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PENINSULA DAILY NEWS February 11, 2016 | 75¢
Port Townsend-Jefferson County’s Daily Newspaper
Voters weigh fund measures PT bond over the top; CSD issue fails BY CHARLIE BERMANT PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend School District is making plans for future construction while the Chimacum School Board is meeting to decide what to do next after their bond proposals met different fates. Following its decisive victory in Tuesday’s special election, in which it won 73.23 percent approval for a $40.9 million construction bond, the Port Townsend School District will enter the planning process for the construction of a new elementary school. The Chimacum School Board, faced with the apparent failure of its $29.1 million construction bond, was scheduled to meet to plan its future. “I spent this morning preparing charts about our options and timelines,” Chimacum Schools CHARLIE BERMANT/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS Superintendent Rick Thompson said Wednesday. Port Townsend School Superintendent David Engle, left, thanks Jeff Randall for his support of the bond “It would be premature for me to say any- issue, which so far has 73 percent approval. Also pictured is Randall’s 7-year-old son, Soren. thing now because the board needs to hear about these options.” Voters in the Port Townsend School District approved a $40,977,588 measure by a healthy margin, while supporters of a Chimacum bond fell 2 percentage points below its goal. Wednesday. In other measures, the num- from 109 voters, or 62.29 percent. BY CHARLIE BERMANT After a second count Wednesday, the JefferPENINSULA DAILY NEWS bers changed but the outcomes did not. Opposed to the measure were 66 voters, son County auditor reported the Port Townsend On Election Day, officials had said the or 37.71 percent. bond was approved with 4,830 votes, or PORT TOWNSEND — A $530,000 next count would be Friday. The money will be used to replace 73.23 percent, supporting it and 1,766 votes, or bond to replace a Discovery Bay Fire & Betty Johnson, election coordinator, Fire Station 51 on the corner of Bentley 26.77 percent, in opposition. Rescue station passed after a second said the office counted all the ballots Place and East Uncas Road in Discovery A property tax rate of $1.24 per $1,000 count of ballots Wednesday. that came in the mail Wednesday along Bay. assessed value is expected to be required for 20 The bond measure, which appeared with those from drop boxes. years to finance the bond. to be failing by a small margin Tuesday “We counted today instead of Friday Over the top Property owners are now paying 54 cents per night, received a reversal of fortune because a couple of issues were close,” $1,000 assessed value for a capital improveThe new building will have a metal when additional votes counted WednesJohnson said in an email. ments levy that will be retired in 2016. frame structure of about 9,400 square day pushed the approval numbers over “Our next count will depend on how feet, with four equipment bays, office Proponents say that means the new measure the 60 percent supermajority threshold many valid ballots come in tomorrow’s space and a training-meeting room that will result in a net increase for capital improveneeded for passage of the bond. mail.” ments of 70 cents per $1,000 assessed value. also would be available for community “I’m thrilled,” said Willie Knoepfle, the On Tuesday night, the initial count of events and a shelter in the event of an Chimacum had requested a $29.1 million bond department’s chief, one of 16 volunteers. that would have financed the expansion of Chima“We are going to get started on building ballots showed that the Discovery Bay emergency, the district says on its webcum Creek Primary School, with the rest eara nice metal building for the community.” fire district bond had won approval from site. 98 voters, or 59.76 percent, and was marked for upgrades of technology, heating and Knoepfle said some plans have been opposed by 66, or 40.24 percent. electrical, and the construction of an all-weather discussed but will move forward more Counted more ballots That left it just shy of the 60 percent quickly “now that we have the money.” track at the school district’s main campus. The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office supermajority needed for passage. TURN TO SCHOOLS/A5 TURN TO LEVIES/A5 counted an additional 953 ballots The second count reflected approval
Fire bond moves ahead; two levies passing
Sequim grad to vie for Olympic team spot Dinius to jockey Saturday in Calif. BY MICHAEL DASHIELL OLYMPIC PENINSULA NEWS GROUP
SEQUIM — She already had dropped band and basketball, so by the time she began racing with the Sequim Middle School’s seventh-grade cross-country team, quitting was not an option. “We would run laps to start out the class. Basically, that was the only thing I was good at,” said Stephanie Marcy Dinius, now 26 and a Boston resident. “It was way harder than I thought it would be,” she recalled. “I wanted to quit right away. But I thought, ‘I have to finish out this season.’ I’m so glad I did. I
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loved it. Never went back.” What a long, winding road it’s been for the Sequim native. Dinius, the former Washington state champion-turned-collegiate All-American, aims for a berth in the 31st Summer Olympic Games when she races against the nation’s best in a marathon at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Los Angeles on Saturday. The race will be aired on NBC at 10 a.m. For information, see www.latrials2016.com. The top three male and female finishers will be nominated to represent Team USA and the nation in the marathon at the
2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro six months after the trials. Like other competitors, Dinius’ road to the trials was anything but smooth. Two major post-college injuries nearly derailed her running career. “There were moments I had all but run out of hope,” she said. “But with my running friends and Shane [Dinius, her husband], I said, ‘This is where I’m at. I really need help.’ Your community is really important, as is having grace with yourself and patience, being OK with what happens. “Running is such a gift as long DAVID GONZALES/STANFORD UNIVERSITY as I have it. When it’s over, I’ll find Stephanie Dinius, a Sequim High and Stanford University something else.” graduate, will race for an Olympic Games berth Saturday TURN
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