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A recent rash of graffiti vandalism in La Conner, where targets have included community hub Maple Hall and a venerable large oak tree, is not so much disturbing for its appearance as it is for who might be responsible. There are indications the tagging might relate to gang activity, Sgt. Jeff Willard, who administers the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office La Conner detachment, said last week. Willard said the numeral “360” spray-painted on the landmark tree near the skate park off North First Street...
August was a dry month. The 0.64” was half this century’s average of 1.24”. There were 11 days without rain starting Aug. 9, then two rain days, with the most rain all month, 0.23”, Aug. 21, followed by eight days without rain. August matched July, which had 0.60” of precipitation. Pretty dry. Except for 0.10” rain on Aug 30-31, there have been 12 days without rain. More than 0.10” rain fell twice, 0.16” on the sixth and 0.23” Aug. 21. 2020 was the fourth driest August in the last 10 years, bu...
La Conner’s first Shop Local, Shop Late last Friday ahead of the Labor Day weekend bought some locals downtown. The largest congregation seen by this reporter was at The Stall, locally owned by Kay Trelstad. About 7 p.m. Jim Airy came out with a bag containing a pair of earrings for his wife Anne. Mary Wohleb was in the store, too, and moments later Barbara Brunisholz emerged from the back with a blue blouse. Trelstad pronounced the evening worthwhile. Bruce Bradburn was staffing FORUM Arts, his...
First, a shout-out to Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra for parking the “41” Fire engine on First Street to attract passersby. Second a salute to Public Works Director Brian Lease for taking extra time to allow access to the electric receptacle under the gazebo at the Washington Street pocket park so our DJ could spin the discs. Thanks to you both! Thanks also to the committee members who put forth effort to help make this happen. Overall, given the timing, limitations to conform to COVID requirements and working with no funding, I think it went qui...
To the Editor, While driving past Little Mountain we decided to check out the new parking lot at the bottom of the hill. Quite impressive, with easy entry and exit and probably enough parking spaces for the next 100 years. The big attraction for the Little Mountain Rd. has always been the view from the top looking down into the valley. Half a century ago that was possible before they let the trees grow up to block the view. It used to be a 180-degree view, including downtown Mount Vernon. You see enough trees on the way up the mountain, so...
Thursday morning this week, four La Conner Rotarians, led by Martin Howard, gathered at the south end of Conner Waterfront Park to weed the kayak launch area. Howard was joined by Rick Bolduc, Jerry Willins and Ollie Iversen. They worked to make sure our parks are as clean and usable as possible for everyone. Patsy Good Rotary Club of La Conner Community Service Chair...
This is a comment on the letter to the editor last week from Doug Snider (who I do not know). The history referenced is from “Hitler’s First Hundred Days,” by Peter Fritzsche, 2020. Winston Churchill said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Kaiser Wilhelm, as the monarch of Germany, together with his generals, declared and prosecuted World War I. Until defeat was certain in 1918, the people were assured victory was at hand. The Versailles Treaty ending the war was shocking, humbling and economically devastati...
The 2020-21 school year begins for La Conner students on Sept. 14. For the teachers and staff it began Sept. 2nd. For many in the administration and teaching staff, last year’s school year never ended before this new school year began. With the end of the school year our state superintendent of public instruction made a public statement that all schools would open in person come September, but to be prepared for the possibility of full online learning, or a hybrid scenario, and to take immediate steps in the preparation for all three of t...
Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” As your superintendent I think we all need to take some time during this unprecedented time to take a humor break. Our total staff have dedicated a significant amount time preparing for the opening of school on September 10. This has entailed retooling how we operate as a school district as we start school remotely. I am enormously proud to say that the La Conner employees have accepted that we are doing business in a different way, but we have an obligation to serve our c...
Consider three “P” pillars of our representative government: the postal service, the presidency and the press. The institution of the presidency is the youngest, not appearing until the U.S. Constitution emerges in 1787. The postal service is older than the United States, created by the Continental Congress in 1775. Far older than both in North America is the free press, which was vocal before Benjamin Franklin was a Philadelphia printer in the mid-1700s. The free press of Franklin’s day was not the Philadelphia Inquirer and certainly not t...
Nothing is more local then voting. No duty of citizenship is more fundamental, sacred, necessary, or ties each community into the whole cloth fabric of our 50 united states than our quadrennial exercise of casting ballots for president. All citizens, starting in La Conner, need to be reflecting on the president of the United States when he calls for people to vote twice, which both breaks the system and the law. This president simultaneously displays his profound ignorance and utter lack of caring of the first principle and premise of self-gove...
