Ranker ready to go to work for 40th district
Thank you for the tremendous support you have shown these past months.
This election saw one of the highest voter turnouts in decades with tens of thousands of people voting in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties. Last Tuesday was an incredible day all around and while we have a lot of work ahead of us, I am excited about the possibilities and am very much looking forward to representing you in the state Senate.
While the campaign was at some times difficult, I was very pleased that we maintained a positive message staying focused on the issues most important to our communities.
I have such appreciation for our district. We treat each other, our communities and our environment with respect. I am honored to represent what I believe to be the best district in the state.
I want to thank everyone who supported me throughout my run for the 40th district’s state Senate seat. As your senator, I’ll work hard on the issues most important to our communities, from protecting local jobs, small business and family farms to stewardship of our environment to fully funding education.
Kevin Ranker
Friday Harbor
Political signs shouldn’t litter public property
As I drove around downtown Anacortes, and along Havekost Road, Marine Drive and Rosario Road before the election, I noticed lots of political support signs posted. The signs consist of folks running for local, state and national governments.
I don’t mind signs of support on folks’ own property, but I was appalled at how many were posted on public property: along road railings, at stop signs and on sidewalks — areas that were clearly outside anyone’s property line.
Thinking this must be illegal, I called to talk to a local Anacortes police officer. I was told that indeed it is illegal, but they do not enforce this law, that I should ignore it, and that if I ask anyone about it, then I was only seeking a confrontation.
He told me that this race is a very passionate one and I must put such things aside. I also called Anacortes City Hall, leaving my name, number and subject with a receptionist and have yet for my call to be returned.
I know this was a passionate race, particularly the presidential election, which is why it bothers me to see signage on the property of Anacortes, a place I support with my taxes and commerce. The city (and its police force) represents and is supported by its residents, who have differing political views and therefore should remain outside the political arena.
One might tally up all the signs on public property and figure out just who Anacortes officially supports. One might also conclude that by posting the signs, they are in fact littering and defacing public property.
Let’s be a fair and respectful community. Show your support on your own time.
Laura Reeves
Anacortes
New president gives us reason for hope, optimism
I can honestly say in my 60 years of voting for president of the United States I have never seen an election after which people were greeting one another with huge smiles, hugs and such an overwhelming sense that the country is back on the right track.
The Constitution will once again become the law of the land; we will have a president who doesn’t think he is king. We will no longer have young graduates of Liberty College and similar institutions heading agencies they have no training for and vetting federal prosecutors on their stance on abortion and gay rights rather than their experience and education.
Well, back to reality. Bush is pushing ahead to destroy the federal ability to clean up the environment by administrative order. Regulations which have been in effect since the Reagan administration are being scrapped.
The rule requiring a buffer of at least 100 feet from a stream unless it can be proven that mining or other activity will not degrade the stream is gone. Companies will, under the Bush rules, be allowed to build polluting facilities near wilderness and national park areas.
Some federal agencies could decide for themselves if wildlife and natural resources would be endangered rather than go to the proper agencies which administer the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine and Fisheries Service.
Hopefully the new Congress and president will be able to reverse these rulings, but many of them will require lengthy hearings which could take up to two years.
Regardless, I remain full of hope and optimism.
Leslie Krous
Anacortes
Noon Kiwanis has helped symphony over the years
The Skagit Symphony is very grateful to the members of the Anacortes Noon Kiwanis Club for their most recent donation of $1,000 toward the orchestra’s music library expansion project.
Purchasing and/or renting sheet music for the symphony’s five annual concerts requires a budget of approximately $100 per musician or $6,000 per year. This expense has increased more than 50 percent over the past four years.
To counteract this growing cost, the orchestra began a music library expansion campaign to expand the amount of sheet music it owns. The $1,000 gift from the Anacortes Noon Kiwanis will be used as seed money to help cultivate and grow the symphony’s music library.
