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Edwin A. Wells died on Sunday, December 23rd, 2018. He was born in Mount Vernon on May 17th, 1932 to Paul and Ann Wells. “Ned” attended the University of Washington and was then drafted into the post-war Army where he spent his rare free time travelling throughout Europe. There, his lifelong thirst for travel and adventure began. Ned settled in Seattle, became a father of four, and grew into an enthusiastic plantsman. Pursuing another adventure, he established Wells Medina Nursery in 1971. It became the premier gardening locale for the Sea...
John Franz Feichtinger of La Conner, Washington (1965 – 2018), beloved father, son, brother, and friend, left us too soon. John was born in Seattle, grew up in Ballard and Kent before he moved to his chosen home of the beautiful Skagit Valley. An unfailingly kind man, John’s love of nature grew from the forests and waters he dearly cherished. In recent years, John was thrilled to explore the coastlines and waters in Alaska, where he found incredible joy. With pockets full of friendship and dog treats, whether it was someone in need, a p...
If democracy must never sleep, the 28 people who met at the Burlington library Monday to discuss the defeat of the November “Yes on Charter” election measure are fully woke. They were asked by Home Rule Skagit, the grassroots citizens group that put the measure on the ballot and organized the campaign to pass it, to review the reasons for the results and to consider what needs to be done to convince Skagit County voters to vote yes in the future. An upbeat Gary Wickman, chair of the Home Rul...
THERE’S SNOW IN THEM THAR FIELDS – It’s not even a micro-climate, says geologist Brad Smith. Bob Hamblin came into the office Monday and said he had gone through snow, out by the Farmhouse restaurant. The staff person answering the phone said no, there were sun and clouds and it was in the 40s. But at Best and McLean roads snow fell Monday afternoon. First of the year, first of the winter in the area, stepped on by one journalist. – Photo by Ken Stern...
Nicola Pearson’s latest book, “The Gift,” is a romp through the hills and valleys of Skagit County and a no-holds-barred peek into owning and working in a small animal veterinary practice. Human and animal interactions are enmeshed with compassion and humor in a way that anyone, but especially an animal lover, will appreciate and enjoy completely. One little stray dog has an especially substantial impact on them all, leading to unexpected outcomes. Hailing from England, Pearson now resides with her husband and children in the beautiful upper...
The new year has begun. Auld Lang Syne has been sung. Let’s take a glass of kindness yet: a glass of whisky. There are many varieties of whisky. Maybe some of them are familiar, while others are not. There is Scotch whisky, Irish whisky, Rye whisky, American whisky and bourbon. The list goes on. In fact, there are so many kinds of whisky Portland needed a whole whisky library to fit them all. That is correct, a library. Instead of books, these shelves hold 1,800 different varieties of spirits, m...
The fall migration has brought swans, trumpeter and tundra, to grace our skies and landscape in the Skagit Valley. As their breeding grounds freeze over in Alaska, the swans follow traditional migration routes returning to Skagit County’s abundant farm fields and wetlands. The Skagit Valley hosts the largest concentration of trumpeter swans in North America each winter, an awesome sight to behold. Yet these elegant birds were close to extinction in the 1960s. Of the nearly 12,000 swans wintering in the valley, 90 percent are trumpeters with 1...
Kimberly Oldis rooted hard for the University of Washington football team from one of the best seats available at the storied Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. The underdog Huskies came up just short in a frantic fourth quarter comeback bid against Ohio State, the only time Oldis didn’t pick a winner during her time in Pasadena. The Shelter Bay resident, a nationally renowned floral designer, was one of three persons selected to judge the 40 floats entered in the annual Tournament of Roses Par...
Research merged with imagination as scientists and artists gathered for a final time to consider the effects of their expressions about climate change as shown in their MoNA exhibits displayed during the past quarter. A panel of artists and scientists reflected on their collaborative work Saturday, during the last of three discussions about the Surge 2018 exhibit at the Museum of Northwest Art that was open since October. The goal of this Surge program, hosted by MoNA and the Skagit Climate...
During the height of America’s running boom, Linda Freed eyed the La Conner waterfront as an ideal venue from which to launch what has proved for nearly four decades to be a pace-setting business model. Her recipe blending a lifelong devotion to what some at the time viewed as opposites – baking and fitness – was the genesis of Calico Cupboard, the health-conscious café and bakery that today enjoys a loyal following at three Skagit Valley locations. Freed, an award-winning business owner as well as accomplished hiker, m...
“If it ain’t broke.” Back when it was my responsibility to plan for events like flood response, I tackled the eventuality of protecting LaConner from riverine flooding. I approached the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials at the time with this scenario: Let’s say that the Emergency Operations Center has been mobilized and a flood event is imminent. At that point an “emergency” has been declared. The town owns several hundred cement “ecology” blocks, located on high ground at the wastewater treatment facility. Could those blocks be utili...
Barbara, resident of La Conner for more than twenty years, passed away peacefully in her daughter’s home in Seattle, Washington on December 11th, 2018. Predeceased by her loving husband of nearly 50 years, Dr. Thomas Corrigan, in May of 2007, she leaves behind four children: Kit [Trudy], Kimberly, Tom [Lisa] and Michael [Susan], and four grandchildren: Keely, Rory, Dashiell and Violet. Barbara’s disarming mix of candor and discretion bonded her deeply to family and friends. She focused her vitality, sense of humor, and dedication to com...
In our little town, bucolic and tucked away, almost as isolated as an island, there are those who don’t want the far away world of national politics to intrude. Some will say the paper is partisan and divisive when it criticizes the president. But every one of us living through a historical moment needs to be honest, with each other, our children and ourselves. If, as is increasingly apparent, President Trump is perhaps demented and almost certainly delusional, this paper has the responsibility, an obligation to the entire community, to p...
Last week the centerfold reprised last year’s news. This week, in this space, is a reflection on the Weekly News. This newspaper is pleased to report it is up as the year starts. Subscriptions and renewals are up, as are revenues. So are hopes. After 18 months and 80 issues the goal remains to have each issue be the best one yet. The paper comes out because of the focused, ongoing efforts of the people listed in the masthead at the bottom of this page. That is now bigger, filling all five columns so the type is larger for easier reading. T...
