JCCF by Port Townsend Leader

Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

Your

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 • A 11

Bunny Stop!

FRESH•chocola te•BUNNY•egg s•grass•jellybel ly•FUNNY•swe et•SOFT•toys• baskets•lamb• purse•LOVE•fl ower•card•SU RPRISE•delight •HAPPY•chicks •WEBKINZ!•m arzipan•candy •CELEBRATE•s pring•color•chi ld•hunt•sunda

Everything for a Fabulous Easter

April 24th this year

627 & 631 Water St, Port Townsend (360) 385-1156

Sunfield Waldorf School Now Enrolling Pre-K – 8th WALK THROUGH THE GRADES

Visit our grades classrooms (combined 1/2, 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8) April 12 or May 10 • 9 – 10 am

PARENTING WITH HEART AND SOUL – THE WONDER OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

April 16 • 10 – 12 pm Join us with your child for a puppet story and circle time, followed by an open forum discussion. Childcare provided. Please RSVP • 111 Sunfield Lane, Port Hadlock (Located off Rhody Drive between Circle & Square and Fiesta Jalisco) 385-3658 or school@sunfieldfarm.org • www.sunfieldfarm.org

Andy Palmer Memorial Scholarship

Andy’s scholarship has been established to recognize the personal characteristics of kindness, loyalty, integrity and humility. Andy’s life was full of friends who treasure the special way he touched their hearts and their lives, and his life is commemorated by this scholarship. The award will be made to a graduating senior who has consistently exemplified the personal characterists as practiced by Andy Palmer during his life and his efforts at encouraging a culture of kindness.

After killing livestock such as goats, cougars typically remain within 100 yards of the kill so as not to lose their meal to another predator, said Sgt. Phillip Henry of the state Department of Fish & Wildlife. Henry came across two cougars in trees directly above a goat kill in south Jefferson County in October 2010.

Cougar complaints are on the rise Agent says ban on hounds is having impact on cat population By Nicholas Johnson of the Leader

The recipient will be selected through a letter of nomination process. The letters should not only specify the characteristics that make the candidate deserving of the award but also cite specific examples of how the student has consistently demonstrated an effort to create and support a culture of kindness, loyalty, integrity and humility at school and in the community. Letters should be succinct but adequately describe the candidate’s qualifications. Any non-related individual such as school faculty or support staff member, employer, scoutmaster, neighbor, or other community person may submit a nomination. The Recipient must be planning to enroll in a post high school education or training program. Two scholarships will be awarded: one for a student in the Port Angeles School District and one from the Port Townsend District.

NOMINATION DEADLINE IS MAY 2, 2011 Please submit completed nominations to: Counselor’s Office, Port Townsend High School 1500 Van Ness St., Port Townsend, WA 98368

— 2009 Scholarship Recipient: Quinton Decker — — 2010 Scholarship Recipient: Brett Johnson —

why we give

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Photo by David Conk

“Having a donor advised fund makes our giving easier. It offers all the benefits of individual gifting with the added support of philanthropic conversations and logistical expertise.” - Martha & Libby TrolinAtkins

Get involved. Call your local Community Foundation.

A cougar reportedly killed a goat at a residence along Jacob Miller Road on March 21, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. If so, it is the latest in a growing number of cougar attacks and sightings in the lowland areas of East Jefferson County. Over the past year, cougar complaints and killings have grown beyond the norm. Yet Sgt. Phillip Henry of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, who has overseen Jefferson and Clallam counties for the past 23 years, said the recent uptick is partially cyclic and partially a result of heavy state regulation of wildlife management. Henry said he has received roughly 40 complaints over the last year, resulting in the killing (Henry calls it “harvesting”) of approximately seven cougars. Most the incidents in Jefferson County are centered around Quilcene, he said. And even though the numbers are up, Henry said there’s no need to fear more for the safety of children or livestock than before. “These cats are in close proximity to children, but we’ve had no incidents of them taking a kid from a school bus stop,” Henry said. “What we have is this spectrum of people who will call if they hear a tapping on their window. We have to mark it down as an unfounded sighting. Then we have people playing golf in Port Ludlow who see cougars crossing the fairway on a regular basis, and we never get a call from them. So we get some people who are not calling because it’s so commonplace, and we get some who call in because they’re paranoid.” If Henry or other agents are to have a chance of catching a cougar, reports must be timely and weather conditions must be conducive to preserving tracks. A dead or missing small animal – house cats, chickens, geese or other pets – might have been the victim of some other animal, such as dogs, raccoons and bobcats, he said. “If it’s just a sighting, we’re not going to respond to that,” he said. “The cougar has a right to be here, and as long as it’s just doing cougar stuff, there’s just too many for us to worry about.”

