HCIC May 2011 Meeting Minutes

The meeting of the Hood Canal Improvement Club was called to order at 7:17 p.m. President McArthur led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Richard welcomed our evening’s guests Jason Franklin and Jayni Kamin.

The minutes from the April meeting were approved with two corrections: the cabinet will be completed by the September meeting, and the spelling of George Brubacher’s name was corrected. There was no Treasurer’s report from April.

Jayne Kamin, Board member of the McReavy House Museum of Hood Canal, spoke to the group for a few minutes about the accomplishments of the volunteers in renovating the house, with many more tasks needing to be done. She said that since grant money is in short supply due to the poor economy, that they have formed a Building Committee to oversee the several phases of the project as well as raise funds for the continuing work. She invited all to consider joining them in their effort, and specifically to come to a work day on Saturday May 7th starting at 9 am, primarily to work on the grounds around the house.

Constance Ibsen told the group about the “What is the State of your Oyster” program, started 20 years ago by Judy Likkel, that allows private beach owners to have their oysters tested for fecal coliform and vibrio at periodic times during the year. She had a flyer showing the next testing dates as well as drop off locations for all interested.

Committee Reports:

Mike Jensen said that rather than trying to fit doors to the bookshelves, he will build a whole new cabinet to house the HCIC information and supplies at the NCCU office. He will have it completed by the September meeting. Thanks, Mike!

Henry Biernacki reported that the Earth Day clean up of the Dalby Waterwheel went well, and they were able to clean, prune and mow the area around the waterwheel, as well as clean out the water pipes. He also said that North Forty LLC had volunteered to take over the grass mowing along the highway right-of-way from now on. Many thanks to all!

Constance Ibsen gave the report from the Nominating Committee, with the great news that a Slate of Candidates had come forward, including Barbara Levette for President, Maureen Woodcock for Vice President, Judy Likkel for Secretary, Ruth Flakus for Treasurer, and Constance Ibsen for Member At Large. With no further additions from the floor, we proceeded to a vote and elected all unanimously. The new officers were sworn in by former President Mike Jensen. As outgoing President, Richard McArthur automatically becomes the second position Member at Large. Constance also reported that the following people had agreed to do various tasks throughout the meeting year: Richard McArthur will help with meeting room opening and set-up, Karen Burger will ensure hosts for each meeting, Pat Orr will take charge of telephone reminders for the meetings, and Ed Binder will continue as the designated contact agent for non-profit. All were welcomed and thanked for their willingness to serve. President McArthur also said some kind words of appreciation for outgoing officers Valerie Johnson, Charles Johnson and Henry Biernacki, for their support of him during his three years as President of the HCIC. Henry Biernacki gave a special thank-you on behalf of all to Richard McArthur for a job well done.

President McArthur thanked the evening’s hosts, Ed Binder, Steve and Barbara Levette and others who pitched in. Thanks also to Richard for always helping to get the room set up and to everyone who brought the great dishes for the potluck.

The 50/50 pot of $52.00 was won by Ed Binder, who generously donated his half to the HCIC treasury. He said after all these years, he finally won it!

For the Good of the Order announcements:

White Cane Day will be sponsored by the Hood Canal Lions, and you will see them at the Union and Hoodsport Post Offices on Saturday, May 7th. Plan to give generously!

Jayni Kamin gave a reminder to come and help the McReavy House this Saturday, and also noted that this is the last weekend of the Traveler Days Festival, with art shows in various locations, including Hood Canal School children’s art at Alderbrook Resort and Spa from noon- two pm.

Henry Biernacki announced that the UTA’s monthly meeting is Wednesday, May 4th, starting at 10 am at the Alderbrook Golf and Country Clubhouse. All are welcome to come.

Gordon Barrett reminded the group that Mother’s Day is coming soon, and to remember our mothers.

