News around town: Housing news, fishing news, good advice

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Don’t forget your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, don’t forget to vote (if you have a ballot for the Chimacum School District levy) and, naturally, don’t forget to see yourself in Port Townsend Observation Deck News Around Town.

T-SHIRT SAYING OF THE WEEK: “Not cultured, just rich.”

HOUSING NEWS: The biggest number in the Jefferson County real estate market has been low inventory, so January numbers are encouraging in that regard. According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service report, which deals primarily with Realtor-listed properties, the number of active listings for residential and condominium properties are off to a good start (15) in January 2017 compared to last January (9). Total active listings are also better than this time last year (55 to 36) and pending sales are up (51 to 42). Closed sales, however, are down (37 to 47) comparing January to January. The median closed sales price for January is up ($300,000 to $280,000). The most sales for the month were in Port Townsend (11) and Port Ludlow (9).

ADVICE OF THE WEEK: “Good food is medicine, and going to the grocery store is a lot cheaper than going to the doctor.”

FISHING NEWS: A member of the Puget Sound Anglers waxed eloquently about a morning trip out to Partridge Bank. Nice weather, a good friend on board and two salmon caught – one a 30-incher. But faced with rising costs of ramp fees, moorage, fuel, fishing licenses and declining sport fishing seasons, he sees changes. “I think we’re a dying breed. I don’t think there will be a lot of recreational fishermen in the future,” especially people from the low-income bracket. “It was a beautiful trip. How long we can afford to do that remains to be seen.”

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What would you do if you were driving in Port Townsend or Jefferson County and saw a city police officer or a county deputy on the ground wrestling with someone who wasn’t wearing a wrestling uniform? Last week in Brinnon, a deputy was in such a situation and a number of motorists passed without stopping. There are reasonable explanations: Some people consider themselves too old or too weak to be of assistance, or maybe too scared. Making a 911 call is one thing. It’s a fair question: Would you try to help?

YOU KNOW NEWS: You know the loudest person at the Super Bowl party should actually know something about the team they’re cheering for. You know that a February snowstorm in Port Townsend just means that much more sand and gravel on the road surfaces when the sun shines in March. You know there are two days you should never worry about: yesterday and tomorrow.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: A woman from the Port Townsend area would not have celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary without the efforts of the oncology department at Jefferson Healthcare Medical Center. “They saved my husband,” she says. “I love them.”

(Patrick J. Sullivan of The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader loves his grandchildren, and will be on vacation next week while the two youngest are visiting from Texas.)