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SECTION
Wednesday February 22, 2017
LEADER PROGRESS EDITION
Marine trades grow bigger, stronger PATRICK J. SULLIVAN PSULLIVAN@PTLEADER.COM
“The Port of Port Townsend’s marine trades are recognized for the unique niche we fill in the market. We are known for the quality of craftsmanship our tenants provide.”
T
he Port of Port Townsend is the only government entity in Jefferson County specifically tagged to promote economic development.
Sam Gibboney, hired last year as the port’s executive director, sees 2017 as a year when progress is being made to help port tenants increase their business opportunities. “We are realigning the way we do business so we can effectively serve our tenants,” Gibboney said. “The port’s services need to keep up with the industry.” Jefferson County’s economy for more than 30 years has been a three-legged stool, built on the marine trades, the Port Townsend Paper Corp. and tourism. There are an estimated 400-450 jobs on port property, Gibboney said. “The Port of Port Townsend’s marine trades are recognized for the unique niche we fill in the market,” Gibboney said. “We are known for the quality of craftsmanship our tenants provide.” Wood, steel, aluminum, fiberglass – structural work, internal systems and exterior finishers – experts are here in every field of marine trades. Plus, there are other businesses spread out in rural Jefferson County that add to the skill set available here for custom and production work. “There is a huge concentration of talent in this town,” said Tim Lee, former chief instructor at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding and a shipwright for about 30 years. He’s now a member of Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op. “It’s kind of mind-boggling.” Boat owners bring their craft here for any and all types of
Sam Gibboney EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PORT OF PORT TOWNSEND
The Port of Port Townsend is the anchor of Jefferson County’s marine trades economy, and Sam Gibboney, hired as port executive director in 2016, sees important things happening in 2017. Photo by Patrick J. Sullivan
work, from oceangoing yachts to cruising sailboats or pleasure motorboats to fishing boats that work the wild Bering Sea. Some of the jobs cost a few thousand dollars, while others may inject a few hundred thousand dollars into the local economy. Port Townsend is an “open yard” where a commercial boat owner, for example, can have his boat hauled, and have his crew do some or all of the work. Economically, that means those crew members are living, eating and shopping here; buying parts, hardware and equipment; and probably hiring a business or independent contractor for specialty work. The marine trades’ economic impact on the community is not lost on Lee. “The ripple effect is
what people don’t see. This town really needs to be aware of what a big part the marine trades play.” The trades also play into the community’s tourism reputation, in some less than obvious ways. Yes, regattas and the annual Wooden Boat Festival are huge, yet the working waterfront is an attraction all by itself. “I’ve been hanging planks on a boat, and someone in their car pulls up and eats their lunch watching me work,” Lee said. “Tourists don’t go into a doctor’s office to watch them work.” Education is a big part of the marine trades, from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock to the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) at the
Port Townsend waterfront’s north end. The NWMC sponsors its 41st Wooden Boat Festival, one of the nation’s premier wooden boat events, on Sept. 8-10 at Point Hudson. The NWMC and Port Townsend School District are three years into a Maritime Discovery Schools initiative intended to introduce more young people not just to rowing or sailing a longboat, but to examining maritime career opportunities. “There is a relationship between the festival, the schools and the health of the marine trades in this town,” said Jake Beattie, NWMC executive director. It’s not that every student involved in maritime education
wants to go to sea or learn to be a shipwright. Maritime education does provide a basic grounding in practical skills and leadership, Beattie said. Plus, there is an unmet demand for workforce training, including emerging sectors in the marine trades, such as electronics, electrical, aluminum welding and painting. Plans are in the works to enhance the mix of maritime education and economic development opportunities, as this small, rural county does not currently have many moneymaking avenues for young people who wish to stay here. One idea is for a “career bridge” between the public school program and the actual trades, or an entry-level job at sea with salaries in the $40,000 range. “We need those [students who are] interested to see a career path,” Beattie said. “People look at [Port Townsend marine trades] as being leaders in our field. Beyond all the great stuff that routinely happens in the shipyard and at the maritime center, we are making progress in education and training that will make a big difference.”
First employee-owned home care agency growing Local funds helped launch it
The success story took root from the U.S. Department of Development Council,” she said. Agriculture and with help from LION connects local inves- back in 2015 when caregivers the Northwest Cooperative tors with entrepreneurs like met to consider attempting to Development Center, a nonprofit Waters. LION provided $35,000 create a co-op. organization based in Olympia f o r P e n i n s u l a H o m e c a r e “I saw independent carethat helps launch all kinds of Cooperative’s startup costs, and givers who needed work and I ALLISON ARTHUR cooperative ventures. Waters said the co-op will have saw the real need to combine AARTHUR@PTLEADER.COM “We also received funding no problem paying that back. our resources and talents and from LION [Local Investing “Everything we needed to get our compassionate hearts into Peninsula H o m e c a r e Opportunities Network] through started was a community effort. a cooperative that can change Cooperative provided 18 hours of in- the Jefferson County Economic It all stayed local,” she said. the face of caregiving on the home service to seniors in Jefferson County during its first month in business, in February 2016. Now, a year later, the first employee-owned home care agency on the Olympic Peninsula is providing more than 1,000 hours of caregiving services to seniors, and it is set to provide 2,000 hours of service a month, if not more, by the end of 2017, says Kippi Waters, who founded the Port Townsend–based co-op agency. “I think the most important thing is that we started a year ago, and we are the first home care agency on the peninsula that is owned by caregivers,” said Waters. “We are currently employing 20 caregivers with a $15-anhour wage. We are able to provide a living wage,” she said. “And caregivers are gaining skills in running their own business. They are learning to read financial statements and they are learning to create budgets.” The agency was able to Kippi Waters is a cofounder of Peninsula Homecare Cooperative, the first employee-owned caregiving business on the Olympic start last year with grants Peninsula. Leader file photo
peninsula,” she said. “Nine months later, we opened our doors, and 12 months later, we are serving our elders,” she said. The need for caregivers in the community is growing as the community ages, Waters said. One recent U.S. Census figure indicates that Jefferson County is one of the oldest communities in the nation. It currently has the distinction of being the county with the oldest population in the state of Washington. Waters expects the progress of the co-op to continue. Co-op members attended a national conference in Austin, Texas, in July, which encouraged and inspired them, Waters said. And as for the future, Waters said, “The unique thing about us is we don’t have overhead. If there’s a profit, we share it.” She says the agency is on target to earn a profit in 2017.
