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Fast thinking and action may have saved a fisherman’s life Jan. 31. Annie Drake and Sandy Smith, sisters, called 911 at 1:50 p.m. when they saw a boat on fire in the Swinomish Channel across from Drake’s home on Channel Drive, about three miles north of La Conner. Within minutes they had Drake’s kayak in the water and she paddled out to the crabbing boat. Fire was consuming the cabin. Drake said when she looked out on the channel she saw fire and “it was exploding.” Drake recounted: “I called...
Over 50 Shelter Bay Community residents attended a town hall meeting January 31 for a presentation on the Shelter Bay Water System. The Community is facing decisions for its future supplier. Since its 1968 inception, Shelter Bay has received water from the Town of La Conner. The Community and Town have an ongoing contractual agreement that is in perpetuity according to John Koch. John Koch, chairman of the facilities committee, offered 47 slides summarizing history, status, needs and estimated costs to update the system. The key issues for the...
It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature. Having first blamed the sun and moon for the collapse of net pens at its fish farm off Cypress Island that allowed one quarter million Atlantic salmon to escape into area waters last August, Cooke Aquaculture was swept under by a recent State-led investigation and tidal wave of testimony in Olympia. The state Department of Ecology announced last week it is fining Cooke $332,000 – a little more than a buck per escaped fish –for alleged poor cleaning and maintenance that led to the buildup of t...
WRESTLERS THROWN INTO DITCH - The Oak Harbor high school’s girls wrestling team made an unexpected stop in a farm field off State Route 20 northeast of La Conner Friday, February 2. The bus driver “had an emergency episode where he temporarily lost consciousness,” around 2:40 p.m. reported Conor Laffey, Oak Harbor school district communication officer. No one was injured: not the driver, the eight girls, the coaches or team manager. The Fire District 13 EMT staff examined and cleared every...
EVEN WITHOUT POURING, IT’S A LOT OF WATER – Rain came almost every day last week, mostly slow, kind of steady. Here, water from the Samish River flows over Farm To Market road south of Edison. – Photo by Don Coyote...
THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE – People join together, to say ‘no’ to logging and ‘yes’ to preservation and sometimes after many long years of hard toil, a part of our heritage – owl habitat for sure – is preserved. What a beautiful place. What a grand view. – Photo courtesy of Skagit Land Trust...
Some of us remember the good old days, when mail meant the postal carrier delivered an envelope with a stamp on it. For special occasions, people bought cards, at the drug or grocery store, and wrote their loved one’s name on them. Those were the days. Just when you were certain this editor was a crusty, testy old crank, good for nothing but complaining and kicking the cat, voila: surprised by joy. One day you will come to see the editor is an incurable romantic, but for now go ahead and moan and groan about how boring and predictable and p...
If the 21st century plays out as the 20th century did in terms of development, diminution of resources, unabated population growth and persistent pollution, we are doomed. Or, rather our grandchildren and their grandchildren are doomed. Toast. Our only recourse? Ensure owl habitat. Paul Bannick is not pessimistic. Many La Connerites were among the 350 people packing Maple Hall for his talk during the first birding showcase two weeks ago. Bannick’s message was hopeful: “just” appreciate owls and their habitats, and protect those habitats. It is...
“The Producers,” opened February 9 at Oak Harbor’s Whidbey Playhouse, offers community theatre at its finest: a well known and loved script, a musical, strong performances and direction, lavish costumes and good production values. If you liked Mel Brooks’ 1968 film, you will enjoy an evening of laughter here. Warning: this is 1968 Jewish male humor, fit for vaudeville and history. This faithful adaption of the film may offend some sensibilities. The leads, Karl Borja as Max Bialystock and Fernando Duran as Leo Bloom, pay homage to Zero Mostel...
