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

King tides, like pesky mosquitoes, occasionally discomfort those that are having a picnic in paradise. Water runs downhill, right into the lowest places around, saturating the ground, drowning earthworms and roots, making us humans frown, as we put...

In January of 2022, a record-high king tide, coupled with strong winds and unusually low barometric pressure, pushed the waters of Edison Slough to breach the west-side town dikes, causing substantial damage to some homes and a number of businesses...

By proclamation of the governor, January is School Board Recognition Month. It’s a great time to recognize our elected community members who selflessly give their time and energy in support of high-quality public schooling for our youth. School b...

Flood cleanup is costing La Conner residents thousands. Residents should be informed, on a regular basis, of any disaster relief fund coming from Olympia. Publication of progress should be published in the La Conner Weekly News. We need help and we...

I am pleased to add my appreciation to the many other thankful letters you received, hopefully, after reading the editorial of our “Local heroes of democracy. This is some of the “village” that it “takes” to keep a town honest to itself while mov...

Once again our community responded generously and warmly to this year’s Festival of Tiny Trees. More than $8,000 was raised to support additional furnishings for the new La Conner Swinomish Library. It was wonderful to be able to host everyone in o...

Thanks for the free paper, Mr. Editor, even if I’d read it before. I think I’ve missed maybe one, since your arrival as publisher all those years ago. I like to think of myself as a La Connerite, but perhaps I’m not. The Beaver Marsh and Fir Islan...

The all-volunteer Forgotten Children’s Fund is collecting new unwrapped toys, children’s jackets and cash donations for Skagit Valley families as well as 60 families with children in the Nooksack School District that are still displaced from the...

Although my heart aches at saying good-bye to my best friend and husband of 45 years, I am grateful for the incredible support you all have been to Jon, me and our children, over the past few months. Thank you for all the encouragement through...

Art’s Alive! 2022 wishes to thank the townspeople of La Conner for their continuing support of the fine arts show. Our town attended this year’s Art’s Alive! in record numbers. Many were inspired by the perfect pieces of art now gracing their homes...

Dear Friends, I would like to provide an update for town issues from my side of the table. Regarding the north end issue, an appeal of the 306 Center Street project permit is working its way through the steps in the process. The issues are the...

The spot re-zone being requested by Bertlesen Farm LLC on sixty acres north of its winery on Starbird Road is what leads to urban sprawl as urban services are extended to rural land. Both the Growth Management Act and Skagit County’s Comprehensive P...

This letter is written by four women. Two of us are professional, working artists. One is a long-time collector of fine art, who recently donated a major sculpture to the town of La Conner. The fourth is a long time gallery owner and the director of...

My daughter treated me to the last performance of the opera, Otello, at McIntyre Hall two weeks ago. This moving and beautifully performed tragedy dealt the cards of viciously spread “misinformation,” lies, deceit and racism in order to overthrow the...

I attended the Nov. 8 town council meeting. There was a lot on the agenda, including proposed changes to the municipal code. I would like to suggest that in the future when there are detailed material to present and discuss, especially when language...

Dear La Connerites, I want to thank everyone who was concerned about me and trying to help me find a home. This is my community and I did not want to leave here. Thanks to my family, who are helping me buy a house in Shelter Bay. It is a safe place...

It was a surprise to discover that the Skagit County planning staff is recommending changing the zoning of approximately 70 acres of rural land at the intersection of I-5 and Starbird Road to allow a new gas station, general store, campground,...

I have a daughter who in her early teens was happy to sit hang out, or travel with me. She usually preferred to do so in near silence. I would say something, maybe an idle comment and she would smile silently and watch the scenery. This was a little...

I find it useless to go to town council meetings. This it how goes. You arrive. The mayor may smile at you. You get your three minutes of time. Someone times you. The bodies at the front tables may stare at you. Or not. But they don’t respond. Not t...

Since 1941, Young Life has been making a difference in the lives of teenagers around the world. Young Life is in more than 90 countries, offering hope with Christian values to approximately two million teenagers each year. Young Life is for every...

Two years ago when gas was $2 a gallon and the booming stock market was filling millions of retirement portfolios the voters voted in a Democratic president and in both chambers of Congress. Now, because of restrictions Democrats imposed to end our...

Smaller government. Less taxes. More personal freedom. Personal accountability. Slowing illegal immigration at our southern border. Less government intrusion in our lives. Less government spending. Less “woke”’ nonsense. Fewer restrictions on our e...

I’d like to think here in Washington, women will always make reproductive healthcare decisions with their doctors’ guidance. But as quickly as U.S. Supreme Court justices overturned settled law, our own legislators could overturn women’s right...

As usual, the La Conner Weekly News was “edutaining” last week. I was intrigued by a letter from Mr. Sather about where he might be able to pump his septic tank. As a past member of the county’s solid waste advisory committee, I can shed some light...

The Oct. 28 council meeting was about planning commission procedures. Marna Hanneman, the planning commission chair, was upset that at the previous planning commission meeting, which was chaired by Carol Hedlin because Ms. Hanneman was absent, the...