As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:02 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Valerie Johnson, Secretary

HCIC BOARD OF OFFICERS 2011-2012

SHOWN IN PHOTO: BARBARA LEVETTE, PRESIDENT; MAUREEN WOODCOCK, VICE PRESIDENT; JUDY LIKKEL, SECRETARY; CONSTANCE IBSEN, MEMBER-AT-LARGE; NOT PICTURED: RUTH FLAKUS, TREASURER; RICHARD MC ARTHUR, MEMBER-AT-LARGE (OUTGOING PRESIDENT)

APRIL 2011 MINUTES

The meeting of the Hood Canal Improvement Club was called to order at 7:18 p.m. President McArthur led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Richard welcomed our evening’s guest Karl Denison, PUD #1 Commissioner. President McArthur turned the meeting over to our guest, who spoke to us about the Dalby Waterwheel Hydroelectric project. Mr Denison told the group what needs to be done in order to have the wheel once again produce power. Included are a metered system with an alternator, batteries and lights. Costs are estimated to run between $1,000 and $2,000 for this equipment. Mr. Denison also told the group about other PUD projects that are currently in progress, including #1.) Common sense changes to the law, #2.) Renewable energy credits, and #3.) Grants for hydroelectric projects. PUD #1 recently completed a 2.8 million dollar project on the Skokomish River, and tree trimming is an ongoing project.

The minutes from the March meeting were approved as presented. The Treasurer’s report from March was approved as presented.

The Nominating Committee Report is attached to the minutes. Both motions included in it failed.

There was a motion made by Steve Levette, seconded by Gordon Barrett to write a letter to all members about the lack of interest in attendance. A committee including Constance Ibsen, Barbara Levette, Terry Oliver and Karen Burger was formed to write the letter to be sent to all members, past and present. The letter will call for all interested parties to consider running for one of the Board of Officer positions at the May meeting, otherwise we will have no choice but to put the club in hibernation as described in the second attachment “Suspension of the Bylaws”. The Members voted to allow as much as $150 to be spent on the cost of the letter and mailing to all members.

Committee Reports:

Mike Jensen said that he is working on completing the doors for the HCIC cabinet at the NCCU office, and will have them ready before the May meeting.

New Business:

Henry Biernacki announced that there will be an Earth Day clean up of the Dalby Waterwheel on April 23rd, and encouraged everyone who can come and lend a hand, or a rake or a hoe, to please do so. The group will start working at 10am at the waterwheel.

For the good of the order: There will be a fund-raiser pancake breakfast at the Union Fire Hall on Saturday April 30th, hosted by the Hood Canal Lions to raise money for George Brubaker’s medical expenses. All are encouraged to come out and enjoy a fine breakfast for a good cause!

As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Valerie Johnson, Secretary

Minutes taken by Karen Burger - thank you very much!

March 2011 Meeting Minutes

The meeting of the Hood Canal Improvement Club was called to order at 7:15 p.m. President McArthur led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Richard welcomed our evening’s guests, Union Fire District Commissioner Dave Johnston, Chief Clint Volk, and Penny Parris. All three became members of the Improvement Club by meeting’s end, and we extend a hearty welcome to all! President McArthur turned the meeting over to Chief Volk, who presented a Power Point presentation on the upcoming EMS levy. He explained that the funds being asked for are to renew the levy that expired in 2010, and will cover a ten year span, starting in 2012. He said that the funds can only be used for EMS, not for administration, salaries or anything else, and that without the passage of the levy, the UFD EMS program will suffer. He also discussed the size of the district (11 miles) and the response time for calls, even to the farthest edges of the district are being kept to 6-8 minutes. Chief Volk answered many questions from the group and everyone seemed satisfied at the conclusion of the presentation. Many thanks to Chief Volk for taking the time to explain the details of the levy.

The minutes from the December meeting were approved as presented. The Treasurer’s report from December was approved as presented.

Committee Reports:

Henry Biernacki reported that PUD #1 Commissioner Carl Denison is having their engineer study the feasibility of having the Dalby Waterwheel produce hydropower, and will have a report on this at the next meeting. Henry also said that he’ll be asking for volunteers to help clean up the waterwheel site again in April during UTA’s Traveler Days Earth Day celebration. Richard thanked everyone who signed up at the February meeting to be on the committee to help maintain the waterwheel.

