PORT ANGELES — Rose House is beginning to live up to its name.

Two months after getting a fresh coat of paint, Healthy Families of Clallam County’s transitional shelter for survivors of domestic violence has a new play center for kids.

Thanks to an $1,850 donation from the Moose Lodge — funneled through Soroptimist International of Port Angeles Noon Club — volunteers assembled a multipurpose play structure on the west side of Port Angeles shelter on East Fifth Street on Wednesday afternoon.

Becca Korby, executive director of Healthy Families of Clallam County, said it was a “huge surprise” when Healthy Families received the donation late last summer.

Healthy Families is now taking donations to build a new roof for the six-bedroom, Victorian-style shelter that can accommodate up to 14 people.

“We’re doing all this fixing and cleaning and making it beautiful again,” Korby said.

The wooden play center — made by Cedar Summit and called the “Rocky Mountain Retreat” — is equipped with a covered fort, swing set, slide, climbing wall, ladder, trapeze rings and a picnic table.

The equipment itself cost $1,200. The rest of the money is being spent on a soft landing surface at the base of the 7-foot-tall structure and lunch for the volunteers, Korby said.

Marty Hoffman, Healthy Families transportation and procurement coordinator, said the playhouse will give the children a safe place to play.

“It’s something kind of special — just for the children,” he said.

“It’s all their own.”

Many of those who stay at the Rose House do not have transportation to take their children to a city park, Hoffman added.

Healthy Families volunteers John Carroll, Doug Hastings, Robert Rankin and Hoffman assembled parts of the play center from a remote location earlier. They finished putting the pieces together on Wednesday.

The new play center replaces a hodgepodge of plastic toys that the children played with in the Rose House yard.

“It’s bringing that playground to where it should be for the children,” Korby said.

“It safe. All parts of the playground are easily visible.”

Korby thanked members of the Moose Lodge and Soroptimist Club for their generosity.

“Once again, it’s evidence of the community embracing these families who need a place to heal,” Korby said.

“It says we values and honor these families.”

A College Pro Painters crew volunteered their labor to paint the house light blue in June. It was the first coat of paint Rose House had since 1995. College Pro plans to finish some touch-up work on the trim later this summer.

Healthy Families of Clallam County has launched a new website at www.healthyfam.org.

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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.

College Pro Painters workers/volunteers include (from left) Jared Blevins, Garett Neathery, Luke Schadler, Ray Huass, Skyler Ross, Samantha Pinnell, Jesse Paris and Jeremy Mundy. Sequim Gazette photos by Michael Dashiell

A little paint, a lot of love.

Workers from College Pro Painters repainted the Rose House in Port Angeles recently. Painters volunteered all their labor for the four-day project.

The Rose House is a century-old renovated home serving as a safe transitional home for women and children escaping domestic violence and moving toward independence.

Skyler Ross applies some paint to the Rose House in Port Angeles recently.






**note: this article was not written by College Pro. **
sequimgazette.com

You have decided to save a little money and do your exterior painting yourself.  You’ve decided on the color, bought the primer and paint, and purchased or borrowed the other equipment you’ll need.  You’re ready to begin.

DROP THE BRUSH, ROLLER, OR SPRAYER, AND BACK AWAY FROM THE PAINT CAN SLOWLY!  You’ve got a few things to do first.

First, do an inspection of the exterior, and see if anything needs repairing or replacing.  This includes cracks or holes in the wood and fascia boards.  Small cracks or holes can be repaired with wood glue or epoxy; however, larger areas of damage may require replacing whole sections. 

This is also a good time to inspect your gutters and downspouts.  If they need replacing, just go ahead and remove them.  That’s just less stuff you’ll have to paint around.  If they don’t need replacing, go ahead and clean them out.  That’s just one less job you’ll have to do later.

