Bring boaters downtown via Seventh Street
During recent candidate forums most candidates saw connecting the Cap Sante Boat Haven to downtown Anacortes as desirable, even necessary, to improve income for small businesses on Commercial Avenue.

In addition to boats with permanent slips, there are 10,000 to 12,000 boats that seek temporary moorage each season. Each boat has two to six passengers and they have dollars to spend.

They can go out to dinner, visit art galleries or spend the night in an interesting hotel rather than one more night on the boat. All they need is incentive to move in the right direction.

Taking a gravel path through a parking lot to the arch entry to downtown is not much incentive, especially since the only thing of interest in the first few blocks is a marine supply store. A more interesting route is required. As a candidate for port commissioner, I gave thought to the problem and a possible solution.

Here is an idea. Send our visitors north along the Cap Sante Boat Haven esplanade to the end of the parking lot. 

Have them cross over to continue their walk along R Avenue toward the W.T. Preston and the Snagboat Heritage Center — a tourist attraction itself. Next to it is the Depot Arts Center, another attraction.

Two blocks up Seventh Street is the heart of downtown. With little of interest, it becomes a long two blocks. How about shortening the walk by making Seventh Street more interesting, even a visitor draw.

A sculpture garden perhaps.

Routing visitors up Seventh Street will put them on Commercial right where they want to be, where the restaurants, art galleries, pubs and antique shops are. There is also a hotel, jewelry store and the post office.

As time goes on it will become even more important to have a draw like a sculpture garden to keep boating visitors taking the walk downtown.

For more detail on this idea check the blogs at goskagit.com and anacortesnow.com.
Roger Born
Anacortes

How we build Forest Land trails is an issue
I have to respectfully disagree with Kathryn Alexandra’s take on the acceptable uses of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands — specifically concerning limiting the use of mountain bikes.

The time is over for gross over simplifications. Specifics are what’s called for in these times — facts based on empirical evidence rather than sensationalistic rhetoric like “irreparable harm to terrain and wildlife.”

I don’t disagree that use vs. no use at all causes some degree of certain types of soil compaction which may lead to erosion. This argument can be chased all the way down to a microscopic level.

The immediate and largely more important question at hand here is what kind of trail building practices are we applying, and are they sustainable? Are we just going to continue to constantly repair the trails or perhaps rethink the way we construct them?

Though I respect people’s concern for the creatures of the forest, I must confess that simply suggesting that irreparable damage to wildlife is possible, however not without also confessing that this theory would also apply to everything at all times at every level, everywhere by everything we do. Unless people can quantify the types of damages caused by specific actions, then the point is somewhat sensational.

Let’s talk specifics. How can we address the issues right now? I recommend a review of how we build our trails.
Tim Nelson
Anacortes

Charging higher fees for visitors is short-sighted
Notice to the citizens of Anacortes:

I, along with lots of boating friends (many of us boat club members) have been frequent visitors to your fine city for many years. Accumulatively we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in your city every year launching boats, buying supplies, clothing, food and fuel and eating at your restaurants, etc.

Due to your local public servants’ policies on park, boat launch and other public use fees, many of us will be chosing other communities to patronage.

I’m sure your public servants tell you all this is a great deal — “we’ll charge visitors higher fees to benefit the citizens of Anacortes so you don’t have to pay them.”

Unfortunately this is a very short-sighted view. Guests to Anacortes should be treated at least as good as your citizens, that is if you want us to come back.

If your public servants are seeing a shortage in revenue like every other city, they should look to reduce their compensation packages by 10 percent before running off the tourism trade with exorbitant usage fees.
Chris Schumacher
Woodinville

Douglasses still busy with maps, nautical projects
I would like to expand on a few of the statements made in the Oct. 28 article about Mark Bunzel.

My husband and I are the authors and copyright holders of the Exploring Southeast Alaska and Exploring the San Juan and Gulf Islands, as well as four other highly respected nautical guidebooks that cover the West Coast from San Diego to Glacier Bay. We are also the designers and copyright holders of a series of maps covering the same coastal areas. Fine Edge is licensed to publish our titles; they do no own them.

Mr. and Mrs. Bunzel began the purchase of Fine Edge in 2002 and shared our offices until they became majority shareholders and moved to Biz Point. 

Don and I are still creating nautical maps and other projects under the name Douglass, Hemingway & Co. LLC.

We still explore extensively worldwide and give a presentations in the U.S., France and South America. Recently we gave a standing-room-only Power Point presentation about boating the major canals of France, where we have also sailed in our over 40 years of boating and 170,000 nautical miles. 

“Cape Horn, One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare,” is my account of our voyage from California to the Strait of Magellan, Africa and return. Considered a classic in female adventure literature, “Cape Horn” has also been published in French and Italian.

Watermark Books has sold my book continuously since the first edition came out in 1994.
Reanne Hemingway-Douglass
Anacortes

Forest education fundraiser had great support
The Friends of the Forest Benefit Event on Oct. 24 at Fidalgo Bay Resort was our most successful ever! Thank you to everyone involved for helping us raise over $41,000 to support our wide range of forest education programs.

Thank you to the Fidalgo Bay Resort and the Samish Indian Nation for providing a beautiful and accommodating space for all of our needs. Gere-a-Deli Catering outdid themselves with a wonderful array of hors d’ouevres, a delicious dinner, and cobbler a la mode. Fine spirits were provided by Beam Global Spirits and Wine, and beer by Anacortes Brewery. Early evening music by Fidalgo Swing and a later evening performance by Spoonshine made the night complete. 

We offer heartfelt recognition and thanks to all of the individuals and local businesses that contributed art, goods and services for our silent and live auctions. Anne Martin McCool was our featured artist and her beautiful watercolor, Fidalgo Autumn, reflected the spirit of the evening. Thank you to Bob Vaux for being our master of ceremonies and live auctioneer. 

Sponsors for the event have our deepest gratitude. Essential financial support came from Watermark Book Co., Tesoro & Tesoro EAGLES, Shell Puget Sound Refinery, The Samish Indian Nation, Global Diving and Salvage Inc., Kristjan Ochs Law Offices, Emerald Marine Carpentry, Scott Milo Gallery, Island Import Garage, Sebo’s Hardware and Northwest Marine Technology.

The Friends of the Forest Board and many other volunteers gave tremendous energy and time to make the evening so special. The Scott Milo Gallery and Bayshore donated essential equipment. Angie at How It Works created lovely posters, programs, sign displays and table cards. Mary’s Victorian Garden provided beautiful bouquets.

And last but not least, a grand thank you to all who came to enjoy the party and contribute. Your love for our community woods and strong show of support for our forest education program has meant a world of difference for our work.

In these challenging financial times, it is inspiring to see our community step up and collectively invest in our island’s natural future. With everyone’s help, we will continue to provide all seventh- and third-grade students in Anacortes with forest field trips and classes, forest discovery summer camp for kids, community hikes of all kinds for all ages, and a range of other educational, stewardship, and conservation activities in ongoing service to the Anacortes Community Forest Lands.

For a full listing of our more than 60 generous auction donors, and for more information about our programs, visit friendsoftheacfl.org or e-mail .
Denise Crowe
Friends of the ACFL