$2.25 Vol. 2 No. 1 February 2011 After 20 Years, a Planning Victory In Long-Awaited Move, County Commissioners Approve Sub-Area Plan By Edith Walden Skagit County. The result is that po- On January 18, the Skagit County tential aquaculture projects may still be Board of Commissioners unanimous- restricted, but must be reviewed on a ly voted to adopt the Guemes Island case-by-case basis. Sub-Area Plan as recommended by the One policy in the plan provides that Skagit County Planning Commission. a permanent, nine-member Guemes The plan is a culmination of 20 years Island Planning Advisory Committee of effort by two island committees. It be elected to provide communications provides guidance in managing future between island property owners/resi- development while maintaining the dents and government agencies regard- island’s natural resources. ing the sub-area plan. Later this year, Only one change was made to the Guemes Island property owners and E plan as submitted by the Planning residents will be asked to elect the per- DIT Commission. The language restricting manent committee to monitor imple- H W commercial aquaculture was changed mentation of the plan. A LD E from “shall” to “should” in order to A copy of the plan is available N comply with restrictions in the Shore- on the county’s home page at www Commissioner Ron Wesen signs the sub- line Management Master Program for .skagitcounty.net. area plan into law on January 18. Ferry Construction Moves to Next Phase Work Begins on Temporary Dock for Shutdown By Win Anderson Winning bidder Razz Con- The separate contract for sup- struction started piling work near plying a passenger-only ferry for the Guemes ferry landing January the two-month project will prob- 24. They are preparing for the in- THEA LACROSS ably not be awarded until March 7, stallation of a temporary wharf and according to Ferry Manager Rachel dock to handle passenger traffic Beck. So far two bids have been re- when the car ferry is taken out of ceived: from Mystic Sea Charters of service starting March 28. Anacortes, for $227,660, and from Razz won the job of replacing San Juan Cruises of Bellingham, for the concrete girders and associated $293,000. She has assured island- work on both sides of the channel ers that whoever gets the bid, the over eight other companies. Their passenger ferry will have sufficient bid of $1.56 million was nearly enclosed capacity (minimum of 75 half a million dollars under the en- people) and meet all the Americans gineer’s estimate. The high bid was with Disabilities Act standards. $2.274 million, according to Proj- The concrete bridge girders on the Guemes side are Beck projects that the round ect Manager Jennifer Swanson. showing their age. (continued on page 4) 2 The Guemes Tide February 2011 Letters Subscribers: Don’t Creating a garden legacy above the temperature for the creosote Forget to Renew! To the Guemes community: to precipitate out on the chimney wall. I’m looking for folks who would Then close the damper to regulate your Have you renewed your subscrip- like to raise vegetables for their own fire. Once the chimney is hot, the low- tion to The Guemes Tide yet? If your la- consumption but have no place to do er fire will maintain it that way. If the bel reads “Expires 2011.02,” this is your it. I love to grow things and have been damper is closed too soon, the chim- last issue. raising my own vegetables in my “back ney does not get above the precipita- Stay up on the latest Guemes 40” for the last 25 years. The garden tion temperature of the creosote and news—send $20 today to the ad- has good soil and is sub-irrigated so you get problems. dress in the box be- you don’t have to worry about getting I think it is better to keep the low. (Don’t forget enough water. chimney clean all the time, rather than gift subscriptions Due to my recent health problems needing to use a brush to clean it. for your friends I am no longer able to garden, but I do —B. L. Anderson and family.) You want my garden to continue to pro- are a valued sub- duce for islanders who would enjoy Larsens like Tide, look forward scriber and and benefit from it. Or if anyone is in- Dear Tide staff, we’d love to terested in getting a group together to We so greatly appreciate and antici- keep you! set up a community garden, I would be pate The Guemes Tide. The articles are glad to contribute my garden site. well written, varied, beautifully edited, Contact me by e-mail (weigel@ and arranged attractively on the page. fidalgo.net) or regular mail (6150 West We look forward to returning in April Subscriptions are $20 a year (10 issues). Send your mailing address and a Shore Road). to our other home and to dear friends. check made out to The Guemes Tide to: The —Clifford “Kick” Weigel —Nancy and Les Larsen Guemes Tide, 7885 Guemes Island Road #1, Anacortes, WA 98221. Keep that chimney clean An invitation to lobby Dear editors, Dear Guemes friends, The Guemes Tide (USPS #014-902) is Recently you had an item in the pa- The time is approaching for Envi- published monthly except in January and August by the Guemes Island Historical per about keeping your chimney clean ronmental Lobby Day, sponsored by Society, Win Anderson, publisher, 7885 and using a brush (November 2010, People for Puget Sound. The event this Guemes Island Road #1, Anacortes, WA page 4). I would like to let you know year is on February 15. 