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Dirt Shoveled for Depot, Despite Conflict Local, state and federal dignitaries turned out last month to break ground on the proposed Intermodal Transportation Center in downtown Mount Vernon. Mayor Skye Richendrfer, saying the center “will pay dividends for decades to come,” pointed out how important moving the Amtrak station from East College Way to downtown will be to the city’s economy. He said almost all the “missing links” were in place, with the purchase recently of land and buildings around the site, just south of the old granary building. The city is in the process of adding more property before work on the center, which would include the depot, Greyhound station, Skagit Transit hub, taxi stand and parking for travelers, can actually begin. County commissioners, meanwhile, argue that the facility will take 136 county parking spaces away from an already tight parking situation downtown. The county threatened to take the issue to court if the city can’t come up with replacement parking for county employees. The depot is in the heart of where the county’s administration and court facilities are located. Undeterred, Richendrfer braved a 39-degree rainy noontime to break ground under a canopy set up on Gates Street next to where the station platform will go. Among those invited were Helen Knoll of the Federal Transit Administration; Jim Slakey, director of the state Public Transportation/Rail, City Councilman John Cheney and representatives from Whatcom, Island and Snohomish County governments. Two of Skagit’s three commissioners, Don Munks and Ken Dahlstedt, also attended. Slakey, represented the Transportation Improvement Board, pointed out how important Legislature is in providing support to local intermodal centers. “. . . a bill was passed in the Legislature to reinforce the role the state plays in funding intermodal centers,” he said, referring to assistance for King Street Station in Seattle. “It’s the role of the Legislature and state to foster intermodal centers.” Mount Vernon, he says, deserves a new transportation hub, he added, referring to the increase in Amtrak passengers getting on and off trains here. In 1995, he said, 4,300 boarded or deboarded in Mount Vernon; in 1999, 9,500 passengers used the station; and in 2000, this had grown to 16,400 — an increase of 70 percent. “We are convinced this is a critical stop along the way,” he said, pointing out that his office has contributed $340,000 toward preliminary engineering for the $5.6 million center.
Burlington Unveils Its Second Festival Poster Bellingham artist Mary Gregg Byrne is no stranger to Skagit’s festival scene. She painted the 1999 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival poster and now has unveiled another of her creations, this to celebrate the 2001 Berry Dairy Days festival this July. Byrne unveiled her poster during a pre-festival gathering of local business and community leaders at Saturn of Burlington on South Burlington Boulevard April 13. “I probably spent six weeks thinking about what I would do and taking photographs and about three weeks painting it,” Byrne said after the ceremony. The striking watercolor shows a relaxed outdoor breakfast scene, replete with her trademark crystal glassware and Blue Willow china, and of course the festival’s traditional strawberries and cream. Assisting her in preparing the poster were Aaron Logue of Prime West, Mount Vernon, which did the layout; Jess Robinson of Premiere Graphics of Bellingham, which did the printing; and William Bounds of Burlington, who framed the final product. Signed and numbered posters are available through the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, 600 E. Victoria Ave., 757-0994.
MV Elks Sells Back Lot for Street Extension Safeway has agreed to pay the Mount Vernon Elks Lodge $137,200 for a section of property they hope to use in extending Market Place from Stewart Street north, ending often contentious negotiations that have gone on for almost five years. The deal, in conjunction with the City of Mount Vernon, means the Elks will lose about 15 of its 31 RV slips, its chief financial support at the back of the lodge and parking area on Riverside Drive. It will also mean the city, about to begin work on the Riverside Bridge, can punch through the undeveloped portion of Market Place, providing relief from a busy Riverside Drive. And Safeway will be honoring the obligation it made to the city in 1996 to build the road. The Mount Vernon Elks has been a landmark along Riverside Drive since 1957. It has held out on giving up its property in back for the past five years, but the city recently threatened to condemn it for road construction. An Elks spokesperson says it had held out as long as it could. Meanwhile, the club last