Port Angeles: the 16th Coolest Town in America

Port Angeles ranks number sixteen on the Matador Network's list of the 20 Coolest Town in America.

According to the Matador website, Port Angeles made the Cool list because of “the most diverse wilderness access of any town in the U.S.”  They described Port Angeles as a place where “you could possibly surf and snowboard in the same day.”

The Matador Network describes itself as:  “A travel and lifestyle brand redefining travel media with cutting edge adventure stories, photojournalism, and social commentary.”

Light Up The Lincoln

Light Up The Lincoln is Scott Nagel's plan for raising $235,000 to purchase the shuttered Lincoln Theater in downtown Port Angeles and turn it into a nonprofit performing arts center.

He has until the end of March to gather the $235,000, hopefully from 235 donors giving $1,000 each.  So far he's raised over $35,000 from “about 15 people.”   People who pledge $1,000 will be designated as “founders.”  Their names will be inscribed on a plaque in the theater lobby.

Do You Have Enough Law Enforcement Protection in Your Community?

Today's Peninsula Poll question is:

Do you think that you have enough law enforcement protection in your community, not enough or too much?

Number of votes cast: 598 

Lincoln Theater to be Discussed at PABA meeting

Scott Nagel and Dan Gase will be the guests at this Tuesday's meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association.  They will be discussing the possible Lincoln Theater renovation.

Fireworks Debate to Continue into Next Week's City Council Meeting

Last night's City Council meeting included a contentious debate over whether personal fireworks should be banned in Port Angeles.  Fourteen people spoke in favor of the proposed ban within city limits; ten spoke against it.  The debate will continue at the March 3rd City Council meeting, 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers.

Jim McEntire to speak at PABA meeting

Clallam County Commissioner Jim McEntire will be the guest at this Tuesday's meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association.  He'll be discussing his newest schemes involving the Opportunity Fund and the Clallam County Economic Development Council.

Should School Bond Measures Need Only a Simple Majority to Pass?

State Reps. Kevin Van De Wege and Steve Tharinger are cosponsoring legislation that would allow school bond measures to pass with a simple majority, instead of 60% of the vote as currently required. This bill, HJR 4210, is an amendment to the state constitution and therefore will require a two-thirds supermajority of both houses of the state legislature as well as approval of a simple majority of voters statewide.

Van De Wege said that under the present system, “a minority of people are making bond decisions.”

Rep. Kevin Van De Wege Takes on the Music Mafia

State Rep. Kevin Van De Wege has introduced HB 1763, which would slightly mitigate the arbitrary steamrolling tactics and complete unaccountability of the Music Mafia:  BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors and Composers. 

Van De Wege introduced HB 1763 after talking with the owner of The Oasis Bar and Grill in Sequim. The above-mentioned music enforcers have tried to extort almost $9,000 from The Oasis Bar and Grill for copyright infringement, i.e. featuring live or recorded music at the nightclub.

Van De Wege's bill would require music licensing companies to file with the Washington Secretary of State and pay an annual fee of $1,500.  This money would be used for a consumer alert campaign to make sure club owners who feature music know their rights and responsibilities when dealing with music licensing companies.  Van De Wege said:

“Live music venues are being unfairly targeted by New York and Tennessee-based licensing companies that force payments at random, threaten business owners, and seemingly vanish once they receive payment.  By regulating their activity and verifying their claim to certain performing rights, we’re protecting small businesses all across the state and generating revenue to make sure these venues know their rights.”

The owner of The Oasis Bar and Grill said:

“In the end the fees that they sought made music not viable for our business.  Nobody wins and one thing that is certain, no one buys music that they can’t hear.”

Petition Filed Against Funding Move for Clallam Economic Development Council

A petition has been filed against Clallam County ordinance 898, under which the county could draw $500,000 from its Opportunity Fund in order to help the Economic Development Council hire more staff.

There was a lengthy public hearing last month on ordinance 898, during which nobody spoke in favor of the proposed ordinance.  Undeterred by the lowly public, County Commissioners Jim McEntire and Bill Peach voted in favor of ordinance 898; Mike Chapman voted against it.

The petition was filed by former Clallam County Commissioner Ron Richards, who wants ordinance 898 to be subjected to a vote of the people.  He said:

“It isn’t a question of funding the Economic Development Council.  It’s a question of who is going to provide input on where this money goes. Is it just going to be Jim McEntire? Or is it going to be representatives from Forks and Sequim and the Port of Port Angeles? I think it’s better to have the latter. That’s what the issue is.”

And:

“Something is wrong here.  It is apparent that input in a statutorily required public hearing means nothing to Commissioners McEntire and Peach. Neither does input from the Opportunity Fund Board that is done away with by this ordinance.  Keeping the Opportunity Fund Board is an important step towards maintaining an open government and preserving the financial well being of the county.  The alternative proposed by Commissioner McEntire is to have a private corporation of which he is the chair, and that is not subject to the Open Public Meetings Act or the Public Records Act, do the planning and spend the money.  That is not a good alternative.”

Open House for Questions on Proposed Navy Pier

On Thursday there was an open house for public concerns about the Navy's proposed new pier and support facilities on Ediz Hook. One of the possibilities, Alternative 1, drew the most opposition.  Alternative 1 is a pier that would be built on top of an artificial reef near the entrance to the Coast Guard base.  This reef has been an attraction for Scuba divers.  The president of the Washington Scuba Alliance said:

“It's a smart idea for them to do what they're wanting to do, but we'd hate to lose a valuable dive attraction in Port Angeles which brings in some revenue.  And if we do lose it, we want to have the alternative capability to put in our own dive park and be given the funds to make it happen by losing our dive spot.”

Puget Sound Pilots and local tribes are also against Alternative 1.

The other two options for the new pier are:  expanding the existing T-pier near the middle of the Coast Guard base, and building a pier near the eastern tip of Ediz Hook.

Written comments can be e-mailed to NWNEPA@navy.mil; or snail-mailed to Commanding Officer, NAVFAC NW, Attn: NEPA PM, 1101 Tautog Circle, Silverdale, WA 98315-1101.

Port of Port Angeles Business Development Director to speak at PABA Meeting

Jennifer States, director of business development for the Port of Port Angeles, will be the guest at this Tuesday's meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association.  She will be discussing current port projects and budget issues.