Carol was born in Washington DC and her family moved to southern California when she was a child. Carol and Howard met as teenagers while attending rival high schools in the Los Angeles area. Howard still speaks fondly of seeing the young blue-eyed beauty in the blue dress and Carol remembers his black convertible automobile, the dream of every southern California teen at the time. The couple found their soul mates in each other and married at age 20. Their family grew as they moved from California to Washington state with a brief stint in Alaska. Carol and Howard’s five boys still live in Washington, all east of Lake Washington.

Carol fell in love with Guemes Island in the late ’70s and she convinced Howard that they should purchase property on North Shore in 1979. After a career in administration at Evergreen Hospital, Carol was the first to retire and she moved to their new home on the island. Howard’s retirement followed in 1999 when he ended his long career as a senior agent with the IRS. The Pelletts wasted no time getting involved in the community and making many new friends. Howard credits Carol with setting the stage for their many years of service to the island.

The Guemes Island Property Owners Association (GIPOA) was an established island organization in need of new leadership. The Pelletts stepped in and have carried forward GIPOA’s work as a 501(c)(4) non-profit for over 20 years. GIPOA oversees the Betty Crookes Guemes Gold Scholarship Program that was formerly sponsored by the Guemes Women’s Club. Guemes students are recognized for their scholastic achievement and awarded scholarships that are funded by donations from individuals and organizations. Proceeds from the Fall Festival also help to fund this worthwhile program. Howard and Carol will hopefully pass the torch to new leaders as they step down from GIPOA this summer.

Shortly after Carol’s arrival on Guemes she saw the need for a library on the island. The ferry runs ended in the early evening and residents longed for access to a local library. Carol and Howard took on the challenge and helped raise the $40,000 it took to build a library addition onto the Community Hall. The Guemes Library is now brimming with books and resources and dreaming of future expansion. This 501(c)(3) library is run by a nine-member library board of which Carol is the president and Howard, treasurer. These positions are also being vacated, leaving big shoes to be filled.

Carol worked for 16 years as the secretary for the Guemes Island Fire Department. Howard again helped with fundraising that paid for the solar panels on both the Fire Hall and the Guemes Church. In past years they both served on the boards of the Guemes Island Environmental Trust (GIET) and the Guemes Island Community Center Association (GICCA). Carol can be found at the Church on most Wednesdays with a quilting group that stitches handmade quilts for donation to charities. She is seldom without her knitting and it is a lucky person who has a pair of her handknitted socks.

The Pelletts will continue their involvement with the Guemes Chamber Music Series. Carol serves on the board as treasurer. Howard helped facilitate gaining 501(c)(3) status for this organization and he also serves as a current board member.

With Carol’s love and support, Howard was able to overcome some personal challenges in his life. This led him to his volunteer work as a group facilitator with SMART Recovery, a self-management and recovery training program for alcoholics. For many years Howard traveled weekly to the Monroe Correctional Complex in Monroe, WA and the Criminal Justice Center in Everett where he counseled inmates. Howard no longer travels for this work but he continues facilitating SMART Recovery at a weekly meeting in Anacortes. He feels that helping people find their own path to recovery can be a lasting solution.

The Guemes community thanks Carol and Howard for their many years of dedicated service and for setting a high bar for community involvement.

Kathy Whitman first came to Guemes in 1973 when she and her sister purchased a tiny cabin in Holiday Hideaway. Her two kids and husband loved the shared cabin, enjoying many hours on the beach. After Kathy’s husband died, she had to develop a new plan for her life and in 2018 made the choice to make Guemes Island her full-time home. She enjoys outside activities including volunteering as a steward for the San Juan Preservation Trust at the Peach Preserve. Kathy shares her love and talent for art by hosting Guemes Casual Art groups at her home. Both of her sisters now have their own homes or cabins on the island.

Kathy earned two degrees from UW in Art and in Recreation plus continued education in financial management, art skills, diversity, risk management, and organization. Her background in grant award review, grant writing, fundraising, and creative marketing will be valuable assets to the GICCA Board and our future work for the Guemes community.

