Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper
Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
At La Conner High, where Samantha Davidson is a sophomore, student life is highlighted in the Pioneer yearbook. In Davidson’s case, that is most fitting since she has achieved pioneer status in her own right. Davidson, known to friends and family as “Sammy,” is the first girl from the tri-county Skagit-Whatcom-Island area to attain the rank of Eagle Scout. It took Davidson just two years to earn that honor, the scouting world’s top achievement and one which is realized by less than five per cen...
A former model and actress trained for roles in major productions, La Conner’s Jean Wedin was just fine with a small gathering honoring her 90th birthday Feb. 5. The COVID-19 pandemic restricted the number of people who could share her special milestone event on Friday. But that didn’t dampen enthusiasm for the local celebration. “There were four of us,” Wedin told the Weekly News in her trademark upbeat voice, “and we were very careful.” The new nonagenarian showed her mastery of technology...
Skagit Public Health will not have a first dose vaccination clinic at the county fairgrounds this week, through Feb. 13, because no vaccine was supplied by the state, Laura Han, county spokesperson, said last Friday, telling the press the state did not provide an explanation, either. “We did not get a first dose vaccine allocation from the State, so we can’t operate clinics,” Han posted Friday. “It is possible that other providers in the County have received doses, so check with your local pharmacy or primary care provider for more information....
Fire District 13 Commission Chairman Larry Kibbee, under whose leadership the department has made key strides in his 15 months as chair, will be stepping away from public service next month. Kibbee announced during the Fire District’s Zoom meeting Jan. 28 that he will vacate his commission seat effective March 1. He has already resigned as Region 5 representative with the Washington Fire Commissioners Association. Kibbee plans to move outside the Fire District. He said he will elaborate more on his decision at the Feb. 25 commission meeting. Co...
“We,” the people of the state of Washington and, indeed, everyone in the United States, are approaching the anniversary of the diagnosis of the first coronavirus case in the U.S. Last Feb. 29 Gov. Jay Inslee, like governors across the country, first issued a state of emergency. On March 25 he told us to stay home to stay healthy and restricted people’s movements and economic activity in an effort to slow the spread of the virus and maintain the community public health necessary for reopening the economy. The governor’s orders have slowed...
Somehow, we think impeachment is just for presidents. In democracies of the past, like Athens and Rome, it was extended to any and all high-ranking public servants and their accomplices. According to Plutarch and Aristotle, it included members of the executive branch aside from the chief executive, such as budget and treasury managers and military commanders. Members of judiciaries could be impeached, and members of the legislative branches as well, such as Roman senators. Financiers of corrupt political leaders could be impeached or otherwise...
An open letter to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and to all elected officials in the United States of America. Let us call for a series of regional constitutional conventions in order to: (a) Let we the people be heard (b) Avoid anarchy and suppression of voices in the name of law and order (c) Instill hope for democracy to live by example here in the heart of the free world (d) Guarantee representation at the table of all people invested in this country by birth, by naturalization, by labor and by service for the common good. To “get real,” pe...
Joseph Carroll Pratt, Jr. (aka Jim), husband of Virginia Sanford, passed away on February 2nd, 2021 at their Dan Street home in La Conner. Jim had been ill from cancer for some time. His two sons, Steven and Matthew, were with him for several days. By his choice, there will be no local services. He will be laid to rest next to his parents at Riverview Heights Cemetery in Kennewick WA. Joseph was born to J.C. Pratt Sr. and Blanche Pratt in Kennewick in 1925. He served in the U.S. Navy during and...
Stephen J. Carter, La Conner resident, died January 29, 2021 at the Skagit Regional Hospital of cardiac arrest. He was born in Spokane in 1942 and graduated from Queen Anne High School in Seattle, University of Washington, and University of Washington School of Medicine. After serving as a Naval Flight Surgeon in the U.S. Navy, he began his medical career at the UW and ultimately directed ultrasound at Veteran’s Hospital. He joined a private practice radiology group at United General Hospital in the late 1970’s. Stephen returned to the UW and...
It was clear to me as early as 2008 that a pandemic was at hand. The symptoms were easier to ignore than to acknowledge. Some embraced and reveled in the early stages of this malady. Doctors began pointing to the symptoms, only to have their opinions dismissed. Clergy, mental-health professionals and lay people tried to stem the spread, and some began organizing to stop it. By 2016 this pandemic had spread to almost every corner of the United States. No one assumed responsibility for the finger-pointing; it always was someone else’s fault. A...
