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Washington snowpack at April’s end was called “snow drought pervasive” for much of the state in the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s May 1 monthly Water Supply Outlook Report. It cites the mid-April statewide drought emergency declared by the Department of Ecology due to low snowpack and below normal water supply outlook for much of the state. NRCS staff measure the statewide snowpack at 71% of normal, with pervasive snowpack deficits persisting for most basins. The North Puget Sound basin snowpack is 61% of median slightly above t...
A bumper crop of Northwest potatoes in 2023 is driving the price of potatoes down, but John Thulen of Pioneer Potatoes is not worried – yet. Many of the challenges cited in a March 31 Market Snapshot from AgWest Farm Credit (the new name of the former Northwest Farm Credit in Burlington) concern russet potatoes grown in Eastern Washington. Thulen agrees that overproduction in 2023 has “plugged up” processors like McCain Food USA, whose enormous processing plant in Othello produces 15% of all the frozen French fries, hash browns and tater tots p...
There are several directions town council members can take when it comes to future traffic flow and parking schemes on South First Street. The La Conner governing panel was scheduled last night to hear separate recommendations from its planning staff and planning commission for options for downtown traffic and parking as part of an ongoing update of the transportation element of the town’s Comprehensive Plan. Planner Michael Davolio and Assistant Planner Ajah Eills have proposed South First Street be converted to one-way southbound traffic w...
Candidates seeking elected office faced a deadline last week to toss their hats into the ring. Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen, a Republican, is running for re-election. His challenger for the District 1 seat is Rylee Fleury, an independent, who has a Hope Island address. Wesen has registered with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. Fleury has not. Nor has he provided a phone number or email address District 1 covers western Skagit County north and west of the Skagit River south fork and west of I-5, generally. District 2...
There’s supply and demand, but it can be demand and supply. The latter condition has led Skagit County Fire District 13 to assign two emergency medical technicians for 12-hour shifts two days per week at the Summit Park station near Highway 20 starting in mid-June. “We need to be out there,” Fire Chief Wood Weiss told district commissioners via Zoom during their hour-long May 9 meeting at the Snee-Oosh Road station. Weiss was in Leavenworth. He said staffing that station full-time twice weekly will help response times to a growing number of ca...
Bounce back. The $42,671 reported in sales tax revenue to the La Conner Town Council in April by the state’s Department of Revenue is the second highest ever for the month, behind 2022’s record $44,210. It topped March by $8,741. These are February sales: the state Department of Revenue reports on a two-month lag. Hotel/motel April tax collection was $10,165, 4% behind 2023’s record total but significantly higher, by 48%, than March’s report. Similarly, the $4,255 in special-use fire tax revenue was $141 below the record 2022 collect...
The La Conner School District should enjoy a smooth leadership transition as the school board on Monday appointed finance chief David Cram to succeed Will Nelson as superintendent for one year, starting July 1. Nelson, who is completing his third year leading La Conner schools, announced in April that he will leave the district June 30 for a teaching post at Western Washington University in Bellingham. Rather than conducting a potentially costly external search for Nelson's successor, the board...
Daily rain the last week of April, 24-30, totaled 1.7 inches at the Washington State University weather station on Memorial Highway. One inch fell April 28 and 1.25 inches came down April 28-30. It was 64% of the month's rainfall of 2.6 inches. While that was 3.7% under the century average of 2.7 inches, it was almost an inch more than in 2023 and the first year of over 2 inches of April rain since 2019. Still, this is the second month in a row of below-average precipitation. March's two inches...
Some 13 people shared their views on the Town of La Conner's half-acre Jenson field property with Mayor Marna Hanneman Saturday at the La Conner Swinomish Library. Most had started the discussion nine days earlier at a town-organized community mingle April 25. This time Channel Drive residents Dave Buchan and Susan Macek and Pull and Be Damned resident Dana Heald came and added their perspectives. Buchan shared his concern over the dramatically declining enrollment in the local school district,...
The Washington state Department of Health announced a recall of Gibson Farms, Inc. bulk organic walnuts April 30. They were joined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in advising people to stop eating organic walnut halves and pieces sold in bulk at several stores in Washington because of possible contamination with E. coli bacteria. The Skagit Valley Food Co-op posted its own announcement on May 2. It does not use Gibson Farms walnuts in its deli or bakery foods. The Department...
Lawyers for the five Shelter Bay board of directors sued by then-resident Jan Henrie in 2023 will be in Skagit Superior Court Friday morning, May 10, asking that the lawsuit be moved to the Court of Appeals. Henrie’s suit alleged malfeasance and failure in these board members’ actions and conduct for their passing an “invalid budget in violation of both the Shelter Bay Community bylaws and the Revised Code of Washington.” The defendants, Wendy Poulton, Elaine Dixon, Monte Hicks, Joseph Hurley and Louise Kari, have not contested the case’s...
Residents of the Shelter Bay Community elect three members at their annual meeting in May to serve three year terms on the eight member board of directors. The board convening in July 2024 will look very different from the eight members that ended their terms a year ago, in May 2023. If Wendy Poulton wins reelection, she will be one of three returning elected board members, with Monte Hicks and Nancy Shimmeall. No longer serving are Louise Kari and Elaine Dixon, who lost election. Joseph Hurley resigned in July and Dan McCaughan resigned in...