Mary Hale and her husband Jeff are life-long Washingtonians who moved to Guemes Island in 2017 after raising their two children and retiring. Drawn to Guemes’ beauty and sense of community, they readily embraced island life as full-time residents. Besides giving back to the community, Mary hopes to share her experience from having worked 28 years at the University of Washington. Her work there involved, among other things, administering multiple budgets, coordinating numerous events, and authoring a  web site. Mary says she especially enjoyed the challenge of crunching numbers, staying organized, and paying close attention to details.

Mary views the Community Center as a positive gathering place for recreational, educational, and social activities—all of which foster a sense of belonging here—and, to that end, she sees the GICCA Board member’s role as striving to be a good steward of this valuable asset.

When Mary isn’t on a walkabout in nature, she enjoys volunteering at the Library, attending Historical Society events, supporting the Skagit Land Trust, and being involved in fun activities such as the Dog Island Dog Show, Luminary Parade, and Fourth of July Parade.

We welcome Kathy and Mary as the newest members of the 2020 GICCA Board.

Our fast-paced, consumer-based, productivity-oriented culture can foster a disconnect from nature and from people/community. Our personal well-being is strengthened when we allow ourselves to slow down and connect with nature and those around us. Being purposeful about investing in and caring for the environment is an aspect of investing in and caring for people, as well as place. A uniquely purposeful investment is to become part of a stewardship program.

“To steward” is to care for, protect, and guide. Several local organizations offer stewardship opportunities. Their missions vary but a common theme is to connect people to nature and to each other in order to protect and preserve our environment. The following is a list of Guemes Islanders currently aligned with stewardship programs, either formally or informally.

Skagit Land Trust (Guemes properties: Anderson property, Kelly’s Point, Guemes Mountain & Valley)- see also last month’s Featured Neighbor articleVolunteers listed below live on Guemes unless noted otherwise

• Ian Woofenden
• John Strathman
• Tony Allison
• Karen Lamphere
• Tim Alaniz
• Ralph Mendershausen
• Dave Rogers
• Phil Fenner
• Ed Gastellum - Anacortes
• Elaina Thompson – Vendovi Island
• Thyatira Thompson – Vendovi Island

 San Juan Preservation Trust (Guemes properties: Peach Preserve, Guemes Mountain)

• Randy and Barbara Schnabel
• Kathy Whitman

 Skagit Marine Resources (Salish Sea Stewards)

• Phyllis Bravinder
• Darla Gay Smith
• Anne Casperson
• Dixon Elder

We can all be stewards by respecting the integrity of nature and doing our part to care for the environment. Respecting and caring for our natural world ultimately serves to strengthen all elements of society. When humanity assimilates this perspective and lives accordingly, both place and people (and all living things) will thrive at their highest potential. 

“The greatest threat to our environment is the belief that someone else will take care of it.” – Unknown

A HUGE thank-you to the Guemes Island stewards (past, present, formal and informal) who demonstrate their devotion to place, providing an example of how we can all help the environment (and each other) thrive!

In 2007, 70 acres in private ownership atop Guemes Mountain were put up for sale. Guemes community leaders rallied island residents and conservation organizations for the Save the Mountain campaign. In 2009, the money was raised and the property was purchased by the SLT. Including the surrounding conservation easement held by the San Juan Preservation Trust, 580 acres of private and public land is now protected on Guemes Mountain.

In 2015, with continued support from generous families, individuals, and foundations, the SLT’s Guemes Forever campaign reached its fundraising goal for the purchase of an additional 9.5 acres adjacent to the Guemes Mountain property. Raised funds also go toward outreach to Guemes landowners who own properties with high conservation value.

The Guemes Forever campaign’s efforts continue toward the final goal of funding stewardship needs and trail work on the SLT’s protected land on our island.

In 2018, more than 425 families, organizations, and businesses donated funds that made possible SLT’s purchase of 27 acres and 3,000 feet of shoreline that comprise the Kelly’s Point Conservation Area. This treasured beach and wildlife area is now protected for all to enjoy.

These achievements are a testament to our community’s love of place and what can be accomplished when we work together as partners toward a common goal.

