Clallam PUD has received a 60-thousand dollar grant from the American Public Power Administration to purchase up to 50 portable batteries that can stay charged by solar power. PUD Communications Director Nicole Hartman says they will first be available to customers living in the west end of the county who are dependent on life saving medical devices that can be life-threatening without them in the event of an extended power outage.

“The west end customers are the ones who really experience prolonged outages in the case of BPA lines going down because there’s no redundant line out there.  So we applied for a grant from the American Public Power Association to purchase 50 of these battery units. They come with solar panels so that they can be recharged.  In that way people who low income dependent on a medical device – life saving medical device – can apply through our low-income assistance program to qualify and receive one of these batteries and solar panel units. And the nice thing is because they are electric, you plug them in and you charge them up to 100 percent and then you can use the solar panels to keep them charged.”

If there any units left over after the application process, she says they may try to see if the can get permission to have the remainder go to anybody else in the county who may need one.

“We did have to purchase five that were a bit larger capacity for people who maybe had a larger device that was going to draw more power than the little one could handle. So, we tried to size them to the person’s medical equipment. And this could be anything from an oxygen concentrator to if somebody needed a mini refrigerator to store medication that needed to be refrigerated.”

Interested applicants can check on line for more information and determine if they qualify at www.clallapud.net/medical-equipment-backup-program/

IMAGE:  AI generated

The popular Twilight film saga that turned Forks, Port Angeles and the North Olympic Peninsula into a popular tourist destination 17 years ago returned to the big screen this week.  The 2008 film is playing for a limited run in theaters across the nation through November 6, according to the film’s distributor Fathom Events.

The movie — starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson — follows a teenager who moves to Forks and falls in love with a mysterious classmate who turns out to be a vampire.

The story helped turn Forks and Port Angeles and the surrounding forest areas that inspired the film’s moody, rain-soaked atmosphere into major tourist destinations for fans of the series.

Fathom Events says the re-release is part of its special-event lineup, bringing popular and classic films back to theaters for limited runs.

It’ll be interesting to see if the film’s re-release could spur any kind of growth as a tourist destination once again for Forks and the Olympic Peninsula.\

IMAGE:AI generated

A Boil Water Advisory for a portion of the Evergreen Water System for residents on the southwest side of Bell Hill has been lifted.  Clallam PUD Communications Director Nichole Hartman says the advisory was cancelled Thursday morning October 30 after the Clallam County Water Lab reported tests came back satisfactorily.  

The PUD notified customers Wednesday of the advisory through automated phone calls.  She says the advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution after an extensive water-main break Tuesday night, causing the system in some areas to de-pressurize.  Because of that a cautionary boil water advisory was issued for customers in the affected after until lab test results could confirm the water was safe to drink again.

The Sequim Food Bank is bracing for the impact of a possible funding cutoff this weekend for the federal government’s food stamp program known as SNAP. 

SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — could run out of funding November 1st if the government shutdown continues. The USDA says it doesn’t have the money to issue benefits, putting more than 40 million Americans — including 900,000 in Washington — at risk of losing grocery assistance.

Food Bank Executive Director Andra Smith says she’s scared about what may happen.

“I’m scared, first for the families who rely on SNAP to feed their families. And I’m scared because of what that could mean for us for the increasing need for Thanksgiving.”

She says over 10,000 individuals receive SNAP benefits in Clallam and Jefferson counties.

“What I know is that for every one meal that food bank provides, SNAP provides nine. So for there to be no SNAP available for any families in Clallam County, that can be devastating for a lot of families.”

She says she doesn’t know if the food bank will receive a big increase in those needing assistance. In any event, she ways they will not run out of food to help the community.

“No. You know one of the things that the Sequim Food Bank – we’ve been around for over 40 years. We’re pretty resilient. We’re pretty good and listening to our community’s needs are helping support them in the way that they can…so you may see some changes in how we do things to ensure that we have enough for food for everybody. You may see that we may provide less or may be out of certain things for a period of time until we can figure out how this is all going to work and shake out. But we are here. We want our community to know – that we are here.”

Monetary assistance to continue to help the work of the food bank is always welcome. Donations can be made online at www.sequimfoodbank.org

A GoFundMe site created by the family of a Port Angeles man who was stabbed multiple times after he provided a ride to a couple and their seven children October 20 has raised more than $46,000 toward a goal of $50 thousand.