SPIKED IN MID-1990S

Making a Difference Close to Home - Today and Tomorrow PO Box 1955, Port Townsend, WA 98368 • Tel: 360-379-3667 • Fax: 360-379-3800 info@jccfgives.org • www.jccfgives.org

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Cougar complaints and killings last spiked on the North Olympic Peninsula around 1994, Henry said. And since then, the number of complaints hasn’t fallen. He said his predecessor, who oversaw the North Olympic Peninsula region from 1964 to 1994, received as few as three cougar complaints in his career. Since Henry took over in 1994, he said he has received between 300 and 400 complaints. During the 1980s and early ’90s, the state tried to regulate cougar hunting by requiring the purchase of a tag. Yet most hunters would not buy the tag up front. Instead, if a hunter saw a cougar while looking for deer or elk, that hunter would

shoot it and buy the tag afterward. As a result, the state’s data showed about a 75 percent success rate, Sgt. Phil Henry meaning of those tags sold, about three-fourths came back attached to a dead cougar. Henry said if those hunters had purchased tags prior to shooting the cats, a success rate of 0.25 would have been more likely. In order to fix the skewed data, Henry said, the state shifted to a permit system in 1994 that required hunters to apply beforehand. There was a limited number of permits sold. Some environmental activist groups started applying for the permits, thus preventing hunters from obtaining them. Despite that, hunters with the highest success rates – somewhere between 50 and 70 percent – were those using hounds. Hounds have been specially bred for generations to be effective trackers of cougars. “If a [regular] hunter were to get a cougar tag every year, they would likely go their entire life without seeing a cougar,” Henry said.

HOUND HUNTING BANNED

In 1996, a voter-generated initiative banned hunting cougars with hounds. Henry said the law is reckless and disregards efforts to manage cougar populations. “I think it is really bad government to try to manage Fish & Wildlife based on voter initiatives,” he said. “Basically, it takes away the biological and sociological components of trying to manage a resource when you make it a political thing.” One result, he said, may be an expansion of the cougar population. He said the department’s goal is to create homeostasis, or a balance of the natural boom and bust. He said cougar populations are kept from reaching extreme highs and lows through the use of regulated hunting seasons. Since the initiative was passed, cougar populations have risen, and so have complaints. “The irony is, the state used to get revenue from hunters buying licenses to go out and harvest this population that we are now paying state tax dollars to harvest the same number of animals,” he said. “It’s crazy. Rather than get revenue, we are having to pay people to do the same thing.”

DECLINING RESOURCES

Henry said the department simply doesn’t have the resources to manage the cougar population, only to respond and kill those animals determined to be problem cats. When it’s time to investigate a livestock killing, Henry is sure to contract with one of the few remaining hound hunters in the region. Most hound hunters have left the state because of the 1996 ban. “I would say of all the cougars that are harvested

“While we were looking at these two cats that were almost directly above the pen, the dogs treed one about 50 yards up the creek. So we had three cats within 50 yards of the kill.” Sgt. Phil Henry wildlife agent throughout a year, 99 percent are harvested with the use of hounds,” in the supervised pursuit of a problem cat, he said.

WORKING IN THREES

Henry said that last year, for the first time, he came across a livestock kill involving three cougars – an unusual situation, because cougars tend to be territorial, lone hunters. In October 2010, he investigated the killing of three goats in a pen along Thorndyke Road in the south end of the county. Expecting to find one cougar, he brought a hound hunter along and before too long the dogs were running around the site disoriented. “I don’t know how to explain it, but you could smell the cougar,” he said. Soon the hound hunter noticed one cougar on a branch just above the pen. Then he noticed another. “While we were looking at these two cats that were almost directly above the pen, the dogs treed one about 50 yards up the creek,” he said. “So we had three cats within 50 yards of the kill.” Henry said if cougars leave a kill site, they typically won’t travel more than 100 yards away for fear of losing their meal. “Three cats in one site is pretty rare,” he said. “It was the first in my career.” Four months prior to that incident, a fellow officer caught two cougars in the same tree after responding to a llama kill in Quilcene. And about a month and half ago, he said a trail camera near Soap Lake in central Washington caught eight cougars sharing one kill. Incidents such as these suggest to Henry an increase in pack mentality as cougar populations rise and territory dwindles. Legislation currently sitting in the Washington State Senate proposes a five-year extension of a pilot program begun in 2004 and extended several times. The program allows counties with a high level of cougar interaction and harvesting in a year – at least 11 interactions and four pet or livestock killings – to make use of hound hunters during the winter months. Although Jefferson County may exceed the required level, it has never been one of the counties involved in the program. Call the Department of Fish & Wildlife at 877-9339847 to report a cougar.

