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Jan Paul, Shelter Bay board of directors treasurer since July 2023, announced her resignation in a way that was as surprising as it was low key at the end of the monthly board meeting last Wednesday, April 17, at the organization’s clubhouse. Without naming individuals, she cited a pattern of problems, including being disrespected and untrusted, saying, “Unfortunately, during my time as a board member, I feel that I have been only a ‘placeholder’ with no ability to function as a board member should. It has become increasingly apparent over th...
Good things come to those who wait. Patrons of the Swinomish Casino & Lodge north of La Conner are being treated to increased promotional play offers and other incentives through the end of May after its reopening on Wednesday. The tribal gaming center had been closed since the first weekend of April due to a cyberattack. “Our casino, dining, and lodge facilities are operational, and we look forward to welcoming back our valued guests, dedicated team members, and members of the tribal community,” casino managers said in a statement issued a c...
Some dozen residents, primarily community elders, responded to an open invitation to walk the former Jensen property last Thursday, April 18, ahead of tomorrow's community mingle seeking discernment on its future use. Town of La Conner Planning Director Michael Davolio organized the tour. Also attending were Mayor Marna Hanneman, Planning Commissioners Cynthia Elliot and John Leaver and Assistant Planner Ajah Eillis for the 45 minute tour and discussion. "We invited you here to give you a sense...
The La Conner School Board may not have to look far to find a successor to Dr. Will Nelson. Board president Susie Deyo last week raised the prospect of the school district hiring from within its ranks an acting interim superintendent to succeed Nelson, who is leaving June 30 after three years leading La Conner School District to accept a teaching post at Western Washington University. Deyo shared that option during an hourlong April 18 public “listening session” on campus. She and other board members had held a similar meeting with school sta...
When the U.S. House of Representative voted 366 to 58 to approve military aid to Israel Saturday, April 20, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Arlington) voted yes. The Israel package totals $26.4 billion. It provides $13 billion to the U.S. Defense Department to replenish U.S. stocks of equipment and weapons sent to Israel’s military, support U.S. operations in the region and fund Israel’s missile defense systems and $3.6 billion for security assistance to Israel. It also includes $9.15 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and worldwide. In a new...
At 1 p.m. Sunday, April 21, fields of red and yellow tulip flowers were being photographed by tourists in the field on Best Road north of the McLean Road roundabout. The Best Road field south of and across from Christianson's Nursery was flowerless, having been topped. The other field near La Conner, on Calhoun Road near Beaver Marsh Road, was topped Saturday, April 20. The show fields at RoozenGarde, Tulip Town and Tulip Valley Farms remain in bloom....
Because of its desirability and geographic constraints limiting growth, La Conner has long dealt with a housing crunch, especially with affordable housing. Those conditions have now contributed to a pressing side effect: homelessness. In his written report delivered in advance of the April 23 Town Council meeting at Maple Hall, Town Administrator Scott Thomas noted that homeless people have begun camping overnight at Pioneer Park. “The town has experienced ongoing issues stemming from homeless individuals camping in the park, primarily r...
Town planning commissioners trod a familiar path at their April 16 public meeting. The five-member advisory panel, which is in the process of drafting updates to the transportation element of the La Conner Comprehensive Plan, revisited options for potential future traffic flow and parking on South First Street. Discussion didn’t end there. Commissioners will take up the topic one more time at their May 7 session, during which they could agree on recommendations to forward to the Town Council for consideration. Commissioners and residents h...
A new schedule starts at Town Hall next week. Beginning April 29, the building will be open for town business from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. It will be closed on Fridays so that staff can work on various projects without interruption, Assistant Planner Ajah Eills told the Weekly News. “We appreciate the community’s flexibility to allow us to make this change,” she said. “On Fridays, we will be doing some long-term planning and work related to our Five-Year Plan.” While Town Hall will be closed on Fridays, it will open 30 m...
Math is cool again. That’s the message La Conner School Board members heard during their one-hour public meeting Monday night. Math teachers Dan Hansen and Julia Johnson shared with the board via Zoom how the district’s new curriculum has contributed to greater content mastery and perhaps more important, increased student confidence and development of critical thinking skills. Hansen noted how his students now appreciate the role geometry plays in everyday life. “They realize how geometry fits into the world,” said Hansen. “It’s so prevalent i...
The La Conner High School baseball team bounced back from three straight heartbreaking, one-run, extra-inning road losses to post convincing wins at Quilcene and Darrington. The Braves defeated Quilcene, a traditionally strong baseball program, by a 7-1 margin on April 17 and then trounced NW2B/1B rival Darrington 12-1 on April 19 to sweept the two-game season series. La Conner thus improved to 5-5 overall and 2-4 in league action going into a scheduled April 23 home game with conference foe Mount Vernon Christian. La Conner plays at Orcas...
Other teams brought larger rosters, but the host La Conner Middle School girls’ junior varsity track team had Faith. As in Faith Jenkins, who won three solo events to lead La Conner to top honors in its portion of a nine-school junior varsity track meet at Whittaker Field last Thursday. Jenkins, a seventh grader, swept the girls’ short sprints. She clocked 13.39 in the 100 meters and hit the 200-meter tape in 29.08. She captured the high jump with a leap of 4’-0”. Jenkins also joined teammates Rory Bird, Mia Delage and Cecilia Keith to place s...