December put its property and 21,000-square-foot lodge up for sale and has been looking for a new site to relocate. The spokesperson says, however, that the club is still going “great guns” and has no intention of closing right now. Safeway purchased the 13.5-acre tract, known then as the Mount Vernon Mall, at College Way and Riverside Drive in 1996 for a new supermarket and other development. When the city approved the purchase, Safeway agreed to construct Market Place to relieve congestion along Riverside and adjacent streets. With work expected to begin next month on the new bridge, the need for that extension is imperative, according to city engineers. The Mount Vernon Elks BPOE 1604, as it’s properly known, is 64 years old, having once been housed across the street from the Coffee Corner Café where the County Administration Building is today .
Swinomish Casino Hosts Major Trade Show The Swinomish Northern Lights Casino recently hosted a major trade show put on by the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) The April meeting included displays of state-of-the-art gaming devices and equipment, education on the gaming industry and a convention for Native American gaming officials from around the state. “Technology has taken a giant step in Indian gaming,” said E. Arlen Washines, WIGA president and member of the Yakima Tribal Council. “Indian gaming has put about $1 billion into our communities since 1994. In some of the nations, we’re the largest employers in the community.” Washines added that monies earned from gaming at Indian casinos around the state go toward education, health care, child care and other social benefits, as well as improvement of natural resources on reservations, “and it creates well-being among the tribes.” Vince Wilbur, president of host Swinomish Casino, said the trade show was staged “to improve our gaming” through education and knowledge about the latest equipment available. “We’re young in the world of gaming and have a lot to learn,” he said. Wilbur admitted there is competition among tribal gaming centers, but “our draw here comes from the local area (and) Canada. People like to try other casinos, so we do get people from down south or Marysville (home of the Tulalip Casino),” he said. “They may like the atmosphere better.” About 600 persons from 28 Native American tribes and gaming facilities around the state attended the two-day conference and trade show. Design & Media Firm The Integrated Media Group (IMG) is the latest high-tech company to open its doors in the Skagit County business community. “IMG is a traditional design and media company that utilizes long-term strategies for business growth,” says David W. Patten, principal designer and director of strategic planning for the Mount Vernon-based business, located at 1500-A E. College Way. “We seek to integrate every aspect of new and old media, from Web development to print and television advertising, with our customer’s overall promotional plan in mind.” Patten credits experience in advertising, network programming, radio and television production, graphic design and journalism, including work at Northland Cable TV in La Conner, as providing him with the skills necessary in running his own media company. “We are here to promote our customers effectively and affordably in this new media environment,” he says. For more information, call 424-8031. Sand & Gravel Company Kevin Sullivan and Tom Higgins, “best friends since kindergarten,” recently reopened a half-century-old sand-and-gravel pit in Day Creek and are offering delivery, pickups and competitive prices, they say. Higgins, sales manager at Concrete Nor’West for 20 years, joined with Sullivan, who had an excavating firm, to make a go of the Day Creek pit, which had been open since 1947 until the passing of late owner Lee Wiggins. “We’ve got 40 acres,” says Sullivan. “We offer premium material, sand and gravel, and although we’re near Day Creek, we’re not that far from Mount Vernon for deliveries or pickups.” “A ready-mix company was here in the ’60s, so we have that capability, and we have plenty of gravel,” Higgins states. “The county has been a good customer, and we’re looking for bids now,” Sullivan adds, pointing out they have contributed recently to bridge and road work, a major residential development and a new golf course, just some of their jobs. “We’d like to put this place on the map,” Higgins puts in. For more information, call 826-3077. New Catering Concern Monica Krivanek has started La Vida Alegre (The Happy Life) Catering, providing American and Mexican foods for clients in northwest Washington. With seven years of experience catering for a variety of events, from wedding receptions to intimate dinner gatherings, Krivanek uses her commercially licensed kitchen at her home in Sedro-Woolley