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After three months of searching and interviewing, the La Conner School Board has selected a new district superintendant. The school board wants to hire Whitney Meissner, 46, who comes from Chimacum School District in Jefferson County, where she is a high school principal and district assessment director. Meissner has a doctorate of education from Seattle Pacific University. “It was a very challenging decision and a lot of thought was put into it,” board president John Thulen said as the boa...
After a day spent interviewing six semi-finalist candidates for the open school superintendent position, the La Conner School Board of Directors chose three finalists to proceed to the next round of screening. The candidates are Brian Isakson, Kenny Renner-Singer and Whitney Meissner. The board is expected to narrow the field to its favorite applicant during a special meeting Friday morning, after each one spends an entire day in the district. Isakson is currently the principal at Evergreen Elementary in Sedro-Wooley. Renner-Singer is the...
La Conner High School alumna Velma Alberta Stahlberg Hedlund died on Sunday, January 1, at the age of 91. She had been well cared for by her East Wenatchee family for several years and as a resident of the Blossom Creek Memory Care Facility in Wenatchee for the past 5 months. Born September 6, 1925 in Strathcona, Minnesota to Albert and Jennie Shay Stahlberg, Velma spent her early years in North Dakota. She moved with her parents to LaConner in 1937, where she completed her schooling and graduated from La Conner High School. She married...
La Conner farmer Joseph Louis Fohn, died on Tuesday, January 17 following a seven-year bout with multiple myeloma. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Bertha, three sons and their spouses, seven grandchildren, one soon-to-be great-grandson, many nieces and nephews and several godchildren. Joe was born in Renton, Washington on January 26, 1930, to Josef Fohn, Swiss immigrant dairy farmer, and Pauline Mettler Fohn, also of Swiss descent. Even as a young boy, Joe worked closely with his father on a leased dairy farm in Puyallup, Washington....
Monday Jan 16 4:06 p.m.: Toilet paper bandits – Someone had removed the metal toilet paper holders from the Morris Street public restrooms in La Conner; they were lying on the ground. Public Works took care of this. 4:09 p.m.: Check up – Owner of a barista stand onFir Island Road called about a suspicious vehicle. Upon deputy arrival, it was found that the vehicle was broken down, and the owner of the Shell station said it was okay to leave the vehicle there overnight. 4:22 p.m.: Assist – Swinomish Police requested assistance...
The La Conner School District has recently experienced a six-fold increase in migrant student enrollment, jumping from 18 to 118. The new number accounts for about 20 percent of the district’s current 575 enrollment, giving La Conner the highest percentage of migrant students in the county. Because La Conner’s migrant student population has typically hovered in the lower numbers — fewer than 20 — the climbing numbers surprised school officials, prompting them to look into gov...
Skagit Co. Sheriff’s Office Wednesday Jan 4 7:57 a.m.: Alarm! – An alarm went off at a home onChannel Drive north of La Conner. The home was secure. Thursday Jan 5 1:54 p.m.: Fraud – Somebody passed a fraudulent check at a lodging facility in La Conner. The investigation continues. 3:23 p.m.: Info – The Rotary Club of La Conner advised they’re hosting a 5K/10K run during the annual Smelt Derby next month. 9:13 p.m.: Dispute – There was a civil disagreement over the use of a laptop computer, 900 blockMaple Avenue, La Con...
Four young men file into the classroom of the Skagit County Juvenile Detention center across the way from the county court house in Mount Vernon on a Wednesday after Christmas. Matt Malyon, a chaplain with the jail and juvenile detention center through Tierra Nueva and creator of the Underground Writing program, sets up his handouts on tables. The four teens in bright orange sweatshirts and sweatpants pull out black notebooks with Underground Writing stickers on the front brought in by a young...
Tuesday Nov 29 1:22 a.m.: Alarm – Automatic alarm at the La Conner High School, Gym doors left ajar causing the alarm to sound. Wednesday Nov 30 12:18 p.m.: Work drama – Co-workers having a verbal argument at their workplace onLa Conner Whitney Road, there were no further issues. 4:38 p.m.: Patrol – Request for extra patrol at a vacant house onCenter Street in La Conner. Thursday Dec 1 9:04 a.m.: Mail snoops – A report of people looking inside different mail boxes onValentine Road near Pleasant Ridge. Extra patrol in...
La Conner resident Robert Olsson died on Saturday, December 3 at age 75. Born on September 26, 1941, Bob was a beloved father, grandfather and friend. He is survived by the love of his life, Barb Williamson; his daughter and son-in-law René and Miles Schlosberg; and his daughter Anna Borusinski and grandsons Jack, Julian and Jasio and their father, Bart Borusinski; and numerous family members and friends. His grandson Jack wrote the following with his grandpa’s help as a junior high s...
John James Kaguras, of La Conner, died on Saturday, November 19, at the age of 76. John was born in Pueblo, Colorado to James John and Susa Kaguras on September 26, 1940. He grew up with his younger sister Agnes and attended high school in Colorado Springs. After completing his BA degree, John was accepted to Columbia University, New York for a Masters in Architecture. During his time there, he was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and spent a year studying in Europe at Fontanbleau, Paris....
Nobody hates losing more than La Conner High head football coach Peter Voorhees. Not that the first-year Braves mentor and NW2B Coach of the Year has had much experience tasting defeat. His team, which scored 50 or more points seven times this fall, lost only twice in 2016. Turns out, that pair of setbacks was to the two top small school grid programs in Washington state this year. La Conner was edged by No. 1-ranked Napavine during the regular season. The second Braves loss came on Saturday,...
