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Mayor Ramon Hayes takes pride in not steering the direction of La Conner Town Council discussions. But circumstances dictated he do so – if not quite literally – during Council’s Zoom meeting Jan. 26. Hayes, who had spent the day snowmobiling at Stevens Pass, opened the Council session by speaker phone while in traffic in the Everett area. “My hands were free,” Hayes was quick to point out. “My daughter held up my phone for me.” The meeting was fast-paced, and not just in a metaphorical sense, as Hayes and Council members sped thro...
“In 1960, all the people in Washington (state) could fit into King County today. That’s how much we’ve grown.” Director of Skagit County Planning and Development Services Hal Hart was addressing the 50 participants in the sixth annual – and first virtual – Skagit Ag Summit. The Jan. 29 event’s 16 presentations focused on water, opportunities and threats facing agriculture and economic viability and development. Threats first. While the pressure of growth and development on agricultu...
Daffodils will begin blooming in March. Tulips will arrive in April. Whether tourists will be allowed to follow is up in the air. “What we’re telling people is, we know we’ll be open, we just don’t know yet what the regulations will allow,” said Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Executive Director Cindy Verge. Some things are certain. There will be a Tulip Festival brochure that includes a map of daffodil and tulip fields. There will not be a Mount Vernon Kiwanis managed salmon barbecue. “There ar...
It is 2021, the year after the 2020 census and so the time when a Washington commission will – as by some method in every state – plan and determine district boundaries for state and congressional legislative districts. Boring, right? Did you know this happens? Voter, that is citizen, representation, is a key purpose of the census, part of the United States Constitution. In Washington, a bi-partisan commission, its members chosen by Democratic and Republican legislators, will hold public hearings before shaping existing districts...
From the disgrace of Richard Nixon to the disgrace of Donald Trump, I have watched the Republican party deteriorate from a party of strong moral principles, fiscal restraint and true conservative values to a cult of personality. The Republican party did not even bother to craft a platform for the 2020 election because the platform is now what Trump says it is - subject to rapid change based on the mercurial and ever self-serving whim of the great leader. Nothing reveals this utter moral collapse better that the treatment of Dr. Anthony Fauci...
I agree with Linda Peterson (“Elders need vaccine first,” Letters, Jan. 20) that elders should get priority for the COVID vaccine. Hubert H. Humphrey once said that the moral test of government is how it treats those at the dawn of life, at the twilight of life and the sick and frail in the shadows of life. Greater vulnerability demands greater care, not less. Last April, Bill O’Reilly received a public backlash – and deserved it – when he sniffed that many people dying from COVID “were on their last legs anyway.” So I am troubled...
I applaud Bruce Elliot for his insightful and accurate description of the unfair and, most likely, unconstitutional Tribal taxation of Reservation residents. We in Shelter Bay are at the mercy of the Tribe. They tax us on our property, but do not allow us any say on how it is spent. We have no representation on the Tribal Senate or within the Tribal administration. Why the Shelter Bay board of directors allows this taxation of its constituency without insisting that we be fairly represented in determining how and where these tax dollars are...
Alright, so what if I occasionally slobber on my sleeve, I make sure I leave before I sneeze! That’s just one small reason why we were named the coolest little town in North America. Besides that, we have lots of other cool things here. There’s the Bridge, duh, and two really cool Salmon structures in the new and improved Conner Park. I’d like to give my kudos to the characters who keep repairing the cement sculpture. Of course we have a pretty cool boardwalk that attracts us to the downtown shops, and the eateries that sate our taste...
A letter last week (Jan. 27 Weekly News) talked about the unfair school funding system. I do not think taxes of any sort are designed to be fair. They are designed to raise revenue. There are a lot of taxes and fees that we pay as citizens which may not benefit us. As a person living in Shelter Bay I felt the need to point out I have a lot of representation with the Swinomish Tribe. We elect a board every year made up of hard working volunteers that represent our wants and desires to the Tribal board which also happens to be our landlords. The...
