NEWS BRIEFS: Chain gang crews busy clearing roads … and other items

PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Chain Gang picked up the Chain Gang 4 vehicle from Alderson Autobody, prepped it for the Irrigation Festival Parade and drove in the parade during the week of May 8-13.

Crew members trimmed weeds around guardrails on Whiskey Creek Road, Joyce-Piedmont Road, Miller Road, Nordstrom Road, Camp Hayden Road, Freshwater Bay Road, Freshwater Park Road, Oxenford Road, Peters Road, Eden Valley Road, Dan Kelly Road, Place Road, Elwha River Road, Crown Z Water Road, Black Diamond Road, Olympic Hot Springs Road, Granite Road, Laird Way, KC Way, Edgewood Road, Ennis Creek Road, Sixth Avenue, Third Avenue, Baker Road, Monroe Road, Pearce Road, Marsden Road, Larch Road, Moss Road, Lees Creek Road, Deer Park Road, O’Brien Road, Blue Mountain Road, Marmot Loop, Lewis Road, Wild Currant Way and Old Olympic Highway.

From May 15-19, chain gang members took the Chain Gang 5 vehicle to get its front end checked out and brought the mobile kitchen to the jail a for barbecue.

Notable items found along roadways were more than 100 needles, two barbecues, 16 tires, a printer/copier, sheet rock, five TVs, miscellaneous car parts, a Ford four-cylinder engine, a recliner, a stove, fencing, a fake tree, a cooler, a couch, a dresser, luggage, a newspaper dispenser, a tablet, multiple garbage cans and more than 15 five-gallon buckets.

Crew members found illegal dumpsites at Laird Road, Towne Road, Ward Road, Deer Park Road, Lower Elwha River Road, Fish Hatchery Road and Johnson Creek Road totaling 2,340 pounds of garbage.

Crew members also cleaned 8 miles and 100 pounds of litter on Edgewood Drive, 2 miles and 30 pounds of litter on Lower Elwha Road, 0.5 miles and 320 pounds of litter from the County Shop, 6 miles and 300 pounds of litter on Dan Kelly Road, 5 miles and 460 pounds of litter on Deer Park Road, 1 mile and 50 pounds on Fish Hatchery Road, 1 mile and 220 pounds of litter on Port Williams Road, 12 miles and 420 pounds of litter on Palo Alto Road, 6 miles and 1,340 pounds of litter on Little River Road, 3 miles and 100 pounds of litter on Tumwater Truck Route and 3 miles and 100 pounds of litter on West 18th Street.

Crew members also recycled 104 pounds of aluminum worth $19.10.

The chain gang has so far this year cleaned 401.6 miles of roadway, picked up 53,090 pounds of dumpsite litter, picked up 36,930 pounds of roadside litter, recycled 2,918 pounds of aluminum, trimmed 27,017 feet of weeds along guardrails, removed or sprayed 810 Scotch broom plants and brushed 23.25 miles of county rights of way.

PA couple given Green Thumb Award

PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Garden Club awarded the spring Green Thumb Award to Michael and Allisa Imming.

The Immings maintain the garden, located at 1009 S. Lincoln St., which was planted by the previous owner, and have their own plans to add touches, according to a news release.

A wisteria runs along the front of the fence, which provides privacy from Lincoln Street.

The garden features a tulip tree, spirea, azalea, grape vines, a pear tree, an espalier apple and a fig tree with many more flowers and plants around the yard.

Student graduates

LACEY — Former Port Angeles resident and co-valedictorian Hope Chamberlain recently graduated summa cum laude from Saint Martin’s University.

Chamberlain received dual bachelor’s degrees in English and theater arts. She also minored in music.

An excerpt of her valedictorian speech read, “You will always be comparing yourself to an ideal, but you don’t need to be perfect in order to be smart enough and kind enough to be the person the world needs.”

She will pursue a master’s degree in teaching at the University of Portland (Ore.) through the Portland Alliance for Catholic Education Program, after which she plans to pursue student teaching in Salt Lake City, Utah.

At Saint Martin’s, Chamberlain is a member of the second cohort of Benedictine Scholars, a leadership/scholarship program in which those selected serve as ambassadors of the university’s Benedictine values.

As a Benedictine Scholar, she has participated in many projects, most recently in restoration of Saint Martin’s outdoor Stations of the Cross and the Year of Faith survey project.

Chamberlain performed in several plays and twice directed plays with both the music and theater arts departments.

She served as a student ambassador with the Office of Admissions for three years and as a resident assistant with the Office of Housing and Residence Life for two.

Dean’s list

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Former Port Angeles student Carter Juskevich was named to Florida Institute of Technology’s spring 2017 dean’s list.

To qualify for the dean’s list, a student must complete 12 or more graded credits in a semester with a minimum 3.4 grade-point average.

More in News

Many colorful Christmas lights that adorn sailboats reflect in the calm waters at Port Angeles Boat Haven. The weather forecast predicts high temperature in the low 50s across the Peninsula this weekend with an increased chance for showers on Saturday and Sunday. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Christmas reflection

Many colorful Christmas lights that adorn sailboats reflect in the calm waters… Continue reading

Mark Nichols.
Clallam identifies steps for coroner conundrum

Judge may take role as state law changes Jan. 1

PA to charge vacant, disconnected properties a base rate for utilities

Goal is more equitable structure, council says

Former Port Townsend mayor remembered as a leader

Brent Shirley was instrumental in Northwest Maritime vision

Port Angeles Education Foundation awards $70K in grants

The Port Angeles Education Foundation has awarded SPICE grants… Continue reading

Shellfish harvesting partially reopens

Clallam County Environmental Health has partially lifted its closure… Continue reading

UPDATE: State Highway 112 reopens near Pysht River

State Highway 112 near Pysht River has been reopened… Continue reading

Library crew members Judith Bows, left, and Suzy Elbow marvel at the Uptown Gingerbread Contest entries at the Port Townsend Library. (Diane Urbani de la Paz/for Peninsula Daily News)
Gingerbread house construction under way at libraries

Categories include Most Creative, Most Literary

Hurricane Ridge could get $80M for new day lodge

Package included in disaster aid

Port Townsend to provide services to homeless encampment

City approves portable bathrooms, dumpsters

One injured in two-car collision at Eaglemount Road

A Port Townsend man was transported to Jefferson Healthcare… Continue reading

Lazy J Tree Farm owner Steve Johnson has lived his whole life on the farm and says he likes to tell people, “I have the same telephone number I was born with.” In the distance, people unload yard waste to be chopped into mulch or turned into compost. Christmas trees are received free of charge, regardless of where they were purchased. (Emily Matthiessen/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Christmas traditions continue at Lazy J Tree Farm

Customers track down trees and holiday accessories