Mike Jensen said that he is working on completing the doors for the HCIC cabinet at the NCCU office.

Old Business:

Constance Ibsen reported that the Webb Hill report has been delayed until summer. She will stay in touch with this matter and report back to the club when the time draws nearer for the report to be given and will invite Mr. Dorcy to speak to the group at that time.

New Business:

President McArthur asked for volunteers to form a Nominating Committee, to present a slate of candidates at the April meeting. Constance Ibsen, Ed Binder and Pat Orr volunteered, and many thanks for their willingness to serve the club!

President McArthur thanked our evening’s hosts Karen and Jerry Burger, Mike Jensen, Henry Biernacki as well as others who lent a hand, including Richard McArthur. Many thanks to them all!

The 50/50 containing $41.00 was won by Mike Jensen, who took home $20.00 and a straw hat.

As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Valerie Johnson, Secretary

FEBRUARY 2011 MEETING MINUTES

The meeting of the Hood Canal Improvement Club was called to order at 7:15 p.m. President McArthur led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Richard welcomed our evening’s guests, Gloria Howard, Rick Mackwell (Pat Orr’s nephew), Linda Ferguson (Sharon Darling’s sister), and guest of honor and guest speaker, Gordon James from the Skokomish Tribe. Richard introduced Gordon as past Tribe Chair, Cultural Leader and master storyteller for the Skokomish people, and then turned the meeting over to him.

Gordon told some of the history of the Skokomish people, who had nine villages around the Hood Canal area in ancient times, and how they were organized in their villages to best support all of the people, who were mostly related to each other. Gordon told about how looking back in time at how the old villages were organized helps them see how a modern community developed over time. When it came time to select a mate, they travelled to neighboring villages and spent time with their intended until such time as the marriage took place. Then the couple would live either in the husband’s or wife’s village, as was deemed best for both, as well as both villages. Harmony and balance were the goal, as well as minimizing cultural conflicts. The Skokomish people had their own language, cultural system and values that they handed down to their children. The village might have 200 people living in it, so they weren’t large groups of people. Gordon also spoke about the concept of “Indian time”, which addresses more priority than punctuality, as well as concepts of the “future”. The future can be seen as relatively short-term or long-term in scope (short term would be “do we have enough supplies to last the winter?” and long-term addresses considerations of actions taken now affecting many generations to come). Mr. James graciously took several questions and everyone seemed to enjoy his presentation very much. We thank Gordon for sharing his valuable insights into Skokomish culture and tradition.

The minutes from the December meeting were approved as presented. The Treasurer’s report from December was approved as presented. Other business will be addressed at the March meeting.

Richard circulated a sign-up sheet for all interested in helping maintain the Dalby Waterwheel. Thanks to all who signed up and expressed a willingness to help the waterwheel.

President McArthur thanked our evening’s hosts Constance Ibsen and Ed Binder, also Helen Robel, Becky Russell as well as others who lent a hand, including Richard McArthur. Many thanks to them all!

“For the good of the order” included an announcement by President McArthur that there will be a fund-raiser pancake breakfast on Saturday, February 5th from 8am - 11am at the Union Fire Hall to benefit UFD Matt Henirich’s ongoing health support.

Val Johnson reported that a representative from PUD #1 is scheduled to speak to the UTA on Wednesday regarding the hydropower possibilities for the Dalby Waterwheel. She suggested that we might want to have the same presentation perhaps at our March meeting.

Ed Binder said that PUD #1 had held a meeting a couple of weeks ago to discuss their comprehensive water plan for the future, and thought it would be good if we would host such a forum in the future.

Constance Ibsen notified the group that the Webb Hill Bio-Recycling Plant is due for re-certification and recommended that the HCIC host a public forum to discuss this issue. She mentioned that when she contacted the Department of Ecology to learn more about the re-certification process, she was amazed to learn that the Bio-Recycling Plant is a self-regulated site, and not overseen by DOE. Mr. Kyle Dorcy will be preparing and writing the report which is due in April of this year. Constance volunteered to write a letter inviting Mr. Dorcy to make a presentation to the HCIC, and will bring it to our next meeting for all to sign. Ed Binder recommended a copy be sent to the Mason County Board of Commissioners.

