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Skagit County Public Health reported 119 new coronavirus cases Friday and a total of 305 new cases Aug. 9-13 on its website. The state Department of Health reports 285 newly diagnosed cases per 100,000 county residents for the two weeks through Aug. 8. The county titled an Aug. 11 news release “Case Counts/Hospitalizations Continuing to Increase in Skagit County.” The previous one week high was 266 new infections per 100,000 county residents Jan 8-14, at the end of the Christmas holidays. Monday 68 new COVID-19 cases were reported, bringing Aug...
A time came when Lorraine Loomis figured there was a better way to earn a living than toiling at double shifts as a fish processor. She was right. There was a better way. It just wasn’t easier. If anything, becoming a long tenured “salmon warrior” was much harder – but a career that Loomis embraced and now provides a legacy destined to have an impact for generations to come, due to her diligence and perseverance. The longtime director of the Swinomish Tribal Community Fisheries progr...
New La Conner School Superintendent Will Nelson cannot stress enough the value of doing one’s homework. That goes for him as well as the nearly 600 students he and school district staff will greet this fall as La Conner transitions from on-line and hybrid instructional models employed last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. School board members chose Nelson this past spring following a rigorous selection process to succeed Rich Stewart as the district’s lead administrator. Nelson had been director of equity and student success at Arl...
The last item on the Aug. 10 La Conner Town Council agenda was a resolution for the Town to approve deferring a payment of $48,000 from the new library to the town for seven years, a fee for the building lacking 10 parking spaces required by code. Councilmember Bill Stokes immediately called to table the item, saying he needed more budget information. Planner Michael Davolio stood and explained the library could not get its permit to build without resolving the payment. Library representatives had met with the staff and Davolio had written...
The La Conner Weekly News published a table May 12 showing that the Town of La Conner made a profit of $8,075 on the sale of the Hedlin property. Now that the Hedlin ball field troubles are all over, let us take a look at the transaction. The cash basis closing statement shows that the Town netted $117,034 on the sale. Then, subtract $37,000 for a second option, plus an appraisal at $3,500 and a survey at $5,500 and you get $71,034. I think that wound up in the General Fund. Staff time and the paving of an easement are not counted. The Town...
While at the Skagit County Fair last week, I did a double take when I walked by a booth staffed by Skagit County Republicans. Two over-sized signs dominated their red, white and blue themed booth; you couldn’t miss them if you tried. The first read: “Rural Americans Against Communism.” What? Just rural Americans? What about suburban Americans? Urban Americans? All Americans? It’s inarguable that Americans of every political stripe, race, gender, ethnicity and religious affiliation stand against communism; this is not a partisan issue in a de...
Thank you Ken Stern for alerting us to the possibility of Fully Contained Communities popping up in this beautiful agriculture valley. The county commissioners “docketed” a change to the County’s comprehensive plan in May, which if enacted could change the farming/fishing culture forever. If developers are given the green light to construct these FCCs they would suck services and infrastructure like fire, schools, water and sewers from towns and cities that we taxpayers have already paid for and continue to maintain. They could line the freew...
RE: Application File # LU21-45CU Project Location: 623 Morris Street, Units E-1 and E-2 Mr. Davolio, Mayor Hayes, Councilmembers: I am writing for your consideration to not allow the proposed conditional use permit to change the use of two commercial units to guesthouse/guest rental for the above application file # LU21-45CU. The town of La Conner is a vibrant and diverse community with a vibrant and diverse mix of retail, commercial, residential and rental properties. It is known that the town does not have enough commercial units to keep the...
Monday Mayor Ramon Hayes issued a resolution requiring masks, social distancing and a daily health assessment for anyone entering Town Hall, Maple Hall or the Civic Garden Center, town facilities. Each requirement has a list of safety protocols to follow, with 11 for exceptions to wearing masks. The resolution lists eight statements about the persistence and threat of the COVID-19 pandemic to “the life and health of residents and visitors to La Conner as well as the economy of La Conner businesses” and the need to keep town employees safe. Tow...
