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Town leaders have their eyes on the future. This after having given La Conner's current five-year strategic plan a second look during the town's annual summer retreat at the Waterfront Café last month. Mayor Marna Hanneman, Town Council members, and the town's staff and department heads huddled June 24 to address current issues and long-range planning. The strategic plan, crafted in 2023 and comprised of five focal points, was the centerpiece of the retreat's afternoon session. Each of the...
Lois Watson is the newest member of the Shelter Bay Community board of directors. Watson was appointed by the board at a special meeting June 13. Her term, through June 30, 2026, started July 1. She replaces Jan Paul, who resigned in April. The board elected Pat McGarry treasurer, replacing Paul....
Did you register for the Skagit County free vessel turn-in recycling day on July 22? If not, that ship has sailed. Boat recycling day is hosted by the Skagit County Marine Resources Committee, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Skagit County, Port of Skagit, La Conner Maritime Services, Northwest Straits Commission and Washington Department of Natural Resources. Boat recycling requires prior approval. La Conner Maritime Services, in the Port of Skagit's La Conner Marina, is the collection...
During her retirement reception at Gaches Mansion on Sunday, Amy Green visualized her lengthy tenure as executive director of the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum. Then Green saw her 11-year career stop in La Conner literally unveiled before her gaze. About a half-hour into the afternoon farewell ceremony, museum board member Joy Neal surprised Green with a handsome bookshelf quilt whose squares bear images and symbols reflecting her time in La Conner and highlight many of the...
The late Clem Thein set the ceiling high when it came to extending goodwill and sharing camaraderie among his many friends here. He did the same when it came to masterful handiwork, a trait handed down to his son, Steve, and still much in evidence more than 15 years after Clem Thein's passing. For confirmation, look at the roofs of historic Magnus Anderson Cabin and the covered Native American canoe shelter below Town Hall. Clem Thein hand-split the cedar shakes protecting both structures using...
The lush, towering presence of western red cedars (Thuja plicata) in Washington state has been a hallmark of the region's natural beauty and ecological health. However, these majestic trees are facing an unprecedented threat. Urban areas like Mount Vernon, Burlington and Anacortes are witnessing a troubling phenomenon: the dieback of western red cedars. Drought mitigation planning is essential in preserving this valuable community resource as long as possible. Western red cedar dieback,...
NOT TO BE MISSED The 20th annual NW Art Beat Studio Tour sees 22 artists showing their works in 16 studios in a free, self-guided Skagit Valley art studio tour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 20 and 21. NW Art Beat is presented by Skagit Artists. Learn more at NWArtBeat.com. LIBRARIES La Conner Swinomish Library. 520 Morris St., La Conner. 360-466-3352. www.lclib.lib.wa.us. Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Storytime for Children. 11 a.m. Fridays. Tech Help. 3-5 p.m. Mondays. Dungeons & Dragons Club. 3-5 p.m. Tuesdays....
The August primary election is here. Ballots will be mailed by Friday, July 19. Last week, Skagit County voters received the county’s official local voter’s pamphlet, mailed by the county elections office. Voters will choose candidates for the Nov. 5 elections for a U.S. senator, Congressional District 2 representative, 11 statewide offices for governor through insurance commissioner and a state supreme court justice. La Conner area voters reside in state legislative district 10. The senate seat and LD 10 Position 1 are contested. Can...
This year's July 4 celebration in La Conner was a double feature times two. Several entries in the town's Independence Day parade looped downtown a second time. That evening, tribal vendors led by Rodney John filled the sky with fireworks for hours following the official pyrotechnics show over Swinomish Channel. Both the parade and fireworks received positive reviews as did the two-band holiday evening concert at the Port of Skagit's La Conner Marina. Social media was filled Thursday night and...
“Intense Heat Persists, Little Relief In Sight” was Monday’s WSU’s AgWeatherNet outlook through July 14 for west of the Cascades. Temperatures in the 80s are forecast through Wednesday for coastal areas. The end of the week summary is “60s and 70s expected.” The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory through 10 p.m. Tuesday for northern Puget Sound that included western Skagit County. The weekend after July 4 became warmer and warmer, with blue skies and temperatures reaching a record 87.5 degrees 5 p.m. Sunday for the date and 87...
Amy Green has for the past decade been the very uncommon thread binding together diverse exhibits and educational programs at the Pacific Northwest Quilt and Fiber Arts Museum at historic Gaches Mansion. Her focus has been uncommon in that Green brought with her to La Conner in 2013 an extensive background in a wide range of artistic impression and managerial experience, including six years as director of operations at the famed Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe, N.M. Now Green is returning to...
Mayor Marna Hanneman said the blaze that destroyed one house and threatened others last month is a wake-up call for the town during a July 6 forum at La Conner Swinomish Library. She asked Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra and fire department community outreach officer Natalie Baker to reflect on the incident and share safety tips. The ensuing discussion was robust at times and informative. "I feel it's important for us to communicate with one another in an open and transparent manner," Hanneman said...
In the aftermath of a June 20 house fire that threatened neighboring homes, La Conner residents questioned growth management population projections for the town that have increased residential density as vacant lots fill in. “As everybody here knows, we’ve had a tragic fire here on Fifth Street,” Town Emergency Management Commission chair Jerry George said during that board’s July 2 meeting at Maple Hall. “That fire was hot and fast.” George lives a few paces from the home that was engulfed in flames and was among neighbors who helped wate...
