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PENINSULA DAILY NEWS April 14, 14, 2016 | 75¢
Port Angeles-Sequim-West End
Sheriff adds staff to heroin fray Sergeant will join OPNET BY ROB OLLIKAINEN PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office is moving a sergeant to the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team to help fight the heroin epidemic on the North Olympic Peninsula. Clallam County commissioners this week approved a patrol sergeant’s position to allow Sheriff Bill Benedict to reassign an existing sergeant to the multiagency drug task force known as OPNET.
“I wanted to re-exert the leadership supervision in OPNET,” Benedict told commissioners in a Monday work session. “It also comes at a time when it seems like every time I turn around, people are expressing their concern with the heroin and opiate problem that we have on the Peninsula.” Commissioners gave Benedict the green light to restore a sergeant’s position that had been left vacant since the recession. “It’s a long time coming,” board Chairman Mike Chapman said.
“If you need overtime money, if diately available for comment you’re going to make a sweep or Wednesday. “We’re going on our fourth you’re going to attack this more, just let us know what you need.” supervisor in a year with that unit,” Clallam County Chief Clallam, Jefferson counties Criminal Deputy Brian King said of OPNET. OPNET targets mid- and “We’re looking to add stability upper-level drug dealers in Clalout there to be able to be missionlam and Jefferson counties. It driven and meet our mission consists of local, state and federal requirements.” law enforcement officers. Undersheriff Ron Cameron Recent OPNET supervisors said the Port Angeles Police have come from the Port Angeles Department will provide a corpoPolice Department. The city can ral for the drug task force. no longer support an OPNET ser“They’ll still have that particigeant because of retirements and pation level that they’ve always transfers, Benedict said. had,” Cameron said. Bill Benedict Interim Port Angeles Police TURN TO OPNET/A6 Clallam County sheriff Chief Brian Smith was not imme-
Sequim Bay flats eyed for studies
Cut out for metal art
Marina area could be new oyster bed BY ARWYN RICE PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
ALANA LINDEROTH/OLYMPIC PENINSULA NEWSPAPER GROUP
From left, Jake Sparks, Shawn Hardesty, James Nolan, Jacob Sallee and Miriel Cawyer are just some of the welding students working to create the metal elk sculptures to help raise funds for student scholarships. Below, one of the Sequim students uses welding equipment to cut an elk out of sheet metal.
Students craft elk with class School artwork being sold for local fundraiser BY ALANA LINDEROTH OLYMPIC PENINSULA NEWS GROUP
SEQUIM — Sparks are flying at Sequim High School. For the second year, the school’s welding class is collaborating with the Gardiner Garden Club to create metal elk sculptures intended to support student scholarships.
The project is “all positive,” said Bill Seabolt, Sequim High School welding instructor.
Work with public “I really like when this type of project happens because not only do the kids get a chance to work with the public, but it gives them some real-world experience,” he said. The Gardiner Garden Club hosts an annual fundraiser dinner with the main goal to raise scholarship funds for Sequim High students. TURN
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PORT ANGELES — Tidelands near John Wayne Marina will be studied and parts of them seeded to create a new Olympia oyster bed in Sequim Bay. In a 2-1 vote, the commissioners agreed to allow the Clallam County Marine Resources Committee to study a portion of Sequim Bay tidelands, adjacent to the south side of the jetty, and seed it with oysters beginning in 2017. Commissioners Colleen McAleer and Steve Burke voted in favor of the oyster beds, while Commissioner Connie Beauvais voted against the use of the property. The oysters would not be harvested. Oysters at the 7-acre property at Pitship Point Cove cannot be harvested due to its proximity to the marina, and the small native oysters usually do not reach a legally harvestable size, said Jesse Waknitz, port environmental manager. Native Olympia oysters were harvested to near depletion in previous decades. The Washington Shellfish Initiative, which former Gov. Chris Gregoire initiated in 2011, aims to restore the native beds as part of an effort to clean Puget Sound. The goal of the project is to eventually restore 100 acres of habitat for Olympia oysters in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, Waknitz said. Olympia oyster populations are recovering and are not currently a protected species, he said. The Marine Resources Committee and Jamestown S’Klallam tribe have already seeded an area of the bay on tribal land at the southern end of Sequim Bay. Waknitz said that, should the port have a need to use the property in the future, the presence of the oysters would not add more permits or processes than currently required. The Marine Resources Committee will be responsible for studies and permits for the oyster beds, he said. TURN
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