Downtown Sedro-Woolley's Big Re-Dig

Ok, I promised photos of the big dig in the street in downtown Sedro-Woolley and here they are! On a late October afternoon, the light wasn't the best but I got the important stuff (and left out the porta-potty). This is in the downtown core, on Metcalf Street, and the dig is currently directly in front of Holland Drug. The fencing runs up and down the sides, for the whole block. One downtown merchant said to me that it's "pretty much like turning the faucet off for business".

If you don't know, the big-re-dig is to replace the sewer system that was replaced last year. This is the second time in 12-14 months that downtown has been cordoned off. The sewer replacement last year was done incorrectly and had to be done again.

If you live in the area and can come over to do some shopping or dining in Sedro-Woolley, now's the time! The merchants will be glad to see you and there's a free floor show during daylight hours!

Our Neighbor, La Conner

Here's a photo courtesy of Dee Denton, La Conner HS grad, whose dad recently went on a thrilling helicopter ride over the Skagit Valley. It is the iconic "Rainbow Bridge" in La Conner.

Fall color in Sedro-Woolley

Here is a glimpse of the fall color we are enjoying in town. The Pacific Northwest is mostly shades of green and gray! But we get a taste of the glowing fall colors in October.

Post Office Mural

I ran into the Sedro-Woolley post office today to pick up my mail, and realized that I had my camera in my purse! So I took a photo of the great logging mural that has been in the PO forever - art by Albert C. Runquist in 1941. It is artwork that was funded by an old WPA project; see this site:
http://www.wpamurals.com/SedroWoo.htm

Just too bad they spelled "Woolley" wrong...


But those of us who grew up here were lucky enough to enjoy this piece every time we waited in line at the post 0ffice - and still enjoy it today!

Used with the permission of the United States Postal Service®. All rights reserved.
See also: http://www.usps.com/rightsandpermissions/new-deal-art.htm

Big Dig is underway in Sedro-Woolley

Signs like this are commonplace these days:




As contractors wind up the road repair and construction season, the Highway 20 traffic round is almost complete, the McGargile/Highway 9 improvements are nearly complete, and other projects around town are racing to beat the weather changes.









Highway 20 traffic round traveling east.









The City of Sedro-Woolley changed the downtown closures of Metcalf Street slightly, to accommodate some downtown events. Here is the schedule as most recently issued by the City Public Works department:

"Stage 1: Beginning October 5th and lasting approximately two weeks, Metcalf Street from Ferry Street to the bowling alley (see map) will be closed and fenced off from curb to curb. Access will be maintained on sidewalks for pedestrians only during this time. The intersection of Metcalf and Ferry will also be closed. The contractor will dig up and lower sewer lines in one location.

Stage 2: Beginning October 19th and lasting approximately three weeks, Metcalf Street from State Street to Woodworth Street (see map) will be closed and fenced off from curb to curb. Access will be maintained on sidewalks for pedestrians only during this time. The contractor will dig up and lower sewer lines in two locations."

So Phase 1 is coming along - I was out of town last weekend and I apparently missed the part where there was a big hole in the ground. Today it is largely filled in. See photo. But the intersection of Metcalf and Ferry was closed to traffic today and that causes a lot of confusion. I was walking!

Phase 2 starts next week and is expected to last three weeks. Thus interrupting the Halloween Parade! This year Halloween falls on a Saturday, and the parade will commence at 2:00 in the afternoon instead of at dusk (as it has in other years). And the route will be different, pretty much all taking place from west to east on Ferry. This is big news in Sedro-Woolley, as the kidlets get to trick-or-treat the downtown merchants and we don't want anybody falling in the Big Hole In The Street!!


Today was blustery and cooler. Tonight there is a 100% chance of rain and more winds. Every year we have a wind and rain storm in October that ushers in the seasonal weather. Looks like this is it! There's a low pressure area off the coast and the wind is blowing from east to west to fill it in. Leaves are skidding east on Ferry street today. But not all the leaves are down yet. And in the downtown core, when there is a big windstorm, we find a lot of funny things in our yards. I lost a roll of plastic backsplash one time, that I had staged on the porch for a contractor. Another time I found one of our lawn chair cushions about a block away, totally by accident. I was driving down the street, I saw this big green thing, and I said, "That looks like mine." It was. I get a lot of miscellaneous debris in the yard. Nothing interesting. Sure hope this wind brings the rest of those filberts down!

More as it develops.