PeninsulaNorthwest
Peninsula Daily News
(C) — Thursday, August 18, 2011
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PA esplanade plans outlined at meet By Tom Callis
Peninsula Daily News
Entryway sign idea abandoned
PORT ANGELES — Construction of a boardTHE IDEA OF an entryway monu- split on the east end of town, said walk-like structure west of ment along U.S. Highway 101 at Morse Nathan West, city economic and comthe ferry terminal could Creek, which was once envisioned as begin as early as spring if munity development director. part of the Port Angeles Waterfront funding is found for it, the There would be no monuments or and Transportation Improvement Plan, other structures added at Morse Creek, Port Angeles City Council has been abandoned. was told Tuesday. he said. The idea was dropped because of Bill Grimes of Studio An entryway monument is planned concerns over traffic safety at the botCascade said the design of on the west side of the city, likely at the tom of the Morse Creek S-curve. the structure, called an intersection of Lauridsen Boulevard Instead, the city is planning to add esplanade, should be finand Lincoln Street. landscape improvements to the traffic ished in December. island where First and Front streets Peninsula Daily News Studio Cascade of Spokane is the lead consultant on the city’s Waterfront and Transportation Improve- and take up to 15 months to which is still being sought. made on the applications. ment Plan. complete, said Nathan West said the city has The plan includes West, city economic and applied for three federal improvements that would Water restrictions community development grants to help cover the cost cost up to between of the esplanade and other $16.7 million and $17.3 milBecause of restrictions director. But construction of the aspects of the waterfront lion, if fully implemented. on building over water, conThe city is seeking struction would begin $1.9 million structure is plan. between March and June dependent on funding, No decisions have been grants to cover 80 percent
of the project, which it is breaking up into as much as 14 phases. If the city can’t attain the funding in time, the project would be delayed a year because of a statemandated “fish window,” when work is prohibited in order to accommodate salmon mating season, Grimes said.
Park part of plan
funding is available. The council has selected the esplanade as the top priority. The park concept is split into two halves. Construction of the east half would cost $851,317, according to the City Council’s meeting packet. Cost estimates for the west half, which would include the two beaches, have yet to be made. The park would include two small bays with sandy beaches and would accommodate the waterfront trail, among other improvements. The Waterfront and Transportation Improvement Plan will cost $1.7 million to produce.
The plan involves a new waterfront park, landscape and transportation improvements to Railroad Avenue, and expansion of Hollywood Beach, among other changes. West said the city would also like to begin construc________ tion of the new two-acre park that would sit between Reporter Tom Callis can be Oak Street and the Valley reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom. Creek estuary this spring if callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
SARC hopeful withdraws from Nov. 8 race By Paul Gottlieb
Peninsula Daily News
SEQUIM — Under his doctor’s orders, Henry A. “Pete” Church-Smith withdrew Wednesday from the Nov. 8 general election race for a position on the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center board. Church-Smith, 69, has advanced prostate cancer and must immediately begin treatment in Seattle, he said Wednesday. “My doctor said no out-
side stress,” s a i d ChurchSmith, a retired certified financial planner who was challenging Church-Smith longtime incumbent Melinda Griffith. “If you’re a man over 60, get a PSA test because I never had one,” he said. A PSA test measures the level of prostate-specific
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PSA test measures the level of prostate-specific antigens in the blood, according to www.cancer.gov. The test, along with a digital rectal exam, is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for helping to detect signs of prostate cancer in men 50 and older. antigens in the blood, according to www.cancer. gov. The test, along with a digital rectal exam, is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for helping to detect signs of prostate cancer in men 50
and older. Church-Smith said he will stay active in Concerned Citizens of Clallam County, also known as FourC. But he will no longer moderate monthly meetings of the group.
OMC: 3 voice concerns at meet done and just our tasks.” Wright said OMC’s proposal for health care insurance benefits would mean part-time workers would pay 100 percent of their spouse’s premium. “That’s going to go up to $500,” said Wright, adding that children would cost a part-time worker $200 per month to cover. “That’s a huge increase,” she said. “A lot of part-time nurses are not going to be able to afford it, and dietary workers certainly are not going to be able to afford it. “When they’re bringing home $1,300 a month, how can they afford $700 a month in health care?” she asked. Efforts to obtain the actual proposals from the union and OMC were unsuccessful.
Staffing costs
our employees, on having safe staffing levels.” Lewis said OMC needs to control costs to remain financially viable, especially in a bad economy amid uncertainty over state federal reimbursement levels. He repeated that OMC has no plans now to outsource services.
“There is no doubt that this is challenging for our employees, but I think shared sacrifice is something that we are going to need if we are going to continue to move forward as an organization,” Lewis said. “Obviously, employees will have higher out-ofpocket costs, but I think it’s something that if we don’t do, Olympic Medical Center will not be able to survive financially.” OMC has 344 other union-represented employees from UFCW 21, which settled a three-year contract with the hospital in April, Lewis said. “OMC is committed to continuing to bargain in good faith with SEIU and has requested bargaining dates during this extension period,” a statement from the hospital read.
On guaranteed staffing, Lewis said no other hospital in the state offers it in their contracts. He said it would cost millions. “Olympic Medical Center would be the first hospital to agree to these guaranteed staffing levels,” Lewis said. “I think, ultimately, our board of commissioners should have control over ________ staffing levels,” he added. “We do agree that we Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be need to work with our union reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob. employees and all of our ollikainen@peninsuladailynews. employees, all thousand of com.
