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Today is the official start of winter. The seasons changed Monday, though, when La Conner and the Puget Sound region awakened to sub-freezing temperatures and light snow on the ground. Much of the same is forecast through Friday. The wintry conditions immediately impacted schedules. La Conner Schools Monday morning canceled Tuesday classes, the last day of school before winter break. The La Conner High girls' basketball game at Meridian Monday and the Braves' Tuesday tipoff with Clallam Bay...
Since 2015 talks had stalled regarding negotiation of a new master lease between Shelter Bay and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Now folks are talking again. Shelter Bay and Swinomish residents and leaders last week attended the first of planned traditional Native American open floor discussions hosted by lease consultants Dr. Wil James and Ava Goodman at the tribal social services building. Most came away with a positive view of the three-hour session, which invited a frank but respectful dialogue stressing common ground approaches to s...
'Tis the season to put-up Christmas trees. At school, it's also the time of year to remove diseased trees and trim back others that are intruding on campus buildings. La Conner School District staff will take out "five sickly trees" plus trim several more over the upcoming winter break. "Three of these sick trees will be removed from the front of the high school," district staff stated in a release last week, "and four others will be limbed back in that area. One tree will be removed from...
Big school programs on the La Conner High School girls' basketball schedule have posed few issues for the Lady Braves. Not so with nearby small school rival Mount Vernon Christian, however. The Lady Hurricanes overcame a five-point halftime deficit to hand La Conner a 46-45 NW2B/1B setback at DeKok Court Saturday afternoon. La Conner was playing its third road game in three nights, having bested 4A Kamiak 68-45 Thursday and 2A North Kitsap 52-40 Friday. Mount Vernon Christian, the defending...
Just a handful of games into its schedule, the high school girls' basketball team is already in mid-season form. La Conner passed crisply, defended and rebounded tenaciously, repeatedly scored in transition and executed its high post-low post half-court offense to near perfection in an impressive 73-57 non-league triumph over 4A Skyline at Landy James Gym Saturday. Ellie Marble scored a game-high 25 points, Makayla Herrera registered a double-double and Josie Harper tallied 17 points – i...
The La Conner High School state championship volleyball team is truly in a class of its own. The netters were selected the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Team of the Month for November among all 2B athletics programs in the state. "It's an incredible group that worked so hard to improve every day and their hard work and determination paid off by capping their 2022 season with a state title," said head coach Suzanne Marble. La Conner captured league, district and state crowns...
Another week, another slew of post-season honors earned by the state 2B champion La Conner High School volleyball program. As expected, senior outside hitter Ellie Marble, who led the Lady Braves to their fourth state title in five years, was named the 2B Player of the Year. The 6'-0" Marble is a top Central Washington University volleyball recruit. She dominated play at the 2022 State 2B Tournament in Yakima last month, totaling 92 kills and 101 digs and was 68 of 72 on serve receive over four...
'TIS THE SEASON FOR SINGING, AND SWINGING, TOO – Friday and Saturday the Shelter Bay Chorus (top) performed their annual holiday chorus at their community's clubhouse. The 31 member chorus sang 13 songs to the theme of "Peace on Earth." Last Wednesday the La Conner Schools middle and high school choruses and band played to a full auditorium of family, friends, teachers and fellow students. Music Director McKenzie Clark led the middle school symphonic band, above. They played selections from t...
Monday, December 5 11:26 a.m.: Lost dog – A gray and white pit bull got loose at a service station and the owner has not seen it since. Young Rd., Greater La Conner. Tuesday, December 6 3:37 p.m.: Cut fuel line – A fuel line on a service van parked at Astound Broadband was cut sometime last week. It appeared a suspect caused the damage to the van while attempting to siphon gas. A suspect has not yet been identified. Maple Ave., La Conner. 6:24 p.m.: Intoxicated at game – An intoxicated spect...
What recession? Not in La Conner last weekend. A slew of activities started the holiday festivities – and the season's spending. The Christmas season began 6:30 p.m. Friday night, when all doors opened at the newly-built La Conner Swinomish Library, letting in a crowd of waiting bidders for the Tiny Tree auction. At 6:45, after remarks from Susan Macek, La Conner Library Foundation director, and library Director Jean Markert, one "Let the auction begin!" sent the audience to the bidding tables....
Last week was quite the start of holiday activities throughout the Skagit Valley. From Friday evening’s Tiny Tree silent auction at the La Conner Swinomish Library through a myriad of events Saturday in La Conner and holiday markets Sunday at the Vinery next to Christianson’s Nursery and at the La Conner Pub and Eatery, people were out and about, shopping and singing – a lot of singing. Did you know that the La Conner Schools volunteer students from the middle and high school music program played on Gilkey Square at 1 p.m. Saturday? Did you s...
Some attending the late November Shelter Bay town hall forum were surprised to learn the community has retained $10,000 per month consultants for more than two years to negotiate a new master lease with the Swinomish Tribal Community. Few, if any, should be surprised now, given the release by those consultants, Dr. Wil James and Ava Goodman, of the first two in a series of educational videos addressing key Shelter Bay topics, including the lease due to expire in 2044 and rent adjustments...
The La Conner High School girls' basketball team brought more than its "A" game to last week's home and road openers. The Lady Braves, under first-year head coach Joe Harper, bolted out of the gate with their "2A" game, easily downing Northwest Conference non-league foes Squalicum 50-23 at home Nov. 28 and Anacortes 62-42 Dec. 1. Ellie Marble and Josie Harper each scored in double figures to highlight the season debut at Landy James Gym. The hosts broke it open with a 32-11 run that buried...
