Memories, notes and gripings about your tax money at play:

Even the people who voted against the EMS and library levies would surely not argue that at least they get something for their tax dollars going to those funds.
But what about the Ocean Shores tax dollars flying over to the Port of Grays Harbor every year — what are we getting for that?
The amount Ocean Shores property owners pay to the Port is nearly $400,000 per year — more than the $307,000 paid to the Library Fund, but less than the $490,000 paid to the Emergency Care Fund.
For our library taxes, we get books, magazines, computers and the services of librarians. For the EMS taxes, we get ambulances, equipment and paramedic services.
And for the port taxes, we get . . . what?

Another collision yesterday in the State Route 109 “S curves” area (just north of Hoquiam) that has had fatal collisions in recent years. Fortunately, the one at 4:49 p.m. yesterday was not nearly as serious. According to the State Patrol, an 18-year-old Hoquiam woman was transported to Grays Harbor Community Hospital with possible neck injuries. She was driving a 1998 Chevrolet pickup that collided with a 2003 Saturn driven by a 71-year-old Ocean Shores man. The northbound lane was blocked for a time as emergency responders cleared the scene.

Daily World story: The Westport City Council voted Tuesday night not to support a proposed bridge across Grays Harbor between Ocean Shores and Westport.
City Attorney Wayne Hagen advised the council not to lend the city’s name to the proposal from a group calling itself the Speake Federal Reservation. It is not a federally recognized tribe.
KBKW reports the group wants to build a toll bridge to cross about four miles of open water on the Washington coast. It would save travelers between Westport and Ocean Shores a 46-mile drive.
A ferry once made the Grays Harbor crossing, but has not run for years.

Around 40 representatives of various local, state and federal agency are currently gathered in small groups: Modeling, Shoreline Monitoring, Routine Items, Large & Hazardous Items and Outreach & Education.

Alicia Bridges, Ocean Shores city planner, and Mike Styner, Ocean Shores chief of public safety, are here, along with representatives from the county, Quinault Indian Nation, Westport and various other communities and agencies (NOAA, Department of Ecology, etc.).

Seattle TV news stations were here this morning, as well as a camera crew from “NBC Nightly News.”

Sorry, not open to the public. Experts discussing preparation. King 5 story here.

This week’s Locals Only gripes, jabs and complains about the way the Port of Grays Harbor uses the hundreds of thousands of tax dollars they get from Ocean Shores, every year. The armchair admiral demanded that the Port do more to: 1) facilitate dredging of the Quinault-owned marina; and 2) place the dredged sand around the corner in the quickly eroding Ocean Shores Jetty area.

And if the Port can’t or won’t make this happen, Ocean Shores should look at dissolving the relationship. Port of Ocean Shores, anyone? (Note: None of the ideas are original or new; they were “dredged up” by your  pot-stirring editor.)

This related press release just in:

From the county Dept. of Emergency Management: The “Drop, Cover & Hold On” Earthquake DrillTODAYApril 25, 2012 at 9:45am. All citizens, schools, businesses and city and county governmental agencies are encouraged to participate. The Japanese are convinced that participation in earthquake and tsunami drills saved countless lives during the magnitude 9.0 Japanese (Tohoku) Earthquake & Tsunami on March 2011.

Baby ducks photo in this week’s newspaper. Now, more from the Ansel Adams of Duck Lake:

Ocean Shores will try again for a library levy. Last night, after a somewhat heated debate among councilors and passionate pleas from the public, city council voted 5-2 (Hill, Schroeder opposed) to put a proposed 24.7 cents per thousand levy on the August ballot. This is significantly less than the 28.7 cents per thousand library levy that is failing by a narrow margin.

North Beach Junior/Senior High, Mayor Crystal Dingler and others from the community joined in yesterday’s send-off of Tom Von Kaenel, the “sea-to-sea” military vet who launched his cross country bike ride just outside Ocean Shores yesterday. You can thank Penny Romito for organizing this. Bob Wiley photo: