Khu Larb emergency response 

East Jefferson Fire Rescue responded to a report of an explosion at Khu Larb in downtown Port Townsend around 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 29. 

Upon arrival, EJFR crews determined that after staff turned the restaurant’s diesel furnace on for the first time this season, a small explosion occurred. 

“What it was is basically the chimney that comes out of it popped open and got some smoke into the restaurant,” Battalion Chief Jason MacDonald said at the scene. “There’s no damage to the building; the furnace has been disabled until they can have a tech come and repair it.” 

The call triggered a commercial fire response. 

“Besides what you saw here, there was actually two more fire engines coming,” MacDonald said. “When we got here and found out what it was, they got turned away.” 

EJFR responded, secured the scene, and left within an hour.

Local scholarships open

The Port Townsend High School Scholarship Foundation is accepting applications for Continuing Education Scholarships. Over $30,000 will be awarded to PTHS graduates who have completed a year or more of post-secondary education, including vocational or technical programs. Applications can be found at theWashBoard.org or by contacting the foundation, PO Box 1658, PT. The deadline for applications is Oct. 31.

The foundation was founded in 1974 for the purpose of providing financial support to PTHS graduates for continuing their education. 

Arbor Day Celebration 

Port Townsend’s community services department, in partnership with the Rainshadow Bird Alliance, the Washington Native Plant Society, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources Urban and Community Forestry Program and the Quimper Parks and Trees Foundation, will celebrate urban forests and native plans on Saturday, Oct. 4. 

The celebration will kick off at the Mountain View Commons parking lot at 1925 Blaine Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where community members are invited to adopt a tree or shrub to plant on their property.

Kids activities, coloring books and stickers will be available at Mountain View as well as representatives from the Quimper Parks and Trees Foundation which will speak about their efforts to locate sites for installing benches in local parks and trails. 

After the plant adoption, the first-ever 50 Trees of Uptown Tour will be led by members of the Washington Native Plant Society — Fred Weinmann and Sara Fairbank — who will share a map and guide participants around 50 significant trees. Tours will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., starting at the Port Townsend Public Library. 

Fall compost workshops

Looking to learn more about composting? Jefferson County’s solid waste team will host online and in-person interactive workshops, providing instruction on how to create and maintain a compost system using food and yard waste.

The in-person option will be held at Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

The online option will be held on Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

Registration, at $25 per person, can be completed on the solid waste website. 

Additional family members or friends may attend at no charge with one paid registration. 

Those who complete the workshop will receive a $125 Earth Machine Composter. 

Lincoln Building tours

Signups are open for those hoping to get a glimpse of the Lincoln Building, at 450 Fir Street in Port Townsend, one last time. 

Port Townsend High School will host three tours — Sept. 30 at 6 p.m., Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. and Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. — and encourages those interested to register at the Port Townsend School District website.

The historic building has quite the backstory, including several failed efforts to restore and the school district ultimately voting to demolish it with memorialization. 

Those interested in joining in the fun are advised that tours will include many stairs, uneven walking surfaces, poor air quality and limited lighting. Sturdy, closed-toed shoes are recommended, as are a mask and a flashlight. 

Participants must stick with the tour guide at all times. 

After the tours, participants will gather in the Alumni Room of the Port Townsend High School Gym to sign a memory book and share stories.