PORT TOWNSEND — The downtown streets were nearly deserted as a wintry storm blew snow through the town.
But some resolute people came downtown for a meal or, in many cases, because they were bored.
Maggie Wegener of Port Townsend left her house in the morning with the intention of driving to Sequim, but was discouraged by the storm and ended up at the Undertown — the cafe beneath the sidewalk (and the snow) at Taylor and Water streets .
“We didn’t feel like staying home; it was boring,” she said.
While most of the downtown shops were closed and several planned to close early, Undertown planned to stay open until at least 5 p.m.
William James Booksellers was another store that expected to keep its regular hours, with owner Jim Catley expecting that “we’ll probably do at least half the business as a regular day.”
Customers were trickling in regularly, he said.
“A lot of people are getting stir crazy, so they come in and buy a book,” he said.
Another business that expected to put in a full day was the Bank of America, which manager Jan Carter said “is pretty hard-core” about staying open.
Carter said that two of her six employees weren’t able to make it in to work, and a third, Anita Schmucker, almost didn’t make it when her car started sliding around.
Schmucker said she was on speaker phone with her husband, who called her father and asked for help.
Schmucker’s father, retired millworker Jim Simcoe, drove her to work and waited in the lobby for the entire day.
Canceled classes
It wasn’t snowing very heavily when Sandy Beck left her Port Hadlock home, but by the time she got to work — she is a tutor at the Grey Wolf Ranch learning center — she found that classes had been canceled.
She then went for a workout at the Port Townsend Athletic Club, after which she wasn’t sure how she was going to get home.
She ended up at the Little Rose Thai restaurant to partake in its $5-a-plate (when you bring your own plate) special, which at 1 p.m. had already attracted several of its regular customers.
“I’m really glad these guys stayed open,” she said.
Nighttime alternatives
Beck said she had several alternatives if she had to spend the night, but those without options could stay at the Mountain View Commons shelter, which the city opened right after noon.
The shelter, at 1919 Blaine St., has restrooms, showers and space to put up people who for the night who can’t get home for whatever reason.
The tourist trade had slowed to a crawl but wasn’t completely dead.
Marcia Bordeaux and Walter Hester from Maui, Hawaii, were downtown shopping where they could enjoyed the surroundings.
“We get to play around in the snow, which you can’t do in Hawaii,” Bordeaux said.
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Port Townsend/Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
