip irrigation is a labor saving feature available to many.

Brock and her husband retired in Sequim 20 years ago and spent almost 10 years as Master Gardeners. She taught herself how to install drip irrigation on their one-acre property and that 19-year-old system is still working with small adjustments for aging.

The Sequim Botanical Garden Society is a volunteer partner with the City of Sequim and a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides educational information and a visual demonstration of what can be done in home gardening with research-based horticultural practices at the Terrace Garden near the bandshell in Carrie Blake Community Park.

For more information, contact Brock at BROCKDL88@gmail.com or 360-460-8865. Find the group online at fb.me/SequimBotanicalGarden or visit SequimBotanicalGarden.org.

City council hosts county commissioners

Prior to its regular meeting, Sequim city councilors host Clallam County Commissioners in a work session at 5 p.m. Monday, March 27, in a hybrid meeting at the Sequim Civic Center, 152 W. Cedar St. The regular city council meeting follows at 6 p.m. For more information on accessing the Zoom call portion, visit sequimwa.gov/67/City-Council or call 360-683-4139.

Vietnam War veterans ceremony set in PA

Clallam County Veterans Association and Daughters of the American Revolution Michael Trebert Chapter offer a commemorative “Lapel Pin” ceremony at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, at the Northwest Veterans Resource Center Memorial Hall, 216 S. Francis St., Port Angeles. The 30 minute ceremony is open to the public at 2 p.m. with The Cat’s Meow playing patriotic music prior at 1:30 p.m. Levi Douglas, Clallam County veterans’ program coordinator, leads the ceremony. A cookie reception follows.

The local Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter, Michael Trebert continues the event’s fourth year as the Department of Defense Vietnam Veteran Commemorative Partner for the North Olympic Peninsula.

It’s designed for local communities to honor Vietnam veterans and their families with a ceremony and distribution of lapel pins for anyone who was on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces from Nov. 1, 1955-May 15, 1975, regardless of location of service. Any Vietnam veteran, surviving spouse and families are requested to RSVP to reserve a lapel pin by Sunday, March 26 to Candace Gammel at 360-460-6478 or gammels@olypen.com.

City, Habitat offer Rally in the Alley

The City of Sequim, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County and Olympic Disposal, hold the next Rally in the Alley at 9:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 1, or until dumpsters are full at Carrie Blake Community Park near the pickleball courts, and at the City Shop at the intersection of Third Avenue and Hemlock Street. Organizers ask that people do not show up early for the event.

Volunteers will be on site to assist City residents with discarding unwanted items at no cost to the residents. No tires, appliances, liquid paint, gas, fuel, or oil will be accepted. Contact Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County Executive Director Colleen Robinson at 360-775-3742 or colleen@habitatclallam.org for more information.

Lincoln Day Luncheon set for April 1

Clallam County Republicans will host three speakers at the 2023 Lincoln Day Luncheon, set for 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Clallam County Fairgrounds, 1608 W. 16th St., Port Angeles. Tickets are $65 per person; get them online at clallamrepublicans.org.

John Wallace, a former Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife master hunter, will explain how hunters fund wildlife protections and why he resigned in protest of state policy. M. Semi Bird is an internationally-renowned public speaker, Army Special Forces “Green Beret” with 23 years of military service, recipient of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and other honors.

Also featured will be Caleb Heimlich, the youngest State Republican party chair in the country, who will speak about national and state strategies.

Garden club welcomes May for April meeting

The Sequim Prairie Garden Club welcomes gardening guru Andrew May as its next guest speaker for its monthly meeting at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 3, in its clubhouse in Pioneer Memorial Park, 387 E. Washington St. The public is welcome to attend.

May is one of the club’s favorite speakers as he manages to convey a wealth of gardening knowledge in his characteristically fast-paced and entertaining style, organizers said. As he wrote in his book, The Very First Olympic Peninsula Garden Book, “The Olympic Peninsula is the best, easiest, and most forgiving place in North America – a blessing and a paradise for all who live there.”

His timely topic will be: “Get Your Garden Ready for Spring Planting!” For more information on the club, visit sequimprairiegardenclub.org.

Landscaping courses offered in Jefferson County

A few slots remain in Jefferson County Conservation District’s spring Natural Landscaping courses, an interactive three-classroom, two-field trip course. It emphasizes native plants and sustainable landscape design and maintenance practices where participants learn how to analyze the unique ecological conditions of their properties and develop site-specific landscape plans that are in harmony with the environment while also meeting homeowner needs.

Two courses will be held in April, one in Port Townsend focused on small urban lots, and one in Port Hadlock focused on large lots. A $15 individual registration fee ($20 for couples) covers the cost of the book Grow Your Own Native Landscape and facility rental. Registration is available online at the conservation district’s website: http://www.jeffersoncd.org/news-events/.

The Port Townsend classroom sessions are on Tuesdays from 4-5:30 p.m. beginning April 11 at the Port of Port Townsend Pavilion Building. Field trips are April 13 and 20 at 4 p.m.

The Port Hadlock classroom sessions are on Wednesdays from 4-5:30 p.m. beginning April 12 at the Washington State University classroom facility. Field trips are April 14 and 21 at 4 p.m.

The course is taught by conservation district manager Joe Holtrop who has been teaching about sustainable landscaping on the Olympic Peninsula for more than 30 years.

For more information, contact Jefferson County Conservation District at jholtrop@jeffersoncd.org or 360-554-8066.