Candidates held 'Last Minute - Town Hall Meeting' Thursday

The aptly titled “Last Minute - Town Hall Meeting,” an impromptu forum for La Conner Town Council candidates organized and promoted by Linda Clark, organizer of Reclaim Hedlin Field, took place on a seemingly appropriate cold and rainy Thursday night in the upstairs room of La Conner Seafood & Prime Rib House. Half the candidates showed, Ivan Carlson, Glen Johnson and councilmember Bill Stokes as did Clark and six area residents.

The small group had a spirited discussion, mostly around the sale of the Hedlin Maple Avenue ballfield, which was not to be a discussion item until everyone agreed to discuss it. The promoted topics for the evening were the future of recreation, community wellness and quality of life in La Conner.

Stokes reiterated his position that he had not been in favor of the town buying, brokering or selling the property and voted against taking an option on it in March 2020.

A younger woman, who identified herself as a La Conner School District employee with responsibilities for scheduling and managing the school’s teams on their playing fields, shared her concerns and frustrations at the impossibility of getting all the little league teams to fit into a schedule and the school fields.

In 2020 Mayor Ramon Hayes and, once the property was put on the market, real estate broker Dick Nord had been firm in their promises to find alternative space once the property was sold, but their efforts have not seemed to bore fruit.

Talk turned to completing the dike northeast of town, but Johnson was not able to keep the conversation going as Clark and others steered conversation back to the Maple Avenue property.

J. Lonnee shared his hope for the community’s evolution to a haven and magnet for creatives, building on its history of attracting a critical mass of artists. Neither candidates nor residents were able to guarantee that the future would develop the way.

Johnson again shared his vision for organizing big name music weekends that would draw 50,000 people and flood the downturn with tourists. Strokes stressed his vision for a South First Street completed to Caledonia Street and for electric powered trolley vans for shuttling tourists from parking lots to shopping.

None of the visionary futures were wildly supported by the small audience. After about an hour people drifted away..

It is not known if any minds were changed, or votes, either.