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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...
The Christmas season has arrived along with a variety of holiday events La Connerites can participate in this December. First on that list is the Festival of Tiny Trees silent auction at the La Conner Swinomish Library on Friday, Dec. 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Participants can enjoy refreshments, including wine and hard cider, and bid to buy their favorite tiny decorated holiday tree. You can preview the trees at the library until Friday and sign-up at the library or WaFd Bank on Morris Street. The...
By Jean Markert, La Conner Swinomish Library director In this season of Thanksgiving, the library has so many things to be thankful for. We are extremely thankful for the amazing community volunteers and school district partners who helped us move our books into the new library. Every single book in our library was moved here by someone from our community. We feel extremely fortunate to have so many people who support our library. We are also thankful that we are open and can welcome everyone...
Ballots are mailed Friday. Help get all ballots counted quickly: Vote and return your ballot now Sign your ballot envelope Use a county dropbox Mail your ballot by Nov. 4 Election drop boxes nearby: La Conner Regional Library, 614 E. Morris Street Swinomish Indian Tribal Community: Social Services Building, 17337 Reservation Road Ballots must be in drop boxes by 8 p.m. Nov. 7. You can register to vote on election day. Voting information and register to vote at VoteWa.gov. Skagit County Elections: 360-416-1702...
The La Conner Swinomish library opened its door to the public for the first time Tuesday, Oct. 18. Blue and silver helium balloons were tied to the railings leading up the stairs to the doors of the 520 Morris Street building. Tony Harrah and Brian Wilbur waited for 11 a.m., the first members of the public in the library. Already present were staff and La Conner Regional Library board members. Craig Barber checked out the first book, his wife, Katryna, staffing behind the counter. La Conner...
Early morning fog and mist lent a magical twist Thursday to streams of students hauling books from the old to the new La Conner Swinomish Library. The rumble of wheels along Morris Street from carts packed with books began three days of magic – the spell of the written word. Though not part of the Skagit River Poetry Festival itself, it seemed a fitting start. The festival, canceled twice due to COVID-19, brought in dozens of poets from as far away as Argentina and Scotland, hundreds of s...
Driving distances between charges (range), and charging station availability, are usually the biggest uncertainties people have about whether an electric vehicle (EV) will work for them. Both are improving fast. Almost everyone who owns an EV charges it at home or work. By charging during the workday, or overnight, you can start each day with the batteries at full capacity. However, most EVs won't need to be charged every day. In rural areas, American drivers average 49 miles a day. Practically...
It is a rare day when you can be loud in a library. Saturday, in La Conner, was one of those days. The new La Conner Swinomish Library on Morris Street was the site of what was fondly dubbed "organized chaos that morning and afternoon." Noise, laughter and joy filled the spacious new facility, a long sought gleaming addition to the town's landscape. Enthusiasm was the word of the day, as it had been since Thursday when children, parents and grandparents began pitching in to move books from the...
Because Jean Markert has always enjoyed reading and books, the next chapter in her career could not have been better scripted. Markert, previously an instructor at Skagit Valley College and manager of the Northwest Workforce Council, has been named the new director of the La Conner-Swinomish Library set to open on Morris Street in mid-October. The La Conner resident had served for just over a month as interim library director. That interim label is now lifted from Markert's job title, library bo...
Good news. The new La Conner Swinomish Library is on the move, literally, as volunteer book brigades shuttle its precious cargo from the old library site to the new building at 520 Morris Street. A new library, what a wonderful idea realized. Take part in making it happen this week. Call to volunteer. With the library closed and the Weekly News concerned about its – and the public's – access to Town of La Conner documents, this editorial against censorship and for celebrating access to all reading material comes after September's national wee...
We are scheduling Book Moving Volunteers for Thursday, Oct. 6, Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8. If you already signed up to be a volunteer, you will get a phone call to schedule a shift to help one of those days. We'll start calling on Monday, Sept. 26. If you didn't sign up yet and want to help on any of these days, please call 360-466-3352 or email library@lclib.lib.wa.us. Saturday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. -1 p.m. is Kids Day to Help! Show up with your parent or guardian and help move the children's book collection. Feel free to bring your...
It is mid-September. The decision train – trains, actually – are boarding. It is time to get on if you do not want to be left behind as Town of La Conner governmental entities prepare trips into 2023 – and beyond. First on the schedule is a Sept. 19 town conversation for residents to come together and talk. It is organized by La Conner Town Council’s communication committee. They want to hear from citizens and listen for celebrations, concerns, trends, hopes and ideas. It starts at 6:30 p.m. in Maple Hall. Come early the next night for the pub...