The push to re-open schools during the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a national call that teachers, administrators and support staff be vaccinated as they return to campus. A partnership between La Conner schools and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has made that happen locally. Swinomish health team members administered vaccines to around 100 La Conner Schools employees last Wednesday, midway point of the first week students in lower elementary grades returned to campus. Swinomish Health Administrator Jennifer LaPointe teamed with La...
The Soroptimist Honored Student for January, Sarah Malcomson, has learned how to be flexible and stay positive with virtual classes. Sarah, a senior at La Conner High School, enjoys having school in the comfort of her own home, while improving her time management skills. Sarah is a National Honor Society student who enjoys finding time for volunteering. English and AP Environmental Science and Geography are Sarah’s favorite classes. In college she wants to continue to explore lots of academic i...
Modern America is obsessed with youth and beauty, but the continent’s first inhabitants valued age and wisdom. And still do. A prime local example can be found weekly on Facebook as part of what users of the social networking service refer to as “Throwback Thursday.” That is when three Native American men gather in Shelter Bay for live broadcasts designed to honor the teachings of tribal elders, share cultural insights and reinforce traditional lessons handed down through the generations. The fi...
The Skagit River Poetry Foundation has three winners of its 2020-21 Student Poet Laureate contest from schools around the Skagit Valley: Olivia Elias, Lucy Shainin and Octavia Prosser represent Sedro-Woolley High School, Anacortes High School and Oak Harbor High School. The program aims to help train, support, mentor and encourage our young poets, and facilitate bringing poetry into their communities. Prosser, a senior, grew up with her father driving them to school in an old truck with no radio, forcing his children to, not only learn lines,...
It goes without saying that Jim Bergem thinks the world of La Conner, the hometown that helped launch a wide-ranging career that has taken him to the far reaches of the globe. Bergem, the 1986 La Conner High student body president, calls Spokane home these days. But given that he has made stops in Taiwan and Malaysia while working in media and marketing, the Inland Empire seems just a stone’s throw away. Bergem credits a lifelong love of sports, plus support from family and his La Conner teachers, with encouraging him to venture beyond the b...
Skagit Public Health will provide weekly updates to keep Skagitonians informed of new COVID-19 vaccine information. This information is from Friday: No waitlists available Skagit County Public Health will not use a waitlist system for the fairgrounds clinic. Vaccine supply is provided by the federal and state government and county allocation decisions are made on a weekly basis. Public Health cannot offer waitlists while vaccine supply is still so limited and relatively inconsistent. In several instances, the online scheduling system...
Monday, Feb. 1 2:08 p.m.: Dog gone – Report of a black dog walking in the roadway. Deputy checked the area, but were unable to locate. Best / Chilberg Rds., Greater La Conner. Tuesday, Feb. 2 3:17 p.m.: Nervy thief – Caller reported the theft of a portable security camera from inside their home. Bradshaw Rd., Greater La Conner. Wednesday, Feb. 3 9:56 a.m.: Prowling around – Caller reported a vehicle prowl. The caller said her purse was taken from her unlocked vehicle and there was no damage to her car. State St, La Conner....
Nearly a week after its staff was vaccinated against COVID-19, La Conner Schools received more good medicine Tuesday night. Initial election results posted on the Skagit County elections office website report district voters approved by a 970-374 margin a four-year, $4.04 million replacement levy that will fund school programs in five key areas through 2025. That is 72.2% for and 27.8% opposed. La Conner’s was one of three school districts asking for operations funding, with Concrete and M...
Originally published Jan. 28, 2021 by Northwest Public Broadcasting Washington state has approved a request to use multiple Washington state parks to train Navy SEALs. But the move Thursday came with significant amendments to what the Navy requested. The permits would expand the five parks previously used for Navy SEAL training to 16 or 17. The Navy had requested access to 28 state parks as a way to diversify its training sites. Officials had said a small number of sites can become too familiar to trainees over time. The commissioners called...
This recipe uses leeks from the CSA box we receive from Boldly Grown Farm. My daughter Katherine and her husband Camas sliced them for me. I thawed two slices of the ham I cooked at Christmas. This is a nutritious meal at very little cost. The immersion blender I purchased 4 years ago receives occasional use but is a useful kitchen tool to expand our diet choices. Ingredients Butter, 3 tablespoons Leeks, 2 medium, sliced Chicken broth, 6 cups Potatoes, 4 medium White pepper, ½ teaspoon...
