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Edward Joseph Kamuda, age 77, passed away on July 31, 2020 in Oak Harbor, WA. Ed Kamuda moved to the Pacific Northwest from New York as a young man, fresh out of the Navy, intending to become a writer. One of his first introductions in La Conner, WA, was to Guy Anderson, who immediately took him under his wing. Guy convinced Ed that he was meant to be a painter rather than a poet. Ed began painting in oils alongside Guy and Clayton James in the early ’70s. He continued to paint every single d...
The coronavirus pandemic wiped out the 2020 spring sports season across Washington state. Now the La Conner softball and track teams are sidelined for a two-week period, due to recent positive COVID-19 test results among team members. “We have had several COVID cases in track and one currently in softball,” interim La Conner Schools Superintendent Rich Stewart told the Weekly News on Saturday. “Both teams are in quarantine for the required 14 days and will require tests.” Stewart said La Conner Schools staff is working with the Skagit County...
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People in town were pretty excited to see a “pending” banner over the real estate sign on the side of the old Palmer’s Restaurant building on La Conner’s waterfront. The 7,300-square-foot building went back to the bank in 2010 and, except for a small art gallery in front, has been sitting vacant ever since. But the building, which was listed at $449,000, fell out of escrow last week, according to listing agent Dick Nord of Windermere Real Estate. The potential buyer was set to open a new restaurant and had funding all set up with the bank but b...
Marci Plank, who has been at the helm of the La Conner Chamber of Commerce for nearly seven years, has tendered her resignation. In a letter to the chamber board, she said she’s wrapping up her chamber career effective at the end of November. Under Plank’s stewardship, the chamber’s declining membership has grown strong, and there is a dedicated group of volunteers to help staff the Visitor Information Center. Chamber President Corey Stout said he does not blame Plank for wanting to go in a new direction. “It’s time for the chamber to have a...
Hearty souls from La Conner gathered Jan. 1 at Lake Campbell to leap into the New Year. Their “Polar Bear Plunge” included a mile run and a quick swim in the lake followed by hot chocolate and scones enjoyed around a bonfire....
Two rescued bald eagles were released into the wild last Friday at Rasar State Park in Concrete following six months of rehabilitation. Staff from Wolf Hollow Wildlife Center on San Juan Island carried two large crates onto the 167-acre park with two kicking, clamorous yearling eagles inside, who were eager to spread their wings. Shona Aitken, handler with Wolf Hollow, said you never knew how birds or other animals would respond to being released. Often they hovered in the back of their cages, unsure what to do. Others, like these two, sprang...
Santa was the star of the show at La Conner's tree lighting ceremony on Saturday. The La Conner High School chorus provided the music, the La Conner High School culinary arts class made the cookies and served hot chocolate. Santa arrived in the town's antique fire truck driven by Dave Alvord. Dozens of children sat on his lap reciting their Christmas wishes and with some magic dust, helped the jolliy elf light up the tree....
The impact of Title IX legislation is clearly visible on the La Conner High campus. It’s seen on banners and in the trophy case at Landy James Gym and on a permanent sign placed near the school’s main entrance. All herald the achievements of Lady Brave players and teams four decades after passage of the landmark act that literally leveled the playing field for female athletes. For two La Conner High products, though, the story begins well before 1972. That’s because Lauren McClung, a La Conner alum now playing volleyball at Pacific Luthe...
Seahawk Richard Sherman’s wild post-game rant ruffled the feathers of some pro football fans across the country. Nor did it help that a couple misguided fans among a capacity Century Link Stadium crowd choose to pelt San Francisco standout NoVorro Bowman with food while he was being carted off the field after sustaining an injury in the second half of Seattle’s intense 23-17 confer-ence title win over the 49ers. Fortunately, a La Conner man had already gone the extra mile — and then some — to help mend fences with National Foo...
The library is an important part of the community and has been for several generations. Just ask Gail Thulen and his granddaughter, Anna Jane Thulen. When Colleen Thulen passed away in February of this year, Gail asked if his wife’s library card could be transferred to his granddaughter. It was always a point of pride that Colleen had a library card with a low two digit number. Colleen was involved in the formation of the district, believing the La Conner Library was important to its citizens. When it was formed in 1993, she was the first c...
The 2,932 registered voters in Fire District 13 have a choice that could change the tone and dynamics of their fire protection agency’s governing board. Election years in Fire District 13 are notoriously volatile, and this election has been no exception as appointed incumbent Jim Grove of Anacortes faces a challenge by La Conner farmer Arne Fohn. The gloves came off last summer, when Grove sent a letter to the Swinomish Tribal Senate taking issue with the number of signs supporting Fohn on reservation land. The newest sign saga concerns the one...
Christmas is just around the corner. We put up lights and trimmed the tree. Now it’s time to think about gifts. This year I think I’ll give plants. I’m going to forgo those ugly sweaters and ties and give my friends something that will last for years and bring beauty and enjoyment every time it blooms. The fabulous Hibiscus is the perfect gift. It is a tropical treasure guaranteed to brighten up anyone’s day. Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. The family,...