“Everything we needed to get started was a community effort. It all stayed local.” Kippi Waters FOUNDER PENINSULA HOMECARE COOPERATIVE
C 2 • Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
San Juan Villa offers loving, thoughtful care PAID ADVERTISING
We are blessed at San Juan Villa to have in our fold some of the hardest working, most loving ladies I have ever met. I call them the “Island Girls.” These girls hail from some of the most exotic Polynesian islands of Samoa and Guam. One of the things I noticed right away with these ladies is their nonjudgmental love for the residents. Each person here is treated as if they Fia and Samantha were family, with love and with respect. According to Wikipedia: “The Samoan together they moved to Pago Pago on the culture is centered around relationships.” island of Tutuiala. It was here she met Once you have been drawn into their tight and married Tony Leoso, whose father was knit circle, it is easy to see the allure of a farmer and had 19 children. Polynesian culture. In December of 1999 she and her We have six “Island Girls” and one new husband moved to Pierce County, “Island Guy.” For this newsletter I will Washington, as Tony was stationed in start with three of them. Jean Kelsall Joint Base Lewis-McChord with the U.S. and Tony and Vai Leoso. Jean was born Army. Together they raised 2 boys and 2 in Apia, the capital and the largest city in girls: Melvin, 21, Alisha, 20, Eileen, 16 and Samoa. She grew up in the township of Tony, 10. Tony has been cooking in our Lalovaea and eventually moved to Pago kitchen here at San Juan Villa off and on Pago, the capital of American Samoa, for for about seven years. 11 years before she made her way over When I asked the ladies what they stateside and Port Townsend. missed about Samoa they both lit up and Jean has a 21-year-old daughter, Mileta reminisced about going to the beach with (pronounced ME-lek-a), and a 17-year-old all their friends and family after church on son Detrius (Kikilisi in Samoan). When Jean Sundays and playing volleyball, swimming first moved to town she was following her and picnicking. The beach was their sancbest friend Vai, who at that time was the tuary from the heat. head housekeeper of the Tides Inn. Jean When I asked them what they liked quickly got a job as a housekeeper there and about caregiving, Jean said she loves they worked together until they heard about making the residents happy and making a new memory care community opening up a difference in someone’s day. Vai said and needed caregivers. Neither Jean nor Vai it was a little harder to explain the way had done that kind of job for a living before, it feels coming from the heart. In the but it was obvious from the start that they beginning, she was nervous and a little were both naturals at it. shy, then she realized how rewarding the Vai was born Vaitoe (pronounced job is and she fell in love with it. There VI-Toey) on the biggest island of Samoa is no doubt ever in anyone’s mind that called Savaii. Savaii is the largest, highest these gals love what they do and who and least populated island in the chain they do it for. They are the epitome of and is the 5th-largest Polynesian island “Loving, Thoughtful Care”. Whether it behind the two in New Zealand, Hawaii is Vai’s infectious laugh echoing down and Maui. Vai’s mother was a farmer who the hallways, or Jean’s gentle way with ran a taro and banana plantation, her an agitated resident, we all feel pretty father was a fisherman. darn lucky to know these ladies and this Vai grew up in the country helping on gentleman. the plantation with her six siblings. After Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter graduating high school, Vai moved to to hear the stories from Fia, Leilua, Sala Apia to be near her bestie Jean, and then and Liotta.
Restoring your good credit on PCU’s list of goals Peninsula Credit Union The reason, he said, is PAID ADVERTISING (PCU) told the Leader it has that PCU believes it is critia priority for 2017: increasing their focus on cally important to listen to what peoples’ the community. needs are and to educate them about build“What that means is trying to assist ing their financial capacity. each one of our members to increase their “When our staff goes through the training, financial capacity,” Jim Morrell, president of they are provided with a toolkit to underPCU, said. stand credit scores, avoid predatory lending In 2013 the PCU Board passed a comand how to purchase a car. They have tools munity development statement stating the and resources they can share and talk with credit union will work with all residents of customers about,” he said. Jefferson county on improving their finances, Morrell equates going to get a loan like whether they are low income or wealthy. going to the dentist - it’s scary for a lot of “We’re interested in improving the knowl- people. edge and the behavior of people to help them “What we do is provide the support to individually, with their finances,” Morrell help improve people’s financial lives. That said. leads back to economic development that To that end, the credit union has introhelps a community grow,” he said. duced three new programs since 2013 to PCU PERKS tackle income inequality. Over the last year, Peninsula Credit LOANS Union has partnered with businesses in PCU has introduced a new loan called Mason, Kitsap and Jefferson counties to give LIFT, for Lower Interest for Timely added value to their members. The program Payments. is given to all PCU members. All that is According to Morrell, if a member meets needed is a computer or a smart phone and certain criteria, they could have their interest an internet connection. rate lowered by 1 percent every year for three “If you have a checking account with us, years. local merchants will offer discounts or sav“If you make your loan payment on time ings if you go to them,” he said. “Any local for a year, we will automatically reduce your merchant can participate in the program. interest rate by 1 percent,” he said. The merchant doesn’t have to bank with us This is a program for those who don’t and there is no cost to those local merchants have good credit, he suggested. If your credit to participate.” is marginal, Morrell said, this program can SAVE TO WIN help to restore good credit. This account works like a lottery system, In addition to LIFT, PCU offers what it said Morrell, except you always win. calls “Borrow and Save.” It’s a small-dollar “The exception is that instead of paying loan alternative to check cashing and payday the state of Washington, you pay yourlending. self,” Morrell said. “If you have a tire that blows out That’s because you’re making or a water tank that doesn’t hold deposits into your account and each up, you may not have those funds month, you’re entered into a cash and may be in need of an emerprize drawing. gency loan,” Morrell said, “half of The idea, Morrell said, is to Americans don’t.” encourage the behavior of saving This program, he said, is actually money on a monthly basis to another way to promote savings. address what Morrell Seventy-five percent of the loan calls w“the national proceeds are given to the conundrum.” member, while 25 percent Most Americans, he is used to open a savings said, don’t have more account. than $400 in their “These are all products bank account at any and services that anyone given time. can sell, Morrell said. “We’re trying to “We try and take things reinforce this behava step further. By midioral pattern that it is year, 80 percent of our good to save money,” staff will be certified Jim Morrell, president of he said. financial counsellors.” Peninsula Credit Union.
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Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 • C 3
Some of the last undeveloped commercial property in Port Townsend – near the Howard Street roundabout along West Sims Way – is represented by John L. Scott. The real estate business also handles residential, condominium and existing commercial buildings. Photo by Patrick Sullivan
John L. Scott’s team works for you John L. Scott brings decades of real estate experience to the table when dealing with buyers, sellers and all types of properties in Jefferson County. The business itself was formed in 1982. Ownership changed in 1991, and the business name changed to John L. Scott in 1995. Teresa Goldsmith has been with the company since 1984, and is now the designated broker. John L. Scott has ranked first in sales for years in Jefferson County. “Our numbers are higher than any other company because we service all price ranges,” Goldsmith says. Each broker at John L. Scott is an independent businessperson, yet Goldsmith is proud of the firm’s “team atmosphere.” Certain brokers have specific areas of expertise, perhaps commercial properties or land, and willingly share and support their team members. Brokers new to the business receive plenty of support because the overall goal is customer service. “We are here to make everything work well for the client,” Goldsmith says. The one consistent thing about the
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real estate industry is change, and John L. Scott’s personnel know how to adapt to changing state regulations and market conditions. In the last year, the company has upgraded its office at 2219 West Sims Way in Port Townsend with faster Internet service. Conference rooms have been updated with dual large-screen TVs so clients can better see information the brokers share via laptop computers. The real estate industry is becoming more and more electronic, with brokers able to do business from their cell phones and other portable devices. There are “secure” programs that brokers use to electronically send paperwork to clients, who no longer have to break away from their office to come to a real estate office to sign paperwork. There are exclusive marketing programs for each property, such as a unique web address and 24/7 informational recordings that can be accessed easily by phone. Buyers can search for just the right
property with the John L. Scott interactive property search at jlspt.com. Using either the Quick Search feature or the Interactive Neighborhood Map, you’ll find all the properties for sale locally through the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. John L. Scott represents properties around East Jefferson County, so brokers are well-versed on what it means to live along Hood Canal or at Cape George, in the master planned resort community of Port Ludlow, or the Victorian seaport of Port Townsend. “If you are going to service the clients you have to get them to know what it is that they are buying, and give them enough of a picture that they can feel comfortable moving here,” Goldsmith says. What are some of the things newcomers ask about? “If you are retiring, there is a list of things you typically want: natural environment, good weather and a sense of community,” Goldsmith says, and Port Townsend and Jefferson County certainly fits that description. “We have a community here that
“Our numbers are higher than any other company because we service all price ranges.” Teresa Goldsmith DESIGNATED BROKER
works; it’s viable and vibrant. People can come here and make friends pretty easily and if they want to make a difference, they can get involved in a lot of special things.” John L. Scott brokers include Barbara Saunders, Bill Perka, Steve Kraght, Ellen Niemitalo, John Hansen, Terry McHugh, Trevor Huntingford, Richard Hild, Dale Barron, Linda Foard, Lynette Holloway, Lyn Hersey, Bruce Cannavaro, Bobbie Nutter, Jan Marquardt, Susan Stenger, Becky Wexler, Michael Morrow, John Montgomery, Dan Colvin, David Wald and Teresa Goldsmith. Susie Thill is receptionist/office administrator, and Sheila Christensen is operations manager.
