Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader
Wednesday, May 27, 2015 • C 1
SPECIAL LEADER FOCUS • SECTION C
Activities Listings
They can fly before they can drive Aero Museum turns out two more flyboys Two new flyboys have emerged through a self-help and volunteer program for young people at the Port Townsend Aero Museum. One of the two became a private pilot before he earned a driver’s license. Thanks to their volunteer work at the museum, all the instruction received by Port Townsend native Miguel Salguero, 17, and Tacoma resident Seth Mulhausen, 18, was donated by flight instructors through the museum. Other costs for the licenses came from a trust fund quietly established by the widow of a longtime Aero Museum supporter in her pilot husband’s honor. Getting to the big tests, which can put butterflies in the belly, was certainly not a free ride. The two teens had to earn their way by participating in Aero Museum founders Jerry and Peggy Thuotte’s program, designed to give youngsters direction, skills and confidence. “The flying’s an extra,” Jerry Thuotte said. Miguel Salguero, still grinning several days after passing his test on April 15, said he started at the Aero Museum at age 11 by doing yard work one day a week around museum’s buildings at the Jefferson County International Airport. As soon as the Thuottes saw Miguel’s commitment, he was given more responsibility and taught the arts of aircraft restoration – and eventually, instructed in flying. It costs the volunteers little or no money; the program is there for any boy or girl who sticks it out and shows determination. Rewards include developing skills in woodworking, fabric covering, painting, metal shaping – any number of disciplines that go into old-aircraft construction and restoration – plus gaining confidence.
Fitness & Health ADDITIONAL LISTINGS, SEE ALSO: Sports, Gymnastics, and YMCA. AIKIDO AT THE DOJO • YOUTH CLASS: ages 10-14. Mondays, 4:30 p.m. $30 per month. ADULT & TEEN CLASS: Mondays at 7 p.m, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. $40 per month. Located in Boat Haven on Sims Way, across from Henery Hardware. www.aikidoporttownsend. com or call at (360) 385-1457. SWIM FREE • Second Sunday of every month at the Mountain View Pool. Adults Only for laps, water walking and exercise, 1-2 p.m. Family Recreation Swim for all ages, 2:15-5 p.m. An adult must accompany children under 8 in the water. Questions, call (360) 385-7665.
Northwind Arts Center Miguel Salguero of Port Townsend began volunteering at the Port Townsend Aero Museum at age 11 and earned his private pilot’s license at age 17, thanks to the museum’s special program. Submitted photo
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New pilot Seth Mulhausenwith the private pilot’s license he obtained thanks to a youth program offered at the Port Townsend Aero Museum. Submitted photo
“Everybody does everything,” said Salguero, a high school junior now. “Yesterday, I was chopping out alders next to the building, but I also did aircraft work right away when I got here as a new kid. Mike Payne [restorer/instructor] handed me a screwdriver and told me to take covers off things on a plane he
needed to inspect for its annual. That’s how it started.” Soon enough, sincerely interested boys and girls are changing oil, helping re-skin wings, sanding, painting and taxiing airplanes. Before the museum, Salguero said, he was “focused on being an 11-year-old – I had no hobbies, no sports. My
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old tail-wheel aircraft are what the museum has. Learn more by calling the muBoth had to fly cross-counseum at 379-5244 or visiting try to get their licenses. Each ptaeromuseum.com. flew to Kelso and back. Both are aiming for college: Salmom [Diane Salguero] heard guero, to CalPoly in San Luis about the museum program, Obispo, California, if he has and I had a day a week I could his say; Mulhausen, to Rocky spend there, 8:30-4.” Mountain College in Billings, It’s not for everybody. Montana, for its aviation “Maybe four try it and specialty. stay for every one that leaves Not all “museum kids” beearly,” said Jerry Thuotte. In come pilots; some simply gain order for a kid to be admitconfidence and determination. ted, Thuotte has to glimpse Approximately 150 youngthe right spark of interest, a sters have participated in the willingness to work and learn. Aero Museum’s program. He knows what to look for: He The Aero Museum, foundcomes from a family that was ed in 2001 by the Thuottes, dirt poor, but despite poverty, is a publicly owned nonprofit he followed his passions to be- 501(c)(3) located since 2008 came a senior airline pilot pri- in a modern facility at Jefor to founding the museum. ferson County International Seth Mulhausen has spent Airport, about five miles from the past three years being Port Townsend. The operation driven from his Tacoma home is funded by donations and to the Aero Museum in purcontract airplane work done suit of much the same course for others. Salguero took. “I’ve always An anonymous Jefferson had an aviation interest, went County couple has offered to to air shows every chance, and match as much as $100,000 in it grew.” donations made through the Mulhausen got his private end of June 2015. Donations pilot’s license in March. He in- may be made to the PT Aero tends to become a commercial Museum, P.O. Box 101, Chipilot. Salguero is happy flying macum, WA 98325. for sport. Both had to learn “We think we are on schedin tail-draggers rather than ule to make the $100,000, but easier modern tricycle, or we won’t know until the month nosewheel, airplanes, because is over,” noted Peggy Thuotte.
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1. “ALCHEMY OF THE ABSTRACT VII” • Friday, June 5. Opens 12 Noon at Northwind Arts Center. This biannual juried exhibition of abstract and non-representational art is open to all media. This show never fails to bring out a wide range of frequently colorful and always thought-provoking work. Free. 2. “PAPER TRANSFORMED” • Friday, July 3. Opens 12 Noon at Northwind Arts Center. An exhibition of the work of eight western Washington artists who transform machine- and hand-made paper into a myriad of structures, including artist books, sculpture, jewelry, baskets, and other visual objects. Free. 3. “ART IN THE LIBRARY” Reception • Friday, July 24. 6-7:30 p.m. Northwind Arts Center opens this new exhibition with a reception at the Port Townsend Public Library. Original art by local artists is exhibited throughout the historic library: in the Library’s 1913 Carnegie Building, its Annex, and the 1868 Charles Pink House Library Learning Center. Free. 4. 7th Annual Art Port Townsend “EXPRESSIONS NORTHWEST” • Friday, July 31. Opens at 12 Noon at the Northwind Arts Center. This popular exhibition includes a variety of work by artists from Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, British Columbia, and Alaska. Free. 5. 17th Annual Art Port Townsend “ARTIST STUDIO TOUR” • August 22-23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit studios of local artists, meet the artists and learn about creation of ceramics, printing, sculpting, painting, and more. Obtain tour description and map at Northwind Arts Center. Free.
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2132 Lawrence St . 360-643-0072
1321 Sims Way Port Townsend WA 98368
JEFFERSON TRANSIT AUTHORITY
SUMMER YOUTH PASS Memorial Day to Labor Day $
20
Unlimited Rides 18 & under
Summer Hours Starting June 13:
Tues.-Fri. 11am-4pm • Sat. 10am-3pm Closed Sun. & Mon.
Call (360) 385-2221 or see www.countyrec.com
Travel around Port Townsend or the Olympic Peninsula
Can be used on Clallam, Mason, Grays Harbor and Jefferson Transits with no out-of-county surcharge.
Passes can be purchased from a Jefferson Transit Driver
ALL SUMMER or !from our Customer Service Office.
JEFFERSON TRANSIT AUTHORITY
Passes can be purchased from a Jefferson Transit driver or from our Customer Service office 360-385-4777 www.jeffersontransit.com
360-385-4777
www.jeffersontransit.com
AL SUMML ER!