The Washington State Ferries will operate on a winter schedule beginning Sunday, January 3, reducing the sailings between Anacortes and the San Juan Islands. 

 This weekend finds the same films that were shown over Christmas weekend, including a 'squeakquel' Chipmunks movie, a rollicking Sherlock Holmes and a visually stunning Avatar.

The Depot Arts Center presents handpointed needlepoint work by Kathryn Molineux during the first Friday Gallery Walk, on New Year's Day, from 6-9 pm.

Work on the city's off-leash dog park on H Avenue is progressing slowly. During the holidays, a new pavilion was added to the park, which officially opened last summer.

Demolition work on the fire-damaged section of the Tommy Thompson Trail trestle is expected to start shortly after the start of the new year. In-water work must be done by Feb. 1 because of environmental regulations.

Two distillation towers, one longer than 200 feet, are expected to be moved through Anacortes early in January en route to the Shell Refinery on March Point.