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Joyce was granted her angel wings on February 22, 2020, one month shy of 90 years old. She was born in Detroit, MI on March 22, 1930 to Otto R. and Rose L. Seilaff. She attended Mercy College in Detroit, then graduated from Marygrove College in 1952. She moved to Seattle in 1953 where she met Francis John “Jack” Nagel. They were married Oct 16, 1954 in West Seattle. After moving to Portland, OR they welcomed their son, Francis John Nagel, Jr in 1955. She taught elementary school for 37 years, most of that in the Edmonds School District. In the...
To our valued citizens during these unprecedented and uncertain times: Although town hall is closed to the public until further notice, your local government will continue to operate and provide essential services. In an effort to stem the severity of the virus outbreak, the governor has instituted a policy of social distancing. I ask that every citizen follow this guidance. However, at this critical time there is also a great need to make sure we are looking out for our friends and neighbors. And although a face-to-face encounter is ill...
Slow down, you move too fast — Paul Simon If Part I was before the virus, we are now in the second phase, living and hunkering down with it. None of us wanted a role in this play but now we are all on stage with it, with La Conner restaurants and tourist-focused retail some of the main players. This is a tragedy in the making. The Washington state response continues to reach further into our communities, with Gov. Inslee announcing Sunday that all restaurants and bars are closed for the rest of March. The state has been at ground zero...
Rep. Norma Smith announced from the House floor in Olympia March 5 that she will not run for re-election in November. The 10th District state representative explained how she is returning to a life-long calling that has defined both her personal and professional paths over the years. “Serving the people of the 10th District has been my greatest professional honor and privilege. They put their trust in me and I will be forever grateful. I have poured everything I have into our communities and s...
There’s no doubt coronavirus is a big deal. A really big deal. But so, too, is blood cancer. That’s why La Conner residents turned out in force at Santo Coyote Friday night to dine and support a local benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The event was organized by friends of La Conner High alum Mike Ritchie, a lymphoma survivor who has been training for the annual Big Climb fundraiser in downtown Seattle. Ritchie will take part in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s steep stair climb...
Large and small gatherings alike have been nixed statewide and around the nation due to the evolving coronavirus outbreak. But a rare scheduled event that came off as planned took place here in La Conner last Friday. It was the bi-annual tour of La Conner’s award-winning wastewater treatment plant, which not only transformed the town when built in the 1970s but has in recent years embraced composting biosolids to generate a much-in-demand product sought by commercial and residential users. M...
As this issue goes to press, the outlook for daffodils and tulips is brighter than the outlook for visitors to admire them. “This year is far better than last year, when all our early daffodils were burnt by the extended deep freeze,” said Brent Roozen of the Washington Bulb Company. Roozen says daffodils and tulips have flourished thanks to the wet winter and ongoing cool nights. When picked before blooming, cut daffodils can “last forever” if they are not in the sun and temperatures are in...
“We are nervous. But we are going to go out swinging!!” Seeds owner Kjendal Hicks’ reply to a Monday email surveying local restaurants was the feistiest. She also shared the difficulty decision of laying off most of her staff. For Cristal Perkins and Belen Arias, co-owners with their mom of Santo Coyote Mexican Kitchen, laying off half their staff Monday was the rough start to their day. Ted Furst, majority owner of Nell Thorn wrote that “the entire hourly staff is laid off,” on “standby” in Employment Security Department terminology....
A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 is at home in self-isolation in greater La Conner and taking a 14 day quarantine, as are those exposed to the sick person, reliable sources have told the Weekly News. But Skagit County Public Health Director Jennifer Johnson told the Weekly News that she can’t confirm whether a La Conner area resident has received a diagnosis for COVID-19. “There is information that isn’t made public, even to me,” she said Tuesday afternoon. “So I am not aware if there is a confirmed diagnosis.” Johnson advised the...
School’s out, but not for the summer. La Conner students and staff are off campus now through April 24 due to county and state mandates designed to help curb spread of the coronavirus. The campus shutdown represents perhaps the most impactful of La Conner-related virus crisis closures. La Conner School District serves 606 students in grades K-12 and is widely recognized as a cornerstone of the community. La Conner Superintendent of Schools Dr. Whitney Meissner echoed Town Mayor Ramon Hayes’ assessment that the coronavirus poses unp...
I’m feeling so thankful today; my heart is open. Self-imposed isolation is a time to read, write, go for walks. A friend has a cabin on the beach and offered it to me for a few days. It is just across the street from my house, but since it is right on the water, it feels like I’ve driven hours and hours away from my home to a quiet sanctuary. It’s just a dinky little place, but has a warm fire, a comfy bed, a rocky beach and, the bay of course. Skagit Bay. How I love it. The first day the splash and clatter of rain on the roof sent me to the c...