60-year-old Marvin Swaggerty stopped to offer Nicholas Well and Rosario Lopez-Castro and their children a ride as they walked along Highway 101 near Deer Park after their vehicle had become disabled. Clallam County Sheriff’s deputies say shortly after Swaggerty, a DoorDash driver, was suddenly stabbed in the neck and head by the father , was shoved out of his car onto Carlsborg Road, and they sped away in his car.

After the attack, the couple drove to rural Kitsap County, where they were found by deputies passed out in the stolen car in the middle of the road, which had a blood-covered front seat.

Their children, ages 6 months to 9 years, were also in the vehicle, some without proper clothing or car seats.  The mother and father were arrested and the children were placed in homes by Child Protective Services.

Nicholas and Rosario are currently in the Clallam County jail. Both are facing charges of Attempted Second Degree Murder, First  Degree Robbery, and Theft of a Motor Vehicle. Bail has been set at $750,000 each.

Swaggerty’s daughter, Christina Brown, says her father was simply trying to be a good Samaritan and is going to need help getting back on his feet.

The GoFundMe site is “Aid for Christina’s Dad: Stabbed While Helping.”

https://www.gofundme.com/f/aid-for-christinas-dad-stabbed-while-helping

PHOTO: Christina Brown

More than 3,000 people turned out in Sequim Saturday to participate in nationwide No Kings” demonstrations in broad opposition to what they described as President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian” agenda. They were part of a record 7 million nationwide who participated in more than 2700 demonstrations across all 50 states. More than a thousand demonstrated in two locations in Port Angeles, and upwards of 90,000 in Seattle.

Demonstrators dressed in a variety of inflatable costumes in Sequim waved American flags and displayed homemade signs gathered in a party like atmosphere lining both sides of Washington Street stretching from the River Road roundabout east to the 9^th street roundabout.  Indivisible Sequim organizers say they counted 3,200 in Saturday’s demonstration, surpassing the June 14 No Kings rally by several hundred.  

One of them told KSQM his name was Bill:

“I’m having a ball out here expressing my first amendment rights. My chance to express my views. As you know we have a government that’s out of control and I want to preserve our democracy. This is my chance to express those views.”

Similar views were expressed up and down Washington Street:

“I’m here to defend our democracy.  I love our country and I want it back.”

“I want our country back.  It’s going in a bad direction right now."

“God Bless America.”

Kelly Mitchell was there. She says she is a federal government employee.

“Well, I actually work for the federal government and I’ve seen the demise first hand from day one. Do you still have your job? I do. I’m fortunate enough to have a job. Some of my friends are not so fortunate.”

In addition to the inflatable costumes, people were dressed as unicorns, to sharks – even a T-Rex dinosaur was seen dancing with a gorilla.

Counter-protestors were not seen, other than an occasional pickup truck driving by flying a Trump and American flag.

Smoke from the Bear Gulch wildfire north of Lake Cushman near Hoodsport has been bringing air quality in Sequim to unhealthy levels. By noon Wednesday morning the State Department of Ecology’s Air Quality Index had dropped within the moderate range to 52. 

However, heavy smoke appearing in Sequim and Port Angeles yesterday had reached unhealthy levels of 183 by 4 am this morning before beginning to recede according to the Washington Smoke Blog, a partnership between state, county and federal agencies and Tribes. 

The Bear Gulch wildfire burning on the north side of Lake Cushman is the primary source of smoke.  The nearby smaller Tunnel  Creek fire has also been contributing to the smoke.  As of Monday, Bear Gulch had burned 10,843 acres and is 9 percent contained. The fire received less than a tenth of an inch of rain Sunday, moderating the fire behavior in the short term.  The lightning caused Tunnel Creek fire is 290 acres and zero percent contained.

Accessibility advocate Ian Mackay set off on a new adventure in his battery powered wheelchair Friday, August 22.  The 3-day Sea to Sound event is a 70 mile, multi modal group ride that spans the entire length of the Olympic Discovery Trail. Day 1 is 20 miles. Well over a hundred participants in wheel chairs and bicycles will be traveling from the Camp Creek Trailhead on the west side of Lake Crescent.  Appearing on Friday’s Buck Ellard show on KSQM, Ian says a large support group will be riding along with them to assist.

“The ride is designed for people with disabilities to go on a long ride with the community in a fully supported way. I mean we have over 67 volunteers to make this three day event possible. We ride like 20 to 28 miles per day.  Very few people have done that. And they love that. They love that choice.

