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Finally, rain, lots of it. December's rains were near record high, 4.6 inches, and 2023's first month of precipitation exceeding the century's average. Rain fell 10 of the first 11 days, totaling 3.1 inches; another 0.9 inches was in the last week. It rained 23 times, with only a two days break at most. Half an inch came down Dec. 1 and another 0.8 inch Dec 9, the month's highest one-day total. The 12 days of over 0.2 inches totaled 4.2 inches of precipitation. Total rainfall in 2023 was 22.4...
The calendar has flipped from December to January; 2023 to 2024. That means it’s a general election year. And the first local polling are two Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Senate primary races later this month. Six candidates, including the incumbents, are vying for a pair of five-year terms on the 11-member tribal governing body. Sen. Eric Day, first elected in 2019, faces challenges from Rodney John and James Bobb for Senate Seat No. 10. Three-term senator Brian Wilbur is seeking re-election to Seat No. 10, opposed by Bruce James and M...
For much of the last century, fish hatcheries have been built in the Northwest, across the U.S. and around the world to boost fish populations where wild numbers have gone down. But an analysis of more than 200 studies on hatcheries programs meant to boost salmonid numbers across the globe – including salmon, trout and whitefish – shows that nearly all have had negative impacts on the wild populations of those fish. Most commonly, hatchery fish reduced the genetic diversity of wild fish, leading to poor health and reproductive outcomes. The...
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee outlined a plan to boost state spending by nearly $2.5 billion in the next 18 months with the largest sums devoted to increasing behavioral health services, reducing homelessness, and combating climate change in mid-December. His proposal relies on higher-than-expected tax collections and robust proceeds from the sale of pollution allowances. It would supplement spending in the operating, capital and transportation budgets adopted by the Legislature in 2023. Washington runs on two-year budget cycles with the current...
Hello and Happy New Year! First and foremost, I hope you have been able to spend time with loved ones and had some time to reflect on 2023. Secondly, I wish you and yours a safe and prosperous New Year. May 2024 bring the necessities we need to make La Conner the best it can be. The following note represents my reflections of social, economic and environmental perspectives that impact our town as I take office. Think of it as a “State of La Conner” of sorts. One of the great things about our community is that it is a unique microcosm of a bro...
By Glen Johnson Agritourism, is it a good thing or bad? A wedding in a farmer’s backyard is a great place and time to congratulate the couple, while also putting the spready on the table. Foods from area farms could be shared, marketed and sold to these wedding attendees. Most smaller farms still have a farmyard with a barn and a storage shed or two with space between them that allows for parking that doesn’t encroach on or impede the production of crops in the field. I was in the business about two decades ago, or at least I gave it a try...
How does one thank a person who has unstintingly given 16 years of his life to our community? Ramon Hayes has been La Conner’s mayor twenty four hours a day for every one of those years. Many of us have had the pleasure of chatting with him on his daily walks, often accompanied by his smiling, gregarious wife. A useful way of taking the pulse of the town person to person, he seemed to genuinely enjoy his walks. But the mayor’s day was often much more than glad-handing. He chaired 16 years of town council meetings, some being quite con...
Many, maybe all of us, received a check from our state attorney general, Bob Ferguson. He said it was for me being overcharged for chicken. I don’t know how he knew how much chicken I bought but because of his being a candidate for governor, I suspect it made no difference: He probably just wanted to buy my vote. I am going to send my check to his Republican opponent because I noticed he said in the letter “the corporations must pay,” not that they have paid. If some of them don’t pay he will be using our tax dollars to fund his campaig...
The La Conner Volunteer Fire Department would like to thank our La Conner Community for the continued support this year! From attending parades to supporting our fundraisers, this community helps make our operations more fulfilling and successful. We want to say thank you to all of the generous sponsors of our 2023 Annual Golf Tournament. Our sponsors include: The La Conner Pub and Eatery, Calico Cupboard, Tillinghast Postal, Skagit Cellars, Olive Shoppe/ Ginger Grater, Conway Feed, Pioneer Potatoes, Sliders Cafe, The Stall, La Conner Brewing...
Dear La Conner Weekly news team, Simply put: thank you. Thank you for all of the effort you put into your stories, for connecting with the community and for the quality of your work. Your publication is a large part of what helped my spouse and I make the giant leap of faith into putting down roots of our own here. You helped us fall in love with La Conner, her history and people, while also bringing reality of daily life and important local issues to our attention. Thank you for being our storytellers, megaphone and mirror. Happy New Year!...
In 1992, two colleagues and I visited Ukraine and Russia to tour ex-Soviet research laboratories in search of interesting technologies that had been developed by their scientists and engineers. The company I worked for hoped that we’d be able to bring something valuable back to Canada, and also hoped that we could justify enough in the way of licensing fees and direct investment to help keep the scientific and engineering expertise of at least one Ukrainian or Russian lab together. Neither Ukrai...
The Center for Retention & Expansion of Child Care (C-RECC) seeks applications from Skagit County employers wanting to support their employees by opening a child care center in or near their business. This is an innovative pilot project with a March goal of selecting a partner. C-RECC will distribute up to $75,000 of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to one or more employers to jump-start employers increasing child care capacity, helping families and boosting employee retention. “We’re so grateful that these pandemic relief funds were desi...
