1970-1979

Anacortes American Home

Our Century
A look back at Anacortes’ last 100 years from the pages of the Anacortes American

1970-1979: Dealing with a downturn

Economic worries dampen support for environmental, other improvements

By NANCY WALBECK
American staff writer

The 1970s served as a coming-of-age for Anacortes and its residents, with a plunge into modern government and the high cost of running water and sewer plants.

Just emerging from its paving wars, Anacortes now started arguing about what rule should prevail -- city manager or mayor in City Hall. Finally, Skagit County Superior Court Judge Walter Deirlein ordered the city to take the issue to the voters, who decided later that year to bring to change to a manager. This experiment, with mixed results, was ended by voters in 1981.

The city had other growing pains, especially water and sewer systems that didn't serve all residents. Long-neglected, any fix-ups would prove costly and wildly unpopular.

Although the rest of the country was taking sides on the Vietnam War and, later, Watergate, Anacortes' hometown paper only hinted at the trauma of that war. Short service notes indicated duty overseas, with some coming home with medals and commendations. But the attention paid during World War II isn't so apparent in this city, a noteworthy exception many Vietnam vets later questioned across the United States.

Instead, a water moratorium in parts of the city got realtors' and developers' notice, and later resulted in a $13.5-million lawsuit from the Skyline development group. That was settled years later when the city bought Skyline's water tank for $50,000. Still, city council and its city manager and mayor struggled to supply services and upgrade Anacortes, even proposing improvements on Commercial Avenue. An uproar ensued, with more than 55 percent of those affected vigorously opposing any Local Improvement District (LID) to widen and upgrade the busy thoroughfare.

Likewise, city residents had an up-and-down romance about building a swimming pool. First suggested by interested citizens, then taken on by a civic group, the pool plan had more tidal action than the nearby shoreline. First it was in, then it was out. Then it was approved, then the roof wasn't. Then it passed, but not the levy to run it. And it failed again, even while they were building it.

City residents weren't fickle, they had sufficient concerns about how to pay for all this. Mill jobs were trickling away, and the city had taken over older homes to provide shoreline, urban-renewal industrial land for job development. But even those came and went, short tenures that provided good jobs, but no long-lasting stability. Meanwhile, Scott Paper closed its pulp mill; a proposed third refinery, Alaska Petrofining, never arrived; and Publishers Forest Products had a slow death by attrition and a dwindling plywood market.

Anacortes residents had seen boom and bust too many times, or their fathers and grandfathers had. Even area commercial fishermen were hard hit when Judge George Boldt's decision came down, halving the fisheries between tribal and non-tribal fishermen. Local gillnetters and others fought hard to overturn the decision, including Anacortes fisher Bill Dolman, 29, who was sentenced to 60 days for contempt after deliberately challenging Boldt's ruling.

And that's not all; the city was hit with ongoing drug trafficking and dealing, and a young populace that pretty much followed the national standard of acceptance of drugs. Drug busts netted large stashes of marijuana, some cocaine and heroin and even LSD. The county prosecutor also convicted two murderers, Vernon Weygandt and Donald Polanski, for shooting Jamie Grimes behind the Red Lion Tavern and dumping his body in the Swinomish Channel.

But more serious events snuck up on the city gradually, the kind that might be now be regarded as omens. One was in early 1971, when a barge at Texaco spilled 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel, fouling Guemes Island beaches and killing 30 or more birds. The state fined Texaco more than $184,000, but the 1980s would show that the refinery needed to re-read the rule book more than once.

Even more scary, two Shell Oil sub-contracted workers were killed in a flash fire in 1979 and one family member would collect $750,000 from the oil firm in a settlement for that loss. Anacortes residents still had to learn, though, coveting good-paying jobs often came at a price few were willing to pay.

Chronology

1970

Skagit County Superior Court Judge Walter Deirlein orders Anacortes city council to go to the ballot box to decide a mayor or manager style of government. Voters say "yes" for manager and Harold Wyman is appointed.

School district loses key levy vote, closes Whitney and Mount Erie schools; laying off many teachers.

