Articles written by Anne Basye
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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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...