By Diane Urbani de la PazWednesday, June 9, 2021 1:30am PORT TOWNSEND — Having supported the feeding and sheltering of our bodies, the Jefferson Community Foundation now seeks to bolster those who feed our souls. That’s the message from foundation staffers Siobhan Canty and Jen Kingfisher. This week they’re issuing a call for grant proposals from local arts and culture organizations, especially those with projects that contribute to community recovery from the pandemic. Presenters of music, theater, dance, visual art, community festivals and gatherings are all eligible for grants of up to $15,000 each, said Kingfisher, the nonprofits relations manager for Jefferson Community Foundation (JCF). Event spaces and libraries are also potential grant recipients, she added. Applications are due July 2, noted Canty, the foundation’s president and CEO. Forms and more information can be found at JCFgives.org. More than $100,000 in funding is available to the arts and culture sector, she said. This is to be the last round of COVID Response & Recovery Fund grant awards. In April, JCF began the transition from emergency funding to the support of cultural groups. Grants were made, for example, to Key City Public Theatre, where $17,000 helped fund a new ventilation system and hands-free restroom fixtures, and to Port Townsend’s Quimper Grange, which received $4,900 for modern air filtration equipment. The grange hall is now available for rental again, and it will host a public open house from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 1219 Corona St. “With public health…

By Diane Urbani de la PazFriday, June 11, 2021 1:30am PORT TOWNSEND — There was a time when the Quimper Grange hall was filled with frolic: line dancing, folk dancing, partner dancing mixed many a night with music- and friend-making. That time will come again, the Grange guardians promise — starting with an event this Saturday. It’s called the “Fresh Air” open house, and the organizers aim to show the surrounding community the 101-year-old hall’s new ventilation system and remodeled space. Music jams, light refreshments and free plant starts are also part of the party from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Quimper Grange, 1219 Corona St., off Umatilla Street. Admission is free, but “we won’t turn away donations,” quipped volunteer coordinator Kathy Ryan. It’s of paramount importance that people know the building is safe, said Sheila Long, Quimper Grange president. The new air-circulation system uses a dedicated outside air supply and dispersed air filtration with MERV13 filters, she noted; it adheres to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers’ COVID-19 recommendations. The system was installed according to state requirements for outdoor air supply for the whole hall, Long said, adding that the grange leadership chose quiet yet powerful fans for the building. “We can have acoustic concerts,” along with lectures and other programs, she said. Saturday will be a day when local musicians can get together again, added George Yount, grange secretary. “We’ll have an old-time fiddle jam out back and a…