Western Washington State College students do a study and recommend city should use its scenic setting as an "asset," and develop restaurants and stores on Fidalgo Bay. They also recommend building a swimming pool.

1971

A barge loading at Texaco spills 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel, fouling Guemes Island beaches and kills more than 30 birds. About 150 people rally, including young people, frantically trying to save birds and shoreline. Texaco uses skimmers and straw to soak up fuels, and blames a faulty valve for accident.

Shell Oil begins $25 million expansion. -Swinomish Bridge's $2.5-million bid awarded.

Shannon Point buys 50 acres from Port of Anacortes for $100,000 to build marine center.

1972

City Council imposes water moratorium because sections of the town can't be reached by water system, especially west of D Avenue and Cap Sante east of Sixth Street.

State fines Texaco $184,346 for diesel spill; State Highway 20 opens across the North Cascades.

Bonneville Power lays 25,500 feet of electric cable from Burrows Bay to Decatur to serve San Juans.

Drug dragnet nabs 14 on charges, including heroin, marijuana and hashish.

1973

The city pool has wavering support, a roller coaster ride that ends in a November levy failure.

Storvik Park on 32nd Street is dedicated.

A new jumbo ferry, the Walla Walla begins service.

The Swinomish Bridge opens in November.

1974

Anacortes commercial fisherman protest the Boldt decision, giving Native American fisherman 50 percent of the harvest.

Snelson Anvil buys urban-renewal property.

Publishers Forest Products, the last of the mills, lays off 52 of its 235 employees, a serious impact to the local economy.

Island Medical Dental is built, the largest such facility so far in the city.

1975

City gillnetters predict end of fishing industry if Boldt decision is not overturned.

The city says a $2.7-million water system upgrade is needed.

Meeting on forest lands urges timber harvesting, but large audience has questions about environmental impacts, forest land upkeep and amount of revenue to be realized.

The school district's Pop 'N Arts and Cultural Education programs win the Governor's Arts Award.

Alice Parchman Newland park is dedicated.

Scott Paper disputes the EPA's lawsuit that states its sulfite mill is creating pollution.

1976

Fishermen continue their fight against the Judge Boldt ruling by filing suit against the state Department of Fisheries.

The Fidalgo Pool opens.

Skyline's $13.5-million suit against the city is settled for a $50,000 purchase of the Skyline water tank.

Seafarer's Memorial to those who lost their lives while working at sea is completed.

-The city drafts its first comprehensive plan.

1977

Vernon Weygandt, 32, is sentenced to more than 30 years for the murder of Jamie Grimes, who was shot to death behind the Red Lion Tavern. Accomplice Donald Polanski also is sentenced; both were found guilty in October.

Shell Oil wants to build a $3-million dock improvement.

Ongoing talks continue about possibly losing the Sidney ferry run and maybe buying a $3 million foreign vessel.

Fisherman Bill Dolman, 29, is sentenced to 60 days for contempt for violating the state rules under the Boldt decision; and Safeway's 12th request to vacate 12th street for a parking lot draws support and criticism.

1978

Scott Paper mill, built in 1924, closes, throwing 79 out of work.

Port buys some of its land; Snelson, the rest.

Evergreen Island blocks the Department of Natural Resources from development on Heart Lake.

The city adopts a zoning code.

The federal government tells city officials they must build a secondary-sewer plant at a cost of $15.5 million; city officials continue to stonewall.

1979

Two Shell Oil employees are killed in a fire at the refinery.

Discussions of a third refinery, Alaska Petrofining, opens. The firm's plant would be on 2,000 acres on the Swinomish Channel and possibly produce 250,000 barrels a day.

Publishers Forest Products is hit hard by plywood market drop.

The idea of county-wide bus service dies at the ballot box.

City Council votes against building nuclear plants, while endorsing the idea of a possible roller-skating rink in the City Hall basement.

Environmentalists win a few -- Heart Lake preservation bill is passed by Legislature and a public hearing shows strong support for developing the Padilla Bay estuary.

© 2000 Skagit Valley Publishing Co.
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