This child sure liked the look of all that candy being handed out at Anne Martin McCool's gallery as many downtown merchants invited the town's kids to Trick-or-Treat on Saturday afternoon, even though it wasn't yet really Halloween. The Big Picture is even cuter.

Julie Bassuk helps record the hopes and desires of about 100 Anacortes residents who jammed into city hall for the first community meeting for the Anacortes Futures Project, designed to help plan for the town's future.

A proposal by city Planning Director Ryan Larsen to move many land use applications to a professional hearing examiner ran into a wall of opposition at the first public hearing by the city Planning Commission. All ten of those testifying Monday night opposed Larsen's proposal.

Anacortes Middle School is one of 94 schools, and just 22 middle/junior high schools, in the state to receive the 2010 School of Distinction award for achieving one of the 5% highest improving schools in the state. It's the only school in Skagit County to get the award this year.

Tesoro has delayed the restart of the March Point refinery after a boiler unit was damaged over the weekend, according to a report by Reuters news service. 

Seattle consultant Makers Architecture and Urban Design will hold the kick-off public session for the Anacortes Futures Project on Thursday night at City Hall. The project is designed to learn how Anacortes residents view their community in the years ahead.