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Town Administrator Scott Thomas is known for his occasional use of dry humor, but there wasn’t anything funny about his report to Town Council members last week regarding drought conditions this year. “We’re already in a state of drought,” Thomas told the council during its April 23 meeting at Maple Hall. “So, we may be looking at water restrictions down the road.” Thomas reported that Washington’s snowpack, based on state Department of Ecology statistics, stands at just 68% of its average levels. “With chances for significant additions to the...
Any registered voter interested in becoming a county commissioner, state legislator, statewide executive office holder or U.S. congressional representative or senator has to make her decision and file with the Skagit County elections or Secretary of State offices the week of May 6-10. The western commissioner district 1 and central county commissioner district 2 positions are the only countywide offices on the ballot. The filing fee is $1,413. The Skagit County PUD (Public Utility District) commissioner No. 2 position, also central county, is...
After almost a century of hosting potlucks, weddings and receptions, rummage sales, art shows, dances, memorial services, service projects, polling sites and parties, the Rexville Grange #815 on Summers Drive is showing its age. Water seeps into the below-grade kitchen whenever it rains on Strawberry Hill. "That has caused a lot of rot in the lower cabinets, and damaged the water heater," says Cathy Savage, Grange president. With a kitchen unsuitable for cooking or catering, hosting indoor...
Jan Paul, Shelter Bay board of directors treasurer since July 2023, announced her resignation in a way that was as surprising as it was low key at the end of the monthly board meeting last Wednesday, April 17, at the organization’s clubhouse. Without naming individuals, she cited a pattern of problems, including being disrespected and untrusted, saying, “Unfortunately, during my time as a board member, I feel that I have been only a ‘placeholder’ with no ability to function as a board member should. It has become increasingly apparent over th...
Good things come to those who wait. Patrons of the Swinomish Casino & Lodge north of La Conner are being treated to increased promotional play offers and other incentives through the end of May after its reopening on Wednesday. The tribal gaming center had been closed since the first weekend of April due to a cyberattack. “Our casino, dining, and lodge facilities are operational, and we look forward to welcoming back our valued guests, dedicated team members, and members of the tribal community,” casino managers said in a statement issued a c...
Some dozen residents, primarily community elders, responded to an open invitation to walk the former Jensen property last Thursday, April 18, ahead of tomorrow's community mingle seeking discernment on its future use. Town of La Conner Planning Director Michael Davolio organized the tour. Also attending were Mayor Marna Hanneman, Planning Commissioners Cynthia Elliot and John Leaver and Assistant Planner Ajah Eillis for the 45 minute tour and discussion. "We invited you here to give you a sense...
The La Conner School Board may not have to look far to find a successor to Dr. Will Nelson. Board president Susie Deyo last week raised the prospect of the school district hiring from within its ranks an acting interim superintendent to succeed Nelson, who is leaving June 30 after three years leading La Conner School District to accept a teaching post at Western Washington University. Deyo shared that option during an hourlong April 18 public “listening session” on campus. She and other board members had held a similar meeting with school sta...
When the U.S. House of Representative voted 366 to 58 to approve military aid to Israel Saturday, April 20, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Arlington) voted yes. The Israel package totals $26.4 billion. It provides $13 billion to the U.S. Defense Department to replenish U.S. stocks of equipment and weapons sent to Israel’s military, support U.S. operations in the region and fund Israel’s missile defense systems and $3.6 billion for security assistance to Israel. It also includes $9.15 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and worldwide. In a new...
At 1 p.m. Sunday, April 21, fields of red and yellow tulip flowers were being photographed by tourists in the field on Best Road north of the McLean Road roundabout. The Best Road field south of and across from Christianson's Nursery was flowerless, having been topped. The other field near La Conner, on Calhoun Road near Beaver Marsh Road, was topped Saturday, April 20. The show fields at RoozenGarde, Tulip Town and Tulip Valley Farms remain in bloom....
Because of its desirability and geographic constraints limiting growth, La Conner has long dealt with a housing crunch, especially with affordable housing. Those conditions have now contributed to a pressing side effect: homelessness. In his written report delivered in advance of the April 23 Town Council meeting at Maple Hall, Town Administrator Scott Thomas noted that homeless people have begun camping overnight at Pioneer Park. “The town has experienced ongoing issues stemming from homeless individuals camping in the park, primarily r...
Town planning commissioners trod a familiar path at their April 16 public meeting. The five-member advisory panel, which is in the process of drafting updates to the transportation element of the La Conner Comprehensive Plan, revisited options for potential future traffic flow and parking on South First Street. Discussion didn’t end there. Commissioners will take up the topic one more time at their May 7 session, during which they could agree on recommendations to forward to the Town Council for consideration. Commissioners and residents h...
A new schedule starts at Town Hall next week. Beginning April 29, the building will be open for town business from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. It will be closed on Fridays so that staff can work on various projects without interruption, Assistant Planner Ajah Eills told the Weekly News. “We appreciate the community’s flexibility to allow us to make this change,” she said. “On Fridays, we will be doing some long-term planning and work related to our Five-Year Plan.” While Town Hall will be closed on Fridays, it will open 30 m...
