News around town: Retail, heart advice, living in the rainshadow

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Living in the shadow, loving your heart, losing a friend downtown, and locking up this edition of Port Townsend Observation Deck News Around Town.

T-SHIRT SAYING OF THE WEEK: “You’re in your own little world inside your head. Wish I was in there with you.”

RETAIL NEWS: The closure of Sport Townsend and Piccadilly Bob’s in downtown Port Townsend represent more sobering doses of how tough it is in retail. It’s not easy to overcome competition – locally and from the worldwide web – with an aging demographic and basic economics leading people to seek the best deal. As I’ve written before, don’t take any retailer for granted. The small business you save could be your own, or your favorite.

ANSWER OF THE WEEK: In my Feb. 8 column, I asked, “What would you do if you came upon a law enforcement officer wrestling on the ground in apparent distress?” I asked the question of three county deputies and got this checklist: 1) call 911, 2) remain on the scene as a witness, and 3) if willing and able, approach the officer, announce your intention to help and ask for instructions. The officer would tell you to grab the person’s legs, or to simply stay clear. But at least you could ask.

RAINSHADOW NEWS: Seattle is on a rainfall record pace for February, which is why we live here and not there. While it’s been plenty damp on our side of the pond, there’s a reason it’s called the Olympic Rain Shadow. A Feb. 14 storm dumped 6.86 inches of rain in 24 hours on a spot in Mason County, while 41 miles north in Port Townsend, we measured just 0.08 inches. That’s another reason why we live here and not there.

ADVICE OF THE WEEK: “Smokers are six times more likely to suffer a heart incident than nonsmokers,” says a registered nurse at a Jefferson Healthcare Foundation luncheon to celebrate February as American Heart Month. “One year after a person stops smoking, that risk drops by 50 percent.”

YOU KNOW NEWS: You know it’s a sad situation when the classified section lists at least 44 jobs and only four apartments or homes for rent. When you only need two Tylenol a day two weeks into your bout with the cold/flu bug, you know that’s progress. You know it’s a good idea to travel with a plastic water or juice bottle in the car just in case you are stuck in traffic at the Hood Canal Bridge for six hours and really, you know, have to go.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Things change,” says a businessman who has been on this earth long enough to know the world turns, and you cannot stop it. “You have to change what you are doing. You can't expect everything to stay the same. Life isn't like that."

(Patrick J. Sullivan of The Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader understands that the times they’re always a-changing.)