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Fox Island Upcoming Events:
- Oct 5 - Fall Clean-up at NCC
- Oct 6 - Noxious Weeds Presentation
- Oct 12 - Chapel Concert
- Oct 25 - Team Trivia
- Oct 26 - FI Amateur Radio Club
- Oct 31 - Trunk or Treat
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Click on the Calendar icon (left) to view the all-island event calendar. If you have a Fox Island event that you would like to include, send email to
ficranews@gmail.com
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Schedule for this year
: Trunks will be available for treats from 5:00 to 7:00pm and then we will finish up the night inside with
DJ Spark Productions
. There will be prizes for best decorated trunks, best costumes (kids and adults), Kids Monster Mash Dance contest and more. Bring the whole family and let’s have a ghoulish good time!
Please sign up to be there with your trunk
with Miguel Martinez!
Contact him at 602-904-9485 or Miguel@mtzfinancial.com.
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Saturday, October 5th
9:00 to noon
The annual Fall Cleanup will be held at the Nichols Community Center on Saturday, October 5th. Besides keeping our Community Center showing how much we care about it, there is the great reward of a free lunch afterward – the famous Taco Soup and dessert!
(October 12th is the weather back-up date)
Below is a list of work items that need to be done for this fall cleanup. Below that is a list of larger projects that folks can volunteer for that can be done October 5th or another time if a crew wishes to get together to take one of those on. Please advise Jim Braden of your intent so materials can be secured. Carolyn and Jim Braden will be coordinating the jobs allocated to each person. Please contact them at 549-4542 or
jandcbraden@aol.com. If you plan to come, please let Carolyn know so we can make enough soup!
Fall Cleanup Jobs:
1. Clear blackberries from around Sports Field Par Course sites.
2. Pull the scotch-broom weeds starting in the Sports Field lawn area.
3. Repair limping picnic bench.
4. Place soil onto new garden at south parking lot.
5. Install labels onto the kitchen drawers.
6. Vacuum basement and steps.
7. Gardening jobs:
- Weed-eat the area behind the garage.
- General bed cleanup
8. Inside jobs.
Larger jobs:
a. Repair hose box on NCC south wall.
b. Repair the split-rail fence near the gazebo.
c. Rebuild old basement stairs cover on west NCC outside wall.
d. Repair north deck bottom step.
Projects:
- Install irrigation system around NCC building.
- Repair and resurface NCC south side doors.
- Finish installation of video camera system.
- Install Sports Field brick walk.
- Install Scout bench at Play Area.
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Free Informative Presentation!
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Sunday, October 5th at 1:00pm
Nichols Community Center
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Built in 1954, the Fox Island Bridge is constructed of cast-in-place concrete and steel beams. At 1,950 feet, it is the longest vehicle bridge maintained by Pierce County. It carries approximately 6,875 vehicles a day.
The bridge was given its periodic health check by Pierce County on August 27th and there were no surprises. They have finished the work on the bridge deck spalling so the bridge surface is smooth again.
The County Council reviewed the final engineering report on the bridge repair/replacement and has sent the report back to the engineering firm to address some questions. That report will contain the options recommended for the repair or replacement of the bridge and financing options for each. We are still hoping we can set up a meeting for an update and Q&A for Fox Island residents in November, 2019. We will keep you posted.
Our lead on working with the County is FICRA Building Trust's Jim Braden who can be contacted at trustdirector@ficra.org or info@ficra.org if you have any questions or input.
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You may have noticed that the maximum load limit for each of the truck categories has been reduced slightly and additional truck configurations have been added. This load limit reduction, and the addition of vehicle configurations, is not a result of bridge deterioration or damage but rather the result of a new load rating methodology and vehicle configuration mandate issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
The Federal Highway Administration mandate requires the load rating of Specialized Hauling Vehicles (SHV) for bridges contained in the National Bridge Inventory (NBI). As defined in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Bridge Evaluation (MBE), these vehicles are closely-spaced, multi-axle, single unit trucks such as dump trucks, construction vehicles, solid waste trucks, and other hauling trucks that were introduced by the trucking industry during the last decade. The mandate requires that all bridges be load rated for the SHV’s and posted as appropriate. The new signs that were recently installed at the Fox Island Bridge are a result of this mandate.
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Citizens' Patrol Tip of the Month
As we begin our transition to fall and winter, we need to remember the following things: this is a good time to prep your home and car for these cooler months (outside lighting/timers). It is also a good time to lock up valuables that tend to be outside during the summer months.
As most of know, thefts of outboard motors and other water sport items do occur during winter months. It is most advantageous to move these items to an area that is less visible from the street and protect them.