B 10 • Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

CommunityRecord obituaries

Quilcene goals are talk of meet in PT

weddings

Mary Alice Estrada Port Townsend May 6, 1925-May 21, 2011

Mary Alice Estrada, 86, passed away on May 21, 2011 in Port Townsend, Wash., where she had lived since 2006. Mary was born on the grounds of the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., the sixth child of John L. and Fannie B. (Dent) Mazyck. She grew up in Charleston, and by 1950, she had married and settled in San Diego, Calif., where she resided for 56 years. Mary is survived by her son, Joseph Warren Bryan Jr. (Phyllis) of Austin, Texas; daughters Jeannette Estrada of San Diego and Joyce Bryan Morton (John) of Port Townsend; grandchildren

Willy Morton, Ann Morton, Elli Morton, Merrideth Weaver, Jason Hansard and Victor Hansard; two great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, a daughter, Marcelina Estrada, a son, Anthony Wayne Estrada, and a grandNathanial VanVeelen and Ashley Annette Steph exchanged wedding vows child, Micah Alder Morton. Her remains will be kept on Aug. 28, 2010. in San Diego and Charleston.

Steph-VanWeelen

Ashley Annette Steph and cousins Hannah and and Nathanial VanVeelen Deegan. exchanged wedding vows on Aug. 28, 2010 on top of Alexander’s Bluff at Fort COTTERILL SON ALVARADO SON Worden State Park. Candice and Joe Nicki and Christopher The bride’s maid of Cotterill of Port Hadlock, Alvarado of Yokosuka, honor was Naima White; Wash., are parents of a son, Japan, are parents of her bridesmaids were sisterDamian Joseph Cotterill, a son, Everett Michael in-law Lauren VanVeelen, born on May 11, 2011 at Alvarado, born on April Nichole Thompson, Jen Bean Jefferson Healthcare in 17, 2011 at the Naval and Stephanie Blair. The Port Townsend, Wash. Hospital in Bremerton. groom’s best man was brother Damian weighed 7 pounds, Everett weighed 8 pounds Jebediah VanVeelen (PTHS, 1 ounce and measured and measured 19 inches at 1996) and his groomsmen 20 inches at birth. He birth. Welcoming him are were Brian McGinn (PTHS, was attended by Dr. Joe big sister Jadyn Alvarado, 1995), Shawn McGinn (PTHS, Mattern. Welcoming him and grandparents Bob and 1993), Tony Chunkapura and are grandparents Renee, Leandra Wiley of Brinnon, Dave Bean. Sue and Chuck; uncles Wash., and Carol Alsup and Officiating was Gershom Will, Josh, Noah, Matthew Mike Alvarado of Alliance, Gannon O’Gara. Giving and Austin; aunt Bonnie; Neb. the bride away were her

births

Saying goodbye to a loved one …

The Leader offers several ways to mark the passage of a loved one. ■ obituaries describe a person’s life in detail, with a photograph if desired. They are prepared by editors from information provided by the family or funeral home, and appear at a modest cost based on published length. ■ Paid tributes also describe a loved one’s life, with the precise wording, photographs, borders and other design elements remaining within the family’s control. They can include color, and are handled by the Advertising Department. ■ Memorial notices summarize information, including memorial service and mortuary, with details limited to 50 words. Photographs are not included. These are written by editors and are free of charge. For more information or to submit, visit ptleader.com and see “Memorial forms,” email memorials@ptleader.com, call 360-3852900, or visit or send mail to the Leader: 226 Adams St., Port Townsend, WA 98368.

mother, Lisa Steph, and friend of the family, Ken Crisenberry. Ashley is the daughter of Lisa Annette Steph of Culver City, Calif., and Rocky Allen Steph, deceased. She graduated from Santa Monica College in 2007 and is an accountant at Coastal Aircraft Maintenance in Santa Barbara, Calif. Nathaniel is the son of Patricia Flowergrowing and Johannes VanVeelen, both of Port Townsend. He graduated from PTHS in 1995, and from Western Washington University in 2003. He is a controller at the Parsons Group Inc. in Santa Barbara, where the couple makes their home.

