BY ELAINE WALkErNews editor

Tethys Enterprises’ name fits a company that expects to use a lot of Anacortes water.

“Tethys is the Greek goddess of fresh water,” said company founder and CEO Steve Winter.

While the name suits a water-intensive industry, it also applies to the company’s outlook, Winter said. The goddess Tethys nour-ished and replenished the earth, characteristics he said the com-

pany intends to emulate. He said practices that pollute or cause traffic can be minimized through environmentally friendly mea-sures such as use of rail and bio-degradable plastics.

“Every time you build a new industry, you should try to build it better than the last guy,” he said. “Old processes did that because we didn’t have better technology. Now we have the technology.”

Winter has the chance to give it a shot. Last week the city signed a contract with Tethys,

agreeing to provide up to 5 mil-lion gallons a day to a state-of-the-art bottling facility up to 1 million square feet in size, with an estimated construction cost of $300 million. Now, he just has to make sure he has investors and a site lined up.

Winter has a solid back-ground with the beverage indus-try, according to Mayor Dean Maxwell, who said the Tethys CEO worked closely with major companies during his 30 years as president and chief operating

officer of Intermec Technologies. “Intermec is this international

company that makes bar-code readers,” Maxwell said.

Its services, particularly water-proof products, are used in the bottled beverage industry around the world, he said.

“While at Intermec, compa-nies like Coca Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Snapple and other indus-try leaders were my largest cus-

tomers. I witnessed firsthand the many resource constraints, logis-tics challenges and market forces that are impacting their industry,” Winter told the Anacortes City Council last week.

After Tethys was founded in 2008, he targeted these challenges as Tethys’ first major project. An effort to establish this food and beverage manufacturing plant in Everett fell through in April after the city asked for a guarantee

Site selection next step for bottling plantTethys has one year to find large parcel that’s inside city limits or can be annexed

We’re back!

Anacortes AmericanAnacortes AmericanAnAcortes, WAshington 98221 Volume 121, number 19 WednesdAy, september 22, 2010 © 2010 sVp co. 75 cents

Horses and courses AnacortesgirlsjumpintoEnglishriding

Sports & Recreation A11

Robust batch of breweries lined up for Oktoberfest

A10

Steelworkers may bare all in ACT’s ‘Full Monty’

Arts & Entertainment A13

Community Watch: Mark your calendar for fall Anacortes Boat Show Oct. 1-3 — A9

Les Schwab Tire Center Anacortes • 2311 Commercial Ave • (360) 293-5121

taking on Weeds

submitted

maggie sullivan removes scotch broom from mount erie in areas not accessible without her climbing equipment.

BY JoAN PrINgLEAmerican staff writer

Harold Mead, along with his wife Maggie Sullivan and others, have worked for years to rid Mount Erie of Scotch broom, a nonnative inva-sive plant species.

“It’s everywhere,” Mead said.Mead began removing Scotch

broom after discovering it taking over native flora in a meadow about eight years ago.

“I saw that the broom was coloniz-ing it more and more and it was going to be a dominant plant and shade out these wildflowers,” Mead said.

“Now when you go up there, there’s a blanket of flowers like there should be,” Sullivan said.

In the beginning, Mead and Sul-

livan pulled the plants out by hand. Later they used heavy-duty weed pullers. But in the past five years, they’ve been cutting the main stem and treating it with herbicide.

However, herbicide use on Mount Erie, which is part of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands, is prohib-ited. The issue was discussed by the forest advisory board after a presen-tation by Mead at its Sept. 2 meeting on his method of eradicating Scotch broom. No action was taken, but the board was interested in what Mead was doing and the results he was get-ting.

Mead plans to bring more infor-mation on where the heaviest popu-lations of Scotch broom are and on experiments he’s conducted on the plant to the board’s 7 p.m. Thursday,

Oct. 7 meeting at the Senior Activity Center.

The discussion could lead to a review of herbicide use on other invasives such as English holly and English Ivy.

Board chair Brian Wetcher said he’d like to see the board move for-ward on the issue — “to see how we feel about this activity past, present, future.”

Scotch broom is a member of the pea family and native to the British Isles.

It was also used to stabilize areas along roadsides in California, Mead said.

“I believe from observing, now that I’ve done so much broom con-

Advisory board discusses use of herbicide in Forest Lands

It will be hard to miss the rumble of motorcycles as participants in the 29th annual Oyster Run rally invade Anacortes Sunday.

The event draws thou-sands of cyclists to town to enjoy commercial and food vendors, music by The Unfaithful Servants, perfor-mances by the Seattle Cos-sacks and of course — oys-ters.

The Seattle Cossacks stunt riders kick off the scheduled events. They will perform at noon and 2 p.m. on their vintage Harleys on Fifth Street.

Live music by The Unfaithful Servants fea-turing Garth Reeves, Jeff Fielder, Jason Staczek, Mike Musburger and Dar-rin Loucas begins at 1 p.m. on Seventh Street just off

Commercial Avenue near the Elks Lodge.

Oysters cooked and on the half shell are supplied by a number of local ven-dors and charities for the event. Vendors with a vari-ety of offerings will line the streets downtown.

Visit www.oysterrun.org.

Motorcycles thunder to town for Oyster Run

BY kIMBErLY JACoBSoNAmerican staff writer

Early enrollment fig-ures hold good news for the Anacortes School Dis-trict, which didn’t see as large an enrollment decline as expected. That means if enrollment follows past trends, the district could have as much as $243,000 more revenue than budget-ed this year.

“We did not lose the number of students we had anticipated,” said Lisa Mat-thews, business and finance director.

Also, the district saw a big jump in kindergarten enrollment.

The Anacortes School Board got its first look at

enrollment numbers last week. The district’s official count day was Sept. 13 and the state’s is next month.

The district has experi-enced declining enrollment for the past several years. It was hit with an additional unexpected drop of about 65 students in fall 2008.

School leaders were conservative in enrollment budget estimates for this year.

The district budgeted for an average total enrollment of 2,485 full-time equiva-lent students (not including Running Start students). At the start of classes, the dis-trict had about 2,551 FTE — down 42 FTE from this time last year, but 66 stu-

Enrollment decline slowsDistrict sees more kindergartners, may end year with more revenue

Please see Herbicide, page A6

See Enrollment, page A3

kimberly jacobson

Please see Tethys, page A7

Refineries use most water: A7

Woman dies in Highway 20 accident

A 25-year-old Anacortes woman died Friday morn-ing in a head-on collision on Highway 20 about 5 miles south of Oak Harbor, according to the Washing-ton State Patrol.

Alexis Michelle Gilman was negotiating a curve southbound on Highway 20 near Arnold Road in rain and fog. She crossed the center line in her 1997 Volkswagen Cabriolet con-vertible and struck a 2001 Chevrolet pickup, accord-ing to WSP.

T h e 5 2 - y e a r - o l d Coupville man driving the truck was transported to Whidbey General Hospital with various injuries.

Highway 20 was closed for about three hours after the crash, which occurred about 6 a.m.

Drugs or alcohol do not appear to be a fac-tor, according to the State Patrol. It cited speed too fast for the road conditions as the cause.

“With the weather changing, it is very impor-tant for drivers to slow their speeds down and drive carefully when fog exists,” said Trooper Keith Leary. “Pockets of fog can lay in valleys and low areas and can catch drivers by

surprise.”He reminded drivers

to turn headlights to low beam to increase visibility.

Senator’s staff offers assistance

Staff members of U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) will provide one-on-one consultations with constituents who need assistance accessing federal programs or navigating the federal bureaucracy, as part of the 11-day “Cantwell Community Connection.”

A session is 1-4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, at Oak Harbor Senior Cen-

ter, 51 S.E. Jerome St., Oak Harbor. For questions, contact Cantwell’s Seattle office toll free at (888) 648-7328.

Staff will offer assis-tance on a range of issues, including obtaining unem-ployment benefits; home loan modification requests; requests for green cards, work visas or naturaliza-tion; Veterans Affairs reim-bursement for medical expenses; military deploy-ment concerns; post deploy-ment issues such as post traumatic stress syndrome disorder or traumatic brain injury; obtaining the status of an international adop-

tion; and obtaining Social Security Disability Insur-ance benefits.

“One of the jobs that I have as a U.S. Senator is to help connect Washing-tonians with federal pro-grams that can help indi-viduals and their families,” Sen. Cantwell said in a press release. “I want to make sure this process is as easy as possible, and so this fall I will be sending my staff to a community near you. I hope you take advantage of this oppor-tunity to work one-on-one with my staff, and get answers for the questions you have.”

A 17-year-old boy was arrested and booked into juvenile detention after allegedly prowling a car and slashing tires on at least one other vehicle.

An unlocked vehicle in the 1200 block of 15th Street was prowled on Sat-urday, Sept. 11. The owner reported an iPod, debit card, various club cards and identification were taken.

On Tuesday, Sept. 14, police were called to a home in the 1400 block of 14th Street where hom-eowners reported their estranged son slashed their vehicle tires and broke into their home while they were away. He reportedly left behind some of the items stolen in the vehicle prowl.

Officers found the boy riding his bicycle in the 1000 block of 20th Street. He had the stolen iPod in his possession. He was arrested and booked into juvenile detention.

Police believe an ear-lier report from a neighbor in the 1400 block of 13th Street who had his tires slashed may be related.

Among the other 187 cases handled by Ana-cortes police during the previous week:

Friday, Sept. 10• A 48-year-old La Con-

ner man was arrested on a charge of DUI after he crashed his motorcycle on Highway 20 and Thompson Road around noon. The man pushed his damaged motorcycle into a parking lot and was walking away when contacted by officers. He showed signs of intoxi-cation.

Saturday, Sept. 11• A 61-year-old Ana-

cortes man was arrested on a charge of DUI after the 1991 Ford F-250 truck he was driving struck a power pole on Stevenson Road at Similk Beach Golf Course around 7:13 p.m. Witnesses said the vehicle was turn-ing southbound on Steven-son Road from Highway 20 when it turned too hard and went in the ditch. It traveled through the ditch back up onto the driveway of the golf course and then collided with a power pole. The driver was not injured, but he reportedly showed obvious signs of intoxica-tion when police and fire-fighters arrived.

Sunday, Sept. 12• A woman reported

she gave her debit card and pin number to a 23-year-old man to do her grocery shopping. She said the man did not return the card and $50 in charges appeared on the account. Officers contacted the man who claimed he gave the card back. It has since been canceled.

• A resident in the 1300 block of J Avenue report-ed someone took the bat-tery out of his pickup truck while it was parked in the driveway overnight.

• A 50-year-old Eaton-ville man was arrested after a citizen reported seeing him driving a pick-up erratically in the down-town area around 9:36 p.m. An officer saw the truck southbound on Commer-cial Avenue at 18th Street and followed it for several blocks. The officer report-ed the driver crossed the center line three times. The truck pulled into a park-ing lot off 26th Street. The driver showed signs of intoxication and was arrested on a charge of DUI.

Tuesday, Sept. 14• A 44-year-old Ana-

cortes man is facing charg-es after an officer found he had paraphernalia and a small amount of suspected drugs. The officer stopped the man in the 1300 block of 11th Street around 10:39 p.m. because he was riding a bicycle well after dark without any type of light.

The man appeared very nervous and agitated and the officer became suspi-cious.

The man had a pipe, apparently used to smoke methamphetamine, and another possible type of controlled substance that was sent to the crime lab for identification.

• A 39-year-old Ana-cortes man was arrested for violating a court order that prohibits him from contacting a woman after she reported to officers he called her that morning.

• A 1997 Toyota Camry was taken from the 1900 b lock of 32nd Street between 9 and 9:30 a.m. The owner told police the keys were left in the vehicle along with a $1,900 Nikon SLR digital camera.

The car was found in Marysville at 10 p.m. with a 17-year-old Marysville boy asleep inside. He told offi-cers he was not aware the car was stolen. The camera was not recovered.

Wednesday, Sept. 15• A resident reported

his estranged girlfriend broke a window during an argument. He said she came to his house intoxi-cated and he had to physi-cally remove her from the home. He said she then banged on the window until she broke it, then left on foot.

Officers checked the area and the woman’s home but were unable to find her. The 29-year-old man told police he was concerned his mother would kick him out of the house because of the dam-age to the window.

Thursday, Sept. 16• A business in the 500

block of Commercial Ave-nue reported a small $50 outdoor table in front of the store was missing.

Friday, Sept. 17• Police were called

to the 500 block of Com-mercial Avenue to check on the welfare of a man sitting in front of an estab-lishment around 1:05 a.m. Officers contacted the man and determined he was not having a medical issue but was extremely intoxicated. The officers offered him a ride home because they were concerned for his safety.

He was unable to tell officers where he lived. It was determined the man was associated with Navel Ai r S ta t ion Whidbey Island. He was transported there and released to the Shore Patrol.

BEER ON THEPIER

Logan Creek Retirement Community announces

“BOWL AND A ROLL”September 17th is the kick off to “Bowl and A Roll”Stop by Logan Creek and enjoy a FREE bowl of Clam Chowder and a roll, 11am-2pm EVERY FRIDAY!“Bowl and A Roll” ends with a Clam Chowder Cook-Off, January 14th!

2311 E Division St • Mount Vernon • 360.428.0222www.logancreek.com • Come home to Logan Creek

Temecula sofa

Thortonsectional Digby

sofa

Hours: Mon-Fri 9am - 6:30pm, Sat 9am - 6pm, Sun Noon - 5pm290 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor • 360-675-2249 • 1-800-828-9446 • www.whidbeyfurniture.com

Whidbey FurnitureCelebrating 60 Years of Business

$25 Delivery Anywhere on Whidbey or Anacortes

35% OFF

Last 7 DaysSale Ends Tuesday, Sept 28

LAST 7 DAYS!

Hurry - Ends Sept. 28ThE bEST OF FLExSTEELiS NOW ON SalE DuriNg Our SEMiaNNual EvENT

Whidbey Furniture

This includes special orders.

*35% off is savings from Flexsteel suggested retail price.

Terrific savings on a wide selection of sofas, chairs, recliners, occasional tables and more in more than 2000 fabrics or leathers. We are passing the savings on to you with factory authorized pricing.

*

Marketed ByDebbie Macy 391-2422

Built GreenMain Level Master

Extensive Hardwood FloorsCedar Siding and Trim

Freestanding Gas FireplaceOpen Floor Plan w/LoftGranite and Tile CountertopsLandscaping Maintained by the HOA

J Avenue

CottagesA N AC O RT E SP R O P E RT I E S

“Larger than they look”

Call today for a no obligation peek inside!

Starting at $319,500

A2 Anacortes American Wednesday, September 22, 2010 goanacortes.com

Police Blotter

BY KIMBERLY JACOBSONAmerican staff writer

Two men recently pleaded guilty and were sentenced in Skagit County Superior Court in connection with about $10,000 worth of drugs that were seized at a Skyline home in February.

Two others who have been charged are awaiting trial.

Nelson Soto-Gil, 32, pleaded guilty to seven counts of delivery of a controlled substance (heroin and cocaine) and three counts of posses-sion with intent to manufacture or deliver (heroin, cocaine and meth), all felonies.

He was sentenced Aug. 27 to 95 months, nearly eight years, in prison. He is also required to pay $5,600 in restitution — $2,780 to the North-west Regional Drug Task Force and $2,820 to the Skagit County Interlo-cal Drug Enforcement Unit.

Soto-Gil ’s cr iminal h is tory includes 2008 convictions for federal conspiracy to distribute meth and illegal re-entry after deportation.

Eliezer Vargas, 30‚ pleaded guilty to three counts of delivery of a con-trolled substance (heroin), one count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance (heroin and/or cocaine) and two counts of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver (her-

oin and cocaine), all felonies.He was sentenced Sept. 9 to four

years in prison. He is also required to pay $5,600 in restitution — $2,780 to the Northwest Regional Drug Task Force and $2,820 to the Skagit Coun-ty Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit.

Vargas has no known felony con-victions.

Both will have border control holds and will be deported after they serve their sentences, according to the county Prosecutor’s Office.

Five people were detained and four were arrested when the Skagit County Drug Task Force served a warrant at a home in the 4400 block of Bryce Drive Feb. 2. The task force had been investigating since the pre-vious October, according to court documents.

