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The crowd lining First Street for La Conner’s Fourth of July parade on Monday either stood for the 30-minute event or were seated on benches, in camp chairs, and along curbs. But the best seats were reserved for Gable Wilkins and his gold medalist Special Olympics teammates. They rode on La Conner Hook & Ladder’s vintage ’41 Ford fire engine, leading the parade. Fire Chief and Code Enforcement Officer Aaron Reinstra coordinated what was truly a special appearance by the team members, one much...
At least 12 Washington counties have COVID-19 community levels rated “high,” meaning they have had 200 or more new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days based on Washington state Department of Health data. The statewide rate, through June 30, is 241 new cases per100,000 people in the last seven days. King County, at 327 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 population for the seven day period, leads the state. Skagit County is 9th at 219.24 cases per 100,000. The federal Centers for Disease Control data is slightly different for...
Five years. Two-hundred-sixty issues. Today’s Weekly News is the 261st printed since I bought this newspaper in 2017. Thank you for reading your community newspaper. This issue starts my sixth year as publisher and editor. Still, as I have written before, I own it, but it is your newspaper. What have I learned, covering the community through good times and bad? I am biased as I view our most important institutions, binding greater La Conner together, as the La Conner School District, the Town of La Conner government, the La Conner Regional L...
Hatfield was pacing, hopping on and off his bar stool, waiting for McCoy. As soon as his friend sat down, Hatfield flagged the barkeep for double bourbons with their beers and dove into the topic at hand. “Oh, boy, instead of one hornet nest kicked over now two hornets nests are kicked over. It's a dangerous moment. Everyone pro or con, is energized, unsettled and angry. Those hornets are mighty stirred up. There is no patching the nests back together. No one is in a mood to calm down.” His words were flying out of his mouth. "Those six sup...
With your June 26 editorial, you crossed a line Mr. Stern. Referring to former President Trump's supporters, you wrote: "They want a white nation. Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans, they want them at least out of the country if not dead." With that one line, you yourself crossed a line. A line of civility, with a strong push towards divisiveness. As I sat somewhat stunned after rereading that line (twice), I began to wonder why you would print such a thing (?). George Soros, BLM and Antifa are hell-bent to divide this country. Are...
New members of the Shelter Bay Board of Directors were issued their oaths of office during a special hybrid meeting July 1. Nancy Shimeall, Dan McCaughan and Judy Kontos, the top three vote-getters in the residential community’s balloting this spring, were sworn into office. The trio of challengers were joined by incumbent Louise Kari, who placed fourth in the May election, but returns to the panel with the June 8 resignation of board chair Jack Galbraith, announced at the board’s June 15 meeting. Elaine Dixon was appointed to fill the boa...
Lynn W. Weidenbach, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 8, 2021, at the age of 81. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, July 17, 2022, 4:00 PM at The Vinery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon, WA. In memory of Lynn, donations may be made in his name to The Jenny Stiles Hudson Scholarship Fund, c/o the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, PO Box 96, Ellensburg, WA 98926, or online at www.washingtoncattlemen.org, or the charity of your choice. Arrangements are under the care of Kern F...
There’s a strong current of support for the Town to order a new fireboat to better protect La Conner’s historic waterfront and local marinas. During the June 28 town council meeting, La Conner Hook & Ladder chief Aaron Reinstra and assistant chief Adam Avery addressed the fire department’s goal to replace its aging fireboat that has been out of service for more than a year. “Having a fireboat on the water,” stressed Avery, “would be a huge advantage for us. You need multiple points of contact.” Mayor Ramon Hayes and Town Administrator...
You can’t help but notice the striking mural of the La Conner waterfront that’s a permanent fixture at Maple Hall. Christi King, who until recently co-owned Tillinghast Postal & Business Center, and Town of La Conner officials agreed to work toward developing a plaque commemorating the mural and presenting it to painter Bob Patterson, who now resides in Snohomish County. King spoke at the June 28 town council meeting. She offered to cover its costs, but Mayor Ramon Hayes, a longtime admirer of Patterson’s work, insisted the Town do so. King...
