PORT TOWNSEND — The candidates for the 2016 Rhododendron Festival royal court believe that Port Townsend needs more diverse gathering places, presenting four unique ideas to a business audience Monday.
“In Asian countries, we are seeing a growth in what’s called ‘kitty cafes’ that serve coffee, tea and cocoa but also have cats,” said Eryn Reierson to an audience of about 40 members of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.
“The cats are free to roam around and the customers can just sit back and relax.”
Reierson, 16, is one of four hopefuls for three royalty spots — a queen and two princesses.
The royalty will be selected at a coronation ceremony at 6 p.m. Saturday at Chimacum High School, 91 West Valley Road, followed by a kickoff dinner at 5 p.m. March 26 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 4907 Landes St. in Port Townsend.
They will participate in the 81st annual Rhododendron Festival from May 16-21 and will represent Port Townsend from that time until the 2017 festival.
The queen will receive a $1,500 college scholarship, while each princess will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Candidates
Aside from Reierson, the candidates are Kayla Calhoun, 17, Fiona Shaffer, 16, and Morgan Wilford, 17.
All are juniors in the Port Townsend School District.
Wilford would like to see a family fun center, with a small bowling alley, games and, eventually, laser tag.
“There aren’t a lot of things for young people to do in this town except getting into things they shouldn’t be getting into,” she said.
“A lot of the businesses in town are focused on the needs of older tourists, but there isn’t much for young people that isn’t connected to the school.”
Shaffer would open a small cafe “on the water side of Water Street” that would feature varied dishes, employee art on the walls and a festive atmosphere.
“I would want to hire people with varying levels of mental and physical disabilities,” she said.
“There are a lot of people who are lower functioning who can help out; the staff would be as deep and diverse as our food.”
Calhoun would open a place where people could go and get help dealing with grief.
“When someone you love passes away, it leaves you broken — a hole in your heart that you fill with anything that makes the pain stop,” said Calhoun, who lost her aunt and uncle in 2014.
“No one has the right to judge your grieving process, and it’s worse as time goes on; after a few years people will say you should be over it by now.”
Calhoun’s cafe would feature comfortable furniture, grilled cheese sandwiches and dogs to cuddle.
Recent courts
For the past two years, the festival has nominated a four-member court, something that will not happen this year, according to festival board secretary Brandi Hamon.
“For the past two years, we have taken four, which is not our normal thing,” Hamon said.
“The aesthetics of the float is thrown off when you have four, and when you travel, you also have to take a bigger vehicle.”
Hamon said the board decided this year they will stick to the three-person format.
“They have been trained and coached that there are only three being crowned,” Hamon said of the candidates.
“They are very gracious about it, are supporting each other and are very aware that one will not have a crown.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
