Pacific County planning two meetings to develop plan for emergencies

SOUTH BEND — The Pacific County Emergency Management Agency has been awarded a federal mitigation planning grant, applied for with the intent of updating the Pacific County Hazard Mitigation Plan, first published in 2010.

BOLDplanning, a consulting firm contracted to guide the process, will lead public meetings to kick off the update of Pacific County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. BOLDplanning manages the hazard mitigation planning process by providing on-site process facilitation, stakeholder outreach, data collection and analysis, plan writing and strategy development. The mitigation plan addresses Pacific County’s natural hazards, vulnerabilities and complies with state and federal regulations.

The first meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m., Monday, Feb. 18, South County Administration Building in Long Beach. The second meeting will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the Willapa Harbor Chamber of Commerce Community Center, in South Bend.

These meetings are planned with public input in mind and will be held in conjunction with Tsunami Information Forums designed for the business community. Following these kick-off meetings, meetings will be held with stakeholders from the previous Pacific County Hazard Mitigation Plan, as well as new stakeholders identified to partner with the county for plan development and implementation.

Any questions may be directed to Chief Deputy Stephanie Fritts, sfritts@co.pacific.wa.us or (360) 875-9340.

GHHSA awarded $23K for landing renovations

A grant for $23,000 will help the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority continue renovating its property in South Aberdeen with the goal of establishing a multi-use waterfront facility.

The grant, awarded by the Grays Harbor Community Foundation, will pay for a structural assessment and schematic design of the property’s building 8, which will house the organization’s spar shop and some exhibit spaces, said Les Bolton, the Seaport Authority’s executive director.

The facility as a whole, when it’s completed, will serve as a historical center and will house the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, the organization’s two tall ships. The inspections the grant will fund are a step toward getting the facility to a condition appropriate for public visits.

The Seaport Authority will match half of the funds using cash donations it’s received.

“This is a huge step for us because this is critically important, getting building 8 done,” Bolton said. “This is equipment that we use to maintain our ships, and it’s also the equipment we use to continue upgrades on site.”

Having enough shop space to do its own work, Bolton added, will allow the authority to control is costs more effectively.

The Seaport Authority acquired the property in March 2013 in a donation from the Weyerhauser Company. On 38 acres between the Chehalis River and US 101, the property was once a sawmill. Out of the 14 buildings on the site, nine have been inspected and secured, Bolton said.

Though the grant will go a long way, Bolton added that a grant for $1 million from the state will determine how quickly the renovations get done. If everything goes as planned, the authority could begin construction in late 2015 and be moved in by 2016.

“We’re going to move this forward even if we have to do it $3 at a time,” Bolton said. “It’s just going to take us longer.”

Foot pursuit ends with use of Taser

A Hoquiam man led Aberdeen Police on a foot chase on Wednesday morning that ended with officers using a Taser on the runner to subdue him.

An Aberdeen officer was on patrol around 9 a.m. in the area of Wishkah and Jefferson Streets when he saw an adult male he had had prior contact with. Upon checking his patrol car computer, the officer found it was a 25-year-old Hoquiam man who had a Department of Corrections Felony Arrest warrant, said Aberdeen Police Captain John Green.

When the man was approached by the officer and advised of the warrant, he allegedly ran toward Market Street, refusing to comply with the officer. As other officers were called to deal with the foot pursuit, the man stopped in the eastbound lane of traffic on Market Street and told the officer he was “just joking,” said Green.

When the officer tried to put the man in handcuffs, he allegedly resisted by pulling his arms away and again ran from police. Green said the man attempted to run up a stairwell at a hotel before one officer warned that he would use his Taser if he did not stop. When the man refused to comply and was tased, it caused him to fall to the ground where he was placed under arrest, police said.

The man was checked by the Aberdeen Fire Department at the arrest location and then booked into the City of Aberdeen Jail on charges of obstructing a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and a D.O.C felony warrant for escape from community custody. He had two minor puncture wounds from where the Taser darts were attached to his back. Green said the darts were removed and Aberdeen officers reported no injuries.

“Footloose” at 7th St. Theatre

It was a time of neon colors, slouchy shirts, tight pants, big hair, rock ’n’ roll music and Kevin Bacon — the 80s.

Now you can experience all of that at the 7th St. Theatre this weekend, starting tonight, as the Hoquiam High School drama class brings “Footloose” to the stage.

