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The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has been awarded $2.8 million in three grants by the state's Department of Commerce. The Samish Indian Nation will get $1.4 million and the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe $750,000. In total Commerce awarded $52 million in grant funding to support climate resilience for 28 federally recognized tribes within Washington, as well as four federally recognized tribes with lands within the state. The funding is from Washington's Climate Commitment Act.Tribes...
Seattle-area graduate students took a field trip to La Conner and the Swinomish Reservation last Wednesday and afterward gave the Swinomish Tribe high marks for its focus on environmental protection. Dubbed the Climate Impacts Group and led by University of Washington research scientist Rishi Sugla, the students met here with tribal leaders for a daylong tour that included a stop at the Swinomish Clam Garden, the first modern version in the country of an ancient form of aquaculture. The clam...
Few have taken a longer road to historic La Conner United Methodist Church than its new pastor. The Rev. Dr. Jacob Kanake, who assumed pastoral duties here this month, hails from the Kenya Methodist Church, where he served before moving with his family to the United States. The Methodist Church was planted in Kenya, an East African nation and former British colony, in the early 1860s. The Kanakes feel quite at home in Washington, where he has pastored at Colfax and St. John east of the...
La Conner Rotarians thanked the guest speaker at their Monday meeting for being right on the money. Mike Pellicciotti said doing so is merely part of his job as the state's banker. Pellicciotti, who was elected Washington state Treasurer in 2020, shared his roles and goals during a briskly paced La Conner Rotary Club program at Shawn O'Donnell's American Grill & Irish Pub. For Pellicciotti, it was his 55th Rotary Club appearance. "I think it's important to get around to local Rotary clubs," Pell...
Time to cast your ballot! Help get all ballots counted quickly: • Vote and return your ballot now • Sign your ballot envelope • Use a county drop box • Mail your ballot by Aug. 1 Election drop boxes nearby: 614 Morris Street Swinomish Indian Tribal Community: Social Services Building, 17337 Reservation Road. Online voter registration deadline is July 30. Voting information and register to vote at VoteWa.gov. Skagit County Elections: 360-416-1702....
This is going to be hard for our committed Republican neighbors, friends and family members to read, but being in a community and living in a democratic society obligates all of us to accomplish the difficult task of continuing to the end of this editorial. It seems we have been collectively engaged in an agonizing drama these past three weeks. The world watched and without any hesitation universally agreed that President Joe Biden’s performance in his debate with Donald Trump June 28 was a disaster. More than stumbling terribly, he was a p...
It strikes me with the ending of the Biden campaign today that a couple of things are worthy of note. Joe Biden has said right along he is in this to win as recent as just a day or so ago, then he contracted COVID-19, again and ran home to Delaware to regroup. Joe Biden won nearly 100% of the votes for the nomination, only a few voted for others. Did it matter? Nope. So, who is it that decided to overrule the will of the voters in the Democratic Party? Was it Trump? Nope. The Republican party? Nope. We know that Joe Biden didn’t want to give up...
In the 23 years I have lived in Shelter Bay there have been many notable improvements in La Conner, such as the roundabout, the fire station, the La Conner Swinomish Library, Channel Cove, Gilkey Square, the boardwalk and Conner Waterfront Park. However, I have noticed that many projects seem to reach a certain stage and then just stop. Whether this is because of money, permits or lack of will, us common folk don’t know the reason. Maybe others could help me understand why so many projects stall. Here are a few examples of what I am talking a...
Photosynthetic power, that that falls freely from the sun, is captured by the oceans, trees, rocks, leaves, cities, sidewalks and streets. Yeah, the last three are as unnatural as covering perfectly good farmland with solar panels. Solar panels are more appropriate on slopes, like roofs and open rocky south-facing places. Of course, there are farmland ditches that could be creatively covered with them and as you might have guessed, I’ve designed a few different concepts about how to get it done. Our south-sloping dike between La Conner and Plea...
My old MacBook died so I have relied on those pesky PCs at the library. The difference is vast and I stumble at the task, but get by with the aid of the librarians. Then on down the street, Rico and I seek a head of lettuce and find a bib type to blow your mind, Hedlin grown to perfection. As Rico rolls in the grass, scratching his back, I gaze to the north across the flats, a view to enchant the poet or painter, or me and you, my lucky neighbor. Jai Boreen La Conner...
I recently bought a used plug-in hybrid car, a Chevy Volt. After the federal tax credit and Washington licensing fees (EVs are currently exempt from sales tax), it cost about $8,000. I already had a home charger for Jenelle’s Chevy Bolt. If I had needed to install a 240-volt EV charger at home, that would have cost about $2,000 to $3,000 more. Over almost three months, I’ve put a little over 1,800 miles on the Volt, using it as my primary car. It’s a plug-in hybrid, not a pure electric, so it...
A new entrée is part of the menu planned for the former COA restaurant building at Maple and Washington avenues. The site has been home to various eateries over the past half-century, all of them operating as a non-conforming residential use. That could change. The planning commission learned at its July 16 meeting that the new owners of what old-timers call “the old Joe’s Drive-In” want a private fitness club and martial arts studio there. Getting those plans approved could test the applicants’ strength and stamina. Assistant Planner Ajah Eil...
