May 23rd, 2013
by Lin McNulty
BREAKING NEWS
Both north- and south-bound lanes of I-5 bridge collapsed into the Skagit River this evening, May 23
Memorial Day travelers on I-5 at milepost 228, north of Mount Vernon, will find their route diverted this weekend. Both northbound and southbound lanes of the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River have collapsed.
The four-lane bridge fell into the Skagit River at approximately 7 p.m. on Thursday evening, May 23.
A vehicle heading south carrying an oversized load, 12 ft wide and 14 feet high, hit the bridge girders from the right-hand lane, and the northernmost span collapsed into the river, according to eyewitnesses, including truck driver Dale Ogden.
Preliminary reports indicate several vehicles were on the bridge at the time and that 2-3 were known to have gone into the water. Passengers have been rescued and transported to local hospitals. It is not currently known if other people remain in the water.
The WSDOT website simply reports a road closure: On I-5 northbound & southbound at Skagit River Bridge (MP 228) there is an incident blocking all lanes. The State Patrol has arrived on the scene.
Last Updated: 5/23/2013 7:20 PM
At milepost 228
U.S. Department of Transporation officials released a report on May 15 announcing implementation of a new robotic inspection tool to inspect structural integrity of concrete bridge decks that would incorporate customized imaging technologies to “see things humans can’t on concrete bridges.”
WSDOT officials did not readily know when the last inspection of that bridge, constructed in 1955, was accomplished.
According to the 2013 Report Card For America’s Infrastructure:
- 366 of the 7,840 bridges in Washington (4.7%) are considered structurally deficient.
- 1,693 of the 7,840 bridges in Washington (21.6%) are considered functionally obsolete.
- Washington received $146 million from the Federal Highway Bridge Fund in FY2011.
Washington State Patrol and Department of Transportation personnel are on the scene to conduct rescues as well as what promises to be an ongoing investigation.
Southbound traffic is being routed off at State Route 9, while northbound traffic is being routed off at George Hopper, according to WSDOT.
Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement following the collapse:
I am monitoring the bridge collapse in Skagit County. My office stands ready to assist emergency responders and local and state officials. I encourage people to follow police instructions and stay away from the site of the collapse to let first responders address the situation safely.
May 23rd, 2013 |
May 23rd, 2013
Friday May 24, from 5 – 6 pm at Darvill’s Bookstore
Pepper Schwartz will read from and discuss her new book The Normal Bar: The Surprising Secrets of Happy Couples and What They Reveal About Creating a New Normal in Your Relationship . Based on data obtained from nearly 100,000 respondents, here is the ultimate resource for anyone who wants to learn the relationship-tested ways couples can achieve satisfaction and contentment in areas such as communication, sex, affection, and financial cooperation.
Much more than a peek behind the relationship curtain, The Normal Bar, co-authored by Christine Northrup and James Witte, offers readers an array of prescriptive tools that will help them establish a “new normal.” Mindful of what keeps couples stuck in ruts, the book’s authors suggest practical and life-changing ways to break cycles of disappointment and frustration. 376-9866
May 23rd, 2013 |
May 23rd, 2013
Ferry riders are advised to plan for heavy traffic and long wait times during the Memorial Day weekend.
- Friday, May 24, there will be an extra sailing from Anacortes to Orcas Island at 1:55 p.m.
- Monday, May 27, an extra sailing from Anacortes to Orcas at 1:55 p.m. and from Orcas to Anacortes at 3:15 p.m.
- Monday, the inter-island vessel will operate on a Sunday schedule – instead of a 2:20 p.m. round trip sailing from Friday Harbor, the inter-island vessel will make a 2:15 p.m. sailing from Friday Harbor to Lopez and Anacortes.
Thanks to the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce
May 23rd, 2013 |
May 23rd, 2013
Jeffrey Cohan, with David Schneiderman, will present the final Salish Sea Early Music Festival concert on June 1 and 2 in the San Juan islands
Sunday June 2 at 1:30 p.m at the Orcas Adventist Church
The Salish Sea Early Music Festival presents Giulianiad, its final 2013 program featuring works for flute and guitar by Mauro Giuliani on period instruments with John Schneiderman (Los Angeles) on the early 19th-century guitar and Jeffrey Cohan on an 8-keyed flute made in London in 1820 on Sunday afternoon, June 2 at 1:30 PM at the Orcas Adventist Fellowship Church in Eastsound, on the campus of the Orcas Christian School.
Clearly the most famous composer of music for flute and guitar, Mauro Giuliani was a phenomenal guitar virtuoso whose music is very rarely heard on the instruments with which he and his friend Beethoven were familiar. These are considerably sweeter, more intimate and expressively nuanced than their modern equivalents. Giuliani composed the “cream” of the flute and guitar duo repertoire from Beethoven’s time, which includes duos, serenades, divertimenti, marches, dances, and arrangements of opera melodies and other popular tunes of his day in variations and potpourris.
The Giulianiad was a journal for guitarists published in London a few years after Giuliani’s death.
