Trustees Appointed to APF Board

The Anacortes Parks Foundation is pleased to announce the appointments of John Tursi, Michele Pope, and Frank McCoy to it’s Board of Trustees.

“The Foundation is excited about the appointments” states Doug Colglazier, President.  “Each has an enviable record of accomplishments that complement the many parks and recreation programs that we support.  Since our beginning in 1994, we have spent almost 2.4 million of donated dollars on Fidalgo and Guemes Island projects.  We believe that our new Trustees will help us to do even more as we work to fulfill our mission.”

JOHN TURSI, HONORARY TRUSTEE

An Anacortes icon who has distinguished himself in so many ways, John is published and the recognized historian on construction of the Deception Pass bridge and park.  He has worked with the County and City Museums, the Shelter project, and repair of the Tommy Thompson trestle.  With the City, John personally ensured protection of 400 acres of forestland, was recently honored when the City named the John & Doris Tursi Park and Playground for his many contributions to parks and other community programs.  He has been an active volunteer in the Soroptimish Thriftshop since it started, and considers this effort just another way to help members of the community. 

MICHELE POPE, TRUSTEE

Since moving to Anacortes in 1992 with her husband and four children, Michele has been an active community volunteer.  She was founding president of both Mt. Erie Elementary and Anacortes Middle School PTA’s.  While her children were young she coached girls softball, soccer and basketball teams and then moved on to volunteer as the back stage manager for many theater productions at the Anacortes Community  Theater.  Involved in OARS since 1998, she has served as secretary and president. She was the assistance coach for the Venture Troop 4081 High School rowing team for 9 years, helping them procure a 26′ longboat.  Recently Michele lead a successful fundraising effort for the Tommy Thompson Trestle repair.  Currently she is active in the Anacortes Small Boat Center effort.

FRANK MCCOY, TRUSTEE

Frank McCoy has been an Anacortes Resident since 2002.  He retired in 1995 as the City of Spokane’s Director of Parks, Recreation, Golf and Human Services.  Previously, he was Parks and Recreation Director in both Franklin Park, Illinois and Newberg, Oregon.  He has a BA from Texas A&M University and a Masters Degree in Parks and Recreation Management from the University of Oregon.  He and his wife, Betty Anne, have two married daughters and four grandchildren.  He is an active boater and Past Commodore of the Flounder Bay Yacht Club at Skyline.  He is a volunteer on the maintenance committee at the Gentry House Skagit Adult Day Care facility, and at the Red Door Thrift Shop.  He is also a member of Christ Episcopal Church.  Besides boating, he enjoys walking through the Anacortes Parks, Forestlands and trails.

Kiwanis Meadows Complete!

Anacortes Parks Foundation Trustees are awed at the popularity of the new facility at Kiwanis Meadows, with the playfield and basketball court finished and in use!  As many as 800 youth are using the soccer fields every Saturday!   Doug Colglazier was the project manager and did an amazing job seeing this project through to fruition, with the final costs savings to the City of well over $300,000.  Thanks, Doug!!

The new state-of-the-art children’s play equipment is an awesome addition to the Kiwanis Meadows playfield.  It’s tons of fun for the little ones and parents alike.  Come out to the park and give it a whirl!

What is SHIP?

The Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve, known as “SHIP,” is an APF project designed to:

Protect the wetland and marine ecosystems, to educate students and the general public about the delicate wetlands, and to provide appropriate public access to the shoreline and natural areas at Ship Harbor.

It is located between the Washington State Ferry Terminal on the west and residential developments near the cul de sac at Edwards Way on the east.  In addition to the 25 acres of freshwater wetlands, there are also five acres of upland habitat and 2,000 feet of sandy beach and subtidal eelgrass beds.

It is a rich and interesting area, with an abundance of plants and wildlife. Here great blue herons stalk their lunch, wrens and sparrows sing, small mammals scurry for shelter, Dungeness crabs raise their young, and hawks and sea gulls survey land and sea. The area is important to the general environment, providing habitat and protecting the quality of the water in the wetland and in adjacent marine areas.