Guemes Island Community Center Association
Enriching and Connecting Our Island Community
Island Happenings
By accessing, browsing, or using this Site you implicitly acknowledge you have read the "Terms of Use and Release of Liability" agreement (link at bottom of page), understood it, and agree to be bound by it. If you do not agree to be bound by this Agreement, your use of the site is not authorized.
Ferry Cams
⛴ Catch the Ferry
Ferry times are provided as a courtesy and without guarantee.
Ferry departs from Guemes approximately 8 minutes after the listed times below. Crossing time approximately 5 minutes. Round-trip time approximately 20-25 minutes.
*Wednesday 9:15 AM to Guemes and 2:00 PM from Guemes are hazardous materials runs only. No other vehicles or passengers may travel on these runs.
Community Messages
Call for Artists for Summer Studio Tour
https://guemesisandart.org/call-for-artists
Ferry Rate Proposal
To help people follow the discussion, GICCA is providing access to as much public information as we can about the County’s deliberations regarding changes in ferry rates. You can submit comments to ferrycomments@co.skagit.wa.us.
Consultant “slide deck” for presentation to Commissioners
February 28 Public Hearing recording
Skagit County website on the 2023 ferry fare proposal
Skagit County adopted 2022 and proposed 2023 budgets (scroll down to find Public Works)
Volunteer Opportunities
Please come to one of the April work parties to remove weeds, spread mulch and add new plants to the Community Stage or the Hall.
- Sunday afternoon, April 2 from 1:00 to 4:00 - Community Stage
- Saturday morning, April 8 from 10:00 to 1:00 - Community Stage
- Sunday afternoon, April 30 from 1:00 to 4:00 - Community Center Hall
Socialize with friends while weeding and trimming. Weekday small group sessions available upon request.
There is a need for sword ferns at both the hall and stage. Dig a few, drop in a plastic bag, and leave at the stage gate or behind the pumphouse at the hall.
Stay in touch at GICCAVolunteer@gmail.com
GICCA Business Meetings
Upcoming GICCA business meetings are posted here. Details including agendas will be posted as links for each meeting as they are available.
- April 27th (Thursday) 7:00 PM at the Community Hall
ARTICLE III (Membership) Proposed Changes
You can attend the April 27th meeting via Zoom with this link.
For the remainder of 2023, meetings will occur on the 4th Thursday of the month at 7:00PM, with the exception of November so as to avoid a Thanksgiving conflict. That meeting will be the 5th Thursday, November 30th at 7:00PM.
Agendas and minutes from past meetings are posted here.
GICCA Bylaws Review 2023
GICCA is reviewing and updating its bylaws throughout 2023. One or more sections of the bylaws will be reviewed at each business meeting, and the proposed changes will be posted four weeks in advance on this website, as required by the current bylaws. For more information on the proposed bylaws revisions to be discussed in each upcoming meeting and those adopted in the previous meetings, click Here.
Soup-to-Go Thursdays
Brought to you by the Guemes Connects team of volunteer cooks, this COVID-safe version of the Gathering Lunch offers a "home-cooked" meal brought to your car at the drive-through in front of the Church. Menus are available on the GICCA Island Happenings Calendar and Linetime.
Follow the signs and stay in your car. Thursdays, 11:30 to 12:15 or until the soup runs out. Hot soup, bread or roll, and something sweet for dessert for a suggested $5 donation. Proceeds support the program and excess funds are donated to other island organizations. Don't be late!
In October, look for the return of Soup-to-Go or possibly the Gathering Lunch if COVID concerns will allow in-person meals.
Featured Artist: Bob Anderson
Have you ever imagined yourself as an artist? Do you love to explore your artistic side, but aren’t confident enough to jump in and totally share your visions with others? April’s Artist of the Month, Bob Anderson, can help you with that. Bob has generously offered to tutor or mentor art in varied media for friends and neighbors on Guemes Island. He is “especially focused on encouraging beginners who are interested, but hesitant, to ‘plunge into’ the world of artmaking.” Bob would love to bring the world of “arting” to students, teens, and young adults. Elementary students are also considered with active participation by their parents.
Read more about Bob Anderson and his art at the Guemes Island Art website here.
Island News
Foraging Walk Moved to April 8
Saturday, April 8, at 1:00 PM between the Community Hall and the Church. The cold weather has delayed the emergence of many of the edible plants available for foraging so the walk had been moved from April 1 to April 8. Karen Lamphere, MS, Certified Nutritionist will be leading a foraging walk around the Labyrinth and grounds around the Community Hall. Learn how to identify edible and medicinal plants found here on Guemes. Recipes will be provided for the edible plants found.
Space is limited to 15 people. The signup deadline is April 3rd. Reserve your spot by sending your name and contact information to karenlamphere@gmail.com. $10 per person.
Earth Day All-Island Clean Up April 22
This year the annual Guemes Island Clean Up falls on the actual Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Islanders come together to clear our roadways and beaches of trash and debris. Winter storms have planted a great deal of unwanted items in the beach wrack lines.
