Guemes Island Community Center Association
Enriching and Connecting Our Island Community
Island Happenings
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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
GICCA Monthly Meeting Thur, May 19
ART CHAIRS for the Community Stage Opening
Guemes Island Community Center Association (GICCA) has a supply of metal folding chairs that were retired but not forgotten. They are intended for various outdoor special events. GICCA invites you to give new life to an old chair by using this unique canvas to create an ART CHAIR.
Email GuemesIslandArt@gmail.com or call Kathy 1-206-334-1573 to request a chair.
- We will deliver one to you or arrange for you to pick it up at the Community Hall.
- You create a unique, family-friendly, ART CHAIR using spray paint, acrylic, or other paint suitable for outdoor use.
- Sign your ART CHAIR.
- We will pick up your ART CHAIR or you can bring it to the Stage Opening on Sunday, May 29.
- GICCA will collect and store these ART CHAIRS for future events.
Ferns Needed at the Stage
The Community Stage still needs about 40 Sword ferns for this first phase of landscaping. Please consider digging and donating a few from your property!
- Just dig deep and place the fern with roots (and maybe a bit of soil) in a garbage bag.
- Leave at the stage just to the NORTH (left side) of the construction gate.
- Send a short email to 4gicca@gmail.com to let us know that the ferns have arrived.
GICCA Board Approves Floor Upgrade
The GICCA Board has voted in favor of proceeding with this year's capital improvement project, upgrading the floor in the Community Hall. Board Trustee, Dave Shill has researched the options and they were presented to those present at the April 21 public business meeting. The proposal can be viewed HERE.
There will be a vote of the GICCA membership at the May 19, 2022 GICCA meeting. If approved, work will begin this summer. The Board will strive for minimal impact on scheduled events and activities in the Hall.
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.
Governor Inslee lifted the mask requirements for indoor establishments on March 12, 2022. Mask requirements will still be in place for health care facilities, long-term care facilities, and public transit, including the Guemes Ferry and school buses.
Businesses, organizations, and establishments can choose to continue requiring masks, regardless of vaccination status, as they consider the risk to their communities or patrons.
GICCA will continue to require masks for indoor public gatherings at the Community Hall. Private gatherings such as a family reunion or a private party may opt to not require masks. It is still recommended that any unvaccinated attendees continue to wear a mask.
Click here to read the updated Hall use policy, effective March 12, 2022
May Featured Artists
This month we're highlighting the artists who are participating in the Studio Tour that's happening on May 28th. Some have been featured artists on guemesislandart.org and some will be artisans you haven’t seen before.
Hopefully, what you read will entice you to head out the door and hit the tour. You’ll not find a better chance to collectively see the abundance of talent that is housed on our tiny island oasis.
Island News
Meet Your Neighbor

Photos and narrative provided by Don Bird
Born and raised in Seattle, Don Bird started learning to read and write music before he learned English. Those lines, dots, and squiggles and the sounds they produced fascinated him. With a mother classically trained on piano and pipe organ, and an uncle who was a semi-professional trumpet player, Don grew up surrounded by a wide range of music and styles and learned to play numerous instruments including trumpet, fluegelhorn, guitar, bass, piano, and organ. He turned professional upon graduating high school and enrolled in UW School of Communications (Radio/TV). Working his way through college, he played for the Bellevue Symphony, various Seattle shows/musicals, and local acts like the New Deal Rhythm Band, Shots, Gabriel, and his own progressive rock band, Ears, voted Seattle’s best band in KZOK’s 1977 contest.
Composition was Don’s first love, and he spent his days in local studios composing and producing jingles and music beds. Some notable local projects included Wayne Cody’s KIRO Sports radio theme, a jingle package for KZOK-FM, and the locally produced (Kaye-Smith Studios) nationally syndicated “Fantastic Four Radio Program” starring a very young Bill Murray as the voice of Johnny Storm. His studio work and search for unique sounds led him to work with some of the first commercially available synthesizers – programming and playing ARP, MOOG, and OBERHEIM instruments which eventually opened a door to the technical side of the media and entertainment industry.
In the mid-’80s, Don left Seattle to work in LA for Roger Linn who designed and built the first sampled-sound drum machines (LinnDrum, used by artists like Phil Collins/Genesis and Stevie Wonder), then he entered the broadcast technology industry where he helped to design, develop and market the “DigiCart” for 360 Systems. This was the first commercially successful digital audio player utilized by every major network broadcaster for audio playback. The David Letterman show used them to fire off sound effects like breaking glass when Dave would randomly toss pencils from his desk!
After 12 years in broadcast, Don joined a startup company in the film/cinema industry and participated in the development and marketing of the first digital mastering and playback systems that enabled the movie industry’s transition from distribution of film prints to digital media. He spent several years running the cinema business for public company DTS (Digital Theater Systems) which was initially funded by Universal Studios to produce a more authentic sound experience for Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. (Remember those first T-Rex footfalls?) During his time in LA, he continued playing, mixing live sound, and developing his own musical projects.
After a decade in the film industry, he formed his own consulting company and returned to the Northwest and to broadcast, providing business development services for Lawo, (www.lawo.com) a German-owned company that provides large format mixing consoles, video routing, processing, and monitoring solutions used by a majority of global networks and content providers, and for major sports events like the Olympics, World Cup, NFL, MLB, PGA and more. If you are a late-night TV fan, you’ve experienced Lawo’s technologies in use for virtually all the late-night talk shows and Saturday Night Live, as well as providing the backbone for NPR, SiriusXM, local affiliate KIRO-TV, Root Sports, and many of the major tech companies’ production facilities in Seattle, Redmond, and Silicon Valley.
At the young age of 24, Don met and married Guemes artist Loalynda, who owns Paper Birds Studio and founded the Guemes Island Earth Day Luminary Parade. Loalynda introduced Don to her family cabin on west beach when they started dating as kids, and he fell in love with the island, returning with their family every year for vacations until they were finally able to realize their dream of moving full time to the island in 2014 where Don has continued his consulting business and now enjoys developing his various music projects alongside Loalynda’s many artistic creations, classes, and events. They’ve come full circle as a musician and artist who started out creating side-by-side in their own studios in Bellevue, to now supporting the local music and art scene on Guemes Island and throughout the Skagit Valley.

Don has recently released a solo album of new-age orchestral compositions, “Floating On Moonlight”, as well as forming his own original band, Children of the Blues, which released their first album “Space Lounge” in October and are now playing a psychedelic blend of jazz and blues in venues from Anacortes to Seattle. You can catch their next gig Saturday, March 26th at the Rockfish Bar and Grill. In Don’s own words, “I’m very grateful and blessed to be able to participate in and support the strong artistic and musical community on the island, grateful to Mark and Willie for giving us an awesome local ‘pub’ and bringing great music to the island, and now to have the addition of the new park stage venue to perform and mingle with neighbors, fellow artists, and musicians—not to mention the support of the AMP organization.”
You can find Don’s music on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and other digital platforms. Just scan the QR code in the business card at the top of this post or search the online music streaming services for "Don Bird" and/or "Children Of The Blues".

Nancy Fisher-Allison was raised to lead a life of service. Throughout both her private and professional lives, she has found ways to give back to the communities where she has lived. Nancy is a former public-school librarian with interests that include history, the arts, and the natural world. Using her experience as an educator, Nancy hopes to establish an adult education series aligned with the wide-ranging interests of Guemes islanders.
Darlene Klister is known to many for her unique jewelry creations and the art classes that she teaches from her island studio, Firelight Designs. Her creative path has led her from painting in different mediums to silver and coppersmithing. Darlene's professional career included over 30 years as a paralegal. Her intention is to bring a balanced business and creative perspective to her work with the GICCA Board.
The three incumbents, Libby Boucher, Tom Sternberg, and Barb Ohms were reelected. Two returning Board members, Kathy Whitman and Mary Hale each have one year remaining on their terms.
Your 2022 Community Center Board looks forward to a productive and creative year ahead.

