Clallam County’s budget got a significant shot in the arm last week with an infusion of about 7 and a half million dollars in COVID relief dollars from the federal government’s American Recovery Act fund.  Every city and county started receiving those funds last week based on population. 

Appearing on KSQM radio yesterday Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias says commissioners are now beginning a process for developing plans for how to allocate that money. He says the CARES act funds received at the beginning of the pandemic had a very short time line for decision making and expenditure of the funds. The Recovery Act funds are intended to last longer and not be quite so reactionary. Right now, commissioners are starting to talk about how to set priorities for spending those dollars within guidelines provided by the Act.

OZIAS:  “We’ve got a couple of years actually to consider how we will obligate those dollars. We actually can spend through 2026. So I’m hoping that the impact from these recovery act funds will last longer than just the next couple of months.”

Ozias says one beneficiary of the new infusion of money will be the county’s public health department.

“There’s no doubt that a significant portion of that is going to be invested in a more robust public health effort. There are some specifics certainly related to COVID and the continuing work that our public health team is going to have to do for the foreseeable future.”

He says the county is expecting to receive the second half of the 15 million dollar grant next year.

A reminder that we live in an earthquake prone region.  A small 3.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded over the weekend in Grays Harbor County. It was about 26 miles north and northwest of Olympia near Satsop. The US Geological Survey says the trembler, recorded at 4:12 Saturday morning, was about 30 miles deep. There were no immediate reports of damage.

The Satsop area is a relatively remote, sparsely populated region.

As the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be winding down, health officials continue to express concerns about the threat of the virus variants. Five new cases were confirmed in Clallam County Saturday for a total of 1,335 since the pandemic began 14 months ago. No numbers were available for Sunday.  Jefferson County has not had any new cases since May 15th.  However, Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke says they’re not of the woods yet, expressing concerns about high COVID rates in nearby counties like King, Pierce and Kitsap. He told the Peninsula Daily News it’s kind of impossible that we will stay disease free for the next month. Locke and Clallam County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry say that the virus variants are the primary source of new cases when they do show up. The UK and California variants have been seen Clallam County.  One variant from India has been seen in the county.

BERRY:  “The vaccines are still incredibly effective against them. We’re really seeing primarily transmission among unvaccinated people and certainly hospitalization among unvaccinated people.  But I think it is an important reminder that the variants are very serious and they can make you quite ill. So if you are not yet vaccinated, now is a really good time to go ahead and get vaccinated.”

The good news, she ways, is vaccinated people are essentially able to gather in large groups indoors, if everyone is vaccinated, including places like houses of worship.

“As we plan for church, we are cautious. We try not to regulate the churches because there is that important separation. But, as a recommendation, if I were running a congregation I would highly recommend that you either assess vaccine status of your folks coming in, or require everyone to wear a mask and still space them out. One interesting thing is, if you’re a fully vaccinated group, you can sing. So I know choirs have been really wanting to come back. A fully vaccinated choir around a fully vaccinated congregation, can sing. In fact a fully vaccinated choir not next to a fully vaccinated congregation can sing. And so I would encourage vaccination among those groups. You really could get your services to feel a lot more normal.”   

Even choir members don’t have to socially distance and can sit close to one another during rehearsals.

“Yea.  If you’re vaccinated.  Yea can sing right next to somebody else. Which is kind of fun. Yes, carrying a tune is helpful.”

Serve Washington announced recipients of the 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards. The recipients are being recognized for their outstanding commitment and achievements in volunteerism over the past year.

Blaine and Cindy Zechenelly, Volunteer disaster planners for Clallam County Fire District No.3, were selected as the recipients under the Volunteer Family category.

Blaine and Cindy have truly made an impact in our community. The hard work they have put in over the last several years is bearing fruit in today's COVID-19 pandemic.

Their relentless efforts in educating the community about disaster preparedness and training in Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) has led to the Sequim-Dungeness Valley being much more prepared and resilient in facing this world wide threat.

We look forward to what Blaine and Cindy have yet to accomplish. Based on their record, it will reflect the Fire District's vision of SERVICE DRIVEN THROUGH EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION.

More information can be found online at the web site: www.ccfd3.org or questions may be directed to Community Risk Reduction Division at (360) 683-4242. Ext. 114

Fred's left foot appears to be awfully loose.

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Health officials on the Peninsula acknowledge that misinformation about the wearing of masks during the coronavirus pandemic has not been helpful in controlling the spread of the virus. 

