Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper
Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 1397
From an editor who takes each week’s editorial very seriously, I report that this is one of my most important editorials of the year. Each December ends with shining light on unsung heroes in the community, the critical souls who day after day and every week show up, dig in and through their steadfast efforts are contributing to the larger good, making the greater La Conner region the place we are so proud to call home. I have known for months that I would praise the staff, freelancers and volunteers who make the Weekly News the success that i...
Don’t let December’s rain, gray skies or fields of standing water distract you into thinking it has rained a lot. November maintained 2023’s pattern of rainfall below the monthly century’s norms. While precipitation came down 22 days, half of those were under one-tenth inch. It rained daily the first two weeks, Nov. 1-13, totaling 2.5 inches, 78% of the month’s 3.2 inches. Nov. 1-4 1.2 inches fell, which grew to 1.4 inches through Nov 8. That was the longest period of higher precipitation. Another inch fell Nov. 11-13. While there were anot...
Tomorrow, Dec. 21, is the solstice, the shortest day of the year. In BCE, Before the Common Era, and for all the centuries in our Common Era, people have celebrated the end of the year’s dark period and the beginning again of the coming of the light. Leaders seeking followers for their new Christian religion piggybacked on the established communal gathering to herald the new light of the world, the hope for mankind, the Prince of Peace. The Christians among us believe Jesus was born on Dec. 25. Wise men and shepherds came in honor and a...
We, tell – and listen to – stories for a reason. Way before the internet or radio or even telegraph lines, communities collectively gathered around the campfire to both tell each other the important stories of the day and to recall and pass down myths, the collected wisdom from their elders and their ancestors. Today it is hard to pause and cut through the din of garbage on social media to reflect and revel in a good story that has a deep, larger meeting. Now, we don’t understand irony and are blinded by the shine of celebrities. This insta...
The 2023 Town of La Conner budget has met its $5.8 million revenue goal with December not yet counted. Even better, expenditures, now at $4.55 million, are likely to finish below 67% of projections. The budget surplus is $1.23 million and may still grow. Of the 12 program funds generating revenue, only the sewer fund, at 85% is below 100% of budget projections with one month still to come. The $3.58 million generated this year from the water, drainage, sewer and compost funds is the real engine of town income, bringing in 62% of total revenue....
CONWAY — Some 7,000 gallons of gasoline have been recovered through Dec. 18 from the leak in the Olympic Pipeline in Conway Dec. 10. Approximately 25,000 gallons were released before the pipeline was shut down. Trace impacts from the spill have been found on one-third of a mile of shoreline of 4.4 miles examined. Response teams have placed 2,300 feet of boom north of the Fisher Slough Preserve area and lining both sides of the bank of Hill Ditch on both sides of the SR 534 bridge. Nine Hill Ditch landowners have responded for having their w...
Additional information from Dec. 13: The approximately 25,326 gallons of gasoline that spilled from the Olympic Pipeline in Conway early on Dec. 10 was “due to the failure of 3/8 inch tubing leading from the main pipeline to a pressure gauge within the vault” the unified command of agencies and companies reported Dec. 12 after the Weekly News had gone to press. Some 6,993 gallons were recovered through Wednesday evening, the fourth press update states. It reports 5,292 gallons of gasoline remained in the vault and the remainder was released int...
The Bellingham Herald will reduce its print editions to two days weekly, Wednesdays and Sundays, starting Jan. 29. This is “the latest cutback stretching the definition of ‘daily newspaper,’ Brier Dudley wrote in his Seattle Times column “Save the Free Press” Dec. 7. He “put ‘Sunday’ in quotation marks because that edition won’t arrive on Sunday” because it will be mailed Saturday and “could be a Monday edition, if the mail is slow.” New Herald Senior Editor Scot Heisel called it a key move “within the digital transition of the news in...
For this last subscription drive mailing editorial, because I respect everyone reading this newspaper and take my work seriously, I went to “Deadline Artists,” an anthology of newspaper columns over the last 100 years. The point of reporting is to present facts. The goal of editorials is to make readers pause, reflect and think about important issues of the day, some smaller and local, others larger and global. The New York Herald Tribune correspondent Dorothy Thompson did that in October 1938, after France and Britain, the world’s domin...
Cape Horn in central Skagit County seemed to fare worst of 10 communities from Marblemount to Day Creek that could be most affected from last week’s Skagit River flooding. The Skagit River’s crests Dec. 5 and 6 were lower than forecast. The Mount Vernon peak was 29.5 feet at 1:45 p.m., below the 35.5 feet forecast. Stage 1 flood phase is 28-32 feet. The river peaked at 33.8 feet 7:45 p.m. Dec. 5 in Concrete, below the 38 feet prediction. Precipitation at the Burlington airport was 0.8 inches Dec. 3-6, below the up to 2.7 inch for...
The hardest piece is suspending your disbelief in watching TJ Fantini’s superb performance as Buddy the Elf, is not that a 30 year old believes he is an elf or that elves live and make toys in Christmas Town or that Santa (the real one) narrates a story bringing this tale to life. No. The most amazing reality is that Buddy can be utterly and completely happy all the time, finding good in everyone, and committed to singing and hugging to improve every situation. Go see for yourself, if you can get tickets. “Elf the Musical” plays through Dec....
From Skagit County government: Flood Update: Skagit River has crested and is receding At 1:43 p.m. the County sent this news update: "The Skagit River in Concrete and Mount Vernon have both crested and are now receding. The Skagit River in Concrete is currently below flood stage and continues to recede. In Mount Vernon, the Skagit River has remained below 30 feet. " The Skagit County Emergency Operations Center has been deactivated. The U.S. National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for...
