NEWS BRIEFS: Poetry walks offered on four Olympic National Park trails starting Monday . . . and other items

PORT ANGELES — Four trails in Olympic National Park will be part of the second season of Poetry Walks, offered by the North Olympic Library System and Olympic National Park from this Monday to June 14.

During Poetry Walks, poems will be placed on signs along the following trails in Olympic National Park: the Living Forest Trail, the Madison Creek Falls Trails, the Peabody Creek Trail and Spruce Railroad Trail.

Access to all four trails is free.

For more information, contact Noah Glaude, library manager, at 360-417-8500, ext. 7717, or nglaude@nols.org; or Barb Maynes, park public information officer, at 360-565-3005 or barb_maynes@nps.gov.

Housing group meet

PORT TOWNSEND — The Affordable Housing Action Group will meet at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave., from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday.

This new citizen action group will discuss strategies for working with the community’s homeless to provide shelter and medical care in the short and long term.

Issues discussed include maintenance and improvement of the emerging tent city and strategy to obtain and maintain at least 60 permanent, affordable housing units in the next few years.

Everyone is welcome.

For more information, contact Fred Weinmann at 360-379-0986 or fweinmann@cablespeed.com.

White Cane Days

SEQUIM — The National Federation of the Blind has established the third week in May as “White Cane Week.”

During this week, a special concentration of efforts to educate the public concerning the hopes and aspirations of the blind is emphasized.

The Sequim Valley Lions Club honors this time by conducting its traditional White Cane fundraiser around April and May.

Donations can be made this Friday and Saturday at one of three locations: QFC, 990 E. Washington St. in Sequim, or 7 Cedars Casino and Longhouse Market & Deli, both on U.S. Highway 101 in Blyn.

For more information, contact David Blakeslee at liondavid60@gmail.com or 360-674-8403.

Mushrooms, trees

PORT TOWNSEND — “Mushrooms and Trees: The Buddy System” will be presented at this year’s Friends of Fort Townsend annual meeting in the Friends Barn at Fort Townsend State Park, 1370 Old Fort Townsend Road, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Presenters Anita Thielman and Art Price have been identifying and counting mushrooms in the park for years. Their presentation will focus on the relationship between the mushroom and the forest where it lives.

Cheryl Lowe of the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee will update Friends on the upcoming nearshore beach restoration project at the park.

The committee, Washington State Parks and NW Straits Foundation are looking for volunteers to help document some of the changes that will occur.

The first set of data will be collected before construction begins, and continuing data will be collected for several years after the restoration project is finished.

Volunteers will have an opportunity to sign up for the data-collection part of the project.

Following the meeting, Ann and Fred Weinmann will lead a trail walk in the park.

The meeting and trail walk are open to anyone interested in Fort Townsend State Park.

For more information, phone 360-385-2998.

Campaign launched for initiative

The Washington Coalition to Amend the Constitution (WAmend) is launching I-735, an initiative to the Legislature for inclusion on the 2016 statewide ballot.

The group is gearing up to gather signatures statewide and will be at two locations Saturday.

Between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., representatives will be at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave., along with WAmend’s statewide field organizer, Tiffani McCoy.

Between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., they’ll be at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St., along with WAmend’s campaign director, Gabe Meyer.

The group is asking the public to help it “Get Big Money Out Of Elections.”

For more information, visit www.wamend.org.

Coast Guard exhibit

PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Historical Society will celebrate the grand opening of its new exhibit, “U.S. Coast Guard: An Era of History and Heroism,” at the Museum at the Carnegie, 207 S. Lincoln St., at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Port Angeles Mayor Dan Di Guilio and Clallam County Commissioner Jim McEntire will be on hand, as well as the American Legion Freedom Riders and the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors.

In 1865, the Revenue Cutter Lincoln was the first to make Port Angeles a permanent home. Since that time, there has been an unbroken Coast Guard presence in Port Angeles and throughout Clallam County.

Air Station Port Angeles is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, and the West End is served by Station Neah Bay and Station Quillayute River.

For more information, phone the society’s office at 360-452-2662 or email artifact@olypen.com.

‘American Meat’

PORT TOWNSEND — A free screening of the documentary “American Meat” will be held at the Quimper Grange, 1219 Corona St., at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is free, though donations are accepted to help maintain the grange hall.

“American Meat” is a documentary on meat production throughout the country and recent innovations in the industry that show promise for a more healthy, humane and sustainable future for meat production.

After the documentary, viewers can talk with local meat producers who will share their experiences.

They also will share their ideas about expanding the range of locally grown and processed meat products available in the area.

Among the local producers will be John Bellow and interns of SpringRain Farm, Roger Short of Short’s Family Farm and Janet Aubin of Finnriver Farm.

For more information, phone Marla Streator at 360-385-6924 or visit www.quimpergrange.com.

History Tales set

PORT ANGELES — Adria Fuhrman, a lifetime resident of Forks, will lead a talk about West End memories at the Clallam County Historical Society’s History Tales lecture series Sunday.

The presentation begins at 2:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 110 E. Seventh St.

Parking and entry to the church’s social hall are on Laurel Street.

Joining Adria are Christi Baron, editor of the Forks Forum, and Lonnie Archibald, West End author and freelance photographer whose photos often appear in the Peninsula Daily News and the Forks Forum.

Baron will share stories of her time in Forks.

Archibald will talk about his new book, Here on the Home Front: WWII in Clallam County.

He will have copies of his book available for sale.

History Tales is free and open to the public.

For more information, phone the historical society’s office at 360-452-2662 or email artifact@olypen.com.

Photo restoration

SEQUIM — Daniel Jolly of Clear Images will speak on photo restorations and preservation of photos, paintings, documents and more at the Clallam County Genealogical Society general meeting at Trinity Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Members and guests are invited to come early for coffee and snacks before the event.

The public is welcome.

For more information, phone 360-417-5000.

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