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We greatly appreciated Betty’s support of the USS Houston CA-30 Survivors Association & Next Generations which is in existence to pay perpetual honor to the men of that ship which her late brother William served on. William did not survive being captive as a POW in Burma-Thailand during WWII. He has a (worn) headstone in Arlington National Cemetery that we will attempt to have updated in honor of him and Betty’s devotion to his service and his memory, in her memory. (Response to “Remembering Betty Batchelor Miles,” August 14, 2019.) John K....
Last week, I spent two full days participating in strategic planning workshops for the La Conner School District. My role was as community member. The district did a great job gathering around 50 participants from a balanced variety of groups in our community: Teachers, Parents, Students, Staff, Swinomish, White, and Hispanic, wealthy, poor and middle class. We dug into school data, acknowledged it and discussed our interpretations and perspectives. We attempted to understand our successes, shortcomings and areas for growth, always with the...
Last week Cindy Vest won the 2019 WNPA Dixie Lee Bradley Award, an honor the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association gives annually that “recognizes newspaper staff members who work long and hard, often behind the scenes, to see that the best possible community newspaper is distributed each week … selection criteria includes a demonstrated record over a considerable time of consistent quality work in any facet of the community newspaper industry including production, circulation, or front office support.” Dixie Lee Bradley, for who...
Greater La Conner has two contested races in this fall’s elections: school board districts 1 and 2. Incumbent Kate Szurek is challenged by La Conner Community Scholarship Foundation Vice President John Agen in District 1. Board Chair Janie Beasley faces Marlys Baker, a tribal member and nurse with four children in La Conner schools. In this time of turmoil in the school district, with the teachers and support staff unions telling the board that they want Superintendent Whitney Meissner replaced, participatory leadership is needed. It is critica...
Have you ever dreamed of meeting and talking with actual astronauts? You can during the Friday Harbor Film Festival. Astronauts Pete Freeland, John Creighton and Dr. Terry Stanford will participate in the Festival and speak after the film screenings of “Apollo 11” and “Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo.” These films highlight the work of astronauts and the behind-the-scenes workers who make the space program possible. Freeland will speak Friday after the 10:15 a.m. screening of “Apollo 11” and after the 4 p.m. screening of “Mission...
Get your unneeded medications out of your house Oct. 26. Take them to the Swinomish Tribal Police Department, 17353 Reservation Road from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Swinomish Tribe is hosting this prescription drug take back day for both prescription and over-the-counter medications. Medications can stay in their original containers and labels do not need to be removed. Medications not in their original containers will be accepted too. United General District 304 is a partner in preventing opioid misuse in community. Erynn Sendrick, program...
La Conner Soroptimist members took on a new cause Wednesday at their meeting at the Swinomish Yacht Club, putting their hands to work ripping and rolling fabric for Days for Girls, a program supplying menstrual shield kits to girls. Carol Olsen invited the 65 women attending to join the effort that has helped 1.5 million girls in 146 countries on six continents. “It’s all because of women like you,” Olsen, co-director of the Anacortes Days for Girls chapter said. “Some who sew, some who do not....
Simply Marbleous. That was the vibe in Mount Vernon last week when fans from near and far and across time gathered to watch La Conner High volleyball coach Suzanne Marble record her 500th career win with a program she has guided to four state titles, the most recent last November. La Conner’s straight-sets triumph at Mount Vernon Christian resembled many of the preceding 499 victories under Marble’s watch, a journey that began here in 1993. The Lady Braves served at a 94 per cent clip, won two...
“I started painting and drawing as a little kid and it has dominated my life ever since.” - Larry Heald. “Larry” passed away quietly and peacefully in the early hours of October 1st with his loving wife, Dana, and his faithful furry friend, Emme, at his side. He lived as he died: a man of great dignity, wisdom, kindness, and talent. Always a soft-spoken man, 10 years of living with Alzheimer’s eventually robbed Larry of his wisdom and talent, but he maintained his dignity and sweet nature to the very end. However, it is the legacy of his talen...
This sleepy, off year election has two important contested local races and 24 total items needing your attention and decisions. Incumbent La Conner School District directors are challenged in district 1, where John Agen runs against five year veteran Kate Szurek, and district 2, which has Marlys Baker facing Board Chair Janie Beasley. Incumbent Lynette Cram in district 4 is unopposed as is appointed director Susan Deyo in district 5. Voters will decide on three changes to state law: Referendum Measure 88, which the legislature placed on the...
Too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry – to hear farmers tell it, farming is a lot like Goldilocks and the three bears. Let’s start with too cold. For Dean Swanson, Feb. 8 is where this year’s berry crop began. In January, temperatures were mild and the buds on Swanson’s berry bushes on La Conner Whitney Road were plump and healthy. “I thought winter was over,” he said. “I was wrong.” On Jan. 8 the temperature plummeted to 12 degrees. Tayberries, marionberries and boysenberries “got hammered.” Yields for these damaged plants were down...
The La Conner Weekly News has the best newspaper photographers in the state. Five of the paper’s 13 certificates awarded by the judges of this year’s Better Newspaper Contest were in photography. The judges agree with Weekly News readers that the paper’s photos are superb: Nancy Crowell and Maralyn Powell swept the Group 1 Color Pictorial, Crowell winning first and second, and Don Coyote almost swept the General News Photo for a combined Groups 1 and 2 with a second and third award. Cindy Vest...