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, beginning on Nov 4. No lunch i served on Thanksgiving, Nov 25.
Following is the current contact list of the coordinators for the areas Connects serves.
Meals | Lorraine Francis | 360-293-8364 (H) |
Respite Care | Juby Fouts | 360-293-2704 (H) |
Transportation | Open | |
Home Maintenance | Bill Clark | 360-299-3230 (H) |
Housing | Ron Knowles | 360-588-9922 (C) |
Medical Equipment | Juby Fouts | 360-293-2704 (H) |
Barb Ohms | 360-298-1885 (H) 303-521-9094 (C) | |
Gathering Lunch/Soup-to-Go | Beverly James | 206-660-1447 (C) |
Sharon Hughlitt | 360-588-0179 (C) |
"Do more than belong: participate." "Do more than care: help." "Do more than dream: work." Words of wisdom from William Arthur Ward

Image credit: Guemes Island Planning Advisory Committee
It’s been a long, dry summer on Guemes Island. The Guemes Island Planning Advisory Committee (GIPAC) noted in a recent post on myguemes.org entitled, “Be Water Wise,” that, “During the dry season, we are tempted to increase water usage by watering lawns, washing cars and boats, and entertaining visitors who are not familiar with the need to conserve water.” In an August 3, 2021 article on postalley.org entitled, “Reckoning: Guemes Island Keeps Growing; The Water Supply Isn’t,” which also cites GIPAC members, the author, Elisa Claassen, conveys that more people, more wells, increasing water use, and rising sea levels are putting Guemes’s two aquifers, the island’s main source of potable water, under stress – causing many wells to fail already.
Funds have recently been appropriated for a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to update the 1995 USGS report on groundwater on the island. The study is set to begin in 2022 and is estimated to take a year and a half to complete. GIPAC and fellow islanders hope that the results of the upcoming study will motivate Skagit County to take quick and decisive action to protect our very limited water supply - before it is too late.
Learn more about how we ALL can protect our limited water supply.
Be a good islander – be water-wise!

"Though most will remember Philip primarily as the renowned artist he was, his family and close family friends will hold the memory of a complicated but dearly loved man who adored family gatherings, took a childlike pleasure in small moments, never aged out of playing animals with young children, loved dreamy whimsy and strange little objects as much as he loved esoteric ideas and theoretical paradigms, relished telling humorous stories about the past, had a distinctively wry smile and a memorable high pealing laugh." For the complete tribute and obituary provided by his family, click here.
Phil's art lives on in many public venues and in private homes. For a map of Phil's sculptures accessible for public viewing, click here.
As a mentor, Phil drew a number of artists to Guemes Island. His legacy of connecting to the mysterious energies of the animal and plant world continues to inspire generations of new artists. Guemes provides a nurturing sanctuary for all the creative arts.

The community is grateful to islander Adam Mimnaugh, Mimnaugh Excavation, and his crew for a job well done. Thanks to workers Dan Raynor, Adam Pahnke, Chris LeBoutillier, and Max Boucher. Several other volunteers also lent their expertise to the project and wish to remain unacknowledged. Mimnaugh is donating the labor costs with the Guemes Island Community Center Association (GICCA) covering the cost of materials. Retired builder and resident, Bill Heft, worked with Adam to develop the plan and elevations. Bill was part of the crew that leveled and finished just over 10 yards of concrete.

Mimnaugh Excavation has been serving the Guemes Island community since 2003. Adam offers professional service for Guemes Island residents that includes general excavation, septic system installation and inspections, utilities, road building, and more. Adam and most of his employees live and work right here on Guemes Island. With their equipment here on the island, Adam has the ability to get whatever is needed to a job site minimizing delays and commute costs.
“Being an islander” means sharing your success and giving back to the community. Over the years Adam has employed many islanders and has donated equipment time, labor, and materials to a number of island community projects including the Stage Project at Schoolhouse Park, Kelly’s Point, and now the welcoming new entrance to our 107-year-old Community Center Hall.
The GICCA Board and the Guemes community wish to thank Adam and his crew and all the volunteers!