Finally, PLEASE SLOW DOWN. We still are getting reports from our Deputy that there is excessive, unnecessary speeding on this island. Remember, our kids are out there.
We are still looking for Citizens' Patrol volunteers. You do not have to commit to any specific amount of time; every little bit helps all of us on the island. If you are interested, please call the hotline at 253-549-7744 or email us at
FICP98333@gmail.com.
Pierce county Sheriff's Dept. 253-798-4721 (for non-emergency calls)
Your Citizens’ Patrol Members
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Fox Island Emergency Preparedness
Be prepared! Sign up for a free class with the Pierce County Preparedness Academy:
www.piercecountywa.gov/4949/Preparedness-Academy. The Disaster First Aid class is an all day class that is good for everyone. It will enable participants to assess victims of an accident or disaster and render aid. Make sure you take a lunch with you, wear comfortable clothes and bring pen and paper. For more information, send
email to
Peggy.lovellford@piercecountywa.gov.
You may find the UPDATED Emergency Plan for Fox Island online at
ficra.org/emergency-planning.htm to read and download. This year's update includes many new and interesting accomplishments and emergency supplies that have been purchased. Your understanding of the component parts of THE PLAN is essential to knowing what to expect should a major event occur and the need for each family to be SELF-SUFFICIENT. Your Fox Island Emergency Preparedness Teams will respond, in time and assist, as needed.
Do you know who your Block Coordinator is? Please check our online interactive map to see who your block coordinator is.
Click here to see the map. The map controls are in the upper left corner (see brief description below). Note that more data turns on as you zoom in. If your area isn't covered, please e-mail us at
fiblockcoord@gmail.com to help us with coverage.
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Block Coordinators
We are working to get full coverage of the island. Please consider volunteering to be a block coordinator. It's a great way to meet your neighbors and is not a complicated, nor time consuming, job. The two chief duties are as follows:
- Prepare yourself and family, and inspire neighbors to better prepare for unplanned disruptions.
- In the event of a major event, be a link to communicate your's and your neighbor's status and needs to the EP Committee, and relay the Committee's responses to your neighbors.
That's it!
If there is ever a major event, every minute spent in preparation will be paid back in hours of reduced trouble and stress. You will receive a monthly newsletter on preparation topics, training opportunities, and news concerning EP. No regular meetings, no dues, just neighbors being there for neighbors!
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Fox Island Amateur Radio Club (FIARC)
The Fox Island Amateur Radio Club (FIARC) is a committee of the FICRA Building Trust. In addition to the fellowship and learning opportunities the Club provides, the FIARC ham members will be the main communications for our Emergency Preparedness (EP) Team's response if and when a major emergency occurs. The membership is growing and the EP Team is acquiring more equipment to maximize coverage on Fox Island.
You too can belong to FIARC! It is open to anyone interested in learning about radio communication. Classes are available several times a year for those who would like to be certified to operate HAM frequency equipment. If interested please send a email to
info@ficra.org and we will get back to you.
The Fox Island Amateur Radio Club (FIARC) holds their meetings on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Nichols Community Center. The meetings begin with a social gathering with coffee and treats and a chance to get to know one another at 9:30 am. The business meeting starts at 10 am which we try to limit to an hour.
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Fall has arrived and it is time to consider what activities we Fox Island Seniors might enjoy during the Fall/Winter season. Card playing (Pinochle mentioned), games, Bingo, informational presentations, coffee/tea k
latch, lunch in town, or just plain togetherness? Dave McHugh and Ray need some input on your wishes. Please send your suggestions to Ray at
rkittelber@aol.com or call him at 253-549-2195.
The Gig Harbor Senior Center has moved again and is located at the Peninsula Lutheran Church, 6509 38th St. Gig Harbor. Activities have expanded from Mon-Wed to Mon-Thurs. Lunch will continue on Monday and Wednesday. Soon they will hire a part time employee. We invite some Fox Island Seniors to join Dave and me on a convenient date to visit. Let Ray know your interest (see above). Their Senior Center will eventually find a permanent home and expand the programs they offer. We will monitor their progress and our ability to participate while also assessing the possibility of a Senior Center on Fox Island.
Dave McHugh and Ray Kittelberger
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Good news! You can support the FICRA Building Trust by using the Amazon shopping
app on your Android device! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations. If you have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping App, open the App on your Android device. View Settings and select AmazonSmile. Follow the in-App instructions to complete the process. If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping App, update your App.
Click here for more info.
AmazonSmile is not currently available for iOS users. We will let you know when it becomes available for iOS.
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Party Planners
We are seeking some fun-loving people to help organize the annual FICRA Trust "Party with a Purpose" that will be held in January. Please reply to this email if you can help out.
