When Dean Allen was alive, you could frequently find him with a mischievous smile at this spot at the end of Fifth St. in the Cap Sante neighborhood. After he died last December, his friends got together and paid for two benches to honor him.

The Community Garden will become at least partially wheelchair accessible, thanks to some changes being made soon in one corner of the garden. Some changes will be made in the area shown in grey above. Also added will be accessible parking.

Anacortes resident Wolf Bauer, legendary mountaineer, kayaker, environmental educator and conservationist will be honored by the Legislature for his many achievements and for his 98th birthday later this month in Olympia. 

"I don't know where this came from because it's really bizarre," said City Council member Cynthia Richardson said of a proposal to require neighbors share private docks. "If you want to put a dock in and your neighbor doesn't want to, you can't do it," she added.

With a view of the Tommy Thompson trail in the background, Trestle fundraiding committee representative Kris Lytton accepts a check for $1,000 from Anacortes firefighters Tuesday morning. City Parks director Gary Robinson, on the far right, said repairs will start soon.

One writer's advice: use situations and characters that readers can empathize with to get readers to open their minds and perhaps how they see the world.