to create custom menus to suit individual tastes and dietary needs. “Utmost professionalism and consideration for your wishes is our top priority,” she says. “The Happy Life provides on- or off-premise service to clients in Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties.” For more information, call 856-1570. Azur Yoga Studio Darlene Azure, formerly of Riverside Health Club in Mount Vernon, has started Azur Yoga Studio at 315-A Main St., Mount Vernon. “I’ve been in fitness for 15 years and it was starting to hurt. I looked around for something else and was introduces to ashtanga yoga and was absolutely floored.,” Azure states. “What I saw was dance with strength, balance, flexibility and grace, but in a rejuvenating way.” With financial help from friends Tim and Carmen Post, Azure started her studio at 315-A Main St. in downtown Mount Vernon. “Azur is French for blue, which is the color of power,” she explains about the name. “This is power yoga, and the name is close to my own.” The studio is holding an open house Thursday, May 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. Call 336-5163 for more information. Samish Bay Cheese Samish Bay Cheese in Bow has expanded its dairy offerings to include organically grown trees. The dairy, at 15115 Bow Hill Road, makes organic Gouda, Mont Blanchard and Montasio cheeses. For more information, call 766-6707. Carletti Architects Carletti Architects has moved its place of business from Riverside Drive to 1404 E. College Way, Suite 103, in Mount Vernon, according to owner Peter Carletti. The new 2,000-square-foot office employs five full-time staff. The company specializes in designing projects such as medical and dental facilities, renovations and high-end custom residential buildings. The firm is responsible for a number of local structures, including the new horse clinic on Bradshaw road near Memorial Highway. Its most recent project included design of the Cascade Urology Consultants, a 7,400-square-foot clinic in Bellingham. The firm’s focus is to deliver high-quality design while maintaining owners’ budgets, Carletti states. For more information, call 424-0394 or e-mail carletti@fidalgo.net. Music Center Moves Northern Lights Discs and Tapes has moved to 517 S. First St. in downtown Mount Vernon. The location is two blocks from its previous site, where it was for nine years. Owner Thom Barnard says he is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. He has a wide selection of used CDs and vinyl recordings. Call 336-0161. Longtime Helper Takes overfor Burlington Signmaker Bill Bowdridge, whose Skagit Neon Signs has lit more office fronts and businesses in northwest Washington than he can count, has decided to call it quits, but his longtime assistant, Mike Vail, says he will continue the operation “a little smaller than it was” in Burlington. Vail and his wife, Peggy, bought the shop last month and plan to move it to a new building they will build next to Burlington Glass on Avon Cutoff (Highway 20) north of town. They live nearby. The business was purchased by Bowdridge’s father, William, in 1951 and has been operated by Bill since 1969. Originally called Skagit Signs, the shop was first sited near Burlington-Edison High School before being moved to its current location, 426 S. Spruce St. Bowdridge, who is 76, says he’s sad to end his career but happy that he and his wife, Nola Bowdridge, 64, will have more time together. Vail, an expert at producing “custom bent neon” signs, says he will downsize “but we’ll still provide the service to the customer and keep making neon. I wanted to keep to what I like to do best.” For more information, call 755-0025. Anacortes Newspaper The Anacortes-based newspaper What’s Really Happening has expanded its territory to include Oak Harbor, according to owners Beverly Ann and Gary Benedict. The newspaper is on the air with a topical interview show on KWDB 1110 AM Radio Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. In addition, the newspaper has introduced its “speedy home delivery service” using a Model A Ford. For more information, call 293-9086. Fidalgo Resort a A Mill Creek development firm has applied for city approval of its $10 million Fidalgo Resort, a 159-unit hotel-condominium complex proposed for the Skyline area of Anacortes. The three-story complex on five acres at Skyline Way and Cabana Lane would feature six buildings with hotel and condos, a meeting room, outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, indoor spa and exercise facility. The city has received several letters from Skyline area residents so far opposing the project because of the extra traffic it would create, as well as parking problem and view abatement. The developer, West Coast Land Investments, has asked for several permits, not only from the city