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C 4 • Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
The Port Townsend Paper Corp. has been a major employer in Jefferson County since it opened in 1929. In 2016, it became the first large manufacturer in Washington state to switch from oil to compressed natural gas, which mill officials say should reduce greenhouse gas emissions from current levels by 25 percent. Leader 2016 photo by Patrick Sullivan, flight by Tailspin Tommy’s
PT Paper Corp. plans $25 million investment in 2017 First big manufacturer in state to switch to natural gas ALLISON ARTHUR AARTHUR@PTLEADER.COM Since buying Port Townsend Paper Corp. in 2015, Crown Paper Group executives estimate that $30 million of capital has been pumped into improvement projects and another $30 million into maintenance projects. And they’re not done with making changes to a business that has been the largest private employer in Jefferson County since 1928. The mill employs 280 people and most of them live in Jefferson County. “In 2017, we plan to invest an additional $25
million in capital and maintenance upgrades and improvements,” said Steve Klinger, Crown Paper Group CEO. “In addition, we are evaluating multiple potential major upgrades for the next several years. We are committed to continually improving this mill and building its long-term value.” Two of the projects that mill owners say put the aging paper plant in a good position for the future include the completion of the Boiler Maximum Achievable Controlled Technology (MACT) compliance project, and the conversion to using compressed natural gas (CNG). It cost the mill $3.1 million to make the conversion in the fall of 2016. The mill became the first large
manufacturer in the state to switch from oil to CNG. The CNG conversion should reduce greenhouse gas emission levels by 25 percent and save on fuel costs over time. The mill requires about five truckloads of CNG a day. Each truck holds about 355 million standard cubic feet of gas.
FUTURE MARKETS For now, Port Townsend Paper Corp. sells the container board it produces to internal customers of Crown Corrugated Co. and Montebello Container Corp., as well as to external customers in primarily western states, Klinger said. “These markets are growing modestly, and we expect growth to continue with upside as we increase production capacity through
focused investments,” Klinger said, adding, “Over the last two years we have been moving towards container board.” In addition to container board, which is used to make boxes, the mill also makes kraft and specialty paper. “We sell kraft paper primarily to domestic customers in the Northwest and western U.S. and Canada. These markets are flat to declining. Over the last two years, we have produced less kraft and more container board,” he said. Another third of what the mill makes is unbleached kraft pulp, which is exported primarily to Asia. “These markets are flat with volatile pricing that recently declined,” Klinger said. “However, we expect
prices to recover and we see positive long-term prospects. Here again, over the last two years, we have produced less kraft and more container board.” Klinger said the Trump administration appears to be focused on foreign currency issues, “which are relevant to us as Canadian and other foreign currencies that are stronger versus the U.S. dollar help our export business.” “Beyond that,” Klinger said, “regardless of their political party of origin, public policies that improve economic conditions benefit our business.”
ODOR AND WATER Perhaps the two biggest community issues for the mill are the historic telltale odor that most paper mills
are known for and the mill’s use of water. “When Crown Paper acquired the mill, we took action to address the odor issue, including accelerating settlement pond remediation,” said Klinger, who added that the number of odor comments have “decreased dramatically.” In 2016, a Seattle law firm, Terrell Marshall Law Group PLLC, mailed out a solicitation to Port Townsend residents asking people to participate in a class action lawsuit against alleged “noxious odors” emitted by the mill. Klinger declined to comment on that threat. In 2016, the state Department of Ecology received 244 odor complaints about the mill, See PT PAPER, page 8▼
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Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 • C 5
Fisherman Joel Kawahara of Jefferson County credits the North Olympic Salmon Coalition with helping lead the way in the restoration of Pacific Northwest watersheds, particularly summer chum and coho populations. Photo courtesy of Charles Espey
Salmon make marginal recovery in local waters Populations still in trouble overall KIRK BOXLEITNER kboxleitner@ptleader.com The Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office has reported that it is seeing some returns on its two decades of investment, but the results remain uneven. While some salmon populations, such as Hood Canal summer chum, are not only improving but very nearly reaching their recovery goals, other populations, such as Puget Sound chinook and steelhead, have been classified as “below goal” and “getting worse,” even though they’re already classified as endangered species. What does this mean for Jefferson County specifically? PROGRESS MADE The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group received four of the seven grants that the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board gave to groups in Jefferson County this past year. Seth Elsen, program development lead for the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group and the Salmon Center, described what he sees as a “positive trend” in the results achieved by “groups like ours.” “Restoring the salmon’s habitat tends to give them a better foothold than trying to supplement their numbers,” Elsen said. “Every salmon lays thousands of eggs that go back into
the system. The better the habitat, the better their chances for survival.” Elsen cited climate change as a complicating factor, noting that streamflows have gone from being driven by snowmelt to being subject to more flash surges after heavy rainstorms, the latter of which scours out salmon nests and makes streams more difficult for salmon to navigate. “They’re fighting against a current that’s more high-velocity and harder-flowing,” Elsen said. Although limited budgets have precluded the Salmon Center from expanding its scope to species such as Puget Sound steelhead, Elsen believes Washington could be in the midst of a “slowly creeping recovery,” and credited state and federal agencies with heading in “a good direction so far.” With possible changes coming on the federal level, Elsen suggested that those residents who are interested should contact their lawmakers and request that productive salmon recovery programs continue. LOCAL FISHERY Johnpaul Davies, owner of Key City Fish, sees not just a singular environment, but a “super-complex river system, made up of countless individual ecosystems,” some of which are in decline, while others are not. “The good news is that reclamation programs have been a demonstrated success,” Davies said, “but we haven’t had a blockbuster for five years. We’ve seen diminishing yields.” Davies deemed fisheries such
“The salmon will go away if we don’t start working together more.” JOEL KAWAHARA VETERAN FISHERMAN ALASKA, WASHINGTON
as Key City to be “well positioned” to take advantage of the available supply, but he also acknowledged that his is a relatively smaller fleet. “We’re not regional,” Davies said. “The bulk of our fish are local.” Davies praised Native American tribes for their stewardship of salmon. “We like the way they manage to create year-round availability,” Davies said. “It helps when your seafood is not only local, but fresh as well. You don’t have to tell your customers, ‘Sorry, we caught our entire haul in March.’” In addition to factors such as global warming, Davies pointed out that even the best fishing seasons tend to be cyclical. “I think we’ll see an upswing eventually,” Davies said. “The Northwest and especially Washington have been very effective in positioning themselves to meet the goal of sustainable salmon populations. The number of reclamation grants that have been awarded in this county shows they’re getting great results.”
