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PENINSULA DAILY NEWS March 7, 2016 | 75¢
Port Townsend-Jefferson County’s Daily Newspaper
Eye on Olympia
Innovative award
Senator against pension merger Hargrove cites insolvency issue BY CHRIS MCDANIEL PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
CHARLIE BERMANT/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Northwest Maritime Center Executive Director Jake Beattie, left, received the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Director’s Award for Innovation from chamber Executive Director Teresa Verraes at a brunch Sunday.
Maritime Center director nets new chamber honor Beattie would be honored with an award but did not disclose what it would be. “Not knowing what the award was made it a bit difficult to prepare remarks,” Beattie, 39, said. “But it’s clear that I’m no longer young because I wasn’t considered for the [Young ProfesBY CHARLIE BERMANT sional] award.” PENINSULA DAILY NEWS Brunch at Fort Worden Aside from unveiling a new award, PORT TOWNSEND — Small collabothis was the first of the events to More than 160 people filled a banquet rations were heralded as the cause of Port include a keynote speaker, U.S. Rep. Townsend’s big successes as the Jefferson room brunch at Fort Worden State Park to Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, who said honor and support nominees for Citizen, County Chamber of Commerce revealed he was “generally very protective of my Business Leader and Young Professional its annual award winners Sunday. Sundays because I have two little kids of the Year, and to find out what kind of “This community resonates around and I like them.” enthusiasm, collective action, ideas and award Beattie was going to receive. Prior to the event, the chamber said TURN TO AWARDS/A5 passion,” said Northwest Maritime Cen-
Annual recognition event also highlights citizen of the year
ter Executive Director Jake Beattie after being awarded the chamber’s first Director’s Award for Innovation. “Business leaders are here not only for the profit — the profit is a mechanism for making a difference in the community and deciding what kind of place we want it to be.”
OLYMPIA — State Sen. Jim Hargrove opposes a Senate bill that would merge the pensions of police and firefighters in the state with an insolvent teachers’ pension fund. “I can’t support that,” said Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, on Saturday. “There is the objection that the firefighters paid into this plan and the teachers’ plan is a little bit underwater.” Hargrove — along with Rep. Steve Tharinger and Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, both Sequim Democrats — Hargrove represent the 24th District, which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County. The Senate Ways and Means Committee, of which Hargrove is a ranking member, on Wednesday conducted a public hearing on Senate Bill 6668 and approved it. SB 6668 is now being considered by the Rules Committee. The bill would merge the assets and liabilities of Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ Retirement System (LEOFF) Plan 1 with Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) Plan 1. The projected surplus of LEOFF 1 is about $1.2 billion, while TRS 1 is in a deficit of nearly $3 billion, according to The Capitol Record. The proposed pension merger is part of the Senate Republican majority’s supplemental budget plan. TURN
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Tribe, college team up for Dungeness project Floodplain work is chance for study BY ALANA LINDEROTH OLYMPIC PENINSULA NEWS GROUP
SEQUIM — Jamestown S’Klallam tribe scientists have teamed up with Western Washington University’s Huxley College on the Peninsulas as part of a Dungeness River floodplain restoration effort. “The big question is to plant or not to plant,” said Jenise Bauman, the college’s assistant professor of environmental science. To help determine whether planting and/or seeding native shrub and tree species in an area like Railroad Bridge Park where there’s “a lot of seed source” is
part of every project we [the tribe] do whether we’ve acquired new property along the river or after beneficial, Huxley students from removing floodplain obstructions Peninsula College and Olympic like dikes or levees — planting it College are working with the is part of our restoration design.” tribe’s habitat biologists to study different restoration approaches Exciting opportunity and their outcomes. Collaboration with Huxley The project area is in the floodCollege students and professors, plain surrounding the recently however, isn’t part of every restorepaired bridge at Railroad ration project. Bridge Park. “Often we have to just go in “We’ve built this brand new and do what we think is best,” awesome bridge and we’ve given Turnbull said. the river a lot more room to move “So I was really excited to have than it had in the past,” said Hilthe opportunity to work with stuALANA LINDEROTH/OLYMPIC PENINSULA NEWS GROUP ton Turnbull, habitat biologist for dents and do an experimental the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe. Volunteers with the Peninsula Trails Coalition prepare the design.” wooden ramp and 155-foot historical bridge at Railroad “This type of floodplain revegTURN TO RIVER/A5 Bridge Park near Sequim to be resurfaced with concrete. etation work is pretty much a
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100th year, 56th issue — 2 sections, 18 pages
CLASSIFIED COMICS COMMENTARY DEAR ABBY DEATHS HOROSCOPE NATION PENINSULA POLL PUZZLES/GAMES
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