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No building permit has yet been issued, but excavation began at the 306 Center Street condominium project site last week to find the water table on the property so that paperwork could be completed for removal of contaminated soil. Following that initial dig, a soil removal plan was drafted and submitted, according to Town of La Conner Assistant Planner Ajah Eills. Public Works Director Brian Lease approved the plan and soil removal commenced, Eills said. That work was completed and by early Friday afternoon all equipment had left the site....
Few have taken a longer road to historic La Conner United Methodist Church than its new pastor. The Rev. Dr. Jacob Kanake, who assumed pastoral duties here this month, hails from the Kenya Methodist Church, where he served before moving with his family to the United States. The Methodist Church was planted in Kenya, an East African nation and former British colony, in the early 1860s. The Kanakes feel quite at home in Washington, where he has pastored at Colfax and St. John east of the...
There may be no better venue than La Conner Swinomish Library for Scott Petersen, the famed Reptile Man from Monroe, to stage his popular live animal demonstrations. For one thing, the local library's solar panels work just fine and provide an ideal comfort zone for Petersen's collection of cold-blooded critters. And then there's the interactive vibe that defines the two-year-old learning resource center. "We are not a quiet library," insists its director, Jean Markert, whose assessment was...
Class was in session on a sunny summer Sunday at Skagit City School, and history was the main course of study. That was just fine with the "students," several of them descendants of school alumni and justifiably proud of the restored schoolhouse and exhibits displayed inside the landmark Fir Island building on Moore Road. The annual picnic, hosted by the Skagit County Historical Museum, coincided with hot weather, warm memories of days gone by and music by Conway vocalist and guitarist Marcia Ke...
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...
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...
The prayers of a La Conner priest have been answered. Father Paul Magnano, 83, won’t be relocating to Seattle full-time after all. Magnano will continue serving historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church in La Conner and other Skagit County parishes with a new schedule allowing him to divide his time with Christ Our Hope Catholic Church in downtown Seattle, which he founded. It’s truly a “best of both worlds” arrangement for Magnano, who feels equally at home here and in the city. Perhaps best of...
By There's one summer rerun that's a guaranteed hit in La Conner. It's the annual Hometown Independence Day celebration here, featuring a parade down First Street, a slew of July 4 activities with live music at the La Conner Marina and a fireworks display over Swinomish Channel. "It will pretty much be the same as every year," Town Administrator Scott Thomas said. The variety of events assures that everyone in La Conner will again have a blast on the Fourth of July. The fun starts at noon with t...
"I love La Conner; I love the church and I love the people." La Conner United Methodist Church Pastor Marcella Baker repeated that phrase often in an interview Saturday. Her parishioners also repeatedly commented on her great love and her great faith. "We are extremely happy for her getting ready for retirement; but very sad for our part because she is a fabulous woman and has incredible faith," said parishioner Anita Mesman. Bill Taylor, a member for nine years said, "She is spot on – the e...
The public is invited to celebrate Pride Month with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community with events on Thursday, June 20, and Wednesday, June 26. At noon June 20, celebrate pride on the longest day of the year in the Cedar Hats Pavillions at swadabs Park on the Swinomish Channel. Pick up your Swinomish Pride Day shirt. Enjoy lunch, snow cones, a bouncy house, art and sign making. Listen to hip hop by “Reservation Dogs” composer Mato Wayuhi. On June 26, Swinomish Pride Day car parade and community dinner begins at 4:30 p.m. at John K. Bob Bal...
June 20, 2024 -- The La Conner Town Council will hold a special meeting Monday, June 24 that will consist of a council retreat from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The retreat, at the Waterfront Café, is open to the public staff reported at the June 18 council meeting.. Mayor Marna Hanneman called the meeting today, Thursday, June 20. The June 25 town council meeting is canceled. The Town of La Conner posted its Notice of Cancelation at the same time today. Information: 360-466-3125, https://w... Full story
With U.S. post offices closed next Wednesday for the national Juneteenth holiday, the June 19 Weekly News will arrive on a one day delay in mailboxes. The paper will be printed Tuesday. Copies for retail sale will be distributed around La Conner Wednesday morning. Mail carriers will make deliveries Thursday in La Conner and Friday in Mount Vernon....
There’s food for thought, and food for survival. Both were addressed during the 75-minute La Conner Emergency Management Commission meeting at Maple Hall last week. During their June 4 public session, commissioners invested more thought into their ongoing development of a Community Emergency Management Plan and studied the role the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank could fill should a local disaster occur. Food Bank board chair John Petrich, who has an extensive background in housing and utilities management, was the commission’s guest speaker. He...