but also the state Department of Ecology. Anacortes Library Puget Sound Refining Co. is spearheading a fund-raising drive to built a new community library in Anacortes. To raise funds, the refinery is selling landscaping bricks, with name or organization of donor, which will be used in construction to raise funds. The Web site is www.pugetsoundrefining.com, or participants can call Cheryl Frazier at 293-8008. Home Show Matt Barkley Cabinets of Burlington and Sound Cedar of Mount Vernon each took home two first-place prizes recently from Home Show 2001, held last March at the Cascade Mall. “We are very proud of our display this year,” says Matt Barkley, owner of the cabinet store. Barkley took first places in Edifice and People’s Choice categories. The booth exhibited new products, kitchen displays and door styles. The business is located at 323 E. Fairhaven Ave. and is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Best of Show and Mayor’s Choice awards went to Sound Cedar of south Mount Vernon. Sponsoring Skagit-Island Counties Builders Association (SICBA) announced the other winners and runners up as follows: Marquis Spa received the Aquatic award, followed by Barron Heating and Leaf Guard Gutters. Most innovative was Gale Insulation, Tuckers Tuffer Coatings and Design Consultants, in that order. Edifice was Matt Barkley, followed by Lindale Glass and Flooring Connections International. People’s Choice went to Matt Barkley, Skagit Valley Herald and Art of Photography. Floral was won by Northwest Hot Spring Spas, followed by Concrete Edge and Horizon Bank. A total of 80 local and regional vendors participated this year. MacGregor’s Keeps MacGregor Publishing Co. of west Mount Vernon has been named International Publisher of the Year by the Association of Directory Publishers. It was the fourth time since 1995 that the company has garnered first place. The publisher of the “Plaid” telephone directories and visitor’s guides in Skagit, Whatcom, San Juan, Island and north Snohomish County also received Gold Book awards for cover design, marketing and product branding. Since 1994, MacGregor’s has earned 48 Gold Book Awards for publishing excellence. It employs 46 people. Riverside Health Club Riverside Health Club this month celebrates its 30th anniversary with a party that emphasizes “fun, food and fitness.” Denise Houtsma, who is celebrating her own, first anniversary as owner of the fitness center, has invited members and nonmembers alike to the party from 4 to 8 p.m., Thursday, May 24, at 2225 Riverside Drive. The party will include a buffet and free giveaways, she says. For more information, call 424-4200. Painta Pisa Pottery Christina and Matthew Boyd are celebrating the third-anniversary of their business, Painta Pisa Pottery, 1005 Fourth St., Anacortes. Painta Pisa Pottery is a contemporary paint-it-yourself ceramic studio where customers can chat with their friends and paint their choice or ready-to-paint, low-fire earthenware priced under $30. A studio fee allows the use of all nontoxic color glazes and studio tools and supplies including brushes, stencils, sponges, stamps and idea cards. The studio is particularly a great hit with birthday parties, bridal showers, classes, scouting events and girls-night-out activities, but it’s also a haven for people who just want to get away for some relaxing “art therapy” or “me time.” For more information, call 299-2755 or visit the Web site at www. Painta Pisa Pottery.RealUse.com. High Schoolers Help Summit Assistance Dogs, an Anacortes-based nonprofit placement service for highly trained assistance dogs, recently got some much-appreciated help from Anacortes High School students. The students — Mike Lenzi, Rob Primovich, Ian Dickenson, Ryan Crowell and Scott Nelson — volunteered time and energy to help promote the businesses, which places dogs with people with disabilities or institutions that can benefit from them, according to executive director Sue Meinzinger. They are members of the school’s REACH (Restructured, English, Arts, Communications and History) class. Lenzi created a booklet describing the volunteer opportunities at Summit, Primovich produced a video depicting many of the tasks the dogs perform to help disabled people, Dickenson and Crowell built a doghouse, and Nelson planned to bake dog biscuits for Summit fund-raising events. For more information on Summit and its services, call 293-5609, visit www.pack-leader.com/summit, or e-mail gooddogs@cnw.com. Sedro-Woolley Students Ten students from Sedro-Woolley High School got a taste of college recently when they spent an afternoon with Skagit Valley College’s Culinary Arts Program. The students and their instructor, Karin Ovenell, attended class and a kitchen workshop with advanced SVC students and instructor-chef Dani Cox. The students