The Anacortes Boys & Girls Club is looking for a new home as the Washington National Guard ramps up its presence at the 22nd Street facility.
Capt. Keith Kosik, public affairs officer for the Washington National Guard, said this fall they expect to have about 150 citizen soldiers stationed here. The increase from roughly 30 people now comes as the National Guard works with constrained resources.
He said the Guard has looked at strategic stationing moves over the past three years, consolidating armories elsewhere across the state.
Less space means it’s time for the Boys & Girls Club to move on.
David Conover, chief professional officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County, said the National Guard offered an alternative arrangement that would give the club a smaller space, but it just wasn’t a sustainable option for the club.
“We’re thankful for their commitment to try to make this work beyond Oct. 1,” he said.
Medical marijuana users may soon have a new option to grow their own cannabis if the city OKs a new ordinance regulating collective gardens.
The Anacortes Planning Commission got its first look at proposed new medical marijuana collective garden regulations at its meeting last week. The draft includes what zones gardens could be allowed in, proximity to places like schools and parks, and security and licensing requirements.
The City Council previously approved a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries and a six-month extension as the city works to regulate them. The moratorium is set to expire in September.
Planners last week recommended several changes to the proposal after discussion. The ordinance, along with the planning panel’s recommendations, will go to the City Council next for approval.
To date, the city has received just one written comment. Two people spoke at the May 9 Planning Commission meeting.
With no additional funding cuts coming out of the recent legislative session, the Anacortes School District is preparing to cut about $1.5 million from its budget over the next two years.
District leaders knew the big cuts were coming.
Lisa Matthews, business and finance director, said the cuts are essentially related to prior years when the district absorbed federal and state cuts. It was able to defer the impacts of the cuts by using state money for additional unbudgeted enrollment and other funding it set aside.
The Anacortes Planning Commission last week OK’d a parking variation for the Majestic Inn and Spa.
The applicant requested varying the minimum number of off-street parking spaces required for the hotel’s expansion. The ground floor at 401 Commercial Ave. is expected to have about 2,000 square feet of commercial space with up to 30 rooms above.
Island Hospital hosted the first patient-specific partial knee replacement east of the Mississippi in March. The first one in the nation happened just a few weeks earlier.
The operation is a leap forward in the field of joint surgery. It involves less time on the operating table, a tailored fit for the patient, and promises longer-lasting success over traditional partial knee replacements.
“We can’t do brain surgery here, but this is just another example of how we do state-of-the-art work in a lot of areas right here in Anacortes,” said Dr. Richard Williamson, the surgeon who performed and helped develop the operation.
He used magnetic resonance imaging to create a model of the patient’s leg bones. Then laser-centered, aircraft-grade prototype technology was used to construct precise prosthetic knee parts in Belgium.
The recipient of the team’s labors was George Johnson of Arlington, a liquor store clerk who decided to make use of his accumulated sick leave before he is laid off June 1 when the Liquor Control Board ends its retail sales business.
Johnson said his wife has been encouraging him to have his left knee replaced for nearly 10 years. His condition is the result of high impact high school and college sports, plus 34 years installing floor coverings, from 1972 to 2006, he said.
Golf is Johnson’s main pastime, and he said several years ago pain in his knee landed him in a golf cart.
“I have to ride, but I’ve always walked,” he said.
Lately, Johnson hasn’t even been out to the course, but he signed up for a July tournament in Reno with a childhood friend, as motivation to have the surgery and make a full recovery.
“I’m feeling good enough that I’m thinking of swinging a golf club soon,” he said.
The Anacortes School Board recently OK’d calendars for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years.
The first day of school this fall is Wednesday, Sept. 5 for most students. Kindergartners start Monday, Sept. 10. The last day is Tuesday, June 19 next year.
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