Community news briefs — Sept. 6, 2023

September 6, 2023 1:30 am
Photo by Bob Lampert / Under the leadership of head woodsman Jack Tatom (center, standing), eight community members spend an early morning on Labor Day (Sept. 4) splitting and chopping wood for donations Path from Poverty, an organization whose goal is to provide drinking water to ladies n Kenya Africa. The group has to date delivered nearly 300 cords of wood in the effort.
Photo by Bob Lampert / Under the leadership of head woodsman Jack Tatom (center, standing), eight community members spend an early morning on Labor Day (Sept. 4) splitting and chopping wood for donations Path from Poverty, an organization whose goal is to provide drinking water to ladies n Kenya Africa. The group has to date delivered nearly 300 cords of wood in the effort.

Guild’s thrift shop to open

The Sequim Dungeness Hospital Guild Thrift Shop, 204 W. Bell St., will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 7-9.

The shop features slots of kitchen items and “a sprinkling of fall fun.” Green tag items are $1. The guild restocks the shop with new things each day.

All proceeds support organizations in Clallam County.

Donations welcome from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and when the shop is open for business. The guild is also welcoming new members and thrift shop volunteers.

Library group sets Saturday sale

The Friends of Sequim Library hosts its monthly sale from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, at Rock Plaza, 10131 Old Olympic Highway.

Of interest this month are: CDs from the 1960s through the 1990s; a large selection of children’s books including Dr. Seuss, Lemony Snicket and Warriors series; Pacific Northwest books, including hiking guides; current hardbound (2020-2023) books; military, war and antique Civil War books; aviation, and a collection of Kurt Vonnegut books.

Fifth Avenue hosts End of Summer BBQ

The Fifth Avenue, 500 W. Hendrickson Road, hosts an “End of Summer BBQ” event 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, with food, music and camaraderie.

The event will feature live music by the band Buttercup Lane, known for their renditions of 1950s classics and timeless favorites from across the decades.

Lunch — with a choice of a grilled hamburger or hot dog, potato salad, chips, and root beer floats — is $5.

The event is open to the public, and an opportunity to connect with friends, neighbors, and loved ones, organizers said.

For more information, call 360-683-3345.

Waterways close to recreational shellfish harvesting

The Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health Division announced last week that Sequim Bay, Discovery Bay and the eastern and western portions of the Strait of Juan de Fuca are now closed to recreational shellfish harvesting.

Closed to all species means clams (including geoduck), oysters, mussels and other invertebrates such as the moon snail. All areas are closed for the sport harvest of scallops. These closures do not apply to shrimp.

For more information about this closure, call the Marine Biotoxin Hotline at 1.800.562.5632, or visit the Department of Health’s Marine Biotoxin website at doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety.htm.

Garden Club to host Cedarbrook owner

The Sequim Prairie Garden Club hosts its public monthly meeting starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, at the Pioneer Park Clubhouse, 387 E. Washington Street.

Ashley Possin of Cedarbrook Lavender Farm, Washington’s oldest lavender farm, speaks at 10:30 a.m. about the history of growing lavender in Sequim, and will share her experience of growing many varieties, as well as her farm’s beehive and honey production endeavors.

Club members will also recap their summer endeavors, including winning awards at the Clallam County Fair.

DAV to host veterans information seminar

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is conducting a seminar to help explain earned military veteran benefits and provide guidance on free professional claims assistance. The seminar will be conducted by a DAV service officer, a veteran, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, at the KSQM 91.5 FM office meeting room, 609 W. Washington St.

The benefit seminar runs 10 a.m.-noon and the claims assistance from noon-2 p.m.

All veterans, family members and others desiring to gain knowledge on veteran benefits are invited to the seminar; attendees do not need to be a member of DAV to take advantage of the no-cost services.

Garden walk scheduled

From 10-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, veteran Master Gardeners Jan Bartron, Bob Cain, Laurel Moulton and Audreen Williams lead a walk through the Fifth Street Community Garden, 328 E. Fifth St., Port Angeles, to examine what is happening (or should be happening) in local vegetable gardens and berry patches in September.

Topics to be covered this month include composting, fall and winter berry care, saving seeds and more. In addition to basic vegetable gardening techniques, the walks cover unusual food crops and may focus on a couple of edible plants new to the garden.

The walk is the last one of 2023 growing season. This educational event is free and open to the public. Walks this year have attracted local gardeners, including a few seasoned gardeners who have shared their vegetable gardening experiences along with the walk leads.

For more information, call 360-565-2678.

‘Tea to Die For’

The Death Café “Tea to Die For,” sponsored by Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County, is set for 4-5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, in the KSQM-FM Community Room, 609 W. Washington St.

A second session is scheduled for 4-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, the craft room upstairs at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. Seventh St.

Conversations are held every second Monday in Sequim and every fourth Wednesday in Port Angeles. They are meant to foster relaxed and informal discussions surrounding death and dying and open to anyone curious or apprehensive about end of life. Tea, coffee and snacks will be served. The groups are free and open to all and do not require prior registration.

For more information, call 360-452-1511.

VHOCC hosts grief support group

Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County (VHOCC) is sponsoring a six-week in-person grief support group from 1-3 p.m. every Tuesday, from Sept. 12-Oct. 17, in the VHOCC conference room, 829 E. Eighth St., Port Angeles.

Organizers say the group offers a place for participants to share with others their feelings and experiences with grief; gain a clearer understanding of the mourning process; and learn coping skills and strategies for dealing with the emotional pain of loss. Confidentiality is essential to foster openness, trust and acceptance.

Attendance is free, but registration is required.

For more information or to register, call 360-452-1511 or email to reception@vhocc.org.

VHOCC has been providing free hospice services to patients and their families since 1978. Part of their organization’s mission is to offer grief support groups to not just families of hospice patients, but to anyone in the community who has experienced the death of a loved one. For more about VHOCC, visit volunteerhospice.org or call 360-452-1511.

WSU Clallam County Master Gardener Jan Bartron (fourth from left) points out that cat facings are puckered and lumpy areas that can be found in all tomatoes but are especially found in certain cultivars. These might be due to low temperatures, or too much nitrogen fertilizer or other unfavorable growing conditions. Attendants at the August 12 th Second Saturday Garden Walk at the Fifth Street Community Garden, Port Angeles learned that if the problem was due to low temperatures, the problem is self-limiting and fruit set later in the season should be normal.