Linda Herzog and a team of Quilcene Conversations activists share strategies behind their recent efforts to rejuvenate the Quilcene community at a meeting on Monday, June 6 in Port Townsend. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. at Quimper Grange, 1219 Corona St., at the end of Sheridan. The Grange sponsors the meeting. Herzog and her partners intend to cover the beginnings of Quilcene Conversations; how they created a comfortable environment for neighbors to meet; identified their assets, needs, opportunities and possible solutions; selected the first five or six projects from 150 ideas; handed the reins to energetic leaders; created an effective communication system and have now formed a community nonprofit organization named “Count Me in for Quilcene.” In the short six months that Quilcene Conversations has been active, the group has unleashed considerable

at a glance Get CPR certified with Red Cross class

The American Red Cross is offering another course of CPR and first-aid classes in June. Certifications are good for two years. Classes held at Mountain View Commons, 1919 Blaine St., include: adult CPR, 6-10 p.m., June 14, $30; first aid, 6-9 p.m., June 16, $25; and CPR review, 10 a.m.-noon, June 28, $25. Combine the CPR and first aid classes and the cost is $50. Reservations are not confirmed until payment is received. Call 385-2737 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, superintendent contract for 2011- and then send payment to: Wednesday, 6/1 2013 school years. American Red Cross, P.O. Jefferson County Planning Box 1672, Port Townsend, WA Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. 98368. at WSU Extension, Port Hadlock. Monday, 6/6 Agenda includes annual election Jefferson County Board of First aid kits are available of officers and local food resil- Commissioners regular open for purchase for $10.50 and iency. Local farmers and those public meeting begins at 9 a.m. $20.

government meetings

interested in agriculture and economic development are invited.

Thursday, 6/2 Brinnon school Board meets in executive session at 6 p.m. in school library regarding the

how do you want to be remembered? “I chose to leave legacy gifts to several organizations in Port Townsend, including the Jefferson County Community Foundation, as a way to ensure others have the benefit of the quality of life I have enjoyed in Jefferson County. It is easy to join the Jefferson Legacy Society - just call the Foundation and let them know how you’d like to plan your giving.” Kristina Mayer Legacy Gift Investor

Leave a legacy.

Call your local Community Foundation to make plans!

with a public comment period for up to 30 minutes. Held in commissioners’ chambers, lower level of courthouse. Meetings include consideration of consent agenda, public hearings, presentations by outside groups. Items taken in order as they appear on agenda, as time becomes available. Agenda available for review Friday before meeting at co.jefferson.wa.us. Jefferson Transit Citizens advisory Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. at the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center at Haines Place Parkand-Ride. Port Townsend City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers.

Tuesday, 6/7 Jefferson County Pud 1 commissioners meet at 5 p.m. in district office, 230 Chimacum Road, Port Hadlock.

community energy and has made strides toward revitalizing Quilcene, Herzog explained. During the Grange program, audience members are invited to challenge her and her team on their concepts and processes. “Questions and responses are likely to enrich everyone’s thinking, and may spark new ideas for grass-roots community building in other places,” she said. Herzog retired in 2009 as interim city manager of Sequim and has had a long career in public service in both the local and federal government levels. She first came to Seattle in 1970, moved away and returned to the Pacific Northwest three times and is now permanently settled in Quilcene. Preceding the program is an ice cream sundae social starting at 7 p.m. Bring a favorite topping; rhubarbstrawberry topping provided. Suggested donation is $5-$10. For information, contact Charlotte Goldman, 385-3455.

Flotilla collects unused life jackets One of the most important items to have on a boat is a life jacket. More than 700 people without life jackets drown each year in the U.S., according to the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 47, Port Townsend. This has inspired the local flotilla to instigate a “Lend a Life Jacket” program. The flotilla is collecting spare jackets and leaving them for public use at the Port Townsend Boat Haven, expanding to other sites if enough jackets are accumulated. Bring unused life jackets that are still in good shape to the Point Wilson Lighthouse between 1 and 4 p.m. on any Saturday through October. “While there, we will be

glad to give you a tour,” said Joanne Kaufmann, flotilla commander.