Cheryl moved to Washington from West Virginia where for twelve years she produced The RiverHouse Concert Series and later The Blue Moon Sundays Concert Series. She was the Music Director for the West Virginia Wine & Arts Festival and also helped produce The Mountain Stage NewSong Festival. On farms, in homes, cafes, and teahouses Cheryl’s productions focused on bringing the community together to enjoy music in a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. Her graphic arts expertise adds a professional flair to every 4 Chicks’ event.

Libby is the support and logistics person that every great team relies upon whether it’s for housing the musicians, managing the hospitality and promotion or staging the room. Her husband Tony and son Max round out the crew that helps produce these events.

Lorrie is a dancer who began with ballet then taught dance in Anacortes for 37 years. In 2001 she started the Fidalgo DanceWorks studio that is now a thriving non-profit that promotes the art of dance. Classes are offered to students of all ages and abilities from age three to seniors with genres from tumbling to belly dancing with everything (ballet, African, tap, jazz, modern, swing, hip hop) in between. Two years ago Lorrie retired from the studio and now focuses on her second love, promoting horsemanship on Guemes Island. She can often be seen riding her horse along Guemes Island Road. Lorrie brings her passion for promoting the arts to Guemes Island through her participation in the 4 Chicks’ productions.

Suzie’s love of music is a family affair. Her fiddle playing and that of her father, George Park, along with husband Mike’s guitar picking have gotten many feet a-tappin’ here on the island. Suzie brought her friend, Cowboy Poet Dick Warwick, to Guemes on several occasions. After attending a Brian Bowers concert in Mount Vernon with Cheryl and Lorrie, the production collaboration began and The 4 Chicks were born.

From another Dick Warwick show to our own Guemes Island Brian Bowers concert then the American Fingerstyle Guitarists, islanders can look forward to the next 4 Chicks’ down-home production –The Gothard Sisters at the Community Hall on Saturday, September 14. See details on myguemes.org.

 

The problem with plastic is that we produce, use and discard far more than we can manage. Much plastic waste is mismanaged. Worldwide, 8 million metric tons of plastic finds its way into the oceans every year. That’s a garbage truck every minute. By 2050, there will be as much plastic in the oceans (by weight) as fish. A million sea birds and 100,000 sea mammals and turtles are killed by plastic trash in the ocean every year. Microplastics (bits of plastic less than 5mm) have been found in bottled drinking water, shellfish, finned fish, sea salt, even in the air in the Pyrenees mountains, 100 miles from the nearest town. And, yes, it is found in human poop. We eat, drink, and inhale plastic every day. It is believed to be toxic. 

In 2018, China stopped accepting plastic waste from other countries. That was a game-changer. Much of the plastic we dutifully deposited in our blue bins was baled up and sent to China. They don’t want our trash anymore. So, recyclers like Waste Management are scrambling to find other markets for plastic (somewhere else to send it). Much is sent to developing countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and India where 80% of plastic is mismanaged – incinerated, land-filled, or illegally dumped. Recyclers in the U.S. are forced to landfill or incinerate plastic they can’t find a market for. Six times as much plastic is incinerated in the United States as is recycled! 

My interest in plastic pollution was triggered on a trip to the gorgeous islands of Raja Ampat in West Papua, Indonesia in 2016. Before that, I didn’t think much about my own plastic consumption. I used whatever I wanted, figuring it was okay as long as I tossed my plastic into the recycling bin when I was done with it. In Sorong, a city of 100,000, I saw plastic containers all over the streets and canals so choked with plastic garbage it was hard to see any water. There were discarded plastic water cups and bottles everywhere. There are no blue bins there, no big trucks to collect the waste and take it away. On the beautiful island where we stayed, home to some of the most biodiverse coral reefs in the world, resort staff cleaned the beach of plastic debris early each morning before guests arose to see it. I kayaked to the other side of the island only to find a beautiful beach covered with plastic trash. It was a shocker!