THROUGHOUT THE REGION Joel Kawahara of Jefferson County has been an Alaskan fisherman since 1978, and plays an active role on the Alaskan and Washington troller associations. As such, his perspective is a bit broader than Jefferson County, and what he’s seeing is “just not very good in general” for the current state of fish. “Once you’re outside state waters, 3 miles into the ocean, you’re dealing with a mix of fish populations,” Kawahara said. “There are bright spots, like Jefferson County, that seem to be doing very successfully, but one bad river or region can hurt your take a lot.” Kawahara credited the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, in Port Hadlock, with leading much of the way in the restoration of Pacific Northwest watersheds, particularly summer chum and coho populations. At the same time, he noted how heavily the fisheries industry depends on the Columbia River stocks. “Unless you completely kill that river, which we’ve inadvertently tried very hard to do, that’s not going to change,” Kawahara said. “Hydroelectric development is taking away from our productivity.” Kawahara deemed habitat protection and restoration “the most important parts” of salmon recovery. “When you take that resource away, it takes everyone working together to bring it back,” Kawahara said. “The salmon will go away if we don’t start working together more.”
THE TRIBES TIE IT TOGETHER “I can see where the reports can seem conflicting,” said Scott Chitwood, natural resources department director for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. “But what I think this shows is that most of the progress that’s been made in salmon recovery has been made in habitat restoration.” Chitwood cited the “great work” being done in Jefferson and Clallam counties to “mitigate the damage” done to salmon habitats, but he deemed it an open question regarding how salmon populations would respond to those projects. “It will take some time, and the smaller streams will show their results sooner,” Chitwood said. “In the Chimacum and Snow creeks, the work that’s been done with summer chum, those efforts have been more quick to show progress. You don’t see that as much with Puget Sound chinook.” Chitwood sees the need for more work on larger river systems, but also acknowledged the difficulty of making progress as the human population grows and encroaches even further on wildlife. “The more we share the land with the wildlife, the more of an impact our actions have on their habitat,” Chitwood said. “That’s why every little bit of community support for habitat restoration helps.” Chitwood praised volunteers ranging from “the beach watchers to the tree planters” who had already made a difference, and encouraged more to join them.
She found a new kind of strength
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She was raised in Port Townsend but but what a sense of a community that the it was a personal tragedy that taught members are with us.” Michelle West the strength of the Part of that, West said, is that Port community. Townsend is a small town. Two years ago, her son was killed by a “I’ve always wanted to have that sort drunk driver. of “Cheers!” mentality, where everyone West by that time, had owned knows your name. We really have that,” Evergreen Fitness for she said. “People of a decade. every shape, size and “It was just amazability is here. We ing how the staff have people that were pulled together and born and raised here the members were or have only been here just, there,” West a few years.” recalled. That strong sense “People came out of community is of the woodwork in what inspired West loving kindness. It’s to start her shapeup hard to explain, but I challenge. guess I didn’t really “Oh my gosh! realize what a sense Staying active is, of community we have what’s that cliche? here. I think it’s also Use it or lose it,” she the fact that we’ve got said. “I remember Michelle West, Evergreen Fitness such a diverse number doing Yoga in a of people in this town that have done such friend’s living room and she made a comamazing things. We’ve got nuclear scienment about her spine. tists and well-known writers and artists “It’s going to stiffen up if you don’t and they’re so down to earth.” move it.” It’s so true about your entire When she was younger, West had put body. That’s what I love about our shaPort Townsend in her rear view mirror peup challenge.” hoping never to return. It’s a three-month challenge. For West, She settled in Alaska. it’s not just about losing weight, but why “When I moved there a couple of years exercise and nutrition are important out of high school, it and developing good was winter and you habits. couldn’t ride your “There’s always sucbike,” she recalled. “So cess stories,” she said. I joined a gym for the “The winner is first time and immeusually someone who diately took to lifting goes into it with that, weights.” ‘man I am doing this,’ But with time came attitude. And there’s perspective and West always some extremely MICHELLE WEST made her way back to competitive people.” Washington. West said she really OWNER, EVERGREEN FITNESS As soon as she could enjoys those people afford it, she joined a local gym in Port who want to learn more about exercise Townsend and in 2004 she purchased and eating right. Evergreen Fitness. “Learning what balance in life is,” But it was the loss of her son, West West said. “The people that will just said, that helped her to understand what absorb and take advantage of all that we remained. have to offer. Whether it is making you “In the last couple of years I think, accountable or making food diaries or your since I bought it, Port Townsend has exercise program. Those are the people shown itself to be a true community to that make those lifelong changes.” me,” West explained. “Not just the staff For more information on Evergreen and how we are all, it sounds cliche to fitness, go to evergreenfitness.net or call say, we’re a team because we’re friends, 385-3036.
“I’ve always wanted to have that sort of “Cheers!” mentality, where everyone knows your name. We really have that.”
Call 360.385.3555 today to schedule a tour of our newly remodeled facility.
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C 6 • Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
S&L investing in financial education
They’re “moving and shaking,” according to Jeanine Lee, Marketing Manager of First Federal Savings & Loan. First Federal, she said, has opened its second branch in Whatcom County and expanded into Bellingham, and that means jobs. “That has been fabulous,” Lee said. “It helps with our overall growth goals and keeps us relevant,” she said. “It allows us to be able to add products and David Coulter services and potential new locations in all of our markets.” In Jefferson County, First Federal branch has expanded its investment services department. Five months ago, David Coulter began working there as a financial adviser. “The number-one issue you’re going to have when you’re older is managing your finances,” he said, pointing to a lack of knowledge on the part of most investors.
“Maybe, don’t buy that more expensive car to start out with. Buy the commuter vehicle that’s $400 cheaper per month,” he advised. “When you’re coming out of college, look for a company that offers good benefits packages. You’ve got to pass that into savings. It’s not too difficult in 30 to 40 years to put away a million dollars in your 401k plan.” Coulter said he’s happy to meet with clients that first time to provide a reality check. In a perfect world, he said, financial education would begin as early as middle school. “It’s about the lifestyle you want to have in your retirement years. People just aren’t thinking about that. “It’s tough to save. That’s why, if they’re trained in middle school, it’s a lot easier when they finish college.”