are part of a ProStart Culinary Arts Program at Sedro-Woolley High School, which allows students to articulate college credits while still in secondary education. Six of the students say they will enroll at SVC this fall. White Swan B&B The White Swan Guest House on Fir Island was mentioned in the March 15, 2001, issue of Bottom Line Personal magazine out of Greenwich, Conn. Owner Peter Goldfarb says the bed and breakfast was recommended because of its “lovingly restored turn-of-the-century Queen Anne farmhouse surrounded by English-style gardens.” The White Swan is located at 15872 Moore Road. Call 445-6805. Brown & Cole Stores Customers of Thrifty Food Pavilion stores in Mount Vernon, Anacortes and Burlington, as well as Burlington Cost Cutter and Sedro-Woolley Market Place, recently showed their generosity by their donations to the Food For All Campaign, held for 10 weeks last year. The nationwide campaign in which customers added $1, $3 or $5 to their grocery bill at checkout time benefits antihunger programs around the world. About 55 percent of the money collected goes to local charities, including Skagit Council on Aging, Helping Hands Food Bank, Skagit Gleaners and Anacortes Food Bank. Brown & Cole Stores raised more than $13,000 through the campaign. Anacortes Airport The Port of Anacortes, seeking a city rezone of acreage around Anacortes Airport for light-industrial purposes, reduced its request from 10 acres to six and resubmitted to the city council, which approved the plan conditionally. The port, which administers the airport west of downtown, argued that zoning the area residential in 1978 had been a mistake. It wants the rezone from residential to light manufacturing to build two new hangars in a rezoned area around the airport. The Anacortes City Council said six acres was more reasonable and directed the port to seek more public support before it was expected to give its approval around May 1. Over the past couple of years, residents around the airport have complained about late-night noise from air traffic. Burlington Clamps down The City of Burlington says you have to get special permission from the city council if you want to build a new parking lot next to Fairhaven Avenue. The ordinance, approved April 12, affects new parking lots on the main shopping street from Skagit Street to Burlington Boulevard. The planning office says the law was intended to ensure a deliberative process for new development and not intended to ban parking lots altogether. MV Calls Emergency The City of Mount Vernon resorted to the unusual recently when it declared an emergency on the abandoned sewer project in the annexed south end of town. The city council declared the emergency status on the project after Western Tricon walked off the job along Old Highway 99 South between Anderson and Hickox roads. The emergency status allowed rebidding of the remaining work to go through quickly and TRICO Contracting of Burlington won the bid. Western Tricon of Lacey, the earlier bidder, had fallen behind in its schedule and owed subcontractors more than $600,000 when it abandoned the project. According to city engineer Dan Eisses, an inspection has shown sewer pipes had been laid improperly and will have to be corrected. About 65 percent of the $2.3 million project remains. TRICO will finish the job over a 98-day window. High-end Condos Slated The developer of the Burlington Hill condominium project says it plans to build 50 condos ranging in cost from $180,000 to $300,000 each. Dan Madlung, who represents Burlington Hills Property Investors, says the project, pending a go-ahead from the Burlington Planning Commission, will go into an old quarry on Tinas Coma, the hill on the north end of town, overlooking the business park. Madlung says condominiums of this kind are in short supply in Skagit County. A road, clearly visible from Interstate 5, and water, sewer and electrical infrastructure have been built through a small canyon to the top of Tinas Coma, where homes are already being built over the 55-acre site. The condos will be constructed under a 50-foot, vertical rock wall at the rock-quarry site, Madlung says.. Sales-tax Award Given to The county has awarded the City of Anacortes $300,000 to move a controversial waterline, following recommendations from an advisory committee, but it denied Mount Vernon $250,000 in sales tax monies it wants for its fiber-optic loop project. Mount Vernon has received a $500,000 Community Economic Revitalization Board grant to help complete the loop that links downtown offices with police and court facilities on Continental Place and continues to Skagit Valley College. Gov. Gary Locke presented the award during a visit to the Lincoln Theatre April 19. But Commissioners Ted Anderson and Don Munks, both Republicans, say the city’s