Next, you have to remove anything and everything that you do not want to get splattered with paint.  This INCLUDES outdoor plants, patio or porch furniture, pets and their bedding, food, and water (not only will Rover or Fluffy not appreciate being painted, but—on a more serious note—the fumes and/or the chemicals in the paint may actually harm them).  If you can’t move it out of the way, you must cover it.

And, don’t forget to consider that you will be walking around while you are painting.  You might want to protect concrete walks and steps, so that you won’t have a messy clean-up job later.

Now, grab that pressure washer or garden hose with a nozzle that sprays a strong stream of water.  Start at the top and work your way down to the bottom, a section at a time. 

If your water pressure is strong enough, you will not only clean the exterior surfaces, you will knock off any loose paint.  The more paint you can get rid of in this way, the less you’ll have to scrape and sand off.

That’s your next step—scraping and sanding.  Remove as much of the old paint as you can (that didn’t come off with the pressure washing), and sand any extremely rough or jagged areas.  Give the exterior a good rinsing and allow it to dry to some extent.

It can be frustrating and confusing to locate a good house painting contractor. While there are a multitude of contractors in your area, you may not trust everyone who claims to be a professional painter. Thus, it’s important to look for key signs when interviewing potential contractors to paint your home. Look for the following qualities when trying to find a good house painting contractor.

One Who Listens

If you want to be happy with your painting project, it’s vital to find a painting contractor who listens to your needs and desires. A good painting contractor will want to know what you ultimately desire from the painting project. So, be sure the contractor you use is listening to you.

One Who Is Insured

A good paint contractor is insured or bonded. They absolutely will not bring a crew to your home without having the proper insurance to cover any damages which may occur during the painting process. While there are few possible reasons damage may occur, a good contractor will be well prepared for any possible accidents.

One Who Is Flexible

No one wants to work with a difficult person, especially if you are paying them to paint your home. So, be sure your contractor is flexible and willing to work with your schedule. For instance, if you want to be home when painting occurs be sure to work out a weekend schedule with your contractor. A good painting contractor will be open for scheduling preferences.

One Who Lays It All Out

Lastly, a good painting contractor will lay out all costs before the project is started. It’s important for you to know how much the job will cost you, before committing. Honest contractors will not add in any hidden fees and will be up front about how they plan to prepare the painting area, how much it will cost you ultimately, the hours they plan to work, when they will begin and when the project will be complete. If your potential contractor seems shady about anything, it’s time to find a new professional to do your painting job!

Whether you decide to take on the large task of painting your home yourself or leave it to the professional painting company you hire to do the work, the exterior of your home must be painted at some time or another. The importance of home exterior painting is often overlooked and homeowners all too often neglect the chore. However, it should be noted a properly painted or a well kept home will yield a higher selling return and more curb appeal.

The Right Paint Adds Value

One of the main reasons homeowners shouldn’t neglect the exterior of their home is because the right paint can add value to a home. Whether the homeowner is trying to sell their home or not, painting the exterior can allow their home to be worth more. This automatically increases their real estate investment, which is a good thing whether you’re staying or selling. A freshly painted home has terrific curb appeal and in real estate, curb appeal translates to money. However, it’s important for homeowners to choose appropriate colors when painting the exterior of their home. They should choose colors with work well with their home’s structure, style, the general color scheme of their neighbors’ homes and their landscaping.

The Right Paint Adds Protection

Paint does more than make a home look pretty. In fact, it can be a great way to protect certain materials used to construct homes. For instance, wooden homes often need to be painted every few years to protect the wood construction from the regional natural elements. Sun, wind, water and temperature changes can damage wood. However, if the wood is painted properly, the paint can act as a protection film.

Overall, it’s important to paint the exterior of your home at least every five years. You should not only do this for maximum curb appeal and investment reasons, but also for the basic fact paint can protect your home’s construction from natural element damage. Those who are not up for the task can choose to hire professional painters to help them with the chore. Painting the exterior of the home can be quite a task and homeowners may feel grateful to have professional assistance with the painting project.