Saturday, Feb. 8: Walk With a Doc. Walk at your own pace while getting your questions answered by local physicians. Join Dr. Alethea Fleming at the Washington Park Loop parking lot, 9 am. For more info, see http://www.walkwithadoc.org/our-locations/anacortes
Tuesday, Feb. 11: "Veggie U 2014" continues with Gardening Basics, Part I with Dr. Carol Miles. Learn how to prepare your garden site, which crops and varieties to grow, and how much to plant to meet your needs. Dr. Miles specializes in vegetable production, with a strong interest in alternative crops and organic production. She has her Ph.D. in vegetable crops from Cornell University and has been teaching and learning about vegetable production for over 25 years. (And she gardens on Fidalgo Island:-). 6:45 pm at the Anacortes Library.
Monday, Feb. 17: Last day to submit online public comments re/ Shell Refinery's request for permits to construct a rail facility for shale oil from No. Dakota's Bakken formation. (Bakken crude oil is especially hazardous because of fracking chemicals. The DOT-111 general service tank cars that are commonly used for transport have design flaws that make them more susceptible to rupture when transporting Bakken crude. The Natl. Transportation Safety Board states that 69% of rail tank cars are DOT-111 which have a "high incidence of tank failure during accidents.") Per the Jan. 28 SV Herald, Shell needs 17 development, wetlands and environmental permits from various agencies in order to build an offloading facility to handle one, 100-car train carrying about 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day (to make up for less oil coming from Alaska and Canada). Shell has submitted an application with Skagit County for a land-use approval permit. The County is accepting public comment until 4:30 pm Feb. 17. Submit comments online at www.skagitcounty.net/pdscomments for permit no. PL13-0468. (There have been some technical glitches with the site - if you encounter a problem, contact Leah Forbes at 336-9410)
Tuesday, Feb. 18: Eat Your Yard's Gardening Basics, Part II with Dr. Carol Miles. Dr. Miles will continue to review optimal planting techniques to make your 2014 vegetable garden the best one yet. Free; no registration required. 6:45 pm, Anacortes Library.
Friday, Feb. 21: "Padilla Bay: A National Jewel in Our Own Backyard: A Finger on the Pulse of the Salish Sea." Presented by Glen (Alex) Alexander, Education Coordinator, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Free; no registration required. Sponsored by Friends of Skagit Beaches (www.skagitbeaches.org). NW Educational Service Building, 1601 R Ave. 7:00-8:30 pm
Tuesday, Feb. 25: Seventh Generation Supper. Join us for our monthly community supper meeting and a presentation by Vince Oliver, CEO of Island Hospital, who will discuss what it takes to be a viable hospital in a small community. Suggested dinner donation: $5/adult, $3/children 10 and under. Please bring your own place settings! Doors open 5:45 pm at the Anacortes Senior Center; supper is at 6 pm.