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No building permit has yet been issued, but excavation began at the 306 Center Street condominium project site last week to find the water table on the property so that paperwork could be completed for removal of contaminated soil. Following that initial dig, a soil removal plan was drafted and submitted, according to Town of La Conner Assistant Planner Ajah Eills. Public Work Director Brian Lease approved the plan and soil removal commenced, Eills said. That work was completed and by early Friday afternoon all equipment had left the site. The...
Local grocery shoppers pause and compare prices. They add up the rising costs of food and wonder how they will afford their next meal. This is how Arin Magill, director of the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank, defines food insecurity: concern about where the next meal will come from. The number of people feeling food insecure is growing locally. Magill reported the food bank’s clientele has increased 15% in the last two months. Statistics gathered by Skagit County Public Health for its “Food Security Data Report” issued in August indicate 11% of co...
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 adopt the changes to Skagit County code proposed by the county's Agricultural Advisory Board. The Ag Advisory Board proposes regulating agritourism events as temporary events – and reducing the number of permitted temporary events a venue may host from 24 to 12 a year. It also recommends r...
Don’t let December’s rain, gray skies or fields of standing water distract you into thinking it has rained a lot. November maintained 2023’s pattern of rainfall below the monthly century’s norms. While precipitation came down 22 days, half of those were under one-tenth inch. It rained daily the first two weeks, Nov. 1-13, totaling 2.5 inches, 78% of the month’s 3.2 inches. Nov. 1-4 1.2 inches fell, which grew to 1.4 inches through Nov 8. That was the longest period of higher precipitation. Another inch fell Nov. 11-13. While there were anot...
Holiday Closures Christmas Monday, Dec.25 Closed: Everything Bank: Closed Buses: No service Library: Closed Post Office: Closed Schools: Till Jan 3 Town Hall: Dec 22-26 County government: Closed Trash Pick Up: None Weekly News: Closed And God bless us, everyone... Full story
Tomorrow, Dec. 21, is the solstice, the shortest day of the year. In BCE, Before the Common Era, and for all the centuries in our Common Era, people have celebrated the end of the year’s dark period and the beginning again of the coming of the light. Leaders seeking followers for their new Christian religion piggybacked on the established communal gathering to herald the new light of the world, the hope for mankind, the Prince of Peace. The Christians among us believe Jesus was born on Dec. 25. Wise men and shepherds came in honor and a...
We, tell – and listen to – stories for a reason. Way before the internet or radio or even telegraph lines, communities collectively gathered around the campfire to both tell each other the important stories of the day and to recall and pass down myths, the collected wisdom from their elders and their ancestors. Today it is hard to pause and cut through the din of garbage on social media to reflect and revel in a good story that has a deep, larger meeting. Now, we don’t understand irony and are blinded by the shine of celebrities. This insta... Full story
Did you know that in Skagit County only 2% of the farms in the valley are over a thousand acres? Did you also know that 41% of farms in Skagit County are noted as residential or lifestyle farms, aka hobby farms? The face of farming has changed: There are fewer farms that are operating at a commercial level, or what would be considered financially self-sufficient operations. There are fewer new farmers entering the industry, as there are greater barriers to entry – more so then ever before. It takes years to see a rate of return when you are s... Full story
The Puget Sound Partnership recently released its biennial State of the Sound report concluding that while, overall, Puget Sound is holding on, its recovery remains uncertain (Puget Sound Partnership: State of the Sound (wa.gov)). This very mixed scorecard is concerning. Merely clinging to life with little movement towards improved health of the Sound, its ecosystems and species is not sufficient progress in restoring this beautiful inland sea around which we live. The report uses 44 vital signs to represent the many aspects of the Sound’s h... Full story
Kudos to the editor for being willing to post a letter in last week’s issue that, I suspect, did not align with his perspective. This gives credence to his professed belief that a free press, uncensored, is best and open communication can, hopefully, create new channels of understanding. I can relate to the letter writer’s sense of loss (“America has changed,” Dec. 13). Yes, those golden years that we both grew up in were awesome. And yes, we miss them. But times change, conditions change and then is gone forever. Kiss it goodbye. And don’t b... Full story
Four-term La Conner Mayor Ramon Hayes chaired his final town council meeting Dec. 12, but it was a business-as-usual session with no celebration or reception. Hayes wouldn’t have had it any other way. “It’s just not my personality,” he told the Weekly News afterward on his reluctance to see the meeting morph into a retirement party. “Once something is done, it’s over,” he explained. “And we had a very long, grueling agenda to work through.” There was, however, mention during the meeting – which included a 20-minute executive session o...
It’s been said that an ill wind blows no good. In the case of the Skagit County Fire District 13 coverage area, which entails Swinomish Reservation and rural La Conner, a facsimile windstorm at the end of March is designed to do plenty good. Planning has started for a March 30 Emergency Operations Center Windstorm Disaster Exercise and unified command strategy. Captains Gary Ladd and Ted Taylor and Brad Reading of Shelter Bay summarized the training at the December commissioners hybrid meeting at the Snee-Oosh Road station last Thursday. ...
