Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper
Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper
Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
There was a time when La Conner’s parking problem was inverted to its present situation. When downtown Mount Vernon was lined with clunky parking meters, La Conner had little need for either a paid or timed parking system on First Street. Many storefronts here were boarded up – some year-round– before La Conner morphed into its present state as a popular destination. Change has been the defining feature over the course of 50 years. Now, with seemingly every parking space in the town’s business district contested during peak tourist season,...
La Conner's favorite tourist had a unique solution for the town's vexing parking problem during his visit here last Saturday. World renowned toymaker Santa Claus parked his large sleigh and reindeer atop Maple Hall, managing to avoid damage to the building's solar panels, while greeting local children downstairs and recording their carefully crafted Christmas wish lists. The jolly white-whiskered global goodwill ambassador was the featured guest at the La Conner Rotary Club's annual Pancake...
From Skagit County government: Flood Update: Skagit River has crested and is receding At 1:43 p.m. the County sent this news update: "The Skagit River in Concrete and Mount Vernon have both crested and are now receding. The Skagit River in Concrete is currently below flood stage and continues to recede. In Mount Vernon, the Skagit River has remained below 30 feet. " The Skagit County Emergency Operations Center has been deactivated. The U.S. National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for...
None of the 21 trees at the 2023 La Conner Swinomish Library's Festival of Tiny Trees stood over two feet high, but together they brought in some $10,000 at the library's seventh holiday silent auction fundraiser Friday, Dec. 1. The artificial trees, covered in treats and trinkets and with SWAG spreading around the base of each one, themed by the designers and decorators, was a grownups indoor winter wonderland piled high with generosity. The holiday and Northwest themes ranged from Silver...
Another holiday season has come to greater La Conner. Santa jump started December, showing up at the La Conner Swinomish Library to read stories to children last Wednesday. He returned twice Saturday, first fortifying himself with pancakes at the annual La Conner Rotary Club breakfast before taking kids on his lap there and again that evening when he one-two-three POOF lit the town tree in Gilkey Square. Shops are decorated for Christmas. Staff and customers alike are wearing holiday colored and themed sweaters. Saturday will be the most...
Perry Sobolik calls himself “an old newspaper junkie.” So he scours the press like a hawk for any scraps about his town, which happens to be the Seattle suburb of Kent. “We still get some attention down here, every once in a while,” he said. “Like when somebody gets killed.” When it comes to local politics, though, Kent, now a city of 139,000 people, is like “living in a desert.” “I’m not sure there was much awareness there was a local election being held,” Sobolik told me. You may have seen the news that Washington state just had the lowest v...
Holiday lights abound. As Ray Stevens said about Santa Claus, they’re everywhere! They’re everywhere! They’re all over La Conner’s homes, streetlight posts and various public spaces. The big Christmas tree in Gilkey Square dominates the north end of downtown. The tiny tree auction has come and gone at the La Conner Swinomish Library. Thousands of years ago, the tradition of holiday lighting started with simple oil or candle menorahs, which were (and still are) used by Jewish families to mark Hanukkah. In the 18th century, central Europea...
The most current statistics available through Skagit County Public Health (for the week of Nov. 19-25) showed moderate Covid 19 and Influenza activity, but high RSV activity. The county did not define “activity.” The county recommends staff, patients and visitors to healthcare facilities wear a well-fitting mask, and notes that RSV vaccines are still available for infants over 8 months and adults age 60 and over as well as pregnant people. To track weekly respiratory illness changes in Skagit County, visit skagitcounty.net/D...
First Street parking issues were discussed in detail at the Nov. 28 Town Council meeting. But perhaps lost amid a one-hour presentation on potential future paid parking options for the downtown business district was a brief plea by Councilmember MaryLee Chamberlain to revisit the concept of one-way traffic on increasingly congested First Street. Chamberlain suggested that dealing with downtown traffic flow should be addressed “before we venture into parking.” “We need to have this discussion. We can look at all the pros and cons,” Chamber...
Location, location, location. It’s not just the familiar real estate mantra. It’s also a key element as La Conner’s Emergency Management Commission crafts long-term disaster preparation strategies. The six-member advisory panel discussed best methods to publicize the locations and primary functions of La Conner’s network of emergency shelters at its Nov. 28 hybrid meeting. A map listing La Conner’s various shelter locations, suggested by Councilmember Rick Dole, drew the greatest support. Dole, council liaison to the commission, offered h...