Raul Cruz Jr., 38, is charged with one count of delivery of a controlled substance (heroin), three counts of possession with intent to deliver (heroin, cocaine and methamphet-amine) and maintaining a vehicle for drug trafficking. He remains in Skagit County Jail. A trial is scheduled for Oct. 18.

Crystal Meierhoff, 21, is charged with two counts of delivery of a con-trolled substance (heroin), three counts of possession with intent to deliver (heroin, cocaine and meth) and maintaining a vehicle for drug

trafficking. A warrant was issued for her arrest after she failed to appear in court to face the charges.

A fifth person was detained at the scene but not arrested or charged.

According to court documents, the investigation began in early October 2009 after a member of the North-west Regional Drug Task Force met with an informant who said he could buy heroin from a woman in Burl-ington later identified as Meierhoff. Drugs were purchased from Meier-hoff, Soto-Gil and Vargas over a peri-od of time, court documents say.

On one instance, law enforcement followed Soto-Gil to the home on Bryce Drive and detectives started surveillance.

On Feb. 2, detectives executed a search warrant on 4406 Bryce Drive. Inside, officers found Soto-Gil, Mei-erhoff, Cruz, Vargas and the second woman.

Law enforcement seized 1 pound of heroin, a couple ounces of cocaine and less than an ounce of metham-phetamine from the home. Other evi-dence seized includes digital scales, a coffee grinder with heroin residue, several cell phones, Meierhoff’s purse full of empty plastic baggies, a wood-en marijuana pipe, a box with 9mm pistol ammunition rounds and two disposable cameras, court documents say.

Two sentenced in February Skyline drug bust

News Briefs

Read more at

Board OKs teacher contract

The Anacortes School Board Thursday OK’d a one-year contract agree-ment with the Anacortes Education Association teachers union for the 2010-2011 school year.

It has few changes and includes no pay raise, said Superintendent Chris Bor-gen.

“For the most part the contract was rolled over for another year,” he said.

The board also OK’d contracts with the Ana-cortes Para Educator Organizat ion and the Anacortes Administrative Assistants.

Red Cross joins fundraising drive

With an ex t remely active hurricane season looming and local disasters such as home fires a con-cern, the Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross joined a new nation-wide

disaster relief fundraising drive.

“The Red Cross spends about $450 million a year responding to near ly 70,000 disasters across the country — floods, wildfires, tornados and home fires,” said Brian Geer, Islands Chapter executive direc-tor. “We’re asking people to click, text or call to sup-port Red Cross disaster relief.”

Red Cross chapters across the country are tak-ing part in the new disaster response fundraising drive.

“We’ll be asking resi-dents for donations to help support Red Cross disaster relief and we hope people will respond,” Geer said. “Every single donation brings hope to people in need.”

To make a contribution to disaster response, visit the local office at 2900 T Ave., visit www.redcross.org, call (800) REDCROSS to support American Red Cross Disaster Response

or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a donation.

Guemes road turned back into two-way

The Skag i t County Commission voted unani-mously to change South Shore Road on Guemes Island back to two-way traffic at its Sept. 7 meet-ing.

The road along the southeast shoreline of the island was converted to one-way westbound because the feeder bluff it sits on was deteriorating from tide cycles and wave action from the Guemes

Channel.The new configuration

will include pullouts and load limit restrictions of 12,000 pounds. A sign for an alternate truck route is posted.

Public Works engineer Jim Bloodgood told the commission trucks with heavy loads are required to go the long way around, but that there are enforce-ment issues since the road is in a remote area.

Bloodgood added that in bad weather, the road will need constant moni-toring since storms can have a large impact on its condition.

dents over budget. The district receives

about $5,300 for each full-time equivalent student. If trends continue, Matthews estimates the district will be $243,000 ahead of bud-get this year.

The biggest surprise was the number of kindergart-ners who showed up — 206 compared to about 171 at this time last year. Last year there were seven kin-dergarten classrooms. The

district has already added an eighth and leaders are contemplating adding a ninth.

“We definitely were a little surprised,” Matthews said.

District leaders attribut-ed some of the gain to the number of out-of-district kindergartners this year.

Cindy Simonsen, direc-tor of learning and instruc-tion, said some parents may be drawn to Anacortes for the full-day kindergarten.

“We need to be aware of that and watch what hap-pens,” she said.

Of the 111 non-resident students this year, 16 are

in kindergarten and are largely from Oak Harbor and Mount Vernon. District leaders say the best way to tell if students will stay in the district after kindergar-ten is if they have older sib-lings in district schools.

Though enro l lment holds good news, the dis-trict is looking at some state cuts coming down the line.

Gov. Chris Gregoire plans 6.3 percent spending cuts across the board at the state level as she prepares for a budget deficit in the next biennium.

Matthews told the board cuts do not include consti-

tutionally required funding, like K-12 basic education. Based on her interpreta-tion, she said the district may be looking at $47,000 in cuts.

Affordable View Home

3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths, 1,912 Sq Ft +/-, 2 Car Garage & Workshop, Granite Countertops throughout, Beautiful Master Suite, Tile Kitchen, Dining & Foyer. Peek-a-boo

views of water and Mount Baker. RV/Boat Parking.

4017 W 6th St • AnAcorteS

contact randy 360.840.7882

$312,000

RUG SALEPERSIAN RUGS

SANCTIONS ARE HERE

GUARANTEEDLOWEST PRICE!

54% - 73% OFF REGULAR PRICE. SAT. & SUN. ONLY

Sanctions have already been imposed on all

Persian carpets.Buy NOW before

it's too late!Other rugs available from

India, Pakistan, China, Tibet, Russia & Afghanistan.

2 DAYS ONLY!FLOUNDER BAY CAFE

(Next to Skyline Marina)2201 Skyline Way

AnacortesSATURDAY, Sept. 25 • 10am-8pm

SUNDAY, Sept. 26 • 10am-4pm

Examples HandmadePersian

MANY ANTIQUEPERSIANS

9x12 $11908x10 $9996x9 $6994x6 $2993x5 $109

from

BUY BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!

Across from Walmart424-4044

TREAT YOURSELF ... YOU DESERVE IT

Lunch Buffet$7.55

SAve $1.00with coupon

Exp. 9/30/10

Dinner Buffet$8.95

SAve $2.00with coupon

Exp. 9/30/10

Convenient Family Dining

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 Anacortes American A3goanacortes.com

BY KIMBERLY JACOBSONAmerican staff writer

Anacortes moved one step closer last week to getting a grant for street upgrades that would make it safer for kids to walk and bike to school.

Two state Department of Transportat ion representa-tives toured the sites that need improvement Thursday with Safe Routes to Schools committee members. The committee was one of about 120 entities that submit-ted grant proposals to the state — and one of just 50 that had a site review.

The group visited Island View Elementary School, J Avenue and the intersections at 22nd Street and M Avenue and 32nd Street and M.

The committee requested a $675,000 grant, which the city would match at 14.8 percent up to $100,000.

The request is the second part of the ongoing effort to improve safety.

The Safe Routes to Schools

committee, which includes repre-sentatives from the city, Anacortes School District, Washington State Patrol, Anacortes Police Depart-ment, City Council and Island Hospital, previously received a $52,500 traffic safety grant to pur-chase flashing school zone lights

for roads near Whitney Early Childhood Education Center and Mount Erie and Island View elementary schools as well as a $16,330 grant to fund school zone flashing lights around the middle school.

The project won an award in

the Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s Target Zero Award collision reduction section, said Washington State Patrol Troop-er Scott Betts. It recognizes the group for getting cars to slow down and hopefully prevent col-lisions in the school zones. Assis-tant City Engineer Eric Shjarback, committee member Liz McNett-Crowl and Betts will attend the awards ceremony today. Target Zero aims to end traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

The current grant request would pay for a bike rack at Island View, a new sidewalk near the playground and other upgrades with the goal of getting kids into the school without walk-ing in the parking lot.

On the tour last week, Betts said the volume of cars, bikes and pedestrians combined with inat-tention has made 22nd and M a dangerous corner. Two schools and the Boys & Girls Club are all nearby, as are the court facility and hospital.

“This is our worst intersection,” he said.

Four people have been hit there in the past few years, includ-ing one this summer.

The grant would pay for upgrades to the intersection as well as education for students to encourage them to be more aware

of drivers.“We can’t just rely on drivers.

The kids have to do it as well,” Betts said.

He said the committee is dis-cussing using some funds to buy bikes to use in bike safety instruc-tion that would be part of all physical education classes.

The intersection at 32nd and M is another dangerous corner for pedestrians.

The grant would also allow the city to put in sidewalks along J Avenue.

Shjarback said he has ideas to improve the intersections but nothing will be decided until the grant amount is determined by the state. He said the city can do things like add pedestrian refuge islands and flashing pedestrian lights.

“Anything to make it more clear to drivers and pedestrians,” he said.

Ian Macek, state bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, said there is $3 million in federal money that will be used to fund the grants. The state amount is undetermined and will be decided after the legis-lative session.

The ranked list of grant appli-cations will be released in Decem-ber and the committee should hear in mid-2011 if the grant is approved.

State officials visit sites in street upgrade grant proposal

kimberly jacobson

assistant city engineer eric shjarback, far right, explains the problems j avenue poses for pedestrians — and drivers — to state Department of Transportation representatives during a visit last week. members of the safe routes to schools com-mittee applied for a state grant to fund street upgrades, making it safer for kids to walk or bike to school.

EnrollmentContinued from page A1

BY KIMBERLY JACOBSONAmerican staff writer

The Friends of the Library and Anacortes Schools Foundation are teaming up to offer nine-month library cards to teachers who live outside the library district.

School leaders say the cards will give teachers more access to books for student learning and help them refer kids to what is available.

“It’s extremely helpful. It’s a wonderful resource for our teachers,” said Superintendent Chris Bor-gen.

“It’s been a need for many years,” added Cynthia Harrison, library director.

Thanks to reciprocal borrowing agreements with the Sedro-Woolley, Mount Vernon, Burlington and La Conner libraries and the Upper Skagit Library Dis-trict, most teachers have a way to access books at

the Anacortes library. But some still live outside the boundaries.

The Kiwanis Noon Club previously donated money to Friends of the Library, which was OK’d to use for teacher library cards.

The Anacortes Schools Foundation matched the amount and last week OK’d funding all 20 teacher requests, a cost of $60 each.

Harrison said this will be a pilot year.

“We don’t know from this end where we would get the money for next year,” she said.

Harrison said the two groups are working togeth-er for a good cause.

“It’s an admirable part-nership. We both represent the future of learning and the importance of a good education and making good citizens,” she said.

Donations are accept-ed by the Friends of the Library and the Schools Foundation, both nonprof-its, to support the program.

Teachers get library cards News Briefs

Safe Routes to Schools committee working to make walking, biking safer

Sept. 22, 1910

Th e n e w U n i o n church, which was

recently erected at Summit Park, is to be dedicated on October 9th, instead of the 25th inst., as had been at first intended. The church building is nonsectarian and open to all of the peo-ple of the section.

Sept. 23, 1920

With a subsidy of $2 ,700 for the

coming year granted by Skagit county and count-less difficulties encoun-tered by those attempting to bring about the resto-ration of ferry service to Guemes Island ironed out, it appears that repairs to the “Guemes” and resump-tion of service is in sight.

Sept. 18, 1930

To dangle from the end of a rope thirty

odd feet down an old well, and to listen to the plain-tive wails of her five-year-old son somewhere down below, knowing that he might be seriously injured, was the harrowing experi-ence of Mrs. Walter Mont-gomery of 37th and D streets on Monday after-noon. Today Mrs. Mont-gomery is none the worse for her strange experience but Hector carries his left arm in a sling, mute testi-mony of his strange adven-ture.

In some manner the Montgomery lad fell into an old fifty foot well. His mother, terrified by her son’s screams and unable to leave the spot to get aid, began a perilous descent into the well by a rope. When she got down within a few feet of the lad, she found the rope too short.

She was unable to ascend as the rope had lac-erated her hands and she clung on crying for help. An hour later a truck driv-er, passing the home heard the call and effected the rescue of both mother and son.

Sept. 19, 1940

Alfred F. Robbins, th is week pet i -

tioned the city council for a license to haul garbage within the city during the coming year.

Robbins revealed in his

petition that he had pur-chased the garbage busi-ness and all equipment of

Everett Moody, who for-merly operated the route.

Following a short delib-

eration on the petition the city ordered that Mr. Rob-bins be granted a license.

Sept. 21, 1950

One month af ter installation of park-

ing meters along streets of the north Commercial busi-ness district, city officials report a total of $716.31 in revenue for the first 30-day period.

Of this amount $344.56 has been realized from penny deposits, $360.95 in nickels and a scant $11.10 from dimes.

Excluding Sundays and holidays when meter oper-ations are suspended, fig-ures average out to $27.55 per day for the metered area.

Sept. 22, 1960

The City Planning Commiss ion has

agreed to study the re-zon-ing request made by Sky-line on Burrows Bay Inc. The action on the request was taken last night at the planners’ regular meet-ing after the matter was referred to them by the City Council Tuesday night.

The group met with Dr. J.K. Neils and Stuart Litzsinger of Bellingham, two of the nine stockhold-ers in the enterprise. The men explained their plans for the multi-million dollar development, which will

include an airstrip, boat moorages, a restaurant, a lodge, small residential units and other resort-minded plans.

In the request itself, the corporation asked that the whole area be re-zoned from an M-3 or industrial classification to a C-2 or residential-commercial site. They also requested that the spaces desired for the airstrip be re-zoned.

Sept. 17, 1970

Planned free cable TV service for the

apartment units being built by the Anacortes Hous-ing Authority turned into a pipe dream when TV Systems Inc., the franchise holder of cable service in the city, rejected the plan, the Anacortes City Council learned Tuesday night.

On Aug. 4, 1970 the counci l by resolut ion attempted to designate the apartment units as municipal buildings under a section of the ordinance granting TV Systems Inc. a franchise. The city asked TV Systems Inc. to provide free television signals to the municipal buildings.

— From the archives of the Anacortes American

One thing would be for property owners to keep their shrubbery off the sidewalk so they see clearly.

Diane DanielsonAnacortes

I think it’s up to all Anacortes drivers to pay closer attention; they don’t expect pedestrians and cyclists anymore.

Genevieve elverumAnacortes

Have more volunteers out to protect them like you have on crosswalks; have more people along certain routes just to protect them.

Cal riCeAnacortes

People need to slow down more and it would be nice to have one or two more police officers in each school area.

Debbie WeisAnacortes

Maybe a light up at the middle school.

Donna butlerSouth Fidalgo

Your Opinion:

Q U E S T I O N O F T H E W E E K

How can the city improve streets for school kids?

A4 Anacortes American Wednesday, September 22 , 2010 goanacortes.com

Back In The Day

Opinion

Sept. 21, 1950: Anita Luvera is presented with the Kiwanis Homemaking award by Mrs. Marjorie Horton, head of the high school home economics department. The plaque, awarded at a recent Kiwanis meeting, is given to the year’s outstanding student in home ec and personal development. It will be engraved with Miss Luvera’s name and displayed in the high school. Elsworth Olson, Kiwanis president and School Superintendent Luther Kolste watch the presentation.

Homemaking award

G o s k a G i t . c o m

c i r c u l a t i o n & D e l i v e r y 4 2 4 - 1 9 0 0 • 8 0 0 - 6 8 3 - 3 3 0 0

established 1890. Published weekly on Wednesdays at ana-cortes, skagit county, Washington. Publications class postage paid at anacortes, Washington 98221 and additional offices. Postmaster: send address changes to the anacortes american, P.o. Box 39, anacortes, Wa 98221.

no responsibility is assumed for errors or omissions. all local advertising is accepted with the understanding that it becomes the property of the newspaper.

annual subscription rates: $35 a year in skagit county, $50 a year elsewhere. subscriptions require full payment in advance.

901 sixth street • 293-3122

editor and publisher

Jack Darnton

news editor

elaine Walker

staff writers

kimberly JacobsonJoan Pringle

advertising representative

leah Hines

anacortes american, fidalgo circulation district manager

seth Bartlett

The crummy weekend weath-er was unusual for mid-Septem-ber, which can often be one of the most enjoyable times of the year here.