In terms of solving a longtime housing shortage here, the town is being asked to make the impossible possible. It will take about 20 years to tell if La Conner is successful. Town Planning Commission chair Bruce Bradburn had some gripes when reviewing state and county mandates that La Conner prepare to add 124 new housing units – one-third of which would serve low-income residents – between now and 2045. Bradburn called that a “pipe dream.” “It’s fine to say we have a goal to provide more family housing in town,” he said. Town Assistant Pla...
A burn ban begins 8 a.m. June 15. It is modified for all residential and land clearing fires in unincorporated Skagit County, until further notice. County staff will no longer issue permits and existing permits are suspended. La Conner residents must check at Town Hall for local burning restrictions. Recreational and cooking fires are allowed following restrictions when using charcoal, seasoned firewood, or propane-fueled firepits, with safety requirements. Outdoor burning will be prohibited when there is a “Red Flag Warning” issued by the Nat...
With wildfire season approaching, the Washington State Department of Ecology wants people to get #SmokeReady. This week its staff are posting on social media daily themes of identifying personal health risks, learning how to protect your indoor air and knowing where to find the most up-to-date information about the location and intensity of wildfire smoke. For June 12: Smoke and your health. June 13: Minimize exposure to smoke. June 14: Prevent smoke. View Ecology’s website, social media pages and the Washington Smoke Information blog – the...
Emergency management has been a hot topic in the La Conner area the past couple years. Tabletop disaster preparation exercises have become more frequent. An even more visible two-day emergency response activity staged from the Duane Berentson Twin Bridges boat launch on the north end of Swinomish Channel took place June 4 and 5. “The purpose of the exercise is to validate response equipment, practice our emergency response plan, confirm viable spill control points, and refresh personnel on response tactics,” a spokesperson with the Can...
Renewable energy is a key issue for state Senate hopeful Janet St. Clair, a two-term Island County commissioner with an extensive background in public education and social work. Renewable energy also defines her campaign style. St. Clair brought her energetic, bilingual approach to La Conner on June 3, meeting at the Civic Garden Club with local Democrats. State Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow, attended and offered a ringing endorsement of her candidacy for the 10th Legislative District seat. St....
The La Conner Pub & Eatery was so busy Wednesday that people joked the fire department might be called to red tag the place for exceeding its occupancy limit. Turns out, members of La Conner Hook & Ladder and the local firefighters' association were already on scene – en masse. They took over the downtown tavern and diner that night for a major fundraiser, collecting half the food and beverage receipts and all of the gratuities. Nor did their five-hour serving shifts represent a hostile t...
Busy lives paused Monday as local residents took time to reflect on the past during annual Memorial Day services at two area cemeteries. Somber holiday programs drew large turnouts to the Pleasant Ridge and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community cemeteries despite cloudy and chilly conditions. Rev. Don Robinson and Anne Basye keynoted the one-hour gathering at Pleasant Ridge, site of the oldest cemetery in Skagit County and where the accomplishments and sacrifices of veterans, pioneers and Native Ame...
Strange as it may sound today, there was a time when having a parking problem in La Conner meant more cars were wanted on First Street to spur retail shopping – and when retail meant purchases for home use. It was also a period when home builders were being actively recruited to develop vacant lots to grow a town census that barely rose above 625 residents. The year was 1957. Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House. The space race was launched with Sputnik 1 orbiting the earth. The Fortran c...
Five-year old Drea Edwards-Gould hugged her Auntie Melinda tight as the Swinomish Fish and Game Enforcement boat pulled out of the docks and propelled in one of the four directions to make an offering to the sea for a safe fishing season – the annual Blessing of the Fleet and First Salmon Ceremony of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Sgt. Shaun Beasley navigated Skagit Bay at 24 knots with the precious cargo of a king salmon dressed in crab, clams, mussels, blackberries and blueberries o...
“The Langley Chamber of Commerce is supported through grants that are specific to tourism,” notes Nicole Whittington-Johnson, the Chamber’s executive director. Additionally, there is Langley Creates, a state-designated creative district, part of a Washington state program that helps communities turn their cultural and historical assets into economic growth, a non-profit created by the Langley Chamber of Commerce. Plus, there is the Langley Main Street Association championing the downtown’s economic revitalization and historic preservation. “The...