CONWAY — Crews cleaning up the Olympic Pipeline gas leak southwest of SR 534 in Conway cut down 289 trees Dec. 27-28 in order to remove underlying contaminated soil, the cleanup project’s unified command reported in a Dec.29 update. The area borders the west edge of a farm field and east shoreline of Hill Ditch. The trees were to be handled by a materials recycler BP spokesperson Pam Brady told the press last week. Approximately 8,324 gallons of gasoline have been recovered through the 29th. Approximately 25,326 gallons were discharged fro...
The Town’s newest advisory panel didn’t wait long getting to work in the New Year. The six-member Emergency Management Commission, which spent much of 2023 developing and implementing immediate saltwater flood barriers along the waterfront and in low-lying areas, met yesterday afternoon at Maple Hall. The main agenda topic was their ongoing efforts to craft a community emergency management plan for La Conner. Commissioners were scheduled at their Jan. 2 hybrid session to hear from Skagit Department of Emergency Planner Joan Cromley. “We need to...
The coronavirus is still here and lurks in La Conner, in nearby movie houses, in dance halls and auditoriums and wherever people gather and however they travel. The year ended and 2024 began with Weekly News staff and freelancers, critical people all, sick with cases of COVID-19 It can happen here. The national Centers for Disease Control’s mid-December data showed about 19% of adults are up to date on COVID-19 vaccines through Dec. 23, 2023. For RSV vaccination, about 17.5% of adults are vaccinated. Almost 45% of Americans adult have gotten t...
Important late December birthdays locally included Barbara Carson, Nancy Crowell, Tony Harrah, Sally Riggers and other significant people not named....
The La Conner High School boys’ basketball team got pounded in Seattle over the weekend. But not on the scoreboard. The Braves split two closely fought, loosely called holiday tournament games with teams from larger schools, each contest decided in the final seconds. Ivory Damien and Brayden Pedroza scored 16 points apiece as La Conner edged The Northwest School, the tourney’s 1A host team, 44-41 on Friday night. The Braves led during much of Saturday’s matchup with 2A Black Hills, but fell 44-42 in Saturday’s title round of The Top of the Hil...
History stands to repeat itself in Concrete on Friday. Just as was the case in 1952, when the Concrete High School gymnasium first opened, visiting La Conner hoop teams will take the floor Jan. 5 in a rivalry that precedes the Great Depression. Members of the 1952 Concrete and La Conner teams will be honored as part of a “70-plus Years Anniversary” celebration at the iconic Concrete gym. The night’s events will also include a brief historical presentation and introductions of all-time Skagit County scorers Gail Thulen and Andy Otis of La Conne...
A member of La Conner’s O’Leary family will coach Team USA golfers at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup in Ireland next summer. Matt Thurmond, a son of La Conner High School alums Kathy O’Leary Thurmond and the late Joe Thurmond, was chosen last month to be the head coach at the three-day competition on Ireland’s west coast next July. Thurmond is head coach of the Arizona State University men’s golf team. He previously guided the University of Washington men. The Arnold Palmer Cup features the best men’s and women’s collegiate golfers against their...
A server at a La Conner restaurant isn't just singing the praises of Skagit County's musical community. She's lending her voice to it, returning to the stage after a lengthy hiatus, with the Skagit Valley College presentation of "The Music Man," Meredith Wilson's 1957 Broadway musical comedy. Noelle Ford, who by day works at The Slider Café, is rehearsing several nights weekly for the Feb. 23-March 3 run at McIntyre Hall on the SVC campus. She was thrilled to learn that tryouts for parts in...
A U.S. military veteran, John Alcorn knows the importance of a promotion. He does so as a martial arts practitioner and instructor as well. Alcorn, who teaches Taekwondo at USTA Martial Arts in La Conner, was recognized last month for having advanced from second to third Dan (or Degree) Black Belt, a level that requires years of practice at what is universally considered a challenging and physically demanding discipline. But for Alcorn and his students, who range in age from children to adults,...
Prepared in the slow cooker on low for six hours. Delicious. This combined leftover Christmas spiral ham and local leeks from a CSA box via Boldly Grown Farms. Wishing everyone a happy new year! Ingredients Red potatoes, 6 small Ham, cut or diced, 1 cup Leeks, 1 ½ sliced Grated cheddar cheese, 1 to 2 cups Butter. 2 tablespoons Pepper, a few shakes Dried parsley, ½ teaspoon Evaporated milk, ½ cup Chicken broth, 1/3 cup Preparation This is a layered dish. Butter the inside of...
December was frosty and frozen 4-Jan La Conner Community combats wave of saltwater flooding 4-Jan Flood damage cost estimate $1.8 million 11-Jan Council creates emergency management commission 1-Feb Center Street condos a go 15-Feb Marna Hanneman will be next La Conner Mayor 24-May Festival celebrates author Tom Robbins 6-Sep Earthquake rattles La Conner Sunday 11-Oct 29 newspaper contest awards for Weekly News 11-Oct Blessing the La Conner Swinomish Library 18-Oct Town's short-term rentals...
Sunday, December 24 9:40 p.m. Weaved away— Erratically driven vehicle on Mclean Road and then into the town of La Conner. Vehicle turned on to Maple Avenue and the caller stopped following. No plate provided and no further complaints.. Morris St. / Maple Ave., La Conner. Monday, December 25 1:35 a.m. Dog ran free — Small dog running loose in the middle of the road. Caller was off duty officer but advised they could not catch it and it kept running away. Unknown owner and no response from a deputy. Summers Dr. / Best Rd., Greater La Conner. Wed....