The paper collection can for recycling at the La Conner post office was removed from the lobby area late last week. Post office management made this change because of customer disregard; there were too many people contaminating the collection by tossing too large a quantity of non-paper into the container, according to post office staff. The recycling container has been moved to the retail lobby. Residents are welcome to recycle their unwanted mail inside....
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 federal government began supplying tests in September. 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....
It's been a busy fall quarter in the La Conner School District. Owing to hard work and some long hours, La Conner School District staff, faculty and administration have successfully applied for and received grants that will benefit La Conner students and the community. $16,000 grant provides new oven The district's food service department received a $16,000 grant to purchase a new oven. Food service supervisor Kelly Kjarstad reports that the ovens at the elementary school went out last year,...
La Conner High School principal and athletic director Christine Tripp encourages the community to turn out for games at the Landy James Activity Court this winter. About 50 students are playing basketball this year, she said. The girls team head coach is Joe Harper, who is in his second year. He is assisted by Scottie Miller. Harper has coached a variety of sports, but has a passion for basketball, he said. The boys team head coach is Lance Lopez, now in his first year. He is assisted by John...
The school district's Advisory Committee for Education (ACE) continues to look for more members. The committee meets from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. The committee concerns itself with ways to help the district be successful. Bring your ideas. Comment on programs under development. This is a great way to help the La Conner community, and you don't need to have a kid in school to take part. Call Cherri Kahns at the district office if you are interested,...
New La Conner High School boys’ basketball coach Lance Lopez said before the season tipped off that two goals for his team were to be competitive and draw large crowds to Landy James Gym. He achieved both in just the Braves’ second home date. La Conner (1-2) fought back from an early double-digit deficit to edge 1B power Lummi 62-58 in overtime Saturday night. The Braves, trailing much of the contest, forced the extra session when Corran Eisen took a side inbounds pass from C.J. Edwards and drained a long three-point jumper as time exp...
She was the driving force behind the La Conner High School girls' basketball team's convincing 63-36 non-league home win over Lummi last Saturday. But outside Landy James Gym, Kim Williams can't drive at all. The eighth grader is too young. But Williams had license to motor down the lane and from baseline to baseline against the Lady Blackhawks, delivering a game-high 26 points, including a trio of outside treys. Making her second career varsity start, Williams shot 11 of 22 from the floor and...
The Center for Retention & Expansion of Child Care is celebrating a boost in Skagit County child care capacity after a year of working to reverse the pandemic’s impacts, which closed down 20 child care programs and cost an estimated 22% of the County’s child care slots. In an exciting grant opportunity, C-RECC is using federal American Rescue Plan Act grant funds to restore access to affordable, equitable, high quality and culturally relevant child care. These funds were identified for distribution thanks to Skagit County and the Pop...
“Adults are obsolete children and the hell with them.” – Dr. Seuss “Seussical the Musical,” a whimsical, fantastical stage production based on the works of Dr. Seuss, is the most performed show in America. The local production at the Lincoln Theatre by NITE does not disappoint. It is an ambitious show to create but cast, crew and producers delivered. If it is NITE’s mission to give children a sense of confidence, they achieved their goal. The writers, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, transformed Dr. Seuss’s rhymes, his playful use of words...
The base of this recipe is vegetarian. I cook the beets separately and then add in the other ingredients. This is a hearty winter soup. A couple of protein options are Polish sausage, roast beef or a tin of beans. Adding a potato is optional. This serves 3 people. Ingredients Beets, 3 medium Red onion,¼ c. chopped Red cabbage,1 c. chopped Bell pepper,¼ c. chopped Carrot, 1 large chopped Vegetable broth, 1 carton Olive oil, 1 TB Elk steak, cooked, 1 c. chopped Preparation Cook the...
Monday, November 27 9:12 a.m. ASPIRING BANKSY – Over the holiday weekend, graffiti was painted on buildings at Pioneer Park and one of the cooktop firepits was damaged. Unknown suspects; believed to be kids in the area. 4th St., La Conner. 12:02 p.m. MICRO HOME – Movers noticed items in a shed that they believe indicated someone may be living in the shed. A deputy checked the property and found it was just storage items and had not been used in a long time. 3rd St., La Conner. 12:27 p.m. BOAT BANDITS – A sailboat at J dock had items stolen from...
The 2024 annual budget the La Conner Town Council will pass at its Dec. 12 meeting will be the largest in its history. It projects revenues of $7.4 million, expenditures of $8.6 million and the fund balance growing to $5.9 million. The graph, above, shows continued growth in revenues council's continuing to commit more resources each year. The bars represent approved funding, except for the fund balance, which is an end of the year total. A graph tracking actual year ending revenues will show...
