One of the most remarkable human accomplishments is the population of the inhospitable Arctic. Half Inuit and half white, Anacortes resident John Ireton arrived in our town in 1981, perhaps guided by his inbred survival skills and sensitive ear.    

A fourth generation fisherman, Jake Anderson, who left Anacortes as a kid to become a fisherman in Alaska has written a new book about his adventures on the F/V Northwestern, one of those boats featured on the Discovery Channel series The Deadliest Catch.

The city’s Public Works Director has laid out a $40-million plan to upgrade most of the city’s streets which the City Council indicated Monday night it would carefully consider.

"People in the United States are getting older. But increasingly, they don't want to live in some old folks' community," writes Sarah Goodyear. As the number of Americans over 65 grows, concepts like aging in place are gaining new pertinence.

It was just 30 years ago, May 2, 1984 when local historian Bill Mitchell and friends launched a project that has become part of the cultural history of Anacortes and which no includes more than 150 hand-painted murals featuring people from previous eras in Anacortes’ history.

This month’s First Friday Gallery Walk features 30 years of the Anacortes Mural Project with artist Bill Mitchell at the Depot, as well as new works by Renate Trapkowski, including “Inspiring Light,” featured here at Scott-Milo.