The promise of fair skies and some late-summer sun was one of the reasons organizers of the Anacortes Jazz Festival staged their first events on the third weekend of September, right before Oyster Run. The idea of people enjoying great jazz and good food on the dock over-looking Guemes Channel was

appealing.The event never really took

off, though, and one of the rea-sons was the iffy weather when the event was outside. Imagine what a bath the chamber would have taken if this year’s weather on the third weekend of Sep-tember rolled in back then. The chamber was always in the tough spot of paying the performers up front and then hoping ticket sales would cover their costs and then some.

All this is a rather long

windup to what the chamber is up to this year as it launches a new shoulder season event with many of the same goals as the Jazz Festival — mainly bring-ing people to town for an event that benefits stores, restaurants and hotels and is fun for visi-tors and residents alike. Another chance for everyone to coast in and hang out.

The draw is Oktoberfest — Beer on the Pier. Visitors can get a taste of the town and taste beers from 30 regional breweries

at the Oct. 9 event at the Port of Anacortes Transit Shed Event Center. The event includes beer tasting, food vendors and music noon to 6 p.m.

Kudos to the chamber for get-ting such strong participation in year one. There are many similar events around the Northwest, yet Anacortes’ beer fest has a hefty lineup of both big names like Mac & Jack’s Brewing and Hale’s Ales and smaller brewer-ies offering new tastes. It should be, as the chamber hopes, plenty

big enough and varied enough to pack the port warehouse.

It looks like this event, like the Spring Wine Festival, could really take off. The ongoing efforts to bolster the tourism sec-tor are much-needed, especially when you consider how fleeting our summer weather is.

Oktoberfest will have the weather covered in any event. If it’s balmy, sample something light and refreshing. If it’s blus-tery, try a bigger style crafted for the fall and winter.

oktoberfest looks like strong shoulder season event

Sept. 17, 1980: With all the dignity a civic leader can muster, Anacortes Mayor Knute Figenshow gives Bob Pickett, president of the Anacortes Business Community, a generous helping of lemon meringue pie. But what happened outside the Anacortes American office was far from a cheap media event. It was a serious effort by the ABC at calling attention to the new idea of ‘Lemon Daze’ sales by local merchants, scheduled for Sept. 26 and 27.

Lemon Daze

To help support students pursuing a career in the competitive marine trades industry, the Skagit Valley College Foundation cre-ated a new scholarship for the marine maintenance technology program.

Students in the program will have the opportunity to learn their craft in the new Northwest Career and Technical Academy Marine Technology Center in Ana-cortes. SVC’s program was located for many years at the Whidbey Island campus in Oak Harbor. All pro-gram equipment was trans-ferred to the new center in time for September classes.

“With the opening of the NCTA Marine Tech-nology Center, the timing is right for a new schol-arship that will benefit marine trades employers in the Northwest,” said Carl Young, foundation interim director. “Employers look for a highly skilled work-force to achieve economic success and we are pleased to provide support to help meet this need.”

Each year, students in the program pay about $3,925 for tuition, books, tools and certification fees. For many who desire a career in the marine trades,

covering the cost of train-ing for two years is an obstacle.

The foundation is seek-ing scholarship donations for marine maintenance technology students, with the goal of raising $20,000 by the end of October. Scholarship donor names will be displayed in the marine center in Anacortes and will receive public recognition at open house events.

For more information about the foundation, or to make a marine scholarship donation, contact Jennifer Fix, foundation assistant director, at (360) 416-7870 or jennifer.fix@skagit.edu.

College foundation seeks marine scholarship donations

By Joan PringleAmerican staff writer

The Seafarers’ Memo-rial Park building is expect-ed to be back in its original spot next to Fidalgo Bay by May. And with the home-coming, the Port of Ana-cortes is considering what work needs to be done to it and what other enhance-ments the park could use.

The port commission decided at a special meeting Thursday that the building will go in its original spot but will be turned so the open windows on the back face Cap Sante and Mount Baker to the northeast. The slightly revised angle will accommodate additional parking and space for two possible support buildings at the park, said project manager Becky Darden.

The Seafarers’ building was moved in September 2009 to make way for the environmental cleanup at the site where the for-mer Scott Paper mill once operated. The structure has been in the port’s parking lot off Q Avenue east of McDonald’s since then.

The port considered other scenarios for the bu i ld ing ’s re locat ion ,

including adding a floor to it or putting it in the North Basin on a sloped site with a daylight basement for use by the Anacortes Small Boat Center group.

Because of the cost of the modifications to move the building to the North Basin — estimated at $1.15 million in a feasibility study done last year — that option was quickly ruled out.

Adding another floor but returning the building to its original location also came up costly at approxi-mately $500,000.

Keeping the building in its current configuration plus needed restoration work was estimated as the least expensive option at the time at about $150,000.

However, based on known conditions today on how much restoration has to be done, those costs have increased to approximately $324,000, Darden said.

The building will need significant siding work, rest-room facilities redone and all the wallboard replaced. In addit ion, electrical repairs will have to be done and the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system reconnected.

Because the building relocation and restoration work is eligible for partial funding by the Washing-ton Department of Ecol-ogy and insurance, the cost to the port will be about $86,000.

In addition to mov-ing the building close to its original space, the port will designate areas for two future support buildings north of the main building and just east of the park-ing spots that look out on the bay.

The first auxiliary build-ing will probably be used by the Anacortes Parks and Recreation Department for its sailing program, giv-ing its participants meet-ing, classroom and storage space.

The second building footprint would be open to any number of uses, includ-ing a concession stand or kayak rental place, said port Executive Director Bob Hyde.

As the port prepares to enter phase 3 of the

cleanup and restoration project, staff has suggested a $400,000 line item in the port’s 2011 early draft Cap-ital Improvement Plan bud-get to cover the move and restoration of the build-ing, first support building and other enhancements the port may consider for the park such as kitchen upgrades, an artifact plaza of items dug up during the remedial cleanup work and a pergola structure, all of which are conceptual at this point, Darden said.

A m e n i t i e s a l r e a d y included in the scope of the project include an espla-nade, new concrete pier to replace the seasonal one used in recent years and a three-tiered wall extending down the property line to the south.

The final phase of the project is expected to begin in February. The project on a whole will be completed next summer as the park and parking lot opens back up to residents and visitors, Hyde said.

Seafarers’ building will be back by bay

PROPANE$1.599 Gallon*

*500+ GallonsPrice subject to change

Callfor

Quote

Owned Tanks Leased Tanks500 Gal.+ .......$1.599

300 Gal.+ .......$1.699

150 Gal.+ .......$1.899

500 Gal.+ .......$1.699

300 Gal.+ .......$1.799

150 Gal.+ .......$1.999

Special PricingFor Commercial

Customers

Neighborhood - GroupDeliveries

Guaranteed Price Plans

1-800-929-5243Visit us @ www.apppropane.com

Locally Owned& Operated

Best PropaneValue in the NW

SUNDAY SERVICES

DATE: September 26th, 2010 Pastor Dick Koch Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31

SErmon: Godliness combined with contentment

9:00 Am ConTEmPorArY WorSHIPAssisted by Ben Boatright, Youth Director

and Contemporary Worship Coordinator

11:00 Am TrADITIonAL WorSHIP SErVICE

SUnDAY SCHooL9:00 AM For Children (in classrooms)

10:15 AM For Adults (in library)

Corner of 22nd Street and H Avenue (near Fidalgo Pool)(360) 293-0604 • umca@frontier.com

AnacortesUnited

MethodistChurch

RETHINKCHURCH

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 Anacortes American A5goanacortes.com

www.ltco.com

3010 Commercial Ave.Anacortes, WA 98221

1 (800) 870-8571 • (360) 299-0565

111 East George Hopper Rd.Burlington, WA 98233

Title (360) 707-2158 • Escrow (360) 707-2312Toll Free 1 (800) 869-7121

921 Metcalf St., Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284(360) 855-9686

We have been serving Skagit County

since 1940?DID YOU KNOW?…

03-8

6206

8-02

Lisa CureEscrow Manager

Anacortes

kimberly jacobson

Dakota creek industries crews move the 1,892-ton m/V legacy to its syncrolift in preparation to launch the tug next week. it is the first of three tugs being built for crowley maritime cor-poration.

Transporting a tug

By KiMBerly JaCoBSonAmerican staff writer

Dakota Creek Industries crews moved the 1,892-ton M/V Legacy to its syncrolift Friday in preparation to launch the tug next week.

It is the first of three tugs being built for Crow-ley Maritime Corporation.

The Legacy is 97 feet to the top of pilot house, 148 feet long and 60 feet wide. It is scheduled for delivery in early 2011.

Also taking shape in the DCI yard is M/V Lib-erty. Work has also started on the third tug, the M/V Legend.

The Crowley “Legacy Class” tug and barge combination is the largest ever designed, accord-ing to the DCI Web site.

The tugs, designed by Naviform in Vancouver, B.C., have unique propulsion pod housing, the Web site says. Each engine/propeller is arranged in two separate engine rooms and is capable of run-ning on heavy fuel oil. The tugs will reach up to 15 knots.

DCI earlier this month launched the inspection, maintenance and repair vessel M/V Cade Candies.

It is the third IMR vessel DCI has built for Otto Candies, a Louisiana-based marine transportation and towing company. The M/V Grant Candies was launched in April 2008 and the M/V Ross Candies in August 2009.

A community open house is planned later this fall.

Dakota Creek ready to launch first of three Crowley tugs

By Joan PringleAmerican staff writer

Need a dry place to store a little rowboat, sail-boat or kayak? The Ana-cortes Small Boat Center has a new facility going in the North Basin of the Cap Sante Boat Haven.

A ground lease between the umbrella boating orga-nization and the Port of Anacortes was approved by the port commission Thurs-day.

The lease is for approxi-mately 5,800 square feet of existing parking lot next to the P/Q dock access. Under the agreement, the port will install a chain-link fence with locking gates to define the area in the southwest corner of the basin and pro-vide security.

The 21 parking stalls cur-rently there will be enough storage space for 20 to 30 small boats and assorted canoes and kayaks, said John Pope, center president.

“We plan to charge from $35 to $100 per month for small boats on trailers or dollies, depending on the square footage and how well they fit into the storage yard,” Pope said. “Kayaks stored on the ground or on racks are yet to be worked out, but will be very reason-able.”

The storage area will give boaters easy access to the P/Q dock hoist recently installed at the urging of the Small Boat Center group.

The group plans to have the storage yard operation-al in April.

The 15-year land lease has two optional 10-year extensions. The center will pay a lower rate the first five years of the lease and then a higher rate the fol-lowing 10 years. Over the 15 years, the port will get about $6,500 a month on average — an 8.5 percent rate of return on the prop-erty.

The center will also pro-vide the port with a one-year bond and insurance certificate.

The agreement gives the Small Boat Center the ability to provide a mar-ket-priced storage area for small boaters and the opportunity to be self-sus-taining.

Revenues will cover expenses and provide fund-ing for additional projects, such as a planned area to rig or do light maintenance on boats, a place for marine skills demonstrations, and space to store sails, oars, life jackets and rigging.

“We want the facility to make a profit that allows other boating amenities to be added to the area, but we remain committed to support affordable boating for area residents,” Pope said.

The Small Boat Center is a nonprofit aiming to increase access to water-ways for small boat users. The organization represents several local boating groups, including the Anacortes Yacht Club, Old Anacortes Rowing and Sailing Society and the Anacortes Venture Scout Troop 4081.

Small Boat Center gets storage facility

Skagit County residents who turn in an illegal burn barrel by Sept. 30 at the Skagit County Recycling and Transfer Station, 14104 Ovenell Road, west of Mount Vernon, will receive a free Presto Compost Bin for backyard composting.

Residents must pick up a free disposal voucher at the Skagit County Public Works office, 1800 Conti-nental Place, Mount Ver-

non. For more informa-tion, call the Skagit County Recycling Hotline at (360) 419-7683.

Although it has been illegal to burn garbage gen-erated in and around the home since 1976, some resi-dents still use burn barrels to get rid of natural vegeta-tion, mixed paper and other waste. The swap is an incen-tive for those who want to try alternatives to burning.

Swap burn barrels for compost bins

BY ELAINE WALkErNews editor

Four years of effort con-cluded with little fanfare when the Anacortes City Council approved its 2010 Shoreline Master Program update Monday night.

Councilwoman Cynthia Richardson said Anacortes is far ahead of most other cities in the state in the required update process.

“We are one of the first and one of the best to have gone this far with our Shoreline Master Program,” she said.

Councilman Brad Adams said the document offers clear rules for shoreline uses in the city.

“I feel really good about that,” he said.

The Department of Ecol-ogy approved the document Sept. 1 with some required changes, mostly small.

The council approved two fairly large changes required by Ecology, one that clarifies the need to perform mitigation when trails are created, and anoth-er requiring an inventory of critical saltwater habitat as part of a permit request for near-shoreline construction.

Another change added a “whereas” to a section to clarify the difference between areas covered by shoreline regulations and those governed by Growth Management Act, said Anacortes Planning and Community Development Director Ryan Larsen. Other changes included the addition of several pages of legal description and defini-tions, as well as a number of minor clarifications, he said.

The city devoted four years and 49 public meet-ings to the Shoreline Master Plan update effort, Larsen said earlier this year.

The Shoreline Master Program adopts buffers ranging in size from zero to 100 feet, depending on the zone and use of the prop-erty. The key is the concept of “no net loss” of shoreline ecological function.

Urban maritime, a zone for industry, has no setbacks. Non-water dependent uses such as homes at Cap Sante need setbacks up to 60 feet, but that can be cut by about

half in various ways, such as using pervious paving.

An area on Guemes Channel is designated con-servancy with residential above. There is an opportu-nity for off-site mitigation instead of buffers.

The city’s lakes are most-ly designated natural with an area of conservancy. The same is true of city-owned

shorelines.Commercial marine zone

areas are designated urban. This includes sections at Flounder Bay, Ship Harbor and Fidalgo Bay water-front north of 29th Street. North to the old plywood site is urban maritime, as is the Port of Anacortes area along Guemes Channel to the Guemes Ferry landing.

Council OKs shoreline plan

trol, ... the broom grows in disturbed earth like gravel quarries,” he said. The grav-el is used in road building and from there it spreads.

Not only does Scotch broom displace native plants such as forage grass-es and young trees, but its seeds, which are viable for up to 80 years, are toxic to livestock and horses, accord-ing to the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. In Skagit County there were more than 1,000 acres infested with the nox-ious weed in 2003, the most recent data available.

Because of the long seed viability, Scotch broom must be removed using repeated methods for several years.

“Hand pulling, digging may be an option for small infestations,” the state board says on its Web site. “Chop-ping, cutting or mowing — an option for flat areas. Cut-ting is recommended before herbicide application.”

With the use of a pole saw, Mead and Sullivan cut Scotch broom stems mainly on the south side of Mount Erie. They follow the cut with a few drops of an 8 percent solution of glypho-sate. Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum, nonselective sys-temic herbicide commonly sold under the Roundup brand.

The practice it forbidden in the ACFL without prior approval from the advisory board, said Jonn Lunsford, Forest Lands manager.

“The public was pretty clear what they wanted in the Forest Lands in the comprehensive plan,” Lun-sford said.

If a volunteer wants to

use herbicide in the Forest Lands, the process is to go before the forest advisory board and get prior approv-al, Lunsford said prior to this month’s board meeting. That was the process used to begin applying glypho-sate on Japanese knotweed, another invasive plant, at the old city dump now referred to as New City Meadows. And that was only after volunteers and staff tried other methods to remove it.

“Public had a chance to weigh in. Public still has a chance to weigh in on it,” Lunsford said. “The thing with knotweed is the other methods didn’t work.”

Another important point was it is an area that has already been disturbed, he said.

There are other ways to deal with invasive plants than chemicals. For exam-ple, the use of herbicide in city parks has been reduced 60 percent in 10 years.

“When you’re working in public lands, you need to involve the public,” Lun-sford said. “When you work on the public land either as a volunteer or staff, you have to respect it as the public land.”

With that said, Lunsford added that Mead and Sul-livan should be praised for the work they’ve done, and he hopes the small amount of Roundup they’ve used doesn’t overshadow their efforts.

“They’ve given quite a bit of their time and they should be commended for that,” he said. “People shouldn’t lose sight that Maggie and Harold have done a lot of work up there.”

Mead agreed that “tech-nically” he is not suppose to use herbicide in the ACFL, but he said he does

it “because it has the least environmental impact.”

Mead and Sullivan began the practice of using Round-up after he discovered when Scotch broom grows in shal-low soil, it develops lateral roots, and in rocks, the roots grow into the cracks. Its removal from these areas is difficult without disturbing the ecosystem around it, he said.

