Welcome to Sedro-Woolley

Sedro-Woolley is starting to make a comeback from the pandemic and we can’t wait to see everyone this summer! Our events are picking up steam with Blast from the Past right around the corner. If you haven’t been to Blast from the Past in a while, we invite you to dust off your bell-bottoms and feather those bangs to match our 1972 theme (not required) and come to downtown Sedro-Woolley on June 3, 4, & 5th to join the fun!

We applaud the tenacity of our Sedro-Woolley businesses that were determined to survive and thrive despite the challenges brought by the pandemic over the last couple of years. Many old favorites are still with us, such as major employers like Janicki Industries (JI) and familyowned businesses like Hal’s Drive-in. Our fi tness centers Riverside Health Club, Anytime Fitness, and United General Fitness have stuck around and we have seen some new places to work out including Finesse Fit and some dedicated to the Mixed Martial Arts.

Sedro-Woolley has a rich history and it continues to grow and change. Many of our city elders have memories of the Carnegie Library, which exemplifi ed the determination of favorite places long remembered. The Carnegie Library was on Third Street where the high school gym is now. When the new library opened in the early 60s it seemed to lack that sense of the familiar but the new library on State Street is a great addition to the evolving nature of libraries. We thank Mayors Johnson and Wagoner (now State Senator Wagoner) for seeing this project to completion without raising taxes but by fi nding other sources of funding. Our new library proudly sits on a property that was once a feed store.

Evidence of the Janicki family’s will to succeed, Stanley Janicki Senior with a house full of kids, had to fi nd a way to earn a living when the Clear Lake Mill closed. The land on Janicki Road was a stump farm of cedars previously cut and he was soon working on making hand split cedar shakes. While we don’t have the mills anymore, we still have the spirit of our community that has always seen new businesses.

Now two generations later, we see evidence through his grandsons (their father was Stanley Janicki Jr.) of the ability to adapt and roll with change. Peter Janicki founded Sedron Technologies to provide solutions to third world nations with access to healthy sanitation, clean drinking water, and a steam generated electrical system. Rob is building the fi ve-story building near McDonalds, and Mike keeps various young family members working in the woods. John has recently presented a program on a laminated wood product that can be milled by the machines up at the Hamilton plant.

When you visit Sedro-Woolley, we hope you stop and check-out the murals and wooden carvings downtown. As you head out to the North Cascades National Park, we invite you and your family to stop and explore Sedro-Woolley. As members of the Cascade Loop, we are truly blessed to be on one of America’s scenic highways. Camping and Glamping (at our very own Willowbrook Manor), can be a great way to experience the Cascade Loop. Fresh air and views are abundant along your journey. How much you ‘rough it’ depends on how much planning and preparation you do, and what kind of camping or glamping you want to do.

Executive Director, Pola Kelley