In a battle of the birds and B’s, it was the Raymond Gulls who ended up getting swarmed. It was hardly sexy, perhaps even ugly at times, but La Conner High — led by Killer B’s Budda Luna and Brady Nelson — overcame seven fumbles and five turnovers to best Raymond 33-10 in first round State 2B football playoff action in Sedro-Woolley on Saturday. A swarming La Conner defense, with Michael Page recording a sack and interception, likewise made its mark as the Braves advanced to this week’s State quarterfinal game opposite Toled...
Two down, one to go. The La Conner High volleyball team won two post-season tournaments in convincing fashion last week, and now the Lady Braves have their sights set on a familiar target: another State championship. La Conner came ever so close to its fourth State crown in program history a year ago, settling for second place after falling in a marathon five-set match to Colfax at the Yakima Sun Dome. The Lady Braves return to Yakima — La Conner head coach Suzanne Marble has been there so often she needs neither GPS nor a map — to...
Brian Scheuch of La Conner died at his home on Sunday, November 6, with his love, B.J. Carol, his children, and his little dog Bella at his side. Born on September 20, 1933 to Carl and Rebecca Scheuch, Brian was raised in the Laurelhurst area of Seattle and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1951. He received a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Washington, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Brian had an extraordinary life that was full of adventure and being...
Once a year, the La Conner Middle School gym fills for a day with eighth-graders proudly displaying well-decorated poster boards, giving out freebies and facts to those who pass by their tables. The yearly culture fair’s public launch reveals the cumulative efforts of each individual student, under supervision of their teacher, Mrs. Thurmond — a teacher who is all about celebrating individuality. Veronica Thurmond has taught La Conner’s seventh- and eighth-graders for the past 16 yea...
Marcia M. Chesterfield, a long-time resident of Shelter Bay, La Conner, died at home with her family beside her on Tuesday, October 11, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born in Seattle in 1937, she attended West Seattle High School where she met her future husband of 62 years. She is survived by her husband John Chesterfield, her sons Bob and Paul and her daughter Leanne Chesterfield Pike. Services will be held at Westside Presbyterian Church in West Seattle at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 28. Memorial gifts may be made to the A...
In life, there’s often a choice between style and substance. In soccer, it can be both. The La Conner High Lady Braves, unbeaten in nine conference starts going into their Senior Night home match with Orcas at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, are a case in point. The team has embraced a new style under first-year La Conner head coach Christian Warman while maintaining the winning tradition fostered by longtime former Lady Braves mentor Amy Freeto, who stepped down earlier this year after having molded the program into a regular State title contender. ...
Monday Oct 3 2:08 p.m.: Credit Check – Someone turned in a lost credit card into Town Hall in La Conner. Deputies could not contact the owner of the credit card, so it was passed over to the credit card company that issued it. 4:34 a.m.: Check Please – A local resident onMorris Street in La Conner suffering from mental health issues called police from the hospital to report people in her apartment. No problems found. Tuesday Oct 4 10:05 a.m.: That’s Corny – There was a civil dispute onFir Island Road inConway between two truck...
Shayla Kathleen Martin, 52, was born in Peoria, Illinois on November 26, 1963 to Rollin and Judith Martin. She was taken from us unexpectedly on Friday, September 23. Shayla was raised in California and Washington, and came to reside in Mount Vernon, Washington in 1971. That same year, her family bought Pizza Pete, where she worked with her parents and sisters, Karen and “Christy.” Later, she graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1981. Shayla worked extensively throughout the Skagit Val...
Arlene Denis Nelson, 91, of La Conner passed away October 1, 2016 at her home. She was the daughter of Thomas P. and Myrtle Molsbarger Denis, born on July 15, 1925 in Burlington, one of six children. She graduated from Burlington-Edison High School in 1943. During World War II, she worked in Seattle for the U.S. Navy Supply Department. Arlene married Robert W. Nelson in the Edison Catholic Church on April 11, 1947. Their home was at Snee-Oosh Beach near La Conner, where she and Bob raised their...
Win some, lose some. But even when they lose — which is quite rare these days — the La Conner High Lady Braves still end up winning. The La Conner volleyball team split two key matches last week, defeating NW2B rival Friday Harbor in straight-sets after having dropped a tough five-set verdict at 4A Woodinville earlier in the week. The Lady Braves fell behind early against Woodinville, losing 25-12 and 25-22 to open the match. La Conner stormed back to win the third and fourth sets by respective 25-17 and 25-18 margins before...
One of the five people killed in the Cascade Mall shooting has connections to La Conner, and her public memorial service is at the elementary school gym on Saturday. Shayla Martin, 52, once lived in La Conner, and her children attended school here. Her daughter, Tanya Young, attended La Conner High, and her step-daughter, Pam Keller, is a La Conner graduate and the school’s assistant volleyball coach. Young said the La Conner School District was very helpful in providing a high-capacity space to hold her mother’s service. She said she’s been...
Wilma “Kriss” Ray Morris of La Conner died at home just five days shy of her 97th birthday on Friday, September 16 with family members close by her side. She was born in her North Bend, Oregon, family home on September 21, 1919 to William and Kerstine Olson, both of whom immigrated from Sweden. Before relocating to the La Conner area in 2013, she was a resident at Cristwood Senior Living Community in Shoreline and prior to that a longtime resident in the Blue Ridge community in north Sea...
The scribe of La Conner has left the planet. Jim Smith, once the unofficial Wonder of Woonsocket, South Dakota, and more recently the witty author of “Notes from Pull & Be Damned” is gone. He would like it if we told you he was abducted by aliens or took off hunting Sasquatch, but the sad truth is Jim died early Friday. Jim’s weekly columns and news stories delighted people for years. His historical knowledge of the town – he used to get introduced as “one of the original hippies” –...