Expensive City Council Races

The eight City Council candidates have raised more than $22,000 for their campaigns. That isn’t a lot if you’re used to following state and national politics, but it seems like a lot for a small town.

Judging by the contributors listed in this article, realtors seem to be playing a huge role in backing certain candidates. It’s always seemed like local government “players” have to be former (or still practicing) real estate agents. But I hadn’t realized what a huge role they also play in financing local races.

Don’t forget to vote, if you haven’t already. Ballots have to be postmarked Tuesday November 3rd at the latest.

Inside Truth Revealed by Larry Williams

Outgoing City Councilman Larry Williams had a letter in today’s PDN.

After serving three terms in the city council, his detached objective opinion is that there’s absolutely no truth to the “conjecture and accusations” about “closed-door decisions and illegal executive sessions.” These accusations are nothing more than vicious rumors, based on “the ulterior motives of outside activists who’ve been strategically manipulating city hall.”

All righty then.

Coffee and a Movie at Renaissance

Every Saturday at 3 p.m., starting today, the Renaissance — 401 East Front Street in Port Angeles — will be serving free organic fair-trade coffee while showing the documentary “Strong Coffee.”

The coffee is grown at Café Femenino, a coffee-growing co-op in the Peruvian Andes that’s wholly owned by women. “Strong Coffee” is the story of how these women got out from under the dominant business practices of that region, and built a prosperous business selling their coffee beans throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Renaissance owner Lynn Keenan discovered Café Femenino at Seattle’s annual Coffee Fest, where coffee growers, roasters and café owners all get together.

Here is the Renaissance website.

Library — Using Furloughs to Avoid Some Layoffs

The North Olympic Library System might use two 1-week furloughs for library employees in 2010, in order to reduce the number of layoffs. The union which represents library employees has agreed to this, but it hasn’t yet been voted on by the Library Board.

If the Board approves this, all four library branches — Sequim, Port Angeles, Clallam Bay and Forks — will be closed twice during 2010 for one week at a time. Even with these unpaid furloughs, layoffs will still be necessary; but not as many.

In 1999 the North Olympic Library System had 38 employees. This year they have 21.

Mickey's Casino Closed

Mickey's Casino, formerly at 536 Marine Drive and more recently at 1603 E. Front St. (both locations are in Port Angeles), is now closed as of last Sunday.

The co-owners, George and Joyce Kain, moved here from Wenatchee in 2003.

They had been planning to stay open a little longer, but last Sunday none of their employees, who had heard unofficially that the casino/restaurant would be closing, showed up for work.

George Kain said: "Somebody spread the rumor we were going to close before we announced it to anybody. It was just taken out of our hands."

Mickey's was the only non-tribal casino in Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

Dungeness Wildlife Refuge

The Dungeness Wildlife Refuge, which also encompasses the Dungeness Spit and the surrounding forest, has a new headquarters which will be unveiled tomorrow from 1 to 3 p.m.

There will be a dedication and open house at the building, located off of Voice of America Road northwest of Sequim. This new center doesn’t have a lot of amenities but it has displays and information about the wildlife refuge. The Dungeness Spit is the world’s longest natural spit.

Visitors to the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge will be able to stop at the center to get maps, ask questions or purchase passes.

Bringing the Kalakala to Port Angeles

Steve Rodrigues, owner of the Kalakala, wants to bring the ferry back to Port Angeles.

Between 1935 and 1967 the Kalakala was a passenger ferry between Seattle and Bremerton and Port Angeles and Victoria. In the Seattle Worlds Fair it was the second most popular attraction after the Space Needle.

Rodrigues wants to build a marina east of the Red Lion where he would harbor the Kalakala. This development would also include condos and apartments, retail space and a welcome center for tourists. The Kalakala would be a floating restaurant and center for special events.

Rodrigues has been trying to do this same thing in Tacoma for the past several years, but he hasn’t gotten any funding.

I think this would be great for Port Angeles, if only…

And in other local news, the K.O. Erickson Trust, owner of the Gottschalks building in downtown Port Angeles, has decided to sit back and wait for opportunity to come knocking.

I-1033

Here’s a nice bland non-controversial subject that nobody will have an opinion on.

Here are some websites describing I-1033 in case you aren’t familiar with it or want more information.

I’m personally against it, and everybody I’ve talked to about it is against it. But it’s way ahead in the polls.

What say you?

Upcoming Forum on Architects’ Recommendations

This Tuesday there’ll be a forum to discuss the recommendations of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for improving Port Angeles. It will be at 6 p.m. in the Port Angeles City Council chambers, 321 East Fifth Street.

Port Angeles Forward will be reviewing the comments from this forum when they prepare their formal recommendation to the City Council.

The report of the AIA, which the city received last August, can be viewed here.

No Taxis Allowed at Gateway???

According to a letter in today’s PDN, taxis are not allowed to stop at Gateway. Violators are charged a heavy fine.

Let’s see, a $14 million transit center which doesn’t allow taxis to stop there — does this make sense?

Port Angeles City Council Candidates’ Forum

On Thursday, October 15th at 7 p.m. there’ll be a forum for Port Angeles City Council candidates. It’ll be held in the City Council chambers, 321 East Fifth Street.

The forum is being sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Clallam County and the American Association of University Women. The forum will have questions answered by:

Larry Little and Cody Blevins, running for Position 1;

Max Mania and Edna Petersen, Position 2;

Patrick Nelson and Harry Bell, Position 3;

Betsy Wharton (incumbent) and Brooke Nelson, Position 4.

The same two organizations will sponsor a second forum on Monday, October 19th at the City Council chambers, 7 p.m. This forum will feature the candidates for:

Port Angeles School Board, Position 1 — Debby Fuson and Sarah Methner;

Olympic Medical Center board of commissioners District 2, Position 2 — Phil Edin and John Miles;

Port of Port Angeles Board of Commissioners Position 3 — John Calhoun (incumbent) and Brad Collins.

This forum will also be discussing the pros and cons of Initiative 1033 and Referendum 71.

And don’t forget about the Harbor-Works forum this Thursday, October 8th, 6:30 p.m. in the public meeting room, Clallam County Courthouse.