At the La Conner Town Council Aug. 23: Planning Director Michael Davolio presented a draft of a proposed impact fee ordinance for review. This would raise funds toward priorities such as acquisition of a fire boat and ladder truck and/or support for parks and recreation initiatives here. Impact fees are often used by municipalities to cover local match requirements tied to grant awards. “I’ve done this before in other jurisdictions,” Davolio said, “and it has worked well.” Mayor Ramon Hayes announced dedication ceremonies for the new La Conner...
The La Conner Library will close Sept. 1in order to transition to the new La Conner Swinomish Library building at 520 Morris Street. The Library will reopen in October. We are very excited to be moving to the new location and look forward to welcoming everyone to the new La Conner Swinomish Library! What to expect until we reopen: The book drop will remain open throughout the move. Please keep your items as long as you like. We do not charge late fines, but if you wish to return your items before we reopen in October, the book return at the...
The La Conner United Street Fair on Saturday, Aug. 20 was a great day for selling planter boxes. It was a success largely because of the great people that helped. Rich Cushing and Rick Linton raised their hands when I asked for help. Susan Macek gave her approval to proceed. Tiger Construction of course made the whole project possible by donating the cut offs from the cedar siding left over. I appreciate the promotion that the Weekly provided. Joy Neal and the other members of Rotary and Kiwanis helped me set up at the site. Margaret Hillard...
Old memories were shared while new ones were made at the 118th annual Pioneer Picnic on Thursday, August 4. The traditional summer event, organized by the Skagit County Pioneer Association, brought together long-standing friends and new acquaintances who enjoyed a barbecued salmon lunch prepared by the “Good Girls” and served by members of the La Conner Civic Garden Club. Sisters Kim Good Rubenstein, Virginia Good-Vlahovich and Patsy Good cooked 185 pounds of sockeye salmon for the outdoor lun...
Those looking to spice up their garden are in luck. On Saturday, Aug. 20, the La Conner United Street Fair will have hand-crafted cedar planter boxes for sale. The new La Conner Swinomish Library will get 100% of the proceeds. In early July, La Conner resident Brad Bradford decided he wanted to build planter boxes using the library’s scrap wood. “Everybody needs a couple planter boxes,” he told the Weekly News. Tiger Construction, the library’s contractor, generously donated scraps of the cro...
Some 50 mostly masked and generally partisan western Skagit valley residents came to the La Conner Civic Garden Club last Thursday to hear State Rep. Debra Lekanoff (D-Bow) extol her colleague, State Rep. Dave Paul (D-Oak Harbor) and praise the qualities of candidate Clyde Shavers. The two candidates for Legislative District Positions 2 and 1 might have gained a few votes but they definitely increased their campaign fundraising totals as State Rep. Alex Ramel (D-Bellingham), speaking last,...
You cannot tell a book by its cover, but you can tell that the new La Conner Swinomish Library is topflight by viewing the ground outside its doors. The perimeter of the building on the southwest corner of Sixth and Morris streets, recently enhanced by installation of a stunning story pole fashioned by master carver Kevin Paul and his son-in-law, Camas Logue, now has 300 native plants placed Thursday, July 21 by area master gardeners, including Weekly News photographer Nancy Crowell. It was all...
There are activities going on inside and outside of your local library. Here is this month’s update. Summer Reading The children’s summer reading program is in full swing. Children’s specialist Katryna Barber has been providing a variety of ocean themed programs and encouragement for children to keep reading throughout the summer months. The next summer program on the schedule is sea life mural painting at the library 12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30. Looking for something new to read? Check out the list of ocean themed books provided as part...
Swinomish master carver Kevin Paul's latest work, a carved and painted thematic totem story pole was installed near the new La Conner Swinomish Library entrance July 7. “It’s really a landmark,” said La Conner Regional Library Board of Directors Secretary Robert Hancock, who attended the hour-long installation and brief ceremony afterward. “It’s something that people coming to town will want to have their picture taken with.” The tall and graceful pole symbolizes unity and a reverence f...
Another election season – year – is underway. Ballots are in the mail for the Aug. 2 primary. Your best ballot casting options are the county drop boxes at the La Conner Regional Library on Morris Street and on the Swinomish Reservation at their social services building. Please vote. You are what democracy looks like. For that reason the Weekly News is once again endorsing you, citizens of greater La Conner, this election. Your most crucial votes are the statewide offices of secretary of state, U.S Senator and the 2nd Congressional...
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...
Summer Reading is here! Oceans of Fun! Sign-ups are available at the library. We have a summer reading tracking sheet in extra large treasure map format. It includes all of our program information, summer reading book suggestions and details of activities on the following days: June 27 1:00pm–2:30pm - Sea Stars, Sea Urchins and Sea Biscuits July 4 11:30pm–12:30pm - March in the 4th of July Parade July 9 12:30pm–2:00pm - A Whale at Scale! July 16 12:30pm–2:00pm - Watercolor Salt Painting Stop by and see us! Construction...