Kelley Watson of Port Townsend High School and Todd Miller of Chimacum High School were honored for their work in education by the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. (Cydney McFarland/Peninsula Daily News)

Kelley Watson of Port Townsend High School and Todd Miller of Chimacum High School were honored for their work in education by the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. (Cydney McFarland/Peninsula Daily News)

Teachers honored by woodworking school

PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend School of Woodworking honored two area high school teachers for their contributions to the woodworking community through education.

Kelley Watson, maritime woodworking teacher at Port Townsend High School, and Todd Miller, shop teacher from Chimacum High School, received the woodworking school’s Founder’s Award during a breakfast fundraiser in the Fort Worden Chapel on Thursday.

“This award is to recognize people who have helped the school or helped woodworking in the community,” said Tim Lawson, executive director of the School of Woodworking.

In the past, the award has gone to artists, teachers and a park ranger at Fort Worden who helped moved the school to its current location in Fort Worden State Park.

“I’m incredibly honored that the school would give this award to Todd and I,” Watson said. “These guys have really taken me under their wing so I could get this program where it’s at.”

Watson has taught maritime woodworking at Port Townsend High School as part of the Port Townsend School District’s Maritime Discovery Program.

She said the School of Woodworking has worked closely with the high school, sharing tools and volunteering some staff to make the high school program possible.

“Our high school kids are getting an education that’s similar to what they would get here,” Watson said.

“They might not get as much practice as these students, but they’ve learned some of the same skills.”

Miller has taught a traditional shop class at Chimacum High School for about 15 years. He said skills such as woodworking are important to teach at the high school level because it will open doors for jobs in the future.

“If a kid can learn to use a tape measure and show up to work on time, they can get a job,” Miller said. “We’re not going to be shipping construction jobs overseas, and we’re not going to send boat repairs overseas, so from a practical standpoint, it’s beneficial.”

Miller also said that, in an increasingly digital world, the feeling of physically making something often is underrated.

“It’s really a human thing to make things with your hands,” Miller said. “That’s my philosophical standpoint, anyway.”

The event Thursday benefited the School of Woodworking scholarship fund. The school raised about $8,700, which will go toward helping students who want to attend programs at the school.

Lawson said currently, the scholarship is based mostly on the passion of the students but that school officials hope to create a more need-based program for students who really couldn’t afford the school otherwise.

This year, five students received funding through the School of Woodworking scholarship, which raises money almost entirely from the Port Townsend community.

“This community is so rooted in craft, and we’re just an extension of that,” Lawson said.

“This event really started off as more of a ‘friend-raiser’ but has slowly morphed into a fundraiser.”

________

Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in News

Bernard leads Simpson for Clallam PUD position

Phyllis Bernard was leading Ken Simpson for the District… Continue reading

Johnson leads Dexter for Clallam County commissioner

Incumbent Randy Johnson was defeating challenger Kate Dexter for… Continue reading

Clallam Fire District 2 lid lift passing

The Clallam County Fire District 2 measure to lift… Continue reading

Port Angeles School District levy, bond measures passing

The Port Angeles School District’s two propositions — a… Continue reading

A voter is handed as ballot at Woodworth School in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday. One of the most consequential presidential elections in the nation’s modern history is well underway, as voters flocked to churches, schools and community centers to shape the future of American democracy. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
Polls are closed in swing states, but none are called

With most polls across the United States closed on Tuesday night, a… Continue reading

Residents vote early in Dearborn, Mich., Nov. 3, 2024. Like in 2020, the vote count will still feature “blue mirages” or “red mirages,” in which one candidate builds a fleeting lead simply because mail or Election Day ballots are counted first. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
What we’ll know and when we’ll know it: A guide to election night

Four years ago, it took days for news organizations to project Joe… Continue reading

A man drops off his ballot this weekend in front of the Clallam County courthouse in Port Angeles. Dropboxes across Clallam and Jefferson counties will be open until 8 p.m. tonight. Go to www.peninsuladailynews.com for initial results. Election coverage will be in Thursday’s print edition. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Election day

A man drops off his ballot this weekend in front of the… Continue reading

Clallam last of its kind in nation

County has predicted president since 1980

Bruce Skinner. (Leah Leach/for Peninsula Daily News)
Skinner earns festivals association lifetime award

Veteran music festival organizer also inducted into Hall of Fame

Hood Canal Bridge closures set Thursday night

The Hood Canal Bridge on state Highway 104 will repeatedly… Continue reading

Decoy carver Ben Tyler, left, talks about the carvings he has on display to Brian Erickson, from Juneau, Alaska, during the Port Townsend Woodworkers Show at the Legion Hall in Port Townsend on Saturday. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Decoy carvings

Decoy carver Ben Tyler, left, talks about the carvings he has on… Continue reading

About two dozen witches set off on the second annual Witches Paddle from Northwest Maritime to the Pourhouse pub on Saturday, a distance of half a mile. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Witches paddle

About two dozen witches set off on the second annual Witches Paddle… Continue reading