The story is of Ren McCormack a Chicagoan — who can’t sit still — who comes to the small town of Bomont with his mother Ethel (McKenna Hansen). They are looking for an easier, quieter life with family in a small town after Ren’s father abandons them.

Ren is played by Drew Carley, a senior at HHS, and the play, says director Patty Sundstrom, was pretty much picked for him. “He was in my mind. … I wanted him to have a great role his senior year. He’s got so much talent,”she said.

“I like being on the stage and I like being a lead.” said Carley after a play practice earlier this week. “I really like expressing myself.” This is evident in the first scene.

This isn’t Carley’s first lead. He played Birdie in “Bye Bye Birdie” and the Zombie in “Zombie Prom.”

“He’s fun. He brings a lot of maturity (to the stage and) he knows when to get down to business,” said Sundstrom.

The first person Ren meets at school is the feisty and prone to fisticuffs Willard (Alex Ham) and they become good friends. Ham hadn’t been in the drama class before. Sundstrom thought he would be perfect for the part. “He is so funny,” she said. But she had to do some pretty heavy recruiting. “The day before tryouts, he said he would do it. What a gift. He is terrific.”

Opposite Carley is sophomore Sadie Karl. She plays Arielle, the very confident and outspoken preacher’s daughter.

The play expects a lot of maturity from the actors and the audience. The play is family friendly but has some adult themes and is a bit suggestive.

This is Karl’s first year in drama and Sundstrom has witnessed her improvement. “She has such a big voice for such a little thing,” said Sundstrom. “She has much more confidence with her singing.” Sundstrom was excited to point out that she is looking forward to mentoring Karl for another two years.

Karl acknowledged her love for singing, she has been in 7th St. Kids productions, “Seusical” and “Once on this Island” but on stage, out in front, all by herself, she can really belt it out, and enjoys it. “I really like singing,” she said shyly, but then beamed, “I get to sing all by myself.”

The most challenging part of the her role is portraying Arielle’s attitude, you would never know it the way she struts across stage in her red cowboy boots. “She’s so sexually confident,” said Karl.

The plot of the play is that after an ill-fated accident that killed “five of Bomont’s brightest” after they were returning from a party, all dancing was banned. The ban was led by the powerful Reverand Shaw Moore (Gabe Cabell). Ren makes this his personal cause. In the end, the overall message of the play is to listen to the wisdom of young people.

Dancing and singing is what students found the most challenging part of the play. But the audience may find the energy in the dances the most rewarding. Sundstrom expects a lot from her students. “The learning curve is really steep. There are hard dances, set changes and they have to make their own costumes.” She expects the students to help each other. Once she teaches the students the dances, the ones who get it help each other. During this play it was Kennedy Gwin and Trinity Olsen.

The same thing happened in the costume department. “I make them find ‘80s costumes. I want them to take ownership.” She credits Kelsey Zelepuza (Betty Blast in the play) for taking ownership in the costume department. She made her waitress-on-roller skates costume and also fashioned a matching one for Ren. “She says ‘I’ve got an idea’ and I let her run with it.”

Sundstrom has 45 kids in the production, plus she involved another 20 from Laurie Howard’s shop class who build the sets each year.

With this ownership she is most happy. “They want it to be the best and they are doing all they can to make it the best it can be. (When they do all they can) it becomes a passion.”

Curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. at the 7th St. Theatre in Hoquiam Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. There will be a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets: adults $10 and students and children $8 and are available for purchase at Harbor Drug, Crown Drug, Rosevear’s Music, Hoquiam High School and at the door.

Richelle Barger is a writer for The Daily World and may have danced to Footloose when it first debuted in 1984. She can be reached at rbarger@thedailyworld.com. Find her on Facebook at richelle.barger.35 or follow her on Twitter @DW_Richelle.

GH Navigation Channel funded for deepening in 2015

Federal funding for the second phase of the project known as Deeper Draft has been secured, clearing the way to dredge the Grays Harbor shipping channel to a depth of minus 38 feet, Port of Grays Harbor officials said Wednesday. The Port has been working on the project for decades and 38-foot depth has been authorized by Congress since 1977.

Construction is expected to start in the fall. Another $4.6 million is required as a local match and Port officials say they are working with the state to secure that funding. The state provided funding for the first phase of Deeper Draft, which was completed in 1991.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work plan for 2015 was released Tuesday and includes $8 million for the project. President Barack Obama’s 2016 budget also included $7 million for completing the deepening. Congress authorized the channel deepening project to 38 feet after cost benefit analysis and environmental reviews were finished last year.

