OTA’s annual member meeting set for Saturday

Olympic Theatre Arts will hold its annual meeting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, in the Elaine and Bob Caldwell Main Stage Theatre at 414 N. Sequim Ave.

Members are invited to vote on incoming 2023 Board of Trustee members and bylaw revisions.

Call 360-683-7326 for more information.

Stadium Generale to spotlight computer science

Peninsula College computer science instructors Steve Bearman and Eric Waterkotte offer “Seven Amazing Secrets of Computer Science That You Need to Know Now!” at the Oct. 13 Studium Generale, beginning at 12:35 p.m. in the Little Theater at Peninsula College, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.

Learn about what computer science is, how it affects daily lives and how it impact the future, the difference between “coding” and “programming,” and how information technology, cybersecurity and computer science are related.

Also find out what opportunities exist for the community, how to mitigate biases in artificial intelligence (AI), and how we can avoid an AI apocalypse?

The event is free and open to the public and will be live-streamed through Zoom at pencol-edu.zoom.us/j/82308557946 (meeting ID 823 0855 794).

ONP closes recreational fishing

To protect several fish populations during the ongoing severe low-flow conditions, an emergency closure of recreational fishing began last week (Thursday, Oct. 6), park officials announced.

The following river systems within Olympic National Park will close to all recreational fishing until further notice: Ozette, Bogachiel, South Fork Calawah, Sol Duc, North Fork Sol Duc, Dickey, Quillayute, Hoh, South Fork Hoh, Queets, Salmon, and Quinault Rivers (including East Fork, North Fork, Main Stem).

Additionally, Cedar, Goodman, Kalaloch, and Mosquito Creeks within Olympic National Park are closed.

This year’s severe drought conditions have reduced river flows to at or near historic low levels, park officials noted. This emergency closure is designed to protect fish in areas where severe conditions have reduced river flows to historical low levels.

Olympic National Park sport fishing regulations for 2022-2023 are available at nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/fishing.htm.

Also last week, fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife annpunced the clsure of fishing for salmon and all game fish in most coastal rivers and tributaries, effective Oct. 8.

About 50 coastal streams from the northern Olympic Peninsula coast to Willapa Bay closed to salmon fishing and all game fish. Anglers can find the list of specific rivers by checking the emergency regulations at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/emergency-rules.

Learn all about ‘Old Patsey’s Potlatch’

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Library, in collaboration with the North Olympic History Center, hosts “Learning Our Landscape: Old Patsey’s Potlatch of July 4, 1891,” a virtual presentation set for 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, on Zoom.

David Brownell, Executive Director of the North Olympic History Center will detail the final potlatch on Port Townsend Bay that took place at Hadlock and was attended by tribes from around the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound, as well as local Port Townsend residents. “Old Patsey” gave away over $2,000 of goods to his guests, and the occasion was photographed and recorded in the journal of Judge James Wickersham, event organizers note.

Also during this Zoom event, Allie Taylor, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s Historic Preservation Officer will give an update on the Tribe’s artifacts and archive collections.

Join the meeting at tinyurl.com/2p96sh6t (meeting ID 835 2642 5307, passcode 558253). Or, see announcement at library.jamestowntribe.org/home/ProgramsEvents.

For more information, call 360-681-4632 or email to library@jamestowntribe.org.

‘Self-Care’ session on tap

The final installment of Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County’s Empower Yourself series — “Self-Care” with Debby Smith and Maggie Bourne-Raiswell — is set for 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, both in person and online.

Those attending in person will meet with the workshop facilitator in the VHOCC conference room, 829 E. Eighth St., Port Angeles, while those who attend online will do so via Zoom.

The workshop is free to the public, but registration is required, which can be done by calling VHOCC at 360-452-1511 or by emailing to office@vhocc.org.

To learn more about VHOCC, visit VHOCC.org, its Facebook page or call 360-452-1511.

Intentional Aging series continues

The North Olympic Library System (NOLS) offers Intentional Aging, a monthly discussion group for adults. The program explores aging topics and practices through book discussions, activities, presenters and more. Meetings are held on Zoom at 11 a.m. on the third Tuesday of every month. Attending monthly is encouraged, but all are welcome to join any meeting.

Register at nols.org/intentional-aging or by contacting your NOLS branch, to receive Zoom login information and free resources.

On Tuesday, Oct. 18, the series offers “Advance Care Planning & End-of-Life Choices.” The session explores ideas presented in “Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives,” written by Mallory McDuff, which discusses ways to align end-of-life choices with personal values. Following the book discussion, information will be presented about advance care planning as a tool for making choices about future health care.