“Sometimes the entire soil mass of a ledge would come up with the plant,” Mead wrote in literature he passed out to the forest board. “The cure could be worse than the disease.”

By conducting his own experiment about five years ago on two separate Scotch brooms — one with the cut treated with a drop of the glyphosate solution and the other soaked in the solu-tion — Mead found no re-sprouting occurred in both cases. And there was no apparent damage to other plants in the area.

“I found out I killed 100 percent of the broom with no collateral damage,” he said.

The process still requires the removal of new seed-lings in subsequent years, Mead said. There are large swaths where it is under control, but is still sprouting vigorously because of the seeds still in the soil.

Mead spends probably 200 hours a year on Mount Erie removing Scotch broom, he said. He pulls plants every season but spe-cifically in the spring to pre-vent seed germination.

Mead said he brought up his use of herbicide so the board’s policy on its use on Scotch broom and other species would be discussed.

Mead said ivy is simi-lar to broom in that it will dominate an environment.

“Ivy will kill every tree

if left alone,” Mead said. “Scotch broom is not as bad as ivy but it will dominate the landscape.”

Mead is experimenting on ways to kill ivy growing at his house, particularly with the herbicide Triclopyr.

“I know you have a poli-cy of mechanical removal of ivy in the Forest Lands but I think that’s doomed to not succeed,” Mead said.

However, Dave Oicles with Forest Lands main-tenance said they have a 99 percent success rate of removing ivy without chem-icals.

“The volunteer work parties have a huge success with ivy,” he said. “We try to use all those other ideas first before we consider her-bicide in the Forest Lands.”

Oicles added that Mead

has been successful with his methods of removing Scotch broom on the south side of Mount Erie, but in other places, the pulling and cutting method works bet-ter.

ACFL volunteer Hershel Janz has found herbicide just runs off ivy. It needs to be pulled out with its roots, he said He’s been able to get big patches of ivy down to just small growths in the Forest Lands.

Holly on the other hand is a tree that has roots prob-ably at least four feet down, Janz said. It’s got thousands of berries that birds eat and distribute elsewhere — then more plants crop up.

On the smaller holly in the Forest Lands, Janz said he digs the roots up. With the larger ones, he cuts

the trunk with a drill and makes a series of holes in the stump. He then applies a solution of ammonia and Roundup.

“You have to kill it; the forest board doesn’t under-stand that,” he said. “We’ve had a great track record. We’re going to make it so it doesn’t regrow. The forest board needs regulations to go with the times.”

Janz said he’s treated about 100 holly trees in this manner in the past eight years.

“I think I’ve come up with a solution,” Janz said. “It’s not the only solution but it works right now. If someone has a better solu-tion, we can do that.”

“I’d just like to see the forest board make a couple changes,” Janz said.

A6 Anacortes American Wednesday, September 22, 2010 goanacortes.com

salon bella bella & day spa

299-2227 877-BELLA-15 3218 “R” Avenue

Visit us online: www.salonbellabella.com

Revitalize eyes! Flash exfoliation!Susan Breckenridge, licensed esthetician

can fix your skin issues in a snap!Call to reserve your appointment today!

fix skin issues in just 30 minutes

Island Import GarageImport AutomobIle

ServIce & repAIr

Committed to the latest technology forAsian as well as European vehicles.

Harold MeadASE Master Technician

3319 Commercial Ave. Anacortes • 293-4188

Interested In the PotentIal for taxfree retIrement Income? let's talK.

Gary ThramerAAMS

Financial Advisor2801 Commercial Suite 5

360-293-8262 • 1-866-293-8263

Steve Daly AAMS

Financial Advisor2801 Commercial Suite 5

360-293-8262 • 1-866-293-8263Call or stop by today

www.edwardjones.comMember SIPC

If Low Interest rates are gettIng you down, Let's taLK.

Steve Rutz AAMS,CRPC

Financial Advisor1909 Skyline Way Suite 101 B

360-293-6838

Jim BashorFinancial Advisor

1120 12th St360-293-4581

1-800-274-4581Call or stop by today

www.edwardjones.comMember SIPC

Econo-Wash Laundryand Dry Cleaners

Complete Laundry Facilities Leather Care & Drapes

Professional Dry Cleaners

Open 8-6 Weekdays8-2 Saturdays

Self-service laundry 6 am to 11 pm daily

2016 Commercial Avenue 293-2974

FA R M E R S ®

C u r t i s Pay n e A g e n cy3110 Commerc ia l Ave • 293 -9578auto • home • boat • business • life • annuities

weatherdekwaterproof decks,patios & walkways

~ 100% Waterproof~ Professional Installations~ Maintenance Free

~ Slip Resistant~ Over 20 Designer Colors and Patterns

Dennis F. Cullen Inc. (360) 293-6749#DENNIFC014Q2

360-588-0643713 Commercial Ave., Anacortes Wa. 98221

www.alliedrealtors.com

Candy Cooper Broker, Owner

21 Years Experience!

“Call a Professional, Call Candy Cooper”

salon bella bella & day spa

299-2227 877-BELLA-15 3218 “R” Avenue

Visit us online: www.salonbellabella.com

Revitalize eyes! Flash exfoliation!Susan Breckenridge, licensed esthetician

can fix your skin issues in a snap!

Call to reserve your appointment today!

fix skin issues in just 30 minutes

C u r t i s Pay n e A g e n cy3110 Commerc ia l Ave • 293 -9578auto • home • boat • business • life • annuities

Farmers® Lifehas a new story

Level Term Life insurance that’s fast, simple and easy

Farmers Simple Term Life Insurance®

• Takes just a few minutes to apply • No lengthy forms, medical exam or lab test required.

Business & service DirectoryReal Estate Insurance

Decking Automotive

Home Loans

Laundry/Dry

FinancialFinancial Salon/Spa

HerbicideContinued from page A1

that the company would create 1,000 jobs, according to the Everett Herald. This opened the door for Ana-cortes.

Although Winter told the Anacortes City Coun-cil the facility could employ 500 to 1,000 workers at an average $59,000 a year, the city didn’t make the num-ber of jobs a condition of water service. Maxwell said focusing on the exact num-ber of jobs misses the point.

“If he creates 250, that’s more than we have today. There’s absolutely no downside for the city of Anacortes,” he said.

The mayor said he is confident that the contract is well-crafted to protect the city’s interests.

“They have to meet cer-tain criteria or they don’t get the water,” he said.

Maxwell and Ryan Lars-en, the city’s planning and community services direc-tor, approached Tethys after the deal with Everett fell through.

“Ryan made a phone call. We were curious. We had the resources,” Maxwell said.

Stephen DiJulio of the law firm Foster Pepper negotiated the contract and did a background investi-gation on the company for Anacortes, Maxwell said.

After that checked out, Maxwell said he became impressed with Winter’s passion for the project and his knowledge of the indus-try.

“They’ve done their homework,” he said.

Winter said the company chose Anacortes for several reasons, including water availability, rail access, com-munity support, a skilled work force and elected offi-cials with integrity.

“We have a set of criteria and there’s only a couple of municipalities that can meet those criteria,” he said.

Winter l ives in the Arlington-Smoky Point area and his company’s office is in downtown Everett. He said Anacortes is as close to him as Everett, “but it’s a

much easier commute.”When asked what hap-

pens next, Winter said he has to speak in broad terms.

“A lot of what we do is proprietary,” Winter said. “If we reveal too much it could damage us financial-ly.”

In general, he said, the phases are to line up a site,

then do a feasibility study on the site and on the abil-ity to build infrastructure there.

“We will be seeking investors. We have been working with investors for a long time,” he said.

More will be brought on board as well, but he

declined to name names.The contract with the

city refers to the establish-ment of an industrial park by Tethys, which may have one big plant or a cluster.

“It could be multiple facilities, but we’re not cur-rently assuming that,” Win-ter said. “It’s easier to focus o n o n e project at a time.”

P l a s t i c will not be m a d e i n Anacortes, but will be s h i p p e d to the site v i a t r a i n as raw pel-lets, to be formed into containers here.

“Shipping around empty plastic bottles is a waste of space and energy resourc-es,” he said.

He said the Anacortes plant would serve as a model.

“This state-of-the-art LEED certified facility will feature the latest in clean energy and water-saving technology. This plant will position Anacortes as the global leader in environ-mentally responsible bev-erage manufacturing and distribution,” he said.

Winter said there are two types of biodegradable plastics, involving additives or a plant base, and the new facility would likely employ both methods. He said under anaerobic compost-ing conditions, both types of bottles can break down into carbon components in 90 days, while lasting well past the product’s expira-tion date when left on the shelf.

“We determined that our primary business focus would be to build a very large scale, multi-line bev-erage manufacturing facil-ity in the region that would transform the environmen-tal footprint and efficiency of the U.S. beverage indus-try. We would build it with private funding, requiring no investment or conces-sions from local govern-ment,” he told the council last week.

The city stipulated that

the site selected must be in city limits or be where it can be annexed by the city, and the company demands rail access. This makes March Point, which is zoned for industrial use, the most like-ly site. Maxwell said there are large parcels in that area, including some owned

by She l l , Tesoro, T-Bailey and others.

I f t h e c o m p a n y does find a site along the tracks at March Point, there would be no public hearing on the building

application, Maxwell said. “If it goes into the indus-

trial area it won’t need a conditional use permit,” he said.

However, there may be hearings on environmental issues.

“I don’t know if they will have to go through SEPA,” he said.

Maxwell defended the way the water contract was handled, without public

input or notification. He said contract negotiations are typically handled this way.

“We do water contracts every day of the week with many different businesses,” he said.

He said the city acquired water rights from the Skagit River and built a transmis-sion system in the 1930s. Before that, drinking water came from Whistle or Cran-berry lake. He said the addi-tional rights were acquired primarily to accommodate industry.

“It took a lot of water to run pulp mills and can-neries,” he said. “Up until 20 years ago, we had prob-ably 70 percent of the jobs in Skagit County.”

If Tethys uses the full 5 million gallons per day, it will use about the same amount as the Tesoro refin-ery uses.

Maxwell said there were people who opposed put-ting the refineries at March Point in the 1950s, but their presence has shaped the community.

“When we turn and look backwards we see the bene-fit of having industrial jobs,” he said.

Fall is for Planting Sale

www.christiansonsnursery.com15806 Best Road • Mount Vernon • 466-3821 • 9-6 daily

Fruit, Flowering & Shade TreesRhododendrons & Azaleas

Hydrangeas & Roses

25% offThrough September 30th

(regular price)

Class: "fabulous fall Containers"with Annie Reiss

saturday, september 25th • 11amreservations, $5.00

ENTERtoWIN a

FREE PAIR of

RED WING

Shoes or Boots(3 WINNERS)

ENTERtoWIN a

$70 GIFT CARD(3 WINNERS)

September 22, 23, 24, 25 & 27

anniversary sale

70years

all regular Price20% off

downtown BURLInGton420 E. FaIRhavEn, BURLInGton

Hours:

Mon-Sat

9-6

Easy Parking

755-0570

SERVING SKAGIT CO. FOR 39 YEARS

360-855-1025 | 360-299-9379 Anacorteswww.ronkheat ing.com

Skagit County’s first choicefor all your heating and cooling needs.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 Anacortes American A7goanacortes.com

TethysContinued from page A1

By Joan PringleAmerican staff writer

The question of how much water the city of Anacortes has to spare has come up after a pri-vate investment and develop-ment firm got the OK from the City Council on a contract that would give it up to 5 million gal-lons a day.

It has a lot, city officials say.Tethys Enterprises a ims

to build a large-scale food and beverage bottling plant in Anacortes, a project estimated at three to five years out from completion with a proper site and capital still to be acquired.

The water would come from the Skagit River and through the Anacortes water treatment plant on River Bend Road in Mount Vernon. The plant is operated by the city and funded by customer fees.

The 5 million gallons a day is about a quarter of the cur-rent demand on the system that serves about 56,000 customers. They include Anacortes resi-dents, the Skagit County PUD, city of Oak Harbor, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, town of La Conner, Swinomish Tribal Community and the Tesoro and Shell Puget Sound refineries.

Of the 30 million gallons per day the Anacortes water treat-ment plant is certified for by the Washington State Depart-ment of Health, about 21.4 mil-lion gallons a day on average are used. The highest demand in a single day was 29 million gallons, reached twice in 2009.

The refineries account for approximately 68 percent of the water use. Tesoro’s current three-year contract with the water system allows it to use about 6 million gallons a day.

Shell is contracted for closer to 7 million gallons.

Anacortes typically uses less than 10 percent of the total.

An estimated $60 million overhaul to the water treat-ment plant — expected to begin in February — will increase its certified capacity to 31.5 mil-lion gallons a day. Because of additional bricks and mortar going into the upgrade, the plant could be upgraded again with additional pumps and filters to a capacity of 55 million gallons a day as demand increases, said city engineer Matt Reynolds.

If those additional upgrades are needed for the bottling plant, the owners would have to foot the bill for them according to the contract with the city.

“They would have to pay for any upgrades for their 5 million gallons, at no cost to any other user,” said Public Works Direc-tor Fred Buckenmeyer.

The city has the right to take 55 million gallons a day from the Skagit River no matter what the instream flow levels are.

Buckenmeyer and Reynolds agreed that demand reaching that 55 million gallons a day mark is a ways off.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever see it happen,” Buckenmeyer said.

“It’s decades out.”By 2019, demand is expect-

ed to reach 26.3 million gallons a day on average and by 2029 increase to 29 million gallons a day. The maximum demand on a single day is expected to reach 36.9 million gallons a day in 2019 and 39.4 million gallons a day in 2029.

“We’ve got 55 million gallons a day water right on the Skagit River so we have a lot more water right we could take advan-tage of,” Buckenmeyer said. “We have plenty of capacity, plenty of infrastructure to supply it. We’re set pretty well.”

Beyond the 55 million gal-lons a day mark, the city has the right to take an additional 21 million gallons a day, though that amount is subject to a 2006 Washington State Department of Ecology instream flow rule.

Using levels at various times of the year determined by com-puter-based models that show how habitat is affected by stream flow changes, the rules designate the minimum required flows for habitat protection for various salmonid species as well as other marine life.

For perspective, Reynolds pointed out that September’s minimum flow level is 10,000

cubic feet per second. The water system’s 55 million gallons a day capacity takes out about 85 cubic feet per second. The 5 million gallons a day the bottling plant would use would take out about 7 to 8 cubic feet per second, he said.

“I don’t want to say it’s insig-nificant because any amount taken from the river is signifi-cant,” Reynolds said. “When we issue the conservation (public service announcements), I think it’s important people understand they’re in no danger of being out of water. It’s for protection of habitat and that’s why we ask people to conserve.”

The voluntary conserva-tion measures are part of a 1996 Memorandum of Agree-ment between the city, county and local tribes using the Skagit River as a water source. The city and the county PUD agreed they would enact water short-age response measures when forecasts say the river will drop below the minimum levels in order to protect habitat in the river and estuaries downstream from the plant.

In the case of low-stream con-ditions, the contract with Tethys specifies the city could actually cut back on service to the plant.

