sedro-woolley...city directory city hall 325 metcalf street sedro-woolley, wa 98284 (360) 855-1661...

Inside this issueCity Approves Biennial Budget

Skiyou Farm Lives- Hoehn Bend & Fender Farms

SWSD Adapting to Challenges During Covid

S E D R O - W O O L L E Y

WINTER 2021

CITY DIRECTORYCITY HALL325 Metcalf Street Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 (360) 855-1661

Mayor Julia Johnson 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-9922 [email protected]

City Administration Doug Merriman, Ph.D. City Supervisor/Finance Director 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-9921 [email protected]

Finance Jill Scott, Finance Manager 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-1661 [email protected]

Serena Mynatt, Utility Billing Clerk 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-0929

DEVELOPMENT SERVICESJohn Coleman, AICP Planning Director/Building Official 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-0771 [email protected]

FIRE DEPARTMENTDean Klinger, Fire Chief 325 Metcalf Street(360) 855-2252Emergency: 911

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYBill Chambers, Director 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-9924 [email protected]

LIBRARYJeanne Williams, Library Director 802 Ball Street (360) 755-3985 [email protected]

MUNICIPAL COURTBrock Stiles, Judge 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-0366 [email protected]

POLICELin Tucker, Police Chief 325 Metcalf Street(360) 855-0111For any emergency or officer dispatch please call: 911

PUBLIC WORKSPublic Works Director Mark Freiberger, P.E. 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-0771 [email protected]

Public Works Assistant Julie Rosario 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-0771

Engineering/City Engineer David Lee, P.E. 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-0771 [email protected]

Public Works Operations: Parks, Facilities, Streets, Stormwater & Cemetery Nathan Salseina Public Works Operations Supervisor 409 Alexander Street (360) 856-5167

Park Department Business Office and Reservations: 325 Metcalf Street (360) 855-1661

Solid Waste Leo Jacobs, Solid Waste & Fleet Division Supervisor 315 Sterling Street (360) 855-1884

Wastewater DivisionDebbie Allen, Wastewater Division Supervisor 401 Alexander Street (360) 856-1100

SEDRO-WOOLLEY HOUSING AUTHORITYHillsview 830 Township Street (360) 855-0404

CONTACT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER

WARD ONE Brendan McGoffin 277 Klinger St Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Phone: (360) 333-8783 [email protected]

WARD TWO JoEllen Kesti 694 Brickyard Blvd Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Phone: (360) 391-7609 [email protected]

WARD THREE Brenda Kinzer 100 Nelson Street Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Phone: (360) 421-4541 [email protected] wa.us

WARD FOUR Glenn Allen 316 Talcott St Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Phone: (360) 885-2216 [email protected]

WARD FIVE Chuck Owen 833 Waldron Street Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Phone: (360) 982-0783 [email protected]

WARD SIX Karl de Jong 1030 Warner Street Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Phone: (360) 333-8911 [email protected]

AT-LARGE Kevin Loy 128 Garden of Eden Road Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Phone: (360) 421-8396 councilatlarge @ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us

mailto:[email protected]

WINTER 2021 ■ SEDRO-WOOLLEY CITY SCENE 3

2 City Hall

| City Directory

| Council Corner

| What’s Going on at City Hall

| From the Mayor

| City Supervisor

5 City News

| Chamber of Commerce

7 Community

| Helping Hands Food Bank

| Making Lemonade out of Lemons

| Skiyou Farm Lives - Hoehn Bend and Fender Farms

| Imaging Advancements coming to PeaceHealth United General Medical Center

| United General District 304 - Trainings & Programs for a Healthier & Happier 2021

17 Sedro-Woolley School District

| Learning with COVID-19

| Virtual Teaching at State Street High School

| Maintaining Athletic Programs During COVID

| Online Schooling Experience - A Student’s Perspective

| Skagit STEM Network-5 Years Old and Going Strong!

| Skagit STEM Network Begins New Project Aimed at Working Together as a Community to Develop our Future Workforce

23 History

| The Creation of SWSD 101

28 Events

| Museum Events

| Easter Egg Hunt

| Tea and Tulips

| High School Sporting Events

What’s InsideWINTER 2021

Sedro-Woolley City Scene is published by the

City of Sedro-Woolley

Editor: Jana Hanson [email protected]

Design & Production: Rhay Design LLC

COVER PHOTO: Norah Pennell, age 4 with Cora

at Hoehn Bend Farm Stay

SEDRO-WOOLLEY CITY SCENE MAGAZINE

Philips Publishing Group has unfortunately closed its business, therefore the City of Sedro-Woolley will

no longer publish a printed version of City Scene magazine.

However, we will continue to provide the same quality of

news and stories through an online publication. The online

publication, still under the name Sedro-Woolley City Scene,

is available at: https://www.ci.sedro-woolley.

wa.us/flipbook/index.html

If you wish to receive City Scene via email, you may sign up by

going to: https://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/community/cityscene-

magazine.php

We appreciate the community’s interest and support for Sedro-Woolley City Scene

magazine. We hope you will continue to read

and enjoy the new online quarterly publication.

Thank you!

What’s Going On at City Hall?Listed below are locations of posted meetings, notices of public hearings and passed ordinances.• City Hall bulletin board

325 Metcalf Street• City website:

www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us• All notices of public hearings and passed

ordinances are posted in the Skagit Valley Herald.■ City Council agendas, meeting minutes, videos and audio of regularly-scheduled meetings are posted on the city website.■ Planning Commission agendas and meeting minutes are posted on the city website.

If you have any questions regarding meeting times, places, agendas or ADA access, please call City Hall at (360) 855-1661 for assistance.

CITY HALL MEETINGS City Council, Planning Commission and Housing Authority Board meetings are generally held at the times and days noted below:City Council regular meetings:

2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month 6:00pm

City Council study sessions: 1st Wednesday of each month 6:00pm

Planning Commission meetings: 3rd Tuesday of each month 6:30pm

City Council Study Sessions, City Council Meetings and Planning Commission Meetings will be held virtually using Zoom Webinar until restrictions due to Covid-19 are lifted. To join in on a City web meeting, go to https://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/governing_bodies/city_council/meetings.php then click on City Council and Planning Commission Meetings schedule. Select the desired meeting, click on “More ...” and follow the instructions for joining.

Sedro-Woolley Housing Authority Board meetings are generally held on the third Thursday of even months except October at 10:45am, Hillsview 830 Township Street

Meeting times and places occasionally change, so it is advisable to contact City Hall 24 hours prior to a scheduled meeting to confirm the location, date and time.

https://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/governing_bodies/city_council/meetings.phphttps://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/flipbook/index.htmlhttps://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/community/cityscene-magazine.php

4 SEDRO-WOOLLEY CITY SCENE WINTER 2021

“Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the

earth who reflect this nation’s compassion,

unselfish caring, patience,

and just plain loving one another.”

