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The Feast of All Saints and other celebrations make November “the month for the dead,” says Father Paul Magnano, senior priest of Skagit Valley Catholic churches. Congregations pray for the deceased by name at the beginning of mass. Day of the Dead altars feature their photos, food and drink for their journey to paradise and marigolds, symbols of life after death. This year, the process of honoring the deceased has been complicated by changing rules and soaring infection rates from the coronavirus pandemic. For the family of Phyllis Webb, the...
On a morning stroll along the marina, it would be near impossible not to admire the panoramic views around you. With snow-capped mountains to the east and a channel pouring out into a bay to the west, this picturesque town is a well-known treasure of the Pacific Northwest. La Conner, Washington is an art-fueled community that is home to the longest continuously published weekly newspaper in the state. The La Conner Weekly News fights to keep printed newspapers alive in a world of laptops and smartphones. Ken Stern publishes and owns of The La...
The La Conner Planning Commission last week waded deeper into the details of Town Shoreline Master Plan (SMP) updates. Of particular interest at the outset of the panel’s 50-minute Zoom meeting last Tuesday were revisions to La Conner’s Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). The CAO, adopted in 2006, applies both inside and outside the shoreline jurisdiction of La Conner, primarily addressing wetland areas. The SMP regulates critical shoreline areas and the Town expects to incorporate its revised standards as an appendix into the updated sho...
Dear Greater La Conner Community, Welcome to the La Conner Weekly News. If you are getting the paper for the first time, I hope you will find your community newspaper an enjoyable and worthwhile read. Valued subscribers, I hope this issue meets your expectations and needs. Thank you, subscribers, for your ongoing engagement with the community through these pages. This newspaper exists for the community. That is you. Decades ago, when the local paper was The Puget Sound Mail, every issue said “Co...
Let our search begin with Abraham Lincoln. At his first inauguration he saw the danger of civil war on the horizon. He revealed his feelings as follows: “We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched as surely as they will be by the better angels of our n...
I know the suspense is killing you if you read my piece last week about whether to fly or not to fly to California to have Thanksgiving dinner with my sister and her extended family. Wisely, I listened to the experts and opted to stay here, where I am re-designing Thanksgiving and calling it Thankful Giving. Because of the COVID-19 crisis and a federal government stymied by partisanship, we have a growing number of fellow Americans who are homeless and hungry. For those of us who are blessed to...
“It is very high risk right now in Skagit County and all around the country and not safe to gather outside your household,” Polly Dubbel, Skagit Public Health communicable disease and environmental health manager told the Weekly News Tuesday afternoon. She asks that people only travel locally for essential tasks, such as school and work. “Aside from that enjoy the company of your own household.,” she cautions. The coronavirus continues its rapid spread among Skagit County residents across...
La Conner artist Jay Bowen is an avid distance runner, often seen training in the local area. He ran a half-marathon in early November, five years after suffering a heart attack. But it is Bowen’s daughter, registered nurse Laho Zachmeyer, who has logged the most miles in the family this year. Zachmeyer, 35, has traveled to New York and Texas to provide extended relief at hospital COVID-19 units whose staffing has been pushed to the limit by spread of the virus. She spent four weeks in New Y...
La Conner School Board members were in a thankful mood Monday and hope to be so again in February when voters consider a four-year replacement educational programs and operations levy totaling $4,036,344. Acting on recommendations from a levy election committee co-chaired by La Conner alums Robert Hancock and Jerry Carr, the board, during a 90-minute Zoom meeting, unanimously approved a resolution putting the ballot measure before school district voters on Feb. 9, 2021. If approved, the levy rate on taxable property would be $1.45 per $1,000...
It is never too soon to look ahead. To that end, Shelter Bay and Swinomish Tribal Community officials have begun laying the groundwork for the 2023 decennial rent adjustment mechanism built into the two parties’ master lease agreement. In a column penned in October for the community’s newsletter, Shelter Bay Homeowners Association Board President Tom Napier alerted its residents to begin preparing for a new decade-long rent schedule set to take effect in two years. “My intent in relaying this information to you,” Napier wrote, “is that we a...
