(Airdate: March 23, 2022) Nan Evans talks with Maggie Baker and Suzy Elbow, this year’s AmeriCorps Service Members who are sponsored by the Friends of Fort Worden. Learn about their care of the parks natural resources, their public education activities, and about the Port Orford Cedars found up near the bunkers this past year.
(Airdate: March 22, 2022) Becky Steffens, Physical Therapist. Our Town host Maryanne McNellis interviews Becky Steffens, a Physical Therapist with Jefferson Healthcare. Becky grew up in rural Iowa in an agricultural town of about 100 people. But this farm girl wanted to get off the farm and travel. She was fascinated by the medical world. But after working part-time as a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) as a student, she realized nursing wasn’t for her. But there are other opportunities in the medical field – if you are willing to work hard to get there. You might not realize it, but physical therapy certification requires a doctorate these days. But Becky didn’t let that – and a mountain of student debt – hold her back. After graduation she first became a “traveling physical therapist” zigzagging across the country on assignments. That helped her see the country. Traveling physical therapists also make more money than full-time staff people. She really wanted out from under that debt load. Port Townsend was one of her stops but it really caught her attention. Now she has joined Jefferson Healthcare full time. Her start date at Jefferson Healthcare was supposedly March 2020. She had already moved here when the job was put on hold due to the pandemic. Single and new in town, she threw herself into working for the Food Bank. When the worst of the crisis eased she started with Jefferson Healthcare. She loves working one-on-one with patients on their road back to mobility and health.
The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.
County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry today said case rates in Jefferson have reached the low risk threshold. Jefferson’s case rate is 71/100,000 with a 2.9% positivity rate. This information now will be updated Tuesdays and Fridays. She said most people can safely unmask in indoor spaces if they are at low risk for severe disease. For those who are at a higher risk for severe disease – which Dr.Berry points out is a “decent proportion” of our community – she suggests continued masking until we get below 50 cases per 100,000 threshold. She believes that will occur by next Friday.
Dr. Berry addressed the BA 2 sub-variant of COVID-19 – a more contagious version of the Omicron variant – that now is prevalent in the UK. Cases there are up 79% and hospitalizations are up 40%. She believes the relaxed mitigation measures combined with waning immunity have caused BA2’s transmission to spike. The UK is considering a fourth vaccination. The FDA Advisory Committee is reviewing data and on March 30 will make a recommendation about another dose in the U.S. Jefferson does not have any of the BA 2 sub-variant, however, Clallam has had its first case. In Washington, about 9% of the specimens are BA 2.
Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence didn’t address COVID-19 during his weekly address to Commissioners. He spoke of the high temperatures expected this summer due to climate change. He discussed the possibility of cooling centers being opened in Brinnon, Quilcene, Chimacum and Port Townsend. In order to stay informed, the NIXEL alert system texts important local information during an emergency. Bence said everyone should be getting the alerts. Cooling centers will be one bit of info pushed out on the system if the situation warrants. To sign up: www.jeffcoeoc.org. The link is on the right side of the page at the top.
Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and to Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.
(Airdate: March 21, 2022) “Wood”, the current exhibit at the Jefferson Museum of Art and History, is the topic of this week’s Attention Please!. Guests are Shelly Leavens, Executive Director of the Historical Society, Ann Welch, co-curator of the exhibit, and artists in wood Annalise Rubida and Seth Roland.
On alternate Fridays during the noon hour, KPTZ’s Chris Bricker and co-host Siobhan Canty, President &. CEO of Jefferson Community Foundation, meet to discuss new developments, new paradigms, and the new normal as we roll into the months ahead. In this edition of Community Tides, Chris and Siobhan speak with Kate Ingram, General Manager of KPTZ, about her vision and the roll KPTZ continues to play in the lives of our communities here on the eastern Peninsula and beyond.
The station is celebrating KPTZ’s tenth year, and Kate points out the incredible strides our station has taken in that comparatively short amount of time. She herself has brought amazing credentials to her job, and our talented KPTZ volunteers, Board, and Staff have helped to paint a radio picture that has captured the imagination, support, loyalty and growth of our listenership. Thanks to hard and dedicated work “behind the scenes,” the move to our brand new “Studio 305” at Fort Worden is eminent, and exciting new programming is in the works.
Today City Manager John Mauro and KPTZ’s Tim Quackenbush were joined by Jim Novelli, Executive Director of Discovery Behavioral Healthcare. Mr. Novelli explained the how the organization interacts with local governments with the goal of providing comprehensive mental health services.
(Airdate: March 16, 2022) Yellow rope used for growing oysters in places like Willapa Bay often ends up as marine debris along Washington’s coastline. Host Aaron Barnett chats with Nicole Baker of Net Your Problem LLC who is in business to help solve the marine debris problem by collecting ropes, fishing nets and other plastics found on beaches for processing and eventually a new life as a raw material for new recycled plastics.
(Airdate: March 16, 2022) Ron & Rosemary Sikes invite Nature Now host Debaran Kelso & recorder Meg Amos to their backyard wildlife sanctuary in Port Townsend to discuss how to create and improve wildlife habitat in our own backyards (Part 2 of a two-part program).
The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.
Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry said that COVID-19 cases continue to fall in Jefferson County. Total case numbers are 3,130, putting the case rate at 189/100,000, dipping below her desired threshold of 200/100,000, Our percent positivity is 7.4 which is also downtrending. Jefferson is no longer in the high risk category, moving to medium risk for COVID-19 transmission rates. Dr. Berry is recommending mask wearing in indoor settings until the case rate is below 100/100,000. This is especially important in crowded indoor spaces where vaccination status is unknown. Masking is also recommended for those who are in a high risk group or who are immunocompromised, on cancer treatments, or taking immunosuppressive medications. She anticipates a small surge in cases in a couple weeks because the mask mandate has been lifted. She does not anticipate a super-spreader event like the previous ones. For the long term, Dr. Berry believes COVID-19 will become a more severe version of the flu that moves in a seasonal pattern. She said that summer will be a time to enjoy the outdoors, but anticipates next fall/winter there could be a spike in case numbers as the population retreats back indoors.
Director of Emergency Management Willie Bence today said the EOC emergency response to COVID-19 has turned the corner and is now in an ongoing maintenance mode. Meetings with Public Health and informational briefings with leadership and partners will remain in place on a weekly basis until the end of this month. The large mass vaccination clinics have been scaled back. Stores are being supplied with masks for the public. He had high praise for the many volunteers who turned out to help with the response. “We had hundreds of people come forward over the past few years and come out with a response for my department, whether it be doctors or nurses who are actually administering shots,” Bence recalled. “We have logistics volunteers who help with putting up parking cones and helping with traffic control. They’re helping set up and clean up after clinic, things like that. So we are absolutely going to maintain those those volunteer resources.” Bence said he has plans to establish the “Medical Reserve Corps,” a volunteer program composed of doctors and nurses who can be called upon during a future pandemic or emergency event. The next few months will be a time for the EOC to conduct focus groups and hold conversations about what worked and didn’t during the response to the pandemic. A report to the Commissioners will be provided when the information becomes available.
Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and to Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.
(Airdate: March 14, 2022) This week’s program features two stories by new contributors to Attention Please! Emillia Nunn, a 2021 graduate of PT High School, took on the controversial issue of the developing plan for the Poplar trees that line Sims Way as you enter Port Townsend. George Marie talks with the new managers of Fort Worden Hospitality, Aislinn Diamanti and Natalie Maitland, about their plans for welcoming the public to the enjoyment of the Fort and its varied services and activities. The producer for this week’s program is Larry Stein.