Not unusual
SOLVE YOUR PLANT PROBLEMS WSU Master Gardener Plant Clinic Every Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Woodcock Demonstration Garden 2711 Woodcock Rd., Sequim Information about fall and winter gardening will also be available.
watts of electrical power for which credits could be sold. Port Townsend AirWatchers, No Biomass Burn, the Olympic Environmental Council, the Western Temperate Rainforest Network and Olympic Forest Coalition filed a petition for review by the Thurston County Superior Court in June. The state pollution control board effectively denied in May an appeal of a permit issued by Ecology in October for the upgrade of the Port Townsend Paper Corp. mill’s biomass facility, which is to be built this year. The groups said the biomass expansion projects will have detrimental effects on forests and human health.
________ Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews. com.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Preschool Openings in our 2 day class for children age 3 by August 31, 2011 Classes Held: Tues. & Thurs. 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM Class Starts Thurs., September 8th $70 per month with $30 Registration Fee. For more info call 360-452-2323 Holy Trinity Lutheran Preschool admits students of any race and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its education policies, admission policy or scholarship program.
Clallam County Fair! August 18-21
Grandstand Shows Thur - Draft Horse Show Fri - Lawnmower Races Sat - Logging Show & Rodeo Sun - Rodeo & Demolition Derby
Wilder Auto Community Stage Thur - Danny Vernon Elvis Tribute Clallam County Fair Royalty Coronation Fri - Desperado - Chris Ward’s Eagles Tribute Band Sat - Bullet Creek - Country Sun - Anime Kat Costume Show Variety & Talent Show
Sunny Farms Stage All Four Days Brian Ledbetter Magic Thur - Howly Slim Fri - Terry and Jerry Abby Mae & the Homeschool Boys Sat - All ABout Me
For a full listing of fair activities, visit clallamcountyfair.com
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West said the city isn’t doing anything unusual by not seeking fines. He said typically, penalties will be waived if construction ceases and a permit is sought.
of seven environmental groups that in July filed an appeal of the biomass project’s construction permit with the state Pollution Control Hearings Board. The appeal — filed against the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, the state Department of Ecology and Nippon — challenges the notice of construction the Clean Air Agency issued June 21. The other appellants are Protect the Peninsula’s Future, Port Townsend AirWatchers and the North Olympic Group of the Sierra Club, World Temperate Rainforest Network, Olympic Forest Coalition and the Olympic Environmental Council. Five of those groups also have requested a court review of a state Pollution Control Hearings Board ruling in May that favored the Port Townsend Paper mill’s $55 million biomass expansion project, which would crate up to 25 mega-
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“It’s scoffing at the law,” said Nixon, of Port Angeles, on Wednesday. “It’s scoffing at the entire environmental permit process.” Nixon objected to the city not fining the mill during the public comment portion of the Port Angeles City Council’s Tuesday meeting. Duff Badgley, a Seattle activist who runs No Biomass Burn, said in a written statement that Nippon should be fined and prosecuted. “Its arrogance is amazing,” he wrote. “And the city’s complicity is despicable.”
West said he considers the matter to be resolved. “As soon as they complied, the violation is no longer an issue,” he said. Violations of the city’s building code can come with a fine of up to $500 for each day the violation occurred. The mill applied for the permit Aug. 10. West said it takes two weeks for the city to process the permit and consider its approval. City Manager Kent Myers said Nippon is working on “large packages” of other building permit applications it will send to the city within the next 30 to 60 days. The new biomass boiler will produce up to 20 megawatts of electricity by burning wood waste from logging sites and sawmills. The company could then sell credits for the electrical power. It is expected to be completed in early 2013. No Biomass Burn is one
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‘Challenging’
Mill: Two weeks to process Continued from A1
FourC hosts political forums the first Monday of every month that commonly draw more than 100 participants to the Boys & Girls ________ Club gym. Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb Church-Smith and his can be reached at 360-417-3536 wife, Missy, moved to or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladaily Sequim in 2006. news.com.
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Continued from A1 their children’s health care insurance, which is now At the Wednesday night free, and to pay 50 percent meeting, three speakers for a spouse, which is now addressed union concerns about 40 percent. about staffing levels and a “Based on the informaproposed increase in health tion I’ve seen, I think our care insurance costs. medical benefits are above Emergency room nurse market,” Lewis said. Christy Wright said that Hospital officials have the union members are ask- said the children’s premium ing for guaranteed staffing works out to about $95 per “because we feel that it’s month to cover an unlimimportant — it’s important ited number of children up to the community and to to age 26. the care of our patients.” While union members She also said OMC’s pro- dispute the $95-per-month posal for health care insur- claim, OMC officials said ance benefits would hit they don’t have the exact part-time workers espe- cost because the 2012 rates cially hard. are not yet available. “Ninety-five dollars hapDeeply divided pens to be what it would In his motion for a pre- have been if we had agreed liminary injunction, Smith to it at the beginning of said “the parties remain 2011,” Lewis explained. Beyond health care deeply divided regarding the terms for wages, health insurance, union members care benefits, pension bene- said, the other key issue is fits, staffing and manage- safe staffing. ment rights.” Lewis has said it would Patient safety have cost the public hospiAt an Aug. 11 picket, tal $600,000 to fly in, train and pay 150 skilled tempo- emergency room nurse and rary workers to cover the SEIU chief negotiator Marwalk-out the union had garet Cary described staffing in the ER as “not acceptthreatened. OMC officials said they able for patient safety.” Said Wright on Wedneshave proposed a competitive health care insurance day: “I wonder how many plan that would continue to nurses really have time to fully insure full-time or comfort and hold the hands part-time employees at no of their dying patients. “We are so busy when we cost to them. However, OMC is asking are short-staffed we can its employees and manag- barely manage to get our ers to pay for 25 percent of mandatory documentation
Church-Smith’s name will not appear on the Nov. 8 ballot, county Auditor Patty Rosand said. Griffith has been a SARC board member since the mid-1970s. She is now the only candidate for the four-year term in the Position No. 3 seat on the board.