Home or away, it didn’t matter where La Conner golfers played to win last week. The Braves were equally strong at their Swinomish Links home course on April 16 and at the Battle Creek Golf Club on Tulalip Reservation on April 18. La Conner edged visiting Lummi 137-148 with Corran Eisen taking top medalist honors by carding a low score of 43 over nine holes. The team scoring was based on the top three nine-hole scores recorded by each team, La Conner assistant coach Galen McKnight told the Weekly News on Friday. La Conner enjoyed an even w...
The Skagit Valley Chorale celebrates in song May 4 and 5 in a cross-genre collaboration led by Artistic Director Yvette Burdick showcasing the talents of nearly 100 local musicians, including 11 Chorale singers hailing from La Conner. La Conner bandleader/trombonist Vince Fejeran has been instrumental gathering talented local jazz musicians for a big band backing the Chorale's singers as they present music performed long ago and far away by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. A music educator...
The Skagit Valley Chorale and friends are bringing audiences a musical time capsule of life in mid-twentieth century America on May 4 and 5. Artistic Director Yvette Burdick has assembled a unique program of music originally performed by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, one of America’s most popular entertainment ensembles in the last century. Under Waring the Pennsylvanians grew from a small jazz band whose members often put down their instruments and sang, to a 60-piece ensemble with big band, strings, glee club and soloists who r...
Cole Porter, Samuel and Bella Spewack were right: It pays to “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” so you can follow all the ins and outs of a 1940s musical rendition of “A Taming of the Shrew,” at the center of their own “Kiss Me Kate,” which opened last week and plays through May 12 at Anacortes Community Theatre. Stop reading and go online now to get any remaining tickets. “Shrew” is one of William Shakespeare’s most accessible and enjoyable plays, the story that starts with the beautiful second daughter Bianca, who, while pursued by suitors, canno...
Lots of great things are happening at the library this month. First, we want to welcome Richard Vendiola, our new tribal liaison. Richard has a background in education and moved from Auburn to Swinomish in August with his wife, Jennifer, a special needs teacher in Oak Harbor. Richard enjoys chess, tennis, bike riding and walking Ollie, his boxer-mastiff mix. He is currently reading “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann. We are excited to have Richard on board! Thank you to everyone who supported the La Conner Swinomish Library in thi...
Skagit Adult Day Program held a very successful dinner/auction April 13, grossing over $66,000 at Bertelsen Winery. A highlight was Joy Post sharing her caregiving story with grace and humor. It was followed by “A Day in the Life of Bradford House” a heart-warming video. The Raise the Paddle/Fund-a-Need then brought in an amazing $15,500! Joe & Kelly & Friends provided the music. Field of Beans Catering served the buffet dinner. Stokes Auction Group provided lively auctioneer Paul Schenfeld. Mike Yeoman of KAPS was emcee. Local businesses inc...
The Washington state Department of Ecology declared a statewide drought emergency April 16, citing the state’s low snowpack, the forecasts for a dry and warm spring and summer and the end of winter snowstorms. The only exceptions are for the Seattle, Everett and Tacoma metro areas. Ecology is making up to $4.5 million available in drought response grants to qualifying public entities to respond to impacts from the current drought conditions. Source: Department of Ecology...
SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SKAGIT COUNTY No. 24-4-00180-29 PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030) In the Matter of the Estate of Patricia R. Stowe, Deceased The personal representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal...
A family favorite. This is a great summer salad and could be a lunchtime meal. There are variations by adding diced hard boiled eggs and diced bell peppers. I simply looked in our refrigerator and selected veggies to provide crunch (celery) and heat (green onion and radishes). I did a ratio of 2/3 sour cream and 1/3 mayonnaise. You could substitute plain yogurt. Ingredients Macaroni, 8 oz. Celery, one rib/stem Radishes, 2 Green onion, 2 Dill pickle, 1/2 Sour cream, 2/3 cup Mayonnaise, 1/3 cup...
Anacortes Mayor Matt Miller, center left, joined Anacortes Food Co-op Board Chair Phil Cohen for the store's ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon, April 10. Hundreds of members and friends came out to sample products, see the store at 2403 Commercial Ave., listen to music, and possibly join as member-owners....
Sunday, April 14 1:59 p.m.: That was loud – There was a report of a possible gunshot heard in town. Town was very busy and there was only one call that came in on this. Area checked but no problems found. S. Fourth Street, La Conner. Monday, April 15 7:48 a.m.: On the loose – A reporting party called in that his neighbor’s dog was running loose. There is no leash law for the county and the reporting party did not want the neighbor contacted. McLean Road, greater La Conner. Tuesday, April 16 8:51 a.m.: Malicious mischief – Tulip Valley Farms h...
Monday was the 54th anniversary of Earth Day, organized in 1970 as a teach-in on college campuses to emphasize the harm out-of-control pollution has on human health as well as the environment. In typical homo sapiens fashion, giant inflatable earth balls got tossed around, guitars were played and laughter and music filled the air. So, for 50 years the seriousness of human-fueled devastation danced with the joy of opening our eyes to the beauty and wonders of the natural world. “It is only a little planet / but how beautiful it is” the poet Rob...
Tsunami is a Japanese word for what used to be more appropriately called a “tidal wave.” In movies and television dramas, tsunamis are portrayed as monster ocean waves cresting over the likes of New York City or Los Angeles. A bit misleading to say the least. Tsunamis are huge bursts of energy being transported in water. In reality, when a tsunami reaches land it’s much more like the tidal flood that invaded La Conner a few years ago, only bigger, much bigger. As most folks have seen in YouTube videos of Japan’s 2011 flooding, a tsunami...
