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There has been extended debate in town over pending new construction of a multi-unit residential building in a commercial zone. The focal point for that dialogue is the "Talmon Project" at 306 Center Street. In a coincidental twist, Town of La Conner Planning Commissioners and staff were asked last week about the status of a longtime commercial building in a residential zone. The former COA restaurant at the corner of Maple Avenue and Washington Street – perhaps better known as the 'new Joe's D...
No amount of rain was going to dampen spirits at the Skagit County Fire District 13 Open House Saturday. That is because the event’s guest of honor, retired fire district commissioner and former Shelter Bay resident Larry Kibbee, has long been admired for his sunny disposition. Kibbee served six years on the fire district’s governing panel prior to moving to Bothell. He returned to the Snee Oosh Road station for the formal dedication of a new residential building that bears his name. “I would...
When the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the Puget Sound Partnership awarded $81.5 million through 150 grants in 29 counties Sept. 18, they were sending $11,948,293 to eight organizations and institutions in Skagit County for recovering at-risk salmon species. In a news release, Gov. Jay Inslee said, "These are important projects that will help us restore our salmon populations. They also provide many other benefits. When we clean up our rivers, we not only help salmon, we...
The wheels are turning – first gradually, than rapidly – as Town of La Conner officials continue work on updating the transportation element of its comprehensive plan. “I’ve been working on this element for several months,” Director of Planning Michael Davolio told planning commissioners at their 90-minute Sept. 19 hybrid meeting at Maple Hall, “and one of the surprising things I’ve learned is that there is enough parking on South First Street to accommodate all the (residential and commercial) uses there. “But,” he cautioned, “it do...
Town leaders hope to spruce up La Conner’s appearance with the planting of new trees along Morris Street. The La Conner Chamber of Commerce and Town Parks Commission are teaming up on a grant application for placing street sensitive trees plus hanging baskets and updated banners to further beautify the town. “The trees will be placed into existing holes with a containment to keep the roots from streets and sidewalks,” parks commission chair Ollie Iverson said in his official report of the panel’s Sept. 13 hybrid meeting at Maple Hall. Iverson...
The 2023 pattern for homes sold in Skagit County holds steady: Fewer properties are available in most of the county’s nine markets than a year ago. Considerably fewer homes are selling, about 25% below 2022, month over month, and prices are about the same as 2022, kept high by the ongoing either side of $800,000 for monthly median sold home prices in Anacortes. In August, $880,000 was the median price for the 27 homes that closed there, by far the highest price of the year. The median price of the 134 homes that closed in Skagit County in A...
Every U.S. household may place an order to receive four free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home. For free tests: special.usps.com/testkits or 800-232-0233. The U.S. government makes COVID-19 tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities. Find no-cost COVID-19 testing sites at: https://aspr.hhs.gov/TestToTreat/Pages/default.aspx. Uninsured people may be eligible for no-cost COVID-19 vaccines: vaccines.gov. “Expired” tests may still be good. Check FDA’s website to see if the COVID-19 tests’ expiration...
Every September the Weekly News focuses an editorial on Banned Books Week. The Week starts Sunday, Oct. 1 this year. Visit the La Conner Swinomish library next week. Heck, go to a library every single day through Oct. 7. We are fortunate to have good libraries throughout the county. It is unfortunate that our county commissioners have not shown the dedicated, long-term leadership citizens need to be led into the countywide, single library district that living in the 21st century requires. But that is another editorial. Banned Books Week...
When I became a columnist many years ago for this newspaper, I borrowed the title “If I Ran The Zoo” from a delightful book by Dr. Seuss. For me, it was just the perfect title for a column in which I could express my views on anything and everything. Well, Seuss Enterprises, still run by his descendants, has just removed “If I Ran The Zoo” and five other books from publication due to controversy surrounding racist images within these books. In a 1988 biography of Seuss, Ruth K. MacDona...
One of the joys in my year of health challenges was the fun and exciting opportunity to honor “our own” Tom Robbins on Sept. 2. It was a real blast! Tom enjoyed it, he and Alexa rocked it, the library’s programs benefited and everyone entered into the sweet, happy, excellent spirit of the day. Some of us came from far away to celebrate the occasion and we celebrated with all our hearts. That’s why, when I read your recent Musing about the day, I was aghast at the last unfunny paragraph suggesting pushing a mummy of Tom through the streets...
I did not appreciate your musings on Tom Robbins Day. Tom has been our friend for 49 years and is the funniest man we know. He’s still in better shape than many of his friends 20 years younger then he is. To say he was propped up is ageist. He recently went through another bought of COVID-19 and fared well. Tom has always been there for our community, greater area and issues that matter to our world. All we ever had to do is call him when we needed him to entertain us. I asked him many times to help and he did, to stop the nuclear plants h...
Dear town council, planning commission - and citizens: It has been mentioned on the council and planning commission recently that it would be a great idea (said they) to have all the traffic thru town exit on First Street along the water next to the blue building that would be removed for this to occur. They also keep toying with a one way First Street. This idea ignores some important realities: primarily, the Shoreline Master Plan. That land next to old blue (derelict blue building) and which is along the water does indeed partially belong...
Last time, I suggested buying Energy Star electronics to cut your energy bills. What is Energy Star and why is their work relevant? Energy Star is a voluntary program started by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 to promote energy efficiency and sustainability. Energy Star encourages manufacturers and building designers to submit their products for evaluation and (hopefully) certification that they are more energy efficient than competing products. Energy Star thus makes it easier...
