Interviews planned for police captain

The city received seven applications for the open Anacortes Police Department captain position as of Monday. Four applicants are currently employed by the department, according to Lynn Barber in the city’s human resources department.

Interviews for the position are planned Aug. 11.

The captain position was previously held by Chief Bonnie Bowers, who was promoted earlier this year.

Capt. Ken Clark is the only captain in the department at present.



Attend primary candidate forum Aug. 7

A public candidate forum is 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7 at the Anacortes Lutheran Church, 22nd Street and O Avenue. The event, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Skagit County, AAUW and the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce, is immediately after the chamber’s president’s luncheon.

Candidates running in various races, including U.S. representative, governor, attorney general, District 10 and 40 state races (senate and representative), and Skagit County commissioner, will be at the event or will have a representative.

Confirmed candidates:

U.S. Congressional District 2 — Doug Schaffer and Glen Johnson

Governor — Dino Rossi’s representative Brian Geer

Legislative District 10 State Senator — Sarah Hart, Linda Haddon and Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen

Legislative District 10 State Representative Position 1 — Norma Smith and Tim Knue

Legislative District 10 State Representative Position 2 — Patricia Terry, Ann McDonald and Rep. Barbara Bailey

Legislative District 40 State Senator — Hue Beattie, Steven Van Luven and Ken Henderson

Legislative District 40 State Representative Position 1 — Dave Quall

Legislative District 40 State Representative Position 2 — Howard Pellett

Skagit County Commissioner — Ron Wesen and Bill Turner



Tour Dakota Creek’s offshore supply vessel

Residents can check out Dakota Creek Industries’ longest vessel this weekend. An open house on the M/V Grant Candies is 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9 before the ship is delivered in late August.

The vessel is owned by Otto Candies, a marine transportation and towing company.

Representatives from Otto Candies, including Otto Candies Jr., are expected to be at the event.

When complete, the inspection, maintenance and repair vessel will serve as an off-shore supply vessel to inspect and maintain underwater oil structures. The Grant Candies, which can house up to 150 people, features a private cinema, heliport and a fully-equipped hospital.

DCI began working on the vessel in December 2006 and it was launched in mid-April.

The more than $60 million vessel is the first of three Dakota Creek is scheduled to build. Pieces of the second, M/V Ross Candies, are scattered in the company’s yard. It is scheduled for completion in 2009 and will be 312 feet long and about 95 feet high.



State Patrol seeks accident witness

The Washington State Patrol is seeking a driver in connection with a July 4 accident on Guemes Island that seriously injured a 20-year-old Anacortes woman.

State Patrol Det. Charles Sletten said they are trying to track down a car the vehicle passed before crashing into a tree. The State Patrol is still investigating the accident. Call (360) 658-2588.

Whitney Schultz, who was seriously injured in the accident, continues to make progress at the Neurosurgery Clinic at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Schultz’s family has set up a Web site so friends can track her progress, see photos and write notes. Visit http://www.caringbridge.org and type in “whitneyschultz.” A trust fund account has also been set up for Schultz at Skagit State Bank.



Campfire causes small Forest Lands fire

A small fire was extinguished in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands the morning of Monday, July 28.

The fire, near a trail between Heart Lake and Lake Erie, was started by an unattended campfire, according to Anacortes Fire Division Chief John Bird. It spread to about six feet before being put out.

Bird reminded residents that fires are not allowed in the ACFL and there is a burn ban in effect in Skagit County.

There have been about a half dozen other campfires in the Forest Lands this year, said Jonn Lunsford, Forest Lands manager.

“Most were fully extinguished by the time we found them,” he said. “The one on Monday was the first one still burning.”



Parks Commission meets at City Hall

The Washington State Parks Commission meets at 9 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7 at Anacortes City Hall.

Washington State Parks is led by a seven-member volunteer commission with each commissioner appointed by the governor for a six-year term.

Every six weeks the commission meets in a different city around the state to provide residents an opportunity to exchange ideas with the commission without having to travel to Olympia.

An agenda of the August meeting will be available at http://www.parks.wa.gov/commtg.asp before the meeting.



City roadwork underway on R Avenue this week

A temporary detour in Anacortes on R Avenue between 22nd Street and the Highway 20 Spur slowed traffic slightly Monday morning as city roadwork began.

Crews blocked off the southbound lanes and made the two northbound lanes two-way to accommodate drivers. Lakeside Industry, which has a division office in Anacortes, was awarded a contract of roughly $340,000 to pave the southbound lanes of R Avenue and portions of 22nd Street and portions of K Avenue north of 22nd Street.

The preparatory work was scheduled to take about three days and the final paving a couple weeks.

The northbound lanes will not be repaved. They were done a few years ago, said city public works Director Fred Buckenmeyer.