Ian says about 130 participants have registered for this year’s event.

“We have a wheelchair and a bike mechanic and an EMT traveling along with the group throughout the weekend just in case anything breaks down or people are feeling less than perfect. We have delicious lunches halfway through the day.  We have a cool after party with dinner at the end of each ride. At lunch we try to make if fun and kooky. We have a flutist – a flute player that plays out in the woods for us out by Lake Crescent on day one. We have a father and daughter on guitar and sing for us at lunch on day two. And you know, it’s just really fun.” 

He says the mission of the organization he founded, called “Ians Ride” is to make outdoor access accessible to everybody.

“Remember, the volume of disabled individuals that join Sea to Sound, really, it shows the desire for access to the outdoors. And more folks should have these opportunities throughout our country. And the infrastructure really needs to be there to make that possible.”

The City of Sequim is seeking public opinions about the city’s festivals, events and even fireworks displays in a survey that can be found on the city’s website at www.sequimwa.gov. The survey responses will help guide city officials as they plan, support and improve future community gatherings. The survey asks if the respondent is satisfied with the city’s Sunshine Festival, the Independence Day Celebrations, if the city should even continue hosting an Independence Day celebration and if so, if the city should include fireworks in Independence Day celebrations.

The survey comes at a time when several local organizations are advocating for a ban on commercial fireworks displays within the city limits, primarily to protect wildlife and the environment.  Three local environmental non-profits, the North Olympic chapter of the Sierra Club, Protect the Peninsula’s Future, and the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society have all issued official statements on the question, and are encouraging community members to share their thoughts on the city’s survey.  All three groups are advocating replacing fireworks with drone shows and relocating events away from sensitive wildlife areas to better protect the environment and residents. All three groups are encouraging the community to weigh in with their own thoughts, whether they support fireworks displays, or not, and express their opinions on why or why not on the matter.  The survey can be found on www.sequimwa.gov.  

Port Angeles residents are breathing a sigh of relief today after a “Do Not Drink” the water order was lifted yesterday after samples tested OK and the water was determined safe to drink. The order was lifted at 5:15 Sunday ending some nine hours of frustration, panic and very long lines were formed at distribution sites for bottled water being passed out to city water customers. 

The Do Not Drink order came after petroleum products entered the Elwha River, the city’s primary source for drinking water, when a fuel tanker truck crashed and landed upside down into Indian Creek that feeds into the Elwha Friday, July 18.   Officials say an estimated 3,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel were released into the river.

At a news briefing at the crash site yesterday Gov. Bob Ferguson praised the rapid and coordinated response to the spill by scores of agencies, including firefighting first responders, the Dept. of Ecology, the Elwha Klallam tribe and many others.

“There’s been a lot of coordination and that’s how it should be. That’s what the people expect – to see different levels of government coordinating, working with tribes, working with individuals.  And that’s certainly been the case today. It has been a response, not just from organizations of governments, but by the people as well. Folks are conserving water to help make the water supply that we have go further. So it’s really been from individuals, to government, to tribes, organizations, businesses have really stepped up in a challenging time.  And I deeply, deeply appreciate that.  And I think that’s one of the things that makes Washington so great. We’re seeing that during these last 48 hours.”

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Chair Frances Charles says their hearts sank when the extent of the crash was known.

”We have worked for decades on restoring the resources of what our ancestors had worked on for many generations to bring back our salmon runs. But unfortunately what has happened in the last 48 hours, our hearts sank. Our hearts sank that day.”

Klallam Tribe Natural Resources Director Nat Burns says the spill killed scores of fish.

“Untold hundreds, perhaps thousands of fish likely have died and were transported down river. Many have been consumed by wildlife.  We don’t know.  We’re going to continue monitor this in the short term and into the long term.”

Meanwhile, Chairwoman Charles says the tribe is continuing to make preparations to host thousands of canoe paddlers at the mouth of the Elwha River at the end of the month.

”We are in the process of a canoe journey event. And we’re not cancelling it. I want to say that again. We are not cancelling it because of what happened. And the theme of the dam removals itself was our theme for the canoe journeys on July 31^st. So, it will move forward as we see fit. Elwha’s waters is OK.  I want to say that again.  Elwha on the tribal land’s water is OK.

The President and CEO of the Petro Card, the company that owns the truck, says the driver of the truck that overturned suffered a medical event, is now at home and has a long recovery ahead.

PHOTO:  Courtesy KIRO TV