fiber-optic project would present unfair competition to private firms. Democrat ken Dahlstedt voted for the allocation. The tax-base request was reviewed by a panel of local officials, which has met every year since 1998 to divide about $1.3 million in sales tax among the cities for projects. The vote on Mount Vernon’s request approved the $250,000 by a 4-3 vote days before the commissioners shot it down. Some committee persons believed Mount Vernon’s fiber-optic system duplicates those of others and would create unfair competition for private businesses, such as AT&T and Verizon Telecommunications, which are building similar loops. Anacortes will get $300,000 to pay for relocating a 36-inch waterline from the area where Ken Youngsman has built the Twin Bridges Marina on the east bank of the Swinomish Channel, across from the casino. Plans Continue to Build Plans are afoot to construct a performing-arts center for Skagit County and the college says it wants it. The Skagit Performing Arts Council, spearheading the fund-raising drive, says it hopes to recoup $8 million in sales taxes the state wants to keep. An anonymous donor has pledged $6 million toward the center, and as much as $4 million would be raised through private donations and grants. The center is expected to cost about $17 million. According to council members, the center would go where the tennis courts are, north of the main parking lot off East College Way, and be 42,000 square feet in size. A theater would have 700 seats and a 3,200-square-foot stage. Skagit Valley College has supported building a performing-arts center there and approved the plan in a Board of Trustees meeting last month. Skagit County commissioners say a public facilities district must be formed first. Natural-gas-powered Tollhouse Energy of Bellingham has applied for permission to build an 83-megawatt electricity-generating plant, fired by natural gas, east of Sedro-Woolley. The power plant, which would include two turbines, would be built at the northwest corner of Fruitdale Road and Highway 20, according to the Sedro-Woolley Building Department. That corner is now occupied by Aroma Creations, 24695 Highway 20, the former home of Skagit Station Restaurant and Cascade Clear Water. A spokesperson at Aroma Creations said, “I personally don’t know anything about it.” The application was submitted to county planners for review under the state Environmental Policy Act. The Department of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife Commission, Department of Transportation, City of Sedro-Woolley, Upper Skagit Tribe and other parties have been notified of the plans. State Utilities Allows Power Users to Buy Elsewhere Puget Sound Refining Co. and Tesoro were among a number of high energy users in the state that have been given the go-ahead to buy electricity from sources other than Puget Sound Energy, following a settlement with the state Utilities and Transportation Commission. The agreement allows six of PSE’s largest customers — Equilon Enterprises (PSRC’s owner), Tesoro Northwest, Georgia-Pacific, BP, Bellingham Cold Storage and Boeing — to buy power from other sources or generate their own. Prices of energy have skyrocketed and several companies, Georgia-Pacific in particular, have shut down or threatened cutbacks if they can’t find alternative sources for electricity. They were beholden to a 1996 deal to buy from PSE at the wholesale price, which has jumped 27 times in the last couple of years. Olympic Pipeline The state Legislature has passed a new pipeline safety bill that allows collection of funds for inspectors to monitor 2,500 miles of petroleum and natural-gas pipelines in Washington state. The bill, subject to signature by Gov. Gary Locke, requires that pipeline operators be charged an annual fee for four inspectors as part of the Pipeline Safety Act of 2000. Meanwhile, the former owners of the Olympic pipeline from Ferndale to Portland told regulators in 1998 they had inspected the section of line that ruptured two years ago, killing three youths in Bellingham, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The report says the state Department of Ecology ordered Olympic in 1996 to check on possible defects using an internal inspection tool. Olympic made plans to inspect two sections in the rupture area where problems had been identified but never got around to it. The rupture, in Whatcom Creek Park, killed two 10-year-olds and an 18-year-old youth on June 10, 1999. In the latest efforts to reopen the pipeline, BP Pipelines North America, the owner, tested the 77-mile portion of 16-inch conduit from Allen Station to Renton. The hydrostatic test include filling the pipe with water under high pressure to see if any flaws could be detected. The same test was performed earlier on 37 miles from