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There will not be a recall election against three Skagit County officials. The Washington state Supreme Court ruled unanimously against Cody Hart Aug. 29, finding the charges in his petitions against Prosecuting Attorney Richard Weyrich, Auditor Sandra Perkins and Sheriff Donald McDermott to be legally and factually insufficient. The nine judges concluded Hart’s petition failed “to specify substantial conduct clearly amounting to misfeasance, malfeasance or violation of the oath of office” as he alleged. Hart had lost in Snohomish County Super...
Cruising over from Shelter Bay for scoops of ice cream at O'Neil's Confectionery and Soda Fountain seems the perfect way to end a Labor Day afternoon in La Conner. And what better way to putter over, literally, than in a bright red mini tugboat complete with to-scale tire fenders? That is what Keri and Michael Palasz did about 5 p.m. Monday. Rum raisin was her first choice while he was planning on mint chocolate chip. Keri was piloting their recently acquired boat, bringing it into La Conner's...
She has owned a downtown bookstore, helped found the town's senior center and written accounts of La Conner history and her memoir. Janna Gage, who hails from a pioneer Skagit County family, is now ready for her next chapter. Seaport Books, which she and Marion Melville launched in 2017, is listed for sale. "We're not retired," quipped Gage, a 1958 La Conner High School graduate and class valedictorian. "We're just tired." But not so weary that Gage can't imagine taking on a new project or...
The U.S. Navy has until May 1 to present a new environmental impact statement on effects of noise from the EA-18G Growler jets based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones set the deadline in his Aug. 16 ruling and termed the Navy's failings serious violations of the National Environmental Policy Act requiring a new EIS. He noted, "[T]his Court found that the Navy 'selected methods of evaluating data that supported its goal of increasing Growler operations'...
The countdown is on for 10-9-1 – as in Oct. 9, First Street shifts to one-way southbound traffic. The official deadline for changing the downtown traffic pattern, which includes the block of Commercial Street in front of Maple Hall, was announced at the Aug. 27 La Conner Town Council meeting. "We don't want this date to be a surprise," Town Assistant Planner Ajah Eills said. "We're going to do a big information campaign in September, getting the word out on kiosks, at the library, and h...
The 2 inches of rain on Aug. 23-24 was the most precipitation during an 11-day period that totaled 2.6 inches, the month's entire rainfall. Only 2016's 2.9 inches and the 6.3 inches in 2004 were higher for August this century. The rain was 113% above, 1.4 inches over, the century's average of 1.2 inches. There has been an inch or more of rain 10 years since 2000 but only three Augusts since 2015. Of the eight years with less than half an inch of rain, four have been since 2017, including 0.5...
Thousands of cloudspotters around the world will look up on Friday, Sept. 13, so they can submit photos online for the third annual Cloud Appreciation Day. Anyone, anywhere, can take part for free by photographing their sky and submitting an image for the 2024 Memory Cloud Atlas website. Cloud Appreciation Day and the Memory Cloud Atlas are initiatives of the Cloud Appreciation Society, which has more than 64,000 members in 120 countries. People around the world can submit an image in real time...
14 issues printed since July 5, 2017. 15 weeks to paper’s final issue This is written on a damp day, a cool and gray Monday, Labor Day. It is very fall-like, as it was a couple of weeks ago, when the skies were also overcast, the rain kept coming down and temperatures barely topped 60 degrees. Fall’s appearance always seem sudden to me, a surprise. It should not be. Sept. 1 is the start of meteorological fall, as clear and certain on the calendar as the equinox (almost) three weeks from now. And the weather has turned, even if we will be tea... Full story
Most electric vehicle (EV) charging takes place at home. But, what if you’re not home? Suppose that Jenelle and I decide to go to Portland, Ore., with a detour to Multnomah Falls, for a weekend of scenic hiking and sneaker shopping, capped off with a couple of Portland’s giant donuts. It’s a 260-mile trip from La Conner to Multnomah Falls, plus 30 more miles into Portland, plus some driving around to Big Sneaker stores and the donut shop, before heading to a hotel. Then, there’ll probabl...
Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month honors those hardworking individuals who make the world a more interesting place through their narratives and other creative works of art. The month was established in 1984 by Lone Star Publishing of San Antonio, Texas. Show your appreciation: find a writer or editor you like and tell them thanks, instruct Bellevue University library staff members. It is also day four of Library Card Sign-up Month. Go to the library to get one. Source: The internet...
The Aug. 21 editorial stated that the Town of La Conner bought the Jenson property for $169,000 and that it is landlocked. The purchase price was $60,000. There is access by a 15-foot wide easement from S. Fourth Street. The editor regrets these mistakes....
Elaine Stewart, longtime resident of Skagit County, passed away July 31 with family by her side, leaving behind a legacy of service, dedication and love. Following the untimely death of her mother, Elaine lived with the Diehl family, graduating Bellingham High School, class of 1949. After graduation, she went to visit the Stewart family on Decatur Island. It was there she met her husband, Robert Alan Stewart. They married in 1949, living for a time on the historic property before moving to Anacortes. Elaine worked as a meat wrapper, retiring...
