We’ll miss bakery that gave us much more than bread
La Vie en Rose is closing its doors.

I heard the news only a couple of days ago and for some silly reason I cannot seem to stop crying for very long.

Walking by late one night (I have found myself “walking by” a lot, these past couple of days) I was enveloped once again by the smell of its middle of the night bread baking. I remember it well from my childhood in Paris and it never fails to provide me with an immediate dose of emotional comfort.

Within seconds, I knew that this smell would soon no longer waft around our streets. The sense of loss hit me in the guts.

Every town needs a bakery. A real bakery that is just a little tiny bit messy and where you can tell that hands have touched flour in no uncertain way. A bakery where people can walk in and somehow feel safer — even if they don’t know why.

A bakery like La Vie en Rose as I remember it.

Bill and I walked out of the bakery over eight years ago, when it was in its teenage years. We had conceived it, birthed it and raised it to the beat of much enthusiasm and youthful naivety. We had lots of energy and a love for it that was infectious.

As we grew it, so did our family and there were times when the only way for me to stand behind the counter was to open its back panel to accommodate my ever-growing pregnant belly.

The support from our customers and the friendship from our employees made it an amazingly special place, and when we made the decision in 2000 to step into a new chapter, knowing that Warren kept the ovens going and the pastry cream flowing fed me in an unexplainable way.

As the years passed, I would run into friends of our children who now worked at La Vie En Rose, and that always felt good and very right.

I never thought it would go away. When we created it, we had no exit strategy in mind (actually, we had no strategy at all — and now that it is all over, I can let you in on a little secret: when we opened the doors, neither Bill nor I knew how to bake; but that is another story… ) and I am pretty sure that Warren did not anticipate such a sad ending as he poured in the hours and hours necessary to keep it going.

But ending it is and so it is time to say goodbye.

Goodbye to the heavenly smells, goodbye to the funky freezers and to the giant mixer, goodbye to the wonderful people who have been part of it all, on both sides of the counter.

Goodbye — and thank you.

I wish I could throw a big party and feed the whole town Napoleons one last time. I wish flour was not so darn expensive and I wish we could all afford $6 loaves of bread.

Really, I wish bakeries were subsidized and could keep operating forever just because they feed people so much more than bread.

But it is ending and it is time to say goodbye.

So … goodbye La Vie en Rose.

And merci.
Laura Lavigne
Anacortes

Town’s litter is aneyesore that we can help clean up
Have you noticed our unsightly litter around town?

Most of the shops’ litter is caused by careless customers or crows and gulls raiding open cans and bins. I will often pick up the mess and mention it to the store managers and clerks. Usually nothing comes of it.

The fast food restaurants have their problems too. I know because I live near one and I am constantly picking up their blown litter, while their employees just sit there on their smoke breaks staring at me ... Hello?

Even the vista atop Cap Sante gets its share.

Hey, maybe if we all take a little more care and pride in our town and island we can lessen this messy clutter and eyesores. So there. I got it off my chest. It’s been bugging me for a long awhile.

P.S. Thanks to all who do care and pick up along our highways, streets, trails and beaches.
Bill Nevitt
Anacortes

Kiwanis helped with shower repairs at pool
The commissioners, management and staff of Fidalgo Pool and Fitness Center are working diligently to repair and renovate our community facility.

The facility is over 33 years of age and must have major care to remain in safe, operational order. We have developed a plan to address several maintenance issues over the next five years. In September, we raised our rates to help cover the costs.

 As part of our 2008 maintenance schedule, we plan to repair a shower problem in our locker rooms. We frequently have difficulties supplying hot water. When a contractor assessed the problem, it was discovered that we have air leakage, internal corrosion and other issues with the shower system. We also needed to rebuild some of the showers’ components.

After hearing about our maintenance issues, the Kiwanis Noon Club stepped forward and donated $2,000 toward the shower repairs. We want to thank Mr. Dale Klint, the Community Services Committee, and the entire Kiwanis Noon Club of Anacortes for their financial support. The club’s generosity is greatly appreciated.
Fidalgo Pool & Fitness Center commissioners and management
Andrew Olson, KimJenssen, Heather Burke, Bob Linder, Pam Lambeth, Marilyn Stadler

AHS drive brings six tons of food to Salvation Army
The Anacortes High School Fall Sport Athlete Food Drive on Aug. 28 by Anacortes High School fall sport athletes and parents collected over six tons of food for the Salvation Army.

The fall sport athletes gathered collections of food and non-perishables throughout the Anacortes grocery stores and neighborhoods. Draper Valley Farms also made a donation.

Thank you for your generosity in giving, and thank you to the athletes and their families for collecting food. It is greatly appreciated, as the shelves were bare.

Please think about attending a fall sporting event. The sports posters are in the high school office as well as the athletic office.

Thanks again for your support of the community and the athletes.
Sydney Olausen
Anacortes High School Seahawk Athletic Booster Association (SABA) President