MARKETING FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS First Federal has introduced a new product aimed at marketing its business partners: Ourfirstfed Partners. “Our marketing department developed a program unique to First Federal,” Lee said. “It’s a marketing and promotional opportunity if you’re a business customer. “We’ve been promoting quite a few businesses from the Jefferson County area. We have a great tab on our public website that David Coulter speaks to the program. Any business that FINANCIAL ADVISOR is already a customer of First Federal gets this complimentary marketing opportunity “There’s that gap in there that somefor their business.” one needs to close and help people when Lee said that current business partners they’re out of school,” he said. “It’s a hard include pet sitting services, two heating reality that they have to face.” and cooling businesses, and a forest manCoulter said he likes to “tell his custom- agement company. ers like it is.” Depending on stage of life This year First Federal will partner many of his clients, he said, think they can with the fledgling, non-motorized Race to come out of school and buy a $100,000 car Alaska. without thinking of saving for retirement. “That is the second year for participa“As they go on in life, retirement is left tion for the Northwest Maritime Center,” out. That’s a hole that needs to be filled at she said. “In speaking with (race brainone point,” he said. “It’s really hard to just child) Jake Beattie, it has become a very live on social security.” exciting event. We’re excited to be a part of Coulter said his key to a successful that as well as the Wooden retirement is making sure Boat Festival and many PAID ADVERTISING one’s finances are in order. other community events.”
“It’s not too difficult in 30 to 40 years to put away a million dollars in your 401k plan.”
Fitness for all Seasons of your life
Michael D’Alessandro, Execitive Director Northwind Arts Center
Expect a boatload of art Jinx Bryant had artists seeing red. That’s the color she said Northwind Arts Center chose to “invoke a choreographed response from artists” participating in last year’s Showcase. “We thought it would be fun to do challenges for the artists. Last year we challenged them to paint red,” Bryant said. “They can paint a landscape that is red instead of the normal colors or they can paint something that makes them mad. Or they can paint a red car or portrait.” The color was simply a term, Bryant said, she threw at the artists. The idea came to her while having lunch with a friend. “She told me that they (artists in a class) wrote a word on the board and they would paint and sculpt based on that word,” she said. The response was more than she had hoped for. She said that last year two photographers stood apart from the rest. “(Joe Englander) does a lot of photography in northern India and Tibet. It’s a pretty barren landscape, but the interior of the monasteries is brilliant. He brought in some photography that was just stunning. They had these brilliant red colors on a
monochromatic landscape,” she said. The other photographer, Allen Bruce, brought in pictures from a small town in Portugal. All of the doors were painted red. “I don’t know why they did it, but it was wonderful photography,” Bryant said. This year there will be three separate challenges to coincide with events happening in Port Townsend. The first two will be based on the Wooden Boat Festival and the Jazz Port Townsend. In terms of progress, Bryant said, the studio is now drawing artists from a greater distance. “Initially, when we started up, it was just a wonderful idea that the Arts Center wanted to put forward. We had tremendous support from Port Townsend,” she said. The reason behind the decision was to invite a new perspective, Bryant said. “The excitement of seeing other artists, artists we haven’t seen before,” she said. Participating artists this year come from Gig Harbor, Seattle and Vashon Island to name a few. For more information on the NorthWind Arts Center, go to northwind arts.org/news.
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C 7 • Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Real estate, building activities on the rise 2016 was best year since 2006 PATRICK J. SULLIVAN PSULLIVAN@PTLEADER.COM The residential real estate business greatly improved in Jefferson County in 2016, and there are high hopes for 2017. “We’re back to where we were before the crash in terms of demand,â€? said Karen Best, owner/broker at Coldwell Banker Best Homes, with ofďŹ ces in Port Ludlow and downtown Port Townsend. “Supply is the issue.â€? According to one analysis, home sales in the Brinnon area rose 43 percent in 2016, compared to 39 percent on Marrowstone Island, 22 percent in Quilcene, and 13 percent in Port Townsend. “It was a great year,â€? Val Schindler, owner and designated broker of Windermere Hood Canal in Brinnon, said of 2016. “I can tell you I called clients at the beginning of 2016 who had waterfront properties who hadn’t sold. I advised them to put their properties back on the market, and they sold quickly. It was ďŹ nally the turnaround we’ve been waiting for.â€? A slower December kept 2016 only nine sales short of matching the sales mark for single-family residences and condominiums set from 2015 in Jefferson County, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) report, which primarily deals with Realtor-listed properties. The total of closed sales in 2016, residential and condominium, reached 658,
compared to 667 in 2015. There were only 47 closed sales in December 2016, compared to 57 in December 2015. The median sales price (half higher, half lower) for 2016 ďŹ nished at $301,500, compared to $269,000 for 2015. It was the ďŹ rst time since 2007, the year the local market’s downward trend began, that the median closed-sale price topped $300,000. There were 626 residential sales recorded in 2016, compared to 620 in 2015, and 32 condo unit sales in 2016, compared to 47 in 2015, according to the NWMLS. For 2016, the most sales were in Port Townsend (208); followed by Port Ludlow (143); Discovery, an area outside of PT (49); the Tri-Area (44); Shine (42); and Quilcene (41). LOW INVENTORY Low inventory was an issue in 2016, and that condition is likely to continue in 2017. “We still remain in a seller’s market for residential real estate,â€? said John Eissinger of ReMax First in Port Townsend, who has been a Realtor here for 18 years. “That means we have six months or less of inventory to sell.â€? Some properties are selling above asking price, especially in the most popular areas of Port Townsend: the Uptown District, Morgan Hill and the Fort Worden area, Eissinger noted. It’s important for buyers to have their ďŹ nancing plan in place before going home shopping, because properties may go quickly. “As properties come on the market, if they are at the right price point, they are gone within three to 15 days,â€? said Teresa
Goldsmith, designated broker at John L. Scott Real Estate in Port Townsend. “That’s great, except for buyers. It’s hard to compete when you have a price point and somebody else has cash.� Progress on another front is being seen early in 2017: There are single-family residences being built on “spec,� instead of contractors working only on custom homes. The cost of new construction has steered more buyers to the resale market in recent years, but low inventory and an improved economy is fueling somewhat of a building boom. “House sales are back to the numbers of 2006; land sales are not back to that level, but are going up,� Goldsmith noted. “There are builders producing spec homes, which we have not seen for a number of years.� COMMERCIAL MARKET The commercial real estate market in Port Townsend and Jefferson County has been “on and off� through the years, and is now hitting an “on� cycle, according to Richard Hild, a managing broker with John L. Scott who has been in the real estate market here since 1989. The biggest boom in commercial development in the past few years has been with legal marijuana production and processing, Hild noted. He anticipates the commercial market picking up this year. “There’s a lot of good buys in commercial real estate right now,� Hild said. “New people are coming in and they are well funded. They have the ability to see a profit, if it’s going to be there, even when it may be long term.�
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Windermere Hood Canal sees sales come to its area Val Schindler, owner and designated broker of Windermere Real Estate in Hood Canal, sees a vibrant real estate market, with continued growth in the rest of the state that has ďŹ nally caught up to her neck of the woods. But she also sees a place that she and her fellow Windermere employees consider home and seek to support off the clock as well. In the real estate market, the big story in 2016 was the 43 percent Val Schindler increase in sales in the Brinnon area over 2015, with Schindler’s ofďŹ ce alone seeing a 52 percent increase in sales. “It’s a strong market, in which I expect to see continued growth in 2017,â€? Schindler said. “Indeed, our biggest challenge in the coming year is likely to be ensuring enough inventory to meet demand.â€? Schindler identiďŹ ed Brinnon as a secondary home market, popular among retirees, that often lags behind trends in surrounding housing markets because of its relative isolation. “What we’re ďŹ nally seeing here is what we’re already seen elsewhere,â€? Schindler said. “Port Townsend saw an uptick awhile ago. People are more comfortable buying a second home now, and while interest rates remain historically low, they’ve begun to increase, so this is a good time to take advantage of the market.â€? Schindler also touted the enduring appeal of the area, from its waterfront views to its outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking, kayaking, ďŹ shing
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and clamming. “You’ve got a national forest right here,� Schindler said. “You can get away from your hectic lifestyle, while still being less than an hour’s drive from Port Townsend and a ferry ride away from Victoria, British Columbia.� Schindler extolled the “sense of community� in the area, which she and her fellow Windermere agents bolster by contributing funds to programs that help the less fortunate stay in their homes, as well as by taking part in community service organizations. Schindler is a past chair of the Brinnon School Board, which fellow Windermere broker Bill Barnet currently chairs, while
“It’s a strong market, in which I expect to see continued growth in 2017.� Val Schindler WINDERMERE HOOD CANAL
Doug Hixson, another Windermere broker, currently chairs the North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce. “We support the Brinnon Food Bank and its ShrimpFest event, which draws visitors from throughout the region,� Schindler said. “We also help staff the visitor information center. We all live and work in this community, so we have a vested interest in seeing it succeed.�
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C 8 • Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Markets cultivate community, farms JCFM thriving, look forward to another year of growth
excited to continue growing [the program] in the next several years,” Milholland said. “I think there’s so many more people we can help.”