Bottling plant would use 1/6 of city’s water capacity

Contract highlights Highlightsof the20-pageagreementbetweenthecityofAnacortesandTethysEnterprises: •Withinoneyearofthecontract’sOct.1effectivedate,thecustomershalldelivertocityalegaldescrip-tionandmapofthepropertyforcustomer’sdevelop-ment,with legaldocumentsshowingcustomer’s titleorrighttoacquiretitle. • The property shall be in city limits, or where itcanbeannexedbythecity. • The site shall be no less than 30 acres andservedbyrail. • Tethys must fill out necessary applications forpropertydevelopmentwithin twoyearsofsiteselec-tion. •Propertymustbeoccupiedandwaterpurchasedwithin 24 months after issuance of permits or 42monthsafterpermitapplication. •Uponthecompany’scommitmenttocapitalfacil-ityupgrades,thecityshallassurewateravailabilityofupto5milliongallonsperday. • Tethys is responsible for all costs associatedwith installing water main extensions, water systemimprovements and service connections required todeliverwatertotheproperty. • The company is to construct and maintain thedistributionsystemwithinitsproperty. • Tethys can’t add new customers or expand itsservicearea inamanner thatwould increase itscitywater requirementsbymorethan10percentwithoutcityapproval. • The company shall not use or distribute wateroff the property without city permission, except astreatedandpackagedonsite incontainersno largerthan10gallons. • Wastewater shall be dispersed or managedthrough the city’s sewer system. Future sewerimprovements may be required and Tethys may besubject tocapital facilitycosts.Sewer improvementsshallbeidentifiedinthedevelopment/permitprocess. • Customer can recycle and reuse wastewater(includingirrigation)butnotdisposeofitontheprop-erty.Bothpartieswillworktoevaluateandimplementsystemsforuseorsaleofwastewateroffproperty. •Tethysmustpay foradditionalexpansionof thewatertreatmentplantneededtoprovide5milliongal-lonsperday. •Tethyswillpayforaproportionateshareofwatercostsbasedonusage.Arateanalysiswilldetermineitscapitalcostallocationeverythreetofiveyears. • Fixed and variable operating costs will be pro-jected during the annual city budgeting process.Actualcostswillbefiguredandchargesretroactivelyadjustednotmorethaneverytwoyears. • The contract is effective Oct. 1, 2010 throughDec. 31, 2035, with possible extensions to 2040under certain circumstances; the company also hastheoptionoftwofive-yearextensions. •Ifthecompanyorfacilityissold,thenewownerisboundbythecontract.

Water use Demand for water fromthe Anacortes water treat-mentplantisonaverage21.4milliongallonsaday.Usersofthe system and the percent-agestheydemandonadailybasisare:

Shell Puget Sound Refinery—38percentTesororefinery—30percentOakHarbor/NavalAirStationWhidbeyIsland—13percentAnacortes—9percentSkagitPUD—7percentLaConner—2percentSwinomish—1percent

‘When we turn and look backwards we see the benefit of having industrial jobs.’Mayor Dean Maxwell

A8 Anacortes American Wednesday, September 22, 2010 goanacortes.com

ObituariesAlexis Michelle

GilmanAlexis Michelle Gilman,

25, of Anacortes, passed away unexpectedly on Fri-day, September 17, 2010 in Coupeville, WA.

A memorial service will be held at 4:30 p.m. Thurs-day, September 23, 2010 at the First Baptist Church of Anacortes.

A full obituary will appear in a future edition of the Anacortes American and the Skagit Valley Her-ald.

Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Cha-pel and Crematory, Inc., Anacortes, WA and the San Juan Islands.

Harold Staab

A 2 p.m. memorial ser-vice for Harold Staab is September 25 at the Ana-cortes United Methodist Church, 2001 H Ave.

submitted

Fidalgo Youth symphony awarded two $500 scholarships at its spring concert may 20 at mcintyre Hall. Recipients are Anacortes High school graduates Katie mcCarn, left, and Kacy murray, right. they are pictured with Kenneth Holzemer, Fidalgo Youth symphony president.

Fidalgo Youth Sympho-ny awarded two $500 schol-arships to two outstanding high school seniors at its spring concert May 20 at McIntyre Hall. The con-tinuing education scholar-ship recipients are Katie McCarn and Kacy Murray, graduates of Anacortes High School.

Criteria for scholarship selection include: com-mitment to Fidalgo Youth Symphony, academics and community service.

McCarn has played flute with the symphony for four years and is the daughter of Dennis and Kimberly McCarn of Anacortes. She was selected for her out-standing commitment to the symphony and for her community service activi-ties including, Our Town Our Park volunteer, church

mission trip to Mexico, Sunday school and vaca-tion bible school teacher and as backstage assistant for the AHS drama depart-ment. She will attend Wash-ington State University and is considering a major in environmental science.

Murray, a trumpet play-er with the symphony for six years, has been a dedi-cated member. She is active in church youth group, band and honor society and earned varsity letters in tennis. She was in the top ten of her graduating class and received depart-mental awards in English, science and civics. She is the daughter of Bryan and Kristine Murray of Ana-cortes. She will attend Brigham Young Univer-sity and plans to major in communications and par-

ticipate in their marching band.

Fidalgo Youth Sym-phony, in its 15th year as a nonprofit under the umbrella of the Anacortes Arts Foundation, offers young musicians from Skagit, Island, Snohom-ish and Whatcom counties opportunities for music study and performance. The symphony meets in Mount Vernon for weekly rehearsals throughout the school year and performs four concerts at McIntyre Hall and other professional venues. There are opportu-nities for ensemble work, community service and stu-dents enrolled in Running Start may earn college and high school credit for par-ticipating.

For more information visit www.fysmusic.org.

Fidalgo Youth Symphony gives scholarships

submitted

Four Anacortes middle school eighth-graders were awarded by the AAuW Ana-cortes branch for their achievements. Pictured, from left, are Kayla matthews and emily bright (science) and Jillian Welk and Lia Ferguson (mathematics).

submitted

three Anacortes High school seniors were awarded by the AAuW Anacortes branch for their achievements. Pictured, from left, are Valerie Lesniak (science), elise King (technology) and Jessica Olsen (mathematics).

The Anacortes branch of the American Association of University Women hon-ored seven girls for their accomplishments in the fields of science, technol-ogy, engineering and math-ematics.

Four eighth-graders at Anacortes Middle School were awarded in the fourth annual recognition: Kayla Matthews and Emily Bright in science and Jillian Welk and Lia Ferguson in math-

ematics. Three seniors at Ana-

cortes High School were awarded in the second annual recognition: Valerie Lesniak in science, Elise King in technology and Jes-sica Olsen in mathematics. They received Washington State Scholar Recognition certificates, pins, a spe-cial book and a monetary award.

The Anacortes branch focuses on encouraging

women and girls to pursue science, technology, engi-neering and mathemat-ics interests and careers through awards and schol-arships.

The same awards will be given in 2011 along with the long-standing scholarship funded by the Scholarship Tea, which this year will be given to an Anacortes graduate who is entering her junior or senior year of college.

AAUW awards scholarships

Students named to WWU honor roll

Five Anacortes students were named to Western Washington University’s spring quarter 2010 honor roll: Dana Garrett, Erin Kelly (4.0 grade-point aver-age), Johanna Moore (4.0), Marinna Norton and Jenna Williamson.

To qualify for the honor roll, students must complete at least 14 graded credit hours during a quarter and be in the top 10 percent of their class.

Students graduate from Western

Seventeen Anacortes stu-dents graduated from West-ern Washington University in spring quarter 2010: Bar-bara Ellis, bachelor of music in music education, pre-school through 12th grade; Hilary Garrett, bachelor of arts in design; Andrew Grossman, bachelor of arts in business administra-tion/international business; Nicholas Henery, bachelor of arts in history; Jonathon James, bachelor of science in kinesiology/pre-health care; Matthew Kelly, bachelor of science in vehicle engineer-ing technology; Jon Kiser, bachelor of arts in business administration/marketing; Philip Lycette, bachelor of arts in accounting; Linnea Morrow, bachelor of arts in political science; Stevie O’Clock, bachelor of arts in geography/environmental and resource management; Eric Olausen, bachelor of science in industrial technol-ogy/vehicle design; Robert Primozich, master of busi-ness administration; Jona-than Ruckdaschel, bachelor of arts in psychology; Kath-eryne Russnogle, bachelor of arts in psychology; Alice Summers, bachelor of arts in education in special edu-cation, preschool through 12th grade; Stephen Winters, master of business admin-istration; and Kathryn Yost, bachelor of arts in English with a literature emphasis.

Students named to WSU honor roll

Six Anacortes students were named to Washington State University’s presi-dent’s honor roll for sum-mer 2010: Erika Cunning-ham, Rebecca Fakkema, Theodore Gross, Lisa Marie Jones, Garrett Kelley and Lorna Rudolph.

To be eligible, an under-graduate student must earn a grade-point average of 3.75 in at least nine grad-ed hours in a single term at WSU or a GPA of 3.50 based on at least 15 cumula-tive hours of graded work.

Student Briefs

Memorial

submitted

the Anacortes sister Cities Association welcomed three guests from Lomonosov, Russia, one of Ana-cortes’ sister cities. university students Nastia Yaku-sheva and Yuliya Yuzhakova and their chaperone Natalia Cherkashina visited Anacortes last month.

The Anacortes Sister Cities Association wel-comed three guests from Lomonosov, Russia, one of Anacortes’ sister cities. Chaperone Natalia Cher-kashina, an English teacher, and Nastia Yakusheva and Yuliya Yuzhakova, both university students in St. Petersburg, arrived in Ana-cortes on Sunday, Aug. 22, for a two-week adventure.

Local ASCA members provided a home to stay in and many creative oppor-tunities to experience life in and around Anacortes. The Russians enjoyed their time boating, hiking, shop-ping, eating and visiting

new friends. When asked what they

wanted to do during their visit, they all answered, “everything.” They enjoyed the beauty of Anacortes and its surroundings. Most importantly, they were very impressed with the friendli-ness of everyone they met.

Anacortes and Lomono-sov established a sister city relationship in 1991. Since then both cities have exchanged delegations, both adult and student, numerous times.

ASCA meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Anacortes Public Library.

Three visit Anacortes from Russian sister city

Volunteers and mem-bers of the Slow Food Skagit River Salish Sea are asking people to bring a fresh or nonperishable food donation to the Ana-cortes Farmers Market or purchase fresh food there to donate on Saturday.

The group is also col-lecting items at the Mount Vernon Farmers Market and will consolidate the donations to take to area food banks.

The group is joining thousands of other people around the country in Slow Food USA’s first “Dig In!”

The national day of action is aimed at creating a world where food is good for people, good for the grower and good for the planet. At this peak season for local produce, it wants to help the growing number of people who rely on food banks to share the harvest.

Slow Food USA is a nonprof i t educat ional organization seeking to create dramatic and last-ing change in the food sys-tem. For more information about Dig In! and other Slow Food programs, go to www.slowfoodskagit.org.

Bring food donations to Farmers Market Saturday

Vannice new squadron commander

Command of Carrier Airborne Warning Squad-ron Seven Seven (VAW-77) changed hands June 25 when Commander Jay R. Vannice relieved Com-mander David T. Fritz.

Vannice is a native of Anacortes. He graduated from Western Washington University in December 1989.

After graduation and commissioning through the Aviation Officer Can-didate School in Pensacola, Fla., he reported for flight school in Corpus Christi, Texas, and was designated a naval aviator in February 1992.

In March 1992, Vannice reported to VAW-110 at NAS Miramar, Calif., for Fleet Replacement train-ing in the E2-C Hawkeye.

Va n n i c e ’ s c a r e e r includes tours at VAW-114, VAW-112 and VAW-120. In 1999, Vannice was selected as a Reservist for the “Fighting Escargot” of VAW-78, and in June of 2005 he joined the “Night-wolves” of VAW-77, where he continues to serve the command in support of the nation’s war on narcotics and narco-terrorism.

He has served as the executive officer of VAW-77 since March 2009.

Hastings graduates Coast Guard training

Coast Guard Seaman Jonah T. Hastings recent-ly graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in Cape May, N. J.

During the eight-week training program, Hast-ings completed a vigorous training curriculum con-sisting of academics and practical instruction on water safety and survival,

military customs and cour-tesies, seamanship skills, first aid, fire fighting and marksmanship. A major emphasis is also placed on physical fitness, health and wellness.

Hast ings and other recruits a lso received instruction on the Coast Guard’s core values — honor, respect and devo-tion to duty — and how to apply them in their mili-tary performance and per-sonal conduct.

Hastings will join 36,000 other men and women who comprise Coast Guard’s force.

He is the grandson of Red and Ann Hastings of Anacortes. Hastings is a 2008 graduate of El Dora-do High School of Placen-tia, Calif.

Leow graduates from basic training

Air Force A i r m a n Meagan A. Leow grad-uated from basic mili-tary train-ing at Lack-l a n d A i r Force Base, San Anto-nio, Texas.

S h e c o m p l e t e d a n intensive, eight-week pro-gram that included train-ing in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare princi-ples and skills. Those who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied sci-ence degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

She is the daughter of Debra and Wesley Leow of Anacortes.

Leow is a 2007 graduate of Anacortes High School.

Fall Boat Show is Oct. 1-3

The fall Anacortes Boat Show is Friday through Sunday, Oct. 1-3 at Cap Sante Boat Haven. It includes a floating boat show with about 75 boats ranging up to 65 feet and an uplands exhibition area, including various marine components, services and sales. Visit www.anacortes-boatshow.com.

Church hosts Blessing of the Animals

Christ Episcopal Church will host a Blessing of the Animals 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3 at 1216 Seventh St.

Fire Department hosts open house

Join the fun as Anacortes firefighters demonstrate what they do on a daily basis at an open house 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 at 1016 13th St. Special guests include Island Hos-pital, Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross, Cas-cade Dispatch (911 center) and Skagit Hospice.

The event includes a vehicle extrication demon-stration, fire extinguisher activity, kids house fire prop, 911 call center activ-ity, station and apparatus tours, a combat challenge and Sparky the Fire Dog.

For information, call 293-1925 or e-mail dons@cityofanacortes.org.

Get tickets for sunset cruise, auction

The Mount Erie Elemen-tary School PTA is hosting a beach party sunset cruise and silent auction fundrais-er 4:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday aboard the Island Explorer 3. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails from Cameron’s Living Room Dining while bidding on auction items. Visit www.mteriepta.org to preview select items.

Tickets, $75 per person, can be purchased at the school. Tickets include food, two drinks, the boat cruise and door prizes. Space is limited, so purchase tick-ets early. Proceeds support educational and enriching programs at Mount Erie.

Learn about health benefits of humor

Join a delightful program on the health benefits of humor 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Senior Activity Cen-ter. Have you ever heard chickens sing? Well, we have and we have a flock that will tickle you pink and make your toes tap to boot. This and much more is lined up for the center’s wellness event.

Get garden growing tips Sept. 28

Celebrate Skagit Valley’s new homegrown cookbook, Serving the Skagit Har-vest, at “Feasting from the Garden Year-Round” 6:45-8:15 p.m. Tuesday at the Anacortes Public Library. Meet some of the veteran gardeners who star in the cookbook, who will share must-have growing tips and favorite ways to serve up your garden bounty.

If you’ve loved the Eat Your Yard workshops, come and buy a book — all proceeds go to grow a more resilient local food system. This Eat Your Yard work-shop is free and open to the public. Eat Your Yard is a special project of Skagit Beat the Heat, local citi-zens working to slow global warming and grow commu-nity resilience.

Questions? Call the library at 293-1910, ext. 21, or visit library.cityofana-cortes.org.

Rotary club hosts wine fundraiser

Join the Anacortes Rota-ry club for an evening of succulent wine sips, exqui-sitely tasty gastronomy and an opportunity to extend your voyage with one of its wine-inspired getaways, din-ners or outrageous experi-ences. The club will host its annual fundraiser 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 at the Ana-cortes Airport.

Beverage captains are

Frank Michaud of The Wine Shop at The Store and Doug Charles of Compass Wines and dining captain is Cameron’s Living Room Dining.

Individual seats are $65 and tables for 10 are $650. All proceeds benefit local and international projects of Anacortes Rotary.

Call Rich Humphrey at (360) 770-8980 with ques-tions.

Sign up for free Lighten Up 101 class

Learn to lighten your life at a free Lighten Up 101 TeleClass 11 a.m. Saturday. Life coach Laura Lavigne will help you shed stress and have more focus and peace of mind. Learn tools to declutter your heart, mind and time as well as your house. Roni Noone (recently featured on CNN) will talk about diet clutter.

Register at www.laurala-vigne.com or call (360) 421-1618.

Theology Colloquium is Tuesday

Theology Colloquium, open to persons of any reli-gious persuasion or none, meets 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Senior Activity Center. The only requirement for participa-tion is to respect each oth-er’s views and refrain from judging others. Participants are sent an essay or a book chapter to read ahead of time which then will be dis-cussed. The essays or books have a religious theme. Dr. Bill Malcomson, a teacher in Skagit Valley College’s community education pro-gram in spirituality, facili-tates.

If you are interested in participating, e-mail Mal-comson at wlmalcomson@fidalgo.net.

Get organized with classes

Rhonda McNett, owner of Sensible Organizing Strategies, will teach three classes to help you get organized and put an end to clutter and stress. Cost is $10 per class. Call Ana-cortes Parks and Recreation at 293-1918 to register.