For the past few months, I’ve shared stories about the perilous state of the local free press in these columns. I’ve written about what the decline of strong local reporting will mean for democracy. And I’ve suggested ways that newspapers might reinvent themselves and the government might help save this struggling industry. An astute email from reader Hilary Hilscher reminded me that I’d left out a big piece of the puzzle. “I’ve read your columns in The Seattle Times with great interest and, of course, total agreement with the need to preserve...
The future of Fire District 13 is coming into focus with development of a snapshot view of present operations and facilities, the first step in a three-phased approach to creating a comprehensive five-year plan for the district. “The next step,” Capt. Ted Taylor told the fire commissioners during their monthly Zoom meeting last Thursday, “is a projection of where we want to be five years from now.” The third and final step, he said, is creating a strategy for getting from here to there. “I think it will be a great document once we get to th...
Marianne Manville-Ailles has played a key role for three years helping develop long range plans for the Town of La Conner. Now her own career plans are taking her elsewhere. Manville-Ailles announced last week she will leave after the holidays to assume a senior planning position with the City of Mount Vernon. Town Planner since January 2018, Manville-Ailles also provides contract basis planning services for the Town of Concrete and other entities and clients. That relentless juggling act, further complicated by impacts of the COVID-19...
Last week Mel Damski stopped by the La Conner Weekly News office. He talked about his “If I Ran the Zoo” column idea for this week’s paper: “Giving Thanks.” I wear many different hats in my life and don’t always slow down and take the time to express my gratitude for everything that I am so thankful for: Here is how I would like to Give Thanks this year: La Conner Sunrise Food Bank: I am thankful for our donors and their overwhelming support that allowed us to continue to provide food to community members in need. I am thankful that our vo...
The local First on First committee is helping brighten the mood here despite last week’s pandemic restrictions imposed to stem the increase of COVID-19 cases across Washington state. Committee members will be setting up 400 luminaries along First Street to light up the night Friday, Dec. 4. The luminaries are being provided by Linda Banaszak, owner of Caravan Gallery, said First on First co-coordinator Rick Dole. “Enjoy the lights,” he said, “as you pick up your takeout dinner or dine outside where available,” Dole said. First on First is...
La Conner Kiwanis and the local Edward Jones office are collaborating to bring a bit of holiday cheer to the less fortunate children of La Conner and the Skagit Valley. Beginning Monday, November 30, a “Giving Tree” will be located in Scott Price’s office of Edward Jones, 708 E Morris Street. Tags for La Conner families will be available, if people want to give to meet specific requests. You can also drop off wrapped toys for the Forgotten Children’s Fund, which provides gifts for Skagit families. Please wear a mask and respect the 6-foot...
Tuesday, November 17 7:47 a.m.: Drug pick up – Deputies collected a small baggie of suspected drugs that was found by Public Works staff in the public restrooms. S. 1st St., La Conner. 9:00 a.m.: Less than meets eye – Deputies responded to a report of people taking parts off of a vehicle. Deputies checked the area and did not contact any suspects on scene. The owner of the vehicle was notified to respond and remove the vehicle. Calhoun / Kamb Rds., Greater La Conner. 10:18 a.m.: Nothing here either – Report of a suspicious...
This recipe stretches the food budget. It was a side dish for three of our meals and a small casserole for a friend. It is also thrifty, depending on store prices, around $7 total. It is a bit spicy which makes it enjoyable Ingredients Jiffy Cornbread mix, one small box, 8.5 ounce Eggs, 2 Butter, ½ cup Sour cream, one cup Corn, one can, 15 ounce, whole, drained Creamed corn, one can, 15 ounce Jalapeños, one 4 ounce can, drained Preparation Empty the cornbread mix into a bowl. Melt...
