Articles written by Anne Basye

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 By Anne Basye    A & E    November 15, 2023
People viewing art.

Maple Hall lit up by Art's Alive

When power failed in La Conner late Friday night and Saturday, the cell phone flashlights came out at Art's Alive. "It was art in the dark," said La Conner Arts Foundation board member Sheila Johnson...

 
 By Anne Basye    A & E    November 8, 2023
Image of a watercolor of madrona limb leaning out over water.

Art's Alive! 2023 opens Friday at Maple Hall

Expect to see an exciting array of art when Art's Alive opens at Maple Hall this Friday at 1 pm. "Northwest Focus," this year's theme, was inspired by poster artist, greater La Conner resident and...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    November 8, 2023
Boat rolling onto barge with people watching closely.

Mavrik Marine floats second ferry for San Francisco system

After a weeklong wait for the right tide and weather conditions, the aluminum ferry M.V. Delphinus left Monday night in a tricky operation conducted under rented klieg lights. No crane in La Conner...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    November 8, 2023

Museum sounds the alarm for new fire detection

An alarm of sorts went off at last Friday’s fall party for the Skagit County Historical Museum – on purpose. An enthusiastic crowd was enjoying itself at Maple Hall. Radio show host Mike in the...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    November 1, 2023

Agritourism code changes will be a multi-year process

Nearly 1,400 individuals and organizations from inside and outside Skagit County submitted comments on proposed changes to county code regarding agritourism last summer. During its Oct. 10 meeting,...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    September 20, 2023
Kim Good-Rubenstein and John Roozen.

John Roozen gets award at SPF annual auction-dinner

You may not know John Roozen – but you probably know his truck. On any given day, a red F250 Power Stroke diesel truck from the late 1990s may pass you on Calhoun or McLean roads – or may be...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    September 13, 2023

Singing the salmon home

It's hard to take a photo of a fast-moving salmon – even when you are surrounded by them. They splash. They skitter. They hit your kayak and soak your shirt. One second they are a tiny ripple in...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    August 30, 2023
Farm workers pick leeks in a field

Agritourism stakeholders to county: slow down, step back and try again

An adhoc Agritourism Stakeholder Working Group created in July has submitted agritourism policy concepts to the Skagit County Planning Commissioners. The group's goal is to help the county shape code...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    August 2, 2023
A potato field with pink blooms

Fine weather for many crops, as long as farmers irrigate

Skagit County is officially in a drought emergency – but so far, some area farmers are having a pretty good year. Swanson Family Farm's berry crop was bountiful. "We went from a 10 percent crop and...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    July 26, 2023

After 20 years of Tulip Festival, Verge reflects on her time

After promoting the Valley's most famous flower gardens, Cindy Verge is looking forward to tending her own backyard. Executive director of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival for 20 years, Verge will...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    July 12, 2023
A field of barley is ready for harvest

Bye bye, barley?

Amber waves of grain are beautiful, until you can't sell them. Dave Hedlin's barley fields along Chilberg Road – labeled "Spring Malting Barley" on crop signs – will be ripe in about a week,...

 
 By Anne Basye    School    July 5, 2023

Lori Buher looks back on a 27-year career with La Conner Schools

Lori Buher retired in June after 27 years with La Conner Schools and even longer as a La Conner School parent. Her long career can be divided into three chapters. In Chapter 1, she joined the La... Full story

 
 By Anne Basye    School    June 28, 2023

Juli Olson retires from school office

After 20 years, Juli Olson is finally graduating from middle school. The La Conner middle and high school administrative assistant retires at the end of June after working under six principals and...

 
 By Anne Basye    Community    May 3, 2023

Local shops have new local owners

Two La Conner institutions have new owners – and one of them a new name. Purchasing the Reclamation Candle Company and Coffee Bar from Barney and Tammy Richard was a no-brainer for Greg Whiting and...

 
 By Anne Basye    Community    April 26, 2023

Jeannette DeGoede tells inside story of Tulip Town

Very few people give up a desk job to work in the tulip fields – but Jeannette DeGoede did. “I was sporting goods managers at Ernst Hardware in Mount Vernon,” she remembers. “Leaving a nice...

 
 By Anne Basye    Community    March 29, 2023

Tulip Festival is back, if not yet in full bloom

Ready or not, here comes the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The Mount Vernon Kiwanis are firing up the grill for their annual salmon barbecue, which starts this Saturday, April 1. The four local flower...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    March 15, 2023

Yes it has been cold: Weather delays daffodil blooms

It's March 15, and nary a daffodil can be seen, but Brent Roozen isn't worried. Field picking ramped up last weekend, said the Washington Bulb Company CEO, and daffodils are shipping to customers at...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    February 15, 2023

Conway billboard proposal comment period extended

What laws govern billboards in Skagit County? Exactly what kind of billboard is being proposed by the 76 gas station owners east of the Conway exit? The answers to those questions are one reason the... Full story

 

More coffee, biscuits and potatoes in and around town

Morning coffee, afternoon tea and better St. Patrick's Day potatoes are now on tap in greater La Conner. Cruser Coffee, 313 Morris Street, is a new source for your morning joe. Nicole Cruse owns and...

 

Morris and First street business shufflings

January and February may be quiet months for La Conner, but town businesses are in the midst of big changes. Perhaps the most prominent is the recently opened Firehall Kitchen and Taphouse at 402...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    January 25, 2023

Rain and wind like you would not believe hit California

In the first three weeks of January, 32 trillion gallons of rain and snow fell on California. I was there for an awful lot of them. Usually, when I make my holiday sojourn to Sacramento, I enjoy sligh...

 

Butchering steer on the hoof demonstrated in cooking class

When Taylor Brink visited La Conner High School last Thursday, he was fully armed – and armored. The butcher/meat cutter for Northwest Local Meats, the retail butcher shop for the Island Grown...

 

Roger Gietzen directs Lincoln Theatre successes

After struggling through two pandemic years, the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon closed out 2022 in good shape. Audiences are returning. There is money in the bank. Membership, which dipped to 482 dur...

 
 By Anne Basye    News    December 14, 2022

Avian flu hits waterfowl around La Conner, Fir Island

Larry McCormick has been seeing a lot of dead birds. "You drive around Best, Calhoun, Bradshaw, you see them," said the La Conner resident, an avid hunter. "At one farmer's field with goose decoys...

 
 By Anne Basye    A & E    November 16, 2022

Community was all-in at Art's Alive opening gala

Art, appetizers and wine and lots of buzz about the quality of the show – in short, the Art's Alive opening gala Friday was "a wonderful night," observed La Conner Arts Foundation board member...

 

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