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Everett Herald newsroom union members staged a one-day strike and picketed with dozens of supporters through downtown Everett on Monday to protest the newspaper owner's decision to eliminate 12 of its 23 reporters and editors, and then deleting its own coverage of the news. Citing Carpenter Media Group's failure to respond to contract bargaining requests and meet other demands, the Everett NewsGuild announced an indefinite extension of their strike in a press release the Guild issued Tuesday... Full story
A bright, sunny picture-postcard afternoon in La Conner turned tragic when a house on N. Fifth Street was destroyed by a fast-burning fire whose noxious smoke blackened the sky as it wafted across town. Tony and Jane Mitchell, members of the La Conner Firefighters Association, lost their home June 19 to a blaze that raged through their garage and into the house, sending flames shooting out from the walls and roof. A Mini Cooper in the garage was destroyed and a Volkswagen sedan on the driveway...
The prayers of a La Conner priest have been answered. Father Paul Magnano, 83, won’t be relocating to Seattle full-time after all. Magnano will continue serving historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church in La Conner and other Skagit County parishes with a new schedule allowing him to divide his time with Christ Our Hope Catholic Church in downtown Seattle, which he founded. It’s truly a “best of both worlds” arrangement for Magnano, who feels equally at home here and in the city. Perhaps best of...
By There's one summer rerun that's a guaranteed hit in La Conner. It's the annual Hometown Independence Day celebration here, featuring a parade down First Street, a slew of July 4 activities with live music at the La Conner Marina and a fireworks display over Swinomish Channel. "It will pretty much be the same as every year," Town Administrator Scott Thomas said. The variety of events assures that everyone in La Conner will again have a blast on the Fourth of July. The fun starts at noon with t...
The first round of drafting a new housing element for La Conner’s comprehensive plan is in the books, but more chapters await. The town’s planning commission last week granted preliminary approval of the comp plan element, which addresses housing capacity and population projections for the town issued by the Skagit Council of Governments in accordance with the state Growth Management Act. Final approval requires further review and public input, said Town Assistant Planner Ajah Eills, who has compiled a detailed land use capacity analysis for...
I have several addictions and they are increasing all of the time and the good news is that all of them are positive, not negative. I play Words With Friends on my cellphone, so I can take it with me wherever I go. It's a competitive crossword puzzle and I have several competitors and some of them use words I've never heard of even though I was an English major in college. It's a very healthy brain activity and the last thing I do before I go to sleep at night to use whatever brain cells I have...
Diana passed away peacefully at her home in La Conner. She was born to Les and Lola Blume on Nov. 28, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. She was the oldest of six children and her early years were spent in Baudette, Minnesota, and Rapid City, South Dakota. She excelled in her studies, both in high school and at Seattle Pacific University, where she earned a BA in English literature and an MA in special education. Peter Norman Caple became her husband on Feb. 21, 1963. Diana's educational career i...
Michael Robert (Mike) Chevalier passed away early June 11 at his home outside La Conner at the age of 74. He had been ill for a few months when his generous heart failed him. Mike was born and raised in Bellingham and spent the last 50-plus years of his life in La Conner. In the 1970s and early 1980s he was a co-owner of the infamous 1890's Tavern. Mike was extremely proud of his time in the U.S. Naval Submarine Service from 1968-1972. He served during the Vietnam conflict in Southeast Asia... Full story
On June 18, the State of Washington’s Department of Commerce announced that the La Conner School District has won a $1.96 million Community Decarbonization Grant. This new grant will pay for the development, at the La Conner Middle School, of a grid-interconnected solar electric generation system with a capacity of 138.2 kilowatts. Based on the U.S. Department of Energy’s solar generation model, the electricity produced by this system during an average year will be about 140,000 kilowatt-hours....
A public memorial service for Susan Baum, who worked at La Conner’s iconic 1890s Inn during a colorful chapter in the town’s history, will be held from 5-7 p.m. Sunday, June 30, at Conner Waterfront Park. Baum, fondly known to her friends as “Cruisin’ Susan,” died May 7. Having grown up in Big Sky Country, she blended seamlessly after her arrival here into the local arts community and eclectic counterculture movement that evolved in the 1970s in La Conner and at nearby Fishtown on the Skagit River. Baum embraced a non-traditional lifestyle t...
July is a busy month at the library! Summer Reading is in full swing. If you haven’t signed up, stop by the library to get your reading log and a free book. Our theme this year is Read, Renew, Repeat, and we have tons of fun activities every week at the library for all ages. Kids to grandmas are welcome to join us for the events. Today, Wednesday, June 26, from 3-4 p.m. come have fun and learn all about recycling and worms with a recycling expert, Callie. This promises to be a fun experience. Do you have old books you don’t read any more? Wan...
MOUNT VERNON – Tickets are on sale for the 28th annual Highland Games and Celtic Festival, July 13-14 at the Skagit County Fairgrounds, 501 Taylor Avenue, Mount Vernon. Produced by the Celtic Arts Foundation the family-friendly event is a Mount Vernon summer staple. Activities include bagpipe competitions, traditional Scottish athletic competitions, Highland dancing, sheepdog demos, performances from renowned Celtic musicians, history presentations, genealogy tents, children's activities and s...