— ERMA BOMBECK

BY MAYORJULIA JOHNSON

WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE SAYING, ‘IT TAKES A VILLAGE’, AND TRULY IT DOES. The Free Dictionary defines this idiom as, “Many people’s help or involvement needed to achieve some goal”. Sedro-Woolley

is not unlike that proverb; our city is characterized by city government and citizens working together to achieve an effective, safe, and vibrant community.

Most are familiar with the City Council, but very few are aware of the commissions and boards that are filled by those citizens who volunteer their time, energy, and service to over-seeing critical roles that must be filled, thus allowing city government to run more efficiently. I would like to share briefly what they do, and mention with much gratitude, the citizens who serve on them.

Planning Commission: The role of the Planning Commission is to research and fact-find on behalf of the City Council. This agency, consisting of seven commissioners, makes recommendations to the City Council on annexation and amendments to zoning maps, development regulations, and the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Each Planning Commissioner serves a six-year term, with option to renew at the end of each term. Our current Commissioners are, Danielle Freiberger, Stacy Penno, Joseph Franett, Joe Fattizzi, Silas Maddox, Eric Johnson, and Patrick Huggins.

Sedro-Woolley Civil Service Commission: Commissioners Ken Clark, Ken Van Liew, and Mike Janicki, compose the three-member commission. It is a requirement of Washington State that every city with full-time paid police officers, have an appointed three-person civil service commission. What makes this commission unique to others within

the city, is the term limits; one member serves a period of two years, one a period of four years, and one a period of six years. The Civil Service Commission, in part, assures law enforcement officers are recruited through open competition, hired, and promoted on the basis of merit, and are demoted, suspended, or removed from office for cause.

Housing Authority of Sedro-Woolley (SWHA): With 80-units of subsidized housing, making it possible to provide housing for more than 150 people with low incomes, the SWHA manages and provides for our community’s most vulnerable. Based upon a contract between the SWHA and the King County Housing Authority, the SWHA Commissioners work to include high-quality housing for the economically disadvantaged families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. Our Board of Commissioners for the Sedro-Woolley Housing Authority are, Laurie Fellers, Reta Stephenson, Dona Cowan, Kacy Johnson, and Lee Elliott.

ADA Advisory Board: The ADA committee includes local citizens who are members of the disability community, or who work closely with persons who are disabled. This committee, only recently composed, are tasked with identifying barriers and making recommendations for improvements to new and/or existing city services and facilities, as it relates to Title II of the ADA. The community participants are Christina Sanchez, Matthew DesVoigne, Michelle Salgado, Eric Johnson, and Judy Jones.

Central Skagit Sedro-Woolley Library: The City of Sedro-Woolley and the Central Skagit Library entered into an agreement in 2018 to provide library services to the community and construct a new library within the city. The Board of Trustees is made up of four individuals who provide direction and their expertise to the board. The current trustees are, Tim Howland, Mindy Coslor, Darcy Resetar, and Jane Zillig.

As we begin the New Year, I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank those citizens who volunteer on city government boards and commissions. It is always an honor when they are willing to serve more than one term, as it provides valued knowledge in that related field. Without their dedicated service, these relatively unknown, yet significant boards and commissions would be a loss for the city. As Mayor, I see a critical need for these boards and commissions. Not only are they a way for the citizens of Sedro-Woolley to engage in the democratic process and participate in the practice of self-government, but they aid in the promotion of effective, responsible and efficient government. So thank you, to all who have, are, or will in time serve on one of the city’s boards or commissions, because it does take a village.

One last invitation: With the new year beginning, I invite you to click on the link below and read my 2021 Budget Letter to learn about the projects the city has planned for the year. https://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/Departments/Finance/Forms%20&%20Documents/Budget/2021_Budget_Message_from_Mayor.pdf

“It Takes A Village...”(TAKEN IN PART FROM AN AFRICAN PROVERB)

CITY HALL | F R O M T H E M A Y O R

https://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/Departments/Finance/Forms%20&%20Documents/Budget/2021_Budget_Message_from_Mayor.pdf


Beginning Cash 27.50%

Transfers 18.30%

Interfund Loans/

Custodial 3.05%

Miscellaneous Revenues

0.88%

Fines & Pentalties 0.19%

Taxes 19.25%

Licenses/ Permits 0.82%

Intergovernmental 6.88%

Charges for Service 23.15%

DURING THE DECEMBER 9, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, the Sedro-Woolley City Council approved the City’s 2021-2022 Biennial Budget. This new two-year format has been adopted in an effort to broaden the

strategic planning horizon used by the Mayor and City Council when directing future city operations. The $42.2 million- and $36.5 million-dollar budgets for fiscal years 2021 and 2022, respectively, are structured to maintain or improve current operational services, with the

2021-2022 Budget Highlights

BY DOUG MERRIMAN , Ph.D.

City Supervisor/Finance Director

capital budget component presenting a cautiously optimistic rollout of street and arterial improvements, the construction of a much-needed Public Works Operations building, and the siting and land improvements for enhanced storage and safety capacity for our Fire and Police Departments. The Mayor and City Council, along with city staff, are continually monitoring economic impacts attributable to the COVID pandemic, and have options to adjust the biennial budget should such changes be necessary.

Other programs or projects highlighted in the 2021-2022 Biennial Budget include:

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

C I T Y S U P E R V I S O R | C I T Y H A L L

• A total of $9,250 appropriated for a new alternative Community Court program focused on non-violent misdemeanor crimes. Community Court addresses the provision of connecting non-violent offenders with much needed services.

• All operational costs such as salaries, benefits, equipment, training and vehicle costs for the increased staffing of four new full-time police officers as a result of funding provided by Proposition 1.

• A total of $62,000 in 2021 for a Parks Master Plan effort to assess appropriate levels of service ($32,000) as well as the development of an ADA Transition Plan ($30,000) to assess accessibility to Parks for disabled persons.

• $50,000 for the renovation of Memorial Park.

