Cross country bike ride starts in Pacific Beach this weekend

Starting on Saturday, a team of bike riders will begin a 4,200 mile trip across America, starting in Pacific Beach.

GoTeam is a “nationwide endurance team” from nonprofit T4 Global, they say that their ride will conclude on July 25 in Wilmington, North Carolina as the team stops at community centers and churches in cities along the route to raise awareness about “oral learners and their plight”.

According to T4 Global, approximately 2/3 of people in our world don’t read – instead, they learn by listening. In the Third World, the percentage is even higher. T4 looks to help these cultures learn information regardless of their ability to read, via recordings in their own language on MP3 players. This information can be from the Bible, as well as information about HIV/AIDS prevention/treatment, clean water/sanitation, basic health and hygiene, etc.

T4’s GoTeam is a group of volunteers whose mission to reach these oral learners who will participate in endurance events to raise awareness and funds to help T4 Global meet the needs of these unreached people.

Interested individuals can visit T4Global.org/GoTeam and fill out the information necessary. They can choose an event to participate in on behalf of those who cannot read and set a fundraising goal.

 

Hoquiam firefighter jobs will remain through 2014

Hoquiam Fire Department agreement will last through 2014

Late Thursday afternoon, additional details were announced by the City of Hoquiam and Hoquiam Firefighters Local 315 regarding the tentative agreement reached this week to avoid the loss of 4 employees.

4 firefighters were scheduled to work their last shifts with the city on Thursday, according to a release from both parties; this agreement allows the jobs to continue through 2014.

“The City is hopeful that the changes made to the handling of ambulance transfers will result in enough increased revenue to get the City back to a balanced budget by year end,” said City Administrator Brian Shay. “This agreement is a good start to collectively address a long term solution to our serious budget problems.”

Negotiations were already scheduled to be held on Wednesday following a 30 day notice by the City regarding the reduction.

“The Hoquiam Firefighters are extremely pleased to have worked in conjunction with City Officials, coming to a tentative agreement that will both settle the grievance filed by the Local as well as save the four positions that had been given layoff notices,” said Firefighters Local President Doug Stankavich. “We all know there is much work to be done in the near future to find viable ways to maintain the staffing and service levels we currently offer the citizens of Hoquiam.”

According to Stankavich, the agreement will not be ratified until their regular meeting on Tuesday.

“I am really proud of our administrative staff and the members of our Fire Department who sat down and came to an agreement that avoids the laying off of 4 great employees,” said Mayor Jack Durney. “I believe we have started to mend relationships and are ready to start having a serious dialogue about how we fund public safety.”

The positions were scheduled to be eliminated due to a drop in service calls and the resulting funding to the department, according to the City.

Public comment needed on Enchanted Valley Chalet

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation has turned to the public to find a way to save the Enchanted Valley Chalet.

The Olympic National Park recently issued an expedited environmental assessment to temporarily move the chalet away from the bank of the East Quinault, currently eroding the land below and exposing the historic building to a risk of falling into the river.

A proposal to move the chalet approximately 50-100 feet from the bank and remove the remaining foundation would avoid the imminent collapse of the chalet to allow for more time to find a permanent solution.

The state department is now asking for residents to comment on the assessment, due by June 5. They say that comments should highlight 3 points.

• Thanking ONP officials for taking action to protect both the river and for allowing time to evaluate long-term protection for the chalet.
• Note that the river threatened the chalet about 10 years ago, and in 2005 low-impact measures were taken resulting in protection to the chalet for the past 8 years. Highlight that low-impact solutions do exist.
• Mention that the chalet has served as a back country ranger station and a four season emergency shelter for the past 60 years.

In 2014, the Washington Trust included the Enchanted Valley Chalet in on their Most Endangered Historic Properties List.  In 2013, the Electric Building in Aberdeen was also on that list.
Comments can be submitted online.

More information, including the full environmental assessment, can be accessed at the following website: Enchanted Valley Chalet Environmental Assessment.

 

3 Washington State Park ‘Free Days’ in June

Residents will be allowed to access state parks without a Discover Pass for 3 days this month, and get some fishing in. The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission allows a limited number of ‘free days’ each year in the parks, and June provides the most of any month.

• June 7 — National Trails Day
• June 7-8 — Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Free Fishing Weekend
• June 14 — National Get Outdoors Day

Free days were included in the legislation that created the Discover Pass. Residents can purchase a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit to enter land throughout Grays Harbor and the state managed by Washington State Parks, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Department of Natural Resources. The free days apply only to day use, not for overnight stays or rented facilities. Overnight visitors are charged fees for camping and other overnight accommodations, and day access is included in the overnight fee. June 7-8 is “Free Fishing Weekend” in the state, when fishing licenses are not required of anyone to fish in Washington. Free Fishing Weekend in Washington is always the first weekend after the first Monday in June. All other rules still apply, including seasons, area and lure or bait restrictions, and size and catch limits.  

McCleary woman missing since Wednesday night

A 63 year old McCleary woman has been reported missing.

Karen M. Grygorcewicz was last seen at her home on Larson Road in McCleary at 5pm on Wednesday night. According to the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office, Karen intended to go for a walk around a trail located on the property and never returned.