• Take control of paper, bills, photos and even the kids’ artwork by learning about organizing tips, prod-ucts and systems. McNett will teach the P-L-A-N method 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28 and 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29. Leave class knowing where to start and how to proceed with your plan.

• Would you like a less stressful, less expensive and more enjoyable holi-

day season? McNett will present ideas to make the last months of 2010 more hassle-free, pleasant and affordable. Join her 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19 or 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20 and learn to use the P-L-A-N method. You’ll learn how to envision the season you want, manage your time by planning appropriately, and organize your expectations.

• What scary things lurk in your junk drawers? Watch the actual hands-on organizing of a typical junk drawer. McNett will teach the basics of sorting, purging, containerizing into “homes” and maintenance 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Get baked goodies at Senior Activity Center

Drop by the Senior Activity Center between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday to buy some homemade baked goods. Proceeds ben-efit general programs. The center is always looking for more bakers. Contact the center at 293-7473 if you are interested in helping out.

Seniors celebrate September birthdays

September birthdays will be celebrated Friday at the Senior Activity Center. Musical entertainment pro-vided by Del Olander and The Renegades begins at 11 a.m. and at noon lunch and a birthday cake will be served. Suggested dona-tion for seniors 60 and older is $3-5; lunch charge for everyone else is $6. Arrangements can be made for group or family birth-days. Call 293-7473.

Book club to discuss detective novels

Choose any of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agen-cy series or other series by Alexander McCall Smith for the library book club’s meeting 7-9 p.m. Monday at the Anacortes Public Library’s meeting room. The club meets the fourth Monday. Vis i tors and friends are always welcome.

Upcoming book: any of Robert Parker’s mysteries for Oct. 25.

Contact Jackie Boss at 299-8067 or jackieaboss@yahoo.com or Julie Boe at 299-8727.

See three religions through two lives

Join Bill Malcomson for a look at Islam, Buddhism and Christianity from the perspectives of two differ-ent but fascinating people from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Mon-days through Oct. 4 at the

Senior Activity Center. You will look at Ayaan Hirsi Ali and her newest book, “Nomad,” and examine Paul Knitter and his newest book, “Without Buddha I Could Not Be A Christian.” Drop-ins are welcome; cost is $7.

Enjoy library travel programs this month

Tour the world with-out leaving Fidalgo Island with the Anacortes Public Library’s free travel series this month.

• World travelers Ivar and Phyllis Dolph share their safari in Tanzania and Kenya with a photo tour highlighting the peo-ple, places and wildlife they encountered in “East Africa: A Nature Tour” at 7 tonight. They saw 400 spe-cies of birds, the “big five” — elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo and leopards, plus the amazing Maasai tribe.

• Peter Martin presents a photo travelogue explor-ing Ecuador’s intriguing Amazon jungle, Andes Mountains, cloud forest, cities and towns in “Ecua-dor: The Wildlife, People and Culture” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29. The program should appeal to those interested in South America, adventure travel-ing, birding and indigenous cultures.

Questions? Call 293-1910 ext. 21 or visit library.cityofanacortes.org.

Buddhist meditation series continues

Buddhist meditation classes are 7-8:30 p.m. Tues-days through Sept. 28 at Studio 1010, 1010 Sixth St. Classes are open to every-one. “The Art of Being Pos-itive” classes can be attend-ed as a series or individu-ally. They include guided meditation, a talk and the opportunity for questions and answers. No pre-regis-tration required. Cost is $10 or $5 for seniors, students and the unemployed. Visit www.MeditateInNWWash-ington.org or call (360) 752-3194.

Plant diagnostics clinics are Thursdays

WSU Mount Vernon NW Research and Exten-sion Center offers free plant diagnostics clinics 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays, through September at the Senior Activity Center.

Anacortes Senior College

Fall Term Class ScheduleOctober 12th-November 18th, 2010

All classes meet at the Anacortes Middle School

2200 M Avenue, Anacortes

Tuesday Classes3:30-5:30 PM Enrich Your AgingThe Solar System, The Milky Way, The UniverseHealth Issues Facing Seniors

Thursday Classes3:30-5:30 PM Dances of Political EconomyAnimation Before ComputersAnacortes Recreational Marine

Alternative Format ClassesCriminal JusticeTuesday 6:30-8:30 PMTulips and Blueberries in the Skagit ValleyTuesday 3:30-5:50 PMNovember 2nd, 9th & 16th

For information and registration, please see the website or pick up a class schedule at the Anacortes Senior Acitivity Center, 1701 22nd St., Anacortes.

Online at: www.SeniorCollege.orgE-mail: SeniorCollege@asd103.org

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 Anacortes American A9goanacortes.com

Did You Know...

1720 Q Ave. Anacortes • 360.293.3535Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm • Sat & Sun 8am-6pm

www.acehardwareanacortes.com

Anacortes

We Offer Vacuum Repair - Hoover, ShopVac & Many More.

Our Own Steve Cooper (20 Year Employee)

does the work here locally

Locally Owned & Operated for 31yrs.

Community Calendar Military Briefs

Meagan Leow

BY KIMBERLY JACOBSONAmerican staff writer

Anacortes will draw breweries and beer drink-ers to its first Oktoberfest — Beer on the Pier event next month. Organiz-ers say with 30 breweries attending, it has the largest brewery participation in the state for such an event.

“We targeted the peo-ple we want to see there and we went after them. We know people in the industry,” said event chair Rick Star of Rockfish Grill/Anacortes Brewery.

The Anacortes Cham-ber of Commerce opted to create the event in its continuing effort to entice visitors to Anacortes in the shoulder seasons.

“We wanted it to be sig-nificant in size to encour-age Seattlites to come to the end of the road,” said Stephanie Hamilton, chamber director of pro-grams and events. “They get to come to a beautiful town and taste beer from 30 breweries.”

The chamber aims to sell 500 tickets.

The event includes beer tasting, food vendors and music noon to 6 p.m. Sat-urday, Oct. 9 at the Port of Anacortes Transit Shed Event Center and pier.

Tickets, $20 in advance and $25 at the door, include a tasting cup and six tasting tokens. Addi-tional tokens can be pur-chased for $1.50 each.

Visit the chamber Web site at www.anacortes.org and click on the Oktober-fest — Beer on the Pier option.

Merchandise from the breweries will be available for purchase.

Vendors will offer food for sale — Juicy Dogs, Fiamma di Mamma wood-fired pizza and German

treats from Robert and Barbara Atterberry, who own Bob’s Chowder Bar & BBQ Salmon and Avenue Catering.

Pickled Herrings will perform oompah-style German beer hall music and Spoonshine with Jacob Navarro will play rootsy Americana, complete with an accordion player.

“If anyone wants to bring an accordion, I per-sonally extend them an invitation. They can sit in and jam,” Star said.

A brewers reception, which is open to the pub-lic, is 6-9 p.m. at the Heart of Anacortes, Fourth Street and O Avenue. Beers from the festival will be avail-able.

Star said most brewers will bring two styles for tasting.

“ I t ’ s a b e e r f e s t i -val with an Oktoberfest theme. Sampling will be the emphasis,” he said.

“There’ll be styles there that will be completely new to a lot of people.”

Most breweries are transitioning now from summer to winter beers.

“As we get into fall we’ll find some bigger beers — maltier and more alcoholic, winter warmer types,” Star said.

The festival will include a sneak preview of the Rockfish Grill’s 10th anni-versary brew called 10.

The 30 featured brew-eries are: 192 Brewing Company (Kenmore), 7 Seas Brewing (Gig Har-bor), Anacortes Brewery, Birdsview Brewing Com-pany, Black Raven Brew-ing Company (Redmond), Boundary Bay Brewery (Bellingham), Chucka-nut Brewery & Kitchen (Bellingham), Diamond Knot Brewing Company (Mukilteo), Elliott Bay Brewing Company (Bur-ien), Elysian Brewing

Company (Seattle), Flyers Restaurant and Brewery (Oak Harbor), Fremont Brewing Company (Seat-tle), Hales’s Ales (Seattle), Lazy Boy Brewing (Ever-ett), Mac & Jack’s Brew-ing (Redmond), Maritime Pacific Brewing Company (Seattle), Ninkasi Brewing Company (Eugene, Ore.), North Sound Brewing Company (Mount Vernon), Odin Brewery (Seattle), Old Schoolhouse Brewery (Winthrop), Pike Brewing Company (Seattle), Port Townsend Brewing Com-pany, Ram Restaurant & Brewery (Lakewood), Roslyn Brewing Company, Schooner EXACT Brew-ing Company (Seattle), Skagit River Brewery (Mount Vernon), Snoqua-limie Falls Brewing Com-pany, Trade Route Brewing Company (Pacific), Two Beers Brewing Company (Seattle) and Yakima Craft Brewing Company.

30 breweries on tap for chamber’s first Oktoberfest — Beer on the Pier

A10 Anacortes American Wednesday, September 22, 2010 goanacortes.com

OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH EXERCISE!

NOw IN A NEw LOCATION!2464 E. Blackburn • Mount Vernon

360-661-1393

www.mtbakercrossfit.com

Call us about our FREE before school CrossFit Kids program!

Fast brew.Fresh news.

Fabulous dealon the

Skagit Valley Herald

Pick Up Yours for Only

50¢ Mon–Fri

& $1 Sun with your beverage

purchaseat participating

locations.

Hottie Tottie Deli479 Metcalf StSedro-Woolley

Riverside Cafe2000 Riverside Dr

Mount Vernon

Stop N Go Espresso

805 w Division StMount Vernon

Happy Donuts2302 Commercial Ave

Anacortes

The Espresso14434 Avon Allen Rd

Mount Vernon

Same Ol Grind508 S 1st St

Mount Vernon

Cruisin Coffee18494 Bow Hill Rd

Bow Hill

Cruisin Coffee1715 N Laventure Rd

Mount Vernon

Cruisin Coffee 1019 13th St

Anacortes

On the Road Espresso500 E College Way

Mount Vernon

What’s Cooking?• Harvest Time with a Mediterranean Twist with Chef Mary Ellen Carter Tuesday, October 5 • 6:30pm - 8:30pm• Fine Dining - with Chef Robert Atterberry Wednesday, October 6 • 6:30pm - 8:30pm• Knife Skills: “The Most Important Tool in Your Kitchen” with Chef Nicholas Smith Thursday, October 7 • 6:30pm - 8:30pm (Hands On)

360.336.8747509 S. 1st Street • Mount Vernon, WA • www.gretchenskitchen.com

“Your Hardware Store

for Cooks”

BY KIMBERLY JACOBSONAmerican staff writer

Investigating a fire is like putting together a puz-zle.

“Every one of them is a different kind of mystery,” said Dan Harju, Anacortes Fire Department assistant chief. “You have to sort through the puzzle.”

He says it is the hardest part of his job.

“So often you have so little to work with. The hard part is trying to put together what it looked like before the fire start-ed,” he said.

Harju, who has worked at the department since 1986, will retire at the end of this month. He plans to return to nursing part time in Skagit County.

“It’s been a great place to work,” he said. “This has been a good job. I can hon-estly say I can look back with no regrets.”

Chief Richard Curtis said Harju has brought a wealth of experience to the job.

“He has a lot of knowl-edge of history about how things have come about over the years,” Curtis said.

Curtis praised Harju’s integrity and the way he treats people.

“He’s always very tact-ful, diplomatic and respect-ful,” Curtis said.

That has helped the department’s working rela-tionship with other entities.

“He’s instrumental in creating that tone, that environment,” Curtis said.

He said Harju leaves a big hole to fill.

“He is always very mod-erate in how he approaches every problem, issue, situa-tion. He always looks at the big picture and takes into consideration everything. He makes good decisions because he does factor in all the different aspects of everything,” Curtis said.

E m i l y S c h u h , c i t y human resources director, said the department will share his duties until the selection process is com-plete. The goal is to have a replacement by the end of this year.

Harju graduated from nursing school in Wisconsin in 1975 and put his degree to work in intensive care and an emergency room before going to paramedic school. He did some ride-alongs with the Anacortes department and was later encouraged to apply.

He joined the depart-ment as a firefighter/para-medic in 1986.

“I never had aspirations to become a firefighter, it just happened,” Harju said. “Life brings you opportu-nities and you take advan-tage of them.”

The department was much smaller then, with nine paid firefighters, a chief and an assistant chief.

“You had much more

of a small family environ-ment,” he said.

They were on the third floor of the old station at 1011 12th St. (most recent-ly home to the Department of Safety) with the dispatch center downstairs.

“We could hear the 911 phone ring. You knew it was time to get your shoes on,” Harju said.

There were three peo-ple on shift and the depart-ment had two ambulances, three fire engines and a rescue truck.

Harju volunteered to be a temporary daytime fire inspector in the early 1990s.

“That fit my lifestyle at the moment,” he said.

When the department was looking for a fire mar-shal/assistant chief in 1994 he applied and got the position. In addition, Harju now serves as the para-medic supervisor and does building inspections.

As fire marshal, Harju

leads fire investigations. He took classes to learn more about reading charring and burn patterns, finding the origin and analyzing the potential cause.

He said little subtle things are pieces of a puz-zle that together point to a cause. It’s used on every-thing from a stovetop fire to a major event like the 1993 Shannon Point Sea-food Co. fire.

The investigation starts by talking to first respond-ers and witnesses. Harju said you start outside and work in, moving from the least burned portion to the most burned. In the pro-cess, you rule in or rule out causes.

“Sometimes it’s so bla-tantly unclear you never know how it happened,” Harju said. “Sometimes the act of putting a fire out destroys all your evidence.”

It’s a fact you have to accept in the job.

“You have to accept whatever you’re handed,” he said.

Harju said he’ll miss the variety of his job.

“I like the flexibility. Every day is different. I get the opportunity to control or guide my calendar,” he said.

He’l l a lso miss the camaraderie.

“Working with the guys as a group has always been an interesting challenge,” he said.

The personality dynam-ics make for an interesting trip, Harju said.

“Even though we don’t always agree, everyone is willing to look out for each other when it really mat-ters,” he said.

As paramedic supervi-sor, Harju has kept up on classes and maintained his certification. A registered nurse, he’s finishing a nurs-ing refresher course at Washington State Univer-sity before returning to the field.

Assistant Fire Chief Harju retiringHe will return to nursing after nearly 25 years with department

kimberly jacobson

Dan Harju, anacortes Fire Department assistant chief/fire marshal, will retire at the end of this month. He has worked at the department since 1986. He plans to return to nursing part time in skagit county.

goskagi t .com Sports & Recreation

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 Anacortes American A11goanacortes.com

Anacortes American

By JoAn PringleAmerican staff writer

A horse is a horse, of course, of course ... That is when he’s not a cat, a teddy bear, a boyfriend or even a Welsh pony.

That’s how four girls from Anacortes see their horses. They’ve been train-ing together in English rid-ing at HTH Farm in Bow for about two years. Under trainer Kim Gard’s guid-ance the girls are having a successful season show-ing their horses at hunter jumper competitions from Canada to Oregon.

“She’s more like a cat — very independent and moody,” said Hannah Ary, 16, about her horse HTH Roxie whose barn name is just plain Roxie. “But when she is loving, it’s a very pre-cious thing coming from her.”

Hannah is the only one of the four girls who com-petes in the jumper clas-sification, which means she jumps high and goes fast, said Kelly Carr, self-described “barn mom.” She shows Roxie in “the meter,” which has 1-meter jumps in the children’s jumper division for participants younger than 18.

Hannah, who’s been showing horses through HTH Farm for three years, began riding when she was 3 after watching horses at the Olympics.

“Apparently I pointed to the TV and said I want to do that,” she said.

The other three girls show their horses in the hunter classification, which is based more on style and technique than jumps, though there are jumps involved in their routines also.

Brooke Riordan, 13, shows Miss Delight, her show name, in the short stirrup hunters division for participants younger than 18. Her jumps are 2 feet high.

Brook has been rid-ing Misty (her barn name) ever since her fifth birth-day party at Lang’s Horse and Pony Farm in Mount Vernon.

As for Misty “Every-body loves her; she’s like a teddy bear,” Brooke said. “She’s my big dog.”

Sarah Sonnenberg, 15, likes her horse Betcha, who competes as U Betcha, for his personality among other things. He also helps her with issues she has, she said.