Quilcene offers child development Quilcene School District offers assistance with early childhood development. Residents living within the school district who have questions or concerns about the development of their children, from newborn to age 3, can contact a program coordinator at 360-765-3363, ext. 249, for more information. For children ages 3-5, the Quilcene Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program provides specialized preschool instruction and curriculum integrating typically developing children with those who have developmental needs. Contact the preschool at 360-765-3363, ext. 239.

Land trust offers tracking workshop Learn to follow the signs of animals with the wildlife tracking workshop offered by Jefferson Land Trust, June 18-19. Casey McFarland, track and sign specialist, leads the two-day practical field workshop and certification in wildlife tracking, covering natural history, animal behavior and identification techniques. Participants can learn to determine such information as what species made a track, which foot was used and whether the animal was moving with a fast or slow gait. Preregistration is required; space is limited to 10 participants. Cost is $250 for Jefferson Land Trust members and $290 for non-members. To register, contact 379-9501 or jlt@saveland.org.

Currently Recruiting for the Following Positions: • Business Development Director • Health Information Management Director • Food Services Director • House Supervisor • Home Health Visit Nurse • Home Health Medical Social Worker (MSW) • Clinic Nurse • Home Health Physical Therapist • Health Unit Coordinator We are an integrated health care system partnering with Swedish Medical Center for our telemedicine stroke program, six community-based clinics, orthopedic/gynecologic/urologic/general surgery, and much more. We offer competitive pay and benefits, ongoing training programs and educational opportunities. We are well equipped with technological equipment including fully digitized radiology.

View our website for a complete list of current opportunities.

Making a Difference Close to Home - Today and Tomorrow PO Box 1955, Port Townsend, WA 98368 • Tel: 360-379-3667 • Fax: 360-379-3800 info@jccfgives.org • www.jccfgives.org

Jefferson Healthcare Attn: Human Resources 834 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Fax: (360) 385-1548 employment@jeffersonhealthcare.org

www.jeffersonhealthcare.org

Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

Wednesday, July 6, 2011 • A 5

why we give

State officials shut the Inn at Port Hadlock on June 30 after the business failed to pay its taxes. The marina has a different owner and remains open. The property was first developed in 1911 to convert sawdust into alcohol, hence the business name by which subsequent business operations were known: The Old Alcohol Plant. Leader file photo by Patrick J. Sullivan

Inn: Marina is open ▼Continued from page 1

$21,305 for 2011. The assessor shows the property value at $2.5 million. M. Suki Co. LLC purchased the property in March 2008 for $3.15 million. State records indicate James also owns the Dunes Motel in Bremerton. Records from the Kitsap County Assessor’s Office indicate that James is delinquent on 2010 and 2011 property taxes for the Bremerton motel property.

Employee payroll

State records indicate that, in addition to not paying taxes, the proprietors had difficulty paying employees in recent months. During a telephone interview on May 25, Eileen Fischer, spokeswoman for the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, said nine employ-

ees had filed claims against the company for nonpayment of wages. “The company has been paying the claims, only one of them is still outstanding, as of May 25. One claim from 2009 had also been paid,” Fischer said. “Of course, we’re just beginning to evaluate and investigate the claims,” Fischer said. “Of course, we’ll be contacting the employer to try and get the matter resolved. Usually when you get a batch of claims from one business, that says something has gone really wrong. In most cases, it’s one claim.” As of mid-June, Fischer said, “There have not been any new claims. I believe there is just one claim open at this time and that the employer has been cooperating with us to get all the claims and everyone paid, and that one is in

progress. There is one that is still open, but no new ones.” Deal said he has since found accommodations in Sequim for their wedding guests, but remains saddened not just because of the wedding, but because the property is a beautiful and could be an asset to the community. “I really feel that place could be a phenomenal place,” Deal said. The property was first developed in 1911 to convert sawdust into alcohol, hence the name by which subsequent business operations were known: The Old Alcohol Plant. The property was vacant for the most part from 1913 until the 1980s, when it was remodeled into a resort. A series of business owners has tried, but failed, at what is the second-largest hotel in rural East Jefferson County.

Fireworks injury investigated By Gina Cole of the Leader

It appeared to be a safe and relatively sane Fourth of July – from a fireworks accident and wildfire standpoint – except for one acci-

public meetings

dent from July 4. An unidentified male apparently suffered facial injuries due to a fireworks explosion on July 4. He was reportedly driven in a private vehicle from the Port Hadlock area to Jefferson Healthcare Hospital in Port Townsend between 7 and 8:30 p.m., according to Bill Beezley, spokesman for East Jefferson Fire Rescue. The patient was then airlifted to Harborview Medical

Center in Seattle, Beezley said. However, official details are incomplete because neither EJFR or the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office were directly involved. Due to medical privacy rules, hospitals cannot release patients’ names. If anyone has more information regarding this incident, contact Gina Cole at reporter@ptleader.com or call 385-2900.

