Farmers Market “versus” Downtown Business?

This letter appeared in today’s PDN:

“I was shocked after reading the article in the September 11 PDN that the folks who are in charge of running the Port Angeles Farmers Market are looking for exclusive use of the Gateway [Wednesdays and Saturdays].

I remember walking through the Farmers Market when it was on Laurel Street during the construction of the Gateway and hearing vendors call it a waste of taxpayers money. Now they want exclusive use.

The Gateway was paid for by all taxpayers and therefore should be available to those who want to use the pavilion for whatever reason, so long as they pay the rent. I want to know why the farmers market executive director thinks the market’s needs should override the downtown business and events?

I personally do not shop the farmers market because I feel they have a “better than thou” attitude.

Port Angeles City Council, wake up and do not grant an exclusive contract to the farmers market. Remember, elections are coming.”

[sigh] Where to begin? First of all, practically everybody thought Gateway was a waste of tax money before and during the construction. Personally I’m glad it’s here, now that it’s a done deal and it’s up and running. But when it was still in the planning and debating (oh that’s right, there wasn’t any debate) and construction phases, the following would have been the worst drinking game imaginable: Ask people at random what they thought of Gateway — the cost, the purpose, the benefits. Every time you got a positive answer, you could knock back a shot of your favorite poison. You’d still be stone cold sober at the end of your “survey.”

Any business owner (I’m not one myself) will tell you that continuity and consistency are crucial. It should be crystal clear why the Farmers Market vendors want their customers to know where to find them. If they’re at the courthouse one week, Gateway the next week, then the courthouse, then Gateway — they’ll lose customers. Simple as that.

And what kind of conflict could there possibly be between downtown business and the Farmers Market? When the Farmers Market was exiled (or whatever you want to call it) from downtown Port Angeles four years ago, the consensus (well, almost) was that downtown merchants were losing business. The eviction of the Farmers Market meant that the Farmers Market’s customers weren’t coming downtown; they were at the courthouse or wherever the market’s location-of-the-week was. And fewer shoppers downtown meant fewer customers for downtown stores and restaurants.

I too hope the Port Angeles City Council “wakes up” and disregards that letter.

Peninsula Plywood to Start Hiring

Peninsula Plywood’s lease with the Port of Port Angeles is now official. The company will begin hiring during the next few weeks, according to company president Josh Renshaw.

The lease requires PenPly to hire sixty people during the next ninety days.

Port Executive Director Jeff Robb said: “This is a bright day for Peninsula Plywood, for the Port of Port Angeles and for our community.”

The Answer For Youth

This is the name of a non-profit organization that will open on October 5th. The group — which goes by its initials, TAFY — will be providing emotional and spiritual help to at-risk young people.

They’ll be located at 711 East Second Street in Port Angeles. The building will be open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. The group is all volunteers, and they’re reaching out to people in the 13-24 age bracket.

Susan Hillgren is the president of TAFY, and Pam Fosnes is the treasurer. Donations can be made to TAFY at any branch of First Federal.

Tentative New Agreement Between Rayonier and Ecology Department

A cleanup agreement has been drafted between Rayonier Inc. and the Department of Ecology.

Rayonier received a copy of the agreement two days ago and has 60 days to negotiate the details. Under the agreement, Rayonier would have to finish taking soil samples on its property. They would also have to develop a cleanup plan for the 75-acre property and a portion of Port Angeles Harbor extending about one mile northeast of the property.

The cleanup plan has been delayed because Rayonier and the Department of Ecology haven't been able to agree on how large an area Rayonier is responsible for cleaning up.

Port Angeles Police Department Adds Two New Officers

A $500,210 grant from the Justice Department will enable the Port Angeles Police Department to add two new officers. This will give them a total of 33 officers.

This grant is part of a $1 billion stimulus package to put more police officers on the street. The program is called Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

The two new officers are Justin Leroux, a former National Guard pilot; and Kori Malone, formerly a Sequim police detective.

Harbor-Works Forum on October 8th

The Port Angeles Harbor-Works Development Authority is planning a forum on October 8th. It’ll be at 6:30 p.m. in the public meeting room at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 East Fourth Street.

This will be a chance for the public to hear updates on the cleanup and redevelopment plans for the Rayonier site. The public will also be able to provide input to the Harbor-Works consulting team.

Harbor-Works Being Reviewed By State Again

The State Auditor’s Office is again planning to review whether Harbor-Works was created illegally.

According to spokeswoman Mindy Chambers, the Auditor’s Office has received new information which might change their previous conclusion that had cleared the City and Port of Port Angeles of any wrongdoing.

Port Angeles residents Shirley Nixon and Norma Turner, who filed the earlier complaint about Harbor-Works, have provided the new information which has caused the State Auditor’s Office to re-examine the issue.

They’re alleging that the city and port both violated the state Open Public Meetings Act when Harbor-Works was created in May of 2008.