“Sarah and Betcha have a bond between them that is very therapeutic for

them,” Carr said.“He’s also my boy-

friend,” Sarah said.“Tall, dark and hand-

some,” Hannah adds.Sarah first got on a horse

when she was about 4 years old and rode saddle seat, a style of English riding, with her father Steve Sonnen-berg, who is part owner of Betcha.

“Spending time with my dad” is still one of the main reasons she likes to ride.

She competes in the short stirrup division like Brooke.

Lexi Carr, 12, shows Chester, a Welsh pony, in the pony hunter medium division. The classification means they jump barriers 2.5 feet high.

My Little Romeo, as he’s known at shows, was named the Washington State Champion of 2009 for the pony division for the number of points he accu-mulated at shows through-out the year. He qualified for the pony finals in Ken-tucky but the trip was too expensive, Carr said.

Lexi has been riding ever since her third birth-day and a trip, just like Brooke, to Lang’s Farm.

“All I had to do is put her on the pony and she was riding around the ring,” Carr said. “She just had a passion for it.”

Lexi said she doesn’t really remember the whole story because she was so young but does recall her mother’s friend bringing her horse over.

“And I just liked to be up on a horse,” she said. “I like Chester because I can do anything on him and he doesn’t care.”

“They’ve grown up together and that’s why they’re such a good team, her mom said.

Chester, who gets carrot cake from Safeway every year for his birthday, was purchased when he was 2 and Lexi was 7 — a year after she declared she want-ed to train in the English style of riding as opposed to western.

The difference, all the girls agreed, is that west-ern can be rather boring. Riders and horses don’t get to jump in western riding, Carr said.

“When the kids decided they wanted to jump, they had to switch to English,” she said. “This was way more of a challenge.”

The English style of rid-ing — as well as the saddle, which gives the rider more contact with the horse — is

Joan Pringle

Four anacortes girls specializing in english riding and their horses won ribbons at the 2010 evergreen Classic Benefit Horse Show in Carnation aug. 11-15. lexi Carr, far left, won reserved Champion Pony equitation and third in the $1,000 Pony Hunter Classic after receiving several ribbons for first through sixth place. Hannah ary received fifth-place and seventh-place ribbons in the jumper divi-sion. Brooke riordan was named Champion Short Stirrup Hunter for her accumulation of first-place through eighth-place ribbons and Sarah Sonnenberg placed second, third, sixth, seventh and eighth in the short stirrup hunter class. The girls train at HTH Farm in Bow with trainer Kim gard, standing at left. Kelly Carr, lexi’s mother on the right, helps out at the farm and at shows.

SuBmiTTed

Hannah ary jumps her horse HTH roxie at the 2010 evergreen Classic Benefit Horse Show in Carnation in august.

Jumping into their sportFour Anacortes girls live and breathe English riding

The Anacortes football team met its match Friday night.

Sedro-Woolley run-ning back Clayton John-son rushed for 278 yards, leading the Cubs over the visiting Seahawks 28-21 in a Northwest Conference game.

The 5-10, 190-pounder broke through and pun-ished tacklers. He only had one rush of more than 16 yards, a 60-yard touchdown burst that saw him shrug off three would-be tacklers within the first 15 yards. He gained at least a yard on all of his 34 carries and gained at least seven yards on half his runs.

“He’s the best back we’ve seen,” Seahawks coach Bill Evans said, whose team is 2-1. “We didn’t play well against the run. Part of that was (John-son). You hit him and he doesn’t go down.”

A n a c o r t e s w i l l b e looking to toughen up its run defense when the Seahawks host Belling-ham Friday night. The Red Raiders (2-1) won a wild game against Mount Baker 42-36 last week when Wes Sitser bolted 24 yards for the go-ahead score with 13 seconds left. Anacortes downed Mount Baker 26-14 in week two.

On Friday night, Sedro-Woolley needed every bit of that rushing yardage to overcome a Seahawks squad that moved the ball effectively through the air despite a steady rain. Seahawk quarterback Cody Culp threw for 205 yards, hit Mark Medalia with two touchdown passes and ran for the other Seahawk score himself.

Anacortes receiver Jack-son Kirkpatrick caught five passes for 141 yards.

Johnson got the Cubs on the board first late in the first quarter after a Seahawk player touched a Cubs punt. Sedro-Woolley recovered at the Seahawk 1 and Johnson went in untouched on the next play.

The score stayed 7-0 until a flurry of three touchdowns in five minutes left the game tied 14-14 at the half.

C u l p a n d M e d a l i a hooked up for 5 yards on fourth down to tie the game. The Cubs responded with an eight-play, 80-yard drive.

Anacortes tied the score again on a two-play drive. After Culp found Kirkpat-rick for 52 yards, the junior quarterback bootlegged to his left and beat the Cubs defense to the corner of the end zone for a 13-yard run.

The Seahawks took their only lead of the game late in the third quarter. Culp, apparently unaffected by the rain, completed his first seven passes of the second half, including an 8-yard strike to Medalia. He fin-ished 14-of-25 in the game and has seven touchdowns without an interception this season.

VolleyballA n a c o r t e s o p e n e d

Northwest Conference play Thursday on a strong note, defeating Mount Vernon 25-21, 25-15, 25-20.

Anacortes is 2-0 overall.“I thought we played

very consistent and I thought we had control of the match,” said Anacortes coach Kelsey Swapp.

Jessica Straight had 12 kills for Anacortes.

Sedro rolls past ’Hawks 28-21

See Riding, page A12 See Roundup, page A12

Joan Pringle

lexi Carr carries her horse Chester’s tack alongside the row of stalls at the HTH Farm in Bow after a training session.

Meaghan Lyons had 10 kills and Kate Murray eight for the Seahawks.

Kiana Calles had 14 assists for Anacortes, Faith Vandeway chipped in with 10 assists and Kayla Rieger had 10 digs.

The Seahawks are at Ferndale Thursday, then travel to Blaine Tuesday.

Cross countryThe Anacortes boys

team took third place in Division II on Saturday at the South Whidbey Invita-tional.

The Seahawks were led by Michael Hanson’s 12th-place finish (18 minutes, 38.77 seconds).

Zach Carter was the second finisher for the Seahawks, coming in 16th place (18:42.72).

Ballard won the Divi-sion II team title.

In a Northwest Confer-ence meet Sept. 15 against Nooksack Valley, Squali-cum and Blaine, Hanson and Terrah Romano were Anacortes’ top finishers.

Hanson finished ninth in the boys race in 18 minutes, 30 seconds, while team-

mate Carter was one place — and 1 second — behind him.

R o m a n o w a s t h e Seahawks’ top girls finisher, taking sixth in 23:13.

A n a c o r t e s r u n s a t Meridian today.

Girls soccerAnacortes su f fered

its first loss of the season Thursday, falling to Mount Vernon 4-0 in a Northwest Conference match.

On Sept. 14, Anacortes beat Meridian 2-0 in their conference opener.

C a t h e r i n e M i l e s scored both goals for the Seahawks.

“We played very well,” Anacortes coach Jenna Temple said. “We had one of our seniors go out with an injury and they really picked it up. Everyone played very well.”

The Seahawks are at Ferndale Thursday, then travel to Blaine Tuesday.

Girls swimmingAnacortes had little

trouble Sept. 14 with Bur-lington-Edison and Sedro-Woolley.

The Seahawks beat the Tigers 121-48 and the Cubs 113-57.

Anacortes won every event against Sedro-Wool-

ley. Katie Kaestner, Jenna

Whitney and April Masters each won a pair of events.

Kaestner was victorious in the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 17.87 seconds) and 100 back-stroke (1:05.16), Whitney won the 50 freestyle (28.01) and the 100 freestyle (59.83), and Masters won the 200 freestyle (2:20.24) and the 500 freestyle (6:14).

Anacortes hosts Burl-ington and Sedro-Woolley Thursday, then Bellingham comes to town Tuesday.

Boys tennisA n a c o r t e s f o u g h t

through rainy weather to get in two of its three scheduled matches.

The Seahawks fell to South Whidbey 5-2 on Sept. 14, and to Mount Vernon 6-1 on Friday.

Against Mount Vernon, Anacortes’ lone win came from the doubles team of

Cory Campbell and Chris Archer. They took the No.1 doubles match 6-0, 6-1 over Justin Frederick and Tomas Dunning.

Against South Whidbey, the Seahawks managed a pair of wins in doubles.

Sean Higgins and Bran-don Bessler won 6-2, 6-0 at the No. 2 doubles spot. Jared Matthews and Jonah Richards were victorious at the No. 3 spot, winning 6-0, 7-6 (2).

“Our No. 2 and No. 3 doubles played very well,” said Anacortes coach Elai-na Myers.

The team’s Northwest Conference match against Bellingham was rained out two consecutive days — Sept. 15 and Sept. 16.

The match was to be played Tuesday. Anacortes hosts Ferndale Wednesday and Sehome Friday, then travels to Sedro-Woolley Monday.

— Skagit Publishing staff

WE ARE 5 STARS!!When exceptional care matters

1462 W SR 20• Sedro Woolley, WA (360) 856-6867

• All Nurses IV Certified• Inpatient & Outpatient Physical,

Occupational & Speech Therapy services available• 24 Hour Skilled Nursing LPN & RN Coverage

• Phone lines in every room• Wifi Access

• Private & Semi-private rooms

CALL OUR DIRECT ADMISSION LINE NOW FOR A TOUR (360) 770-1605

CENTER FOR MEDICARE SERVICES RATING IS IN!

SAVE$50

SNW-SRP

MS 250 Sale!

MS 250 16” MS 250 18” MS 250 C-BE 16” MS 250 C-BE 18”$299.95 $319.95 $349.95 $369.95

was $349.95 was $369.95 was $399.95 was $419.95

All prices are SNW-SRP. Sale prices good through December 31, 2010 at participating dealers while supplies last.

Most Highly Credentialed Vein Specialist in Northwest Wasington

Eliminate Varicose Veins & Spider Veins

ROY A. TAYLOR, MD, FACS360.676.1225

www.baysidevein.com3104 Squalicum Pkwy • Suite 103

Bellingham, WA

In-Office Laser Treatment • Rapid Relief • Quick & Convenient

CongratulationsDarlene Gunderson!

WinnErof the let’s get acquainted contest.

Darlene chose a $200 gift Certificate to ace Hardware.

thanks to everyone who entered. Watch for our 2011 Edition next september.

Did You Know?

1720 Q Ave. Anacortes • 360.293.3535Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm • Sat & Sun 8am-6pm

www.acehardwareanacortes.com

Anacortes

Locally Owned & Operated for 31yrs.

We Carry Le Creuset Cookware

A12 Anacortes American Wednesday, September 22, 2010 goanacortes.com

totally different than west-ern, Gard said.

In western, the rider uses neck reining to steer. In English, the reins are directly connected to the bit.

“The position you hold is also different for each discipline,” Gard said.

Western style has the rider sitting farther back on the saddle with their legs in front like a recliner. The rider uses the seat to ask the horse to go forward, back up or to move in gen-eral.

In English style, the directions to the horse come from the inner thigh and calf muscles, which are directly under the rider. That means building up those muscles, said Gard, who’s seen some begin-ners able to ride for only 15 minutes and even then still walk away bow-legged.

Hannah, Brooke, Sarah and Lexi train for an hour five to six days a week dur-ing show season, which runs from March through Octo-ber. During the off-season, it’s down to three days a week with Gard working with the horse on two days.

“What’s been fun for us is the social aspect of the barn,” Carr said. “These girls are a foursome.”

HTH Farm, owned by Judy Hinson, was built around 1905 as a dairy farm and its stable is listed on the Washington Heri-tage Barn Register. The girls train with their horses in an indoor arena with an upstairs viewing area for the parents.

Gard is going into her third year as trainer at the farm after interning there while finishing her business degree at the University of Washington. She said most of her clients are from Ana-cortes.

“They are extremely lucky to have Kim,” Carr said. “She works with these kids so well; she’s so posi-tive.”

The training sessions are followed by a half hour of work that has the girls brushing down their horse and then putting them in their stalls to eat. They’re also responsible for clean-ing and oiling their tack.

At the shows, the girls compete three times a day for five days. Gard limits the number to three a day because of the stress on the horses and the riders.

The competitions are made up of different arena courses with about eight jumps each that the girls have to memorize in the morning and ride later that day against about 25 other riders and horses.

In the hunter division, they’re judged on every-thing down to what they’re wearing, Carr said.

When competing, the girls wear blouses with col-lars, jackets, breeches, hel-mets and tall riding boots. All of which can be “bru-

tal” during the hottest part of the day, Lexi said.

“And they are very civi-lized,” Carr said.

“Classical,” Gard added.They’re also judged on

technical aspects, such as having the correct number of strides between jumps, not knocking down rails and cantering on the cor-rect lead.

“The canter is a three-beat gait, which means that there are two legs of the horse that hit the ground at the same time during a single stride and then the other two legs each hit at individual times,” Gard said.

In the hunter division, the rider is responsible for holding her position straight and keeping her head look-ing out as opposed to down.

Hannah on the other hand can look like she’s falling off her horse and as long as she’s fast, she’ll score high, Carr said. Speed is the key in the jumper division, which has on aver-age a dozen jumps in each course.

Gard relates the hunter division to figure skating and the jumper division to hockey.

“They go fast and they jump high,” Carr said. “And the jumps are very flam-boyant. They’re orange and blue, they have flowers and fountains and they’re beau-tiful.”

Carr accompanies Gard and the girls to all the shows, making sure they get up in the mornings and spending free time doing things like playing cards on the bed in the hotel.

“I’m the barn mom,” she said. “You’ve heard of soc-cer moms.”

The girls could be away every week with the num-ber of shows during the sea-son, Carr said. But because of the stress on the horses and the cost, they usually do one a month, sometimes two.

The shows are very demanding, Hannah said. Riders and horses have to be the best they can be and work harder than they do on a normal day. Even after their competitions are done, the girls stick around to watch and support their teammates.

All the girls say they hope to be riding for a long time.

“Probably for the rest of my life,” Sarah said.

As long as they possibly can, both Lexi and Brooke said.

“I love being able to chal lenge myself with something I love,” Hannah said. “It hurts not to ride.”

RoundupContinued from page A11

RidersContinued from page A11

‘I love being able to challenge myself with something I love. It hurts not to ride.’

Hannah Ary

Learn the fundamen-tals of lacrosse — throw-ing, catching, scooping and simple offense and defense — at beginners clinics Sun-day and Oct. 3 at Storvik Park, 1110 32nd St.

Clinics for boys and girls in first through sixth grade are 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Clinics for seventh through 12th-graders is 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

For more information, contact the Anacortes

Parks and Recreation Department at 293-1918.

Find out about lacrosse at Sunday clinic

Come home to

BY ELAINE WALkErNews editor

“The Full Monty” set has been closed for Act II rehearsals. The cast is sworn to secrecy, and direc-tor Julie Johnson Lind-sey gives a standard reply when asked if the male cast will bare all.

“That’s the $64 million question: Are they going to do the full monty? Well, you have to buy a ticket to find out,” she said.

“The Full Monty,” a Tony nominated musical by Terrence McNally and David Yazbek, opens Fri-day and continues through Oct. 23 at Anacortes Com-munity Theatre.

For those who missed the original film, “the full monty” is a British phrase applied to strippers who leave nothing to the imagi-nation. So, in the produc-tion ACT patrons should be prepared to see, or not see, anything.

“What I’ve told folks is, I don’t think anyone will be disappointed,” Lindsey said.

Whether or not the boys take it all off, the play is still intended for adults. It contains coarse language and adult topics, and no one under 17 will be admit-ted without a parent or guardian.

“We’re strongly discour-aging people from bring-ing their children,” Lindsey

said. “It’s not a show for children.”

So far, the buzz has not driven audiences away.

“The response to the show has been amazing. Buy your tickets soon,” she said.

“The Full Monty” is about a group of unem-ployed steelworkers who decide to put on a Chip-pendale-type strip show to earn some quick cash. While the sensational aspect of that premise grabs attention and head-lines, the play itself is a timely, humorous explo-ration of the desperation caused by prolonged unem-ployment.

When Lindsey pro-posed the play last year,

she thought it was a good study of the impact of the economy on people, their relationships and their self-worth. She knows a lot of people grappling with unemployment right now.

“The play shows people doing what they need to do to keep things going,” she said.

In “The Full Monty,” hardship has turned tradi-tional relationships upside down as wives step into the role of primary breadwin-ners.