KATIE KOWALSKI ARTS@PTLEADER.COM Martin and Charlotte Frederickson of One Straw Ranch joined the Port Townsend Farmers Market last year, selling grass-fed beef and lamb, pastured pork, chicken and quail eggs, and wool. “The market has become a large part of our sales, and has allowed us to expand our production,” said Charlotte, who grew up in Chimacum. “It has brought us wonderful customers, who continue to support us outside of the market season.” A flourishing fixture of the community, the Jefferson County Farmers Market organization – which includes two markets in Port Townsend and one in Chimacum – today boasts about 80 vendors, many of which have grown into the successful businesses they are today thanks to the markets’ support. “The market has been a huge help,” said Karyn Williams of Red Dog Farm, who started at the market in 2005 and runs the thriving 23-acre farm in Chimacum. “From the beginning, I felt like the community welcomed us with open arms. “There were a lot of other farms, and we all just gradually got better,” she said of the past decade that she’s been involved. “I love the market, it’s so wonderful, and I’m really looking forward to this April, when it kicks off again.” UPTOWN VENUE The Jefferson County farmers markets – which in the summer season draw more than 2,500 each Saturday, with 500 per week on busy Sundays and Wednesdays – are becoming increasingly recognized statewide as culinary and arts destinations, said Amanda Milholland, who is entering her
Karyn Williams of Red Dog Farm typically sells tulips during the opening of the Port Townsend Farmers Market, weather permitting. This year, the market opens April 1 at its venue in the Uptown District of Port Townsend. Leader file photo
second season as market director. “The quality and diversity are really outstanding.” Milholland said of the vendor’s products. “The arts culture is another really important part,” she said. “Our community really values the arts, and values the artisan food.” The Port Townsend Saturday Farmers Market began 25 years ago in a windy lot downtown, and after several location changes moved to its current Uptown District setting in 2003. “It really just took on a new life when it moved uptown,” said Milholland, who recalls that the market became a more significant part of her family’s life when it moved. “It became much more central and visible. “The numbers of vendors grew substantially at that time,” she added. Soon after the move, the Wednesday market was founded, and in 2008, a Chimacum market began, which Jefferson County Farmers Market took over in 2010.
“[The market] is something that has allowed many local business to take off,” said Milholland. “It allows people to try out something and see what will work in this community.” And of course, farmers markets are all about community. “Our community is the judge of what businesses are the right fit,” Milholland said. FRESH FOOD FOR ALL The direct sales between market shoppers and producers benefit the local economy by increasing the amount of money that stays in the community, Milholland said, and market patronage supports local jobs and strengthens the local food system. The market also helps lowincome shoppers gain access to the fresh, local food through its food assistance program. “Anytime a low-income shopper comes to the market with their EBT [Electronic Benefits
Transfer] card, WIC [Women Infant Children] card or Senior Farmers Market Nutrition, we provide matching funds, so they’re all getting more local, fresh, healthy food when they shop at the market,” Milholland said. Last year, the market provided more than $13,400 in matching food assistance dollars to nearly 400 low-income shoppers through the Gimme5 and Fresh Bucks programs. Since 2013, it has provided $58,000 in matching food assistance funds. While Fresh Bucks is funded by a small USDA grant, Gimme5 is supported entirely by local businesses and community members, Milholland said. “Our local community is telling our local community: We want everyone to have access to local, healthy food,” she said. “It’s a super-powerful message.” The goal for the upcoming season is to provide $15,000 in matching funds. “We’re really
LOOKING AHEAD The 2017 market season kicks off at 9 a.m., Saturday, April 1 in uptown Port Townsend. The community is invited to attend opening day, with its popular goat parade, and to write “love letters” to the market in honor of its 25th year. There are a few changes in store for the new season. This year, the produce offered is to be 100 percent local, Milholland said. In the past, farmers could sell out-of-county produce; for example, fruit from Wenatchee or corn from an eastern Washington farm. This presented a disadvantage to local farms that couldn’t compete, Milholland said. Now, all the produce is to be locally grown. “It will give people a sense of what we grow here and what’s seasonal,” explained Milholland. Another change for the new season is that market musicians, whose music helps imbue the market with a festive atmosphere, are to be paid. In past years, musicians were funded by donations from vendors. “This year, we’ve decided we want to show our value of local and regional musicians by providing a stipend,” Milholland said. Music is going to be offered weekly at the PT market, and monthly in Chimacum. On the non-performance days in Chimacum, Milholland is inviting buskers to play. Finally, this year Jefferson County Farmers Market is considering new locations for the Chimacum and Wednesday PT market. “Both of those farmers markets are at a place where there’s room for them to grow,” Milholland said. “Our goal is to identify potential new locations for the 2018 market season.” For more information, visit jcfmarkets.org.
PT Paper: Wins award ▼Continued from page 4
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“In 2017, based on snowfall and rainfall, we expect water conditions to be better going into the summer,” Klinger said. By agreement with the City of Port Townsend, the mill helped build 100 miles of the city’s water system and continues to this day to maintain the system in exchange for water. The deal with the city was set to expire in 2000, but was renewed in 1983, modified, and extended until 2020.
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD Mill officials are proudest of an award the mill earned in 2016 from the Northwest Pulp & Paper Association, which presented its 2016 Environmental Excellence Award to Port Townsend Paper Corp. “When we first started tracking greenhouse gas
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(GHG) emissions in 2005, we were emitting about 153,000 metric tonnes per year,” explained Kevin Scott, engineering and environmental manager for PT Paper. “We are now less than half that, reaching about 61,000 metric tonnes in 2014.” Scott said that the award is exciting because º“it’s significant for us to be recognized for this achievement, especially in a group of our peers.” Colin Fernie, president of Port Townsend Paper and Crown Packaging, agreed and also recognized the work of employees in the achievement. “Three hundred employees of Port Townsend Paper accomplished this. We appreciate the recognition and are committed to continued environmental stewardship,” Fernie said of the 2016 award.
