Tuesday
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Varying cloud cover across Peninsula B10
Great discounts on local dining and services B4
PENINSULA DAILY NEWS May 17, 17, 2016 | 75¢
Port Angeles-Sequim-West End
Hopefuls file for all open posts
All walks of life
General election prospects include political newcomer BY PAUL GOTTLIEB PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
ARWYN RICE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Jodi Jones, 44, of Port Townsend walks her dogs, Tig, Tito and Bullet, on a blustery Monday afternoon on the Port Angeles esplanade. Cloud and sun will continue to flirt in Peninsula skies today. For the five-day forecast, see Page B10.
Downtown association leader urges regroup Meeting tonight in PA to zero in on fiscal issues BY PAUL GOTTLIEB PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Downtown Association will conduct its annual membership meeting tonight amid familiar concerns — and renewed optimism — about its future. The get-together will be in the second-floor meeting room at The Landing mall, 115 E. Railroad Ave., beginning with refreshments at 6 p.m. and a meeting with a question-and-answer session beginning at 6:30 p.m. Following the Dec. 19, 2014, layoff of Executive Director Barb
Frederick — whose position has yet to be filled — PADA began 2015 with hopes of revival after naming Josh Rancourt board president Johnson and appointing five new board members. The group had a setback when Rancourt left the board earlier this year.
Resigned in March Rancourt, who is general manager of Country Aire Natural Foods, announced his resignation effective immediately in a March 29 email to PADA Acting Administrator Richard Stephens. He cited “personal and professional obligations” for leaving
the board. In April, the panel elected Young Johnson, then the recently elected vice president, to the top board position. Lauren Jeffries-Johnson, then board secretary, was named vice president. Now PADA, which has about 180 members, is digging in to meet its funding commitments to the city by a Dec. 31 contract deadline. The group must meet certain goals in return for continuing to receive Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA) taxes levied on businesses and based on their square footage. At the PADA board meeting May 9, four new board members were elected and Johnson chaired her first meeting as board president. TURN
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PORT ANGELES — The first day of general election filing week Monday produced aspirants for all five Clallam County positions up for grabs Nov. 8. Clallam County candidates who filed Monday included Werner Buehler, running for the Sequim-area District 1 Clallam County Public Utility District commissioner position held by incumbent board President Will Purser. Candidates have from today through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day, to file for open positions online at www.clallam. net/elections or at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles. Filing fees must be paid in person by cash or check by 4:30 p.m. Friday at the courthouse. U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, a Port Angeles native whose 6th District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties, also filed for re-election to the two-year position he has held since 2012.
Public utility district Buehler, who has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and worked as a lineman in college, has been a general manager for utilities and public utility districts for about 30 years, he said Monday. That stretch includes his current stint as general manager of the Oregon Trail Electric Co-op in Baker City, Ore., a position he has held for about the past nine years and plans to leave by the end of 2016, he said. The Los Angeles native said
Monday he is retiring to Clallam County after he and his wife, Nancy, bought a home in Sequim two years ago. “I think my experience could bring something to the office,” Buehler said. Purser, a PUD commissioner since 2001, also filed Monday for re-election to the six-year position. Purser, appointed in 2001, won election to the position without opposition in 2002, 2004 and 2010. “I think it’s healthy to have a discussion in front of the public,” he said of having a challenger.
Commission, judges Also filing Monday for fouryear terms were Democrat Ron Richards, running for the Port Angeles-area District 2 Clallam County commissioner position being vacated by Mike Chapman, and incumbent Clallam County Superior Court Judges Christopher Melly, Erik Rohrer and Brian Coughenour. Three candidates also filed for the following 24th District state legislative seats that cover Clallam and Jefferson counties and the northern third of Grays Harbor County: ■ Chapman, a Port Angeles Democrat, filed for the two-year Position 1 state representative seat being vacated by Sequim Democrat Kevin Van De Wege. ■ Van De Wege filed for the four-year state Senate seat being vacated by longtime Democrat Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam, who is retiring. TURN
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Health insurance firms press for rate hikes Double-digit increases being sought BY DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE — Health insurance companies that sell individual policies in Washington state want to increase their rates by an average of 13.5 percent in 2017, the state insurance commissioner’s office said Monday. Those rate requests are under review by the state insurance commissioner’s office, which has historically set final rates below the company requests. Commissioner Mike Kreidler said the larger-than-usual rate hike requests show the individual
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insurance market is still developing. “I see it as kind of the reflection of the shake-down cruise of this competitive marketplace,” he said. “They probably are rate increases that should have happened when they first got started.” Individual insurance rates are likely to continue to go up and down throughout the next few years, Kreidler said, adding, “Losing money long term is not a good scenario.” Kreidler said, however, that people who can’t afford the higher rates will benefit from an increase in government subsidies if they buy their insurance through the
state exchange, Washington Healthplanfinder. A total of 13 insurance companies plan to sell individual plans in Washington state next year, with six only selling inside the exchange, four only selling outside of the exchange and three selling both inside and outside.
Two dropping out Two of the companies that have been selling health insurance to individuals and families in the state have informed state officials they are dropping out of the market. Moda withdrew in January and United Healthcare of Washington will leave the individual market in 2017.
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Two other companies, Premera and Lifewise, have decided to continue selling insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder, but they will no longer market their policies outside the exchange, the insurance commissioner said Monday. The rate increase requests range from 9.5 percent by Group Health Cooperative to 20 percent by Premera. The insurance commissioner, who will review the rate requests during the next two months, seldom grants the full rate increase request from any health insurance company. Kreidler said the requests are similar to what other states are seeing this year. The Health Benefit Exchange
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Board is scheduled to certify plans for sale on Washington Healthplanfinder on Sept. 8. Open enrollment for the 2017 individual market begins Nov. 1. Last year, the commissioner’s office received rate requests averaging increases of 4.2 percent, and granted an average of 3.8 percent. Some companies, including Kaiser and Group Health, saw their rates go down in 2016. Insurance companies haven’t made rate requests averaging double-digit amounts since 2012. The 13 insurers interested in selling individual health insurance plans in Washington state want to offer 154 total plans for 2015.
BUSINESS CLASSIFIED COMICS COMMENTARY DEAR ABBY DEATHS HOROSCOPE LETTERS NATION/WORLD
A4 B6 B5 A7 B5 A6 B5 A7 A3
*PENINSULA SPOTLIGHT
PENINSULA POLL PUZZLES/GAMES SPORTS WEATHER
A2 B7 B1 B10