“I wanted to give something back to the community that has given me so much. Supporting the Jefferson County Community Foundation is the best way to accomplish that goal.” Brent Shirley

JCCF Founding Investor

Get involved. Call your local Community Foundation.

Making a Difference Close to Home - Today and Tomorrow

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Wednesday, July 6 Jefferson County Parks and Recreation meets noon-2 p.m. in courthouse to discuss adding a stage to Quilcene Park. East Jefferson Fire Rescue Joint Oversight Board holds a special meeting at 6 p.m. at Fire Station 1-5, 35 Critter Lane. Agenda includes annexation of the City of Port Townsend into Jefferson County Fire District 1.

Thursday, July 7 Housing Authority of Clallam County commissioners meet at 10 a.m. at administrative offices, Port Angeles.

Monday, July 11 Jefferson County Board of Commissioners’ regular open public meeting begins at 9 a.m. with a public comment period for up to 30 minutes. Jefferson Transit Citizens Advisory Committee meets at 5:15 p.m. at Visitor Information Center, Haines Place Park-andRide. Port Townsend City Council has a special meeting 6:308:30 p.m. in City Hall. Agenda includes annexation of the City of Port Townsend into Jefferson County Fire Protection District 1.

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A 4 • Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

PT schools regain students through virtual education By Nicholas Johnson of the Leader

A new home-based, virtual education program is targeting about 100 Port Townsend students enrolled in neighboring school districts. So far, the program has allowed the district to regain about two dozen students. HAVEN, or Homeschool And Virtual Education Network, provides three alternative education options in an effort to bring more students back into their home districts. Erica Delma enrolled her 11-year-old son, Max, in North Kitsap School District’s K12 Virtual Academy last year after inquiring about a similar option in Port Townsend. It didn’t yet exist, though Max continued with private sports and music activities offered locally. “We are thrilled to be able to enroll Max in an alternative learning program in the Port Townsend School District with the virtual learning component,” Delma wrote in an email. Now, Port Townsend not only offers the K12 option called Port Townsend Virtual Academy (PTVA), but also a Parent-Partnership Program and a virtual school called Aventa Learning. So far, about 36 full-timeequivalent (FTE) students, or about 40 actual students, have enrolled. About 20 chose Aventa Learning while about 12 chose the ParentPartnership Program and another six are enrolled in PTVA. Two-thirds of the HAVEN program’s total enrollment so far represents

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students previously enrolled in neighboring districts for similar programs. “When I started looking into this, I saw that we had about 100 families doing programs out of district that we just weren’t offering here,” said Lisa Deen, a National Board– certified Port Townsend teacher who has spent the last six years running a resource room focused on individual, exceptional-needs learning. “The programs these parents were looking for were primarily virtual and parentpartnership.” As a resource room teacher, Deen has experience developing individual learning plans. As the program’s single certificated teacher, she is charged with overseeing each student’s progress through weekly reviews of written student-learning plans. Deen’s seventh-grade daughter has participated in alternative programs throughout her educational career and is now enrolled in HAVEN’s Aventa Learning option. The curriculum is state approved, though delivered either by virtual programs or parents at home. For example, Aventa Learning is entirely online and can be used at home with help from parents or in a computer lab on campus with help from a district mentor. Deen and about a dozen other parents began exploring alternative virtual curricula in January, when the group met with North Kitsap School District staff to learn about its program. “They started out much like me,” she said. “They

Port Townsend High School teacher Lisa Deen(fifth from right), who is coordinating the district’s new virtual education program called HAVEN, stands with parents and children who have recently enrolled in the new program. Photo by Nicholas Johnson

“The programs these parents were looking for were primarily virtual and parent-partnership.” Lisa Deen HAVEN program coordinator thought they were going to have 15 to 30 kids, and in the first month, they had more than 100.” It didn’t take long for Deen to realize she was already well positioned to introduce similar options to Port Townsend families. Superintendent Gene Laes gave his blessing

early on, saying the district has a responsibility to provide its students with the curricula their families need and want. Now, Deen says, parents enrolling their children in HAVEN are excited about their newfound access to school sports and extracurricular activities.