To wear a mask or not to wear a mask in order to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus has become something of a political statement for a number of people rather than a public health or safety statement.  Olympic Peninsula Health Officers in both Jefferson and Clallam Counties acknowledge that pockets of resistance that continue to claim the pandemic is a hoax or wearing masks are an infringement on personal rights are a significant distraction.   Clallam Health Officer Dr. Allison Unthank addressed the issue at last week’s COVID-19 briefing:

UNTHANK:  “It’s a challenge to deal with misinformation. In public health we’ve been dealing with misinformation in a variety of forms for quite some time. But certainly with COVID-19 it’s been a big challenge. You know there are political figures that are spreading misinformation and that makes it really hard. I think one of the ways I’m hoping to deal with it is to have the message coming from more and diverse voices. I know some people think this is a Democrat or a Republican issue, and it is not.  It’s an everybody issue.  And so I think the more we hear that we hear it from different people – we can hear it from Democrats and Republicans and Libertarians and everybody saying  'Hey, I don’t want to die of this virus, and I don’t want my grandma to and I want my business open.' And sharing that message and following the guidelines is how we get that to happen. The more we get that from different people and I think that will help. And so that’s part of why I’m putting out that call – spread the word. Especially if you hang out with folks who might be in that group who doesn’t think this is real, engage in those tough conversations.”

Dr. Unthank says her preference is to convince people to do the right thing. If we can’t, she says the only other option available is to use blunt instruments like closing things down again – something they will do it if they have to.  

Now, grab a mask and please watch the video below.

The Sequim City Council voted to amend the city code during a special meeting Saturday night to allow hearing examiners to hear appeals to the issuance of certain building permits. Saturday’s special meeting came after land use hearing examiner Phil Olbrechts concluded he did not have jurisdiction over the process to hear 6 appeals to permit applications to build a medication assisted treatment facility, or MAT clinic, in Sequim.   Olbrechts cancelled a three day hearing that had been set to begin today because of issues with the city’s municipal code. He said it had conflicting language that barred him from going forward. The Council was presented with two choices to modify the city’s code. One was an emergency ordinance that would go into effect immediately, or a standard ordinance which would go into effect 5 days after publication in the newspaper.  City staff recommended the emergency ordinance before a hearing examiner’s decision was made which was expected at any time. City Attorney Kristina Nelson-Gross told councilors once the order comes from the examiner it would be too late for them to change the process.

During debate over the proposed changes, Deputy Mayor Tom Ferrell said it was a curve ball for him when he learned of the jurisdictional issue.

FERRELL:  “I still think right now the examiner is the best way to continue. I think that there’s a lot of bias and anger and such throughout this community and I think this is the most efficient way. I also think it’s important to not forget the applicant. I mean we have a responsibility to basically continue a due process. They have a right to get a decision on this in a reasonable amount of time. So I don’t want to use this curve ball as an opportunity to bring this back to the council. Because my assumption is that the examiner would handle it.”

The council voted to approve the standard ordinance.  

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

(Written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 and performed below by Lucy Monroe in 1941)

During last week’s Sequim School Board meeting, directors and staff reviewed plans for reopening instruction next month amid uncertainties and concerns about the status of the virus.  Meeting remotely over the internet, they heard from two teachers who had submitted written comments during the public comment period, urging caution. School Board President Brandino Gibson read this comment from teacher Carol Harms.

GIBSON:  “Over one half of the teachers who responded to the Sequim Education Association survey preferred remote start over an in-school start. We know that under normal circumstances that every teacher would prefer to be in the classroom.  This indicates a serious concern among school staff regarding safety, and should be a series consideration to the school board.”

Sequim Middle School teacher Susan Dwyer, submitted these comments:

DWYER:  “The only way to guarantee student and staff safety is to be completely remote until the 5 criteria set by Superintendent Reykdal are achieved. Even one preventable death is a travesty and any COVID related complications would be asking too much of our community. It will be inconvenient. It will be difficult.  It will be tiresome. But it will be safety. I’ve taught for 34 years, 14 of those with the Sequim School District and I ask you to follow the well thought out criteria set by our state superintendent and keep our students and staff safe.”

Sequim Superintendent Dr. Rob Clark says the issue that scares him is Labor Day weekend.

CLARK:  “If you look around the country, when the spikes have come they’ve all – many of them – I don’t know about all of them. But many of them have happened after two weeks after the holiday. Memorial weekend. Fourth of July. We have Labor Day coming up here in approximately four weeks.”

The Board is scheduled to take a final vote on a reopening plan on August 17th.  Reopening options are posted on the Sequim School District website.