McKenzie Clark and Naomi Williams have been selected by Soroptimist International of La Conner (SILC) for the 2020 Dixie Otis Memorial Award: $2,000 grants to full time La Conner teachers who are concurrently pursuing their master’s degrees. The award was created with memorial donations honoring the life of Dixie Otis, who died in December 2018. Clark was hired as the band and choir director in 2016. He is working for a Master of Music in Music Education at Central Washington University. As a teacher who is also a student, he hopes to model l...
Back to school in La Conner this year means back to the computer screen for students and teachers alike. La Conner Schools teachers and staff began training remotely last week with the new distance learning platforms that will be used to instruct students at least through fall semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On-line classes in La Conner are scheduled to start Sept. 14. For La Conner teachers and para-educators, the usual end of summer on-campus camaraderie with colleagues renewing friendships and sharing vacation updates prior to...
Teachers always stress the importance of lifelong learning, and this summer La Conner faculty members modeled that key tenet as they began preparing for the transition from traditional in-person instruction to presenting lessons on-line due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of those teachers took on a heavy load of technology homework over the summer, La Conner Elementary School Principal Heather Fakkema told the Weekly News last week. “They spent a great deal of their own time this summer,” Fakkema said, “learning about best practices for remot...
Birds migrating in the fall may go as far south as Mexico or even South America. They may start as early as August or as late as November. Southerly migration may be slower because more food is available in northern reaches. Some species take two to three months while others may arrive in less than a month. Habitats can be unproductive due to wildfires or drought. I did a fair amount of bird photography in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California in the mid to late 1980s. Since that time wildfires have burned much forest. This has left large a...
The American trait of impatience, that drive to get things done now, caution be damned, is often fatal. It was for Ada Weeks’ step-parents, who in the opening pages of Shelter Bay resident Ashley Sweeney’s new novel, “Answer Creek,” plunge their oxen-driven wagon into the late-May Big Blue River, swollen to twice its normal flow and carrying whole trees. In minutes the wagon is rammed, turned into the current and swept downstream. Humans and oxen are upended and disappear. Gone. The 19-year-old Ada, along with hundreds of others in the Donner...
EVERETT, WA — The 2020 Congressional App Challenge is underway, Rep. Rick Larsen (D, Everett) announced last week. The annual competition, which runs through Oct. 19, is open to high school and middle school students who live in or attend school in Washington’s Second Congressional District. Students may compete as individuals or in teams of up to four. Students can only enter the competition once. Students can create computer programs (or apps) written in any programming language and for any platform including desktop/PC, web and m...
There won’t be any La Conner High football this fall, but grid fans here will have one player with local ties to follow when the NFL season kicks off this Sunday. Hunter Bryant, son of La Conner alum Shana Bryant and grandson of former La Conner resident Patti Beard, has made the regular season roster of the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent tight end out of the University of Washington. “Hunter’s dream is becoming a reality,” Beard said on Monday, after the Lions announced their 53-player roster for the team’s Sept. 13 home opener with...
Monday, August 31 12:03 p.m.: Couldn’t phone home – Report of a male yelling at cars driving by. Deputies contacted the male whose car had broken down so he called for assistance. McLean / Beaver Marsh Rds., Greater La Conner. Tuesday, September 1 8:30 a.m.: Dogs running free – Caller reported two dogs running loose in her yard. The caller said the dogs growled at her when she yelled at them. Animal Control Office contacted the owner who advised the dogs belong to an employee and are normally kept in a fenced area. Marsh Rd., G...
Skagit County is showing 68.1 new cases per 100,000 population for the two weeks through Sept. 6, as reported by the Washington Department of Health on its COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard. This is the lowest two-week case report since June. But that is not the big story, Skagit Public Health staff told the County Board of Health at its Sept. 3 meeting. The testing numbers two weeks after Labor Day, and whether they spike, as they have after every holiday since Mother’s Day, will be the big September coronavirus story. By being below 75 cases...
We have zucchini abundance from our garden. The goal was to grow enough for our consumption. So far I am keeping up with it! This is a summer squash recipe. Use yellow summer squash or smaller zucchini. A smaller squash has a thinner skin. Ingredients Zucchini, 2 smaller Onion, 1 medium Olive oil, 1 tablespoon Sour cream, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup grated Cheddar cheese, ½ cup grated Ritz crackers, small tube Preparation Use the olive oil to coat the bottom and sides of...