Support of the music library expansion project is just the most recent indication from the members of the Anacortes Noon Kiwanis Club that they share in the belief that a high quality symphony orchestra benefits a community.
In the past five years, this organization’s generosity has helped bring Anacortes’ fifth-graders to McIntyre Hall for a school concert and made it possible to keep family concerts free for youth under 16 years of age, and it has assisted the symphony in hosting the Holiday and Young Soloist Concerts in Brodniak Hall.
The symphony’s board of directors and musicians appreciate the Anacortes Noon Kiwanis Club members’ ongoing commitment to the orchestra’s mission of helping enhance and expand the wonder of live classical music throughout our community.
To learn more about the Skagit Symphony’s programs and support opportunities, visit http://www.SkagitSymphony.com or call 360.848.9336.
Skagit Symphony
City should focus on roads, not parks, trails
We’re in a financial crisis. The stock market is crashing and many have lost up to 30 percent of their investments/retirement. Our dollars have much less purchasing power.
Yet now the city wants to raise our taxes.
Included in this proposal is over half a million dollars for new parks and trails. Budget projections, during this recession, should be prioritized into only necessary spending. Is this essential spending?
The city states, because of the economy, it will only attempt one road improvement in a year. Aren’t the roads we travel every day a higher priority than spending money we well can’t afford on new trails and a park?
The citizens of Anacortes, through donations and a lot of hard work, completed a new community park this summer. Isn’t that enough until financial times improve?
Carol Bourbeau
Anacortes
Students’ letters show mostly what parents think
I suppose it’s sorta cute pretending that sixth-graders are expressing their own heartfelt beliefs based on their grasp of events. But, obviously, for the most part these political opinions immediately prior to our most important election in generations were simply mouthing the views of their parents.
I do not mean to put down the efforts of a teacher to show students the value of getting involved, because that is a very worthy cause. But, I think it would have been better, on the run-up to this election, to continue showing the opinions of adults, who hopefully are more in touch with current events.
Of course that would I guess have left out most of the McCain/Palin supporters ... so never mind.
Don Knutsen
Anacortes
So many helped put on a great Fidalgo Bay Day
This year’s Fidalgo Bay Day once again brought sea creatures to the surface so we could get to know them. Shannon Point Marine Center brought the amazing critters and provided scientists at the dock to tell us about the animals and plants.
Taylor Shellfish Farms provided clams and oysters for tasty samples and we had heavenly chowders from Randy’s Pier 61, Mary Ann’s Kitchen and Stork’s Restaurant.
Special thanks to the sponsors: Skagit Marine Resources Committee, Anacortes Community Maritime Center, WSU Skagit Beach Watchers, Port of Anacortes, Samish Tribe, City of Anacortes and the Anacortes Yacht Club.
We also thank Gere-A-Deli for brownies, Fidalgo Bay Coffee for coffee, McDonald’s for juice, and Jim Ramaglia for a couple of gorgeous photographs for the raffle. MC Motors of Seattle brought a Miles electric car to go with the ZENN electric cars brought by Chuck White and Kathleen Root.
The Chamber of Commerce helped and so did Stephanie Hamilton’s Cub Scouts. Anacortes Youth Arts provided the fish for fish printing.
Some 50 volunteers pulled together to make this all happen. Please give yourselves a big pat on the back.
Erica Pickett and Lyndon Greene
Event co-chairs
Sports calendars support athletes at high school
As the fall sports season comes to a close, the Anacortes High School Parents Seahawk Athletic Booster Association would like to send a generous thank you to the community for supporting the athletes.
SABA would also like to extend their appreciation to the sponsors that bought an ad in the Seahawk Athlete Fall Sports poster. These dollars stay local and help provide the athletic teams with items such as uniforms and equipment.