Photo and narrative provided by David Wertheimer
Paul Beaudet and David Wertheimer have been island residents since 1998 when they visited Guemes after reading Valerie Easton's article "The Secret Gardens of Guemes" in the Seattle Times. Paul and David purchased a home at Kelly's Point where they spent nearly every weekend since, commuting back to Seattle for work on weekdays. With David's retirement in 2019 and a shift to remote work during the pandemic, they now consider Guemes their permanent year-round home. Paul is the Executive Director of the Wilburforce Foundation, which works to protect and preserve North American wildlands. David retired after 13 years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he served in various roles on the Pacific Northwest team and as Director of Community & Civic Engagement. Both have been actively involved in island organizations over the years. Paul served on the Community Center board for 7 years, David served on the board of Friends of Guemes Island, is an occasional speaker at the Guemes Island Church, and both have been involved in various land conservation campaigns, including the efforts to save Guemes Mountain and to permanently protect Kelly's Point. David has also stepped in to serve as a Commissioner for the Guemes Island Fire Department after the tragic and untimely death of Frank Crawford. A few notes on Dog Woods: After years of walking past the wooded parcels on West Shore Road on a regular basis, Paul and David decided in 2020 to acquire 120 acres of woodlands, portions of which had, in the past, been heavily logged. The land is designated as forest land. They call the property "Dog Woods," both to honor the Samish history of the island as a place where this First Nation community raised their unique Woolly Dogs, and to celebrate the dogs that populate and enjoy the island today. Paul and David are working with local naturalists Peter Dunwiddie and Samantha ("Sam") Martin to learn more about the unique features of the Dog Woods environment, and to determine the best ways to nurture the forest lands and restore its full health. Their primary goals in the years ahead are to remove invasive weeds, restore and enhance the native plants, and maintain a trail network to welcome community access. In time, they plan to donate the land to Skagit Land Trust. (For additional information, see: https://guemesisland.info/dog-woods-trail/)
David and Paul planting paper birches at Dog Woods, a restoration forest (ARF!)
Photo Credit: Mary Lascelles
Dog Woods is truly becoming a community effort. There are numerous community members involved with Dog Woods that we'd like to acknowledge. These individuals include, (in no specific order):- Jimmie and Lu Lemieux (who are building the Dog Woods trail network)
- Rick Petrick
- John Hoenselaar
- Sam Barr and Eric Licata
- Manuel, Lynette, Ioanna, Elia and Aiden Mattke
- Jim, Joanne and Lisa Cieko
- Dyvon Havens and Jep Burdock
- Rebecca and Bud Ullman
- Terri and Joe Gaffney
- Barbara and Randy Schnabel
- Jeff Hale and Mary Parker-Hale
- Robert Olson
- Marc Beaudet

NOTE: The stalwart Odyssey has been repaired “good as new” and is safely tucked away, awaiting next year’s “moments.”

The GICCA Board welcomes its newest Board member, Tom Sternberg, who was recently appointed to fill the vacant Trustee position. Like many of us, Tom and his partner Virginia’s visits to Guemes grew into a desire for a peaceful, rural place to make their full-time home. The pandemic changed their work situations and working from home became the required option. A small tight-knit rural community with an active community center was just the place they were looking for.
Tom quickly made friends with neighbors and fellow ferry passengers. Community involvement is important to Tom and he was interested to learn more about our island organizations and activities. A recent opening on the GICCA Board provided him with the opportunity to bring his work and hobby experience to the Community Center Association. He answered the call and submitted a letter of interest. The GICCA Board voted unanimously to appoint Tom to the Board.
Currently a high-end web and software developer, Tom has also worked in the restaurant industry in both staff and management positions. He started his own commercial landscape business overseeing five condominium complexes. Acting as the general contractor, Tom built two homes and remodeled three in the Seattle area. These varied and useful skills will be invaluable to the Association and to our island community. Tom’s enthusiasm and willingness to be involved are his greatest assets. He has already hit the ground running and is helping to design GICCA’s new “sister” website that will feature the many artists of Guemes Island.
We welcome Tom and Virginia and their sweet dog, Trigger, to our community