The La Conner tourist economy may be back on track. The June sales tax revenues of $58,778 reported to town council by the state’s Department of Revenue, are the second highest total for the month, only below 2022’s record. It is 10.6% above last June’s. This is April’s tax collection, the month of the Tulip Festival. The Special Use Fire Tax revenues, at $5,870 is 10.8% above last year’s and also the second best June. For the first half of 2023, sales tax revenues are at 44.8% of the year’s projected total while the fire truck tax is at 54.2%...
The League of Women Voters of Washington and the League of Women Voters of Clark County will present the candidates for the commissioner of public lands to voters in a candidate forum. The forum will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18, at Clark College in Vancouver. The 90-minute forum will be in person and will be televised live on TVW and streamed at tvw.org/video/. The forum is co-sponsored by The Columbian and The Reflector newspapers. Voters can expect to hear candidates respond to questions about the office and how they would fulfill...
One man helping shape the future of Skagit County hails from a family that has molded much of its history. Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen comes from a pioneer family that has farmed in the Bow-Edison area for more than a century and today operates a 1,100-acre organic dairy. The Wesen family will be honored Aug. 1 at the 120th annual Skagit County Pioneer Association Picnic and Business Meeting in La Conner. The Wesens, who through the decades have made significant contributions in fields...
La Conner School District Superintendent David Cram and board members approved key goals for the 2024-25 academic year at their study session Monday night. Before the meeting started, the district hired a special education director, a role former superintendent Will Nelson juggled with other administrative duties after special programs coordinator Andy Wheeler retired in 2023. Cram announced that Beth Mills, who has worked in the special education field for two decades, will run special education in La Conner. She comes from the Granite Falls...
NOT TO BE MISSED Skagit City School Picnic, 1-3 p.m. Sunday, July 14, 17508 Moore Road, Mount Vernon. Join the Skagit County Historical Society for this time-honored tradition of celebrating community. Food will be available from the La Conner Rotary Club. The 20th annual NW Art Beat Studio Tour sees 22 artists showing their works in 16 studios in a free, self-guided Skagit Valley art studio tour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 20 and 21. NW Art Beat is presented by Skagit Artists. Learn more at NWArtBeat.com. LIBRARIES La Conner Swinomish...
La Conner's underground – at least on S. Maple Avenue – has been in plain sight the past few days. Welch Brothers Construction has cut deeply into and through the heavily traveled roadway's surface to extend a water main that will serve the future Didgwalic Wellness Center transitional housing and staff office facility on Maple Avenue near the east approach to the Rainbow Bridge. La Conner Public Works Director Brian Lease said on Monday that the work upgrades an existing water main to imp...
By Ken Stern Skagit County continues to have a huge shortfall in housing construction, particularly in multi-unit buildings of any type. The state’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board five-year housing advisory plan, a 75-page report released in May, shows within the county the need for more residential construction and a critical lack of affordable housing options. This mirrors housing needs throughout Washington. Some 1,300 homes were built in the 2020-2023 period in the county, about 434 annually. That is 38% below the projected production n...
If practice makes perfect and perfect needs practice, area firefighters and emergency responders are perfectly practiced and practically perfect. This after Swinomish Reservation and the Port of Skagit's La Conner Marina were sites last week of major multi-department training exercises that participants lauded afterward for their realism and long-term value. Skagit County Fire District 13 Training Officer Capt. Chris Olbu scripted a drill for June 26 that challenged several agencies, led by La...
In August 2022, a 58-foot fishing boat sank off the western shore of San Juan Island, kicking off a complex, lengthy response to prevent additional diesel from spilling out of the sunken vessel, and to eventually raise the boat back to the surface. Now, the Washington Department of Ecology is penalizing Matthew Johnston, the boat's owner, $18,000 for the spilled diesel. Johnston actively participated in cleanup efforts and fully cooperated with Ecology's investigation, the agency said in a news...
Town and school district officials were in full retreat June 24, though both panels spent the day charging forward with reviews of their respective five-year strategic plans. The La Conner Town Council met for seven hours at the Waterfront Café. Councilmembers, staff and Mayor Marna Hanneman addressed five focus areas – public safety, climate and environmental sustainability, capital projects and utilities, economic vibrancy and governmental organization. Council members and department heads al...
Second Congressional District Rep. Rick Larsen kicked off his re-election campaign in Skagit County June 27, telling some 30 supporters at Skagit River Brewery in Mount Vernon that this year voting will be a values election. The Democrat’s low-key remarks were twice disrupted by women bursting in and vehemently protesting his support for military aid to Israel’s war against Palestinians in Gaza. The first carried a sign reading, “Larsen sends Skagit taxes to BOMB BABIES in Gaza.” She shouted she was a Jewish school teacher, to stop the genocid...
The La Conner School Board spent June 24 with interim superintendent David Cram for their annual daylong retreat. They addressed roles, responsibilities and goals for board members. Cram projected a K-12 student enrollment of 460 and beginning fund balance of $535,000 this fall. While the enrollment figure is lower than last year, the fund balance estimate represents a significant improvement. The school district opened 2023-24 in the red. Cram, who returned to La Conner as finance director in...