• $50,000 is appropriated in the Street Fund #103 for improvements related

2021 REVENUES - ALL FUNDS

Services 13.79%

Supplies 1.99%

Benefits 5.66%

Salaries & Wages

19.96%

Ending Cash Reserves 23.47%

Capital Outlays 13.07%

Debt Service 1.93%

Interfund 6.88%

Transfers 16.09%

2021 EXPENSES - ALL FUNDS

https://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us


BY POLA KELLEY Executive Director,

Sedro-Woolley Chamber of Commerce

2020 WILL FOREVER BE KNOWN AS THE YEAR THAT CHANGED US ALL. While we are excited to close the chapter on 2020 and head into 2021, I hope we can find ways

to avoid feeling lonely and instead a bit more connected. No matter where in the world you live, the shared experiences of 2020 brought us together, even while we were apart.

Social Awakening- COVID-19: In general, we have been severely challenged by the pandemic. Under extraordinary circumstances, communities found ways to connect, learn and grow. We have come to accept the ideas of masking, social distancing, and avoiding those who have been infected.

With the stakes high, people went to social media platforms to make their voices heard. Our global community came together like never before and elevated important issues that mattered more than ever.

What will 2021 bring? We have already made the decision to cancel WoodFest again this year. We do have hopes however, that by June we can enjoy one of our favorite events, Blast From the Past.

We will still be zooming our Chamber lunches, and other meetings until the time comes when we can once again resume life and activities as we did before.

Personally, I look forward to a very happy, healthy New Year.

BRING ON 2021!CITY NEWS | C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

to the city’s ADA Transition Plan. A total of $263,000 in capital outlays for the Street Fund #103 ($150,000) and the Arterial Street Fund #104 ($113,000) for repairs and overlays to improve roadway surfaces.

• $706,156 is appropriated for a capital project to construct improvements to the Township and State Route 20 intersection; $610,825 of the project will be paid for via a STPUS Grant from the State of Washington.

• Capital funding is appropriated in the amounts of $3,194,120 and $962,000, in 2021 and 2022, respectively, for improvements to sewer system infrastructure, engineering and design work, and the replacement of the city’s laboratory/operations building.

• $7,500 for EDASC (Economic Devel-opment Alliance of Skagit County) for continuing support of business growth and job creation in Sedro-Woolley.

• A continued effort to enhance the city’s operating capital to Best Practices levels established by the Governmental Finances Officers Association (GFOA). In the city’s 2021-2022 Biennial Budget

message, Mayor Julia Johnson outlined the development of an enhanced Capital Improvement Plan linked to the city’s new Biennial Budget format – a change which will move the city’s fiscal planning process from a one-year perspective to a longer-term strategic planning horizon which effectively links the city’s primary planning documents.

For additional information on the City of Sedro-Woolley 2021-2022 budget, please see our website at https://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/departments/finance

2021-2022 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Services 16.67%

Supplies 2.55%

Benefits 7.94%

Salaries & Wages

23.34%

Ending Cash 28.18%

Capital Outlays 6.79%

Debt Service 2.22%

Interfund 2.79%

Transfers 8.94%

2022 EXPENSES - ALL FUNDS

Beginning Cash 26.02%

Other Financing 11.61%

Interfund Loans/

Custodial 3.53%

Miscellaneous Revenues

1.09%

Fines & Pentalties 0.23%

Taxes 22.77%

Licenses/ Permits 0.99%

Intergovernmental 6.15%

Charges for Service 27.60%

2022 REVENUES - ALL FUNDS

Custodial 0.58%

https://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/departments/finance


H E L P I N G H A N D S F O O D B A N K | C O M M U N I T Y

hen Helping Hands Food Bank was approached in 2018 about expanding their Food 4 Kids program

to the Children’s Weekend Meal Program, it was a no-brainer for the organization. Partnering with Skagit Publishing and United Way of Skagit County, the program expanded even further in 2018 and was renamed to C.H.O.W. - Cutting Hunger On Weekends. Entering 2020, the program fed 1,200 students each week in the Sedro-Woolley and Mount Vernon School Districts.

Students on free and reduced lunch programs qualified to receive this free service, and with food delivered to their homes, families could feel more secure and children avoided the unwanted

WBY NICOLE LONG, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT-HELPING HANDS FOOD BANK

HELPING HANDS FOOD BANK seeks additional support to continue record-breaking numbers

for C.H.O.W. (Cutting Hunger On Weekends) Program

attention at school. The program is a welcomed relief for the many at risk families in our community, a need which has been steadily increasing.

Then COVID-19 came into our lives. Suddenly many families were finding themselves in situations never imagined. Children were at home learning remotely and parents left scrambling to make ends meet as their careers became impacted by restrictions. The need exploded overnight and fortunately calls came flooding in to support Skagit County youth.

Helping Hands’ Executive Director, Rebecca Larsen immediately acted and removed all restrictions for children to receive food. Families can now enroll for

(Above) The Lieutenant is a graduate of MVHS serving those in need

(Below) National Guard men and women feeding our children in Skagit County

the C.H.O.W. program online at www.weekendfood.org and feed all school-age children in their home. The restrictions of the area were also lifted to ensure no matter where a family lives, they will still receive this essential service in Skagit County.

The program has increased from 1,200 students a week to now an average of 2,250. Helping Hands is continuously seeking support for C.H.O.W. and hopes to have the restrictions remain removed through the 2020-2021 school year.

The Coronavirus has brought unique circumstances into the lives of students in the community. Helping Hands and its partners are committed to providing this necessary support to Skagit Youth. When students have full bellies, they can focus on their education rather than how they will get their next meal.

The Staff and Volunteers at Helping Hands would like to thank donors for their support to ensure we never have to say no to the children of Skagit County. If you would like to support the program, the cost of one bag, containing seven meals is $4.25 or $221 for 52 weeks.

To support C.H.O.W., please visit: www.helpinghandsfoodbank.org/donate

To volunteer and deliver C.H.O.W. bags, please visit: www.helpinghandsfoodbank.org/volunteer

You can also call us Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM at: (360) 856-2211

Mail is received at: P.O. Box 632, Sedro-Woolley WA 98284

www.helpinghandsfoodbank.org/donatewww.helpinghandsfoodbank.org/volunteerhttps://www.xpressbillpay.comhttps://www.xpressbillpay.com


Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

ALONG WITH MILLIONS OF OTHERS, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS TAKEN A TOLL ON ME. Some have experienced economic hardship, some mental or emotional hardship, some who have contracted the virus, physical health related hardship. For myself living single, I rank the pandemic as the third most emotionally challenging and unstable position I have experienced. While I consider myself very fortunate to work from home, there was a period when the four pillars in my life, work, church, gym, and line dancing class, were all closed, leaving me emotionally drained. I cannot recall a time when I was more starkly reminded of my incapacity to possess a driver’s license so I could at least enjoy a change of scenery.

COMMUNITY | L E M O N A D E F R O M L E M O N S

“... I rank the pandemic as the third most emotionally challenging and unstable

position I have experienced.”

