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The late singer-songwriter Harry Chapin, who gave away half his concert proceeds to fight hunger, once penned a song entitled “Circle.” Arin Magill can relate. Magill, who helped launch the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank more than a decade ago, is returning to the pantry on Friday, July 1 as its director. “I’m coming back full circle,” Magill told the Weekly News June 25 during an outdoor farewell reception for her predecessor, Nicole Barclay-Mosaner. She is going home to her native New Zealand a...
Higher than ever. The Town of La Conner's May sales tax revenues were $69,866, setting oodles of records: the first May report over $60,000; the earliest month topping $60,000 and 20% above the 2021 record of $ 58,287, $11,579 more. Last year the first month sales tax revenues topped $60,000 was August, itself a record. The $255,121 in sales tax to date is almost 52% of the year’s projected budget, topping 50% in five months. Motel/hotel and firetruck sales tax revenues were also monthly records, with $12,633 and $6,985 collected, r...
Make way for the new sheriff in town. Sgt. Beau Montgomery has succeeded Sgt. Jenny Sheahan-Lee, who retired in May. His position as sergeant at the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office La Conner began June 1. Even though his roots are in eastern Washington, working in Skagit County for the last five years has given Montgomery the opportunity to spend time in La Conner both professionally, as a patrol duty, and in his off-duty time visiting. “La Conner is a great community,” Montgomery said, “I lo...
Monday is July 4, our country's 246th birthday. When the Declaration of Independence was read aloud in 1776, it was the first time the public – and people worldwide – heard, "We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America." A new country – ours – was born, birthed in revolution and won through war. Its leaders, assembled into a congress, were long upset with King George III. They understood they needed "To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world." And they did, stating their case for sepa...
Poor John Cline; he seems to be unhappy that La Conner Weekly News isn’t in lockstep with the right-wing element of his preferred political party. I don’t know John, but if I did here are a few questions that I would pose to him. Each of these talking points is prefaced with the question; Are you proud of your affiliation with the GOP for any of these facts of historic events? George W. Bush’s fifteen year incursion into Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction, where nearly 5,000 U.S. service members lost their lives, began in 2003....
After reading John Cline’s letter of June 22, I reread the June 15 editorial, “Rule of Law or Mob Rule.” I found it interesting that while the Republican Party is never called out, his letter is a full-throated defense of that party and what it has become in these times. Many observers of recent events, especially those who have viewed the Jan. 6 Congressional hearings, see that the party has morphed from its conservative foundations into the party of Trump, a party without any democratic (small “d”) moorage. The Republican witnesses before th...
I see you're still at it Mr. Stern! Oh, how the liberals love the blame game. Obama blamed Bush. Biden blames Trump. And you sir, as recently as your diatribe June 15, continue to blame Trump for the January 6 incident: "... attempted coup unleashed by then-president Donald Trump." And "... Donald Trump worked to overthrow the government ... ." And "There is the United States flag or the Trump nation flag.” Oh my. Mr. Stern, our current worst-ever president and his handlers have given us the following "achievements" including: Record high a...
I read John Cline’s letter in last week’s Weekly News, in which he accused editor Ken Stern of indiscriminately bashing Republicans. I then reread Stern’s editorial. It warned of the danger of mob rule and disrespect for the law. Not once did he use the word “Republican” but Cline, for reasons known only to him, seems to believe that the column is a direct attack on his party and him personally as a Republican. Though Mr. Stern did not bash Republicans, I will be glad to. Here at home, Skagit Republican chair Bill Bruch maintained that the...
On Sunday, June 26, two unknown dogs came onto our family farm and attacked our flock of chickens on our property. Eight chickens were killed and the dogs disappeared before they could be identified. Please leash your dogs and keep an eye on them. As owners, you have a duty to protect others and their property from your animals. Dunlap Family La Conner...
