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The effort by the La Conner Community News group to purchase the La Conner Weekly News and secure its future into 2025 and beyond appears to have fallen short, but not for lack of effort. Unless an angel investor comes forward in the next two weeks, the final issue of the La Conner Weekly News under publisher Ken Stern will hit the streets and mailboxes on Dec. 18. "It's a sad day for La Conner," Mayor Marna Hanneman said. "It takes a village and when something important in the village goes, it...
I saw the announcement of a “Public forum” on Dec. 11 that is called to address “the town’s south end plan.” I see that title as an obfuscation, by the town, to hide the important process of dealing with the blight and danger present in the Moore Clark property. Reality is that the Skagit County Assessor’s Office current fair market value appraisal of the property, parcel P74496, is actually $442,300, not the $2,300,000 that the town administrator keeps quoting. So far there has been no attempt for the current owner to purchase insurance a... Full story
HEADS UP Kiwanis Annual Holiday Craft Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St., La Conner. Christmas shop with locals. Ornaments, bags, stickers, jewelry, tablecloths, toys, cards, wall art, cookies and pies for sale. Come early for the Rotary Club Santa Breakfast and stop by the vendors on your way out. Town of La Conner public workshop on the use of the Commercial Transition Zone, aka the Moore Clark Area, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St. Info: www.townoflaconner.org. LIBRARIES La...
HEADS UP Kiwanis Annual Holiday Craft Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St., La Conner. Christmas shop with locals. Ornaments, bags, stickers, jewelry, tablecloths, toys, cards, wall art, cookies and pies for sale. Come early for the Rotary Club Santa Breakfast and stop by the vendors on your way out. Town of La Conner public workshop on the use of the Commercial Transition Zone, aka. the Moore Clark Area, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St. Info: www.townoflaconner.org. LIBRARIES La...
The more things change, the more they stay the same – even for an iconic half-century-old La Conner business that will have new ownership in January. A downtown fixture since 1972 when it was launched by Jack Wilkins and Jim Reynolds, Nasty Jack's Antiques has carved out a unique niche in the Puget Sound region with its eclectic selection of gift and novelty items, vintage toys, collectibles, housewares, tin signs, decorations, political and sports memorabilia and much, much more. That won't c...
HEADS UP Kiwanis Annual Holiday Craft Show 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St., La Conner. Christmas shop with locals. Ornaments, bags, stickers, jewelry, tablecloths, toys, cards, wall art, cookies and pies for sale. Come early for the Rotary Club Santa Breakfast and stop by the vendors on your way out. LIBRARIES La Conner Swinomish Library. 520 Morris St., La Conner. 360-466-3352. www.laconnerswinomishlibrary.org/events. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays....
Mike Elliott, president of the La Conner Retirement Inn Residents Council, holds a $5,000 check to give to Tessa Deyo, a La Conner Community Scholarship Foundation member. Witnessing the event are other officers of the council and some of the volunteers that worked to make their September garage sale successful. The money was earned from the Labor Day week-end sale which was directed by Allie Kester, activities coordinator at the Inn. The residents at the Inn are excited to have participated in...
INVITATION FOR BID TOWN OF LA CONNER 2024 FIRE BOAT Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Town of La Conner for a custom fire boat. Proposals are to be delivered to the La Conner Town Hall, 204 Douglas Street, La Conner, Washington, 98257 and must be received by 3:00 p.m. on October 30, 2024, at which time proposals will be opened and publicly read. The vessel shall be a 28-foot landing craft with enclosed cab, trailer, and the ability to be powered by twin 300 HP outboard motors. The installation of a 1,000-gpm pump shall be an...
Eligible voters receive their Nov. 5 election ballots in the mail this week. While this is not the most significant election of our lifetime, it requires, as with every vote, thoughtful consideration of the candidates and issues. Our decisions do make a difference, including voting for alternative candidates or not voting. There are four initiatives on the ballot. Please spend the necessary time to learn their purposes, consequences and who their sponsors are. Brian Heywood is the money behind them. Last week this billionaire’s organization, L... Full story
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months / No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions 84/87. Mailed in-county paid subscriptions 790/796. Paid electronic copies 21/21. b. Total paid print copies + paid electronic copies: 895/817. c. Total print distribution + paid electronic copies: 1,045/967. d. Percent paid: 100%. e. Total free or nominal rate distribution 12/11. f. Total distribution: 1,057/968. g. Copies not...
The Concrete Herald is for sale, Publisher and Editor Jason Miller announced in the October editorial of his monthly newspaper. “After more than 15 years at the helm, I’ve decided to pass our hometown newspaper to its next caretaker,” his editorial starts. Interested? Call Miller at 360-630-4603....
INVITATION FOR BID TOWN OF LA CONNER 2024 FIRE BOAT Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Town of La Conner for a custom fire boat. Proposals are to be delivered to the La Conner Town Hall, 204 Douglas Street, La Conner, Washington, 98257 and must be received by 3:00 p.m. on October 30, 2024, at which time proposals will be opened and publicly read. The vessel shall be a 28-foot landing craft with enclosed cab, trailer, and the ability to be powered by twin 300 HP outboard motors. The installation of a 1,000-gpm pump shall be an...
INVITATION FOR BID TOWN OF LA CONNER 2024 FIRE BOAT Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Town of La Conner for a custom fire boat. Proposals are to be delivered to the La Conner Town Hall, 204 Douglas Street, La Conner, Washington, 98257 and must be received by 3:00 p.m. on October 30, 2024, at which time proposals will be opened and publicly read. The vessel shall be a 28-foot landing craft with enclosed cab, trailer, and the ability to be powered by twin 300 HP outboard motors. The installation of a 1,000-gpm pump shall be an...