Meet at the GICCA Pavilion at Schoolhouse Park at 1PM to select a beach or roadway and avail yourself of tongs and trash bags provided by Skagit County Public Works. Return found trash and debris to the park by 3 PM. Truck support will be available. Alternately, you are invited to clean your own beach or roadway and bring the collected trash to the park for disposal by Skagit Public Works. Please no household trash.
This event is organized by Groundfloor Guemes, a subcommittee of GICCA, with support provided by Skagit County Public Works. Please return the borrowed tongs and collected trash by 3 PM. Work gloves are suggested and bring water to drink.
Some larger debris items may need to be picked up by truck. Information will be available at the Pavilion when you receive your trash bags and tongs.
Questions can be addressed to Holly Green at 360-610-3829 or Edie Clark 360-399-5931 or emailed to 4gicca@gmail.com.
Join your island neighbors for a very satisfying and rewarding couple of hours. Help keep the patch of Earth we call home healthy and lovely.
Luminary Light Parade, April 22

Crows and Ravens Dr. Kaeli Swift – Nature Talk, April 29
"If your nerd for bird is keen on crows," don't miss Dr. Kaeli Swift's fascinating presentation on corvids on Saturday, April 29 at 1:30 PM at the Guemes Island Community Hall.
Kaeli will share the science behind one of the world's more charismatic and influential groups of birds. Crows and ravens have appeared in historical texts and creation stories of cultures around the world. Some species thrive in human dominated environments and appear to exhibit some human traits. They play, problem solve, bond with their families, and sometimes cause mischief.
As a graduate student at the University of Washington, Kaeli studied crow "funerals" and revealed the crow's ability to recognize human faces. If you cross a crow then watch your back because they may remember you.
Dr. Swift is requesting that all attendees please wear a mask. This enables her to speak without a mask to be heard more clearly.
$10 at the door and 18 and under are free.
Thank You to Our Generous Donors!
Generosity runs deep in our community; we have come together over this past year to support each other in so many ways. The GICCA Board of Directors thanks you for your generous support.
GICCA is a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We appreciate your financial support. You can find out about ways to donate here.
Guemes Connects
Neighbors Helping Neighbors – GUEMES CONNECTS Needs You
A "community" is defined as a group of people living in the same place. There is also a more internal definition. A community is a group of people that takes care of each other. As Guemes Islanders, we are geographically connected but when we feel we are part of something bigger than ourselves, we truly function as a community.
For many years, GUEMES CONNECTS has brought neighbors together to help neighbors. Their mission is to foster a network of support for the Guemes Island community. This group of dedicated volunteers is committed to meeting the needs of anyone requesting assistance, regardless of age, illness, disability, race, or religion. Now CONNECTS needs new volunteers as several of the founders are retiring.
The group's goal is to provide on-island skilled, compassionate assistance in the following areas:
- Emergency Meals
- Respite care (temporary relief for caregivers)
- Transportation to medical appointments (not available during COVID)
- Home Maintenance (helping needy island residents with uncomplicated maintenance tasks)
- Housing (availability information)
- Medical equipment (free wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, bedside commodes, grab bars, etc.)
Guemes Connects also sponsors the popular Gathering Lunch (not available during COVID) and Soup-to-Go (a COVID safe alternative). These weekly lunch programs are open to everyone. Meals are served on Thursdays from 11:30 to 12:15 from November to April at the Guemes Community Church. A suggested donation of $5.00 helps to fund the program.
When the in-person Gathering Lunch is possible, free blood pressure testing is available from 11:15 to 12:30. The "Gathering" began as an opportunity to visit with neighbors, meet new friends, and enjoy a home-style hot lunch cooked in the Church commercial kitchen by island volunteers.
Soup-to-Go provides the same home-style soup lunch, bread, and a cookie as a COVID-safe alternative. Drive through at the front of the Church from 11:30 to 12:15.
Following is the current contact list of the coordinators for the areas CONNECTS serves. The areas highlighted need volunteers.
Meals | Lorraine Francis | 360-293-8364 (H) |
Respite Care | Juby Fouts | 360-293-2704 (H) |
Transportation | Open | |
Home Maintenance | Open | |
Housing | Ron Knowles | 360-588-9922 (C) |
Medical Equipment | Scott Anderson | 206-953-2099 (C) |
Gathering Lunch/Soup-to-Go | Beverly James
Sharon Hughlitt |
206-660-1447 (C)
360-588-0179 (C) |
Contact Lorraine or Juby with questions or if a specific coordinator cannot be reached, OR if you wish to volunteer! GUEMES CONNECTS needs YOU to help keep these valuable services going.
"Do more than belong: participate."
"Do more than care: help."
"Do more than dream: work."
Words of wisdom from William Arthur Ward
GICCA Facilities
GICCA owns and manages the Community Hall (7549 Guemes Island Road) as well as the Murray Read Pavilion and the Community Stage in Schoolhouse Park. The Community Hall can be rented for private events and is available for public events. Please Click Here for information on private event rentals and contact 4gicca@gmail.com about any reservations. The Murray Read Pavilion is available for picnicking without a reservation or for private events by reservation (email 4gicca@gmail.com). We are in the process of developing processes for reserving the Community Stage for private and public events, but it is available anytime for drop-in events (with no amplification) with 30 or fewer people during Schoolhouse Park hours.