Please support these local businesses who supported our fall sports poster: Fidalgo Bay Coffee, Evans Funeral Chapel, The Mailbox, Skagit State Bank, T-Shirts-By-Design, Reisner Distributor, Inc., Sebo’s Hardware & Equipment Rental, Quantum Construction, Inc., Sherman Physical Therapy, North Harbor Diesel & Yacht Services, Frontier Industries, Inc, Scimitar Construction, Piston Service, Island Hospital, Ace Hardware, Cruisin Coffee, Farmer’s Insurance – Curtis Payne, The Bank of the Pacific, Puget Sound Refinery, Westside Pizza, Dr. Phil Madden, DDS Anaco TV & Appliance, Curt Oppel – John L. Scott Real Estate, YOHS LLC – “Your Stove Shop”, Thrive Community Fitness, McDonald’s Restaurant, Dr. Damon DDS – Orthodontics, Skipper Cress Yacht Sales, Island Family Physicians, Pizza Factory, Cap Sante Marine, LTD, Fidalgo Island Walk-In Clinic, Sears – Leo Mitchell, Skyline Marine Center, Blue Cow Car Wash, Dr. Russ Borneman, DDS., U.S. Bank, Dr. David Olausen, DDS & Anacortes Dental Care, Hanson Physical Therapy, and Savage Roofing.
If your business would like to advertise or you know a business that is interested in advertising in the winter sports poster, contact Sydney Olausen at 293-6803. We are the only sports calendar endorsed by the Anacortes School District.
Sydney Olausen
SABA President
Oyster Run appreciates all the support
The Oyster Run Committee would like to extend a thank you to all those who helped to make this year’s Oyster Run a success: Anacortes Public Works, Dakota Creek, Integra Group, Anacortes Police Department, Anacortes Fire Department, Red Cross, City Street, City Sanitation, Ace Hardware, Port of Anacortes, Burton Jewelers, Birch Equipment, Anacortes service clubs, Mount Baker H.O.G. Chapter, Combat Vets., Christian Motorcycle Association, and to anyone we may have fortotten to mention.
Your help was very much appreciated.
We would also like to thank everyone who came out to enjoy the 2008 Oyster Run, and make this our biggest event yet. We hope you all had as much fun as we did.
Angie Haynes
Bellingham
Sponsors help Secret Harbor fulfill its mission
The board, staff, foster parents and children of Secret Harbor want to express our appreciation for the support of the following sponsors of our 2008 “Virtual Event” fund raiser: Presidio Construction, Wells Fargo Insurance Services Northwest Inc. and Cashman Consulting and Investments LLC.
Since 1947, Secret Harbor has served children who have a combination of severe behavioral, social, developmental, learning or emotional problems. Through our Residential Treatment and Foster Care programs we provide safe places for these distressed children to develop healthy relationships, build on their own strengths and experience success.
Brian Carroll
President and CEO
Key Club raised more than $600 for UNICEF
Anacortes High School Key Club would like to thank everyone that donated money on Halloween to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.
UNICEF is a United Nations organization that is dedicated to providing education, immunizations and relief for malnutrition to children around the world. Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has been active and effective since 1950, and has raised over $140 billion to date.
We’d like to thank the citizens of Anacortes who emptied their piggy banks, fished in their wallets and dumped pocket change into our orange boxes. We appreciate the number of people who congratulated us on doing worthwhile service projects and provided us with support.
Our most recent tally shows that together we raised $647.60 to be donated to UNICEF, which doubled our total of last year. Volunteering is contagious and we’re glad everyone caught the bug.
Thank you!
Eric Bartlett and Jillian Whitney
AHS Key Club
Medical facilities in community are wonderful
As two of the many senior citizens of Anacortes, we would like to say thank the Lord for, and let everyone know how blessed we feel to have the medical facility that is our hospital and everything that is a part of it.
We want to thank everyone who has had a part in bringing it to us through the years. We don’t have a clue who all those might be, but it’s so awesome to be able to go short a distance and find the care and atmosphere that is there.
Thank you Anacortes. We are very grateful.
Roger and Betty Morgenthaler
Anacortes