A celebration of life will be held for Mike Chevalier from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Shelter Bay clubhouse. Soft liquor will be served and Santo Coyote will cater a taco bar. Please come and share a favorite story about Mike....
Communication was the key word when the La Conner High School girls' soccer team opened preseason workouts last week. The hope is that by season's end, the rebuilding Braves program will be the talk of the perennially tough NW2B League. "The feedback we're getting is that our communication on the field is much improved," second year head coach Maddie Huscher said. "We've really stepped up with that all over the field, on offense and defense." Huscher and assistant coaches Robert Hancock and...
Defense was its calling card a year ago. This season the La Conner High School boys' soccer team is counting on its best defense being a strong offense. "We'll be more focused on attacking," head coach Galen McKnight told the Weekly News Friday afternoon as his club wrapped up its first week of preseason workouts. "Last year we played a lot of close matches, with 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2-type scores," he said. "I think we can build on that but also play more aggressively on offense." One reason for the...
The Skagit Women's Alliance Network and its leadership award nominees gathered here Aug. 29 for a two-hour meet-and-greet at the La Conner Civic Garden Club. Nominees for annual SWAN awards were honored guests at the historic venue, which proved an ideal setting. That's because one of the honorees has lifelong ties to the community. La Conner High School alum and Swinomish Tribal Community elder Janie Beasley has been nominated for the 2024 SWAN Lifetime Achievement Award. Her nomination is...
The Skagit County Commissioners will host a hearing at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 9, on a moratorium on new permits for event venues on Skagit County agricultural land. The moratorium clarified that permissible tourism-related activity on Skagit farmland does not include permanent businesses that conduct large events, such as weddings and concerts. This hearing will take public comment only on the moratorium and existing business activities and enforcement. The board will consider a permanent ordinance later. The public can comment in person in the...
BrewFest this Saturday, Sept. 4, 2-7 p.m., is hosted by the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce and located at South First Street and West Broadway. Come for cold beer, cider and wine, delicious food and music by The Chris Eger Band, Eden and Friends for the Ghost. Pair that with leisure games, a view of the Skagit River and you are guaranteed to have a blast. Your $37 ticket includes six samples. Tickets: mountvernonchamber.com/. It is still a fundraiser for the Lincoln Theatre Foundation....
Mark your calendars for these upcoming arts and entertainment activities. Join local poet Susan Rich for an introduction to writing poetry about visual art, 4-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Museum of Northwest Art. You’ll have the opportunity to have your work published on MoNA’s website and to read it at Poetry Open Mic on Sept. 28. RSVP: monamuseum.org/events/poetry-writing. La Conner Live 2024 Free Summer Concert Series continues in Gilkey Square wraps up with a final show at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, at First and Morris streets. Come...
Gubernatorial candidates Bob Ferguson and Dave Reichert will face off in two, hour-long debates this month. Ferguson, the Democratic state attorney general and Reichert, a Republican former congressman, will meet Sept. 10 in Seattle and then eight days later in Spokane. These will be the first and possibly only, opportunities for the state’s nearly five million voters to see and hear the candidates discuss their policies side by side ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Ferguson, a former member of the King County Council, was first elected a...
TOWN OF LA CONNER NOTICE OF SUMMARY ORDINANCE 1250 Notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of La Conner, Washington, passed Ordinance No. 1250 at the August 27, 2024 Town Council meeting. A summary of Ordinance No. 1250 is as follows: An Ordinance amending Titles 5 of the La Conner’s Uniform Development Code Complete copies of Ordinance No. 1250 are available at La Conner Town Hall, P.O. Box 400, La Conner, WA 98257 Dated this 29th Day of August, 2024 /s/ ____________ Maria DeGoede, Town Clerk Published in the La Conner W...
These are refrigerator pickles. An easy recipe when there are extra green tomatoes in your garden. You prepare the green tomatoes, prepare the brine and assemble. The result is a crunchy hot pickle. Makes 3 pints. Ingredients Green tomatoes, cut, 4 cups Jalapenos, 2 or 3 Garlic, 6 cloves White vinegar (5% acidity), 1 cup Water, 1 cup Canning salt, 1 teaspoon Preparation Rinse tomatoes, cut off stem end. Cut into halves or chunks. Use sterilized pint canning jars. Cut jalapenos into fourths....
HEADS UP The La Conner wastewater treatment plant will close at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 6 to septage hauling, yard waste dumping and compost pickup. The plant is expected to be closed most of the day. NOT TO BE MISSED Saturday with the Mayor, it’s open mic. Come and talk with Mayor Marna Hanneman at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 at the La Conner Swinomish Library. Join local poet Susan Rich for a short introduction to writing poetry about visual art, 4-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Museum of Northwest Art. Get inspired surrounded by art and o...
Nancy Llewellyn may not have known it at the time, but her years at La Conner High School in the late 1960s and early 1970s were a prescription for future success. A positive prognosis was quite apparent even then to fellow students and faculty members alike, all of whom admired her keen academic skills, especially gifts for solving tough math problems and writing bold pieces for the campus newspaper. The 1972 La Conner grad would go on to medical school at the University of Washington and a sub...