Latest COVID News & Updated Hall Use Policy
The health of the Guemes Island community continues to be a top priority for GICCA as we offer venues for public gatherings. We appreciate that there are varied views on this important topic, and we remain attentive to changes from Skagit County, the State, and the CDC. GICCA no longer requires that masks be worn for events held inside the Community Hall, but we strongly recommend them because of the possibility of spreading COVID-19 before becoming symptomatic.
The CDC’s current guidance can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
CDC recommendations specific to masks (when community levels of COVID-19 are moderate or high) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/masks.html read:
Wear a Mask to Protect Yourself and Others
- Masking is a critical public health tool and it is important to remember that any mask is better than no mask.
- Wear the most protective mask you can that fits well and that you will wear consistently.
- Wearing a high-quality mask along with vaccination, self-testing, and physical distancing, helps protect you and others by reducing the chance of spreading COVID-19.
The Washington State Department of Health website (https://doh.wa.gov/emergencies/covid-19) states:
We now know that COVID-19 is here to stay for the foreseeable future. It’s important to understand how to live our lives while keeping ourselves, loved ones and community as safe as possible. How can we do that? By using all the tools we’ve learned so far: getting vaccinated and boosted, getting tested and staying home if sick or exposed, wearing a mask in crowds, and keeping our distance.
Discover the World of Virtual Learning
GICCA's Social Connections page has a number of interesting virtual learning links to podcasts and videos covering a variety of topics from travel destinations to humor, music, nature, and more.
Watch, Read or Listen to a series of travel episodes. Educational and entertaining travel from the comfort of your own home. Free.
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen
Learn new dance patterns to all kinds of music while getting some exercise and having fun. Seattle Parks & Recreation instructor Suzanne Simmons leads you through a class on Soul Line Dancing.
Via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2w7eF6fknI
Discover a world of puzzles beyond jigsaw and crossword. Famed puzzle designer Scott Kim takes us inside the puzzle-maker's frame of mind. Sampling his career's work, he introduces a few of the most popular types and shares the fascinations that inspired some of his best.
https://www.ted.com/talks/scott_kim_the_art_of_puzzles
Explore the many topics available on the Ted Talks website.
Enjoy articles from grassroots authors about biodiversity concerns around the world.
https://voicesforbiodiversity.org/
Email 4gicca@gmail.com with your own discoveries and we'll share them on this website.
A Reminder About Stage & Park Use
As a requirement of our Special Use Permit, GICCA's property at Schoolhouse Park is now designated as a Community Park. The rules that govern the Skagit County Schoolhouse Park also apply to the Stage and Pavilion picnic structure.
The Park, Community Stage, and Pavilion are open for public use from dawn to dusk. In other words, day use only.
Groups larger than 30 or amplified music require a permit. Alcohol and glass containers are prohibited. No open fires or fireworks. There is no trash pick-up at the Stage or Pavilion. If you pack it in, please pack it out.
Respectful use of the new Community Stage will help keep it open and accessible for public use. For permitting information, email 4gicca@gmail.com
Join Our Mailing List
Receive our monthly e-newsletter
Guemes Island Community Center Association email lists on other island websites are no longer used for GICCA mailings of any kind. To receive GICCA news, click below to subscribe. GICCA promises not to share or use subscriber emails for anything other than sending GICCA newsletter-related information.
TIP: Where's my GICCA Newsletter?
Update Your Directory Listing
We need your help NOW to update your directory listings on this website, myguemes.org. Islanders can easily add, delete, or update their listings (both residential and business). GICCA is committed to producing a new printed directory this year, but we can't do it without you. Please take a moment to review your listing(s) and add or edit, if needed.
To add your listing(s):
Pull down the Guemes Directory & Map tab in the menu bar at the top of this home page.
Select Directory Signup, then Residential Signup or Business Signup.
Complete your information and click Send.
To edit or delete existing listings:
Pull down the Guemes Directory & Map tab in the menu bar at the top of this home page.
Select Link Request (listing edit/opt out), then Link Request Residential Listing or Link Request Business Listing.
Complete the information and click Send or Submit.
The Help You Want
The Resources You Need
Helpful Links
CERT - Community Emergency Response Team
- CERT Neighborhood Sectors & Volunteer List
- CERT Description
- CERT Household Preparedness
- CERT Neighborhood Procedures
- CERT Questionnaire
- Search & Rescue Sign
Emergency Preparedness - 'do1thing'
Earthquake Early-Warning Notifications
- Schedule GICCA Facilities
- Hall Rental Agreement
- Hall Amenities
- Volunteer Waiver (Stage)
Guemes Island Art (GIA) Initiative
Guemes Island Ferry Committee (GIFC)
Guemes Island Fire Department (GIFD)
Guemes Island Planning Advisory Committee (GIPAC)
Guemes Island General Store (FB)
Guemes Tide and Evening Star Archives
On Deck
Weather Map
Mobile? Click 'Rain/Snow' tag for options