It’s often said that to everything there is a season. For La Conner’s emergency management commission, that means development of a comprehensive guide addressing all disaster scenarios. “We’ve been working on flooding issues hot and heavy for quite a while,” Town Administrator Scott Thomas said at the the commission’s Dec. 12 hybrid meeting. Now we need to develop a process and procedure for our (emergency management) plan.” Identifying groups within the community that will need extra assistancen is key. “How do we accommodate persons with di...
It was junior cheer night at Landy James Gym last Friday. And the La Conner High School girls’ basketball team gave both the youth cheerleaders and a large crowd plenty to applaud. Maeve McCormick scored a game-high 26 points, Shaniquah Casey filled the stat sheet with 16 points, six rebounds, six steals and two assists, Nora McCormick added six points and a half dozen steals and Jackie Lam finished with six points and eight boards in drubbing 1B Oakville 56-35 to improve to 5-2. Alyssa Forsythe and Laela Baker scored 10 points apiece for t...
The atmosphere was electric at the Dec. 11 La Conner School board meeting. Campus solarization options lit up the room. La Conner Town Council member MaryLee Chamberlain and resident Bob Raymond, of the Skagit Valley Clean Energy Cooperative, provided an update on local solar grant projects, including a feasibility study and analysis of energy consumption at the school district. They made a pitch, eliciting a positive board reception, for the school district to convert to electric buses. The two presented data that showed cost savings and envir...
Coming off his selection as the Skagit Valley Herald Boys’ Athlete of the Week, La Conner’s Brayden Pedroza provided Braves fans an impressive encore at Landy James Gym Friday night. The junior guard dazzled with an array of shots on his way to a game high 33 points, 10 of which came in the pivotal fourth quarter, to lead the hosts to a 69-51 non-league win over 1B Oakville. Pedroza found the hoop on slicing drives through the paint, mid-range jumpers, three-point bombs and at the free throw stripe where he converted five of six attempts. But...
From mid-August through early November, daylight in the Pacific Northwest decreases by about three minutes per day. When the winter solstice arrives on Dec. 21 there is only 8.5 hours of daylight. This is an excellent time to start an indoor growing stand project. Find a suitable location Gardeners naturally want to place their grow stand near a window. However, with good artificial lighting, you can use a dark corner, unused room or counter, shower stall or heated basement. The size needs to match your growing goals. Once you decide on the...
OLYMPIA —Begin the new year with Washington State Parks during their annual First Day Hikes Jan. 1, 2024. Over 20 of the more than 40 state parks participating are in northwest Washington. Choose between staff-led and self-guided hikes, snowshoe excursions, dog walks, bike and trail rides, paddle adventures and more. The northwest parks range from Larrabee, Rockport and Deception Pass close by to Fort Casey, Fort Ebey and South Whidbey on Whidbey Island to Camano Island State Park Events will range in difficulty from paved, flat A...
The 2023 Town of La Conner budget has met its $5.8 million revenue goal with December not yet counted. Even better, expenditures, now at $4.55 million, are likely to finish below 67% of projections. The budget surplus is $1.23 million and may still grow. Of the 12 program funds generating revenue, only the sewer fund, at 85% is below 100% of budget projections with one month still to come. The $3.58 million generated this year from the water, drainage, sewer and compost funds is the real engine of town income, bringing in 62% of total revenue....
Old Fashioned Fudge with roasted walnuts. A rich holiday favorite. There's nothing quite like creating your own holiday sweets. Ingredients Sugar, 3 cups Butter, ¾ cup Evaporated milk, 2/3 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips, 12 ounces Marshmallow cream, 7 ounces Salt, ¼ teaspoon Vanilla, 1 and ½ teaspoon Walnuts, 1 cup chopped, roasted Preparation Pre-measure everything. Cut the butter into pieces. Open the bag of chocolate chips. Open the marshmallow cream. Roast the walnuts...
The Kiwanis Club of La Conner November High School Student of the Month is Alex Martin. Alex is a La Conner High School a senior. His favorite class is math. He enjoys playing basketball and participating in track. After graduation he would like to study to become an electrician or diesel mechanic. Alex 's parents are James Washington and Bridgette Solomon. Reese Bird is the middle school Student of the Month. She is in eighth grade. She enjoys playing volleyball and basketball on the school...
So, we (Bread Puddin' Boyz' (aka Bob Ferari and I) were tasked by Kathy Schuh and her employer Pat from Barrett Financial in Anacortes with delivering about 70 bread puddings to deserving and cherished clients that reside in various locales in and around Skagit, Island and Snohomish counties. We prepared our trusty sleigh, but alas' one of the reindeer (horses) from the Mustang Motor had gone "south." Santa immediately popped the "sleigh's" hood, determined and fixed the problem and we were off...
