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One year and a global pandemic couldn’t wipe out a La Conner tradition more than a century in the making. The annual Skagit County Pioneer Association Picnic and General Meeting resumes tomorrow at Pioneer Park after the 2020 gathering was nixed due to the COVID-19 crisis. The much-anticipated event, a fixture here on the first Thursday in August, starts at 11 a.m. After the 12-month hiatus induced by the pandemic, a period that also saw major restoration work at the park in the aftermath of s...
The La Conner Town Council approved an agreement with Landed Gentry for the partial extinguishment of the easement the developer owns across the town’s Maple Avenue park property at its in-person meeting July 27, attended by some 30 masked residents. Gentry, acting as Maple Field, LLC, extinguished only the ingress and egress provisions, its right to pave across the northeast corner of the new town park. The 5-0 vote was preceded by comments from Town Administrator Scott Thomas, who called it “more of a clean-up agreement.” Town Planner Micha...
The development of the 10 home Maple Field subdivision began Wednesday July 25, with knocking down – demolishing – the backstop, dugouts, fencing and storage shed of the Maple Avenue ballpark. Shortly after 1 p.m. excavator construction equipment and a truck carrying a 40 yard dumpster pulled onto the property. By the end of the afternoon, the eastside fence and structures were pulled down and the debris hauled away. La Conner little leaguers played on the field this spring. All evid...
Medical experts from the federal Centers for Disease Control are calling the surge of coronavirus cases across the United States “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.” Almost all new cases of COVID-19 are among people who have declined to get vaccinated. Most vaccinated people testing positive, the breakthrough cases, are asymptomatic or their illness is mild. Mask mandates are again in front of us. Public health officers of most Puget Sound countries, but not Skagit, are recommending everyone wear masks in indoor public settings – res...
At the end of their arduous trek across the country, Lewis and Clark were sitting around their campfire with the roar of the surf of the Pacific in the background when Lewis said, “I’ve been thinking.” Clark replied, “Not again. What are you thinking about this time?” “Well” Lewis said, “I’ve been thinking about these remarkable fish, the salmon. They are beautiful and good to eat. And they regularly come into the rivers from the ocean. Then they are so easy to catch. They swim from the ocean up to tiny streams where they started life, dig...
We all need to make informed decisions about masks and vaccinations based on reputable scientific data, and we also need to make those decisions based on legitimate behavioral research and data. (yale.edu) Research and casual experience show that people can influence their peers’ behavior through their own words and actions. A recent Associated Press article gave an example this. It shared an avowed anti-vaxxer’s response to contracting a severe case of COVID-19. He expressed his sheer terror at not being able to breathe and being put on a ven...
ANACORTES — Due to seasonal low water flow conditions in the Skagit River, the City of Anacortes and Skagit Public Utility District water customers are being asked to voluntarily reduce their water use by 10%. The Washington State Department of Ecology has established minimum instream flows for the Skagit River. These minimum flow levels fluctuate throughout the year and are designed to protect fish habitat. The Skagit River is a primary source of water for Anacortes, La Conner and Skagit PUD. When the water in the Skagit River falls...
Its construction nearly a half century ago helped transform La Conner from what former Town Councilman Michael Hood once termed a “stubborn stagnation” into a bustling, popular destination whose residents are envied by the many visitors who descend here from around the globe. Now, as it approaches late middle age, the La Conner wastewater treatment plant is in line for a major makeover within the next decade. “This is nothing new,” Mayor Ramon Hayes said of mandated and age-necessitated plant upgrades for which Town officials have been bracing...
The two-time defending state champion La Conner High School volleyball team is already laying the foundation for a post-COVID fall net campaign. La Conner players did so by sweeping a traditional cornerstone event – the Burlington-Edison Invitational Summer Tournament – in late July. The Lady Braves, limited to a shortened, primarily NW2B spring schedule because of pandemic restrictions, made the most of their opportunity to match up at Burlington opposite teams from larger enrollment schools. La Conner defeated Nooksack Valley,...
Marty Pease is the new president of the Rotary Club of La Conner, starting July 1, taking over from Christi King. Other members of the club’s leadership team for 2021-22 are: Adam McGarity, president-elect; Connie Milliken, vice president; Christi King; past president; Pam Narron, secretary; Don Wolf, treasurer; David Tracy, foundation president; Pam Narron, foundation vice president; Carol Johnson; youth service director; Karen Ryan, international service director; Jerry Willins, club service director; Patsy Good, community service d...
Monday, July 26 2:13 p.m.: Oversensitive person – Dog was reported inside a vehicle. Deputy checked and dog was in shade, had water and all windows to car were down. S. 1st St., La Conner. 3:25 p.m.: No help here – Fraudulent activity occurred in Florida. McLean Rd., Greater La Conner. 9:57 p.m.: Dinghy got help – Out crabbing near Hope Island in a small dinghy when the motor quit working. They were able to get assistance and the Sheriff’s Office did not respond. Hope Island, Greater La Conner. 10:04 p.m.: Independent minded &...
A few years back, Valter Pavoni bought some Tesla stock. Then he named his new dog Tesla. Next came a Tesla car. Now, the Pleasant Ridge resident and his wife Eva are the proud owners of the first Tesla solar roof in Washington state. A Tesla solar roof is made up of 15-inch x 45-inch tempered glass tiles. On the west and south sides of the Pavoni house, most, but not all, tiles contain photovoltaic cells that generate 12-volt DC power, which is converted to 120-volt AC power by inverters on...
We are once again growing zucchini, summer squash, winter squash and pumpkins. The blossoms are bright and beautiful when I enter our garden gate. Many thanks to Lynn Beebe for generously sharing zucchini and summer squash starts. Unexpectedly, they were offered when most of our garden was planned. We quickly ordered another raised bed from our neighbor Brian Cladoosby, who builds them in his spare time. We also had to cut back blackberries growing through the garden fence to place the seventh r...