“What they’re finding is that being back in the district and being enrolled in HAVEN is just opening up a huge number of doors for them that were previously closed,” she said. However, parents like Delma are taking it upon themselves to organize further enrichment activities to give students more social opportunities. In participation with existing alternative programs and the YMCA, she said, she hopes to offer Mandarin Chinese culture and cuisine, Spanish through movement and music, fencing, explor-

atory art and natural science, and local food culinary arts primarily for students ages 9 to 14. Fees for such extras would depend upon participation. “We are very excited about the opportunity,” Delma wrote. “To have a program that [Max] is enthusiastic about and that can be tailored to his learning style while keeping him enrolled in the [Port Townsend] School District is great for our family and our community.” Call Lisa Deen at 301-4535 for further details or to enroll.

Scores show Chimacum math misses state mark By Nicholas Johnson of the Leader

Quilcene High School students scored well above the state average in math this spring, while Chimacum students fell far below, and Port Townsend students met the standard at the average rate.

The state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released the results of this year’s standardized test on Aug. 30. State Superintendent Randy Dorn said state end-of-course math scores are “encouraging,” but added that there’s still “plenty

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of work to do.” High school students across the state took the first math end-of-course exams, also known as EOCs, in June 2011. While comparing results of the new test to results of past years is virtually impossible, Dorn said he considers them an improvement. However, Chimacum School District Superintendent Craig Downs said his district’s comparably low scores are attributed to a math curriculum not aligned with the

state’s new test. The EOCs consist of two exam options. The year-one exam covers algebra or firstyear integrated math, while the year-two exam covers geometry or second-year integrated math. Across the state, high school students who took the year-one EOC met the standard at a 62.4 percent rate, while those who took the yeartwo EOC met the standard at a 72.9 percent rate. Port Townsend High

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How do you want to be remembered? “Leaving a legacy is easy with the Jefferson County Community Foundation here to carry out my wishes to support the organizations I care about. How do you want to be remembered?” Sharon Black Legacy Gift Investor

Edison did NOT invent the lightbulb Marie Antionette did NOT say “let them eat cake” It’s a Real Estate company and Carol and Anne are STILL with Coldwell Banker Best Homes Serving Port Townsend & Her Communities!

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www.porttownsendrealestate.net

Garden Open Saturday Sept 10, 2011 10 am – 4 pm

Leave a legacy.

Call your Community Foundation to make plans!

School students passed the year-one test 57.4 percent of the time and the year-two test 69.1 percent of the time. Quilcene High School students passed the year-one exam 65.3 percent of the time and the year-two exam 81.3 percent of the time. Chimacum High School students passed the first-year EOC 41.4 percent of the time and the second-year EOC 39.4 percent of the time. Downs said the school’s integrated math curriculum, which most students studied, did not align with the state’s integrated exam. The state report card, published by OSPI, shows those Chimacum High School students who took the integrated exam came in below the state average, yet those who took the algebra exam came in well above the state average. Downs said the district is shifting its math curriculum away from integrated courses toward algebra- and geometry-specific courses for the 2011-12 school year in order to be better aligned next spring. “Our hope is that we will be more aligned and able to track progress in the coming years,” Downs said.

More education news on B9

You are invited... Self-guided tours let you explore one of America’s most diverse private botanical gardens. Maps for the more than 70 distinct garden areas will be provided. Experts will be on hand to answer questions. For additional information, please call: 724-263-0363 or 215-605-5603 Admission: $5 per person All proceeds benefit The Garden Conservancy.

Making a Difference Close to Home - Today and Tomorrow PO Box 1955, Port Townsend, WA 98368 • Tel: 360-379-3667 • Fax: 360-379-3800 info@jccfgives.org • www.jccfgives.org

Heronswood Nursery 7530 NE 288th Street, Kingston, WA 98346 www.heronswood.com/heronswood-events

No pets on premises, please. A plant sale will not be held for this open.

Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 • B 3

Lights

goes to the place on Blanche Street off Chimacum Road; love the green candy canes.

