Seems like banks and railroads are failing all around us. No one is really surprised, from corporate CEOs to congressional committees and Congress, period, to front line workers driving engines and managing branches or federal and state regulators at...

“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...

Hey, now here’s a curveball for you, instead of larky snark about dikes and missing fish, music is the subject of the day. No, Sloughmander is not going to miraculously re-appear, unless he does, but don’t hold your breath. Heck, some of you...

What is the difference between last week and this week? Answer: Last week everyone was at the end of the third year of the coronavirus pandemic. This week we all step into, no not its fourth year but the first year of what the World Health...

In 2023 the La Conner School District taxes will be $993,717 for operations and $1,300,000 for debt service. There are 2,313 taxpayers in the district. On average, each taxpayer pays $992 for schools. According to the school district’s budget, the...

Too many neighbors are experiencing the trauma of homelessness and that affects our entire community’s quality of life and economic prosperity. Did you know that underhoused students are 25% less likely to graduate than their housed peers? And...

I agree with the writer’s statement (letter: “Weekly News story misreports Shelter Bay forum,” March 8) “We live in challenging times and a plague of misinformation stands in the way of finding solutions.” The writer then went at length to...

If we listen to each other with respect and work together, good things happen. I’m happy to report that we’re doing a lot of that this year in Olympia. With the legislative session at the halfway point, we’ve passed some great legislation for t...

Ouch. Ouch everywhere, for everybody. New La Conner Schools Deputy Superintendent of Finance Dave Cram's initial assessment is that 490 students will enroll in the school district next fall. That is down 35 kids from today and 100 from 2021. It is... Full story

We live in challenging times and a plague of misinformation stands in the way of finding solutions. We are cautioned that instead of social media, we should seek truth in “real news,” traditional journalism. Sadly, this paper chose to cover the...

There has been a lot of discussion of late, with very good reason, on the matter of the age of the president and other elected members of government. First, there was Sen. Feinstein of California, soon to retire at 89, with some noting an obvious...

With March's arrival are a flurry of activities, not late winter snow but opportunities to join together in fun and games, literally, and, in one instance, to change, literally. There are also very real storm clouds hanging over Shelter Bay. The mont...

Upon reading of the sign blight in Conway, I thought I’d go investigate more thoroughly. I went to where the proposed sign is to be put and watched the flight of the trumpeter swans as they left for the night. They don’t usually fly over the gas...

Accusations of ethics violations are being used by the Shelter Bay board of directors to silence and dispense with dissension. As a member of the community, I know I’m joined by many others in completely rejecting the actions they have taken...

To those who are concerned from a Skagitonian. Choosing an environment to enhance a business when you’re young, or to enrich each day when you’re old becomes a vital decision. My family members chose Washington state’s Skagit County and have...

Dear fellow citizens. Help, please, by paying attention to your state government and taking a stand to keep public records public, available to you – and to the journalists and activists. Tell your legislators and Attorney General Bob Ferguson... Full story

Dear Town of La Conner residents, On behalf of the Skagit Community Band, I would like to thank the fabulous La Conner audience that came to our concert on Friday Feb. 3 at Maple Hall. It was truly a night to remember. When the power went out and I...

My post office (“small” 3x4 inch) box rates have been creeping up, especially in the last few years, from $60/year to $75/year and now $210/year. When I Googled “average post office box rates,” it said a small box averaged between...

What is more American than farmers on their farms? They were the first colonizers, clearing the land, putting down roots, both literal and figurative, forging the future out of the sweat of their brow, the force of their will and the strength of thei... Full story