Limited copies of the book may be borrowed by request; call a library branch and ask for the “Intentional Aging book kit” to confirm availability. To borrow an eBook, search “Our Last Best Act” in the catalog at nols.org or use the Libby app.

Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue benefit set

Wings, Wine & Art, a benefit for the nonprofit Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue, is set for 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Wild Birds Unlimited, 275953 U.S. Highway 101, in Gardiner.

Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue founder Cindy Daily will be presenting two talks — one at 5 p.m. and another at 6 p.m. — featuring the Educational Ambassador Birds rescued by the center. Owls, hawks and other native bird species will be making appearances during the presentations for attendees to take pictures of and ask questions about their rehabilitation journey. Cindy will also talk about the rescue center and effort that goes in to saving wild bird populations.

Admission is $20 at the door; all proceeds go directly to Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue.

This event is sponsored by Camaraderie Cellars, who will be on site pouring wine for those of age. Hors d’ourves will be provided by Hills and Valley Catering from Port Townsend. Many local artists have donated art for a silent auction and there will be a dessert table with items to bid on as well. Wild Birds Unlimited will be donating 10 percent of all sales in the shop during the event.

For more information, call 360-797-7100 or visit gardiner.wbu.com.

Audubon group to meet

The Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society will hold its next meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 West Hendrickson Road.

In his “Birds, Bears and Salmon” presentation, Dr. Thomas Quinn from the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences will speak about the ecology, behavior, and conservation of salmon and trout as indispensable inhabitants of the Salish Sea and beyond.

The fortunes of these iconic fish are inextricably linked to destinies of birds and the greater ecosystems they inhabit, program organizers say.

The program is free and open to the public.

Developmental playgroup to meet Oct. 15

Clallam County Parent to Parent, and Clallam Mosaic host a monthly developmental playgroup, Play with a Purpose, from 9:30-11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Sequim YMCA, 610 N. Fifth Ave.

This free playgroup is for children ages 0-5; attendees should bring identification and check in at the front desk. Siblings are welcome to attend.

Developmental playgroups are designed to help parents and their children who are demonstrating developmental delays or disabilities to work together to meet the child’s cognitive, social and developmental goals. The playgroup sessions will address: gross and fine motor development; expressive and receptive language communication; social and emotional skills; adaptive and self-care skills and feeding issues.

This parent participation group will be facilitated by Clallam Co. Parent to Parent (P2P) coordinator Catherine McKinney, and will be led by family support Laura Hogan-Reyes.

The next Play with a Purpose sessions are scheduled for Nov. 19 and Dec. 17, 2022.

Clallam County Parent to Parent offers support and advocacy to families caring for individuals with special needs, developing opportunities for families to come together to learn, teach each other, grow and form community.

For more information about Clallam County Parent to Parent, visit clallammosaic.org/p2p.

Clallam Mosaic, a local nonprofit, strives to empower individuals with special needs. The sole source for year-round non-vocational day programs in Clallam County, Mosaic provides lifelong learning opportunities, recreational experiences, supports for creative endeavors, social interactions and advocacy education.

For more information about Clallam Mosaic, visit ClallamMosaic.org.

LTAC grants available

Clallam County’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee announced last week an opportunity for business grants for large-scale events, projects or infrastructure improvements from monies received from a consumer tax on lodging.

This fund is the primary source of county funding for activities and operations, and expenditures designed to increase tourism in the unincorporated areas.

Applications may be submitted by any nonprofit entity, any public entity or any group of eligible organizations.

To apply, contact the Clallam County Board of Commissioners Office at 360-417-2256 or loni.gores@clallamcountywa.gov or online at clallam.net/bocc/LodgingTaxAdvisoryCommittee.html.

Applications/requests must be received at 223 E. Fourth St., Room 150, Port Angeles, noon on Monday, Oct. 24.

Early bird list for Tax-Aide service

Community members who want to get on a pre-appointment list for AARP Tax-Aide service in Sequim for 2023 are encouraged to contact Russ Fish at russfishk7ina@gmail.com or 360-452-6147 (voice mail only).

School schools to host listening tour

Join in on a conversation about the Sequim School District with new superintendent Regan Nickels at listening sessions later this month.

Sessions are set for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Sequim High School library, 601 N. Sequim Ave. The session’s focus group is the veterans community.

Another session is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, on Zoom, with the focus group being Sequim school alumni.

To RSVP, email to mlyke@sequimschools.org.