La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

I recently went out for dinner with a neighbor, a part-time, mostly-here-in-the-summer kind of neighbor. He teaches at a university, leads research and publishes interesting work on human behavior. As we waited to order he mentioned his frustration a...

With a degree of urgency appropriate for the planetary catastrophe we face today, Pope Francis’ latest exhortation, Laudate Deum, “to all people of good will on the climate crisis,” builds on his 2015 encyclical letter, Laudato Si’, “On...

As faith leaders, elected officials, community leaders, educators and individual residents of Washington state, we are heartbroken and horrified by the escalated violence and bloodshed in Israel/Palestine. As people of all faith backgrounds and consc...

Can you imagine the Pacific Northwest without salmon? Their life cycle feeds many beings in the whole ecosystem. Salmon have been the center of spirit and community here for centuries And yet – they are at the brink of extinction in the Snake River...

“When the big things seem out of control … focus on what you love right under your nose” writes Charlie Mackay in his book, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.” And it does seem so, that the world is out of control. There are the...

The current Israel / Hamas war is tragic. The scenes of devastation and destruction in the Gaza strip and the reports of those killed and injured is heartbreaking, The continuing loss of human life and growing humanitarian crisis is overwhelming in...

I have been a part of our local farming community for sixty plus years now. I’ve seen more than half of the farm history in the region. I was able to observe the demise of peas, sweet corn and carrots. Now I’ve seen the arrival of dry beans, pepp...

On Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. 800,000 or so folks in Washington will take part in the Great Shakeout drill to practice the steps necessary to effectively respond to a major earthquake. Unlike floods and maybe wild fires, there is no way science has...

One of the joys in my year of health challenges was the fun and exciting opportunity to honor “our own” Tom Robbins on Sept. 2. It was a real blast! Tom enjoyed it, he and Alexa rocked it, the library’s programs benefited and everyone entered...

So, Sept. 2 came and went, there couldn’t have been a finer day in La Conner spent. There was a “King” in town, complete with a crown, and a shiny white old fire truck. Yeah, mega author Tom Robbins was kinda awestruck. The town was full of...

I attended the meeting of the Skagit County Planning Commission Tuesday, July 25, along with scores of others to express concern regarding proposed increased regulations for local farm families, many whom are already struggling to keep their family...

I read your editorial “La Conner needs to plan for more than just floods,” (Weekly News July 12) with great interest, and your words raised my eyebrows more than once. You see, you made a blanket statement, “No one in La Conner, elected...

Oh dear god it’s almost all I wanna do, to hear music that makes my body move, yeah, like it’s in a smooth groove. Some might see me in my trance, moving from a slide to prance, jumping and gliding like a bird, from branch to branch. Yeah, all I...

Once again, I find myself in the infuriating position of responding to the news of yet another horrific mass shooting in the United States. Despite the common defensive refrain offered by gun advocates that “guns don’t kill people, people kill...

Thank you for your spot-on Musings (June 7 Weekly News) in regard to Memorial Day, especially the service at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery on May 29. As always, it was a moving service, conducted quite ably by Rev. Don Robinson. As I listened to and...

I’m officially old. It happened on a single day last week, Thursday, June 1. It was not a surprise. It had loomed on the near horizon for years. I’d dutifully prepared for it – watched innumerable how-to videos, talked with older friends...

It’s election time in Shelter Bay – Online voting closes 4 p.m. May 19. In person must be done the early morning of May 20. If you intend to mail or drop off your vote, you must travel to the office to pick up a ballot. Mailed ballots must be...

Dear editor, Please advise, cannot understand. Good grief!? Shelter Bay, a community across the Swinomish Channel from La Conner, is under attack from an out-of-order insider group? One judge has already thrown out an unsubstantiated lawsuit for...

The Swinomish Tax Authority used the same levy rate for 2023, 2022 and 2021: $11.98 per thousand. But, the assessed value of homes in Shelter Bay and Pull & Be Damned increased from $196,279,100 to $206,399,050 over the past year. The Swinomish...

It is sad that Jack and Julie Jones moved out of Shelter Bay over misperceptions (Citizens’ View, April 19). I wish for their sake the Jones had served on the board of directors and on committees. If they had they would still be here enjoying the...

I have always said that as long as my daughter Victoria was in La Conner schools, I was happy to be mayor. That season has come to an end, and it is time for La Conner to choose a new representative to lead the community. May 15 through 19 interested...

Recently, some friends have asked us why we moved from Shelter Bay into the town of La Conner. The simple reason is, we lost trust in the board to act in the best interest of the community and we lost faith that the board would begin to act in the...

Washington state is a crucial stopover for millions of migrating birds. The diverse landscapes, from the coast to the mountains, provide essential habitats for birds during their long journeys. Among many vital habitats, the Skagit Valley stands out...

After my decision to run for the Shelter Bay Community board of directors a year ago, I set a goal to read all of the governing documents, including the association’s Rules and Regulations, cover to cover. I studied HOA educational videos and used...

“We will fail, / When we fail to try” — Rosa Parks A Message From the Dark Side … . I am a woman from the “other side” as the writers put it in last week’s page 3 “Show of Support” display ad for some members of the Shelter Bay...