Additional performances for Giulianiad:
- Lopez Island: Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 7:00 PM
· Grace Church · 70 Sunset Lane · (360) 468-3477
- San Juan Island (Friday Harbor): Sunday evening, June 2, 2013 at 7:00 PM
· San Juan Island Grange · 152 – 1st street · 378-6632
Read more…
May 23rd, 2013 |
May 23rd, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 1 p.m., Orcas Center
Eighth graders from Catlin Gabel School in Portland will again sing their way through the San Juan Islands in June
Eighth grade students from Catlin Gabel School in Portland, Oregon, will offer free performances of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta Iolanthe at three community performances during the first week of June:
- Monday, June 3, 2 p.m. at the Mullis Community Senior Center on San Juan Island
- Tuesday, June 4, 1 p.m. at the Shaw Community Center on Shaw Island
- Wednesday, June 5, 1 p.m. at the Orcas Center on Orcas Island
Iolanthe is a topsy-turvy love story involving fairies, magic, politics, and the struggle between law and nature. Catlin Gabel’s updated production sets the play in Washington, D.C., with a cast of environmental activists, corrupt political-bureaucrats, and a Portlandian urban farmer and his pet chicken, all singing Gilbert & Sullivan’s sublime music. People of all ages will enjoy this political fairy tale.
Since 1988, 8th graders from Catlin Gabel have sung their way through the San Juan Islands in June, performing in schools, community centers, and residential care facilities. It is the highlight of the year for these students. “Performing Gilbert and Sullivan in the San Juans is a treasured tradition at our school,” said drama teacher Deirdre Atkinson, one of the teachers who will accompany students on the tour. “The students look forward to it all year. They love visiting the islands and meeting people, and they come home with great memories.” As the capstone project of their 8th grade year, Catlin Gabel students present a full-scale production of one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic operettas.
Catlin Gabel serves Portland and the world as an educational catalyst, drawing together dedicated educators, motivated students, superb curricular resources, and thoughtfully applied technology, in a beautiful and functional setting, all for the purpose of forming bold learners who become responsible action-takers for life.
Catlin Gabel is an independent, non-sectarian, progressive coeducational day school serving 750 students from preschool through twelfth grade. Its roots go back to the Portland Academy, founded in 1859. The school occupies 60 acres on Barnes Road, five miles west of downtown Portland. For more about the school, please visit www.catlin.edu.
May 23rd, 2013 |
May 23rd, 2013
“This House” with Jack Weatherill (Charles Edwards). Photo by Johan Persson
Do Downton Abbey The Iron Lady, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and West Wing captivate you? Then this funny, fast-paced, aggressive, confrontational, thought-provoking and entertaining new play by James Graham, This House, is for you. Don’t miss the screening of NT Live’s relevant, social and political comedy/drama at Orcas Center this coming Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 pm.
It’s 1974 and the corridors of Westminster ring with the sound of infighting and backbiting as Britain’s political parties battle to change the future of the nation, whatever it takes. In this hung parliament, the ruling party holds on by a thread. Votes are won and lost by one, fist fights erupt in the bars, and ill MPs are hauled in to cast their votes. It’s a time when a staggering number of politicians die, and age old traditions and allegiances are thrown aside in the struggle for power.
This House, James Graham’s biting, energetic and critically–acclaimed (two sold out runs in London) new play strips politics down to the practical realities of those behind the scenes who roll up their sleeves, and on occasion bend the rules, to manoeuvre a diverse and conflicting chorus of MPs within the Mother of all Parliaments.
“A funny and moving political epic. Another hit is born.“ The Times
“James Graham’s superb new drama held everyone enthralled throughout… Funny, touching and cliff-hangingly suspenseful.” Daily Telegraph
“… kicks off with the kind of action-packed exposition for which The West Wing was celebrated.” Variety
Tickets for This House from NT Live are $18 for adults, $13 students, $2 off for Orcas Center members, and may be purchased at www.orcascenter.org or by calling 376-2281 ext. 1 or visiting the Orcas Center Box Office open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from noon – 4 pm.
May 23rd, 2013 |
May 22nd, 2013
From Learner Limbach
The Orcas Island Seed Library is having its opening this Thursday May 23rd. The opening is part of a Sustainable Orcas Island (SOI) meeting and will be held at the Library from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Many people have contributed blood sweat and tears to this project, inspired by the vision of creating a resilient seed stewardship community together.
The Seed Library, built by Emmett Adam, will be permanently set up at the Library and will be self-serve.
Come see what the Seed Library is all about, how it works and how to use it.
May 22nd, 2013 |
May 22nd, 2013
A discussion of love as the foundation for social change
By Suzanne Olson
The presentation at the May 26 service of the Orcas Island Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (OIUUF) will be “Peace, Love and . . . Social Justice: a discussion of love as the foundation for social change” with Dr. Roberta Hunte, Asst. Professor, Portland State University’s Peace and Conflict Studies Program.
