NEWS BRIEFS: More Hood Canal Bridge closures planned today, Monday … and other items

SHINE — The state Department of Transportation has scheduled intermittent closures of the Hood Canal Bridge between 10 p.m. today and 4 a.m. Monday and between 11 p.m. Monday and 4 a.m. Tuesday.

During this time, crews will open the bridge to traffic several times to ease congestion. The traffic openings will be unscheduled and performed as workloads allow.

The closure could mean that delivery of the Peninsula Daily News will be delayed. The newspaper is printed in Everett and brought back over the bridge in the early morning hours.

Contractor crews are replacing the Hood Canal Bridge’s gear boxes, hydraulic hoses and adjusting and aligning the guide rollers that are responsible for operating the draw span for marine traffic.

Work began this spring and is expected to continue through this month.

Transportation awarded the $5.2 million project to Northbank Civil and Marine Inc. in October.

100th anniversary

PORT ANGELES — The Dry Creek Grange will celebrate its 100th anniversary from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. today.

The grange hall is at 3130 W. Edgewood Drive.

Baked scones, such as those featured at the Clallam County Fair each year, will be available.

Music by the Retro Guys will begin at 2 p.m.

Historical Society picnic

FORKS — The West End Historical Society will host its annual picnic at 1 p.m. today.

The picnic will be at 330 West Lake Pleasant Road.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a side dish and old photos to share.

Self’s Catering will provide the meat.

Coffee with the mayor

SEQUIM — Residents can meet informally with Sequim Mayor Dennis Smith at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

Smith will be joined by Public Works Director David Garlington at the Oak Table Cafe, 292 W. Washington St., for the September edition of the Coffee with the Mayor program.

The mayor is available each month to listen to anyone who wants to chat, ask questions, express a concern or make a comment about the city or the community.

For more information, contact Smith at dsmith@sequimwa.gov.

Bentinck island range

ESQUIMALT, B.C. — The land-based demolition range at Bentinck Island will be in use Monday through Friday, the Royal Canadian Navy announced.

The range will be in use from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during that time.

Bentinck Island is located near Race Rocks in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and is used as a terrestrial demolition range by the Canadian Armed Forces.

Local residents will likely be unaware of the activities except on days when environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and wind direction affect how far the sound will travel.

Studies conducted on the potential environmental effects of Bentinck Island demolitions have found that blast noise in the marine environment during land-based demolitions is almost undetectable by acoustic equipment above that of other underwater background sounds such as waves and marine life, the Royal Canadian Navy said in a news release.

Exercise passes

The North Olympic Library System has partnered with the Olympic Peninsula YMCA to offer free one-week passes for library borrowers.

On Monday, passes will be available to check out online at nols.org or in person at NOLS branches at 2210 S. Peabody St., Port Angeles; 171 S. Forks Ave., Forks; 630 S. Sequim Ave., Sequim; and 16990 state Highway 112, Clallam Bay.

The pass allows for entry to the Port Angeles facility, 302 S. Francis St.; it cannot be used at the Sequim facility.

Borrowers can preview exercise classes offered at the Y, including yoga, cycling, body sculpting and tai chi.

The Y also offers classes catering specifically to active older adults.

Racquetball and basketball courts are available, as well as exercise equipment.

Borrowers must provide valid ID at the Y and clear a background check prior to using its facility.

For more information about the Y, including hours of operation and class schedules, visit www.olympicpeninsulaymca.org.

For more information, call Erin Shield at 360-417-8500, ext. 7724, or email discover@nols.org.

Landing practice

COUPEVILLE — Naval Station Whidbey Island announced Monday that field carrier landing practice operations for aircraft will commence at the outlying field late from evening to late night Monday and Thursday.

Operations will continue afternoon to early evening, then late evening to late night, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Aircraft carrier-based flight training also will occur at Ault Field on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Operations will continue evening to late night Thursday and Friday.

Flight practice will also occur Friday afternoon.

Comments, including noise complaints, can be directed to the station’s comment line at 360-257-6665 or via email at comments.NASWI@navy.mil.

All other questions can be directed to the public affairs office at 360-257-2286.

Villas events

PORT ANGELES — Park View Villas will hold two events this week.

Both are free and open to the public at the villas, 1430 Park View Lane.

On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., the villas will serve up coffee and breakfast pastries for its monthly Wellness Wednesday presentation.

Charla Wright, a patient care representative with Assured Hospice, will be the guest speaker.

She will talk about the services her organization offers.

On Thursday at 2 p.m., the “Park View Villas Presents …” series will feature Dan Maguire of the Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts.

He will talk about the upcoming foundation concert series extending into December.

For more information, contact Beth Pratt at 360-452-7222 or elizabethp@villageconcepts.com.

Online art auction

PORT TOWNSEND — Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will begin accepting bids for its online silent auction Tuesday.

There is no fee to enter the auction, which can be accessed at www.charityaution.bid/twicelovedart.

Bidding access is slated to end Saturday, Oct. 14.

Winning bidders will be announced at 5 p.m. Oct. 14. Items can be picked up from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, at the fellowship’s foyer, 2333 San Juan Ave.

Artwork has been provided by members and friends of the fellowship, as well as local artists such as Diane Ainesworth, Karen Page, Kathy Francis and David Deardorf.

For more information about how to bid, contact Carol Graves at 360-643-0276 or colorqueen4@gmail.com.

Blood drive

SEQUIM — The Knights of Columbus will sponsor a blood drive in conjunction with Bloodworks Northwest on Thursday.

The drive will be held from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church’s parish hall, 121 E. Maple St.

The blood drive will be closed from 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Donors must be in good health and at least 18 years old.

For more information, call Bill Butcher at 360-461-7113 or 360-681-8679.

KONP talk guests

PORT ANGELES — Here is this week’s schedule for the 1:05 p.m. to 2 p.m. local talk show segment on KONP radio, at 1450 AM, 101.7 FM and www.konp.com on the internet outside the Port Angeles area.

Station General Manager Todd Ortloff hosts the Monday through Thursday segments.

This week’s scheduled lineup:

Monday: Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols discusses some recent criminal case resolutions, an overview of crime trends, the importance of reporting crime and mortality trends in Clallam County (specifically involving suicides and drug overdose).

Tuesday: Port Angeles School District DECA leadership students Aeverie Politika, president; Hayden Woods, vice president of customer relations; and Josie Ciaciuch, VP of communications, discuss the DECA club, its community service project (Thanksgiving baskets) and Drive One 4 UR School.

Second segment: PASD board director Sarah Methner talks about facilities.

Wednesday: Master Gardeners Jeanette Stehr-Green, Judy English and Bill Wrobel take questions from listeners.

Thursday: Olympic Medical Center’s Jennifer Hunter, ARNP, pulmonary medicine, and Andrew Rowe, BS, RRT, manager of respiratory care services, on the “Olympic Medical Lung Center.”

Second segment: Scott Brandon discusses VIMO’s (Volunteers In Medicine of the Olympics) upcoming fundraising concert featuring internationally known composer, pianist and recording artist Scott Cossu.

Third segment: Port Angeles Downtown Association board assistant Richard Stephens discusses the upcoming third annual Arts & Draughts Festival.

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