The La Conner High School boys’ soccer team was on point against Crosspoint Saturday. The Braves (1-3) earned their first victory of 2023 with a convincing 5-0 home shutout of non-conference foe Crosspoint Academy, a traditional soccer power from Bremerton and a SeaTac 2B entry. Lane Tenborg paced the winners by scoring twice and assisting on La Conner’s other three goals. Braves’ head coach Galen McKnight described Tenborg’s play as “brilliant.” McKnight also praised Corran Eisen, who broke a scoreless tie with the lone first half goal of the...
The new-look La Conner High School volleyball team, sporting a revamped lineup following heavy graduation losses from last year’s state 2B championship roster, has not lost sight of the immediate task at hand. Which is to collect as many NW2B/1B match triumphs as possible. So far, the Lady Braves (2-4 overall) have checked that box. The team, which dropped early non-league contests with 1A Meridian and Lynden Christian, 1B Neah Bay and 4A Glacier Peak, has won the match that counts most – a straight-sets sweep of conference rival Concrete Sep...
The La Conner High School girls’ soccer team could not find the net at Auburn Adventist Thursday afternoon.On that score, the Lady Braves are in good company. Auburn Adventist has won four matches this fall by shutout. That is why they sit atop SeaTac 2B League standings, The Lady Falcons added NW2B/1B member La Conner to the list, recording a 3-0 non-league triumph, despite several outstanding individual performances cited by first-year coach Maddie Huscher. Huscher praised striker Izzy Villard, right wing Kailey Carlson, right back Aisley Z...
La Conner quarterback Ivory Damien accounted for more than 200 yards in total offense, including a 79-yard first period scoring strike to wideout Logan Burks, but the visiting Braves still fell 48-6 to NW2B grid foe Coupeville at Mickey Clark Field Friday night. Coupeville prevailed on the strength of superior roster depth and a punishing ground attack led by Mike Robinett, who ran for three touchdowns and was effective all night on inside blasts. The Braves also hurt themselves by yielding six...
The drive to reinstate student public service hours as a La Conner High School graduation requirement intersected Monday with a concrete example of the level of community support enjoyed by the school district. School Board members at their 75-minute Sept. 25 hybrid meeting expressed appreciation for a donation of 11 ukuleles by the La Conner Arts Commission to the elementary music program. Board President Susie Deyo cited the commitment demonstrated by the group as a prime reason of the great value for everyone when students engage in the...
A few miles away from a heavily trafficked exit off I-5, a 122 year-old bunkhouse once used by dike workers sits clinging to the edge of the north fork of the Skagit River. It seems to defy our present-day world. This is the home and workspace of painter and ceramic artist Natalie Niblack. It was a hot late August afternoon when I went to visit. Niblack's faithful dog, Lillybelle, ushered me through a screened door to her studio. A fan sent a cool breeze throughout the cabin, blending...
Sometimes, at the center of a community's history is a barber's chair, swiveling this way and that and gathering up stories. Barbers are "always a repository of the past, because so much day-to-day life is part of the barbershop experience," said Mari Densmore, archivist at the Skagit County Historical Museum. Fortunately, two Skagit County barbers collected thousands of photographs that capture decades of Skagit history. The new exhibit at the Skagit County Historical Museum is "Barber...
Skagit County will host a free tire-round up for county residents Thursday-Friday Oct. 5-6 at the Skagit County Fairgrounds. Residents must register online. There is a limit of twelve road tires per household, including car, truck, motorcycle and semi-trucks. Tractor tires will not be accepted. Drop-off is at the north entrance of the fairgrounds, 1410 Virginia Street, Mount Vernon 98273. In the 2022 collection, over 40 tons of used road tires were dropped off in one day. County staff hope to collect at least that quantity again. Proper tire...
A measure to dissolve a small library in southeastern Washington will not be on the November ballot. The decision comes after a hearing Sept. 20 in Columbia County’s Superior Court. After more than a year fraught with book challenges and the specter of the loss of Columbia County’s only library, Superior Court Commissioner Julie Karl ruled in favor of not allowing a measure to dissolve the library to make it onto the ballot. “This court is cognizant of the impact of this decision on all concerned and its reach beyond the borders of this city, c...
Normally I like to use my column to talk about all the exciting things happening in the library, but this month I want to write from my heart. The first week of October is Banned Books Week, and lately there has been a lot of talk about books and what should or should not be in libraries. As a relatively new library director and former educator, this subject has always interested me. A bookmark I recently saw had a quote by Jo Godwin that said, “A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone.” Throughout history, lib...
MEETING NOTICE TOWN OF LA CONNER PLANNING COMMISSION Tuesday, October 3, 2023 6:00 p.m. Location Lower Maple Center 104 Commercial Street, La Conner, WA And by Zoom Information below and on the Town website Agenda CONVENE PUBLIC COMMENT (Topics not otherwise on the Agenda) – Time Limit 3 Minutes MINUTES Approve minutes from the September 19, 2023 meeting OLD BUSINESS Status Report: Talmon Development Status Report: Public Participation Program Status Report: Transportation Element NEW BUSINESS Discussion of Chapter 1,2 and 9 of the C...
RCW 11.40.030 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR SKAGIT COUNTY Estate of: MARIA PILAR CODINA aka PILAR CODINA, Deceased. (Date of death: January 6, 2022) No. 23-4-00413-29 The Estate Administrator named below has been appointed as Administrator of this Estate. Any person having a claim against the Decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Estate Administrator or the Estate administr...