OIUUF meets at 11:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, September through June. The service is held in Benson Hall at Emmanuel Church, 242 Main St. in Eastsound. All are welcome; child care is available. For more information, visit the OIUUF website at www.orcasislanduu.org. If you need help getting to the service, visit the “Contact Us” page on the website.
May 22nd, 2013 |
May 22nd, 2013
Public Comments Open House on Surrey Coal Transfer Facility Thurs, May 23rd at 5:30 pm & Saturday, May 25th at 1:00 pm Guildford Hotel, 15269 104 Ave, Surrey, BC ( see map here)
By Matt Petyrni, Power Past Coal Coordinator
Communities in Canada are rapidly organizing to stop the dangerous Coal Transfer Facility proposed at the Fraser Surrey Docks in British Columbia. With your help, they can win. We will be to joining them in force at both of the open houses scheduled next week – our one and only public comment opportunity on the proposal: you can be the difference.
About the Proposal
The Fraser Surrey Docks propose to ship up to 8 million tons each year of Powder River Basin coal from Vancouver, BC to Asia. This would mean even more coal trains rolling through Bellingham to be transferred to uncovered barges in the Fraser River (home to one of the world’s great salmon runs) and then travel up Georgia Strait to be transhipped to massive, Cape-class bulkers at Texada Island.
Join us next Thursday and Saturday to say NO to coal export in our region. We can do better.
May 22nd, 2013 |
May 22nd, 2013
Amazing Art, Casual Venue, Great Food, Outstanding Cause at OIEF’s Annual
Food for Thought Benefit
Andrea and First Grader Ellie Wright
When kids are left to their imagination, nudged by a little help from a professional, some of the most delightful creations occur. “Night in the Forest,” being created by Anne Ford McGrath’s 1st and 2nd grade classes with the encouragement of Orcas Open Arts artists Andrea Cohen and Svetlana Petrova, will be framed in a “repurposed” Orcas Island well-weathered window frame and can be yours if the price is right.
Other Island artists including Brooke Meinhardt, Krista Bouchey, Deb Jones, Michelle DeLong, Issa Parker and Anne Garfield, to name a few, have paired up with students in all grades to create some of the most beautiful, whimsical, stunning art and crafts you will every have a chance to see or own such as a beautiful quilt made by Pam Jenkins kindergarten class depicting their favorite insects found in the school garden; and a split cedar chair made of driftwood and bronze nails made by OASIS K-8 students. A slide show of some of the items that will be available may be viewed by clicking here!
A finely detailed and finished Orcas Alderwood table by master craftsman Jonathan Loop
Other items donated by our talented community can be yours if your bidding skills are honed well such as a stunning custom table made from Orcas Alder wood from Jack Helsel’s farm by Jonathan Loop, a private dinner for 8 prepared by the “Secret Cookbook Club,” or a wood-turning class and studio tour at The STABLES design + craft EDUCATION.
And there will be food galore! “A Woodland Feast” will be spread before you with lots of barbequed brisket, pulled pork sliders, beans, vegetarian baked beans, potato salad, chili-cheese corn pudding, mushroom bread pudding, local greens and delicious desserts ready to be devoured before a spirited auction begins.
This is the Education Foundation’s one and only annual fundraiser that makes it possible to keep and build our important public school programs such as Applied Physics, the Farm to Classroom project, keeping the library open, Art in the High School, scholarships for graduating seniors and funding the Math Olympiad to name a few.
Paula Towne’s 6th grade students worked with artist Brook Meinhardt to create this magical forest
Saturday, May 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Four Winds Camp Lodge, Deer Harbor. Tickets are just $40 at the Elementary School Office or the Chamber of Commerce, or ONLINE (a $2 service fee will be applied) at www.oief.org/events.html.
There will be FREE and fun childcare at the Camp, but parents will need to provide a picnic dinner for the kids or feed them prior to coming. Call 376-4376 or email maxdigger@gmail.com to arrange childcare.
May 22nd, 2013 |
susan malins 
gretchen krampf 
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Thanks Lin…your article was the first one I’ve read which indicated the cause of the collapse…I appreciate your digging!
The infrastructure of our country is collapsing and maybe this kind of result will finally rally people to get behind a movement to shore up the parts of our country that need desperate help with people helping people, jobs created to fulfill the work needed to be done, and, we can build the greatness of this land once again together. This land is your land, this land is my land . . .
Recommended route to/from area South of is Best Road, map: http://bit.ly/18cvmcj
For coming from North, usual Hwy 20 should work, but route via Bow may avoid congestion (and be more scenic), map: http://bit.ly/16TJ3N5
Latest updates on SJC DEM Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/sanjuandem
I’ve taken the Conway/La Conner/Best Road “detour” for years and made better time than I-5/Burlington/Hiway 20; except for when Tulip Season brings out flower-loving tourists, now over for a year. More scenic, one of my best-kept secrets until now.
Margie, we used to go that way all the time before COSTO came along and tempted us with its low gas prices. Lately though I’ve started using it again, and its beautiful farm land and easy driving certainly bring back memories of the old days.