Ready for reopening: Come on in!

 


Residents and businesses are released from all state imposed COVID-19 restrictions starting today, a decision Gov. Jay Inslee made in May for reopening statewide. This ends his Roadmap to Recovery restrictions. La Conner businesses and institutions will only have self-imposed restrictions on capacity, mask wearing, social distancing and other public health safety measures. Over a dozen were asked how they are planning for full reopening. Here are responses.

Visit the library starting today without an appointment. Hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Masks are welcome but not required. Bring children for an art project today, 2-3 p.m., and sign them up for the summer reading program.

There are no visitor limits at either the Skagit County Historical Museum or the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum. Average attendance did not reach capacity at either. Summer is not the Quilt Museum’s peak time, noted Executive Director Amy Green. She expressed the common holy grail: “What would really impact us is when the Canadian border opens” which will bring a “surge in visitors.”

The History Museum will continue its open hours at 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday through the summer. It will restart its school education programming. Executive Director Jo Wolfe is resolving to have group events, including receptions and a fundraiser this fall and “celebrating the Hugo Helmer Exhibit later this summer,” she wrote in an email.

For retail, the Skagit Valley Food Co-op has resumed its 7 a.m.-9 p.m. hours with “normal customer capacity and its mezzanine open for full seating.” They expect to be allowed to use re-usable plates and utensils for in-house dining, which customers will appreciate, wrote Tony White, general manager. Eventually the plexi-glass barriers at the checkouts will come down. Like other larger operations, staffing is their biggest challenge.

handmade.la conner will continue to promote social distancing and masking for unvaccinated people at both its stores (Winston’s General at the corner). Owner Robyn Bradley shares she is “bit nervous about unvaccinated folks not wearing masks while shopping. It’s hard to trust people, and the safety of my employees and customers is very important to me.” She does enjoy seeing so many familiar faces – presumably fully vaccinated.

Rich Murphy, Pac Nor Westy owner, finds “the ending of the mask mandate for our staff” to be the biggest change. Customer capacity will increase but hours and staffing will stay the same. He also agrees that Canadians being allowed across the border will be the “greatest opportunity I see for us and the town on the horizon.” He hopes “the Chamber and other business will focus their marketing efforts on this unique opportunity” of the border reopening.

Among restaurants, Santo Coyote will maintain reduced inside seating, in part because of their new back patio increasing capacity. Co-owner Cristal Perkins is looking forward to offering bar top service, a 2019 project now ready for approval this summer. Her staff has chosen to continue wearing masks. Masks are optional for fully vaccinated customers.

Nell Thorn will maintain its current hours. Happy hour will return now that bar seating is allowed. Ted Furst, majority owner, noted going without a bar “revealed just how important a lively bar is to the vibe of the joint, how much of a contribution to the feeling of conviviality it makes. It was like popcorn without the butter,” While seating capacity increases, until staff settle in to handle additional business, seating will remain reduced. Masks will be optional for staff and vaccinated customers.

The common thread among responses is hope for Canadian traffic, the need to hire more staff and a belief in additional business coming their way.

 

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