I’ve started to look for ways in which I can do my small bit to deal with plastic pollution. I’ve educated myself by reading articles online and visiting websites. I discovered a non-profit called Ocean Legacy, based near Vancouver, B.C., that collects marine debris from remote beaches and recycles as much of it as possible. My wife Deb and I visited the Ocean Legacy warehouse last November and spent a day sorting tons of plastic trash – everything from rope, floats and other fishing gear, drink bottles, plastic barrels, disposable lighters, straws, tires – you name it. I kept in touch with the organization and in June I joined them on a beach cleaning expedition near Bamfield, B.C. on the west coast of Vancouver Island. For 6 days, I boulder-hopped and crawled under salal at the high-tide line to recover plastic trash that had washed ashore. We filled at least thirty 2-yard “super sacks” with junk. The days were long and exhausting. But it was also quite inspiring to hang out with a dozen fearless millennials who love the ocean and hate to see it trashed.

 

 

Of course, plastic is not just a problem in far-away places. I've picked up plenty of plastic bags, water bottles, and miscellaneous plastic waste from Guemes Island beaches. So, in my small way, here are a few things I'm doing to reduce plastic waste in my little corner of the world:

• Working with others to help ban lightweight plastic shopping bags in Anacortes and at the state level.
• I feed wild birds. I’ve accumulated a pile of colorful woven polypropylene bags that once contained sunflower seeds. Friends give me chicken feed and other bags.  They aren’t recyclable.  So, I repurpose them.  I watched YouTube videos, learned how to operate a sewing machine and have made at least 50 reusable, strong, washable grocery totes.  You may see islanders carrying them on the ferry or around town.
• Deb and I try to avoid single-use plastic packaging whenever possible. Of course, we bring reusable bags to market, refusing wasteful, needless single-use plastic bags.  We try to buy stuff packed in glass bottles or jars or in steel cans (big sigh… unfortunately, cans are usually coated with plastic on the inside!) or wrapped in paper.  I was buying food for our little dog, which came in small polypropylene containers.  I switched to dog food that comes in steel cans. I found ketchup in glass bottles (remember those?) at Smart Food Service Warehouse Store (formerly Cash and Carry). I buy olive oil in gallon steel cans to avoid plastic jugs. We take reusable, washable small bags to the supermarket to put produce in, or don’t bag produce at all.
• If I see a product that is packaged in plastic, I sometimes write the producer and ask them to consider ditching the plastic. I won't buy until they do!
• We take a stainless steel container with us to restaurants and fill it with leftovers instead of taking a polystyrene carry-out container provided by the restaurant.
• I take a reusable cup to Starbucks for coffee. They give me a $.10 discount.  To-go coffee cups are plastic-lined paper and not recyclable around here.  The disposable lids are polypropylene plastic, also not recyclable.
• I don’t buy bottled water or soda. At best, those bottles are “down-cycled” to make carpeting or fleece, but ultimately are destined for the landfill.  I use a refillable water bottle.  Lots of places will allow you to refill it for free (Starbucks is one). Plastic drink bottles are a top item found on beach cleanups.
• We don’t use single-use plastic drinking straws.
• Deb makes re-usable beeswax wraps which we use instead of plastic film for food storage.
• We used to buy ice cream in plastic tubs. A friend gave us an ice cream maker so now we enjoy ice cream without the plastic waste - and we don't have to worry about it melting in the ferry line!

 

I’m old enough to remember when plastic wasn’t nearly so pervasive. Pop bottles were heavy glass, returnable, and as kids we collected them and returned them to the store for money. Milk came in a paper carton without a stupid plastic spout on the side. Meat was wrapped in butcher paper, not sitting on a Styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic film. We had drinking fountains and steel canteens, not plastic water bottles. I dunno, maybe we were dehydrated all the time? 

That’s my plastic story. What’s yours?There's so much we can all do to help reduce plastic waste. The world needs LESS plastic! 

We invite you to tell us your story/share your plastic reduction tips. We'd like to compile tips from islanders and share them (anonymously) on our website. Taking action to reduce plastic waste begins by raising awareness and re-thinking our purchases. You can help!

