Merchants frozen out of business at year’s end

It was a record breaking year for La Conner businesses. Just check with the town government, which took in unprecedented high sales tax revenue most months of 2021. But the last week of the year? Not good for merchants or the town’s coffers.

Ask Ted Furst, majority owner of Nell Thorn.

The First Street restaurant has been closed since Christmas Eve, and not just because of snow in the parking lot.

Their drain pipes froze “after 72 hours with temps under 22 degrees” from the evening of Dec. 25.

With the building extending into the Swinomish Channel, “the drain p-traps were just hanging out in t...