Shelter Bay Community residents are in the process of voting for three members of their board of directors. There are four candidates: Julie Peddy seeks a seat. Monte Hicks, Pat McGarry and Wendy Poulton are current board members. Hicks and Poulton were elected in May 2021. McGary was appointed in February 2024. Voting is online via Vote HOA Now, by mail using election packet ballots or in person 10:15-10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 18, at the annual meeting. Results will be announced after 1 p.m. If Peddy wins, she will take office in...
The Skagit County Commissioners will hold a hearing on proposed new solid waste rates at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 21, in the Commissioner’s Hearing Room, 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon. The county has a new vendor, Waste Management, providing solid waste services in unincorporated areas. Its 2023 contract had a 40% increase in transport and disposal costs. Skagit County Public Works has conducted a solid waste rate study to ensure rates were sufficient to stay solvent. The rate study report is on the county’s website. Public Works sta...
The Skagit County public participation program for community involvement in the 2025 comprehensive plan has been adopted by the county commissioners. Its five features include public meetings as part of multiple engagement channels; transparent communication for the update process, timelines and opportunities for participation; inclusive outreach to ensure all voices are heard and represented; an iterative feedback process to assess if engagement objectives are achieved; and collaborative partnerships with local organizations, community groups...
The Skagit County Commissioners will hold a public hearing for comment on proposed fee changes in amending an ordinance in Chapter 12.19, Skagit County Code and Rates and Charges for the Skagit County Drainage Utility Assessment, at 2 p.m. Monday, May 20, in the commissioner’s hearing room, 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon. Revisions to Skagit County code and the drainage utility rates and charges will more closely reflect the actual costs for services such as drainage concern response, drainage projects, stormwater management, p...
Traffic on Best Road will experience lane closures and delays between McLean Road and Chilberg Road during the work week through June 6 while Skagit County crews are grinding and re-asphalting it, the county’s public works department announced April 30. The road will be open to traffic but reduced to one lane during the day. The county bulletin encourages taking alternate routes. Both lanes of traffic will be open each night....
Skagit County voters have renewed the county’s Emergency Medical Services levy, passing it with 70.8% of the vote, 20,027 yes to 8,240 no votes. The final 163 ballots were counted by Skagit County elections office staff and the vote certified May 3. The renewal, good through 2030, funds 24/7 EMS response at a rate of $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Turnout was 33.1%, with a total of 28,267 votes counted from the 85,647 registered voters. Source: Skagit County government...
Due to a production error, the following information was omitted from the May 1 story on Page 8 headlined “Rexville Grange needs members to hasten much-needed repairs.” While membership peaked in the 19th century, Granges still serve as the center of rural life in their farming communities. Nationwide, 150,000 Grange members meet in 1,700 local chapters. Washington alone has over 200 Granges with about 8500 members. At the state and federal level, the Grange still advocates on behalf of farmers and rural residents. A current priority is Pha...
Turnout was low but engagement high at a one-hour community mingle April 25 addressing possible future uses of the Jenson property. About two dozen people gathered at the Civic Garden Club to suggest how the town could best use the half-acre field on La Conner's south end, acquired in 2022 for $60,000, about one-third its assessed value. Participants reviewed maps of the property, a fact sheet and an informational pamphlet provided by La Conner artist Maggie Wilder outlining features that would...
Representatives of the bedrock of American democracy – libraries and newspapers – discussed “News & Media Literacy: Informed or Influenced?” at a forum organized by the League of Women Voters of Skagit County Monday evening, April 29 at the PUD building in Mount Vernon. Skagit Valley College librarians Elena Bianco and Libby Sullivan spoke first, sharing slides and offering the same questions they present their students in class. “How do you know where information is coming from?” Bianco asked. “Anyone can have a website.” There are few r...
IF IT IS NOT ONE FIELD, IT IS ANOTHER – Every spring in the Skagit there are tractors cultivating, turning the soil and planting. It is not a race, but they are in it for the long haul, one season at a time. These John Deere were planting potatoes off of Alverson Road, across from Mesman’s farm in late April 2021....
Skagit County voters are casting over 70% yes ballots and overwhelmingly approving proposition No. 1, Continuation of Emergency Medical Services Levy, in the April 23 election. After the third vote count Monday, April 29, 70.8% of votes, 19, 912 are yes, to the 8,192 no votes. The 91.5% yes vote in Shelter Bay was the highest among greater La Conner precincts. Swinomish precinct voters cast 87.6% yes; Snee Oosh votes were 82.1% yes and the La Conner vote was 80.5% yes. The March Point precinct was voting the levy down, 7 no votes to 6 yes...
Washington’s access to quality preschool services falls below many other states, only serving 16% of 4-year-olds and 8% of 3-year-olds, a new national report found. The National Institute for Early Education Research released its annual preschool report in April and found Washington’s preschool access ranked 33rd for 4-year-olds and 17th for 3-year-olds. The report also found that despite its low rankings for access, Washington scores fairly well for funding for the child-care sector, ranking eighth for state spending. But despite the spe...
La Conner's iconic fish slide is temporarily closed and awaiting repairs, but visible progress has been made on another key feature of Conner Waterfront Park. The Town Public Works Department has installed column foundation posts and construction has resumed on a long-sought pavilion at the shoreline park below Rainbow Bridge. Work on the project was suspended for a few weeks due to wet weather and other department priorities, some of which were carried out while crews were shorthanded. Town...