98221. Periodical postage paid at Anacortes, Washington. what my grandfather used to do to I have attended this in the past and Contents © 2011 by The Guemes Tide keep his chimney clean. found it an excellent opportunity to except as otherwise noted. Bylined articles To help prevent creosote from col- meet our state senators and representa- and attributed artwork are published by lecting in your chimney, when you first tives face to face. More information is permission, with all rights retained by their creators. Opinions expressed here are not make your fire, burn two loads of wood available at the organization’s website necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolic- before you close down your draft, in (www.pugetsound.org). ited manuscripts and artwork dealing with order to heat your chimney quickly to —Eric Shen, Skagit Beat the Heat Guemes Island and its people are encour- aged but may not be returned. Business Manager: Juby Fouts Calendar Editor: Sophie Dobra Circulation Manager: Dyvon Havens Guemes Has a New EMT Community Editor: Holiday Matchett Design and Production: Justin James N E Editor Emeritus: Win Anderson LD Gerry Francis successfully completed his rigor- Editors: A Judith Horton, Thea LaCross, W ous 16-week, 150-hour training course on Decem- Edith Walden H ber 16 (see cover story in the October 2010 Tide). Managing Editor: Nick Allison DIT E Other Members of the Publishing Team: He passed the National Registry of Emergency Bob Anderson, Nanette Cardon, Medical Technicians certification test on Decem- Karen Everett, Blaine LaCross ber 22. In January, the Washington Department of Website: Find back issues, subscription info, and more at www.guemestide.org Health’s Office of EMS and Trauma Systems certi- E-mail: [email protected] fied him to practice emergency medical care. [email protected] [email protected] Left: Gerry hits the books in preparation for his EMT POSTMASTER: Send address changes to certification test. The Guemes Tide, 7885 Guemes Island Road #1, Anacortes, WA 98221-9560 The Guemes Tide February 2011 3 Cost Reduction vs. Ferry Terminal Gets Official Dedication Fare Increase The Ferry Committee’s Saga Continues By Judith Horton The 30-year history of the island’s Ferry Committee (FC) E has been marked by an ongoing dialog with the county about D MCN maximizing efficiency and reducing costs versus raising fares. A The committee’s position has long been that cost-cutting M EE serves the best interests of both islanders and the county. Islanders who attended the FC’s public meeting last No- At the December 7 ribbon-cutting are, left to right: Project Man- vember 21—which was also attended by Public Works Direc- ager Jennifer Swanson, Henry Hash, Rachel Beck, Adam LeMieux tor Henry Hash and Ferry Manager Rachel Beck—are already (aide to Congressman Larsen), Uriel Ybarra (aide to Senator Mur- aware of the county’s proposal to raise fares by 25 percent, and ray), Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt, Kathleen Davis (of WSDOT), City of the FC’s proposals to reduce ferry operating costs by ap- Councilman Bill Turner, Mayor Dean Maxwell, Skagit County Con- struction Manager David Walde, Scott Flanary (Thiesen Architects), proximately $200,000—the amount cited as the deficit driv- Commissioner Sharon Dillon, Commissioner Ron Wesen, and Emily ing the fare increase (see the December/January Tide, page 5). Schuh (City of Anacortes). At the committee’s annual meeting on January 16, mem- bers presented the latest developments to about 50 islanders. wage for ferry crew members was raised, although FC mem- Chairman Glen Veal headed the three-hour meeting. ber Steve Orsini responded that the FC does not advocate re- He noted that the state ferry system is studying cost-cut- ducing crew wages and wages “are not part of the problem.” ting measures, but that—although the FC has had several dis- He added that there was some concern about the crew’s 176 cussions with Hash and Beck—Hash’s position as of January guaranteed monthly hours.