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PENINSULA DAILY NEWS February 23, 2016 | 75¢
Port Angeles-Sequim-West End
County looks to hire lawyer
Planning for the big one
Treasurer claims to be reviewed BY ROB OLLIKAINEN PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
CHARLIE BERMANT/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Port Ludlow Fire Commissioner Ron Helmonds, on stretcher, plays the role of a gunshot victim during an emergency training exercise in May 2015. The faux patient is accompanied by East Jefferson FireRescue firefighter/EMT Gregor Tuttle, left, and Port Ludlow firefighter Kurt Van Ness.
Regional agencies prepare for earthquake responses Exercise scheduled for June; response strategies a focus BY CHARLIE BERMANT PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT TOWNSEND — An earthquake-preparedness exercise planned for this spring is being designed to involve a broad group of agencies in determining a response strategy for when — not if — the “big one” occurs. “There will be a lot of activities,” said Bob Hamlin, the director of the Jeffer-
son County Department of Emergency Management. “There will be many agencies involved, and it will be quite visible to the public.” Hamlin said the agencies — which could include the U.S. Army and the National Guard — will announce details about the exercise and what activities it will entail in the coming weeks.
Cascadia Rising The event, which will be known as the Cascadia Rising 2016 Exercise, will take place from June 7-10 and will include coastal communities throughout Washington, Oregon and British Columbia and their emergency responders.
Clallam County Undersheriff Ron Cameron, who heads the county’s emergency management department, said the exercise originates with state government and extends to Cameron the local level. “We want to make it as real as possible,” Cameron said of the four-day event. “We are testing our communications and our response to a catastrophe to improve our reactions.” TURN
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PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners today are expected to approve an agreement with an outside attorney to review public accusations that they have created a hostile and threatening work environment. Treasurer Selinda Barkhuis has made such claims in multiple emails to county officials during the past year, most recently last Wednesday. Board Chairman Mike Chapman said he welcomed an investigation. “I think the board needs some defense here,” Chap- Barkhuis man said in a Monday work session. “The accusation is this board of commissioners continues to allow a threatening and hostile work environment to occur in the county, which I vehemently deny. At some point, I don’t think you can just stick your head in the sand and say nothing.” No commissioner Chapman objected to the proposed agreement with Dale Kamerrer of Olympiabased Law, Lyman, Daniel, Kamerrer & Bogdanovich, P.S., who has worked on behalf of the county in the past. The form and substance of Kamerrer’s advice has not been determined. Past allegations that commissioners fostered a hostile work environment were reported to the Washington Counties Risk Pool. TURN
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Port officials eye third option for Fairchild Aiming for air service in this year BY PAUL GOTTLIEB PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT ANGELES — After SeaPort and Horizon fell by the wayside, Port of Port Angeles officials are working a third unnamed airline option as they try to revive commercial passenger service at Fairchild International Airport by the 2016 holiday season. Port commissioners said at their work session Monday that they hope to learn by August if air service to and from Fairchild to Sea-Tac International Airport can resume with an airline whose name they would not divulge. Interim Executive Director
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process there” that would include visits by company officials to the North Olympic Peninsula. Portland, Ore.-based SeaPort Airlines Inc. had planned to start up Fairchild-Sea-Tac service March 1 before announcing Feb. 5 that it had filed for reorganization under federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy laws, citing a pilot shortage.
Karen Goeschen said she would not disclose the identity of the airline under a state law disclosure exemption for potential port tenants. Jerry Ludke, the port’s airport and marina manager, would only say the third option was one of In the running three airlines: Anchorage, AlaskaHorizon Air, a subsidiary of based PenAir, St. George, Utahbased SkyWest, and Kenmore- Alaska Airlines, also had considered flying the Port Angeles-Seatbased Kenmore Air. tle route. Kenmore Air was the last com‘Courting process’ mercial passenger airline to serve Ludke said if one of the air- Fairchild before abandoning serlines pursues service at Fairchild, vice in November 2014. “there will be kind of a courting Kenmore, which flew to Boeing
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Field where a shuttle took passengers to Sea-Tac, cited decreasing ridership and revenues and increasing costs after 10 years of service that Ludke started when it took over from Horizon. Ludke said port officials expect to contact SeaPort in early June after the company completes a reorganization plan that includes cutting other U.S. routes to focus on the Pacific Northwest. Port Angeles and Moses Lake “remain at the top of the list” of
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potential Sea-Tac connections for SeaPort, Ludke said at the port meeting during a presentation of the port’s “2016 Goals and Initiatives Action Plan.” Forecast Inc. of Denver, Colo., operating under a $48,300 contract with the port, produced an “Air Service Plan” last year that listed five airlines as possible carriers: ■ SeaPort and Kenmore were listed as offering three, four or five daily flights with nine-passenger Cessna Caravan turboprop aircraft. ■ Horizon offered a 76-passenger Bombardier Q-400 twinengine turboprop with one or two flights a day.
BUSINESS CLASSIFIED COMICS COMMENTARY DEAR ABBY DEATHS HOROSCOPE LETTERS NATION/WORLD
B10 B6 B5 A7 B5 A6 B5 A7 A3
*PENINSULA SPOTLIGHT
PENINSULA POLL PUZZLES/GAMES SPORTS WEATHER
A2 B7 B1 B10