Mark your calendars for these upcoming arts and entertainment activities. Get out your bibs, it’s the Skagit Tidewater Boil! Celebrate the food, farming and fishing communities of Skagit Valley with fine food, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, at the La Conner Marina. Tickets on sale at genuineskagitvalley.com. Joseph Gregory Rossano Artist Talk: “Portraits of the Divine” at MoNA, a 30-minute guided walkthrough of the exhibition followed by 15 minutes of Q&A with the artist. 12-12:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, 121 S. First St. La Conner. Skagi...
Mark your calendars for these upcoming arts and entertainment activities. Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival is Saturday, Sept. 21, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. It ends with pumpkin and squash entry weigh-offs for prices. It starts with fun for kids of all ages and food, drinks, a hay maze and plants, of course.Christianson’s Nursery & Greenhouse, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Get out your bibs, it’s the Skagit Tidewater Boil! Celebrate the food, farming and fishing communities of Skagit Valley with fine food, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, at the La...
NOT TO BE MISSED Skagit Valley Giant Pumpkin Festival, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21. It ends with pumpkin and squash entry weigh-offs for prizes. It starts with fun for kids of all ages and food, drinks, a hay maze and plants. Christianson’s Nursery & Greenhouse, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Get out your bibs, it’s the Skagit Tidewater Boil! Celebrate the food, farming and fishing communities of Skagit Valley with fine food, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, at the La Conner Marina. Tickets on sale at genuineskagitvalley.com. COM...
She has owned a downtown bookstore, helped found the town's senior center and written accounts of La Conner history and her memoir. Janna Gage, who hails from a pioneer Skagit County family, is now ready for her next chapter. Seaport Books, which she and Marion Melville launched in 2017, is listed for sale. "We're not retired," quipped Gage, a 1958 La Conner High School graduate and class valedictorian. "We're just tired." But not so weary that Gage can't imagine taking on a new project or...
It's rare to be the recipient of a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow Award, presented to those who have made significant contributions to the organization's wide range of public service programs. That being the case, local tulip grower Leo Roozen is doubly esteemed by area Rotarians. Roozen received his second Paul Harris honor during the La Conner Rotary Club's annual dinner and auction at Maple Hall Saturday night. The chapter will contribute $1,000 in his name to their international...
The challenges of balancing preservation of farmland, forest areas and wetlands with development of affordable workforce housing in Skagit Valley are many and abundantly clear. Solutions, though, are less apparent and more elusive – but sorely needed, and now. The Skagit County League of Women Voters brought attention to the issue, organizing a 90-minute public forum in Sedro-Woolley Aug. 21, emphasizing the challenge that has priced working families out of the valley and shrunk the labor pool. Some 100 people attended and more watched on Y...
Some things never change – like the excitement when a Roberts-built boat is launched in La Conner. And for a few fleeting moments last Friday at La Conner Marina and on Swinomish Channel it was 1960 again as a classic 27-foot Roberts Express Cruiser was the center of attention while being lowered into the water. Its launching captured the imagination of onlookers gathered at La Conner Maritime Service. And for good reason. Salvaged 15 years ago from a dry storage marina on the Snohomish River a...
Local permits and Washington’s Growth Management Act Last week I wrote a citizen’s view column about the proposal for 214 Maple Avenue (the old COA) and promised that I would write more this week about the condition that is hardest to understand: (e) The proposal, through findings, satisfies the goals and policies of La Conner’s comprehensive plan and floodplain ordinance and the state Shoreline Management Act. I will address the Comp Plan only here. Long ago the Washington State Legislature passed the Growth Management Act The GMA estab...
A revered La Conner summer tradition continues tomorrow with the 120th annual Skagit County Pioneer Association Picnic and General Meeting. The Aug. 1 event, which supports the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner, is set for 11 a.m. at Pioneer Park. The public is cordially invited. A barbecue salmon luncheon prepared by the "Good Girls" and served by members of the La Conner Civic Garden Club will be available. The $20 meal includes a commemorative ribbon and free admission to the...
La Conner’s town government – elected officials and staff – created a long task list for the second year of implementing the five-year strategic plan they adopted last September. Credit them for being ambitious: 31 tasks came out of their June retreat, with over half of them placed on Mayor Marna Hanneman and Administrator Scott Thomas’ shoulders. The fire department, with five tasks, has made progress, getting a $150,000 commitment from the town council to buy a fire boat. Public works and finance staff are assigned these tasks: improving inte... Full story
The Skagit River Poetry Foundation made the crowd holler as they hosted their summer party, Make Me Wanna Holler, on a cool Sunday afternoon at Pioneer Park on July 21. Every summer we host a music and poetry event to honor and thank our community for their support and raise awareness for our organization. As the grill and band heated up, board members and volunteers took food orders and chatted with guests as they arrived. Guests relaxed with their lunch in the amphitheater surrounded by towering firs with views of the Swinomish Channel and...
A new entrée is part of the menu planned for the former COA restaurant building at Maple and Washington avenues. The site has been home to various eateries over the past half-century, all of them operating as a non-conforming residential use. That could change. The planning commission learned at its July 16 meeting that the new owners of what old-timers call “the old Joe’s Drive-In” want a private fitness club and martial arts studio there. Getting those plans approved could test the applicants’ strength and stamina. Assistant Planner Ajah Eil...