In the recent CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) Newsletter, Public Health Matters, we are reminded that “the word community can mean different things." It can describe a geographic area, a group of people with shared interests, or a feeling of teamwork and fellowship.” At the core is YOU.
The Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR) is a part of the CDC and they outline ways that YOU can create community where you live. The following are excerpts and links from the CPR’s “create community” newsletter.
Care for Each Other – Take care of yourself and others.
The greatest strengths of a community might be its people and their relationships with each other. People who are personally prepared, invested, and socially connected are often better able to protect themselves and more willing and ready to help others through adversity.
Improve Access – Support the needs of the whole community.
Community health preparedness and resilience is not achieved until everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as prepared as possible. It is the shared responsibility of the whole community to find ways to make preparedness more inclusive, available, and achievable for everyone.
Lead by Example – Inspire others’ healthy behaviors.
Get in the habit of being a preparedness role model for your family and in your community. Modeling healthy behaviors, attitudes, and habits, like getting a seasonal flu vaccine and frequent handwashing, can inspire others to do the same.
Get Involved – Take action to help improve everyone’s health and resilience.
People who are resilient and ready to care for their neighbors can have positive and even life-saving impacts on their neighbors and in their communities at large. Response training and exercises, donations, and volunteerism are just a few of the many ways that you can help yourself and others prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency.
The Guemes Island Community Center Association has recently posted, on our website and on island bulletin boards, a list of our Top Ten Volunteer Opportunities. YOU can help to “create community.” There are many ways, even during a pandemic, to safely connect with or inspire others, to become more resilient, and to become more involved. Whether it is just neighbor helping neighbor or through greater involvement with island organizations, your efforts will build “community.”
Celebrate Guemes!
Save the Dates – May 28, 29 & 30
Celebrate Guemes with three days filled with art, music, community connections, and family activities.
Read the details HERE
On Saturday the Guemes Art Studio Tours return from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You drive the 11-stop studio route. Soup-To-Go will offer drive-through soup lunch for $5 at the Church from 11:30 - 1:30.
On Sunday the Community Stage Opening and day of music, food and drink begins at 11:00 AM until 8:30 PM at Schoolhouse Park. Let's keep this day local. Parking is tight so ride your bike. Shuttle service will be available from the Community Hall.
On Monday Edens Cemetery invites everyone to the annual Memorial Day observance at 10:00 AM. Pickleball at Schoolhouse Park with narrated play-by-play top player demo at 11:00 followed by friendly competition and new player instruction. Walking tours at Kelly's Point, Dogwoods, and Guemes Mountain with geology and native plant experts. See the link above for details
CERT Seeking HAM Radio Operators
The Guemes Island Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is in need of more HAM radio operators to join the CERT Radio Team.
Monthly on the 4th Thursday island HAMs and a group of FRS (family radio service) operators participate in an emergency communications net to test radio procedures. Net Control broadcasts from the Guemes Fire Hall to HAMs in four sectors who relay check-ins from a small network of FRS callers in their sectors.
In the event of a major disaster or areawide emergency, the Guemes Island Fire Chief may activate CERT. If land lines and cell phones are not functioning, HAM and FRS radios may be the only means of communication. The Guemes Island CERT Radio Team may be called upon to assist with communications while coordinating with the Guemes Fire Department to get emergency services to those in need.
You must be licensed to operate a HAM radio and to receive your individual call sign. The study course can be taken online and tests are available locally. Knowledge of Morse Code is no longer mandatory so the exam is not difficult with proper preparation.
If are interested in becoming a HAM operator or you are already licensed and wish to join the radio team, please contact Barb Ohms at barbaraohms@gmail.com or cell 303-521-9094. Additional FRS operators are also welcome to join the team.
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.
Pickleball on Guemes
Skagit County Parks asked that we remind folks to protect the new surface of the court; it is for feet with shoes and not for wheels or dogs. Please no bikes or skateboards.
A storage cabinet on the north side of the court is intended to store paddles, balls, portable nets, and a broom. It will have a small combination lock to keep things secure (but no treasure, cash, rare artifacts, or valuables will be found inside).
GICCA Stage Project Progress