While I do not pretend to be a mental health expert, I do feel that I know something of the basics. Losing interest in things which once gave me pleasure was a sign that I needed to take action in order to preserve my mental well-being. The answer was not going to come entirely from a phone app either (although my phone apps can help). I picked up the summer issue of Sedro-Woolley City Scene hoping for some uplifting news in my town. There was an article by Mayor Julia Johnson about the rise in volunteerism at the local food bank, an article by Interim Chamber of Commerce Director Monique Brigham about shopping local, and an article by Country Meadow Village Program Director/“Fun Guy” David Bricka regarding a new pen pal program to aid retirement communities through times of isolation. I was not alone. I wanted to put these articles into action to better myself and my community.

I contacted David Bricka at Country Meadow to inquire if the pen pal program was open for public participation or if it was only open to school children. David welcomed my letter which I printed on paper and mailed in a stamped envelope. What a novel concept. After some correspondence back and forth, I had the opportunity to meet my Pen Pal Betty Bittle and re-enact the pictures

that were published in the summer City Scene issue. Remembering the City Scene article to shop local, I ordered flowers from Sedro-Woolley Flowers for the occasion. The experience for me was uplifting at a time when I needed it most. I thank David, Betty, and Country Meadow for the opportunity.

City Scene magazine summer 2020 issue; Betty Bittle with photo of Matthew

BY MATTHEW DESVOIGNE, CITY ADA ADVISORY GROUP MEMBER

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9


(Right) Presenting Betty with flowers, From Left to Right, Matthew, David Bricka and Betty Bittle

(Below) City Scene magazine summer 2020 issue reenactment- Matthew and Betty Bittle

“While I hope this is the first and last global pandemic that I live through, it has taught me

something about finding hope in situations that seem hopeless and there are always opportunities

to reach out to touch others ...”

I look forward to life getting back to normal, whatever normalcy might look like post pandemic. I look forward to seeing humans again more in flesh than in illuminated pixels. While I hope this is the first and last global pandemic that I live through, it has taught me something about finding hope in situations that seem hopeless and there are always opportunities to reach out to touch others and insure domestic tranquility in accordance with the Preamble to the United States Constitution.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

L E M O N A D E F R O M L E M O N S | C O M M U N I T Y

https://www.xpressbillpay.com


s we walked into the barn talking about the possible sequence of activities for the day, we were abruptly met by four-year-old Andrew. He

had a very stern frown on his brow and a single finger swiped across his lips. “NO TALKING!” he forced on a breath before turning and weaving his way through the hay bales, feed area, and three gates, then moving quickly past the calving pens to retake his seat on a bale of hay with his older sister and his anesthesiologist mother. There, snuggled up close to each other were our three Farm Stay guests—watching a cow in advanced labor. The wide-eyed, silent trio sat just a few feet from the rear end of the occasionally moaning bovine, separated by the welded wire and steel fence of the small pen. This was momentous for the cow that was birthing a new member to our herd of Dexter cattle, for our guests who were getting a rare and special close-up opportunity to see such a birth, and for us as we appreciated what we could offer to our Farm Stay guests.

For eight years we operated a Farm Stay at our farm. Hoehn Bend Farm is located east of Sedro-Woolley at the sharp bend on Hoehn Road. The old, remodeled farmhouse accommodated hundreds of

ABY TERRY SAPP AND JEAN EAGLESTON

Skiyou Farm Lives

visitors. Most of our guests were from the greater Seattle area and nearly all groups of guests included children. Many of our favorite guests were 3-generation families. Most guests stayed at the farm for two to five days and they came to participate in active farm life. We tried to include our guests in all of our regular daily chores. In addition, we tailored activities to make the on-the-farm experience special—walking miniature donkeys on leads through pastures; supplementing the pig’s diet with food scraps, apples, or other treats; feeding saltine crackers to our Kinder goats; carrying hens around in clasped arms; and, occasionally, on rainy days, building hay forts in the haystack.

We also toured our nearby Fender Farm in an open 1953 Willy’s Jeep pulling a trailer with hay-bale seating to accommodate guests. This hayride included wending around Fender Creek, the old farmstead, the north-leg pasture, Christmas Meadow and forty-year-old

“Christmas tree” forest, Frog Pond, and Mother’s Woods. In the fall, our Farm Stay guests were able to harvest pumpkins, squash, and gourds from the garden where we grew up to 40 varieties of such plants. With squeals such as, “Look at this warty one”, the guests agreed that this activity was akin to an Easter egg hunt in the autumn.

Fender Farm has been in Terry’s family since 1910 and was originally farmed around the old-growth stumps by his grandparents, George and Elizabeth Fender. During this first generation of ownership, the farm was an “everything” farm. “Everything” because the Fenders, like many of their ilk, grew and sold or ate everything possible on the fertile, flat bottom land of the Skiyou community. They milked a few cows that produced a couple cans of milk for the roadside stand, grew berries which were sold to the cannery in Sedro-Woolley, proudly maintained an apple orchard of many varieties, and husbanded a small flock of

COMMUNITY | H O E H N B E N D A N D F E N D E R F A R M S

Hoehn Bend Farmshouse

“Many of our favorite guests were 3-generation families. Most guests stayed at the farm for two to five days and

they came to participate in active farm life.”

Hoehn Bend Farm


sheep to address the blackberries around the creek and farm margins. All of this work was managed by the hands of George and Elizabeth, their two daughters, Alma (born in 1910) and Margaret (1911), and one horse, Colie, until George died in 1930. Thereafter, Alma continued farming with her husband, Verne Sapp, and later, sons Rick and Terry.

Alma lived on Fender Farm her entire life except for the quarters at Bellingham Normal School (now Western Washington University) and her first year of teaching in Ardenvour, Washington. After that year, she returned to the farm and taught at Lyman School, then Cascade Junior High until retirement. Many current residents of Sedro-Woolley remember their teacher Alma Sapp.

Alma loved her farm, including the woods that we now label Mother’s Woods. She would not allow trees to be cut in the second-growth woods, because she insisted, “there needed to be a place for the wild things.” In her later years, she was delighted by the deer who enjoyed the fallen apples in the orchard even as the blackberries reclaimed the boundaries of the farm.