Karen is described as 5’1”/96 lbs, with blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a floral print shirt and blue jeans. She has pre-existing medical issues.

If you have any information, please call the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Department at 360-249-3711 or the non-emergency phone number at 360-533-8765.

Hoquiam firefighter jobs temporarily preserved

The City of Hoquiam and Hoquiam Firefighters Local #315 have come to a tentative agreement to save local jobs.

On Tuesday, more than 80 people attended the Hoquiam City Council meeting with signs in support of the fire department which was recently notified that four of their employees were being let go as of today.

Hoquiam Finance Director Mike Folkers gave a presentation on the budget on Tuesday to start the meeting, and spoke on the decline of calls for the fire department, which is where the revenue for the department comes from and the reason the positions were being eliminated.

According to Doug Stankavich, President of the local union, discussions on Wednesday lasted from 10 am to after 5 pm and a tentative agreement was reached that would temporarily save the four local positions that were scheduled to be eliminated as of today.

With the agreement, Local #315 will be dropping their grievance with the city.

The agreement has yet to be ratified, and will be voted on by the union at their regular meeting on Tuesday.

Weatherwax high school student receives $20,000 Weatherwax scholarship

For the first time, the Dr. Scott A. Weatherwax Memorial University of Puget Sound Scholarship has been awarded to a Grays Harbor Student.

The Grays Harbor Community Foundation, in partnership with the University of Puget Sound, has awarded the first Dr. Scott A. Weatherwax Memorial University of Puget Sound Scholarship to Emily Fisher of Aberdeen High School.

In the memory of Dr. Weatherwax, this fund was established in 2013 to award a $20,000 scholarship annually for a Grays Harbor student attending the University of Puget Sound.

“We are pleased to be able to honor Scott’s memory in such a meaningful way.” said Jim Daly, Executive Director of the Community Foundation. “In supporting his alma mater, the University of Puget Sound, and providing significant support to a deserving student we believe he would be proud of these efforts.”

Weatherwax was born September 25, 1940 in Aberdeen and graduated from J.M. Weatherwax High School before attending University of Puget Sound and the University of Washington Dental School.

When he returned to Grays Harbor he became involved on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation Foundation. Dr. Weatherwax died of cardiac arrest in 2008.

To find out more about the Grays Harbor Community Foundation, visit their website at www.gh-cf.org.

Missing an air compressor?

The Aberdeen Police Department told KXRO that on Tuesday, an officer saw someone walking with an air compressor. Noticing that it was unusual, the officer found that they were not the owner. The compressor was recovered and placed into the APD property room.

APD believes that the air compressor was stolen, and they are looking for anyone who may be missing one. If you or someone you know has recently had equipment taken from your home or business, you are asked to call the Aberdeen Police Department.

The item may have been stolen from another town, and they ask residents throughout the county to double check their buildings.

Callers will be asked to describe the equipment to prove that it is in fact theirs.

 

Pacific County Sheriff hosts regional law meeting

The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office recently hosted local law enforcement administrators to discuss several regional issues in a combined effort to share information and resources, and work together towards improving service to the public.

Included in the discussion were the new ATV laws for Pacific County, private forest land closures, field intelligence information sharing, beach driving and inter-agency training. A special presentation was also made on an app that would aid law enforcement by allowing them to check to see if suspects are wanted for crimes with their smart phone.

The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office hosts similar meeting like this on a semi-annual basis. The original meetings involved the Sheriff’s Office and local police departments and now have been expanded to include Washington State Parks, Department of Corrections, Washington State Patrol and Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

From left to right in the photo: Washington State Parks Supervisor Evan Roberts, Raymond Police Chief Chuck Spoor, Washington State Department of Wildlife Sgt. Dan Chadwick, South Bend Police Chief Dave Eastham, Pacific County Sheriff Scott Johnson, Pacific County Undersheriff Todd Fosse, Washington State Department of Corrections Supervisor David Thompson, Washington State Patrol Captain Chris Old, Washington State Patrol Sgt. Brad Moon and Washington State Patrol Sgt. Larry Conley.

Present at the meeting but not pictured in the photo were Pacific County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Pat Matlock, Shoalwater Bay Tribal Police Chief Robin Souvenir and Raymond Police Sgt. James Samplawski.

Aberdeen moves toward declaring graffiti as a public nuisance

A second city has discussed adding graffiti as a nuisance to their municipal code this week.

Following a discussion by Westport on Tuesday, the Aberdeen City Council passed the second reading of an ordinance that would declare graffiti as a public nuisance at last night’s meeting.

During the public comment period an idea was brought forward of a public graffiti wall to be designated to help deter illegal graffiti elsewhere. Parks Director Karl Harris said that would not work to stop the graffiti they are seeing.

“My opinion, I don’t believe that a graffiti wall will stop that. When you see what the graffiti is in our parks, another structures; it’s not art, it’s marking of territory. It’s writing slang of nasty sayings, of trying to put other ones down. It’s not art. So if you’re looking to do an art project, a graffiti wall is fine, but if you’re looking as a deterrent I really believe that you’re looking at it the wrong way.

The second reading passed unanimously.