News
Welcome Kyle!
Skookum Rotary Club welcomed new member Kyle Fritz, past president of the East Grays Harbor Rotary Club Wednesday.  Kyle has been a Rotarian for 5 years and is described as being energetic, action oriented, smart, results oriented and a wonderful person.  Below you will see a photo of Kyle and an East Grays Harbor Rotary Club scholarship recipient.  Professionally, Kyle is the southern Olympic Peninsula District Manager for Cascade Natural Gas.  We look forward to getting to know Kyle better.  Please welcome him to our community.  
 
(Photo from East Grays Harbor Rotary Club facebook page).
Skokomish Valley Farms
Wednesday we welcomed Paul Miller of Skokomish Valley Farms to talk about the farm cooperative, their adventure in organically farming the 400+ acres while putting into conservation easements about 300 acres to protect the environment and changes in their operation due to the pandemic.  The cooperative is made of 18 farm families and their 40 acre parcels working together.  The farms are beyond organic and moving into soil restoration as part of the real organic program.  For more information about Skokomish Valley Farms, check out this video where Paul discusses their farming philosophy and program, working with nature instead of against it.  Thank you Paul for sharing your story with us.  
 
https://www.realorganicproject.org/know-your-farmer-skokomish-valley-farms-washington/
 
 
Vote Washington
 
Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman joined us at a July zoom club meeting to discuss a variety of voting topics.  Introduced by club member  Kathy Haigh, it was noted that Secretary Wyman was the Thurston County auditor before being elected as Secretary of State.  In collaboration with the state Legislature and election officials from all 39 counties, Washington State has a solid all mail in balloting election system with multiple safeguards to ensure a fair and safe election.  Secretary Wyman shared a very informative graphic of the Vote at Home status by State from 2019.  
 
 
Washington was the first all mail in balloting state.  With the COVID19 pandemic a number of states are now looking in at all mail in balloting and contacting Secretary Wyman to discuss the process of how to do this safely.   
 
A couple of other items, she reminded us all to complete our census document (https://www.census.gov).    This will allow all Washingtonians to be counted with this information used to allocate Washington's representation in Congress.  Currently Mason County has a 50.1% response rate as of July 30, 2020.  We have another 49.9% to go!  
 
Lastly, don't forget to vote in Washington's primary election by submitting your ballot by Tuesday, August 4, 2020.  There is no need to put postage on your ballot.  
 
 
Mason County COVID19 update with Director Dave Windom
 
David Windom, Director of Community Services will be joining us on Wednesday morning to provide an update on the COVID19 pandemic in Mason County.   Lessons learned and a path forward.  As of July 10, 2020, Mason County has had a total of 60 COVID cases and is currently in Phase 3 of Safe Start reopening.  
 

A reminder, if you are showing symptoms for COVID-19, early testing is encouraged. At the earliest signs of symptoms please reach out to the Respiratory Illness Triage line at 360-427-3615. They can assist you in scheduling an appointment at Mason Health’s Drive Thru COVID-19 testing.

For more information on Mason County's response to COVD19 - https://www.co.mason.wa.us/COVID-19/index.php

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MasonCountyWAHazard

For Washington State information - https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus

 
The Mustard Seed Project
Skookum member Eric Melendez Blegen made a presentation about his life and provided information about his position as Director of the Mustard Seed Project on the Key Peninsula as part of his Classification talk.   Eric has worked on fish processors in Alaska, owned a vegan restaurant in Oregon, and managed a cancer retreat center on Hood Canal.  The Mustard Seed is a community organization that is helping people age in place on the Peninsula.  The program offers a variety of social interactions, provides transportation to medical appointments and food opportunities.  Currently the Mustard Seed Project is developing the first of its kind adult living facility the will be able to provide safe housing for 30 seniors on the Key Peninsula.  Lots has changed in this time of COVID, yet things stay the same with new opportunities and avenues for all of the services while being COVID safe.
 
 For more information on the Mustard Seed Project check out their website:  http://themustardseedproject.org 
 
Upcoming Events & Meetings
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OysterFest 2020
OysterFest event canceled, but Celebrate OysterFest 2020 will be happening.  More information coming!
 
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