Having inherited his mother’s love for her farm, Terry awaited an opportunity to return to the family farm in Skiyou. After careers in finance and education, living in

H O E H N B E N D A N D F E N D E R F A R M S | C O M M U N I T Y

major cities—San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle—Terry and his wife, Jean Eagleston, came to Skagit Valley separately in 2006 and 2008. Jeanie came from Palo Alto, California after a career as a Stanford University-trained psychologist. It was a big leap for Jeanie, who had not previously been on a farm, to join in the purchase of the former Mulder Dairy (now Hoehn Bend Farm) in 2008, the development of a Dexter cattle operation, the care of a variety of farm critters, as well as the Farm Stay enterprise.

With their histories in psychotherapy and teaching, Jeanie and Terry were thrilled by the “people part” of hosting guests at their farm. The vast variety of urban settings and international careers of our guests generated endless conversations about worlds far-flung and far different from small-scale farming in the Skagit valley. People from seventeen different countries visited. But Terry and Jeanie both agree that introducing people to farming returned the greatest rewards. Most of all, coaching little kids to be comfortable with farm animals and to understand their

nature and needs was the most satisfying reward. Feeding hay up close to a string of cattle in stanchions in the barn, forking manure off of the bedding, leading goats and donkeys, and collecting eggs, all produced realms of memorable responses from our Farm Stay guests.

Nonetheless, Terry and Jeanie put the Farm Stay business “out to pasture” in 2019, just before the pandemic. The timing was fortunate, as it would have been a prohibited enterprise during the pandemic. The decision was based at the time, however, on the reality that running a herd of up to 65 head of cattle, producing up to three cuttings of hay, and farm and home maintenance was sufficiently demanding for a couple at around 70 years of age.

With a little extra time on their hands, Jeanie and Terry took on the restoration of a 1910 Craftsman house in downtown Sedro-Woolley. Some will know the house as the former Valley Hospital on Ferry Street. Now living only a couple of minutes from the Fender and Hoehn Bend Farms, cattle ranching and maintaining the farms will keep us focused until the next chapter.

“... introducing people to farming returned the greatest rewards. Most of all, coaching little kids to be comfortable with farm animals and to understand their nature and needs was the

most satisfying reward.”

Fender Farm

Hoehn Bend Farm chickens.

Terry with newborn calf and cows.


Imaging Advancements coming to PeaceHealth United General Medical CenterIN 1895, WILHEM CONRAD RÖENTGEN DISCOVERED X-RAYS QUITE ACCIDENTALLY while testing whether cathode rays could pass through glass. This breakthrough – more than a century ago – profoundly changed the practice of medicine by allowing physicians and other scientists to see the inside of the living body. Since then, advancements in modern medicine and imaging have continued to transform and improve physician’s abilities to diagnose disease at earlier stages and offer more effective and personalized treatment therapies.

Like the transformation of medicine, PeaceHealth United General Medical Center continues to advance our ability to serve patients with investments that bring service improvements. In the second and third quarters of 2021, we will complete a $3 million capital

BY CHRIS JOHNSTON, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, PEACEHEALTH UNITED GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER

project to upgrade specialized imaging technologies in our Diagnostic Imaging Center. These will include the addition of nuclear medicine imaging and upgraded cardiac computed tomography (CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) capabilities.

These advancements are especially beneficial for patients who previously had to travel outside the area for specialized imaging studies. In particular, the addition of nuclear medicine will allow specialists like Anthony Holmes MD, a PeaceHealth cardiologist, the opportunity to see what’s happening with structures – like the heart – at the cellular level rather than static anatomical images of soft and hard tissues produced with conventional imaging. Physicians know that disease begins at the cellular level and nuclear

COMMUNITY | P E A C E H E A L T H

(Right) Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of heart showing aortic valve for diagnosis of heart disease (Getty Image).

(Below) Siemens Symbia Evo™ molecular and nuclear medicine system

imaging has the potential to help them identify functional disease at an earlier, more treatable stage and often well before conventional imaging and other tests would reveal the abnormality.

Nuclear medicine exams specifically use a radioactive material called a radiopharmaceutical or radiotracer that is introduced into the patient’s body via an injection, ingestion or inhalation. The radiotracer accumulates in the area of the body under examination where it gives off a small amount of energy in the form of gamma rays. The energy is picked up on the scan to provide physicians with a clearer picture of what is happening in the body.

Nuclear medicine offers the potential to be proactive rather than reactive with care which may save lives. A nuclear medicine scan of the heart offers a very accurate test for diagnosing coronary

artery disease in patients who may be at risk for a heart attack. This imaging is also used to detect other cancers, heart disease and brain disorders.

PeaceHealth United General imaging will add Siemens technologies nuclear medicine in April and cardiac MRI and CT imaging in July 2021.

With five cardiologists and many specialists practicing at the Sedro-Woolley Clinic, PeaceHealth United General has quickly established itself as a place for quality, comprehensive

care. The further expansion and growth of imaging technologies for use by our physicians adds up to patients receiving the best possible care close to home.

Investing in our community makes us stronger and it’s our commitment to create a healthier Skagit County for years to come.


Trainings and Programs for a Healthier and Happier 2021LIFE-LONG LEARNING ALLOWS US TO GROW AND MAKE DECISIONS that keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy and safe. One of our roles at United General District 304 is to offer classes and skill-building workshops that can make life better today and prevent problems down the road. Which is why community and professional education has been, and continues to be, a focus area in our services as a public hospital district. Our work is based on the philosophy that an informed and empowered community is a healthier community!

Throughout 2020 - thanks to Zoom and other virtual options - we offered a variety of trainings and workshops for community members and professionals alike. This year, we have new opportunities for online learning, with something for virtually everyone. Upcoming offerings include: QPR (QUESTION, PERSUADE, REFER) SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING: We all have a role to play in preventing suicide. Like CPR, QPR provides the knowledge and skills to save a life. This FREE, virtual, 60-minute training is open to anyone 16 and older. Classes are offered weekly and you can register online here. For questions about QPR, or to schedule a group training, contact: [email protected]

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAM FOR PARENTS AND YOUTH AGE 10-14: Are you the parent or caregiver of a 10-14-year-old? Join us for one of four free, virtual programs this winter! Over seven weeks, families learn communication skills, stress management tools, and ways to connect. Available in English and Spanish. Class sizes are limited, so register here soon!

BY MARJORIE BELL, COMMUNICATIONS AND GRANT WRITER FOR UNITED GENERAL DISTRICT 304

HAVE A HEART, LEARN CPR: We can now offer Adult & Infant CPR, AED, and First Aid classes for individuals, groups, and organizations in our community. Trainings are led by our own American Red Cross certified trainer, Stephanie Morgareidge, in a variety of formats and learning styles. Interested? Email: [email protected] or call 360-854-7179.