None of the 21 trees at the 2023 La Conner Swinomish Library's Festival of Tiny Trees stood over two feet high, but together they brought in some $10,000 at the library's seventh holiday silent auction fundraiser Friday, Dec. 1. The artificial trees, covered in treats and trinkets and with SWAG spreading around the base of each one, themed by the designers and decorators, was a grownups indoor winter wonderland piled high with generosity. The holiday and Northwest themes ranged from Silver...
Another holiday season has come to greater La Conner. Santa jump started December, showing up at the La Conner Swinomish Library to read stories to children last Wednesday. He returned twice Saturday, first fortifying himself with pancakes at the annual La Conner Rotary Club breakfast before taking kids on his lap there and again that evening when he one-two-three POOF lit the town tree in Gilkey Square. Shops are decorated for Christmas. Staff and customers alike are wearing holiday colored and themed sweaters. Saturday will be the most...
The 2024 annual budget the La Conner Town Council will pass at its Dec. 12 meeting will be the largest in its history. It projects revenues of $7.4 million, expenditures of $8.6 million and the fund balance growing to $5.9 million. The graph, above, shows continued growth in revenues council's continuing to commit more resources each year. The bars represent approved funding, except for the fund balance, which is an end of the year total. A graph tracking actual year ending revenues will show...
Skagit County election office staff certified all local elections Tuesday, Nov. 28. John Agen is the new La Conner Schools director for District 2. He defeated Janie Beasleyt with 53%, 791 votes to 686 votes, 46.5% Marna Hanneman is La Conner’s mayor-elect, with 281 votes. Annie Taylor is elected to Council Position 1. Mary Wohleb is elected to Position 2. John Doyle and J.J. Wilbur were elected as Fire District 13 commissioners. Loren Bogart was reelected commissioner for Sewer District Position 1 None of these elections were contested. The s...
Dear Greater La Conner Community, Welcome to the La Conner Weekly News. If you are getting the paper for the first time, I hope you will find your community newspaper an enjoyable and worthwhile read. Valued subscribers, I hope this issue meets your expectations and needs. Thank you, subscribers, for your ongoing engagement with the community through these pages. This newspaper exists for everyone reading it this week That is you. Decades ago, when the local paper was The Puget Sound Mail, every issue said “Covers La Conner and its Rich A...
At the end of October, the only four homes for sale within La Conner town limits were two Landed Gentry residences on Maple Avenue and the two BYK Construction properties on High Street, near Whatcom and Douglas streets. The other 11 homes are in Shelter Bay or near it. Two pending La Conner properties closed in November, a resale of a Landed Gentry home for $725,000 and an 1890 mansion on Benton Street bought for $1.25 million, On Snee Oosh Road south of Kukutali Preserve a home sold for $1.8...
Santa is coming to town early this long holiday shopping season. He makes his first appearance today, Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the La Conner Swinomish Library to read stories to children from 4:30-5:30 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 2 he is at the La Conner Rotary Club's Pancake Breakfast at Maple Hall, 8-11 a.m. After a breakfast that includes scrambled eggs and sausage, Santa is waiting on stage for dog friendly photo taking. Cost: $10, adults, $5 kids; free, under five. Your wallet will be needed as...
John Agen has won the District 2 La Conner school board director race with 52.9% and at least 779 votes against Janie Beasley, a past school board member. The Nov. 17 count added one vote to each candidate. The last 70 or so countywide ballots will be counted by Skagit County elections office staff Nov. 28 when they certify the results. Agen leads by 93 votes. Agen led the only contested election in greater La Conner by a wide margin since election day, Nov. 7....
This is the week we sit down with family and friends and give thanks, typically for the abundant bounty that so many Americans are privileged to have. At this time of American thanksgiving, lifting our eyes past the laden table is as necessary for our souls as it is good for the souls not attending Thursday’s feasts.. We live in, for and with the immediate world surrounding us: our home, work and community, but whether we hold it close or only hear faintly at a distance, the large world beyond our community borders exists. Many people in many p...
The $7.4 million in revenues in the Town of La Conner’s 2024 preliminary budget will be the largest ever and is matched against projected expenditures of $8.6 million. The $1.2 million deficit will be covered by the $5.9 million fund balance. The year’s theme is “plan, prioritize and perform” Mayor Ramon Hayes states in his budget cover letter. Staff are prioritized with all receiving a 4.3% cost of living increase, except the unionized public works employees. Their contract is in negotiations. The code enforcement budget is $73,604. a 20.9% i...
After two more ballot tallies, totals indicate La Conner School District Director John Agen is likely to continue on the board, moving over from his District 1 seat to taking the District 2 position. Voters are giving Agen 53% of the vote against former District 2 Director Janie Beasley after counts on Nov. 14 and 15, after the Weekly News went to press. Beasley has gained 29 votes, to 675, reducing Agen’s lead to 95 votes. His total is 770. Another 144 school district votes were counted Monday and Tuesday. Elections office staff estimate 5...
What is more American than the post office? The post office is older than the United States, established the year before the Declaration of Independence, in 1775 by perhaps the wisest and most practical of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. He understood that to knit not only each community – say a town like La Conner – together but to forge a new nation, we had to be in communication – connected – with each other, from Rhode Island to Georgia. What leads this week’s page one news? The terrorist attack on the Skagit County Elections...
Up again. Not a record, but the $65,603 in October sales tax revenue reported to the La Conner Town Council by the state Department of Revenue is the highest monthly collection in 2023 and topped only by four record setting months last year. This is the third month in a row that sales tax revenues are above $60,000, with totals increasing monthly The $528,778 collected to date is 86.8% of the total forecast for the year when the budget was set. It seems likely that the revenue target of $609,191 will be met if tourists continue coming. The...