Dear Councilmembers: Wohleb, Chamberlain, Brunisholz, Leaver and Stokes; Mayor Hayes; Planner Davolio and Administrator Thomas: I read with alarm the La Conner Weekly News editorial on the “Contained Communities” amendment the Skagit County Planning Commission is considering. I spent considerable time trying to find hard dates on public hearings and the proposal itself. There already exists a long list of public comments regarding this matter in their web site and a general time line, but I cannot yet find dates for future hearings posted. I i...
There are certain moments that stick with me. One of those moments happened a few weeks ago at one of the Masses in Spanish at the Catholic Church in Mount Vernon. As the Eucharistic Prayer began, I noticed a three-year-old wander out into the middle of the aisle. She started spinning in a circle, a slow spinning, around and around and around. Her mother became aware of it and she reached out for her. But, without interrupting her swirl, she stepped back from her mother and kept spinning, around and around and around. Again, her mother reached...
Lavone May Newell-Reim passed away at her home on Fir Island, Skagit County, surrounded by her loving family. She was the 4th of 10 children born to Charlie and Vera Stone in Galesburg, Kansas. The Stone family moved to the upper Skagit Valley in 1941 where she spent most of her childhood in a cabin located on a 40-acre stump ranch along the Skagit River, facing Sauk Mountain. After graduation from Concrete High School, Lavone married Harold Trueman and moved to the farm in Lyman where they...
Elizabeth Rubenstein’s love of baking has proved to be a recipe for success after having lost her job during the COVID-19 economic shutdown last year. Her “Good Eats, Sweet Treats” promotional banner and product line of artisan cookies have opened eyes as well as taste buds in La Conner and throughout Skagit Valley this summer. The new business venture, every bit a mission, is a collaborative effort among partners designed to provide a meaningful career for Rubenstein, who has Down syndrome, whi...
Every four years, Maggie Wilder finds herself weeping during the Olympics. “I’m moved by the glory of it and that I never won anything,” she said. “I always wonder what that would feel like.” Knowing that qualifying for the high hurdles was out of the question, Wilder suggested to her sister Georgia Johnson that they enter pies in the Skagit County Fair. “I wanted to win something in a friendly competitive way,” said Wilder, “and what could be friendlier than the fair?” When the judging was o...
I received the call on the morning of the 23rd of July to mobilize the tender and could not find anyone who would or could take the un-airconditioned beast to eastern Washington, so the job fell to me. Within hours I was headed to the Grand Coulee. The first fire we fought was the Northrup Canyon Fire. We mostly did mop up of any hotspots. In fact, that is a common job of strike teams: to finish corralling the fire and making sure it does not re-kindle. This is why strike teams often jokingly re...
After an earlier burglary, a sting was in order at Skagit County Fire District 13 Station 1 in Summit Park. Which is exactly what transpired last month – only it happened by chance. Thieves trying to break into the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trailer were thwarted by a hornet’s nest, assistant chief Jamie Jurdi told fire commissioners during their monthly meeting last Friday. “They tried to break in,” said Jurdi, “but there was a hornet’s nest that deterred them.” Jurdi and district fire chief Wood Weiss said no entry was g...
Monday, August 9 12:33 p.m.: Still not fooled – Caller reported a suspicious phone call from an attorney. The caller believed it was her ex-husband. N. 3rd St., La Conner. 6:44 p.m.: Her hot news – Cold vehicle prowl. Suspect broke a window and stole the caller’s purse. Bay View Edison Rd., Greater La Conner. Tuesday, August 10 7:21 a.m.: Hit and ran – Deputies investigating a cold hit and run property damage accident. The suspect vehicle was located unoccupied. Investigation continuing. S. 3rd St., La Conner. 11:20 p.m.: N...
This year is a good year for peaches. We travel over the Cascade Mountains on occasion and on the return trip we stop at Thorpe’s Fruit Stand along I-90. The fruit we buy depends on the season. Auntie Polly Cayou appreciates us bringing her a box of fruit. We bring her fruit as a gift. Taking care of aunties is very important. There are close bonds in our tribal culture with our aunties. They are like mothers to us. Even at my age, it’s good to have an auntie who appreciates a visit and gif...