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID: This FREE virtual class teaches parents, family members, teachers, school staff, neighbors, and other adults how to help an adolescent who is experiencing challenges with mental health or addiction. This 6-hour

blended online training will be held during Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, February 1st-7th. For questions, or to register, email [email protected] or call 360-854-7150.

We look forward to getting back to in-person learning as soon as possible. Until then, we will continue to seek out and offer new programs, trainings, and classes that meet the needs of our community—most at no or low cost to participants. Make sure you don’t miss out on any of our great offerings by subscribing to United General District 304’s monthly newsletter and following us on Facebook @UnitedGeneralDistrict304.

U N I T E D G E N E R A L | C O M M U N I T Y

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://bit.ly/CommunityQPRhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdGMb-0WpS99wG2WBQuVER90e5e_gP7ohbN4erEjAFjuV3WOQ/viewformhttps://unitedgeneral.org/newsite/news/#newslettershttps://www.facebook.com/UnitedGeneralDistrict304/https://www.facebook.com/UnitedGeneralDistrict304/https://unitedgeneral.org/newsite/news/#newsletterswww.UnitedGeneral.org

WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT WE WERE GOING TO START THIS SCHOOL YEAR REMOTELY, I was very unsure of how it would all go. As staff we have worked together since March to try new tools, to troubleshoot, and to figure out what

would work best for our students. It was messy, frustrating, and exhausting, but we worked out the kinks together and still rely on each other as new challenges arise. I am thankful to work with such supportive admin and staff that helped make this transition as smooth as possible. Going through the struggles ourselves helped to better understand what issues our students might have and better prepare us for that. Every day is a new adventure and we still come across issues, and the students have been helpful and patient as

Virtual Teaching

BY CARLY BOYD State Street High School Science & Health Teacher

we all navigate remote learning. As a science teacher I knew that students learn best with hands on labs and demonstrations and I also knew that I didn’t have enough science lab materials to create kits to send home with students, so I was bracing for the most boring hands-off science year of all time. I was worried my students would disengage in learning and I was worried for my own engagement in teaching. I was trying to think of ways to create engagement without hands on labs and I was really struggling. Over the summer, I learned that I had won the National Science Teaching Association’s Shell Lab Challenge grant, awarded to select teachers who show innovative teaching practices with limited science materials. When I got the call, it felt like this enormous weight was taken off of me because I was able to purchase science kits for all of my classes which allow students to do hands on labs at home. This made me eager for the

school year as I could create a more typical science experience for students. Although labs help make science more normal, there is nothing normal about this year. Some students are thriving in this setting because there is less judgement by their peers, reduced anxiety of being in class, and there is more capacity for anonymity which allows students to be more open and expressive. I have loved seeing these students open up and show their potential. I also know that many students are struggling, and the hardest part of this year is not being able to connect with these students in person every day. Not being able to walk by a student working and check in to see if they need help and immediately give them reinforcement is hard since so much of teaching is built on those daily relationship building moments. There is definitely a disconnect that will need to be rebuilt when we go back to teaching in person. If anything, teaching remotely has shown that staff and students are resilient, flexible, and no matter what will show up every day and do whatever it takes to create the best learning environment possible.

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14 SEDRO-WOOLLEY CITY SCENE ■ WINTER 2021

THE ERA OF COVID HAS BEEN CHALLENGING FOR ALL OF US. In the world of education, it’s been challenging because we have been tasked to continue the mission of teaching and learning in a non-traditional way. For

many years teachers have been using technology as a tool to enhance the educational experience for our students. Students have computers with software programs for writing papers, developing creative graphics, learning how to code and program robots, and even fly drones. Students even took a few on-line classes to enhance their educational experience and in some cases make up classes. However, during COVID, the educational world was forced to pivot to remote learning as its primary instructional model. Our teachers learned how to Zoom and Loom, and

Learning with COVID-19

BY PHIL BROCKMAN SWSD

Superintendent

our students (and many of our parents) learned how to use Google Classroom and Canvas. We have found that many of our students are flourishing in this model. But we are also learning the value of in-person learning and the inequities within our school system.

For many years we have heard about the digital divide. Now we know that it is real. The Sedro-Woolley School District was fortunate that our community supported the safety and technology levy in 2014. Because of the levy, the school district was able to purchase portable computers for all of our students. We have what is referred to as one-to-one computing in our classrooms. However, we learned that one-to-one computing in our schools does not translate to our families. In order to support remote learning for all of our students, the school district has provided nearly 2,500 Chromebooks and over 500 Wi-Fi hotspots to compensate for areas in

the school district that lack internet connectivity. This by no means solves the inequity we see in our 395 square miles, but it has filled gaps. My hope is that the connectivity inequity we are experiencing will be addressed by our state legislators in the near future.

We have great staff that are dedicated to teaching and serving our children. They all want to be able to return safely to in-person school. In the New Year it my sincere hope our students are able to get back to in-person school. I am looking forward to the vaccine, lower COVID rates and some normalcy.

For nearly eight years I have had the pleasure to work with many of you as we passed levies, developed programs such as the STEM Network, improved student achievement, and addressed inequities within our system. I have a great appreciation for Sedro-Woolley and will cherish my time as superintendent as the highlight of my career as I will be retiring at the end of June. Thank you for your continued support of our students, it is sincerely appreciated.


CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

O N L I N E S C H O O L | S W S D

SWHS - Maintaining Athletic Programs during COVID-19

2020 HAS BEEN CHALLENGING FOR ALL FACETS OF EDUCATION here in Sedro-Woolley and around the State. One big thing our students have lost is that ability to socialize, workout and stay healthy through athletics.

As the pandemic rolls on, Athletic Directors have been working tirelessly to find ways to get students re-engaged safely in workouts and team activities. With much cooperation around Skagit County, we have been able to build plans that are safe and sustainable to allow coaches and athletes to get together and work out safely. These plans took months to build, with many variations and restrictions; but in July our Sedro-Woolley High School students were able to start working out with coaches.

From July to the end of August (and again in Sept-early October), Sedro-Woolley High School student-athletes were able to work through general conditioning and exercise regiments with volunteer coaches. These workouts were designed to ramp up in intensity with the goal of getting kids out of the house and back to sports. Students were coming twice a week and working out for 45 minutes outside at the High School Stadium. Students worked in small pods of five, wore masks, and maintained social distance. Overall, we had over 45+ students participate in our “conditioning only” programs.

In October, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association and Governor’s Office loosened up athletic restrictions slightly to allow for athletic departments to redefine plans in cooperation with the Skagit County Health Department; and opened workouts to “Sport Specifics” with some indoor workouts as well. With masks on, strict cleaning, testing and contact tracing protocols in place; about 250 students were able to work in pods of six and focus on sport-specifics. This change along with a highly organized schedule, resulted in more students participating, and enjoying time doing the sports they love. It was wonderful to see students back on campus working with coaches and teammates, even if in small pods.