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down significantly from 2015, when it received 445 odor complaints related to the mill, according to Andrew Wineke, Ecology communications manager. In 2014, there were 567 complaints, and in 2013, there were 340 complaints. The availability of water is one of the most important issues to the mill. In 1928, production at the mill began just one day after water from a new pipeline became available, and by 1929, the mill had started using a second paper machine, considered the largest kraft paper machine in the world at the time, according to the mill’s historians. The mill also faced a drought situation in 2015. In that year, as well as in 2016, mill officials decided to reclaim water by using water cooling towers.
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C 9 • Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Jefferson Healthcare CEO Mike Glenn talks to a crowd of hundreds Oct. 23, 2016 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of a new Emergency Services and Specialty Building. The ESSB was built without raising tax dollars and has improved the hospital’s ability to serve patients and expand services. Photo by Lloyd Mullen
Hospital to focus on cancer, bones, hearts and sleep Jefferson Healthcare is shifting its focus. “We want to make sure that we have a primary care network that is accessible and meets the needs of all of the residents of our community,” said Mike Glenn, Jefferson Healthcare chief executive officer. The hospital has identified several specialty care services, including oncology, orthopedics and cardiology. “For a community with the age demographic that we have, those are three services that tend to be utilized more than others,” he said. “In addition to that, we have been growing our sleep program. It’s a treatment for sleep disorders.” The hospital is also introducing a women’s clinic in May and is to open a dermatology clinic in June. “We want to make sure that our focus is on access to care – we have the providers in the community that can take care of our residents both in primary and specialty,” Glenn said. “That’s what we can control.”
“If a resident of our community needs care, we will find a way to care for them.” Mike Glenn CEO JEFFERSON HEALTHCARE
Jefferson Healthcare, he added, is attempting to influence policy on both the state and national levels. “We are working with our state representatives and our congressional delegation to hold those gains that the Affordable Care Act made with Medicaid expansion and even trying to grow that,” Glenn said. There is good news for taxpayers in Jefferson County. The state’s uninsured rate dropped from 16 percent prior to the Affordable Care Act to about 7 percent last year. “You look at that and tend to feel pretty good,” Glenn said.
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“That still means that there’s 7 percent of the state that does not have access to health care insurance.” Hospital officials will continue to work at the state and federal level to include that part of the population, Glenn said. “We want every resident of our community to have access to health care insurance,” he said. “If a resident of our community needs care, we will find a way to care for them.” NEW CLINIC THIS SUMMER The hospital is scheduled to open a new clinic in Port Ludlow. A small clinic was established there in July 2011. “It was far more successful than we anticipated,” Glenn said. “With so much patient demand, we quickly ran out of room.” Jefferson Healthcare worked with Port Ludlow Associates to build a clinic that is roughly twice the size of the original. It is to include full-service X-ray and laboratory services as well as to allow for specialty-system visitations.
“One of our cardiologists will go there once a week,” Glenn said. “If someone comes to Jefferson Healthcare for a knee operation, that doctor will be in Port Ludlow for you to visit. On the other side of that, if you want to know what your options are, you can either come to Port Townsend or wait for the specialist to come to Port Ludlow for that visit.” Since construction on the new facility began, issues have surfaced that have caused delays, Glenn said. “We had parking lots torn up, hallways shut down. We had to shut off power for a couple hours, water lines needed to be shut off. It was a very complex operation and consumed a lot of brain space in your typical day,” Glenn said. “So it’s wonderful to have that largely behind us, because we can truly focus on expanding services where we need to expand them.” What is more important, Glenn said, is for patients to continue getting better with the care Jefferson Healthcare provides.
Life Care Center of PT: A way to greater health and well-being Explore any community with patience and kindPAID ADVERTISING and you’ll find that most ness,” said the daughter of citizens share the same goal: to have Vivian Matthews, who received long-term greater health and well-being. And that’s care services at Life Care Center of Port where Executive Director Heather Jeffers Townsend. As further testament to Life and her caregiving team at Life Care Care’s devotion to compassionate patient Center of Port Townsend draw their care, Medicare.gov gave the facility a inspiration for the services they provide. five-star rating in Quality Measures, the Life Care Center of Port Townsend category that represents the highest level could be defined as a place of healthcare of patient care quality. service, but at its heart, it’s a place of Life Care’s dedication to patient care healing and recovery, of family and does come with challenges. Maintaining fellowship – and it’s a place of growth. staff-to-patient ratios, stable lines of Jeffers and the team at Life Care Center communication, and smooth patient of Port Townsend dedicate themselves to admissions and discharges make up the helping members of the community reach daily mission. And it requires a great their common goal of living healthier, deal of focus, energy and skill on the part more fulfilling lives. of every member of the team. But Jeffers One way Life Care Center of Port says she and her team are steadfast and Townsend does this is by serving as a eager to carry out that mission, upholddirect path to healing for those recovering ing the Life Care Centers of America’s from illness or injury. The gap between motto, “Whatever it takes, and them hospital and home can be wide, but Life some!” Care Center of Port Townsend acts to fill “Our goal is to serve the community’s that gap so patients can make smooth health care needs, to be a resource to transitions back into their daily lives. families and providers, and to be the best As Jeffers puts it, “We are an extenplace to receive care in this area, and the sion of the hospital stay, partnering with best place to work, too,” said Jeffers. the hospital, physicians, primary care Not only are they continually improvproviders, and home health to ensure ing their systems that produce quality the best possible patient outcomes are outcomes, they’re also enhancing many achieved.” features of the building’s interior, with And Life Care has largely succeeded more renovations scheduled this year. in meeting those patient outcome goals. All of these efforts are what Jeffers calls Data shows they have the lowest hospital doing “whatever it takes to ensure our return rate of any facility in the area, and residents receive the highest quality care a rate much lower than the state averthey need.” age. They also boast the highest success A current challenge the facility is rate for short-term therapy patients area poised to tackle is keeping high staffing wide, highlighting the importance of their ratios. Jeffers cites housing issues as role in Port Townsend’s care and recovery an obstacle for many qualified nurses continuum. and nursing assistants in the area who Since Life Care Center of Port want to work for Life Care. But Jeffers Townsend also provides skilled nursing has a plan to draw in candidates. The and long-term care services, the facility facility is offering hefty sign-on bonuses acts as a residence for many seniors of – $10,000 for nurses, $3,000 for certified the community. The care team of licensed nursing assistants. In addition to the nurses, CNAs, physical and occupational bonuses, Jeffers says they will reimburse therapists, dietary staff, activity staff, the cost of ferry passes for commuters social services, maintenance and housefrom Whidbey Island. Jeffers is confident keeping personnel strive to maintain a they’ll find the right candidates with a comfortable, caring and supportive place little time and patience. that feels the way a home should. Despite the challenges, Life Care Recently, the family of a former Center of Port Townsend continues to resident wrote a letter to the community grow and improve, keeping patientexpressing her gratitude for the excepfocused care the number one priority. Its tional service their loved one received mission is to be the community’s primary at Life Care Center of Port Townsend. bridge to faster recovery, and to keep the “Administration, nursing and dietary path to greater health and well-being staff were accessible and helpful ... I wide and clear for all Port Townsend witnessed my mother being cared for residents.
