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July 1 started a new month and was the day Will Nelson was sworn in as La Conner’s new school superintendent at a school board meeting called for that purpose. Board chair Susie Deyo called it a very special day, “obviously,” for the school district and for Nelson. She asked Lynette Cram, the longest serving board member, to administer the oath to Nelson. “Excited” was the word most repeated Nelson said he was “super excited to be a part of the community here. I am excited to start the journey...
For three or four days, Dean Swanson could hear the corn grow. The corn he planted Saturday, June 26 was up four days later. Stalks that was already a foot tall doubled in a week. “It was fun to watch things grow so fast,” he said. “Like they say in the Midwest, you could hear it!” Meanwhile, Swanson’s raspberries took it on the chin. He estimates the heat bleached about 20 percent of his crop, mostly berries on the west side of north-south rows. Kai Ottesen saw the same phenomenon at Hedlin Fa...
Is La Conner blessed to have a cadre of concerned citizens, an ever shifting but attentive segment of our population who insist on saying “wait,” “stop” and “no,” or even “no more?” In December 2017, a group of the board of directors of the Museum of Northwest Art resigned and were critically questioning the administrative and financial management of Director Christopher Shainin. A public meeting to discuss the museum’s future in February 2018 brought a critical crowd and a robust discussion of the museum’s problems. Shainin resigned th...
Based on the many comments by neighbors and friends, opposition to developing the Hedlin Play Field is abundantly clear. Additionally, comments at the June 22 town council meeting identified critical issues that are problematic and need to be addressed, including, but not limited to: • possible litigation costs relative to the original deed covenants • traffic and parking issues related to the proximity to Maple Avenue and Hedlin Farms “When you find yourself in a hole, quit digging” – Will Rogers A Path Forward: • Dev...
Dear Citizens: On June 29th, the planner granted an administrative variance from on-site parking requirements for a North First Street project that has five visitor units facing the water on first floor and three residences upstairs on First Street. (There is also a laundry there with its requirements.) The location is commercially zoned but not historic and is between Channel Lodge and the Harlans’residence. From our code. 15.10.1230 Variance “Variance” means the means by which an adjustment is made in the application of a specified regul...
Lytton, BC burns while La Conner, WA fiddles. Grass fires caused by irresponsible fireworks on the westside of the Swinomish Channel threaten the community. Response by the fire department may have saved destruction. Canadian brothers and sisters of the local Swinomish nation were devastated. The local land and the culture are reduced and scarred by the blackened ground and the fireworks waste left behind. Perhaps, the elders have forgotten how to teach, or, perhaps, they receive no respect. Thankfully, the tribal backhoe is not digging graves...
On June 22 the Town Council’s agenda for their meeting was to include a public safety discussion. It was tabled until there could be a representative from the Skagit County Sheriff’s office there. It is supposed to be part of the agenda for the next meeting, held on July 13th at 6 p.m. This will be the first in person meeting since the pandemic closed everything. I want to encourage everyone to attend to voice their concerns about the public safety issue in town. The current contract with the Skagit County Sheriff’s office is due to expir...
Recent La Conner High School graduates MacQuaid Hiller and Avery Sloniker enjoyed one last hurrah last week as they closed out their school careers here before taking the next step on their life’s journey. Hiller and Sloniker, graduated June 18 in commencement exercises at Whittaker Field, but were recognized by the school board June 28 for serving as student representatives during a year marked by on-line and hybrid instructional models employed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Board members expressed appreciation for Hiller’s and Slonike...
For five years, the Diaper Bank of Skagit County has been their baby. Now Shelter Bay residents Calista and Dean Scott have adopted it out to be part of the United Way family. All parties are happy with the new arrangement. “We’re very pleased an organization like United Way of Skagit County saw the value to keep it going,” Dean Scott told the Weekly News June 28, the day before formally turning the rapidly growing diaper bank over to a nonprofit network known for investing in a wide range of community needs. At its inception, the Scotts distr...
Author Cheryle Coapstick has garnered strong reviews for a spot-on depiction of her birthplace, fishing hub and former Russian colonial city Sitka, Alaska, in her latest book, a compelling account of her extraordinary family. Local readers will no doubt also recognize a La Conner influence through the pages of “Alaska’s Firy”. That is by design. Coapstick, after all, is a 1967 La Conner High grad now living in Mount Vernon. Scenes in “Alaska’s Firy” set at the Sitka Café and Sitka Sentinel newspaper office are reminiscent of those that...
Monday, June 28 12:12 p.m.: Lone star tale – Caller reported they received a call claiming they had a warrant out of Texas and needed to pay the caller in gift cards. Pearle Jensen Way., La Conner. 5:29 p.m.: Too fast downhill – Caller reported a skateboarder ran into his vehicle while driving. No damage to the vehicle and no injuries to the skateboarder. Washington Ave. / S. 2nd St., La Conner. Wednesday, June 30 4:52 a.m.: Early window shopper – Report of a male looking into windows in the area. Deputies checked for the...
Skagit County recorded 32 new COVID-19 cases the last two weeks of June. These are the lowest weekly totals since Sept. 2020. The state Department of Health reports 48.3 cases per 100,000 residents in the last two weeks, through July 1. There has been a steady decline in new cases since May 1, the result of county residents getting vaccinated at an increasing rate. Through June 30, 149,680 total doses have been given to Skagit County residents, DOH reports, while 62.7% of all Skagitonians 12...
My husband received fresh shrimp from a co-worker recently that was reportedly harvested in the San Juan Islands. In the shell they looked a decent size. Once shelled, they looked a bit smaller. Then cooked, they looked quite small. Small, but tasty! Ingredients Fresh shrimp Water Butter Lemon (optional) Preparation The fresh shrimp we received already had their heads and any eggs removed. Using your fingers, crack open the shrimp on the underbelly. Carefully pull the shrimp out of the shell,...
La Conner’s once again annual July 4th parade started up First Street shortly after noon – 12:20 p.m., actually – Sunday, greeted by spectator cheers and applause. On this picture perfect weather day – it was 70 degrees at noon and 76 degrees at 4 p.m. – everyone, paraders and attendees, was smiling, with many on both sides decked out in red, white and blue in all kinds of permutations, from head to toe. Locals arrived early with their chairs, staking out prime space a...
