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State lawmakers have decided the time has long since passed that use by public schools of Native American sports mascots goes unchecked. And on that score La Conner schools, home of the Braves, has already proved ahead of the game. The local school district has an established history of responding to Swinomish Tribal Community requests regarding imagery portraying Native Americans, most notably the decision several years ago to substitute an interlocking L and C for tribal caricatures as the school logo. That kind of collaboration is what...
Last week was more of the same but more, with out-of-town visitors stopping and shopping in La Conner. Except there were more of them through the weekend. The parking lot below Town Hall was full midafternoon both Saturday and Sunday, with a stream of people, many of them families with children and strollers, making the trek onto First Street and back. The Vintage La Conner Thrift Skip and La Conner Brewery had people waiting on the sidewalk for their turns. Car traffic was slow on First...
La Conner schools has a new superintendent come July 1: Will Nelson, now director of equity and student success at Arlington’s public schools. For Nelson, and all educators, providing an equitable education is a commitment to fairness, so that every student has the opportunity to obtain a quality education. Since some children navigate a variety of obstacles just to arrive at school while others are fortunate to enter classrooms holding silver spoons, there is a wide gap educators must bridge to get all students to a high level of learning. T...
Soroptimist International of La Conner would like to thank the La Conner Weekly News for the front page photo and caption highlighting the reopening of Vintage La Conner, our thrift store. We are also thankful for the article on page two asking the community to refrain from dumping donations on our porches. Unfortunately, the dumping continues. And it is a big problem for us. Our club is operating the store with fewer than normal volunteers and a challenged budget due to the pandemic. We are open three days a week, rather than six, as before...
The future of Pioneer Park is structurally sound, with a key part of its history intact. The damaged roof of the park’s 1930s era picnic shelter has been replaced and several truckloads of windstorm tree debris hauled away, Town Public Works Director Brian Lease told the Weekly News on Monday. That has cleared the way for the public’s return. “We’re always pleased,” said La Conner Mayor Ramon Hayes, “when we can open a public facility.” Much of the park, which gets day use but where residents also gather for traditional holiday and community ev...
The Town of La Conner reported $33,430 in sales tax revenue in March, 8% above 2020’s total. It is the highest March amount ever reported. First quarter revenues are over 40% of the year’s projected sales tax income. They are 26% higher than 2018, the previous best first quarter. The March figure is based on January collections from in-town stores and online purchases delivered to La Conner addresses. The fire truck sales tax revenue tracks sales tax and is also the highest first quarter ever and 43.4% of the projected annual total. Alas, the...
As we near the end of the 2021 legislative session, there are a few critical policy areas that the Legislature has failed to address. While we have had bipartisan agreement on a great number of bills, these missed opportunities are worth discussing. I think that they are policies that transcend party and get to the heart of ensuring an accountable and efficient government. I wrote in my last column about the path toward an income tax and touched briefly on the state’s budget. Since then, the Senate approved its version of the two-year spending...
After not taking the court for 17 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the two-time defending state 2B champion La Conner High volleyball team needed less than an hour to defeat league rival Orcas Island in the season opening match for both schools Thursday afternoon at Landy James Gym. Waiting nearly a year and a half to play less than 60 minutes is not an ideal scenario, but La Conner is on a mission during its modified one-month spring campaign to make the best of a situation that is still a...
The La Conner and Coupeville high school football teams worked overtime Saturday night, but it was the host Wolves who cashed in with a hard fought 6-0 NW2B triumph in the season debut for both programs. Coupeville running back Ben Smith, who had been bottled up much of the contest by a stout La Conner defensive unit, scored the game’s lone touchdown with a one-yard blast to cap the Wolves’ sole possession of the extra session. The Braves, who had avoided key mistakes in regulation running out of their new Wing-T formation, fumbled on La Con...
Tim Bruce was such a strong advocate of the arts during his 26 year tenure as superintendent of La Conner schools that the district’s auditorium has been named in his honor. But the story does not end there. His support for the arts on the La Conner campus continues five years after Bruce left the district to join the Western Washington University faculty. La Conner School Board members on Monday accepted his donation of three pieces of art created by Mary Ennes Davis and valued at $10,000 for display in the Bruce Performing Arts Center. ...
The Skagit County Historical Museum staff and volunteers are looking forward to going back in time through stories submitted to an inaugural essay and poetry writing contest that runs through the month. “It’s a way to get public engagement in the history of Skagit County,” La Conner Rotarian and museum advocate Patsy Good told the Weekly News on Thursday. Good said those with compelling stories to share or who consider themselves wordsmiths are encouraged to pen or keyboard stories and poems about the lives and people of Skagit County. Conte...
Incredibly, in month 13 of the coronavirus pandemic, La Conner’s Morris and First streets storefronts house more merchants than were open in March 2020. There are 11 new businesses, two new owners of existing businesses, two businesses opening soon and five that moved or expanded into a closed space. Only two 2020 business spaces stand empty: Seeds Bistro and Indigo Stitch. Five provide food and drink: Scone Lady, Salted Grape Bistro, Stompin Grounds, NW Fuel and The Firehall by LC Brewing C...
Monday, April 5 1:37 p.m.: Stash found – Public works staff located a black plastic container containing several rolled cigarettes and one suspected marijuana cigarette. S. 1st St., La Conner. 5:04 p.m.: Business break-in – Caller reported a burglary over the weekend. Cash and other items were removed from the business. Morris St., La Conner. 5:19 p.m.: No fooling – Caller reported several robo calls stating she has a federal warrant. Caller was advised to block the number and report it to IC3.gov. Maple Ave., La Conner....
This is one of the few meals that I fry in oil. I use a clear oil, canola oil, and added a tiny bit of toasted sesame oil. I test the oil to see if it is hot enough by dropping in a bit of the tempura batter. It sizzled and floated to the top. To protect my hands, while cooking, I use long metal tongs and oven mitts that cover my entire hands and wrists. Ingredients Alaskan cod, cut in strips, 3 strips per serving Canola oil, 2 cups Toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon Flour, 1 cup Egg, 1 large Cold...
March’s sold home prices were up 50% around La Conner, and dramatically throughout Skagit County, compared to 2020. The five La Conner area homes that closed last month had a median price of $487,500. That number is above the county’s $485,550 median price and is the second highest countywide, based on data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The $600,200 median price on the 38 condominiums and homes in Anacortes is the county’s highest, with prices there jumping 33.2% from 2020. But the nine homes that sold in the “Conc...
