Unity of Effort event scheduled for Saturday

The community is invited to stop in and thank first responders and military professionals that keep communities and the nation safe at the annual Unity of Effort event, scheduled for 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at Security Services Northwest Inc., 250 Center Park Way.

Hosted by Security Services Northwest Inc. and Fort Discovery, Inc., Unity of Effort will have a number of first responders on site along with a LifeFlight and Washington Army National Guard helicopters on display, a K-9 demonstration, live music (including Buck Ellard, War Hippies and 1980s rock tribute band Hairstrom), blacksmith demonstrations and more.

Sequim Noon Rotary will be cooking up smash burgers, hot dogs and chili from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., with proceeds going to youth programs in the community.

See facebook.com/events/1585956485247235 for more information.

WAG sets second open house for Saturday, Aug. 12

Welfare for Animals Guild (WAG) invites the public to the second of two open house events this summer at the Halfway Home Ranch, 751 McComb Road. Events are set for 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12.

A local dog rescue founded in 2001, WAG is a nonprofit serving Clallam and surrounding communities. The Halfway Home Ranch officially opened in October 2017 to provide a safe and loving home for dogs while they are readied for adoption to their “forever” home.

The public is welcome to come tour the facility and meet the dogs in person; normally the ranch is open by appointment only. Visitors will be asked to step onto a wet shoe-sanitizer sponge mat upon entering the grounds to protect the dogs and puppies from parvovirus and other contaminants. Visitors are asked to not bring their own dogs. Volunteers will be on hand to show the dogs and puppies and discuss their individual personalities and profiles.

For more about Welfare for Animals Guild, visit wagsequimwa.com or call 360-460-6258.

Library friends group sets book sale

The Friends of Sequim Library’s second Saturday book sale is scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12 at Rock Plaza 10131 Old Olympic Highway. Of interest this month is a large selection of CDs from the 1960s-1990s, quilting books, choral sheet music, science fiction, fantasy and horror books, hardbound historical fiction and puzzles.

Funds raised help support programs at the Sequim Library.

Discovery Bay opens to recreational shellfish harvesting

The Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health Division announced last week that Discovery Bay is now open for recreational harvest of all species of shellfish.

Strait of Juan de Fuca from Cape Flattery to Dungeness Spit is also open to all species, while the Strait from Dungeness Spit to Jefferson County line (excluding Discovery Bay) is closed to butter clams and varnish clams only.

Sequim Bay is also closed to butter clams and varnish clams only.

Closed to all species means clams (including geoduck), oysters, mussels and other invertebrates such as the moon snail. All areas are closed for the sport harvest of scallops. These closures do not apply to shrimp.

For more information about this closure, call the Marine Biotoxin Hotline at 1.800.562.5632, or visit the Department of Health’s Marine Biotoxin website at doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety.htm.

Intentional Aging group to talk nutrition, late-life depression

The North Olympic Library System offers Intentional Aging, a monthly discussion group for anyone who wants to live well while aging. Meetings are held on Zoom at 11 a.m. on the third Tuesday of every month. Monthly attendance is encouraged, and all are welcome to join any meeting. Register at nols.org/intentional-aging or by contacting a library branch.

On Aug. 15, Daniel Beery, a nutritional sciences graduate student at the University of Washington, will join the Intentional Aging group to discuss how diet and lifestyle can affect mental health as people age with the presentation, “Nutrition and Late-Life Depression.” Learn how late-life depression differs from depression in other life stages, and how nutrition affects the risk for developing late-life depression.

For more information,visit nols.org, email to discover@nols.org or follow North Olympic Library System on Facebook and Instagram.

‘Tools for Caregivers’ on tap at TUMC

“Powerful Tools for Caregivers,” a class that helps those who care for a loved one also take care of themselves, starts Tuesday, Aug. 15, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave.

The class will meet from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on six Tuesdays, ending Sept. 19. The only cost is $30 for the textbook.

Topics include how the caregiver can reduce personal stress, deal with emotions, solve problems, communicate effectively with other family members, make difficult decisions and use community services.

The class does not focus on hands-on care for the care receiver.

Pre-registration is required and may be done by calling class leaders Judy Croonquist at 360-582-1370 or Barbara Parse at 360-683-2113.

Summer Reading pool party set at YMCA

The Sequim Library of the North Olympic Library System (NOLS), in partnership with the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, invites people of all ages to a Summer Reading Swim Party from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 10, at the YMCA of Sequim, 610 N. Fifth Ave.

This free swim party is a chance to celebrate reaching summer reading goals. View swim safety requirements and sign the waiver in advance at nols.org/swim.

Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by an adult and have a waiver signed by a legal guardian. Youth ages 12-17 must have a waiver signed by a legal guardian. Adults must sign a waiver and show an ID upon arrival.

The event is part of the “Find Your Voice” Summer Reading Program, happening through Aug. 26. Sign up for a Reading Challenge, earn a T-shirt, win prizes and participate in fun events. For more information about the Summer Reading Program, visit nols.org/srp, call 360-417-8500 or email to discover@nols.org.

‘Tea to Die For’ set for Aug. 14

The Death Café “Tea to Die For,” sponsored by Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County (VHOCC), is set for 4-5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, in the KSQM-FM Community Room, 609 W. Washington St.

A session is also set for 4-5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, in the craft room upstairs at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. Seventh St.

Conversations are held every second Monday in Sequim and every fourth Wednesday in Port Angeles. They are meant to foster relaxed and informal discussions surrounding death and dying and open to anyone curious or apprehensive about death.

Tea, coffee and snacks will be served. The groups are free and open to all.

For more information, call VHOCC at 360-452-1511.

‘End of Life Ready’ event set at library

Volunteers from End of Life Washington will present “End of Life Ready” from noon-2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St.

The free program is designed to provide resources for planning ahead and reducing anxiety for one of life’s major transitions. In the first half, participants will learn about advance directives, including new dementia directives; choosing a healthcare agent; and the Physician’s Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment.

The second section of the presentation will cover Washington’s Death with Dignity Act and other end of life options, such as Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED). A question-and-answer period will follow each section.

No registration is necessary. For more information, call 206-854-4302.