FICRA Flash - January 2020

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Fox Island Upcoming Events:

The '20s are back and we’re celebrating! Mark your calendars for our annual FICRA Building Trust “Party with a Purpose!” Get ready to dance the Charleston, bid on awesome auction items and raise some money for our wonderful Nichols Community Center! This fun event helps fund the maintenance of our 85-year-old Fox Island School House, now known as the Nichols Community Center. The primary projects we are hoping to fund from this event are restoration of the windows in the building.

Invitations go out in US mail this week. Register online at ficra.org . You may also register by sending in a check. Please note that your FICRA membership must be current to attend this party. Space is limited and we will sell out . Plan to join us!

Citizens' Patrol Tip of the Month

Happy New Year to all our fellow islanders! As a reminder, we have at least 4 months of cold, rainy and perhaps snowy weather coming our way. Remember to get prepared with emergency supplies. You can find guidelines on the FICRA website provided by our island Emergency Preparedness group. With the shorter and overcast days, it can be difficult for motorists to see pedestrians. Please remember to wear clothing that is bright, reflective or otherwise easily seen by drivers when you are out walking. Recently we have had several car accidents related to weather and speeding. PLEASE SLOW DOWN!

If you see anything suspicious, please contact the Pierce County Sheriff's non-emergency number: (253) 253-798-4721, select option #1.

Your Fox Island Citizens’ Patrol

CP Hotline 253-549-7744

Fox Island Emergency Preparedness

Do you have your Family Emergency Plan?

The Emergency Prep Response Team is working on various scenarios to use as hypotheticals for response planning. One of the more likely scenarios is a relatively short outage of our bridge - an example being a vehicle crash on the bridge resulting in a fire that would require a review of the bridge integrity by the county before permitting traffic again.

That scenario would require a family to know how to get by for up to a week until the bridge was re-opened. That should be a scenario we all have built into our family emergency response actions. As said in our notices all along: It will take time to get the Response Team up and running and that would include developing alternative transportation (boats, mainly). So the above scenario should be read assuming no alternative transportation being commissioned.

Do you know who your Block Coordinator (BC) is?

You can check the map of the island showing the BC coverage at: tinyurl.com/FI-BC-Map. 

If you are in an area that is covered, GREAT!   If not, please contact AP Tempet at  [email protected]  to discuss whether you would be interested in adding your area and neighbors to the growing group.

Even if you are in a covered area, please get in touch with your BC.  We are actively recruiting alternate BC's to work in conjunction with the existing BC's, and act as the primary BC in the event that the original may be absent or unable to participate. We have added 5 Area Block Coordinators for 5 areas, as follows:

These 5 will be intermediaries between the BC's in their Area, and the Central Committee. We would like you all to welcome these residents who have volunteered to help our neighborhoods. We would also like to have volunteers to back up the Area BC positions, and the Island Block Coordinator position, to enhance our ability to respond.

Have a happy, and safe, new year!

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/when a major emergency occurs. Our membership is growing and the EP team is acquiring more equipment to maximize coverage on Fox Island.

The most recent acquisition for Fox Island Emergency Preparedness is a repeater!! The function of the repeater will be to allow mobile and hand held HAM radios to have continuous coverage for the entire island. This is very important to our communications in time of need. The repeater acts as a real time relay station. The repeater is currently under test and will be installed at its final location later in the spring of 2020. The repeater output frequency is 440.575 MHz, and its input frequency is 445.575 MHz. An acquisition tone (CTSCC or PL) of 173.8 hz is required to be programmed in your radio for access of the repeater. The repeater will identify with the call sign of WA7FI. An amateur radio license is required to talk through the repeater, but anyone may listen to the output frequency.

You too can belong to FIARC! It is open to anyone interested in learning about radio communication. Amateur Radio is a radio hobby that has been around since Marconi. Besides being a fun way to talk to other radio operators around the world, Ham Radio operators are relied upon during emergencies to provide much needed communication when all else fails. The next Amateur Radio Technician and General level classes are scheduled for March 14 and 15. These are two 8 hour classes with the exams given at the end of the second day. If interested please send an email to [email protected] and we will get back to you.

The Fox Island Amateur Radio Club (FIARC) holds their meetings normally on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Nichols Community Center. Due to the holidays and other events there was not a meeting in December. And the next meeting will be on January 11th at 9 am. Come at 8:30 for coffee and chat. Come learn about the exciting world of Amateur Radio (Ham). See you there!!

Lets start with a Happy and Healthy New Year to all Fox Island Seniors and everyone!

 

We have had inquiries about forming a Pinochle Group. Some of the old groups have faded and some members want to continue on with new partners and new blood (younger members welcome). Let Ray Kittelberger ( [email protected]) know if you have interest. Depending on the response, we will decide where best to hold the card games.

