Wednesday
Area golfers in top 10
Tug of war between sun and clouds B12
Sequim, Chimacum players are in solid position B1
PENINSULA DAILY NEWS May 25, 2016 | 75¢
Port Townsend-Jefferson County’s Daily Newspaper
Testing the waters?
CHARLIE BERMANT/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
About 90 people urging increased teacher pay attended Monday night’s Port Townsend School Board meeting.
Teachers protest pay to PT board CHARLIE BERMANT/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Fort Flagler volunteer Harold Briggs stands outside the park’s woodshop Tuesday. Washington State Parks is investigating the idea of allowing some commercial vendors in some parks.
Fort Flagler State Park eyed for pilot project Thursday on possibly seeking proposals for private development of some park visitor amenities such as cabins or food service in two state parks — Fort Flagler on Marrowstone Island and Millersylvania, 10 miles south of Olympia in Thurston County. As proposed, the property would stay under state ownership, with leases granted to private investors. The next time the state commission could consider voting on the pilot proposal would be in September. “We have concession agreements with commercial ventures already and have for years,” said
Program would increase private development BY CHARLIE BERMANT PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
MARROWSTONE ISLAND — Fort Flagler State Park is one of two in the state parks system that could be tapped for a pilot program to bring in more private business development. Staff members gave a report to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission last
Virginia Painter, State Parks spokeswoman. As Brian Hageman, the manager of Fort Flagler, Fort Worden and four other area state parks, said: “Normally with parks we tend to sit back and let someone come to us and say ‘hey, we’d like to put an ice cream or a hot dog stand in your park.’” The difference in that and the present proposal, according to Painter, “is we’ve scanned the system to find properties that might be good sites for more development where we would put out a request to find out what the interest might be. TURN
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100 people turn out at school district meeting BY CHARLIE BERMANT PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend School District needs to bring its salary schedule in line with other districts in the state or the quality of education will decline, speakers told the school board. Christina Laughbon, a fifthgrade teacher at Blue Heron Middle School, told the board Monday night that Port Townsend teacher salaries are low compared to others on the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas. She cited retirements and a working climate where teachers feel frustrated in the evaluation quality and a lack of professional development. All of that, she said, “is not going to attract the teachers we want at our schools.” More than 100 people filled the meeting room and spilled into the
hallway during the meeting’s public comment segment. About 15 people talked about teacher pay. Superintendent David Engle, who is retiring at the end of the school year, said he was disappointed that the union had gone public with its concerns. “They have taken the contract bargaining into the public domain when it is usually a closed conversation,” he said. “They’ve taken it to the street to put on some pressure but need to keep in mind that we don’t have unlimited resources.”
Embrace teachers Port Townsend High School attendance secretary Lisa Anderson said the schools “really need to embrace the teachers in order to keep them here.” TURN
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Slow decrease in unemployment continues Peninsula figures show 3rd straight drop in Clallam, Jefferson counties BY ROB OLLIKAINEN PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
A slow-but-steady decrease in unemployment continued on the North Olympic Peninsula in April as Clallam and Jefferson counties each had slight dips in jobless rates for the third consecutive month, state officials said. Clallam County unemployment went from a revised 8.4 percent in March to a preliminary 7.9 percent in April, the state Employment Security
able for work and has actively sought work in the past four weeks. In January, unemployment was 9.2 percent in Clallam County and 7.9 percent in Jefferson County. Clallam County employers have added 390 jobs in the past year, 330 of which are government jobs, Employment Security said. Jefferson County employers added 190 jobs throughout the year, 150 of which are privatesector positions.
Department reported Tuesday. There were 25,106 employed Clallam County citizens and 2,163 looking for a job in April, officials said. Jefferson County unemployment went from a preliminary 7.3 percent in March to a revised 7.2 percent in April, according to estimates. There were 10,596 working Jefferson County residents and Statewide numbers 825 unemployed. Employment Security considDespite the addition of 11,200 ers someone unemployed if he or jobs statewide, the seasonally she does not have a job, is avail- adjusted state unemployment
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additional analysis, officials have said.
Lowest in state King County had the lowest unemployment in the state last month at 4.1 percent. Ferry County had the highest unemployment rate in April at 10.8 percent.
________ Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
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rate remained at 5.8 percent in April, officials said. The state added 102,900 jobs between April 2015 and April 2016, including 90,800 privatesector positions, Employment Security officials said. National unemployment remained at 5.0 percent last month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment rates at the county level are not seasonally adjusted because the sample size is too small to accommodate the
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espite the addition of 11,200 jobs statewide, the seasonally adjusted state unemployment rate remained at 5.8 percent in April, officials said.
BUSINESS CLASSIFIED COMICS COMMENTARY DEAR ABBY DEATHS HOROSCOPE LETTERS NATION/WORLD
B5 B7 B6 A9 B6 A8 B6 A9 A5
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PENINSULA POLL PUZZLES/GAMES SPORTS WEATHER
A4 B8 B1 B12