C 10 • Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Seaport Landing offers retirement oasis Seaport Landing by Bonaventure, PAID ADVERTISING nestled in a quiet area and surrounded by beautiful trees, is a veritable oasis Seaport Landing offers 54 situated just minutes away from the coast and the port of independent living suites and Port Townsend, Washington. 66 assisted living suites. In Seaport is also a short drive away from the Kah Tai any of those suites, people are Nature Preserve, a tranquil oasis that our residents enjoy independent and in control of on our outings. their lifestyle. Seaport Landing by Bonaventure is the premier retireThe assisted living suites ment and assisted living community that offers everything simply provides supportive from gorgeous, well-manicured lawns and walking paths, services and lifestyle for to a library with a liberal supply of books, home-cooked seniors who require assismeals, a hobby center, beauty salon, daily activities and tance with the activities of 24-hour staff, emergency call systems and top-notch builddaily living but do not need ing security. the skilled services provided At Seaport Landing by Bonaventure, people can create in a nursing home. When it is the home they want, and it always comes with warmth no longer safe or practical for and good old-fashioned service with a smile, which is why individuals to live at home, more than 9 out of 10 residents enthusiastically recommend assisted living provides a Seaport to their own friends and family. comfortable environment Seaport has such high levels of success because people with programs and services work hard to make life easy. Seaport delivers great variety designed to maximize indein all aspects of one’s life, delivering more choices for guests pendence and quality of life. so that guests can perfect their experience in any way that Typical assisted living they want. services include three meals per day, plus snacks, 24-hour Retirement PerfectedTM is all about people: your needs, personal care staff, medication management, laundry and your goals, your desires and thus your ability to enjoy the housekeeping services, social and recreational programs, lifestyle you always envisioned living in retirement. It’s emergency call systems in each suite, and even transportaalso about your family, giving both you and them the peace tion in a wheelchair-accessible van. Assisted lwiving may of mind that your every need is attended to at all times. be the ideal solution for individuals who wish to remain
Start Something New at Seaport Landing by Bonaventure
Come discover what makes us different! The perfect combination of great food, activities, freedom and staff make all the difference. Tour Today and Discover Retirement TM Perfected .
1850 SEAPORT LANDING 4X15, C
TM
1201 Hancock St. Port Townsend, WA 98368
(360) 379-9376 SeaportLandingBonaventure.com
Retirement • Assisted Living © 2017 All rights reserved, Bonaventure Senior Living.
independent, but simply need some help with the activities and routines of daily living. EXCEPTIONAL DINING EXPERIENCE At Seaport Landing by Bonaventure, your worries melt away as you simply enjoy your life. But what exactly does that look like? Our residents enjoy truly exceptional dining experiences every single day. Meals are made from scratch by our trained, professional chef. Our healthy and delicious meals are often listed as the number-one reason people make Seaport Landing by Bonaventure their home. Not only are our meals freshly prepared from locally sourced goods, but dining with us is also an experience. We believe in making dining a special part of your day, so we offer restaurant-style dining. In one of our dining rooms, you are waited on by professional servers, who take your drink and meal orders just like you would expect from a five-star restaurant. If that’s not your style, we also offer another dining room where you can visit a salad bar and take a more hands-on approach to dining. What if you want to dine in the full-service room one day and not the next? You are absolutely free to do so, as our goal is all about your dignity, choice and independence. We also offer a wide variety of activities every day. That’s right: at Seaport Landing by Bonaventure, part of Retirement Perfected™ includes well-planned activities scheduled 7 days a week, every single week. Is BINGO your style? Come and show us what you’ve got with our competitive BINGO group. Do you love bonding with your friends over drinks? We’ve anticipated that as well – come by Happy Hour for cocktails and conversation. We offer puzzles and crafts, gardening and painting. Residents love our cooking and baking groups, our reading club and our live entertainment series by performers such as Carl Hanson, Jack Reid and Geezers Gone Wild. The list of activity possibilities is limited only by imagination. LIBRARY AND GAMES Of course, you are always free to take matters into your own hands. Would you prefer a morning stroll around our beautifully landscaped grounds first thing every morning? Have your coffee, and get outside to soak in the sunshine or enjoy the not-so-distant sea breeze. We have a library, where you can relax with your favorite book, magazine or newspaper. Would you like to play games online or perhaps email your friends and family but don’t have a computer of your own? We have you covered at our computer work stations. Perhaps you’d even like to take a course to learn a bit more about computers. Or how about catching a movie in our in-house theater? Grab some freshly popped popcorn, pick a seat and sit back to enjoy the show! Perhaps you’d like to take a stroll in the brisk coolness of the early evening. Come on back inside when you’re done and warm yourself with a cup of hot cocoa by the fireplace in our cozy and inviting sitting room. Perhaps you have a daily exercise routine you would like to maintain. No problem! Stroll on over to our fitness center and get your groove on. After you’ve worked up a sweat, how about a shower and then a soak in the whirlpool to relax those muscles? Not all of our activities take place at the community. We also love to get out and about, taking residents on fun and diverse outings. We love going out to lunch, taking scenic drives, traveling to the casino, organizing group shopping trips or even heading over to a local park or the senior center for more even more activities. In January, for example, we had an exclusive event to Coupeville. Residents who wanted to participate, along with their friends and family, took a ferry ride over to historic Coupeville. They shopped, had lunch and visited the History Museum, breaking up those winter blahs with a fun ferry ride and an entertaining and educational adventure. Every month, Seaport Landing by Bonaventure publishes a community newsletter where we highlight the main events for the month. We also love to recognize a Resident of the Month as well as an Employee of the Month, because we value our residents and staff, so it is incredibly important for us to recognize what they mean to us and share their stories with the community as well as with friends and family. As January’s Employee of the Month, Med Aide Leilua Tavoi, expressed, “We are all family here, and that is important to us.” Born in American Samoa, Leilua holds a special place in her heart for Seaport Landing by Bonaventure. She and three of her siblings work right here at Seaport Landing, and they bring such positivity and vibrancy to the community. Our residents know that this this kind of atmosphere sets us apart, and they love living here as a result. Resident Joanne Bailey, a welltraveled sailor, author and teacher of children in America, Poland and China, “loves the people of this community, because they are all so pleasant. There are a lot of walking areas to enjoy, and the staff is kind and wonderful!” At Seaport Landing by Bonaventure, home is where our heart is: We’re simply a group of people and a familyowned company dedicated to providing a caring, lively, comfortable, attractive and affordable place for you to make your home, filled with family, fun and new experiences. What home means to you is what matters most to us. Start something new and exciting in your life. Come check out what Retirement Perfected™ really means. While you’re here, have a five-star dining experience on us and even participate in activities to see what the fuss is all about. We even encourage you to visit with our residents and staff, or even stay the weekend to experience what it’s like to settle into a Retirement Perfected™ Lifestyle at Seaport Landing by Bonaventure.