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I have several questions regarding the position of superintendent of schools. Why does a person who has a doctorate in education need a “coach” and for how long? Who employs and pays for this coach? What credentials are necessary to be a coach? On what subjects does the coach offer advice? Is there any sort of supervisory or management instruction required for a doctorate degree in education? If not, why? The answers may help us understand the dynamics of what is happening on our schools. Barbara Hammer La Conner...
Wood Weiss is used to taking big steps. The Fire District 13 assistant chief is a regular participant in the annual Columbia Tower Stair Climb in Seattle, a major fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “It’s 69 flights of stairs, over 1,300 steps,” siad Weiss, a chiropractor, firefighter and emergency medical technician. Soon he’ll take a big career step as well, and add another hat – make that, fire helmet – to his resume. Weiss has been tabbed by District 13 Commiss...
The bleachers of Jack Whittaker Field were filled July 2 for the Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps final practice performance. The show marked an end of the two weeks the band had been occupying La Conner schools facilities. John Lennon’s “Imagine” was a crowd pleaser, leaving some in the audience teary eyed. It was an impressive show from the group. Members range from age 14 to 21, and all play a part in the group’s multi-part show. The group left the next morning, embarking on their 1...
He has alternately been a Port of Skagit manager, Town Councilmember, Mayor of La Conner, and Skagit County Treasurer. And a dishwasher and real estate agent. Plus a U.S. Navy captain. Now, just 16 months shy of his 90th birthday, Dan O’Donnell has embraced the role as La Conner’s man of letters. Refusing to make concessions to age, O’Donnell remains a frequent contributor to the La Conner Weekly News Letters to the Editor section, as he did previously with the Channel Town Press. O’Don...
La Conner bared its soul during Fourth of July festivities here on Thursday. Make that Souls. A string of Kia Souls, the hip boxy car designed for millennials, was among the highlights of a colorful, briskly-paced 15-minute downtown Independence Day Parade, which set in motion a full-day local celebration of America’s 243rd birthday. One of the Souls carried the company’s popular mascot – a hamster said to symbolize Kia’s goal of delivering motorists from the humdrum of life on an exerc...
CLARIFICATION July 17, 2019 Citizens planning or considering write in campaigns for La Conner Town or School District positions will file for the November election. There is no primary for these offices. Skagit County’s Election Office has write in candidate guidelines. No La Conner primary The 18 day primary voting period starts Friday. It ends August 6 across Washington for local offices where at least three candidates are running. There is no primary for the Town of La Conner’s mayoral or two council seats or the four of five La Conner Sch...
I am concerned. To use the metaphor of a F/V (fishing vessel), our La Conner School District is currently running like a boat whose crew and Captain are misaligned, this of course quite dangerous on many levels. A no confidence vote with the goal to have the Captain leave the boat is extreme. A Captain that does not develop courage and leadership in its crew suffers from a dysfunctional environment. They all experience a loss in morale, and by virtue, income. Worse, they risk the potential sinking of the ship. I have listened to various entitie...
The Navy is again moving full steam ahead to expand operations in Puget Sound, and indeed, along the Pacific coast from Alaska to California. Its Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement shows a disregard for the Sound’s Southern Resident Killer Whale populations, other marine wildlife and humans committed to the health of these animal populations. That disregard extends to the human population that interacts with the military. That disregard includes a lack of concern for current challenges to the Navy’s assessment of its operation on ani...
Lucky us: Bellingham TheatreWorks has roosted in the Fairhaven Arts and Events Center this July. Here’s hoping that their summer repertory theatre blossoms annually. Six nights a week, through July 28, superb community theatre, fueled by staff and students from Western Washington University and their alumni and friends, perform plays: “Wit,” by Margaret Edson; “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” by Tennessee Williams; and “The Clean House”, by Sarah Ruhl. Two won Pulitzers and Ruhl’s was a finalist. Death is a theme in each, most obviously in “W...
In recent weeks it has been unavoidable to draw numerous parallels between the present abuses of power in local school politics and the outrageous behavior by our nation’s executive branch. Please consider the following roster of eleven examples of such abuse: 1. Withholding of critical documents. 2. Insufficient checks on executive black-and-white thinking by insiders. 3. Claims of intellectual superiority and competence. The tyranny of the enduring public relations myth by claiming to be the “smartest person in the room.” 4. Elimi...
