NEWS BRIEFS: Philanthropic Education Organization awards PC student with $1,800 grant … and other items

PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles Chapter IV of the Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO) recently awarded Hannah Nelson an $1,800 grant from the Program for Continuing Education.

Nelson is studying for an associate degree in nursing from Peninsula College and is working at Olympic Medical Center.

The scholarship is for women who have returned to college and are within two years of completing their course of study.

PEO celebrates the advancement and education of women through scholarships, grants, loans and stewardship of Cottey College.

Chapter IV is one of 13 chapters on the Olympic Peninsula.

For more information, visit www.peowashington.org.

Fund for Women and Girls gives Dove House $6K

PORT TOWNSHEND — The Dove House, a Jefferson County emergency shelter, will receive a $6,000 grant from the Fund for Women and Girls in January.

The grant will allow the shelter’s residents and their children to have unproccessed vegetables, fruits and whole grains incoporated into their diets, according to a news release.

Additionally, this will assist in the shelter’s ability to educate residents how to prepare, eat and obtain affordable indegredients made from whole, unprocessed foods, the release said.

Chain gang clears storm debris in PA

PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Chain Gang picked up storm debris on Joyce-Piedmont, East Beach and Spruce Railroad Trail roads during the week of Nov. 21-25.

It dug a trench for a creek 4.5 miles up Hoko-Hozette Road and cleaned out bridge drain culverts on Maxfield Road, as well as washed county vehicles at the county shop.

Crew members found illegal dumpsites on Edgewood Drive (70-pound mattress) and 2,950 pounds of litter on Deer Park Road.

Notable items found along roadways were the mattress and 27 tires.

For the week of Nov. 28 through Dec. 1, the chain gang cleaned 200 pounds from Tumwater Truck Route, 160 pounds from West 18th Street and 160 pounds from O’Brien Road, as well as recycled 70 pounds of aluminum worth $17.50.

Crew members also moved signs at the county shop on Blue Mountain Road, dug out the side of the road by the transfer station, pulled scotch broom on Old Olympic Highway/Gasman Road, removed fallen tree debris on Lower Elwha and Elwha Dike roads, and cleaned culverts on O’Brien Road.

They found 80 pounds in an illegal dumpsite on Blue Mountain Road as well as a TV.

The chain gang has so far this year cleaned at total of 255 miles of roadways, picked up 17,510 pounds of litter, picked up 84,450 pounds of dumpsite litter, weed-eated 118,052 feet of guardrail, removed/sprayed 14,275 scotch broom plants and brushed 56.50 miles of county right of way.

Candlelight service set for Saturday

SEQUIM — A Christmas Eve candlelighting service will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave.

Music will include the Trinity Singers, bell choir and Carlos Xavier on the flute. The congregation will sing traditional carols, and the “Friendly Beasts” animal puppets will appear.

The service will conclude with the lighting of individual candles and the singing of “Silent Night.”

The church’s 10 a.m. service on Christmas Day will feature a carol sing and other music.

Interfaith Amigos

A book by the Interfaith Amigos — Imam Jamal Rahman, Rabbi Ted Falcon and Pastor Don Mackenzie — will be the topic of free weekly spiritual discussions across East Jefferson County in January and February.

To participate in the “Spiritual Read” series on “Finding Peace Through Spiritual Practice: The Interfaith Amigos’ Guide to Personal, Social and Environmental Healing,” visit www.spiritualread.org and select a local participating group to contact and join.

The three authors will make an appearance at Port Townsend High School, 1500 Van Ness St., from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12.

The event is free and open to the public.

The series itself will close with “Celebration of Our Journey” from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 5, at the Unity Spiritual Enrichment Center, 3918 San Juan Ave., Port Townsend. The Poetic Justice Theatre Ensemble will dramatize personal responses to justice and environmental actions raised in the Interfaith Amigos’ book.

Interfaith Minister Simon de Voil will provide music.

The Interfaith Amigos became known as such after 9/11 through their “innovative approaches to interfaith dialogue,” according to a news release.

“They discovered shared basic beliefs in the same God and unity in the three Abrahamic faiths. They coalesced as the Interfaith Amigos to offer spiritual wisdom, humor and hope to overcome sectarian conflict and violence.”

The three present across the U.S. and globally in Canada, Japan and Israel-Palestine. They speak to spiritual communities, colleges, conferences and world religious organizations. They also have done TEDx talks, their own radio show and interviews with many media outlets, including The New York Times, CBS and BBC news.

Candlelighting

SEQUIM — The Sequim Center for Spiritual Living will hold its 21st annual Christmas Candlellighting Service at 7 p.m. Saturday at Pioneer Memorial Park, 387 E. Washington St.

The congregation will sing Christmas carols to the piano accompaniment of Al Harris. Vocalist Mary Ellen Bartholomew will lead the congregation.

Seven candles representing the seven attributes of God — life, love, light, peace, power, beauty and joy — will be lit by members of the congregation and the service will conclude with the lighting of all the individual candles.

The Revs. Lynn Osborne, Michael Laakso and Deborah Nygaard will be on hand to greet all attendees.

Unity in Olympics

PORT ANGELES — Sunday, Christmas Day, Unity in the Olympics’ 10:30 a.m. worship service guest speakers will be the Congregation of Unity in the Olympics.

Their lesson is entitled, “A Metaphysical Christmas Service.”

“The Christmas story is not only the account of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth some 2,000 years ago, Metaphysically, it represents the birth of the Christ within.”

A time for silent meditation is held from 10 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., for those who wish to participate.

Child Care is always available during the service.

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