Articles written by Anne Basye
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County planning commission says 'no' to easing agritourism rules
In the latest step in the process of reviewing and perhaps changing county code around agritourism, the Skagit County Planning Commissioners voted 5 to 2 to recommend that Skagit County Commissioners...
New agreement with Skagit PUD will let farmers irrigate all summer
With the snowpack at 69% of normal and spring precipitation uncertain, local farmers have one piece of good news: if a drought develops, they can count on water from the Skagit Public Utility...
Museum sale at Skagit City School this weekend
The Skagit Historical Museum's annual Sale at the School runs 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday, April 19-21 at the Skagit City School, 17508 Moore Road on Fir Island. Museum Director Jo Wolfe is excited...
Agritourism decision on hold again
The interim ordinance that places a temporary moratorium on new event venues on land zoned Ag-NRL “is not a free pass for existing venues,” Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney Will Honea said Monday at a post-adoption hearing in the county com...
'Traffic' is Tulip Festival's top word, top worry
This year's Tulip Festival is all about traffic – on the road and on social media. Eighty percent of the traffic to the Tulip Festival website comes from people on mobile devices. On its new m...
2 Mavrik ferries done, 2 more to go
The high-speed passenger ferry MV Delphinus has joined the San Francisco Bay Ferry system after breezing through builder trials and two weeks of sea trials that tested speed, endurance and maneuverabi...
Bounty of poems, art, recipes in book
Poets are people. They get hungry, make shopping lists, cook. You can find their hankerings and appetites in "The Empty Bowl Cookbook," a new anthology published by the Madrona Project. The...
Channel Drive resident honored for 64 years in Rotary
For more than two-thirds of his life, Doug Jones has been a Rotarian. The 95-year-old Channel Drive resident joined Rotary when he was 31. He has been a Rotarian longer than the 52 years he was...
County planning commission says 'no' to easing agritourism rules
In the latest step in the process of reviewing and perhaps changing county code around agritourism, the Skagit County Planning Commissioners voted 5 to 2 to recommend that Skagit County Commissioners...
Shelter Bay Chorus holiday concert sings strong
"It's time for your audition," announced Director Lyle Forde midway through the Shelter Bay Chorus's holiday concert last Friday evening. The 200 people in the audience at the Shelter Bay Clubhouse em...
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 Morning was master of ceremonies. Santo Coyote sta...
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, the Skagit County Planning Commission reviewed...
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 par...
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 t...
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 l...
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... Full story
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, alo...
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 through a school remodel and a pandemic. Besides...
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 Je...
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 warm store and coming out to a cold field with no one to...