Cedar Petrick, 5253 South Shore Drive, is open weekends throughout the summer offering a variety of vegetables and flowers. Chicken and duck eggs are also available.

Chris Damarjian (pictured on the left above), 7001 Guemes Island Road, stocks her stand on Friday mornings with organic vegetables and fruit. She often sells out by the end of the day. Check back over the weekend for late additions and flower bouquets. Also, handmade beeswax food wraps.

Tom Deach’s Garden on Edens (pictured on the right above), 4623 Edens Road, sells vegetables and flowers and stocks the farm cart by the road during the week as things are harvested. The proceeds benefit Carol Deach’s Jamaican children’s education program.

If you need fresh homegrown eggs, you need only drive the “egg route” around the island until you find an egg stand that still has a dozen for sale. Mimnaugh’s on Paradise Lane, Davelaar’s and Petrick’s on South Shore Drive west of the Store, (if the sign is out) Horneman’s on Edens Road east of Deach’s farm stand, the farmhouse on Eden’s Road at Section Ave, or Stamper’s north on Section Ave.

A Guemes frittata of just picked greens and fresh eggs can be on your menu if you hit the stands early. If you miss out, the Anacortes Farmer’s Market runs every Saturday morning until October 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Depot at 7th and R Streets in Anacortes.

 

Following a 14-year military career in the Navy, which brought him to Whidbey Island, Rick Norrie joined the Island County Sheriff’s Office in 1987. He was introduced to Renee Van Iterson, daughter of the late Ria Foster, and Guemes Island, where Renee was raised. It was love at first sight on both accounts. Renee and Rick married and began living on Guemes fulltime in 1993. 

Rick was schooled in woodworking and construction by his father-in-law, master craftsman Tony Foster, who Rick says “could pretty much  build anything.” He enjoys working in his shop doing woodturning and learning when he is not volunteering or working in his private investigative business doing background checks. 

During his 31 years in law enforcement, he became a drug-recognition expert and was nationally recognized for his ability to spot symptoms of drug and alcohol impairment. He traveled across the state promoting drug education and early intervention. Rick retired in June 2018. 

Wanting to give back to the community that “has benefitted my family so much,” Rick joined the volunteer Guemes Island Fire Department and has already taken the strenuous firefighting course and plans to take the challenging EMT course this fall. 

When he learned about the need for construction and constructive management of the stage project, he again volunteered his services. Rick’s goals for the stage project are to realign the project, improve communication, and overcome adversity and conflict so that the community can work together to accomplish short-term and long-term goals in a reasonable time frame. With a positive and inclusive attitude, he states, “I want to help the community achieve its dream.” 

Please contact Rick Norrie at 360-661-5770 with questions or to volunteer.

 

Eight years ago, when my husband, Kurt, and I first set foot on Guemes to look at a house for sale, like so many others before us, we didn’t know the island existed. This seems crazy given that my father had grown up in Anacortes and I had spent my formative years visiting family in the area. But despite that fact, it took us precisely one trip around the island with Karen Everett to become smitten with this haven. We loved our home in West Seattle and had no plans to leave but here we are celebrating nearly two years as full-timers in our happy place. We are fortunate that our jobs allow us the flexibility to work remotely, of which we are taking full advantage. I have been with A Place for Mom, a senior care referral company, for nine years and am enjoying a new role as a coach to our partner support team. Kurt is celebrating 17 years as a residential home mortgage lender with an office in Anacortes.

 

Thanks to my extroverted husband and some fan-freaking-tastic neighbors (island-wide) I have quickly come to appreciate the joy of community. You have to experience it to understand and I feel incredibly grateful for that gift. In fact, I have my community to thank for encouraging me to become a licensed Zumba Gold instructor which has been an unexpected source of tremendous joy for me. Dance has always been an outlet for me and I’m grateful to be able to share it in a way that is simple, silly AND SO GOOD FOR YOU.

  

My favorite feedback came from a new Zumba participant after her first class when she said, “I wanted to apologize for laughing at you, but oh my gosh, your face (expressions)!” So come and dance and sweat and laugh at me! Or better yet, laugh at yourself. Life is too short to take ourselves so seriously.