NEWS BRIEFS: No reservations on state ferries this week . . . and other items

PORT TOWNSEND — State ferry riders will be unable to make vehicle reservations for summer travel on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route and other routes until this coming Tuesday at the earliest.

Washington State Ferries released the summer schedule Tuesday morning.

By 2:30 p.m., the system was not working either online or by phone for vehicle reservations for summer travel on the Port Townsend-Coupeville, Anacortes-San Juan Islands and Anacortes-Sidney, B.C., routes, officials said.

Lynne Griffith, head of Washington State Ferries, said she didn’t know what had gone wrong.

She said troubleshooting and repairs were expected to take at least one week and that officials would update customers Monday on the status of the system and when summer reservations will become available again.

Reservations for the current spring schedule, which runs through June 13, remain available.

To create, change or cancel a spring reservation, customers can go online to http://tinyurl.com/PDN-ferryreservations or call customer service at 888-808-7977.

The privately owned Black Ball Ferry Line, which operates the MV Coho between Port Angeles and Victoria, accepts reservations at www.cohoferry.com.

Last dance

PORT TOWNSEND — Singer Robin Bessier and her band Solatti (pronounced soul-la-TEA) will bring their Latin, swing, pop and R&B tunes to the Port Townsend Elks Lodge, 555 Otto St., on Friday.

Admission is $10, and the nonprofit Olympic Peninsula Dance Club invites dancers of all ages and levels to this, the last dance of the season.

Janice Eklund will start things off with a dance lesson in what she calls “the other nightclub two-step” at 7 p.m. No partners nor previous experience is needed to join in.

Then, Sollati will step up at 8 p.m. and play until about 10:30 p.m.

For more information, see www.olympicpeninsuladance.com.

Organic farm film

PORT ANGELES — “Back to Eden,” a documentary film about the Gautschi organic farm in Gardiner, will screen at the Metta Room, 132 E. Front St., at 6 tonight.

Admission is free, and all ages are welcome.

Co-producers Sarah Zentz, a graduate of Millersville University in Pennsylvania, and Dana Richardson, an Art Institute of Chicago alumna, came West to make this documentary.

It introduces viewers to Paul Gautschi, an organic orchardist and grower of abundant vegetables, herbs and fruit on his farm off Chicken Coop Road.

“Back to Eden” features Gautschi and other North Olympic Peninsula growers including Justin Ridle of Sequim’s Big Barn Farm and Kelly and Christie Johnston of Johnston Farms in Agnew.

Viewers are invited to stay after the screening for a question-and-answer session with some of the people in the documentary.

To learn more, see www.BacktoEdenfilm.com or visit the Metta Room’s page on Facebook.

Gallery night

PORT ANGELES — The Hamilton Elementary After-School Art Club will host its second annual Gallery Night at the North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center, 905 W. Ninth St., at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

More than 100 pieces of art will be on display by artists in kindergarten to sixth grade.

A variety of media will be represented, including watercolor, pencils, wood-block printing, collage, clay and fused glass.

The event is free, and light refreshments will be available.

For more information, contact Angela Gonzalez at 360-457-1182 or angonzalez@q.com.

Travel author

CHIMACUM — Travel author Robert Goldstein will present “Riding with Reindeer: Bicycling through Finland” at the regular meeting of Thea Foss No. 45 Daughters of Norway at the Tri-Area Community Center, 10 West Valley Road, at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Goldstein will share his solo adventure of more than 2,000 miles across Finland.

The public is invited to this free event.

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