QUILCENE — The area around the Quilcene office of Olympic National Forest’s Hood Canal Ranger District will be closed today until further notice.
The office itself will remain open, said Donna Nemeth, Forest Service spokeswoman. The parking lot also will remain open, although public parking may be limited at times.
The administrative site around the office is closed to public access during timber harvesting of 7 of the 21 acres in the compound around the office.
The contract for the Quilcene Administrative Site Sale ends May 22, so that is the latest the area could be closed, Nemeth said.
Neighborhood watch
PORT ANGELES — A Downtown Neighborhood Watch meeting is set in The Landing mall’s conference center, 115 E. Railroad Ave., second floor, from 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Tuesday.
The group will establish a phone tree to alert people to potential problems, a private Facebook page for sharing videos and information, plus other tools to allow area businesses to contribute to a safer downtown.
Police department officials will be there to hear concerns and share information on how to make businesses safer.
All are welcome, especially business owners, to the free meeting.
For more information, phone Leslie Robertson at 661-755-3334 or email momtotwogirls@sbcglobal.net.
PA church to host guest speaker
PORT ANGELES — Unity in the Olympics, 2917 E. Myrtle St., will hold a 10:30 a.m. service Sunday with guest speaker the Rev. Deborah Brandt.
The lesson is “The Ultimate in Virtual Reality.”
“Spiritual teachers have said for thousands of years that the material world is an illusion,” according to a news release.
“Current scientific understandings are giving some validity to those teachings, so is it possible we’re living the ultimate virtual reality?”
Child care is available during the service.
A brief time for silent meditation will be held from 10 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
All are welcome to attend all church activities.
Elvis tribute show
PORT ANGELES — Bret Wiggins, an Elvis tribute artist who sings gospel music, will perform at First United Methodist Church, 110 E. Seventh St., at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
There is a free-will offering for charities sponsored by the church.
Fellowship speaker
SEQUIM — Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 73 Howe Road, will host speaker Joseph Bednarik at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
His topic is “Godzilla vs. Your Big Heart.”
Bednarik is the assistant to the minister in the pulpit at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Port Townsend.
He is also the co-publisher of Copper Canyon Press, a nonprofit dedicated to poetry.
All are welcome to hear him speak.
For more information, phone 360 417-2665 or visit www.olympicuuf.org.
Taize service set
SEQUIM — All are welcome to the ecumenical Taize service at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 525 N. Fifth Ave., at 7 p.m. Monday.
There will be a meditative, candlelit atmosphere that includes singing simple, repetitive songs during the hourlong service.
Taize will continue to be held the fourth Monday of each month.
Free HU Song set
SEQUIM — A free Community HU Song event will be held at the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave., from 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Sunday.
The HU Song is an ancient invocation used to open the consciousness to the light and sound of God, resulting in mystical experiences, spiritual insights and states of enlightenment and inner peace, according to a news release.
All ages are welcome.
For more information, email George Abrahams at justbe973@gmail.com or phone 360-582-3067.
Church programs
SEQUIM — The winter/spring programs of Christian education at Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church, 925 N. Sequim Ave., are slated to start and include a variety of topics.
On Sundays at 9:40 a.m. Pastor Jack Anderson will lead a discussion based on the book Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.
This session runs for six weeks.
In this book, Gawande discusses the modern experience of aging and death, how medicine has changed that experience and how it hasn’t.
Beginning April 12 and running through May 24, Living the Question is the title of the final discussion series for the Sunday Christian education season.
This discussion will be led by Paul Wessel and several others.
A final Wednesday evening discussion at 6:45 p.m. will begin April 8 and run through May 20.
This discussion series will be a study of Richard Rohr’s book Breathing Under Water, focusing on the “Twelve Step Program and Spirituality.”
The class will be led by Terry Bristow, George Lindamood and Pastor Gene Bradbury.
For more information about these sessions, phone the church office at 360-681-0346 or visit www.dvelca.org.
All discussion series are open to anyone interested.
Managing finances
PORT ANGELES — A new Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University will begin Monday, March 2, in Independent Bible Church’s Family Life Center, 116 E. Ahlvers Road.
This free nine-week course will meet every Monday at 6:15 p.m. through April 27.
Course material can be purchased at the time of registration.
Register at www.daveramsey.com/findaclass by this Monday.
During the course, attendees will learn “God’s ways of handling money,” according to a news release.
“Through video teaching, class discussion and interactive small groups, [Financial Peace University] presents biblical, practical steps” to show how to get rid of debt, manage money and spend and save wisely.
For additional information, phone Deb Kirk at 360-477-9996 or email Darcey Beck at darcey@wennerdavis.com.
GreenFaith program
PORT ANGELES — The congregation of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church has begun its second year of the GreenFaith environmental leadership training program.
This organization is based in New Jersey and works with all denominations and faith communities to assist members in more fully living out their call to protect and advocate for God’s whole creation, according to a news release.
The Earth Stewardship Ministry team plus other members and Pastor Gail Wheatley at St. Andrew’s are working in the areas of worship, stewardship (energy, water, etc.) and environmental justice to fulfill elements of the GreenFaith program and deepen the congregation’s commitment to a church and personal caring-for-creation lifestyle.
Over the past seven years, St. Andrew’s has reduced its energy use by about 25 percent, while simultaneously increasing the facility use each week, as measured by the EPA Portfolio Manager program for faith community facilities, according to the church.
The congregation has also experimented with Earth Day liturgies and programs, and has hosted an eight-week Creation Season in the fall for more than five years.
Last year, the congregation added six special evening presentations on environmental issues.
Members also participated in the Port Angeles Climate March in September, leading prayers and making a statement from the Episcopal Church perspective.
For more information, phone 360-457-4862 or visit www.standrewpa.org.