We have had a few challenges along the way with logistics/equipment/staffing, restrictions changing, losing the ability to workout indoors, etc., but through it all,

BY JERRY GARDNER, JR. ATHLETIC DIRECTOR-SEDRO-WOOLLEY HIGH SCHOOL

o far school has been a long ride, a lot of ups and downs, which can make catching up on work a complete nightmare. Then all of a sudden we start

doing online school.I’ll admit I was very skeptical about

how well online schooling would work out, but as far as organization goes it isn’t all too bad. I haven’t had to worry about a single missing sheet of paper in months, and all of my assignments are in one place at all times.

I also constantly get emails that an assignment is due, or that grades are about to be submitted.

Although the accessibility, and organization is easier, online school is hard to get used to. In the first place, and for one very important reason, the in-person interaction between teacher and student allows students to learn faster. I have noticed that in-person we usually get through one subject and on to the next much quicker as opposed to the online experience.

Also, not all teachers (or students) are tech geniuses. So there are quite a few drawbacks as far as technology experience goes.

SBY GABRIEL ENDICOTT STATE STREET HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR

Online Schooling Experience

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IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT JUST OVER 5 YEARS AGO ago I was sitting around a conference table in the Sedro-Woolley City Hall with Mayor Keith Wagoner, City Supervisor Eron Berg, School District Superintendent Phil Brockman and Jana Hanson. At that time significant changes were occurring in schools, new standards were being implemented and high school graduation requirements were evolving. We talked about the dual challenges of better preparing students to be job ready and promoting job growth to align with local industry drivers.

Given the community’s century long history of technology development and innovation, the team’s belief was that “A

strong partnership between education (pre-K, primary, secondary and higher education), industry, and community based organizations would be a key element in delivering the vision for where the City of Sedro-Woolley wanted to be now and in the future”.

Through the efforts of many we have built awareness and enthusiasm for the value of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and are providing students with real world learning opportunities at the same time that they are learning the academic and technical skills that will prepare them to succeed in early career jobs. During the current COVID impacted job market STEM jobs and jobs requiring some level of STEM literacy have been insulated from volatility.

Successful Career Connected Learning requires a commitment from many people so that students see real life and what professionals do. Sedro-Woolley continues to take a lead role in the development and early adoption of new innovative programs. In writing this article I reflected on the many people and organizations who given generously of their time and resources. • EDASC has been a great partner to effectively engage the business community

in seeing the value of investing in creating talent and preparing our students to be job ready.

• Mayor Julia Johnson for continuing the legacy of Sedro-Woolley leadership and sitting on our advisory board.

• The more than 60 Skagit businesses and individuals who have participated as mentors in the STEM Like ME! Program that is now available to all 7th grade students in Skagit. Starting this January, we will have the tools to bring even more mentors into the classroom virtually so they can continue to interact with students in a remote/hybrid learning environment.

• Our annual ‘Spotlight on Women in STEM’ event for middle-school and high school girls is made possible each year by 20+ businesses leading hands on activities, ‘Notable Women in STEM’ sharing their career journeys and councilors/educators from every school district working to make the day a success. In March 2021, the event will be hosted on a live virtual stage.

Thanks to the interest and continued support of educators, business leaders and community organizations, the Skagit STEM Network is expanding to include Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties. The Skagit STEM Network will continue to operate under the organizational umbrella of the new NW Washington STEM Network. For more information and to get involved visit us at https://www.nwwashingtonstem.org.

Skagit STEM Network 5 years old and going strong—

Preparing our students to be job ready

BY MICHELLE JUDSON , DIRECTOR

NW Washington STEM Network

SWSD | S K A G I T S T E M N E T W O R K

MAINTAINING ATHLETIC PROGRAMS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

our staff and students are enduring; and thriving with what we are offering. We have been pleased with the care and diligence that participating families have given to their health and keeping us apprised of any issues that may jeopardize our kids, staff, and the workouts. Through it all students are showing up and putting in the work. Coaching staffs are excited to see the athletes and work with them, and as we work towards 2021, we will continue to plan for next steps to bring sports back all the way for the students. Go Cubs!

I am not too sure which school districts are doing the No School Wednesday schedule, but in the past few months this schedule has been the most stress reducing school schedule I have experienced. I am very thankful to the Sedro-Woolley School District for using this new schedule during this stressful transition.

All in all the transition to online school was a little rocky at first, and even though it’s smooth sailing now, we occasionally hit a bump once in a while. But that’s just life keeping us on our toes.

I have to thank the lovely staff at State Street High School for being the most understanding and generous teachers I have had the pleasure of meeting.

ONLINE SCHOOLING EXPERIENCE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15


THE SKAGIT STEM NETWORK STARTED A PROJECT IN FALL 2020 to align the graduation-required High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) with Career Connected Learning* opportunities that are currently taking place throughout

Skagit County. The HSBP is a fantastic opportunity led by the Sedro-Woolley School District to help students identify their strengths and passions and assist them with finding a career pathway that fits them best. The HSBP also supports the future workforce needs of businesses in our community by enabling students to come out of high school with a purpose; prepared for their post-secondary education, and ultimately a rewarding career. Additionally, educators will enjoy much more engaged students if students are able to connect their learning with their interests and careers they are working towards.

Students aligning their educational plans with career pathways available in our community is an incredible opportunity. It will take ALL of us to ensure the High School and Beyond

Skagit STEM Network Begins New Project Aimed at Working Together as a Community

to Develop our Future Workforce

BY SHAUN DOFFING Program

Manager-Skagit STEM Network

Plan is authentic and relevant for every student. Educators can purposefully connect their instruction with student career aspirations and give students opportunities to explore a variety of career areas. Businesses can make themselves available to students through Career Connected Learning activities like Worksite Tours, Internships, Job Shadows and STEM Like Me! so students can be made aware of what jobs are available and have an opportunity to explore them. Most

*Career Connected Learning:Career Connected Learning

(CCL) is a continuum of awareness, exploration, preparation and work experiences developed through strong public and private partnerships. Students connect with industry professionals to develop, apply, and assess on academic, technical, trade, entrepreneurial, and 21st Century skills that support their future career success.

S K A G I T S T E M N E T W O R K | S W S D

importantly, families play an important role in their students’ HSBP process by supporting them and asking them regularly about it. So families, at your next school conference, be sure to ask about your student’s High School and Beyond Plan!

