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Clallam County schedules vote on small grant to stabilize historic newspapers after HAB split
Summary
County commissioners heard North Olympic History Center pleas to preserve 376 bound volumes and ~50 boxes of materials and agreed to place a funding resolution on the March 10 regular meeting agenda after mixed advice from the Heritage Advisory Board.
Chair (speaker 1) told the board that the North Olympic History Center had applied to the Heritage Advisory Board for a small award to buy archival shelving and boxes to stabilize a rescued collection. The History Center representative (speaker 9) said contractors and the state library offered no storage help, so volunteers moved four pallets (roughly 376 bound newspaper volumes) plus about 50 banker boxes of research files and photographs into the center’s collections building. “These volumes belong here,” the representative said, describing brittle pages that are “literally disintegrating.”
Heritage Advisory Committee financial presenter (speaker 10) briefed the board on available funds, saying the HAB held $76,554 in funds as of 2025, projected roughly $11,000 in 2026 revenue and had put a $25,000 placeholder expenditure in the budget. HAB member Mike (speaker 11) told commissioners that the HAB’s deliberations emphasized spreading limited funds across the county and avoiding repeated awards to organizations with stronger grant-writing capacity. He urged that the board consider other capital needs the HAB had flagged, including lighthouse keepers’ quarters and other restoration projects.
Multiple commissioners pressed for balance between preserving the urgent collection and spreading grant dollars countywide. One commissioner said the immediate deterioration argued for funding now; another said the HAB’s prioritization and long-term stewardship concerns were valid. Chair (speaker 1) said commissioners had two clear options—concur with the HAB recommendation, fund despite the HAB recommendation, or ask the applicant to revise their request—and led the body to schedule a resolution for the March 10 regular meeting rather than taking immediate action.
The board thanked the History Center and HAB for their work and directed staff to place a resolution on the next regular-meeting agenda. The resolution will appear for formal consideration and vote on March 10.
