Paradise Fire grows by 35 acres in night
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The Paradise Fire grew about 35 acres Wednesday evening and into Thursday morning, crawling deeper into the Queets River valley and up steep slopes.
The fire’s spread reached 1,060 acres on the banks and steep hillsides on the north side of the Queets River and remained east of fire lines established near Bob Creek, according to data collected during an overnight flight.
Wednesday’s growth eastward from the Paradise Creek drainage and into an unnamed creek drainage was a result of Wednesday’s hot, dry weather, said Donna Nemeth, spokeswoman for the National Forest Service team assigned to the fire.
Temperatures in the Queets River valley reached 95 degrees Wednesday, with light breezes and gusts to 9 miles per hour, according to a National Weather Service “MesoWest” weather station located 8 miles southwest of the fire.
The fire is burning 13 miles inside the Olympic National Park in thick rain forest vegetation on steep hillsides and is expected to be trapped inside the Queets River valley by steep, rocky ridges that do not support the spread of fire into other areas, according to fire managers.
On Thursday morning, personnel assigned to the fire included two fire crews of 11 members each, two helicopters and their crews, and support personnel.
Fire headquarters have been established at Port Angeles High School.
Park district
SEQUIM — The League of Women Voters of Clallam County will host an informational forum on metropolitan park districts from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The forum will be at the Sequim Transit Center, 190 W. Cedar St.
Three speakers will present information about such districts regarding their formation, how they function, and the tax implications.
Speakers will be Joe Irvin, assistant to the Sequim city manager; Steve Burke, executive director of William Shore Memorial Pool in Port Angeles; and Pam Rushton, Clallam County assessor.
After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions.
The forum is not a debate about the SARC metropolitan park district measure that will appear on the Aug. 4 primary election ballot.
It is intended to provide information about how such taxing districts function.
Lavender training
SEQUIM — The Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce is hosting a training session for volunteers and any members of the public that are interested in learning about what’s new for this year’s Sequim Lavender Weekend.
The training session will be held at the Civic Center, 152 W. Cedar St., at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The session includes information about the farms on tour, transportation options, fee structures, the street fair and community events.
For more information, phone the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce at 360-683-6197.
Peninsula Daily News CHENEY — The following students were named to Eastern Washington University’s Spring 2015 Dean’s List:
■ Port Angeles: Graham Baiz, Jamie Gladfelter, Rio Mowbray and Daniel Pitz.
■ Sequim: Joshua Graham, Mitchell Koonz, Zachary Langan and Shannon Robbins.
■ Chimacum: Hannah Jahnke, Morgan Music and Lili Story.
■ Port Townsend: Rory McDonald and Grayson Pennell.
An undergraduate student who earns 12 quality hours and receives a grade-point average of 3.5 or better is placed on the Dean’s List for the quarter.
Neighbor welcome set for Thursday
PORT LUDLOW — A Welcome to Your Neighborhood meeting will take place at 121 Spinnaker Place from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
The event is designed to welcome people who have moved to Port Ludlow in the past year or still feel relatively new.
Attendees will meet new neighbors and be introduced to more than 48 organizations in Port Ludlow.
For more information, contact Barbara Berthiuame at barbara.berthiaume@gmail.com or 360-437-0423.
Wine festival
SEQUIM — The Cedars at Dungeness, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity Clallam County, will hold a Wine Festival at the golf course, 1965 Woodcock Road, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, July 11.
The event features tastings of 50 local and global wineries, hors d’oeuvres prepared by chef Richard White and prizes.
Live music is provided by the Straight Shots.
VIP tickets, which include early admission and the VIP lounge, are $60; general admission is $45.
Tickets are available at Stymie’s Bar & Grill or www.brownpapertickets.com.
For more information, phone 360-681-6780.
Department lauded
PORT ANGELS — The Clallam County Elections Department recently earned state-level recognition for successfully completing its emergency preparedness plan.
The department was commended formally by the office of the secretary of state at an awards ceremony June 10 during the 2015 Washington State Elections Conference in Seatac.
The plan, known as a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), is designed to ensure that essential departmental functions and services — conducting elections, holding candidate filing and facilitating voter registration — continue during an emergency.
It was developed by the county’s three-person Elections Department that includes Voter Registration Coordinator Julie Maxion, Elections Supervisor Ken Hugoniot and Elections Assistant Renee Mizar, plus Auditor Shoona Riggs.