Much Ado About Signs

I would’ve thought that creating jobs and maximizing retail sales would be the top priorities here. Apparently there’s a much more important issue.

People’s livelihoods, the local tax base — that’s all well and good. Just be sure to comply with the local sign ordinance. Pennants — and anything else that can flap in the wind — are forbidden in Port Angeles. The only exceptions are for car dealers, and the banners that the city places across First Street and Front Street.

Gateway Tavern owner Vivian Bertelson, whose own sign is in violation of the city’s ordinance, noted the irony. “Technically, the city is the biggest offender.”

Herbert and Maria Lutz, owners of Maria’s Mexican Restaurant, spent $6,300 on a new sign, which would replace an older sign of the same dimensions. Then they found out their sign is prohibited under the sign ordinance, which took effect in 2002.

About three years ago a local merchant complained about too much clutter on the sidewalk in front of one of the antique shops on First Street. This set off a brouhaha of complaints, counter-complaints and confusion.

Aren’t there more important things to worry about?

Corporate Logos on State Ferries?

The Washington State Ferry system might try to ease its huge deficit by selling naming rights to corporations. There are twenty-eight ferries which could have Starbucks, Microsoft or any other corporate name emblazoned across the hull or the smokestack.

The state Transportation Commission has hired a consultant — TB-Rogstad Consulting
— to study the feasibility. Their report should be released in about a month.

Traci Brewer-Rogstad said: “We're doing research on potential revenue that could be earned by selling naming rights, and the branding challenges that would face.”

This is also the subject of today’s online PDN poll. “Should the Department of Transportation sell naming rights or logo imprint rights to Washington State Ferries?”

So far, with only 327 votes cast, it’s 45% Yes; 47.7% No; and 7.3% Undecided.

Bike Patrols in Jefferson County

Some Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies have started patrolling on bicycles. So far they’re using bikes in Port Hadlock, Irondale and Brinnon.

Jefferson County Sheriff Tony Hernandez said: “Everything changes when you are on a bike. You hear more, you see more and you make more contacts with people. Also, you move better and faster than on foot or getting out from your vehicle.”

Deputy Brett Anglin said: “It really is a stealthy unit. These things run very silent, quieter than a car for sure. Also, on a bike at night you don't look like a cop. You just look like some guy on a bike. I don't think we have encountered anyone on the bikes who saw us coming.”

So far Clallam County has no plans for bike patrols. Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict said: “We don't have any bike patrols. To be honest, I don't know of any places where we could effectively use them.”

American Institute of Architects: Suggestions for Port Angeles

The gist of the AIA report is that Port Angeles hasn’t been capitalizing on the traffic that passes through on the way to Victoria or Olympic National Park. Travelers are not given enough reason to stay in town. (More details here and here.)

The report is available at the city’s website here. There’ll be a public forum on the report; no date has been set yet.

Last summer’s Painting Downtown was one of the Architects’ recommendations.

Other recommendations include creating a waterfront promenade that would encompass the Waterfront Trail and the ferry terminal. They also recommend increasing activities at Gateway, which should bring more people downtown.

They recommend changing the intersection of First Street, Front Street and Golf Course Road to a roundabout. This way you wouldn’t have to make that 150 degree left turn from First Street to Front Street and then try to merge into the traffic that’s barreling down on you.

First and Front Streets would both become two-way streets, but they’d remain one-way downtown (between Lincoln and Valley Streets). This change is a few years away and would require additional funding from the Transportation Dept.

They also recommend re-routing the Truck Route away from downtown. This also is a long way off.

CHEK-TV Channel 6 Likely to Stay on the Air

This Victoria station has been on the air since 1956. It was just about to go under because of financial problems, but the station’s owner, Canwest, has instead sold it to a Vancouver Island investor group.

If the station can stay on the air — the deal still has to be approved by the Canadian government — about 45 jobs will be saved.

City Council Candidates Discuss Rayonier

Four Port Angeles City Council candidates discussed the Rayonier property yesterday at a Rotary Club meeting. The candidates were:

Brooke Nelson and Deputy Mayor Betsy Wharton (incumbent) — Position 4; and Patrick Downie and Harry Bell — Position 3. They’re both running for the seat being vacated by Karen Rogers.

Downie said the city should be a “facilitator” for returning the Rayonier site to productive use. For future use of the property, he said he foresees a tribal cultural center and the restoration of Ennis Creek.

Bell said the city should “make hurdles into stepping stones” and keep the site on track for future development. He said redevelopment needs to happen soon but he didn’t specify what he’d like to see there.

Wharton said the city — through Harbor-Works — should hold Rayonier’s and Ecology’s “feet to the fire” to get the site cleaned up. She said she’d like to see a tribal cultural center and a biomass operation on the property.

Nelson said she supports Harbor-Works and said “time is of the essence” for getting the Rayonier site redeveloped. She said a market analysis of the land — funded by Harbor-Works — should determine the future use of the site.