July-August 2015 $2.25 Vol. 6 No. 6 By Karen McEachran Everett Food lovers, rejoice: Guemes Island’s first food truck opens its colorful, light- ed awning at the Guemes Island Resort soon—hopefully in early July. Called DIGS Kitchen (for Dog Is- land Goods), the truck is the brainchild of islanders Mark Linnemann and Wil- lie McWatters, and their wives Kelly and Jaime (Diamond). The operation will be located in the resort’s upper yurt area. (Mark and Kelly bought the resort in 2005, shortly after their marriage there). The truck’s motto is “from the sea and farm to you,” so the proprietors’ main goal is keeping the menu focused on fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables. Menu choices will start small, accord- ing to the duo, with “locally sourced, globally inspired dishes.” Linnemann Food Truck Rolls Onto Guemes The new food truck on Guemes is a family affair. Current, and perhaps future, proprietors and crew are (from left) Jaime Diamond holding Chavi, Willie McWatters with Juniper, Mark Linnemann with Teo and Rumi, and Kelly Linnemann. By Edith Walden In an unusually early move, Skagit County Fire Marshal Kelly Blaine issued a modified burn ban for all of Skagit County on June 23. After consulting with Blaine and the island’s fire commissioners, the Guemes Island Fire Department (GIFD) initially decided to establish a full burn ban on Guemes. That decision was reversed to a modified ban on June 23, following dis- cussions with island residents, the sher- iff’s office, and the fire marshal. GIFD will review fire conditions and their de- cision following the July 4th weekend, and may reissue a full ban. Citing the extreme dry conditions, GIFD fire commissioners had request- ed at their regular meeting on June 11 that a full burn ban be implemented on June 15. Other factors that influenced the initial decision for the full ban were Guemes Island’s remote location and the lack of immediate access by other fire departments that might be required to help in the event of a large structure fire or wildfire. Limited water resources are also a concern. Recreational burning only A modified burn ban means that outdoor burning is restricted to recre- ational fires—those used for cooking and pleasure. These fires must be made only from firewood or charcoal and meet the following requirements: • Your fire must be contained in a 3-foot cement-block, stone, or 10-gauge-steel enclosure that is at least In a Dry Year, Burn Ban Comes Early says early choices will include “in-season pizza, grilled hoagie sandwiches such as teriyaki salmon fusion or sautéed vegeta- bles with cheese, and panko/lemon-zest- crusted fish and chips.” There’ll also be soups, salads, and specials, says Linnemann, with plans to “star” island-based guest chefs. “Not everything will be available every day at first, but on a rotating basis,” says Linnemann. An idea whose time has come The idea for a food truck at the re- sort has been years in the making, says Linnemann, but it was fully hatched last winter and became a full-blown reality this spring. McWatters was the driving force behind finding “the truck” out of (continued on page 4) (continued on page 5) karen MCEaCHRAN everett , OCR Text: July-August 2015 $2.25 Vol. 6 No. 6 By Karen McEachran Everett Food lovers, rejoice: Guemes Island’s first food truck opens its colorful, light- ed awning at the Guemes Island Resort soon—hopefully in early July. Called DIGS Kitchen (for Dog Is- land Goods), the truck is the brainchild of islanders Mark Linnemann and Wil- lie McWatters, and their wives Kelly and Jaime (Diamond). The operation will be located in the resort’s upper yurt area. (Mark and Kelly bought the resort in 2005, shortly after their marriage there). The truck’s motto is “from the sea and farm to you,” so the proprietors’ main goal is keeping the menu focused on fresh seafood and seasonal vegetables. Menu choices will start small, accord- ing to the duo, with “locally sourced, globally inspired dishes.” Linnemann Food Truck Rolls Onto Guemes The new food truck on Guemes is a family affair. Current, and perhaps future, proprietors and crew are (from left) Jaime Diamond holding Chavi, Willie McWatters with Juniper, Mark Linnemann with Teo and Rumi, and Kelly Linnemann. By Edith Walden In an unusually early move, Skagit County Fire Marshal Kelly Blaine issued a modified burn ban for all of Skagit County on June 23. After consulting with Blaine and the island’s fire commissioners, the Guemes Island Fire Department (GIFD) initially decided to establish a full burn ban on Guemes. That decision was reversed to a modified ban on June 23, following dis- cussions with island residents, the sher- iff’s office, and the fire marshal. GIFD will review fire conditions and their de- cision following the July 4th weekend, and may reissue a full ban. Citing the extreme dry conditions, GIFD fire commissioners had request- ed at their regular meeting on June 11 that a full burn ban be implemented on June 15. Other factors that influenced the initial decision for the full ban were Guemes Island’s remote location and the lack of immediate access by other fire departments that might be required to help in the event of a large structure fire or wildfire. Limited water resources are also a concern. Recreational burning only A modified burn ban means that outdoor burning is restricted to recre- ational fires—those used for cooking and pleasure. These fires must be made only from firewood or charcoal and meet the following requirements: • Your fire must be contained in a 3-foot cement-block, stone, or 10-gauge-steel enclosure that is at least In a Dry Year, Burn Ban Comes Early says early choices will include “in-season pizza, grilled hoagie sandwiches such as teriyaki salmon fusion or sautéed vegeta- bles with cheese, and panko/lemon-zest- crusted fish and chips.” There’ll also be soups, salads, and specials, says Linnemann, with plans to “star” island-based guest chefs. “Not everything will be available every day at first, but on a rotating basis,” says Linnemann. An idea whose time has come The idea for a food truck at the re- sort has been years in the making, says Linnemann, but it was fully hatched last winter and became a full-blown reality this spring. McWatters was the driving force behind finding “the truck” out of (continued on page 4) (continued on page 5) karen MCEaCHRAN everett , Guemes Island Historical Society,Newspapers,Newspaper Archives,Sample Newspapers,The Guemes Tide - July - August 2015,GuemesTide-Vol6No6-JulyAugust2015.pdf Page 1, GuemesTide-Vol6No6-JulyAugust2015.pdf Page 1