APF News
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Today's Date: Saturday, May 25, 2013
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Showing 16-20 of 21 total entries. Monday, October 25, 2010
Trustees Appointed to APF Board
The Anacortes Parks Foundation is pleased to announce the appointments of John Tursi, Michele Pope, and Frank McCoy to it's Board of Trustees. "The Foundation is excited about the appointments" states Doug Colglazier, President. "Each has an enviable record of accomplishments that complement the many parks and recreation programs that we support. Since our beginning in 1994, we have spent almost 2.4 million of donated dollars on Fidalgo and Guemes Island projects. We believe that our new Trustees will help us to do even more as we work to fulfill our mission." JOHN TURSI, HONORARY TRUSTEE
 MICHELE POPE, TRUSTEESince moving to Anacortes in 1992 with her husband and four children, Michele has been an active community volunteer. She was founding president of both Mt. Erie Elementary and Anacortes Middle School PTA's. While her children were young she coached girls softball, soccer and basketball teams and then moved on to volunteer as the back stage manager for many theater productions at the Anacortes Community Theater. Involved in OARS since 1998, she has served as secretary and president. She was the assistance coach for the Venture Troop 4081 High School rowing team for 9 years, helping them procure a 26' longboat. Recently Michele lead a successful fundraising effort for the Tommy Thompson Trestle repair. Currently she is active in the Anacortes Small Boat Center effort.  FRANK MCCOY, TRUSTEEFrank McCoy has been an Anacortes Resident since 2002. He retired in 1995 as the City of Spokane's Director of Parks, Recreation, Golf and Human Services. Previously, he was Parks and Recreation Director in both Franklin Park, Illinois and Newberg, Oregon. He has a BA from Texas A&M University and a Masters Degree in Parks and Recreation Management from the University of Oregon. He and his wife, Betty Anne, have two married daughters and four grandchildren. He is an active boater and Past Commodore of the Flounder Bay Yacht Club at Skyline. He is a volunteer on the maintenance committee at the Gentry House Skagit Adult Day Care facility, and at the Red Door Thrift Shop. He is also a member of Christ Episcopal Church. Besides boating, he enjoys walking through the Anacortes Parks, Forestlands and trails.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Kiwanis Meadows Complete!
Anacortes Parks Foundation Trustees are awed at the popularity of the new facility at Kiwanis Meadows, with the playfield and basketball court finished and in use! As many as 800 youth are using the soccer fields every Saturday! Doug Colglazier was the project manager and did an amazing job seeing this project through to fruition, with the final costs savings to the City of well over $300,000. Thanks, Doug!!
The new state-of-the-art children's play equipment is an awesome addition to the Kiwanis Meadows playfield. It's tons of fun for the little ones and parents alike. Come out to the park and give it a whirl!
Monday, November 30, 2009
What is SHIP?
 The Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve, known as "SHIP," is an APF project designed to:
It is located between the Washington State Ferry Terminal on the west and residential developments near the cul de sac at Edwards Way on the east. In addition to the 25 acres of freshwater wetlands, there are also five acres of upland habitat and 2,000 feet of sandy beach and subtidal eelgrass beds. It is a rich and interesting area, with an abundance of plants and wildlife. Here great blue herons stalk their lunch, wrens and sparrows sing, small mammals scurry for shelter, Dungeness crabs raise their young, and hawks and sea gulls survey land and sea. The area is important to the general environment, providing habitat and protecting the quality of the water in the wetland and in adjacent marine areas. .JPG) Some 2 million visitors pass through the Washington State ferry terminal annually, with many enjoying the adjacent beach and wetlands. In addition, there is increasing residential and commercial development in the area…the two causing increased foot traffic in the wetland, with informal trails threatening sensitive plants and wildlife. SHIP proposes to control this situation by providing public access by means of a defined trail system that will be both protective of particularly sensitive areas and provide environmental education about the role and significance of the beach and wetlands. It will also provide better public access to the wetlands and beach areas. Participants, including the Anacortes Park Foundation (coordinating the effort), City of Anacortes, Western Washington University’s Shannon Point Marine Center, the Anacortes School District, Evergreen Islands, the Port of Anacortes, Washington State Ferry Service, and a group of local citizens.
