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A class that weathered a slew of obstacles, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic, was blessed with warm, sunny conditions and a clear view of snow-capped Mount Baker for La Conner High School's 129th annual commencement exercises Thursday evening at Whittaker Field. That scenario of emerging from clouds of uncertainty into the bright sunshine of hope and optimism was emphasized in remarks by Class of 2023 Valedictorian Hadley Shears, among a handful of graduating seniors speaking at the...
There was sharing aplenty at the Museum of Northwest Art Saturday night as MoNA raised $370,000 through purchases and donations at its 31st annual auction. The First Street museum was humming as people gathered for the second year in a row, with nary an N95 mask in sight. The theme, "Share the Magic of Northwest Art," was visible throughout, with over 300 pieces of art hung and displayed on every gallery wall on the first and second floor, with sculpture and jewelry displayed on stands and...
Gov. Jay Inslee enjoyed a taste of Skagit Valley on several levels when he toured the Puget Sound Food Hub Cooperative near La Conner last Tuesday. The state's three-term chief executive, who recently announced he would not seek re-election, nonetheless modeled all the ingredients of a campaigner as he spoke with and listened to area farmers and food hub General Manager Andrew Yokom. Inslee repeatedly praised the cleanliness and efficiency of the warehouse site, a former potato shed located...
The secondary heading for this editorial is "our ossified leadership." The political state – and status – of our country is our society-wide failure, whether you read many newspapers or none and whether you discuss vigorously, halfheartedly or not at all with your neighbors, families and friends. About the ossified leadership: Our accepting presidential candidates on either side of 80-years-old is a failure on Joe Biden and Donald Trump's parts, the leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties – and financers – politically involved citiz... Full story
I’ve lived in La Conner and the surrounding area for 38 years and continue to be thrilled by all the wonderful organizations here that support gardening, farming, land conservation, the Sunrise Food Bank, Kiwanis, Rotary and Soroptimists, to name a few. And the businesses here are unique and charming. We have a feast of restaurants here to satisfy so many tastes, fish from the sea, burgers, tacos, fine dining, ice cream, breakfasts and sliders. And coffee, the best anywhere. My favorite place in La Conner is Seaport Books. Janna and company h...
Thank you for your spot-on Musings (June 7 Weekly News) in regard to Memorial Day, especially the service at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery on May 29. As always, it was a moving service, conducted quite ably by Rev. Don Robinson. As I listened to and observed the folding of the flag protocol and recounting of the military conflicts that our flag has symbolized, whether noble or otherwise, I, too, was struck by the omission of the Civil War. This was no careless omission. The Civil War was the most pivotal point in the history of the United States. It...
I recently received an invitation from the Skagit County Republican Party to its annual Lincoln-Reagan gala. I've never voted for a Republican, but I do recall long political discussions with my father, a lifelong Republican,. We often disagreed on policy, but never about basic facts. So, out of curiosity, I explored the website of the Skagit County Republicans and was immediately swept down the proverbial rabbit hole. In one blog post (April 27) county chairman Bill Bruch refers to "the Marxists who are currently running our country", meaning...
I was very sad to hear that the city council had voted to remove the salmon slide. The letter (Weekly News, June 7) mentioned that it was going to be removed because of the continued cost of maintenance. Having watched it closely for the past few years I know that the only maintenance that was done was done by Ollie Iverson, the parks commissioner. I question the so called high maintenance costs that the city claims. The cost of its removal would be exorbitant and would make no sense. The salmon slide was the highlight of our grandchildren’s v...
An earlier column emphasized understanding the numbers on your electric bill. Understanding what the bill means, however, doesn’t help much in understanding why you’ve used that much energy, nor does it help you reduce your energy costs. For that, you need to understand how much each of your electric devices contributes to the meter reading. Electric devices have wattage ratings. Multiply the wattage by the amount of time the device is used to determine how much energy that device is using. For...
Elizabeth "Betty" Grace Gordon died on Monday, May 22, 2023 at the age of 97. She passed in the home where she had spent most of her life, looking out the windows, the rays of her final golden hour reflected in her eyes. Betty was born to Samuel and Tiena (Drost) Mesman on May 19, 1926, in Rocky Point, Washington. Growing up in the 1930s and 40s, she would share stories of her life on the beaches of the island picking wild strawberries, looking for agates, and finding lady slipper orchids bloomi... Full story
With the completion of an on-site soil analysis, applicants Kate and Brandon Atkinson stand on firm enough ground to seek county building permits for their proposed condo project on Center Street, Town of La Conner Planning Commissioners were told last week. “The applicants have expressed a desire to apply for building permits before the end of June,” Planning Director Michael Davolio said as part of a regular status report on the 306 Center Street proposal during a one-hour June 7 hybrid session at Maple Hall. Davolio said two soil boring tes...