Skagit County Display Gardens Open House, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon. Explore gardens and educational displays. Learn about container gardening and Skagit Conservation District and Skagit County Noxious Weed Control Board efforts. Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners will be on site with a plant clinic and plant ID, free garden tool sharpening and plant sale. Free admission. Salish Sea Early Music Festival, 7 p.m. July 2. Classical musicians Irene Roldan on harpsichord and Jeffrey Cohan on...
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community members line up for a free picnic lunch at swadabs Park to celebrate Pride Month on June 20. There was more than enough salmon to go around and a pink Swinomish Pride T-shirt for every guest. The tribe will mark Pride Month again today, June 26, with a parade of decorated vehicles that will begin at John K. Bob Ball Park at 4:30 p.m., followed by dinner at the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community....
Last week the Federal District Court in Seattle entered a final decision in a case brought by the Swinomish Tribe against BNSF Railway and ordered the railway to pay $395 million to the tribe for illegal trespass across tribal lands from 2012 to 2021. This amount represents the net profit the railway made while it intentionally violated limitations contained in an easement agreement the railway signed in 1991. While the decision will likely be appealed and litigation will continue, it reflects t...
Saturday the third annual Anacortes Pride Parade marched up Commercial Avenue. The festive, colorful marchers matched the beauty of the day. "The Laramie Project" plays at the Anacortes Community Theatre through July 13. For times and tickets: acttheatre.com/....
Thursday, June 20 6:57 a.m.: Lock, loaded or not – Caller called to report a handgun stolen from his truck overnight. The caller was already out of the area and could not provide info on the truck or serial numbers for the gun. He stated it was loaded and he was unsure if the truck was locked. Caller will provide more info when he returns home. Best Rd., greater La Conner Friday, June 21 9:31 a.m.: Just hang up – Phone scam with someone stating they owed money and were going to be arrested if they did not pay. The caller was advised that thi...
Make a few for lunch and save a few for tomorrow's lunch. Furikake is a rice seasoning. A musubi maker presses the ingredients together. TBS means tablespoon, tsp means teaspoon. Ingredients Spam, one can Oyster sauce, 3 TBS Soy sauce, 3 TBS Sticky rice, cooked, 2 C Furikake, 1/8 tsp Dried seaweed, cut strips Preparation Mix oyster sauce and soy sauce in 1-gallon ziplock bag. Slice Spam into 1/2-inch thick rectangles. Place Spam in bag so sauce surrounds slices. Marinate 15 minutes at room...
NOT TO BE MISSED The ABC’s of LGBTQ+, 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 29, Museum of Northwest Art, 121 S. First St. In this free talk celebrating Pride Month, Linden Jordan from PFLAG Skagit will discuss the ABCs of LGBTQ+. These initials represent people who are often misunderstood and discriminated against. You’ll learn the differences between sexual anatomy, gender identity, sexual orientation, chosen names and pronouns. Register at www.monamuseum.org/events/abcsoflgbt. LIBRARIES La Conner Swinomish Library. 520 Morris St., La Conner. 360-466-33...
TOWN OF LA CONNER NOTICE OF APPLICATION/NOTICE OF HEARING The Town of La Conner is processing a permit application that may be of public interest Date: June 18, 2024 Application File #: LU24-28CU-IV Applicant: Sarah Cram Town Contact Person: Michael Davolio AICP, Planning Director; P.O. Box 400, La Conner, WA 98257; 360-466-3125 Project Location: 413 Morris Street A, La Conner WA, P74161 Project Description: Change of use to long-term residential use. Public Hearing: Hearing Examiner Date/Time/Location: July 16, 5:00 pm, Maple Center....
While observing vote counting "is like watching paint dry," Skagit County Elections Manager Gabrielle Clay told an audience of about 25 Monday evening at a Skagit League of Women Voters forum, the entire ballot preparation and vote counting and certification process is intricate and takes months from start to end of an election. Once voters cast their votes, a red-yellow-green step process streamlines the checking and counting of ballots. Clay reviewed a three step process for voting: Read the...
I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. – Henry Thoreau, in “Conclusion” chapter, “Walden,” 1854 This issue is the 364th I have printed as the Weekly News publisher. It finishes my seventh year here. Next week, issue 365, begins my eighth year as owner of the La Conner Weekly News. It has been a great run. “Best job ever” has long been my mantra. I am blessed to ha... Full story
The road to buying the La Conner Weekly News went through Vermont, with my summer 2016 contest entries to win the Hardwick Gazette. I shaped my third entry as a future editorial, my last before retiring. I imagined selling the paper to a co-op comprised of its staff and readers, they having organized to purchase it. This is a fable near impossibly hard to make true in real life. This was published in the July 12, 2017 La Conner Weekly News, my second issue as publisher. It’s my paper now, but I am only borrowing it. Franklin said “A Republic,... Full story
La Conner Weekly News Team: Thank you for the wonderful story and photo last week, reporting about our dedication/blessing of the new pavilion at Conner Waterfront Park (June 19, page 1). One thing I said that day and would like to see reported is the idea for the park started with Parks Commissioner Brian Scheuch, who I said was the father of the park, along with his friend BJ Carol. Thank you, Ollie Iversen La Conner Parks Commissioner...
