Outside the Lines: Ferry Tales XXXII

First and Foremost

There were many fireworks on Guemes Island last week, not all having to do with the celebration of Independence Day.

There were many people on Guemes Island last week, not all were opposed to the new extended hours.

There were many rumors on Guemes Island last week, not many had any resemblance to the truth.

A group of Islanders participated in the extended hours boycott, and gathered to mourn the end of an era.

A group of Islanders were obliged to take the 6:30 ferry, when for years they rode the 6:00. Dinner was late in these homes.

A group of Islanders took advantage of the new schedule to run errands, conduct business, or recreate.

Guemes Island has received a lot of press in our local papers. Editorial cartoons seem to appear weekly along side letters to the editor and letters from the editors. Our BOCC have become a laughing stock

The Skagit County Board of Commissioners flex their muscles and Guemes suffers. This ferry issue has proven to be one of the more divisive for our small community. The implementation of the extended hours, the elimination of “second” runs, the increase in frequent user fares, all pale by comparison to what is happening on our island and how we are being manipulated by the bidding of the BOCC.

We need to keep our focus.

It appears as if nothing pleases the BOCC more than spending taxpayers dollars unnecessarily. A revenue neutral budget doesn’t seem to be a priority. If the system loses more money, it doesn’t seem to matter to them. Property taxes increase, fares increase, Guemes suffers once more.

Bill Dietrich disclosed, in his February Voices of the Valley piece, many of the contributors to Don Munks last campaign. Developers, realtors, appraisers and even sub area planning committee members, were on the list. All have vested interest in a South Fidalgo Island rezone. Do they have a similar interest in Guemes Island?

Who is contributing to Ted Anderson’s current campaign? Guemes Island voters did not vote for Ted Anderson.

Glen Veal was quoted in the SVH “Only Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt voted against the late ferries. “Some Guemes residents think the other two, Ted Anderson and Don Munks, are doing favors for a few powerful people.” And Veal said, “it’s gotten personal with Anderson. At some point, Ted Anderson just blew up at Guemes Island and is now involved in retribution, Now Munks has just gone along with him, and we don’t know why.” Has it really been reduced to such a sorry state?

Let’s keep our focus. Let’s not allow these autocrats to bisect our community. The 6:00PM ferry did not deter any of us from moving to Guemes, because it is Guemes. I hope new residents don’t decide to move here simply because there is a 10:00 PM ferry. Boycott, if you must. Utilize the extended hours ferry, if you must. Be true to yourself and not the hidden agenda of the BOCC and their cronies. To them we are taxpayers only. Do not fool yourselves into thinking otherwise, whether proponent or opponent to the new schedule.

Remember the long ferry outages last year? The coffee and donut holes on the Island Express? Lining up to board the Pintail? The Island shuttle? Sand in our shoes? Blue tarp flapping in the wind? Picking up neighbors? Ferry workers lifting, carrying people and things. Vehicles borrowed, searching for parking spaces? Pushing shopping carts and wheelbarrows. All this makes Guemeians the self-reliant, ingenious, romantics who are our small community.

We’re Guemes Islanders, first and foremost, no matter what the ferry schedule is.

Commentary by MJ Andrak

[7.10.6]

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