They're thinking nationally and acting locally. Delegates from the Skagit chapter of the League of Women Voters championed a national push to support local journalism and news coverage in Washington, D.C., in June. The Skagit chapter, in fact, had hosted public forums in Mount Vernon on the status of community journalism – purchasing print advertising to promote those meetings – well before the League of Women Voters of the United States overwhelmingly adopted a position in support of local new...
SEATTLE - The League of Women Voters of Washington has its VOTE411.org website up and running with current information for the Aug. 6 primary election. Voters began receiving ballots on July 19 and have until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, to get their ballot postmarked or deposited in an official ballot election box or. VOTE411 is a personalized voter guide that is available to voters across the country. All Washington state races are included. Voters can enter their address and learn instantly which...
Sue Ann Winn, a longtime resident of La Conner, passed away on July 8, 2024, in Mount Vernon at the age of 74. Sue was born in Coupeville on Oct. 8, 1949, to parents "Deb" and Betty Ann Everett. She was raised in Oak Harbor and graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 1967. She was always very social and loved being with her friends. Sue loved the water growing up and spent summers lifeguarding at the local pool. After graduating, she pursued many adventures in and around Seattle before...
There may be no better venue than La Conner Swinomish Library for Scott Petersen, the famed Reptile Man from Monroe, to stage his popular live animal demonstrations. For one thing, the local library's solar panels work just fine and provide an ideal comfort zone for Petersen's collection of cold-blooded critters. And then there's the interactive vibe that defines the two-year-old learning resource center. "We are not a quiet library," insists its director, Jean Markert, whose assessment was...
A month ago, Skagit County Fire District 13 Chief Wood Weiss assigned crews to cover two 12-hour shifts per week at the Summit Park station on a trial basis. Initial reviews are in. So far, so good. “We’ve had some really busy days,” Capt. Chris Olbu told fire commissioners during their July 18 public meeting. “There’s also an increased probability of getting more transports.” Weiss said early returns on the trial program merit its continuation. “The rapid response to the north end of the district has been of benefit to our citizens,” he said....
There are three Skagit County Planning Commissioner terms expiring on August 31, 2024, one in each county commissioner district. The County seeks residents to apply for commissioner seats in their respective districts. Planning commissioners serve four-year terms. The planning commission works with the county’s Planning and Development Services Department and advises the department and the County Commissioners on proposed land use plans and regulations in unincorporated Skagit County. The nine-member planning commission has three appointed f...
Perhaps in the entire theater world no character is as fortunate as Proteus in Shakespeare's' "Two Gentlemen of Verona." He enters in love, with Julia, and his best friend, Valentine. At play's end – spoiler alert – he is betrothed to Julia, with Valentine offering "Come, Proteus, 'tis your penance but to hear/The story of your loves discovered./That done, our day of marriage shall be yours,/One feast, one house, one mutual happiness." Go to Shakespeare's Northwest production of "Ge...
Mark your calendars for these upcoming arts and entertainment activities. Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau at Museum of Northwest Art: We All Transition with Mac Scotty McGregor. 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27. What is it like to see and walk in the world from both the male and female perspectives? Mac will share his gender journey and what it taught him about life, our culture and how it affects our interactions with others. Free. RSVP to monamuseum.org/events/wealltransition. The 24th annual La Conner Classic Boat & Car Show will fill the...
So much is happening at the library this summer! We are very excited to have close to 100 kids signed up for summer reading, which goes through the end of August. Don’t forget to keep filling in your reading logs so you can turn them in at the end of summer for a prize and keep checking the calendar for weekly fun events. We have some great kids’ events coming up. Our first annual Junior Art Walk will take place Aug. 23. The goal this summer is to have fun creating art and exploring various expressions of art. Every Wednesday from 10-11:30 a.m...
YVONNE GALLARDO Why are you seeking office? I am a woman of action with a track record of doing what I preach since 1999. My passion for service has led me to be involved with many organizations that work to support public safety and child welfare, economic development and veterans, like myself and my husband. I believe I am the best candidate for state representative based on my active, extensive and diverse background in public service, notably as a city councilmember, chamber director and...
RON MUZZALL Why are you seeking office? When I was elected, I promised to be a different kind of senator and focus on doing what is best for our district. Every bill I've passed in the last five years has had bipartisan support. It's why I have the support of folks across the political spectrum. Where will significant funding for building "missing middle" housing come from? The Legislature has invested in middle-class housing by way of the housing trust fund. I am proud to have brought millions...
Rhubarb from our garden. The other ingredients I had on hand. I was low on brown sugar and onion, so I asked Kevin to shop while he was running errands. For reference, TBS means tablespoon and tsp means teaspoon. Makes 2 to 3 pints of thick, spicy chutney. Ingredients Rhubarb, 6 cups chopped Onion, 3 cups sliced Raisins, 1 cup Brown sugar, 3 cups (packed) Apple cider vinegar, 2 cups Salt, 1 TBS, kosher Cinnamon, 1 tsp Ground ginger, 1 tsp Mustard seed, 1/2 tsp Ground cloves, 1/2 tsp Red pepper...
NOT TO BE MISSED Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau at Museum of Northwest Art: We All Transition with Mac Scotty McGregor. 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 27. What is it like to see and walk in the world from both the male and female perspectives? Mac will share his gender journey and what it taught him about life, our culture and how it affects our interactions with others. Free. RSVP to monamuseum.org/events/wealltransition. Anacortes Arts Festival, Aug. 2-4. More than 220 artisans will have booths filling Commercial Avenue in downtown...
