PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Sunday
ALL NEW
38 WILDER NISSAN
BEST IN CLASS FUEL ECONOMY+
2C709527
Morning fog, then mostly cloudy; ice, frost tonight C12
2013 NISSAN ALTIMA
MPG HWY
+Ward’s Upper Middle Sedan class segment. ‘13 Altima 2.5S vs. ‘12 competitors, excluding hybrids and diesels. ‘13 Altima 2.5 EPA fuel economy estimate 38 MPG hwy, 27 MPG city, 31 MPG combined. Actual mileage may vary with driving conditions – use for comparison purposes only.
YYou ou Can Can Co CCount unt On unt On U Us! s! s!
97 DEER PARK ROAD, PORT ANGELES 1-800-927-9395 360-452-9268
www.wildernissan.com
PENINSULA DAILY NEWS December 30, 2012 | $1.50
Port Townsend-Jefferson County’s Daily Newspaper
$
LOOK INSIDE! $
$94
$
IN COUPON SAVINGS
5 things to do in 2013 INSIDE TODAY!
$
Business up since Newtown, Peninsula vendors report
Gun sales rise locally BY ROB OLLIKAINEN PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Two gun stores on the North Olympic Peninsula and many others across the nation have reported a spike in sales in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting earlier this month. Customers are concerned that the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 26 people, including 20 children, will lead to tighter gun restrictions, particularly on semiautomatic weapons such as the AR-15-like Bushmaster that was used in the Newtown, Conn., shooting Dec. 14. The Associated Press reported that assault rifles are sold out across the country and that rounds of .223-caliber bullets, such those used in the AR-15 type rifles, are scarce. No organization publicly releases gun sales data. TURN
TO
GUNS/A5
CHARLIE BERMANT/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Billy Cole, who works at Down Range Guns & Gear in Port Hadlock, inspects a Smith & Wesson .50-caliber magnum revolver that is part of the shop’s inventory.
Yule sales on par with 2011 Jefferson merchants belie national dip BY JEREMY SCHWARTZ PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
LINDA SUTTON/FOR PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Green Eyeshade employee Judy Rich reviews inventory in the Port Townsend shop.
Many North Olympic Peninsula merchants saw modest gains — or at least no declines from 2011 — in holiday sales this year. Despite slower-than-expected holiday sales growth reported by industry observers throughout the nation, locally owned shops in Port Townsend and unincorporated East Jefferson County reported that sales held steady compared with the 2011 holiday shopping season, if not coming in slightly better.
In Clallam County, shops in Port Angeles and Sequim generally reported seeing gains compared with last year, or at least figures on par with the 2011 holiday shopping season, while retailers interviewed in Forks reported either no change or slight decreases in holiday shopping figures. East Jefferson County stores also reported strong support from Peninsula residents over this holiday shopping season, with at least one Port Townsend shop, Northwest Man at 901 Water St., continuing to see local repeat customers with no change in frequency this year. TURN
TO
SHOPPING/A5
Feeling a little achy? Flu season official No bad cases on Peninsula, but shots urged BY ROB OLLIKAINEN PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT ANGELES — Flu season has arrived on the North Olympic Peninsula. Dr. Tom Locke, public health officer for Jefferson and Clallam counties, declared the official start of flu season Friday.
The declaration means that health care workers at Jefferson Healthcare, Olympic Medical Center and Forks Community hospitals must get a flu shot or wear a mask when working around patients. OMC’s vaccination rate was 93.8 percent as of Dec. 5, hospital officials said. Three people, including a child, died of the flu earlier this month in the Seattle area, the state Department of Health said Thursday. There had been no reported deaths or flu-related hospitaliza-
tions in Jefferson or Clallam counties as of Friday. “We’re definitely seeing [flu activity] picking up,” Locke said. “Every week it’s more widespread than the week before.” He added: “The level is still not at a full outbreak mode.”
Consults Kitsap counterpart Locke declared the beginning of the flu season after consulting with his counterpart in Kitsap County, Dr. Scott Lindquist, on Thursday night. “We made the determination that it is circulating in the com-
munity,” Locke said. Based on the trends, Locke predicted that the peak of the flu season will occur in one to two weeks as people return to work and school from holiday vacations. Health officials are urging the public to get vaccinated — flu shots are available at most area pharmacies — and to follow simple preventative steps such as cover your cough, wash your hands, use hand sanitizer and stay home from work or school when you’re sick.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
“It’ still not too late to get a flu shot, although it typically takes 10 to 14 days to take full effect,” Locke said. Flu activity has accelerated across the state, particularly in Western Washington, the health department said. A Pierce County boy, who was younger than 12, died of flu complications earlier this month. Two older adults in King County — a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s — died within the past two weeks, the department said. TURN
TO
FLU/A5
INSIDE TODAY’S PENINSULA DAILY NEWS 96th year, 314th issue — 8 sections, 82 pages
from
2C709481
BUSINESS/POLITICS D1 E1 CLASSIFIED COMMENTARY/LETTERS A8 C8 COUPLES C4 DEAR ABBY C11 DEATHS C2 MOVIES A3 NATION A2 PENINSULA POLL TV WEEK
❘
USA WEEKEND
❘
SUNDAY FUN
PUZZLES/GAMES SPORTS WEATHER WORLD
E4 B1 C12 A3