As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Valerie Johnson, Secretary

MINUTES OF JANUARY 2011 MEETING

The meeting of the Hood Canal Improvement Club was called to order at 7:15 p.m. President McArthur led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Richard led the group in singing the Happy Birthday song to our January birthday members, including Charles Johnson and Mike Jensen. The Johnsons then sang the “Birthday Dirge” to all. The minutes from the December meeting were approved as presented. The Treasurer’s report from December was approved as presented. Treasurer Johnson explained that the expenses incurred for the Dalby Waterwheel repair work during the December storm would be taken from the CD when it matures and returned to the general fund. Henry Biernacki reported that due to the December storm the water pipes were filled with rocks and sand, became clogged and needed to be repaired so that the waterwheel would once again turn. The club hired Pam Hanson’s brother, Ed Walker and his friend Tony to do the digging to free the lines, but it would be better if club members could volunteer for this type of work in the future. Val will send an email request to all members and see if a volunteer group could be formed for future emergencies. Thanks to Henry for overseeing the work to completion.

Ed Binder presented the Audit Committee Report and everyone had a chance to review the great work done by his committee, including Lola Pittard and Mike Jensen. Ed said that the financial reports done by Treasurer Johnson are the best he has seen in this club in 30 years, and that the suggestions in the report have to do not with any criticism of his work, but reflect an interest in providing continuity to future club treasurers, so that the good practices that have been developed can continue. Treasurer Johnson stated that he will draft a document that includes the recommendations that can be used by future club treasurers, and will present it to the Board of Officers for approval. It will be presented to the members at the February meeting. Many thanks to the Audit Committee for the fine work done.

Pres. McArthur reported on the Dalby Waterwheel road signs, stating that the WSDOT had planted our signs in both directions on highway 106, and that since they have been approved and placed officially, they should stay where they are from now on. WSDOT Traffic Manager Steve Bennett did mention to Richard at the end of the process that the State no longer places signs such as ours, but made an exception this time. Secretary Johnson will write thank you letters on the club’s behalf to both Tim Sheldon and to Steve Bennett for their assistance in completing the project.

Mike Jensen reported on the HCIC cabinet doors and said that he would work on them soon. He was unaware that the cabinet had been approved at the place it is occupying at the NCCU office or that the HCIC binders had already been moved there. He said the doors are ready to be installed and he was just waiting for the green light.

New Business:

We discussed and voted upon whether we wanted to have the Club’s half of the 50/50 drawing go to the Hood Canal Food Bank, or to the HCIC treasury, and the club treasury won. We then passed around the Food Bank can for members to make their contribution directly.

Richard introduced our evening’s guest, Howard Leggett, Vice President of the McReavy House Museum of Hood Canal, who gave us an update on the restoration project. The vision is for the house to be repaired to the degree that community clubs and groups can begin using it, hopefully by May of 2011, for different activities of interest to area citizens. To open by May, they need to have the PUD water connect fee paid, which is $3,500 and are asking all groups and individuals to help them with this cost. President McArthur gave Howard the standard form the club developed last year, to be filled out and returned with the requested donation shown. We can then review the request at the next meeting. All seemed to appreciate Howard’s presentation on the progress and planned activities at the McReavy House.

President McArthur thanked our evening’s host Pat Orr, as well as others who lent a hand, including Mike Jensen, Bill Viger and Richard McArthur. Many thanks to them all!

The 50/50 drawing was conducted by Mike Jensen and Gordon Barrett was the winner of the $24 pot. He asked that his winnings be donated to the Food Bank. Thanks, Gordon!

Bill Viger reported that his rain gauge showed that we had a total of 110 inches of rain in Union in 2010, which according to the records he has been keeping for the last 25 years, is 20% more rain than usual.

As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Valerie Johnson, Secretary