PORT TOWNSEND

▼Continued from page 1

next to the new Habitat for Humanity store, across from the Community Center. It’s OK for visitors to enter the Hoffman’s driveway (there is a turnaround) for a closer look at the transportation-themed display, which includes a balloon, train, airplane and much more. “It is just lots of fun and very well done,” said Anne Ricker, contest organizer. “[Brett Halloway] started on it just after Halloween.” Second place went to Tony and Cindy Wihley of 71 Belgian Lane in the upper Lazy C residential area in Brinnon. Turn off the highway onto the Dosewallips River Road, turn right on Rocky Brook and the second left is Belgian Lane. Third place was earned by Nicole Norris and John Alumbaugh at 100 Easy St. in Brinnon. The lights are not visible from the highway, but located one block from the highway behind the Halfway House restaurant. “They have lights that are astounding,” Ricker said. Brinnon boasts the brightest Christmas display on the North Olympic Peninsula: Whitney Gardens and Nursery along Highway 101. The front gate is open from 4:30 to 9 p.m. through New Year’s Day. Those who wish to can add a nonperishable food item to the Brinnon Food Bank donation box near the business’s front door. (Whitney Gardens does not enter the chamber’s deco-

Height was no deterrent for the large tree (complete with a reindeer) at Ken Kelly’s Vintage Hardware building at McPherson Street and Sims Way. Within three blocks are several clusters of well-lit homes. A home at 1211 Third St. (on the bluff side of Sims Way) is worth a look before checking out the cluster of homes along the 19th Street hill between Old Discovery Road and Haines Street. The artsy award for the third consecutive year goes to the swoopy, loopy creation on the corner of 19th and Gise. Consider it inspiration for those who may not want to go the traditional path, but still yearn for some lights to shine. The Resort at Port Ludlow Marina has boats decorated for the holiday season. Photo by Patrick J. Sullivan

ner windows of the home along Irondale Road and Fifth Avenue. There are a lot of displays visible along Irondale Road, and the yard with the windmill (North Maple just off Irondale Road) is a must-see again this year. The usual neighborhood cluster around Seventh and Horton is again great. rating contest.)

PORT HADLOCK

Fir Circle once again is an attraction (plus a home at IRONDALE nearby 72 Sycamore Street), Christmas in Jefferson and check out the nice places County would not be the along Cedar Avenue (up from same without the upside- the library). The honor for down tree in the front cor- most lights on a small house

Give the gift of classic sailing Support the nonprofit Sound Experience and surprise those on your holiday gift list with trips aboard the Adventuress, a 99-year-old tall ship based in Washington. Gift memberships to Sound Experience ($50-$85) entitle holders to more than a dozen opportunities to sail aboard Adventuress at no cost in 2012. The historic

vessel works primarily with area youths to teach them about the ecology of Puget Sound, but it also provides an array of opportunities for the public. The organization offers three-hour public sails throughout Puget Sound on which members sail for free; overnight programs for teens in the San Juan Islands; and chances to “get involved” on

the ship during the winter. Sound Experience members receive special benefits for most programs. “Adventuress belongs not to one, but to all. We want to keep her accessible to as many people as possible and inspire them to care for our local waters,” said director Catherine Collins.Visit soundexp.org or call 379-0438.

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New Candy Store! SWEET P.T.

Stocking Stuffers Galore! Locally made lotions, soaps and scrubs. Gifts of Health: Vitamins • Herbs Homeopathics Skincare • Cosmetics & more! See us for mindful giving!

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Candy & Gift Shoppe ✶ 360-385-6700

All Jackets

20% Off

SEAMS TO LAST 385-5899

Fudge Stocking Stuffers Chocolates Tins Gifts

1034 Water Street • Next to the Public House

Give Fido the day of f, go to

ptleader.com

JOIN HADLOCK BUILDING SUPPLY FOR

a hand-crafted holiday!

‘tis the season for giving

Pressed flower art and lavender sachets, made by Leandra Wiley

Come see our full selection of hand-crafted holiday gifts, all created by Hadlock Building Supply employees! Available in the Garden Shop through February 14, 2012.

Holiday Sale

Dec. 14-24 $ 3999

Specials on trees, toys and more!

SAVE 50%

1497

while supplies last

Open until 2 pm on 12/24. Closed on 12/25.

JCCF Board of Directors: Back row, L-R: Herb Cook, Cindy Hill Finnie, Tim Caldwell, Karen Nichols, David Goldsmith, Kris Mayer (JCCF staff ); Front row, L-R: Liesl Slabaugh, Anne Schneider, Debbi Steele. Not pictured: Doug Van Allen

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901 Ness Corner Road • Port Hadlock 360-385-1771 hadlockbuildingsupply.com

Making a Difference Close to Home - Today and Tomorrow PO Box 1955, Port Townsend, WA 98368 • Tel: 360-379-3667 • Fax: 360-379-3800 info@jccfgives.org • www.jccfgives.org