Berry good: Dean Swanson is outstanding La Conner alumnus

He was raised and again resides on a diversified century-old farm north of town, but more than any single crop it's been goodwill that Dean Swanson has spent a lifetime cultivating.

"I've been lucky to have grown up in a community that really cares," Swanson, 67, told the Weekly News. "I had all the support I ever needed. That's why I've always chosen to give back and (my wife) Becky, who's the rock of our family, is in on that with me."

Because he mastered the concept of "paying it forward" long before the phrase came into vogue, Swanson, a 1975 La Conner graduate, is this year's recipient of...