Summer vacation likely will be an oxymoron for area firefighters. Forecasts place Washington state at the epicenter of regional wildfires from July to September. “The outlook for Washington state is not all that great,” Skagit County Fire District 13 Assistant Chief Jamie Jurdi conceded last Thursday. “Washington is in the red throughout the whole wildfire season. Not just eastern Washington, but also western Washington.” Fire District 13, serving Swinomish Reservation and the rural La Conner area, regularly mobilizes personnel and equipme...
A good idea never goes out of style. Thirty-four years after its inception, the concept of an inclusive scholarship program supporting La Conner High School graduates still remains a perfect fit for a community that values education. The La Conner Community Scholarship Foundation, which evolved from a 1989 Dollars for Scholars campaign launched by then-school administrators Ken Winkes and Norm Hoffman, the local Parent-Teacher-Student Association and civic leaders, including Gail Thulen, Maureen Harlan, John Hastings, Maude Misner and Melphine...
Jo Wolfe knew it would take a lot of energy to reorganize the extensive Native American Collection at the Skagit County Historical Museum. Fortunately, there was someone perfect for the job. Intern Maggie Telford, a 2022 University of Washington graduate in anthropology, used her technology skills and love of history to inventory, identify, document and care for the 804 Native American items at the La Conner museum over the course of an eight-month assignment. She shared her mission Thursday evening with an engaging presentation before a...
Gwyneth Nelson graduated with highest honors, from Montana State University May 12. The greater La Conner resident earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7. Source: Montana State University...
The enthusiasm of the Art Circle artists holding their first exhibit at Beaver Tales Coffee and Tea this June is fueled by more than an intimate showing space, good coffee, a great hostess in co-owner Michelle Calvin and support of Margaret Hillard, La Conner Senior Center coordinator and group champion in her own right. The artists: Pam DeVries, Simme Bobrosky, Lisa VerSteegh, Annabelle Vergne, Roberta Gregory, Jan Vevoda-Aguero and Kaye Stephens, create in a variety of media, including...
SKAGIT VALLEY — The Rodale Institute Pacific Northwest Organic Center at Cascadian Farm, the historic property formerly known as Cascadian Home Farm, has opened its fields to the public for u-pick strawberries. A beloved destination for tourists and local residents traveling along Highway 20, the idyllic 90 acre farm is nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Skagit River. Founded in 1972, the site is the birthplace of the Cascadian Farm brand of grocery products. While the Cascadian Farm brand quickly outgrew the Home Farm, it r...
The Intuitive Arts Fair is a must-attend event for anyone interested in exploring their intuition and spiritual side. Taking place on Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25, from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at Maple Hall. The event will feature a talented lineup of intuitive artists including psychics, tarot readers, energy healing sessions, spiritual counseling and a flash mob by Witches of Skagit. There will be a variety of classes and workshops on the second floor of Maple Hall. Attendees will also browse and...
Celebrate Juneteenth with a free visit to a state park June 19. Visitors will not need a Discover Pass for day-use visits to a Washington state park or on lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources or Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Source: State Parks...
Burning the Hedlund house to the ground Saturday was only the last straw and the least important fire of the day for the La Conner and Fire Districts 2, 13 and 17 fire departments. By the time the last of the piles of wood pallets were brought into the house and the last of the interior fires were started with a propane tank and torch at 1:15 p.m., the various firefighting crews had spent hours in every room of the two story structure, examining, fighting, putting out and being tested on a varie...
OLYMPIA – As our climate changes, the threat of wildfires looms larger. The Washington state Department of Health is urging the public to prepare for smoke that can make air unhealthy to breathe. Smoke Ready Week, June 12-16, is an opportunity to take proactive steps to protect yourself and your family. “We are expecting to have above normal fire activity in Washington by July,” said Kaitlyn Kelly, MPH, air quality policy specialist, DOH. “We have an outlook for below normal precipitation and that’s going to last into fall, so condition...
The deadline for businesses to renew their Town of La Conner licenses is June 30. The state of Washington requires processing licenses through the Washington Department of Revenue’s website. Get licenses at the DOR website: dor.wa.gov. Click on “Get or renew a license” and log in or create an account. Follow the steps to completion. General business license renewals are through June 30, 2024. The annual fee starts at $25 for home occupation licenses and booth/desk fees. There are three general license fees, from $108 to $238 based on annua...