Links:
- FULL SLIDESHOW - Stage Progress, "Through the Years"
- Stage timeline – August 2009 to January 2022
- Stage references/history from GICCA minutes November 2011 through January 2022
GICCA maintains a master list of names of stage volunteers, donors, and business partners. The list continues to grow - thank you! GICCA looks forward to publicly acknowledging all the hard-working and generous volunteers, donors, and business partners in conjunction with a well-deserved and long-awaited community celebration at project conclusion.
The Long Road to Permitting the Stage
Anyone who has built on Guemes Island or in Skagit County knows that the permitting process is long, tedious, and expensive. That was certainly the case for GICCA's Schoolhouse Park Stage.
The permitting process for this long-running project began in 2012. Mark Linnemann was the first of four project managers. A Pre-Development application is required prior to receiving a building permit. The Stage Project site was determined to be adjacent to a wetland and therefore in a Protected Critical Area (PCA) requiring a Critical Area Review. Mark and then GICCA President, Julie Pingree hired the necessary consultants to complete the review.
In the Pre-Development Meeting Notes, GICCA was told that in order to comply with the Rural Reserve zoning requirements of the project property and to allow for public events, a Special Use Permit must be obtained along with a designation as a Community Park. Special Use Permits also require review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
The first three-year building permit was issued on Oct 5, 2012 with conditions to complete mitigation within the adjacent wetland buffer zone and with the requirement that GICCA must obtain a Special Use Permit.
The building permit was renewed in 2015 by then President, Kathleen Phillips and extended for another three years. After a final six-month grace period, the permit expired. A new building permit was obtained on April 22, 2019 by then-president, Barb Ohms.
Work began in earnest to complete the project and work through the very tedious tasks of completing the Special Use Permit Application and the painstaking SEPA Checklist, obtaining a Reciprocal Agreement with Skagit County Parks & Recreation (SCPR), another Pre-Development meeting with the County Planning Dept., and in March of 2021, filing the required documents, site plans, parking plans, and landscaping plans. Special thanks to the GICCA Board for their many hours of work on this process. GICCA also paid the required application fee to the County of $4925.
Public notices were published and posted that opened the public comment periods for the SEPA determination, the proposed land-use change, and the announcement of the required Hearing Examiner's Hearing for the Special Use Permit. GICCA President, Barb Ohms addressed the Hearing Examiner and was available to answer any questions or concerns from the community. No concerns were presented.
On November 3, 2021, the Skagit County Hearing Examiner approved GICCA's Special Use Permit, with conditions. The complete document of determination can be viewed here.
The building permit final inspection required fulfilling several mitigation conditions in the wetland buffer zone. Stockpiled soil has been removed. All disturbed soils have been either hydroseeded or graveled. Native conifers have been planted. The County has accepted our mitigation measures and on November 9, 2021 GICCA passed the final building inspection. The occupancy permit is forthcoming.
Before celebrations can begin, all conditions of the Special Use Permit must be met. The ADA walkway and ADA parking places are still to be completed. The GICCA Board is working diligently to find the quickest option. Contractor schedules and unfavorable weather are the biggest obstacles at this time.
Please be patient. This project has taken over 10 years since the dream began taking shape. Plans are in the works for an opening celebration when the weather improves for an outdoor event. ALL volunteers, donors, and community partners will be recognized at that time. Please see the Stage Slideshow on this site for a few photos from beginning to end.
GICCA has formed a committee to begin planning the Stage opening event. Please email 4gicca@gmail.com if you would like to participate in the planning.
COVID-Safe Ways to Volunteer
Volunteering is not only helpful to others it is rewarding for you and good for your mental health. GICCA has many suggestions for COVID-safe volunteering.
GICCA’s Virtual Lecture Series is seeking one or two volunteers to help coordinate and manage group presentations on Zoom.
We have several interesting speakers lined up, but we need a Zoom leader to help make these a positive experience for both speakers and attendees. If you are interested, please 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, please click below to subscribe.
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.
Heart-Felt Thanks
To the doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacy and other medical workers, police officers, home-care workers, grocery store personnel, delivery people, transit workers, airline workers, and anyone who serves the public .....
Thank you for your bravery, dedication, and sacrifice during the COVID crisis.
You are truly heroes!
And to all of you who are continuing to heed the advice of health experts - getting vaccinated and masking-up when recommended/required ... we applaud you as well!
Thank you for demonstrating respect for others and for doing the right thing!
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
Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of AmazonSmile purchases to their customers' chosen charitable organization. Guemes Island Community Center Association is registered on AmazonSmile. So, if you’re already shopping anyway, why not let Amazon make a small donation to GICCA - at no additional cost to you or GICCA!
How does it work?
- Click on the AmazonSmile box (right) which brings you to the AmazonSmile GICCA page
(you might want to bookmark that page to easily find it again). - Sign in to Amazon as usual.
- Then, just shop as you normally would!
Click here to see how much you have made GICCA smile. Thank you!