La Conner and Wahkiakum are longtime foes in the athletic arena. Soon they might be allies on the judicial front. La Conner School Board President Susie Deyo raised that prospect during the panel’s 90-minute Nov. 28 hybrid meeting. Deyo asked that the board later this month support a resolution and modest financial contribution – perhaps $3,000. The Wahkiakum School District is suing the state government to extend the McCleary decision mandating basic education funding to include campus capital improvement projects. The state Supreme Court in...
The La Conner High School boys' basketball team broke into the win column Saturday with an 84-15 non-league home romp over Cedar Park Christian of Bothell, a multi-campus school with an enrollment topping 1,000 students. Isaiah Price scored a game-high 26 points and Ivory Damien added 24 to lead the victors, whose suffocating full-court pressure defense forced 21 steals enroute to a wire-to-wire triumph. The Braves shot 38 of 80 from the field – 34 of 58 inside the three-point line, mostly layup...
Neil Bretvick was in his early 20s when he left La Conner to embark on a career as a tax accountant. Along the way he has traveled the world and attended concerts played by the biggest acts in the music industry. Even so, he insists that his hometown – where as a youth he enjoyed sledding down Maloy Hill (Second Street), smelt jigging on Swinomish Channel, swimming in the nearby Skagit River, learning to drive big farm trucks at West Shore Acres and scoring one of the more storied touchdowns in La Conner High School football history – “is still...
After more than a decade, the Waterfront Café has a tried-and-true recipe for its popular annual community Thanksgiving meals. But this year a new ingredient was added to the mix – outdoor dining. La Conner was greeted with bright sunshine and unseasonably balmy weather last Thursday, leading numerous diners to enjoy their traditional turkey-and-fixin's and beverages on the café's deck overlooking Swinomish Channel. "I can't remember it ever being warm enough outside for people to eat out on...
Happy holiday season! Along with lights, trees and lawn displays comes this more recent tradition: the annual La Conner Weekly News subscription drive. These next three weeks your community newspaper will be delivered to every address in our local school district. Friends, neighbors and relatives of subscribers are invited to join the close to 900 households in greater La Conner who have decided that they are better off – and the community itself benefits – by their investment in their subscription to their local newspaper. This is their – y...
A colorful Love La Conner “selfie station” at Gilkey Square is an idea whose time has come. And gone. That was the unanimous sentiment expressed by La Conner Town Council last week. At their Nov. 22 hybrid meeting, members nixed the design for a marketing icon at the downtown waterfront location, saying the timing is no longer right for such promotional signage. “It was conceived during COVID-19,” Councilmember Rick Dole explained. “La Conner was empty during what would have been the height of tourist season. We’ve passed the worst of times. It...
Succeeding a Hall of Fame coach is a tall order, but fortunately for the La Conner High School girls' basketball program new mentor Joe Harper stands 6'-5". He takes over from Scott Novak, who guided teams to multiple state tournament appearances and trophy finishes during three decades. For much of his tenure here he coached the Braves and Lady Braves simultaneously. Novak, a 2015 state coaches Hall of Fame inductee, remains on the faculty. His longtime protégé and coaching assistant, Dustin Sw...
The Kiwanis Club of La Conner High School Student of the Month for October was Eleanor Drews. Laurel Strong is Eleanor's parent. Eleanor is a senior and is active in the drama club, cheerleading and Green Club. Outside of school she enjoys reading, baking and singing. After graduation Eleanor would like to study biology and theatre. She hopes to continue on to veterinary school to get her DVM. Middle School Student of the Month for October was Iris Turner. Her parents are Logan Turner and Erica...
Joslin James, a senior at La Conner High School, is the Soroptimist of La Conner Honored Student of the Month for November. Joslin is the granddaughter of Barb James, a Swinomish Senator, and Bruce James Sr; and the daughter of Sonny and Lana Fornsby James. The Jameses are a Canoe Family at Swinomish. It is not surprising then that Joslin is also very involved in Swinomish culture. James participates with the Swinomish Canoe Family dancers. The group performs in their regalia at school, pow...
By Maggie Wilder Not many of La Conner’s unique features were ever the result of a conscious effort to attract visitors, much in the same way a person does not add to their character by attempting to be noteworthy. I first came to La Conner in the fall of 1966, playing hooky with my high school art teacher, who used to spend summers at the Planter Hotel for a dollar a day. He thought creativity was an ever-present opportunity and paying attention was far more important that how you put paint on canvas. Every fall he told us stories about his ti...
Jon Skiffington, long-time resident of La Conner, peacefully went to meet Jesus on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at home surrounded by family. He was born in Seattle, March 31, 1952, to Lennon and La Vonne. After high school, Jon served as an Air Force SERE Survival Instructor. There Jon encountered Jesus in an amazing way. From that day to his final moments on earth, Jon shared the love of Jesus with everyone he met. He earned a degree in Pastoral Studies from Northwest Bible College where he...
It only seems fitting that the high school basketball team plans an up-tempo style this season. That's because the Braves have gotten the 2022-23 hoops campaign off to a running start thanks to logging nearly 80 off-season games. "It's a group that got to be together a ton in the off-season," head coach and athletics director C.J. Woods told the Weekly News. "When you get to be with a group that you enjoy being with, every day we get to play basketball is exciting." Building camaraderie before...