The start of the June 21 La Conner Town Planning Commission meeting, with several residents hound-dogging the coming 306 Center Street condominium proposal conditional use permit decision, was more interesting than the bulk of the 90 minute hybrid session at Maple Hall. Residents Linda Talman, Dan O’Donnell and Jim Matthews and Center Street property owner Georgia Johnson were fervent in their opposition. O’Donnell asked that a 1986 contract rezone between the Town and then property owners Jerry and Donna Blades be formally recorded. Mat...
I have had the extraordinary privilege of developing a very close relationship with the amazing Father William Treacy, who celebrated his 103rd birthday in May. We met through a non-profit and realized that we had very similar values although he is an Irish Catholic priest who grew up in Ireland and I am a New York Jew and the son of holocaust survivors. Father was assigned to a parish in Seattle, where he met the equally progressive Rabbi Raphael Levine and they created the TV series...
Traveling minstrel Topher Holt is no mere one-man band. “I’m my own roadie and sound man,” Holt, 44, told the Weekly News prior to his outdoor concert at the Thousand Trails La Conner RV Resort Thursday night. For 90 minutes he regaled young campers and their parents with popular tunes, witty one-liners, beach balls, scarves and a festive drum line. After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, Holt and his wife, Heather, and their three children opted to Airbnb their family home in Rochester, New Yo...
Genuine Skagit Valley’s Farmstand Fresh campaign is winning applause from La Conner-area participants. The summer promotion seeks to bring visitors to Skagit farmstands between the tulip and fall harvest seasons. When visitors purchase from 16 participating farmstands, they scan the QR code on display and enter a drawing for gift certificates for GSV member restaurants and private classes with local chefs. All Genuine Skagit Valley programs sustain local farming by promoting awareness of the distinct flavors and crops of valley growers and p...
The nightmare scenario for reporters today is watching a nearly completed article vanish from the computer screen, lost in the grasp of cyberspace. Nearly as dire is not receiving time sensitive responses to emailed interview questions, again because the electronic gods chose to defy the sanctity of deadlines. Neither, however, was an issue back in the day, as the kids say. That’s because newspaper composition – as were most writing tasks throughout the business world – was done o...
Learning that the Skagit County Historical Museum has a new exhibit featuring old typewriters, “Hunt and Peck,” I assigned news staffers Bill Reynolds and Marissa Conklin to meet me Friday afternoon at the museum, dragging Bill and me back into our formative years and exposing Marissa to a world so foreign she might as well gotten there by horse and buggy. Marissa was to photograph Bill and me staring at, comparing, oohing and ahhhing, and reflecting on back in our days when we used manual typew...
This is a water bath canning recipe for half-pint jars. I use the Instant Pot to prepare the tomatoes. I also use a hand-cranked food mill to finish processing the tomatoes. 20 medium tomatoes created 6 cups of tomato sauce. This recipe made 13 half-pints. It also took me several hours to make this, as I chose to chop the garlic, onion, cilantro, jalapenos by hand. Each step of this recipe takes time and patience. Everything is prepped the same day, to ensure the freshest of ingredients....
Having spent decades devoted to feeding the hungry, Virginia Good-Vlahovich found herself on the receiving end of praise at the annual “Leaders Inspiring Leaders” forum at Skagit Regional Airport on Saturday, June 25. The 1975 La Conner High School grad was recipient of a special “Community Champion” award at the two-hour program that also featured remarks from former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency Director Robert Gates, a Big Lake resident who, in retirement, has bee...
Sunday, June 19 12:04 p.m.: Attempted prowl – Report of someone attempting to break into a vehicle in the apartment complex parking lot. The prowler did not get into the vehicle. Maple Ave., La Conner. Monday, June 20 3:14 a.m.: Abandoned RV – An RV was left parked unoccupied in the boat launch parking lot. RV was tagged to be removed after 24 hours. Boat Launch Rd., Greater La Conner. Tuesday, June 21 11:33 a.m.: Dog bite – A dog inside a vehicle where it lives bit a visitor on the hand. The person who got bit allowed the dog...
