Peninsula Daily News 50 cents
Port Townsend-Jefferson County’s Daily Newspaper
November 26-27, 2010
YOUR FRIDAY/SATURDAY WEEKEND PLANNER OUTLOOK:
OUTDOORS:
MUSIC:
ACTIVITIES:
Rain today, then tapering off
Good weekend for steelhead
How to cut your own yule tree
Up-and-coming bluegrass band
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Peninsula Spotlight
Nurturing Jefferson’s soul
Appeal filed over biomass permit in PT Action parallel to protest of PA generator
Peninsula Daily News
By Charlie Bermant Peninsula Daily News
Charlie Bermant/Peninsula Daily News
Hayden Atkins of Marrowstone Island helps himself to some potatoes while mom Rebecca Atkins watches during Thursday’s feast at the Tri-Area Community Center.
Food, music, fellowship at community Thanksgiving By Charlie Bermant Peninsula Daily News
CHIMACUM — The Tri-Area Community Thanksgiving dinner drew an estimated 225 people Thursday, filling the community center hall with a large group of happy, hungry people. Organizer Chris Eagan said that about 70 volunteers helped to serve the meal, which included 60 pounds of turkey, 40 pounds of ham and plenty of stuffing, potatoes and all the other fixings. Eagan said that 97 meals were delivered to people who could not make it to the community center. “I think that Thanksgiving is more important that Christmas,” said Nan Toby Tyrell, who has played piano at the dinner every year since arriving in the area in 1991. “Thanksgiving isn’t materialistic. It’s not about who is rich or poor, but it nurtures souls and stomachs.”
She said she enjoyed playing piano for this group because “music raises spirits.” Caroline Atkins of Marrowstone Island has attended the dinner for several years with her family and has always wanted to volunteer.
Job taken very seriously Now that she is old enough — she turned 11 this year — she took her job very seriously as she cleared plates and poured drinks. “She is finally at an age of responsibility,” said her mother, Rebecca Atkins. “She has wanted to do this for a long time.” Midway into the dinner, Pane D’Amour owner Linda Yakush arrived and donated several bags of bread she was unable to sell because of chilly, slushy weather. Turn
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Filing against Nippon plans due in spring
PORT TOWNSEND — A coalition of environmental groups has filed an appeal challenging a state permit that will allow the Port Townsend Paper Corp. mill to expand its biomass capacity. The five groups are among the seven that also oppose the Nippon Paper Industries USA Inc.’s biomass project in Port Angeles. The appeal filed Monday with the state Pollution Control Hearings Board is in response to the state Department of Ecology’s granting Oct. 25 of a “notice of construction” permit for the Port Townsend mill’s $55 million project and its July finding that the biomass project had no probable adverse environmental impact. “We feel that Ecology’s omission of a full environmental review was a negligent act,” said Gretchen Brewer, a member of PT AirWatchers, one of the plaintiffs. “Many of the people who responded during the comment period asked for that review, and Ecology ignored those wishes,” the Port Townsend resident said.
Other organizations Along with PT AirWatchers, the appeal was filed by No Biomass Burn of Seattle, World Temperate Rainforest Network, Olympic Environmental Council and Olympic Forest Coalition. Ecology’s October order allows the mill to move ahead with plans to install a steam turbine and upgrade its power boiler, after which time the boiler’s primary fuel source will be wood waste known as biomass or hog fuel.
An appeal of the environmental assessment of the Nippon Paper Industries USA Inc. biomass project is expected to be filed in the spring. The five groups that have filed an appeal with the state Pollution Control Hearings Board against the $55 million proposed Port Townsend cogeneration project, plan — along with the Center for Environmental Law and Policy of Spokane and the Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club — to appeal Nippon’s $71 million biomass project, the coalition’s attorney, Toby Thaler, said. Thaler said the environmental assessment will be appealed to the hearing board after the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency approves air-quality permits for the project. Turn
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As much as 24 megawatts of electricity would be produced for sale. “The Port Townsend Paper Biomass Cogeneration Project will provide 200,000 kilowatt hours per year of green alternative energy to the power grid,” the paper mill said in a statement available on its website at www. ptpc.com. “This is enough to support 15,500 homes annually,” the mill said. Turn
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Fest accidentally mirrors reality ‘Let It Snow’ theme feels a lot warmer indoors By Tom Callis
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — The theme of this year’s Festival of Trees is “Let It Snow,” but Betsy Schultz insisted it was not prophetic. “I was not responsible for this early winter storm,” said the festival’s creative director, who came up with the theme. “But I’ll take credit for it if people think it looks pretty.” The theme was already on display inside — and outside — the
Vern Burton Community Center on Wednesday, with snowflake decorations hanging above teams of tree designers diligently working on their showcase, many hoping to finish them before Thanksgiving. The center at 308 E. Fourth St. is once again the host of the festival, in its 20th year, which will start today with the tree auction. The festival, an annual fundraising event for Olympic Medical Center Foundation and the Port Angeles Exchange Club, will run through Sunday. The 40 decorated trees will be auctioned off during tonight’s Festival of Trees Gala, which includes a gourmet buffet dinner and dance. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Turn
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Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News
Sue Priest of Port Angeles sorts ornaments for a Christmas tree she is decorating to
Festival/A4 be auctioned off at the Festival of Trees in Port Angeles this weekend.
Inside Today’s Peninsula Daily News 94th year, 277th issue — 5 sections, 48 pages
0B5102578
Business C7 Classified D1 Comics C9 Commentary/Letters A10 Dear Abby C9 Deaths C8 Faith C6 Movies *PS Nation/World A3 * Peninsula Spotlight
Puzzles/Games Sports Things To Do Weather
D4 B1 C4 C10