The lead character Jerry, played by chiropractor Wood Weiss, has already lost his job and his wife. Now, unless he can come up with child support, he’s going to lose joint custody of his son Nathan (Peter Walters) as well.

When Jerry and his buddy Dave (Trey Hatch) sneak into a male strip show and overhear the women’s conversation, Jerry decides to put on his own show, featuring “real” men, hoping to make $50,000 in one night. Dave, who’s suffering from his own insecurities, helps him line up a group.

The first to enlist is Mal-colm (Nathan McCartney), who is unemployed and living with his mom — the hilarious Jan Trumble, who would drive anyone to sui-cide. Ready to end it all, Malcolm finds new hope in a couple new buddies who

would be willing to help him, if necessary, by drop-ping a huge rock on his head. McCartney is sweetly appealing as the hapless Malcolm and his “Big-Ass Rock” song with Jerry and Dave is a highlight of the show.

Next, they line up a dance teacher — their old boss Harold (Malcolm Taylor). Terrified that his adoring wife Vicki (Valerie Thomas) will find out he lost his job, Harold agrees to coach them.

Auditions bring out a motley crew, including show biz accompanist Jea-nette (Marilyn Pinquoch), who just arrives, piano and all. Harold says they need six or eight guys so everyone won’t have to stare at Jerry’s skinny legs. The resulting line-up is dicey, including Horse (Mike Antoine), a black man who brings some sex appeal and rhythm, and Ethan (Tim Brown), who has no experience in dance

or performance, but, back to the audience, reveals to the guys that he has other qualifications.

At the end of the first act, the guys begin to find their rhythm, and a way to become a team, by calling plays in the song “Michael Johnson’s Ball.”

The second act will be revealed in time. The rehearsa l s have been closed only partly for the secrecy — they have also been kept private to give the guys a chance to get used to performing in skimpy attire.

“A lot of them are fine with it. I wouldn’t say they are all exhibitionists, but they’re all actors and they’re accustomed to per-forming on stage,” Lindsey said.

Musical direction is by Nathan McCartney and choreography is by Tim Brown and Rebecca Lau-nius-Brown.

Although the play is funny, it is also edgy. Lind-

sey said she cleaned up a little of the language, at least for the 12-year-old character, but it is still R-rated.

She said the words seems somehow softer in the original movie.

“This one is a little grit-tier, I think, because it is set in Buffalo, N.Y. There’s no cute British accent to make it sound less gritty than it is,” she said.

She said the overriding message is about relation-ships, self esteem, find-ing hope and overcoming adversity.

“I hope that people don’t let the language get in the way,” she said.

The stripping is actually a small part of the show, but the whole play leads up to it. She said what really stands out is the leap of faith taken by the charac-ters.

“I think it’s going to be one of those plays that people talk about for a long time,” Lindsey said.

‘Full Monty’ — Daring to bare?Play follows unemployed steelworkers who shed insecurities and more

1720 Q Ave. Anacortes, WA. Store Phone: 360-293-3535

Store HourS:Mon-Fri 7am-7pm • Sat & Sun 8am-6pm

www.acehardwareanacortes.com

NeW FridAy HArbor LocAtioN340 Argyle

Friday Harbor, WA. 98250

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 Anacortes American A13goanacortes.com

ELAINE WALKER

Malcolm Taylor, front, tries to teach some smooth moves to an awkward group of prospective male strippers in Anacortes Community Theatre’s ‘The Full Monty.’ From left to right in full view are Mike Antoine, Wood Weiss, Robin Begin, Tim Brown and Nathan McCartney; Trey Hatch and Steve Barbour are behind Taylor.

Get Tickets

The musical ‘The Full Monty,’ runs Sept. 24 through Oct. 23 at Ana-cortes Community The-atre, 10th Street and M Avenue. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $16 and may be purchased by calling 293-6829. This is not a musical for children. ACT is rat-ing this show PG-17 for language and content.

Deadline for the arts calendar is noon Thursday for the fol-lowing Wednesday’s publi-cation. Written material only. The American cannot return unsolicited pictures, books or CDs.

NightlifeHeart of Anacortes, Fourth

Street and O Avenue, plans a series of concerts. Admis-sion $5: Simple Machine and the Colonel & Doubleshot, noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 25; Force 50 and the Chris Eger Band, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 26.

Rockfish Grill, 320 Commer-cial Ave., presents Fidalgo Swing, Sept. 22; Curtis Ham-mond Band, Sept. 24; CD Woodbury, Sept. 25; Jack Hamilton, Sept. 29; Billy Roy Danger and the Recti-fiers, Oct. 1; Little Bill and the Bluenotes, Oct. 2. Music is 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 to 11 p.m. Thursdays and 9 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays unless noted. Call 588-1720.

Thai Season Restaurant, 710 Commercial Ave., presents Emily Leopold 5-7 p.m. Sun-days; no cover.

Majestic Inn, 419 Commercial Ave., offers live entertain-ment: Johnny and the Moon-dogs, 6-9 p.m. Sept. 23.

Brown Lantern Ale House, 412 Commercial Ave., presents Blingo, 9 p.m. Wednesdays; Open Mic Thursdays, 9 p.m. Tuesday trivia night. No cover. Call 293-2544.

Watertown Pub, 314 Commer-cial Ave., offers live music most weekends. Saturday is ladies night with top 40 DJ Ben Brown; Wednesday is

karaoke night with DJ Rick, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Call 293-3587.

Johnny Picasso’s, 501 Com-mercial Ave., presents live music/open mic 7-9 p.m. Thursdays.

Anacortes Eagles presents live music 7:30-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Tony and the Tigers, Sept. 24-25; Pacif-ic, Oct. 1-2. Members and guests only. Call 293-3012.

Anderson’s General Store on Guemes Island presents occasional events. No cover. Call 293-4548 or visit www.guemesislandstore.com.

FilmAnacortes Cinemas, 415 O

Ave., offers first-run movies. Call 293-7000 for times.

Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon, offers films and live and HD events. Call (360) 336-2858.

Books, etc.FriendShop Bookstore, in the

lobby of the Anacortes Pub-lic Library, is accepting book donations (no textbooks or encyclopedias, please). Pro-ceeds from the book sales support library books or chil-dren’s programs. Call 293-4149.

Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thurs-day; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; noon to 5 p.m. weekends.

Dance classesHula classes for beginners and

intermediates with Lynda Minter are 2 p.m. Wednes-days at the Senior Activ-

ity Center. Cost is $30 per month or $10 to drop in. Contact the reception desk for more information or to register.

Anacortes DanceWorks (for-merly The Dance Center), 901 Third St., offers pre-school through adult tap, modern, jazz and ballet. Call 299-8447.

Anacortes-Skagit International Folkdancers meet Tuesdays at Bay View Civic Hall, C Street, next to the fire station. Beginners at 7 p.m.; interme-diate/advanced at 7:30 p.m., followed by the regular pro-gram. No partners or expe-rience necessary. Call (360) 766-3201 or 293-3701.

Fidalgo Fog Cutters, a “Plus” square dance club, is 8 to 10 p.m. first and third Fridays at Skagit Valley Grange, Cook Road. Call Ken Moller, 424-1020.

Music groupsPiano improvisation class

meets 1 p.m. Fridays at the Senior Activity Center. Cost is $15. Call Sally Kirk at (360) 856-4938 to register.

An-O-Chords chapter of Bar-bershop Harmony Society invites men who enjoy sing-ing to join the barbershop-style chorus. Rehearsals are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Island View Elementary, 2601 J Ave. Call (360) 848-0441.

Anacortes Harmonaires, a four-part women’s barber-shop chorus, meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the First Assembly of God Church, 29th Street and J Avenue. New members of all ages are welcome. Call 293-2917 or 293-6525.

Experience Dance class starts at center

Annette Coffman, a dancer for 34 years, will teach a dance class for folks with no previous experience from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tues-days, Oct. 5 to Nov. 9 at the Senior Activity Center. The cost is $30; payment is due at the first class. Proceeds benefit the center and the Friends of Fidalgo Pool and Fitness Center. All ages are welcome.

Learn acting skills with Class ACT

A series of Class ACT youth and adult theater classes start this month at Anacortes Community The-atre, 10th Street and M Ave-nue. For information, e-mail classact@acttheatre.com or call 293-4373.

• Superheroes Unlimited with Michelle Stahl, grades 3-6; 4-5:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Sept. 27-Nov. 11; $100. Audition, cre-ate a character, memorize lines and act in a public per-formance with costumes and make-up. Theatrical games and activities improve act-ing skills and confidence. All students play a major role in “Superheroes Unlimited,” an original production writ-ten for this class.

• Pirate Adventures with Leah Wagner; grades K-2; 4-5:15 p.m. Tuesdays Sept. 28-Nov. 2; $50. Students learn to walk, talk and act like a pirate as they rehearse a wee pirate production writ-ten for this class. Play fun theater games and work on acting skills.

• Fun with Improv with Phil Prud’homme and Shelli Stahl; grades 7-12; 3:30-5 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 30-Nov. 4; $50. Improvisation teaches students to be more comfortable on stage, think

on their feet and improve acting skills. Students will learn fun improv games like Party Quirks, 60 Sec-ond Alphabet and Unlikely Superheroes. The class cul-minates with a public per-formance.

• Audition with Confi-dence for adults; 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays, Oct. 9 and 23; $20. Instructor Melissa Bridges will help partici-pants present themselves with confidence, improve cold-reading skills and work on an audition monologue or song.

Sign up for ASAP classes by Friday

Kids can learn to make jewelry out of junk, carve a cedar canoe paddle, play guitar and much more start-ing Sept. 30 in the fall ses-sion of the Anacortes School District’s After School Arts Program.

Registrations and pay-ments are due at the school district office, 2202 M Ave., by Friday. Free and reduced rates are available for quali-fied students. For informa-tion, call 299-1850, ext. 850.

• Island View Elemen-tary: Fairytale Theater with Sam Guzik, grades 1-4, $45; Beginning Guitar with Kyle Miller, grades 4-6, $45; Make it Real with Mike Stark, grades 3-6, $60; New Yoga Moves with Paige Lisser, grades 3-6, $45; Fur-rytales Pet Stories, Art Start with Stephanie Schumman, grades K-2, $45; Fall Baskets with Jane Hyde, grades 3-6, $55; Fabulous Felting with Chris Wood, grades 3-6, $55.

• Fidalgo Elementary: Beginning Guitar with Ali Marcus, grades 4-6, $45; Learn to Crochet with Rosalyn Payne, grades 3-6, $55; Furrytales Pet Sto-ries, Art Start with Michele Romag, grades K-2, $45.

• Wh i t n e y S c h o o l : Kitschy Krafts Art Start with Keegan Janicula, grades K-2, $45.

• Mount Erie Elemen-tary: Illustrated Fairytales in Watercolor and Ink with Barb Schwulst, grades 2-4, $45; Movie Making with Randy Walker, grades 4-6, $45; Hot Shots Digital Photo with Holly Chadwick, grades 4-6, $45.

• Anacortes Middle School: Basic Cartooning with Max Elam, grades 3-6 and 7-8, $45; Play in the Mud with Patty Detzer, grades 3-6, $55; Carve Canoe Paddles with Caro-line Spehar, grades 4-6, $55; Jewelry Making with Enid Oates, grades 3-6 and 7-8, $55; Songwriting for Guitar-ists with Ali Marcus, grades 7-8, $65.

Learn acrylics fundamentals

Explore the fundamen-tals of acrylic painting with instructor Dee Doyle 1-3 p.m. Mondays, through Oct. 25 (with no class on Octo-ber 11) at the Senior Activ-ity Center. Learn various styles and techniques, and try still lifes, landscapes, sea-scapes and working “fast and loose.” The cost is $12 for drop-ins. Call Doyle at (360) 630-0208 or e-mail her at Deecubed@aol.com.

Get a free ticket and visit county museum

On Saturday the Skagit County Historical Museum joins participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide in opening their doors free to visitors who download a Museum Day Ticket from www.smithson-ian.com/museumday.

The featured exhibits is “The Way We Played: Early Skagit Recreation.” The

museum is at 501 S. Fourth St., La Conner. Call (360) 466-3365 or visit www.skagitcounty.net/museum.

Take ballroom dance lessons at center

Instructors Daryl Holst and Phyllis Lamb will teach a series of ballroom dance lessons 7-8:30 p.m. Tues-days through Nov. 16 at the Senior Activity Center. These lessons allow every student dancer to learn quickly and with confidence. The cost is $3 per class, paid at the door. For information, call 293-6318.

Learn to Scottish dance Sept. 27-Nov. 29

Join instructor Karen Marshall for Scottish coun-try dancing 7 to 9 p.m. Mon-days through Nov. 29 at the Depot Arts Center, 611 R Ave. Participants will learn the basic steps that combine into hundreds of dances. The class emphasis is on enjoyment and noncompeti-tive social dancing with a partner and is suitable for all ages older than 9. No partner required.

Cost is $60.Wear comfortable cloth-

ing and soft-soled shoes. Marshall is certified by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society in Edinbugh, Scotland.

For more information, call 293-2340 or e-mail skagitscottish@yahoo.com.

Make a market basket at class

Jane Hyde teaches bas-ket making at the Senior Activity Center at 9 a.m. on the fourth Thursday of every month. She will teach a Holiday Sampler Basket on Sept. 23. Call Hyde at 588-8853 for more informa-tion and to register for her class. Pay her at the class.

Watercolor class starts Friday

Popular instructor Vir-ginia Dusenbury will teach a watercolor class 1-3 p.m. Fridays through Oct. 29 at the Senior Activity Center.

This class is open to all lev-els; no prior watercolor or painting experience is nec-essary. The cost is $60 for this six-week class. Register with payment in advance at the reception desk. A supply list will be provided when you register.

‘Chicago’ on stage at Whidbey Playhouse

The musical “Chicago” will be performed through Oct. 3 at the Whidbey Play-house, 730 S.E. Midway Blvd., Oak Harbor. Paren-tal guidance recommended. Tickets are $16. Call the box office at (360) 679-2237 for more information, show dates, group discounts and reservations, or visit www.whidbeyplayhouse.com.

One piece of Beer-battered Halibut, three Beer-battered Prawns and three Pacific Oysters allcooked to a crispy, golden-brown. Served with fresh-cut fries, coleslaw, tartar and cocktail sauces.

Seafood Trio Dinner

Open for Breakfast, Lunch & DinnerDaily, 7 am – 1:30 pm • Sunday through Thursday, 5 – 9 pm

Friday & Saturday, 5 – 10 pm

Only$1395 with Rewards Card! Sunday – Thursday

$18.75 without Rewards Card. Tax and gratuity not included.Must be a Rewards Club Member – Membership is Free!

Just 5 Minutes N. of BurlingtonOn I-5 at Exit 236

Lots of Parking – Over 1,000 Spaces!877-275-2448 • theskagit.com

Owned by Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. Casino opens at 9 am Daily. Must be 21 or older with valid ID to enter casino and buffet. AA

Beth has been serving the community since 1999 with her comprehensive technical knowledge, outstanding design abilities and an unyielding passion for customer service.

Call for a FREE in home consultation.

400 W Fir StreetMount Vernon, WA 98273800-735-7193360-336-6533www.mvcarpetone.cominfo@mvcarpetone.com

Design Consultant

Thank you friends and neighbors for choosing us for over 30 years!To celebrate, we have two fabulous offers for you.

$30 Carpet Installation, or a FREE Cushion with any In-stockCarpet Purchase Ask for Details!

Did You Know?

1720 Q Ave. Anacortes • 360.293.3535Store Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm • Sat & Sun 8am-6pm

www.acehardwareanacortes.com

Anacortes

Locally Owned & Operated for 31yrs.

We Do Lamp Repair

Need a new cord or switch? Come see us!

A14 Anacortes American Wednesday, September 22, 2010 goanacortes.com

Four Course Sunset SpecialsAppetizer, Soup or Salad, Dessertwith 10 entrees to choose from

$15.95

360.419.0674 • www.granaio.com • EaT-iTaLian@granaio.com • 100 E monTgomErY, STE 110 • moUnT VErnon

OFFER VALID 7 DAYS A WEEK! MON thru FRI, 4-6PM SAT & SUN 3-6(Major Holidays excluded)

We have air conditioning!

Voted 2009 #1 Italian Restaurant by King 5 TV, Evening Magazine!

“Full Service Catering For Any Event”

Arts Calendar

Arts Notes