For more information, please contact, Shaun Doffing, Program Manager-Skagit STEM Network, 360.941.6929, [email protected]

Or you can always reach out to your student’s school principal or counselor!

Industry Mentors interacting with students



How did Sedro-Woolley School District 101 come to serve students over nearly 400 square miles of central Skagit County, taking in all or parts of more than 30 elementary school districts that had existed during the preceding half century? This ultimate consolidation happened by degrees as communities grew, declined, or disappeared; as transportation brought communities closer together, and as the Great Depression and wars brought changes to the region. By 1944, most of Central Skagit’s elementary schools had been consolidated into the new District 101, along with union high school districts at Sedro-Woolley and Hamilton.

Beginning in 1883, school districts formed as communities sprouted along the upper Skagit River and in the surrounding forests. Each school formed its own district and elected a board of trustees. Before 1895, when Washington passed the Barefoot Schoolboy law to provide some state funding for schools, district residents paid all costs. The earliest buildings literally came from the forests. They were built of logs and cedar shakes or were rough wood bunkhouses which were abandoned as logging operations moved on. Residents donated materials, helped with construction, or pledged cash to pay teachers, who made from $40 to $60 a month. These early schools offered one or two sessions a year lasting three or four months each.

As communities came and went, districts consolidated, dissolved, or reconfigured themselves by vote of the residents. For example, the area’s first school district was organized in 1883 to serve the territory from Sterling (west of Sedro) to Lyman. The first session of Sterling School was taught in spring 1884 in a river-front bunkhouse that had been

BY SHARON HOWE, RESEARCH LIBRARIAN SEDRO-WOOLLEY MUSEUM

The Creation of Sedro-Woolley School District 101

used in J.B.Ball’s logging operations. Miss Eva Wallace taught students who walked as many as four miles to school. Some even came from Clear Lake by boat and canoe.

In 1885, residents built a log schoolhouse on David Batey’s ranch east of Sterling and closer to Mortimer Cook’s growing town of Bug (later called Sedro). However, Sterling formed a new district and built another log cabin school where the town had moved farther from the river to escape flooding. By summer 1886, the

HISTORY | S W S C H O O L D I S T R I C T 1 0 1

district was divided; residents of the east half from Skiyou (east of Sedro) to Lyman formed Wilson District. Yet another log schoolhouse was built on the Van Fleet homestead in Skiyou. The first three-month term started in November 1886, with teacher Miss Faerie Cook, daughter of Sedro founder Mortimer Cook. In 1886, Lyman formed its own district, and Skiyou

“By 1944, most of Central Skagit’s

elementary schools had been consolidated

into the new District 101, along with union

high school districts at Sedro-Woolley and

Hamilton.”


Events

hen the Museum is allowed to re-open to the public, depending on rules issued by the Governor, it will be open from noon to 3:00 pm Fridays and Saturdays. All Health Department rules will be followed, including limited

numbers of visitors, social distancing, and masks for all staff and visitors. If the Museum itself is not allowed to open, the Gift Shop (as a retail store) may be open

from noon to 3:00 pm Fridays and Saturdays, with the usual Health Department rules in force. A good selection of local history books and a variety of gift items will be available.

When the Museum is open, individuals or small groups may visit by reservation only Tuesdays and Thursdays. To reserve hourly slots from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, please call Sharon Howe, Research Librarian, at (360) 854-9814, no later than the day before you wish to visit. The Museum Library will be open to researchers by appointment only, also by calling Ms. Howe. Research questions and requests submitted by phone or e-mail will be answered as promptly as possible.

Depending on when restrictions are lifted in 2021, the Museum will once again schedule special events.

Please check our website, www.sedro-woolleymuseum.com, as well as Facebook and Instagram, for continuing updates. 725 Murdock Street, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 [email protected] (360) 855-2390.

THE SEDRO-WOOLLEY MUSEUM

W

This article provides a brief introduction to the development of schools in Central Skagit County. For much more, visit the school exhibit at the Sedro-Woolley Museum once it can re-open to the public. Check the Museum website for up-to-date information.

The Museum Research Library has extensive research materials, photographs, and annuals covering the area’s school history. Research questions may be submitted by phone or e-mail, 360-855-2390 or [email protected]. Once the Museum is open, the Research Library will make appointments for in-person research.

(LEFT - Top to bottom) Students at Skiyou School pose for photographer Darius Kinsey in 1920. This building replaced an 1886 log schoolhouse that had been constructed on the Van Fleet homestead. After consolidation, it became a private home.

Sterling replaced an 1891 two-room schoolhouse with this substantial building, which served until consolidation sent the district’s remaining four students to Sedro-Woolley.

Schools were built to educate children but also served as centers for community activities. After consolidation, Hoogdal School north of Sedro-Woolley became the Community Club headquarters for many years and eventually was converted to a private residence.

Sedro-Woolley’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt, the day before the Easter Bunny’s arrival, has become a must-do event for the city’s children who scramble for some 4,000 eggs scattered across Riverfront Park. This is a fun event presented by the Wildcat Steelhead Club for children ages crawling to 12 to come down and hunt for candy filled Easter eggs! The park is divided into separate sections for age groups and the kids have a ball! For many kids this is the only “egg hunt” they get to have!

Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday April 3 - 1:00-2:00 pmEvent Begins at 1:00 SHARP!

http://wildcatsteelheadclub.org/

Contact: Mike Rathvon [email protected]

Location: Riverfront Park 1001 River Road, Sedro-Woolley

followed suit in 1891. Building schools within walking distance was a priority when rough trails and canoes were the only transportation options.

The 1890s brought a population boom to Central Skagit County. Towns and school districts proliferated along with it. Hamilton was a thriving town with its own school district in 1884 before Sedro and Woolley became the population center of the region, each with its own district and school. Many districts built substantial frame buildings to replace their log cabin beginnings, including Sterling, Skiyou, and Lyman.



As part of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Willowbrook Manor English Tea House and Chamomile Farm will be hosting Tea and Tulips every Friday and Saturday during the month of April. Enjoy English tea in the timeless elegance of Willowbrook Manor and tour the tulip-filled gardens and grounds. Overnight accommodations are available on select dates during the Tulip Festival.

www.TeaandTour.com

Location: Willowbrook Manor 27420 Minkler Rd., Sedro-Woolley

Contact: (360) 218-4585

Tea and Tulips!For high school sporting

event schedules, please visit

NWCAthletics.com, the official website for Northwest Conference

High School Athletic Programs. Click on the Sedro-Woolley link for

all sporting event schedules.

EVENTS
www.NWCAthletics.comwww.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us