 

Also as mentioned before we have been provided by Pierce County Human Services lots of valuable materials to assist seniors in understanding the many services available within Pierce County. That material will be displayed at both the Museum and the Nichols Community Center once we locate racks to display. Preferable wood about 30" wide and a height of 18" to conform with surrounding at the Museum and Nichols Community Center. Again let Ray know if you have knowledge on racks. 

Dave McHugh and Ray Kittelberger

Publicity

We are still 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.

Seeking FICRA Board Members

If you are interested in serving on either the FICRA Board of the FICRA Trust Board, please reply to this email. FICRA organizes community events and the FICRA Trust manages the Nichols Community Center along with Citizens' Patrol, the Emergency Planning group and more. Be a part of our island community by serving a term on one of these boards.

Help Stop This Invader!

English Ivy (Hedera helix) is a member of the Ginseng family and and a noxious weed on the Pacific coast. Damp soil, dormant native growth and less weekly yard activities make November to February the best time to go after this ubiquitous invasive plant.

Why should we control English Ivy?

A mature English Ivy vine in a tree may add up to 2000 lb in weight (when dry) and generate significant wind resistance. This increases the chance of the tree’s structural failure with winter winds and rain. English Ivy seeds generally occur on vertical growth. Allowing exuberant tree growth permits seeding. Ground growth tends to be vegetative only. The shallow matted root of English Ivy actually are rather poor at controlling erosion.

Dense growth up trees blocks light and inhibits desirable native understory growth. English Ivy on the ground crowds out native species and competes for water and nutrients. English Ivy on the ground is a delightful home for our Norway rats!

Here is the best control:

Cut stems at about 3 feet up the trunk and clearing ground 3 feet away from trunk. Generally, if vines are mature, leaving them on the tree is advised. Put the cut out vines in the garbage and not in yard waste or compost. The leaves will die and fall off in 2 to 3 years. Not pulling vines off the tree is advised to prevent damage to the bark of your tree. Impact on weight and wind resistance are almost immediate while cosmetic improvement takes time. Small vines can be pulled from the tree.

All trees do not have to be cleared of ivy vines at the same time but starting is important. Consider the dead ivy leaves as a signal to the community that you are taking corrective action.

Herbicides do not easily penetrate the waxy leaf of English Ivy and can be surprisingly ineffective. Substantial control can be achieved with manual/ mechanical methods. See link below for information about using chemicals in conjunction with manual/mechanical methods. In areas that have been cleared, once or twice yearly maintenance is usually a quick and satisfying job.

Control of English Ivy can make room for native plantings. This may more permanently control of the English Ivy growth on your property. The Pierce County Conservation District Native Plant Sale is taking orders now until Jan 15, 2020 with pick up on Feb 28 and 29, 2020. Great selections and great prices! Click on this link for info: Native-Plant-Sale.

Let your neighbors know what you are doing and why it is important. Use your social media to let people know what you are up to! For more info, visit

www.earthcorps.org/ftp/ECScience/Projects/Shoreline/Ivy_Herbicide_Study_2012.pdf

Time to Renew Your Membership!

The Chapel Preservation Society memberships are due for renewal every January. Please send in your membership check by mail to PO Box 545 or renew online at our website under Support Us. The annual membership is still $25 per household. Now more than ever, we need membership renewals to not only help us maintain our beautiful historic Chapel, but to pay attorney's fees associated with the lawsuit.

Coming up in 2020

Time to Renew Your Membership!

Fox Island Historical Society memberships are due for renewal every January. Please send in your membership check by mail to PO Box 242 or stop by during our open hours (Wed, Sat, Sun 1-4pm) to renew or join. The annual membership is still $25 per household or $15 per single. Help us maintain our wonderful museum - join or renew today!

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 [email protected] .

Is anyone using this? Thinking of eliminating it...

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  

Fox Island Quilters will resume our monthly meetings starting on January 2 and then again on January 16. Quilters, if you have not joined us yet, consider stopping by to check us out. We are a very informal group. Loads of laughs and lots of encouragement for all your quilting projects. We meet at the Nichols community center from 10-2. Bring a sack lunch. Hope to see you in the new year. Contact: Sue Lester, 253-549-4428, [email protected].

Monthly Adult Game Night @ NCC

Trivia is held on the last Friday of the month. Mark your calendars to attend the next one on January 31st.

Island Yoga Schedule:  (classes are on a donation basis)

Sand & Soil Garden Club Meetings

Meetings are typically held the 2nd Thursday of the month at 11:00am at the Chapel followed by potluck luncheon. January is a special joint meeting with the Fox Island Garden Club on January 9.

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.

FICRA membership dues provide several free community events throughout the year, such as the annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Community Concert held on Dec 1st. We hope you were able to attend.  

The membership period is from August 1st to July 31st of the following year. The beginning date coincides with the annual FICRA Fair, where many renew their membership. 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 or 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! If you are unsure if your membership dues have been paid, drop us an email at [email protected] and we will let you know.

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, the Citizen Patrol Program, and/or our Island Emergency Preparedness Program along with your FICRA Dues payment.