** Auction Donations **
Seeking some awesome items and experiences (boat rides, theater tickets, etc) for the Party with a Purpose silent and live auctions. An independent review of last year's event recommended that we reduce the number of items so, we will need to be a little more selective this year. We are seeking unique, quality new (or very gently used) items. If you would like to help but don't have anything to donate, the committee would gladly accept cash donations to purchase auction items. Please reply to this email to help.
Publicity
Seeking a volunteer to step up to take over FICRA publicity. This includes creating this newsletter monthly. Other tasks include updating the FICRA Facebook page with information on events and the Instagram account with photos, creating flyers and posters for the FICRA window at the store and creating and posting the bridge signs. If you are interested in all or part of these tasks, please reply to this email.
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What's Happening at the Chapel?
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Gypsy Soul Concert
Saturday, October 12th
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Don't miss this special performance at the Chapel on Echo Bay! Limited tickets are still available online for $25. Chapel members may request a discount code via email.
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All About Beer
Tuesday, October 22 at 7:00pm
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After a summer break, our Chapel Chats resume this month with a presentation by island resident and owner of Fox Island Brewing, Jim Dignam. Chapel Chats are free and open to the public. Join us!
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Save the Date!
Our annual Christmas concert fundraiser will be Saturday, December 14th with Puget Sounds Wind Quintet. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more info.
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What's Happening at the Museum?
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The Fox Island Garden Club officially donated their old bridge sign to the Museum last week. A lovely presentation board was created showing the history of the sign. There was also a "time capsule" found under the sign that included newspaper clippings from 1955. The old sign and the contents of the capsule will live in the Museum's new barn when it is complete. Photos of the event can be found on the
Museum's Facebook page.
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Check out our new display at Zog's on the submarine that ran aground on Fox Island back in 1988. Information is also on the
Museum's YouTube Channel.
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It might not look like much right now but we are finally making progress on the barn! Permits were obtained, the old fence was removed and the old farm implements were relocated. Several trees had to be taken out and now the site has been leveled for construction to begin.
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Men's Coffee @ NCC
Men's Coffee is every Wednesday morning from 9:00 to 11:00am. Bring your friends and meet new ones. Get and share expert opinions on all sorts of topics and stay for the camaraderie.
Nature Center Work Parties
You're invited to help keep our Nature Center in shape. Work parties are held once a month on the 3rd Saturday at 9:00am.
Guitar Clinic
Tuesdays at 10:00am at the Nichols Community Center. Free!
Quilters
The Fox Island Quilters meet on the first and third Thursday of the month (Oct 3rd & 17th)
at the Nichols Community Center from 10 to 2.
This is an open group meeting and any interested quilters are welcome to drop by.
Contact: Sue Lester, 253-549-4428,
suelester61@hotmail.com
Monthly Adult Game Night @ NCC
Trivia is held on the last Friday of the month. Mark your calendars to attend the next one on October 25th.
Island Yoga & Exercise Schedule:
(all classes are on a donation basis)
- Monday at the NCC at 9:30 with Sara
- Wednesday at the UCC at 9:30 with Katie
- Friday at the NCC at 9:30 with Sara
Sand & Soil Garden Club Meetings
Meetings held the 2nd Thursday of the month at 11:00am at the Chapel followed by potluck luncheon.
Fox Island Art Group
Wednesdays at 10:00 at the NCC
FICRA & FICRA Trust Board Meetings
Second Thursday of the month at 7:00pm at the NCC.
Fox Island Historical Society Museum Board Meetings
Normally the last Monday of the month at 7:00pm at the museum.
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The current membership period runs from August 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020. If you haven’t had a chance to renew your membership or if you wish to join FICRA you may do so via the online membership form at
ficra.org/dues.htm and pay with a credit card via PayPal. Forms and envelopes are also available at the Fox Island Store along with a drop box. FICRA Membership dues support the many FICRA activities that happen throughout the year. Join/renew and become part of our Island community!
FICRA and the FICRA Building Trust are always looking for volunteers to assist with our various programs. Come join us in making Fox Island the wonderful place that it is. Please also consider a tax deductible donation to FICRA Building Trust and/or the Citizen Patrol Program along with your FICRA Dues payment.
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Helpful Numbers
- Animal Control: 253-798-7387
- Dead Animals: 253-798-3669
- Injured Animal-West Sound Wildlife: 206-855-9057
- Road signs: 253-798-6000
- Road crews (potholes, etc.): 253-798-6000
- Down trees on county roads: 253-798-6000
- Code Enforcement: 253-798-3737
- Health Department: 253-798-6500
- Traffic Control: 253-798-4940
- Fire Department Non-Emergency & Burn Permits: 253-851-3111
- Pierce County Sheriff’: 253-798-4721
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