Fifteen years ago, 650 students attended grades K-12 at La Conner Schools. But this fall only 530 are projected, an enrollment drop that will have a direct impact on the school district’s 2022-23 budget. School officials are forecasting a $13 million budget next year, down from $14.5 million in 2021-22, in response to anticipated reduced state funding and federal impact aid support linked to student enrollment. The district has already eliminated two in-person teaching positions. The board h...
C.J. Woods has been named the La Conner School District’s new director of athletics after his first year as a teacher and boys’ head basketball coach. The district has been splitting the assistant principal/athletics director position. Woods will retain his coaching position and teach physical education and health at the middle school. He has already done a deep dive into the intricacies of the position. “The role ranges from day-to-day athletic organization to big project planning and organization,” he said. “Every day you coordinat...
Brian Young is helping keep history at our fingertips. He does so with his collection of vintage typewriters – some more than a century old – which he has loaned to the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner for a special exhibit highlighting the office machine that, prior to the personal computer, was an essential part of most homes and businesses. Young is guest curator of “Hunt and Peck,” a display featuring over three dozen of his amazing, well-conditioned machines, the...
KNKX Public Radio A legal ruling in Washington state June 21 and an announcement by the Canadian government the same day has raised questions about the future of open water fish net pens in Washington’s waters. In King County Superior Court, a jury ordered Cooke Aquaculture to pay damages of $595,000 to the Lummi Nation. The tribe filed suit seeking compensation for harm and expenses incurred after the company’s net pen collapsed near Cypress Island in 2017. Hundreds of thousands of Atlantic Salmon escaped into Puget Sound. The jury con...
Affordable housing has long been discussed in La Conner and while it has proved agonizingly elusive, officials have not given up on developing a framework that would allow those who work here to also live here. From embracing the concept of tiny homes to reducing minimum lot sizes to increasing opportunities for accessory dwelling units to allowing greater residential access in commercial buildings, officials have sought to solve the town’s housing crunch. Because of its desirability, La Conner is now unaffordable for many. Ironically, it w...
This is a layered cake with berries on the bottom and cake batter on top. Fresh picked raspberries, everbearing strawberries and wild strawberries. The wild strawberries we were gifted from a friend on Lopez Island. For this recipe, I cut up each berry. You can use an 8 x 8 inch cake pan. I use a 2 quart Pyrex baking dish, 9 inches by 7 inches. This recipe is divided by ingredients for the berry layer and ingredients for the cake layer. Ingredients Berry layer ingredients Butter, 4 tbsp Sugar,...
Sunday, June 26 9:44 p.m.: Wedding songs – Report of loud music. Music was for a wedding celebration and was turned down shortly after. McLean Rd., Greater La Conner. Monday, June 27 9:00 a.m.: Chicken dinner – Eight chickens were killed by two hunting type dogs. The dogs were running loose and it is unknown who they belong to. Conner Way, La Conner. 12:34 p.m.: Suspicious job seeker – A male subject approached a marina employee who thought the questions he was asking should be reported. The subject told the deputy he was...
While travel – especially on water – has long been a passion for new Shelter Bay manager Rick Tanner, the Idaho native is thankful to now lay his anchor in La Conner. “La Conner is among the most beautiful places we have ever lived, partly because it offers coastline, small town feel and some of the most beautiful farms and land I have ever seen,” Tanner, who has worked and lived in more than a dozen states, said. Shelter Bay, the 900-home residential community on land leased fro...
Housing topped the list for local growing pains needing creative ideas and solutions in La Conner at the June 30 public forum at the Town’s Civic Garden Club. Skagit County Community Action Executive Director Bill Henkel confirmed that demand for housing here far exceeds supply. He was one of the event’s three panelists, joining Town Administrator Scott Thomas and Director of Planning Michael Davolio. “There are lots of reasons,” Henkel told the 20-plus people in attendance. “First, this is an incredible place to live.” That demand, res...
Hatfield was pacing, hopping on and off his bar stool, waiting for McCoy. As soon as his friend sat down, Hatfield flagged the barkeep for double bourbons with their beers and dove into the topic at hand. “Oh, boy, instead of one hornet nest kicked over now two hornets nests are kicked over. It's a dangerous moment. Everyone pro or con, is energized, unsettled and angry. Those hornets are mighty stirred up. There is no patching the nests back together. No one is in a mood to calm down.” His words were flying out of his mouth. "Those six sup...