The Port has five deep water terminals and says vessel traffic has increased more than 300 percent over the past five years. Exports account for about 90 percent of Grays Harbor’s shipping activity. Port officials say Grays Harbor is a positive contributor to the U.S. balance of trade and deepening of the federal navigation channel to its congressionally authorized depth will ensure that U.S. grown and manufactured products are competitive in the growing Pacific Rim trade.

“We are beyond thrilled the Corps was able to make our project a priority for the FY2015 work plan,” said Port Executive Director, Gary Nelson. “We appreciate their hard work, as well as the support of our state and federal elected officials in making this important project possible. Deeper Draft will serve our customers, our community and our country well into the future as we continue to provide a crucial link between United States growers and producers and international markets.”

The Grays Harbor Navigation Channel was authorized by Congress to a depth of minus 38 feet in 1977. Construction of Phase I was completed in 1991 improving the channel to a depth of minus 36 feet. Efforts for Phase II, constructing the channel to its fully authorized depth of minus 38 feet, began in 2007 and have included feasibility reports, biological assessments, impact mitigation studies, environmental assessments and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement completed in June 2014. In August 2014, Army Corps Brigadier General John Kem of the Northwestern Division signed the Record of Decision, officially recommending deepening the channel to minus 38 feet and that it was technically feasible, environmentally justified, cost effective and in accordance with environmental statutes and public interest.

Series of strong storms headed our way

The National Weather Service in Seattle warns that a series of strong, intermittent, heavy rain systems will impact the Harbor beginning Thursday and running through Monday, according to Grays Harbor Deputy Director of Emergency Management Charles Wallace.

Models are indicating that the five days of rain could generate 10 to 13 inches of heavy rain in the mountains and 1 to 4 inches in the lowlands and coastal regions. Gusty winds are forecast to accompany the storms along the coast, which will create high surf conditions along the beaches, Wallace said.

The heaviest rainfall in Grays Harbor County is predicted in the Amanda Park and Lake Quinault areas, which could see 4 to 7 inches, possibly more, over the five-day period, Wallace added.

The models predict there will be significant breaks in the heavy rainfall making it likely that any river flooding that may occur will be minor, however conditions could change making more widespread flooding possible, Wallace cautioned, adding that it is unlikely any major river flooding will occur.

The breaks in the rainfall are expected to occur this afternoon, Friday afternoon into Saturday morning and much of the day Sunday.

Grays Harbor County Emergency Management will continue to monitor the forecasts with the National Weather Service through the weekend.

Got flood damage? SBA may have a loan for you

Funding for homeowners and renters struggling to pay for flood repairs has come in the form of loans provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Applications for the loans are due as early as March 30.

The loans cover up to $200,000 worth of repairs or replacement to homes and $40,000 to replace personal property for homeowners and renters. Rates for the home loans are as low as 1.938 percent.

Though the SBA is typically a financial resource for local start-ups, disaster loans like these have been in the agency’s wheelhouse since the 1950s, said Garth MacDonald, a spokesman for the administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

“Our funds are a major portion of what helps communities recover,” MacDonald said. “Our federal low-interest loans are the primary long-term recovery money.”

Applying for loans, MacDonald said, is completely free. Homeowners who feel they could use the funds but aren’t sure if it’s the right decision are encouraged to apply anyway, he added.

“It’s one key source they don’t want to avoid or not bother to apply for at least by the deadline,” he said. “That way, they at least keep their options open.”

The deadline to apply for physical damage is March 30 or Oct. 29 for economic injury.

Access to the loans came last week at the request of Gov. Jay Inslee, citing “catastrophic physical damage” as a result of the mudslides.

The direct federal loans are designed for homeowners and renters following federal disasters. The program also allows small businesses to borrow up to $2 million for any property damage or economic loss that resulted in the flood, like having to remain closed for days following the flood. Most private non-profits are also eligible.

“The lifeblood of this community is its residents and businesses,” Inslee said in a statement. “That’s evident by the way local recovery groups have banded together to help their neighbors and communities. With that said — this area needs an additional hand up to get those impacted by the storm back on their feet. The loss is tremendous, and the SBA programs would provide access to funding to help replace what was lost, and make homes livable again.”