Meaning of civility, according to my phone and Webster: to be courteous, polite, respectful, reflect concern for others, tactful. The last sentence under letter policy in this paper reads: “Letters are edited for civility, clarity and style.” It is the word “civility” that causes me to write today. I love this country, and I am sorely aware of the political differences. My husband, my elderly mother and I moved to La Conner almost four years ago and were glad to know this small town had its own newspaper. I recall that recently the La Conner We...
Both stores have the same owner(s) who are doing heroic work under a system that can only, politely, be called a disaster. It is part of the price that the U.S. is paying for having had Trump in the White House. An hour and a half after the stores sent their first email that they would begin vaccinations in mid-January (in Oak Harbor, in Island County), we signed up for a Jan. 18 appointment. However, the next week their vaccine stock was taken for Skagit County’s medical workers so our appointment changed to Feb. 1. Skagit County finished more...
Monday, Jan. 25 12:49 p.m.: Hole in road – Deputies investigated a reported a motor vehicle accident where the caller hit a large pothole and did damage to his vehicle. SR 20 / Bay View Edison Rd., Greater La Conner. Tuesday, Jan. 26 4:18 a.m.: Here and gone – Deputies responded to an abandoned vehicle. Deputies were unable to reach the registered owner by phone and tagged the vehicle. The vehicle had been removed the next day. Best / Chilberg Rds., Greater La Conner. Wednesday, Jan. 27 12:46 p.m.: Dog not gone – Caller...
A perfect blend of flavors. Curry is an option but I prefer cinnamon with a touch of ginger. It was an excellent decision. I started with sweet potatoes and carrots peeled and cubed, with help courtesy of my daughter, Katherine and her husband, Camas. I provide them with fresh vegetables and they do the prep work. It was delightful to have our daughter move home with her family. Ingredients Onion, 1 medium, chopped Butter, 3 tablespoons Sweet Potato, 1 ½ lbs., peeled and cubed Carrots, 1...
Ferries are not just green-and-white boats to the families and businesses of the 10th District. To us, those boats are vital connections to work, school, and services like doctors and dentists. Reliable ferries are essential to our local economy and quality of life. So how can we improve ferry service today – and build a system that will work for the next 100 years? Part of the answer is we have to work together. I formed the Ferry Caucus alongside Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-Anacortes), creating...
ELMYRA POWELL NELSON DALTON ZEHNER Born Elmyra Marie Powell on October 16, 1922, Elmyra Zehner died from heart failure in early August 2020 at her home overlooking the Cascade foothills in Mt. Vernon, Washington. She was much beloved by family and friends, and will be sorely missed. Her indomitable spirit inspired us all! She was 97 and had hoped to live until her 98th birthday to vote for President-Elect Joe Biden. She is survived by her sisters Inez (Bud) of Burlington, Washington, and Hallie...
Show your support for downtown businesses Friday: Come to 2021’s first “First on First.” At 4 p.m. the music, live and recorded, starts, at Gilkey Square and on the boardwalk. La Conner Coffee is offering discounted hot cocoa. From La Conner Brewery to Nell Thorn to La Conner Seafood & Prime Rib to La Conner Pub outdoor seating and takeout are available. Three new stores on First are open: Latitude & Longitude, Ladders and La Conner Flowers. All the old time favorite shops are open, too. The b...
In promoting the 2021 La Conner Schools levy, Superintendent Rich Stewart makes a point of stressing the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s financial support. Now Swinomish is literally providing La Conner Schools another shot in the arm. The Tribal Senate last week authorized Swinomish medical and dental staff to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to school employees as the District transitions to in-person classes. “The Senate recognizes the importance of our La Conner teachers to our community’s children and their future, and we under...
It is 2021, the year after the 2020 census and so the time when a Washington commission will – as by some method in every state – plan and determine district boundaries for state and congressional legislative districts. Boring, right? Did you know this happens? Voter, that is citizen, representation, is a key purpose of the census, part of the United States Constitution. In Washington, a bi-partisan commission, its members chosen by Democratic and Republican legislators, will hold public hearings before shaping existing districts...