Monday, November 30, 2009
SHIP Project Status
Construction of SHIP is broken into three phases. Phase 1 is comprised of nearly 1,800 feet of 5 foot ADA approved compressed gravel path from the cul de sac, with observation platforms, benches, interpretive nodes, shoreline access and signage. Construction for this phase began in September 2010, and will be completed by year's end. Phase 2 is a 1,020 feet 6 foot boardwalk trail that extends the project into the wetlands and further west towards the ferry terminal where it will eventually link with the WSDOT link to the ferry terminal. It will also have shoreline access points, interpretive nodes, bump outs and interpretive signage. The CIty of Anacortes has budgeted $275,000 in 2011 to complete this phase. Current planning would involve assistance from APF to provide project management and volunteer labor if needed. Phase 3 is an outdoor teaching station and shelter with room for 30 students or visitors. It will have a natural floor, single wall to display materials, and perhaps a station to use educational programs by the SHIP Advisory Committee. Unfortunately this structure cannot be built until the issues with developers at the Edwards Way are satisfied. This would probably be a volunteer phase of the project. Owned by the City of Anacortes, the Parks and Recreation Department, under the capable leadership of Gary Robinson, (also an APF Trustee) has the responsibility for completing the project. While SHIP continues to be monitored by its founder, Anacortes Parks Foundation, it is under the umbrella of the Parks Board, an advisory council for the City Parks and Recreation Department. Because the purpose of the project has to do with education, environmental protection, and public access concerns, a special committee consisting of naturalists, educators and scientists has been appointed to provide guidance on management of SHIP activities and programs. This body is under the capable leadership of Dr. Mark Backlund who has been a loyal and active member of the SHIP program since it began in 1995. Original project plans included a formal trail system from the Washington State Ferry Terminal where ferry riders often visit the wetlands and beachfront. When built, SHIP will attract even more from the ferry terminal to the interpretive trail and beach while awaiting their ferries. While WSDOT originally agreed to construct the trail link on the western terminal with an ADA access trail, it lost its funding and users will continue to use informal trails from the terminal as they have in the past until funds are available. The Mayor of Anacortes and others continue to work with WSDOT to restore funding. Trail planning at the eastern terminal has been problematical because of developer issues. While the City continues to work with developers, SHIP will use temporary trails to access the formal section of the trail. We invite the reader to keep this site on your “favorites” list and watch for developments. Not only do we anticipate the beginning of construction on Phase 1 in early 2010, the City of Anacortes and the APF Board is taking a new look at ways to attract funding to complete Phase 2, and will be looking for help.
Monday, November 30, 2009
History of Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve
Many readers will remember the early efforts to create SHIP by many volunteers and financial supporters. Many hours were spent laying the foundation for a project that would benefit an endangered ecosystem, and at the same time provide an outdoor classroom for students and the public to learn about the biota and history of Ship Harbor wetlands and shoreline. Anacortes Parks Foundation has included a short history on the project, believing the public might like to know something about the origin and early planning of SHIP. In late 1997, Gale Brink, Commissioner for the Port of Anacortes approached Jim Falk, President of Anacortes Parks Foundation to see if it was interested in developing a wetlands interpretive center at Ship Harbor. The Foundation expressed an interest and formed a Steering Committee led by Jim Falk with Dr. Mark Backlund representing the environmental community and Evergreen Islands, Dr. Steven Sulkin, Director, Shannon Point Marine Center representing the education and scientific disciplines, and Gale Brink representing the public. The Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve (SHIP) was born.  The project was accepted and funds were sought from State and other agencies to initially plan the effort. Some 60 volunteers rolled up their sleeves and inventoried animal and plant life, studied hydrology, researched social and economic history, planned a trail system that would best protect the ecosystem, looked for 'best ways' to educate local students and the public, and....began a search for funds. Working partners were Shannon Point Marine Center, City of Anacortes, Port of Anacortes, Samish Indian Nation, Washington State Ferry System, Evergreen Islands, Washington State Department of Ecology, Anacortes School District, and most importantly...the general public. The Steering Committee, with some 60 volunteers worked continuously for several years on the functions of trail planning, funding, education, site photography, wild and plant life inventories, and hydrology monitoring projects. Some $76,000 in grants and in-kind donations was raised for brochures, planning, engineering, and other infrastructure needs. Volunteers however, were constantly frustrated with problems of property ownership, developer/permit issues, environmental and other concerns, and it wasn't until until Gilbane, a qualified developer agreed to purchase the property from the Port of Anacortes and donate the wetlands to the City that real progress was made. Gilbane, a environmentally-friendly developer, also doubled its residential impact obligation to the City with funding to go to SHIP. By this time, Anacortes Parks Foundation had obtained a Shoreline Permit for the project and applauded the transfer of the property to the City of Anacortes allowing SHIP to be developed. The City then assumed the responsibility to carry on the construction of the SHIP interpretive trail system.
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An Anacortes icon who has distinguished himself in so many ways, John is published and the recognized historian on construction of the Deception Pass bridge and park. He has worked with the County and City Museums, the Shelter project, and repair of the Tommy Thompson trestle. With the City, John personally ensured protection of 400 acres of forestland, was recently honored when the City named the John & Doris Tursi Park and Playground for his many contributions to parks and other community programs. He has been an active volunteer in the Soroptimish Thriftshop since it started, and considers this effort just another way to help members of the community.
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