OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — National park staff and volunteers will converge on Lake Crescent for a one-day “Litter Blitz” along U.S. Highway 101 today.
Olympic National Park staff from all disciplines and work units will collect and remove litter from the road shoulders between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
“Cleaning up the 12-mile-long Lake Crescent roadside is an all-hands-on-deck project,” said park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum.
“Sprucing up one of our major access routes is a great way to get ready for Memorial Day weekend and the summer season.”
Drivers are urged to use caution, slow down and allow extra time for rounding Lake Crescent on Friday and to be alert for people along the roadside.
Volunteer help has been pre-arranged, said Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman, adding that the park is not seeking additional help.
Cruise ship to dock in PA Saturday
PORT ANGELES — A 710-foot Holland America Line cruise ship is expected to dock in Port Angeles at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
The ms Statendam, which can carry 1,258 passengers, will dock at Port of Port Angeles’ Terminal 1 and leave at 9:30 p.m., Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce Director Russ Veenema said.
The ship is journeying from San Diego to Vancouver, B.C.
A sister ship, the ms Oosterdam, docked in Port Angeles last Friday. It was near the end of a trip that started in Australia and ended in Seattle.
Downtown shuttles and tours available to cruise ship passengers last Friday will be in place Saturday.
Willie Nelson of All Points Charters & Tours has organized a fleet of four shuttles to take cruise ship passengers to a central downtown stop, the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center at 401 E. First St., the Museum at the Carnegie at 207 S. Lincoln St. and the waterfront so travelers can visit the Feiro Marine Life Center on City Pier, The Landing mall at 115 E. Railroad Ave. and the esplanade.
Nelson also put together three tours that will be sold aboard ship.
Cruise ship passengers can choose a three-hour tour of Hurricane Ridge; a longer tour of Lake Crescent, Marymere Falls and Hurricane Ridge; or an afternoon visiting wineries in the Port Angeles area.
Public input sought
PORT ANGELES — Olympic National Park is seeking public input on proposed improvements to facilities at Log Cabin Resort, a concession-operated resort at Lake Crescent.
Comments will be taken through June 9.
Planned improvements include construction of accessible restrooms and pathways, as well as replacement of eight guest cabins and a manager’s residence for the resort.
Paving of access roadways and parking areas within the resort is also planned.
In progress is a scoping period to help define the issues and concerns to be addressed in an environmental assessment to be released for review this fall.
For more information, phone 360-565-3004 or visit http://tinyurl.com/pdn-logcabin.
Public comments can be submitted on that website or sent to Superintendent, Log Cabin Resort EA Scoping, Olympic National Park, 600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362.
Science training
PORT TOWNSEND — Oceanography on the Dock will train Port Townsend Marine Science Center volunteers Tuesday.
The free training will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Marine Exhibit on the pier at Fort Worden beach.
“You’ll learn about how ocean parameters, like pH, are exciting to test and important to Salish Sea health,” said Jamie Landry, marine science center citizen science coordinator.
Once trained, volunteers will lead the public in conducting experiments to help them understand pH, acidify their own cup of ocean water and see firsthand how key marine species, such as shellfish, are affected by ocean acidification.
The program’s schedule is flexible, so volunteers can help lead sessions on days and times that work for them.
The Salish Sea stretches from the southern end of Puget Sound northward to Desolation Sound in Canada.
For more information, contact Jamie Landry at 360-385-5582, ext. 112, or jlandry@ptmsc.org.
Retiring employees
SEQUIM — A reception to recognize Sequim School District employees who will be retiring at the end of the current school year is planned for Monday, June 16.
The reception will be from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the library at Sequim High School, 601 N. Sequim Ave.
Light refreshments will be served.
Retired Sequim School District employees from past years are invited to attend.
For more information, phone Karen Sande, human resources director, at 360-582-3261.
Marine meeting scheduled
NEAH BAY — The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary will host a meeting of the Sanctuary Advisory Council at the Makah Marina, 1321 Bayview Ave., from 9:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today.
The meeting is open to the public, with a public comment period at 2:50 p.m.
The agenda includes a presentation by the U.S. Navy’s Northwest Training and Testing Environmental Impact Statement status, an overview of recent studies working to improve survivability of released rockfish in West Coast recreational fisheries, an update on Makah projects and activities, and more.
To receive more information, email Karlyn Langjahr at karlyn.langjahr@noaa.gov or visit http://tinyurl.com/PDN-OlympicCoastMeeting, where a draft meeting agenda will be posted.
PoM group, potluck
PORT ANGELES — Clallam Mosaic is launching the Parents of Minors with Developmental Disabilities Support Group, or PoM.
The PoM is open to all parents and caregivers who have a child younger than 18 with special needs.
A free PoM potluck event will be held in Holy Trinity Lutheran Church’s Fellowship Hall, 301 Lopez Ave., from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Free child care is available to families.
Parents Rachel Anderson, Laura Brackett, Shawnda Hicks, Jennifer Krumpe and Rachel Moore recognized a void that existed in the ability of families with special-needs children to connect with other families, to share resources and to champion activities tailored to the needs of minors with special needs, according to a news release.
“Not only is this an exciting time for parents and caregivers to connect with each other,” Anderson said, “but this is also an opportunity for kids with special needs to get together with other kids that face similar challenges.”
A family doesn’t need to have a diagnosis to attend the event.
For more information, phone Clallam Mosaic at 360-797-3602 or email info@clallammosaic.org.
Older driver course
Two “Smart Driver Safety” courses will be held at month’s end in Jefferson County.
The first eight-hour course will be held at the Port Ludlow Beach Club, 121 Marina View Drive, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, May 27 and May 29.
For more information and to register for this course, phone Russ Henry at 360-437-2250.
The other eight-hour course will be held at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 West Valley Road in Chimacum, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 29 and 30.
To register for this course, phone 360-732-4822.
These courses are open to all and are designed to help mature drivers improve driving skills and inform them of revised laws.
The cost for these courses is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonmembers.
Class sizes are limited, so early registration is suggested.
Those who are 50 and older may qualify for an insurance discount.