Fire District 13’s part-time secretary, Deborah McFarlane, resigned unexpectedly last week. Her resignation came the day after the year’s first meeting of the three-member board of commissioners, with newly seated Commissioner Arne Fohn, whose election in November has apparently shifted the balance of power on the board. McFarlane’s resignation prompted the commission’s new chairman, Doug Avery, to call a special board meeting Friday afternoon. “The reason we’re here is that District Secretary Deborah McFarlane has resigned,” District 13 F...
Tuesday night the Fire District 13 meeting room was packed with people to see the first meeting with newly elected Fire Commissioner Arne Fohn on board. Fohn defeated Jim Grove for the position in November, creating a shift in the board dynamics. The other commissioners are Doug Avery, who before this year was frequently on the losing end of a 2-1 vote, and Commissioner Chuck Hedlund. Firefighters from District 13, La Conner, and Anacortes showed up to see how the new change in leadership would play out during the meeting. Hedlund had openly...
The check – or debit card – is in the mail. At least that is the hope for those who have not received their second round of economic stimulus payments. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced last week that it has finished sending $600 in Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) that were approved by Congress for eligible persons and families in December. While some people are still waiting for their stimulus checks or debit cards to arrive in the mail, IRS reps say that – for the most part – those who have not received thei...
Doug Jones of La Conner was given the high honor of laying a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War. Doug and 300 other veterans were the guests of the South Korean government during the three-day reunion and one-day celebration of the July 27, 1953 armistice. The Korean War, often called “the forgotten war,” occurred between 1950 and 1953 and involved 1.8 million US military per...
The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community enjoyed its cameo role Friday as part of an oar-iginal maritime event. Swinomish welcomed ashore crews from North Puget Sound tribes making this summer’s “Paddle to Quinault” Canoe Journey. A half-dozen traditional Coast Salish family canoes were applauded by a large crowd gathered near the canoe landing beach at Swadabs Park. The visiting canoe families were greeted with traditional singing and drumming and enjoyed a feast and a night’s lodging. Swinomi...
Santa carted so many gifts around the world that he had to stop for a nap at La Conner Elementary School.Santa carted so many gifts around the world that he had to stop for a nap at La Conner Elementary School....
Pathogen-detecting robots have been enlisted in the fight to prevent illness in Puget Sound sea creatures and the people who eat them. Robotic Environmental Sam-ple Processors — known as ESPs to scientists — have been deployed at Lummi Island and Taylor Shellfish Co. on Samish Island to sample and analyze the ocean water. Data from the samples is sent out “in near real time to scientists,” said Stephanie Moore, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adm...
You might think this is a load of cabbage, but the big vats of sauerkraut at La Conner Marina account for only about a quarter of the harvest from Farms Northwest. Curtis Johnson, one of the owners of Farms Northwest, said the company was able to salvage only a fraction of its cabbage crop this year after the firm that had originally contracted to buy it to make sauerkraut closed in July. When Pleasant Valley Farms shut down, the cabbage crop growing on 47 acres was in jeopardy because there...
What follows is from a memoir, “Tug Boat Life,” soon to be published by Gerald Bell about his 50 years working on tug boats. My first few months of work for Dunlap Towing were spent towing logs. One night we were departing Port Ludlow on the tug Vulcan with a tow that had several extra boom sticks tied along side. The sticks were fanned out from the tow, and we decided they needed to be tied in tight. The captain let me off on the tow with a pike pole and a flashlight and some tie line and con...
It was 10:30 p.m. on Friday, and two Swinomish Police units pulled into the gas station — the officers were looking for enough gas and coffee to get them through the night shift looming ahead of them. “You see any reason to pull that van over?” Sergeant Andrew Thorne asked me as I rode along for the night, wearing a bullet-proof vest. “Yeah — his taillight is out,” I said. The van then pulled out of the gas station without stopping or signaling. Immediately both cop cars followe...
As she nears the finish line, Marsha Hanson isn’t merely taking things in stride. The retiring La Conner high and middle school principal has a strong kick left. Hanson was praised by Superintendent Tim Bruce and La Conner School Board members Monday night for her yeoman work this year overseeing a detailed school accreditation process. “We really appreciate what she has taken on,” Bruce stressed. “The accreditation process is a lot of work.” It will also be work finding a successor to Hanson, w...
The La Conner High volleyball team found a happy medium last week. But there was no happy Meridian at Landy James Gymnasium. That’s because the Lady Braves handed Meridian a straight-sets defeat before a large and supportive crowd on hand for La Conner’s home net opener. La Conner defeated its 1A foe with a balanced attack and a quick, mobile defense that was stingy when it came to yielding points at the net. State Player of the Week Heather Henriksen set the tone with another all-around per...