Ferndale to Allen without a problem. Skagit’s two refineries have been using a 20-inch pipeline to Renton. Deal Will Protect 17 Nearly 17 acres of prime farmland along Memorial Highway northwest of downtown Mount Vernon will be permanently protected, thanks to a deal struck by the Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland (SPF) and the land owners, Earl and Janette Dralle. The Dralles have owned the land, directly across from the entrance to the Washington State University Research and Extension Unit, since 1981. They retired 10 years ago and have been leasing the land to WSU ever since. Under the deal, SPF will purchase the land for $140,000 as part of the WSU Mount Vernon Land Security Project initiated by SPF two years ago. “I made a living in farming and farm commodities for the last 50 years,” says Earl Dralle. “Making that property part of the research station was a good place for it to go.” Skagit College Ranked Skagit Valley College ranked number 11 out of all two-year colleges nationally on the Yahoo Internet’s “America’s Most Wired Colleges” list for the year 2000. Nearly 1,300 nationwide schools contributed information, including one other from this state, Bellevue Community College, which ranked 41st. More than 40 factors were considered in four categories: access and infrastructure, administrative services, general resources and student support. Census Figures Show 2000 Census figures show mostly rural Skagit County grew by 29 percent in the past decade. The three middle-county cities grew the most, by an average of 49 percent. Leading the way was Burlington, with 2,408 more residents, up from 4,349 in 1990 to 6,757, or 55 percent. Mount Vernon was next, with 8,585 more residents, up from 17,647 to 26,232, or 49 percent. Sedro-Woolley followed with 2,627 new residents, up from 6,031 to 8,658, or 44 percent. Anacortes has grown by 3,106, from 11,451 in 1990 to 14,557 in 2000, or 27 percent. Smaller towns and cities also showed growth. Smallest percentage was recorded by Concrete, adding 55 people, up from 735 to 790, or 7 percent, and La Conner growing by 105, from 656 to 761, or 16 percent. Hamilton jumped 81, from 228 to 309, or 36 percent; Lyman 134, from 275 to 409, or 49 percent; and the rest of the county by 6,323, from 38,183 to 44,506, or 17 percent. County-wide, the totals were: 23,424 more people, from 79,555 in 1990 to 102,979 in 2000, or 29 percent increase. Jobless Rate Plummets Unemployment in Skagit County fell eight-tenths of a point between February and March, “fairly typical for this time of year,” according to the state Employment Security Department. Skagit closed at 7.7 percent unemployed out of a workforce of 50,660, or a preliminary total of 3,900 people unemployed, which was 0.8 percent lower than in February and the same as one year ago. Ironically, there were about 20 more persons on the dole in March 2000 than this year. Whatcom’s rate was off 0.5 percent to 6.6 percent in the one month but still 0.4 percent higher than a year ago. Snohomish County was the same at 4.7 percent; Island County down 0.3 percent to 3.9; and San Juan County down 1.3 percent to 5.5. The state ended March at 6.0 percent unemployed, down 0.4 from February but still up from 5.5 percent in March 2000. Nationally, the number of claims jumped in March to 4.3 percent, the highest level since July 1998. The reason given was the cutbacks in jobs in many sectors. Skagit Home Price The median price of a home in Skagit County went up 20 percent in the year between March 2000 and last march, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The increase was the highest among five Puget Sound counties. According to the latest figures, the median price for a home rose from $133,975 more than a year ago to $160,725 at the end of March 2001. This compares with a 6.6-percent rise in Snohomish County, 3.3-percent increase in Pierce, 0.7-percent hike in Kitsap and 0.3-percent increase in King County. The median prices of homes, however, were still higher in King and Snohomish counties — $254,950 and $204,000 respectively at the end of last March — but lower in Pierce and Kitsap — $154,950 and $140,475 respectively. Regence BlueShield Regence BlueShield, which merged with Northwest Washington Medical Bureau last year, is cutting 40 positions from its Burlington office over the next nine months, according to the an official. That would leave just under 200 employees at the Gilkey Road medical insurance company. The reason given for the job cutback was duplication and an overlap in positions brought on by the acquisition. NWMB build the Burlington facility last year after the merger of the Whatcom and Skagit medical bureaus. Soon afterward, it merged with Regence BlueShield and took its name. Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, the state’s new insurance commissioner, has introduced a new consumer service to the agency’s Web page. Consumers may now check for coverage changes to their insurance polices by visiting www.insurance.wa.gov and clicking on the special “Coverage Changes” icon. “It is important for consumers to review their policy at each renewal regardless of how long they have had coverage,” Kreidler states. “Although changes are required to be listed in renewal notices, consumers may not catch the revisions and could find themselves with limited or no coverage.” ‘New’ Skagit Hospice The Skagit Hospice Foundation is planning the nonprofit organization’s first major fund-raising event — the Skagit Hospice Brunch and Quilt Art Celebration — Saturday, June 2, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Corporate Air Center at the Port of Skagit County. Donations of quilts and artwork, sponsors and volunteers are needed for the event, which benefits services for terminally ill patients and their families, provided by Skagit Hospice through Affiliated Health Services. Tickets to the event are $50, available through Skagit Hospice Foundation. Call 416-5702 for reservations, information or contribution. Boys, Girls Clubs Blade Chevrolet will again be the major sponsor for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Skagit County Golf Tournament, to be held Sept. 7 at the Skagit Golf and Country Club. Another major event scheduled to benefit Boys and Girls Clubs includes “Some Enchanted Evening,” a black-tie evening including dinner, live and silent auctions and swing dance band, sponsored by Haggen Foods, at Skagit Valley Casino Resort on Bow Hill, Oct. 13. Last year, the organization raised more than $79,000 on the golf tournament and auction. For information on how to participate, be a sponsor or donor or just attend, call Colleen Smiley, 428-5972. Chiropractors Participate On May 19, chiropractic offices worldwide will participate in the 7th-annual Kids Day America/International, a health, safety and environmental awareness day. Drs. Robert and Cheryl Schmitt of Vital Chiropractic in Mount Vernon are sponsoring the event locally from 1 to 4 p.m. at their office, 1509-C Riverside Drive. The Schmitts plant to provide essential information on crime prevention, child safety and the environment. Other activities include Sparky the Fire Dog, clowns Zig Zag and Rag Z, a fire truck with safety tips for kids, free fingerprinting of children by the police department, and special child identification cards for every kid who attends. For more information, call 848-6755. Senate Approves Skagit The state Senate has unanimously approved a budget that includes fund appropriations for building and construction projects in Skagit County. Announced by 10th District Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, the two-year capital budget focuses on projects, many of which are financed through the sale of bonds. Some of those locally earmarked and the allocation amount are: • Lincoln Theatre, Mount Vernon, renovation project, $250,000. • Skagit Estuary, purchase and restoration of 1,600 acres of salmon and other habitat, $5 million. • Skagit Valley College’s Whidbey Higher Education Center, $9.2 million. In addition, the Senate budget includes preservation of three of Island County’s most precious natural areas: Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island, Goss Lake Forest on south Whidbey Island and Carp Lake, also Camano Island. NCI Catalog of The North Cascades Institute is celebrating its 15th anniversary by releasing its 2001-2002 Program Catalog in a new, larger format than those of the past. “As we celebrate 15 years of exemplary education, we also celebrate our home,” says NCI executive director Saul Weisberg. “Our programs emphasize hands-on discover and stewardship of the North Cascades, one of the wildest, most biologically diverse landscapes in North America. We’re proud of this place and love to share its wonders.” Led by expert naturalists, writers and artists, the programs include weekend field seminars, teacher workshops and camping adventures for school groups and young adults. Topics range from “Alpine Ecology of the Pacific Crest” to “Lummi Basketry.” The nonprofit organization, currently sited behind the U.S. Park Service Building on Highway 20 in Sedro-Woolley, was founded in 1986 and has served more than 50,000 children and adults through award-winning environmental education programs. For a free catalog or information, call 856-5700, ext. 209, e-mail nci@ncascades.org, or visit www.ncascades.org. Leads Clubs Forming Leads Club is forming two new chapters in the Skagit County area. The clubs are in La Conner and Anacortes. Call 466-1165 for information and application forms.
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