Math is cool again. That’s the message La Conner School Board members heard during their one-hour public meeting Monday night. Math teachers Dan Hansen and Julia Johnson shared with the board via Zoom how the district’s new curriculum has contributed to greater content mastery and perhaps more important, increased student confidence and development of critical thinking skills. Hansen noted how his students now appreciate the role geometry plays in everyday life. “They realize how geometry fits into the world,” said Hansen. “It’s so prevalent i...
The Washington state Department of Ecology declared a statewide drought emergency April 16, citing the state’s low snowpack, the forecasts for a dry and warm spring and summer and the end of winter snowstorms. The only exceptions are for the Seattle, Everett and Tacoma metro areas. Ecology is making up to $4.5 million available in drought response grants to qualifying public entities to respond to impacts from the current drought conditions. Source: Department of Ecology...
Anacortes Mayor Matt Miller, center left, joined Anacortes Food Co-op Board Chair Phil Cohen for the store's ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon, April 10. Hundreds of members and friends came out to sample products, see the store at 2403 Commercial Ave., listen to music, and possibly join as member-owners....
Those foam clamshell containers long used by restaurants for takeout food will soon be illegal statewide in Washington. Coffee cups, plates, trays and other food and drink carriers made from the same material – known as expanded polystyrene – will also be outlawed. Single-use foam coolers, too. The prohibition on the sale and distribution of these products will take effect June 1 under a law the Legislature approved in 2021. “It’s a big deal,” Heather Trim, executive director of Zero Waste Washington said of the restrictions. “We have had, over...
The April 10 story on Langley did not correctly state that city’s 2024 operating budget is $5 million, with another $8 million capital expense for a long-term stormwater and sewer infrastructure project. In the April 17 Master Gardeners column, potting soil products weed seed or herbicides problems were to have been cited as a concern of manufactured bulk mineral soil and not potting soil products from recycled forest products. The editor regrets the errors....
Swinomish Casino & Lodge is open following an 18-day closure due to a cybersecurity incident. The casino closed April 6 for the duration of the investigation. An announcement on the casino's homepage reads: "Our casino, dining, and lodge facilities are operational, and we look forward to welcoming back our valued guests, dedicated team members, and members of the tribal community. As a token of our appreciation, we are increasing promo play offers and promotions for all guests every week until the end of May. Please stop by the Signature...
The Swinomish Casino & Lodge has had a run of bad luck lately. Having braced for a busy April and heavy traffic volumes from the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, the gaming center and dining venue 8 miles north of La Conner has been closed since April 6 while an unspecified cybersecurity incident is investigated. Cyberattacks are usually aimed at accessing, changing or destroying sensitive information. They can also involve extortion via ransomware or interruptions in normal business procedures. Internet service at the Swinomish property...
With the snowpack at 69% of normal and spring precipitation uncertain, local farmers have one piece of good news: if a drought develops, they can count on water from the Skagit Public Utility District. On April 9 the PUD approved a one-year interlocal, seasonal transfer for surplus water rights from the PUD to Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation Improvement Districts 15, which supplies water for 8,500 acres on the flats east of Best Road and Consolidated Diking Improvement District 22, which...
At winter's end, the North Puget Sound basin snowpack is 56% of median, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service states in its April 1 Washington Water Supply Outlook Report. This is lower than the March 1 basin snowpack measurement of 60% of median. Peak snow accumulation has passed or is near for all major basins in Washington, the report states. Snow drought conditions, even severe, is the status in the Puget Sound Basin, Olympic Peninsula, portions of the Lower Yakima and across much of n...
Remember the inch of rain in eight days at March's end? That was one-half the month's total, not enough, as the 2 inches was one-third below March' century average of 3 inches. It was the first month since November rainfall was below century averages. Only six of the 15 days of measurable precipitation were over 0.1 inch. This was the fourth driest March this century. Three have been since 2019. All four had 2 inches or less of rain. The last decade rain has been below the century's average. Of...
La Conner School Board members want input on what approach should be taken as they seek a successor to Superintendent Will Nelson, who is stepping down after three years. Nelson announced earlier this month that he will be leaving June 30 to accept a teaching post at Western Washington University in Bellingham. The board’s superintendent search process began Monday when school staff participated in the first of two listening sessions designed to discuss filling the pending vacancy. The second session, targeting community participation, is at 7...
La Conner Town Council members and residents attending the April 9 meeting heard the down news: March's sales tax revenues are 15% below 2023. Year to date, sales tax revenue is down 15%, $124,353, from $146,681. All tourist-driven tax revenues are lower and considerably below projections, as reported to the town council in March by the state's Department of Revenue. The $33,930 collected in sales tax was 15.6% below 2023. The $3,382 for the fire department tax was 13.8% below last year and the...
The Channel Cove complex, managed by Home Trust of Skagit County, will have $336,144 in Washington state Department of Commerce Housing Preservation Program funding. Statewide, 31 low-income housing complexes were awarded $19.9 million Commerce posted on its website. Repairs will be made to 18 apartments at Channel Cove rented to people making 50% or less of the area median income. In Skagit County, $1.6 million is being invested to upgrade 113 units in three complexes. Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington was awarded $667,010 for...