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It's not over till it's over. While the future of the La Conner Weekly News remains uncertain after this issue under Publisher Ken Stern, he remains hopeful. He is more so after a Tuesday morning phone call with Andrew Ashmore, board chair of the La Conner Community News community group that's seeking to buy the Weekly News. At a meeting with Ashmore, Washington Newspaper Publishers Association director Ellen Hiatt, and retired publisher Dave Gauger on Friday, Dec. 13, Ashmore tendered Stern an...
Ken Stern is moving on from what he calls his "best job ever" to a retirement that will likely involve travel near and far. Stern, after all, rarely ventured beyond what he calls the greater La Conner area during seven-and-a-half years as publisher of the community's weekly newspaper, which came to be defined by his topical, lively and – often by design – controversial editorials. "For seven years," Stern reflected last week, "I've been chained to my desk here in La Conner. I haven't seen anythi...
Once the Puget Sound Mail ruled the La Conner roost as the town's weekly newspaper, undergoing successive ownership changes from 1879 through and past Pat O'Leary's tenure, 1939-1973. Alan Pentz started the Channel Town Press in 1976 and outcompeted the Mail, which closed in 1982. Pentz ran a commercial print shop for additional income. After his death in 1990, his wife, Audrey, took over for the next 16 years. On Sept. 27, 2006, "We're Back!" was the lead page 1 headline, with Tim Dunlap as...
The miracle of Christmas came to La Conner early this year. On a day that began with fierce winds that brought down trees and power lines across Puget Sound and imposed choppy currents on local waterways, then ended with a cold, drizzly rain – and in some cases hail – a two-hour evening window of calm, comfortable weather emerged here. Clouds parted and the almost-full moon was plainly visible. It just so happened that last Saturday's respite from harsh wintry conditions coincided with the ann...
The old saw – cliche – is that freedom of the press is limited to those who own one. Like all cliches, there is some truth there. Communities do better when the local newspaper has ethical journalistic stewardship, but publishing a paper is half the equation, at most. The people holding the paper in their hands, reading the news, absorbing it, discussing the going ons in the community and then – vitally – participating to move the community forward creates the whole process entailed in the phrase “freedom of the press.” Press freedom is...
My thanks, first, to you who are reading this. Your continued subscribing to the Weekly News is the reason this newspaper exists. Thanks to everyone who advertised: The merchants, the large hearts powering the nonprofit organizations and their auctions, pancake breakfasts, concerts, craft fairs, theater productions and more. Thanks to Jo Mitchelle, whose classified ad by classified ad perhaps was the paper’s biggest supporter. Thanks to anyone who ever answered a question for a story, posed for a photographer, suggested a story or photo idea or...
I sent years of the La Conner Weekly News to North Carolina, New Jersey, Arizona, Montana, Tennessee and to multiple locals here and in Anacortes. To neighbors forced to move by rent increases. To a long-time boat-owner, moored here. Oh, even to Olympia. Why? The heart of many articles: individual living experiences of humans, creatures (some pets), ivy killing carbon-sequestering trees, passages of birds recoloring fields, a blue heron shot to death, a home ablaze, flooding. Photographs and basics of elementary, middle and high school students...
I wanted to say that I will really miss the paper. I have enjoyed it immensely. If I knew how long my money would last me I would have contributed gladly. Thank you! Vanessa Jett Shelter Bay...
As you cruise into retirement to wallow in hedonism, I want to thank you for embodying Civic Virtue in our hometown La Conner Weekly News. You dared to share with your readers what 70 of the top one hundred newspapers in circulation did not, endorse a presidential candidate. And you were in good company as those papers who did not kowtow to their billionaire or hedge fund owners, 28 endorsed Harris while two endorsed Trump. Those who didn’t do their civic duty their reasons were “growing polarization and fears of political ret...
Dear Ken. Seven years ago you chose to purchase the La Conner Weekly News after the opportunity to lead the paper in Hardwick, Vermont, vanished and fortunate for our community that was. For you too, spared black flies and deep winter’s frost for maritime climes, tulips and snow geese. You dove in, a cold plunge in many ways. Your exhaustive presence at seemingly every municipal event and otherwise, was impressive. Your walk with the printed paper to the stand on Wednesdays, even with injured leg, a folksy message of commitment. No doubt you t...
A detailed presentation, insightful questions and dreams of the future for La Conner's south waterfront and long underutilized former industrial area marked a nearly two-hour Dec. 11 public forum at Maple Hall. A large audience – at one point requiring Town Administrator Scott Thomas to set up additional chairs – attended the workshop, which explored potential zoning and code revisions and design concepts for the four-acre site commonly known as the old Moore-Clark property. Consultants Tom Bec...
It was more ho-hum than ho-ho-ho as the La Conner Town Council approved a $7 million 2025 municipal budget during its final meeting of the year. No public comment was offered at a budget hearing, part of the nearly hour-long Dec. 10 agenda at Maple Hall. “People come to the meetings here to talk about things and sometimes it can be fairly trivial,” Town Councilor Ivan Carlson noted wryly, “so I’m surprised that no one is here to speak to the proposed budget.” Mayor Marna Hanneman had a ready explanation. “Either we’re doing a great job,” H...
La Conner is closing Town Hall at 3 p.m. today, Dec. 18. Town Hall will open at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, its normal hour....
Leslie John Emry, 78 of La Conner, passed away on Oct 18, 2024. Les was born in Bellingham on Sept. 10, 1946, to Rip and Phyllis Emry. At the age of 3, the family moved to the Olympia area. Les attended North Thurston Public Schools, graduating in 1963. After graduation Les served in the National Guard. After military service, Les worked in the Olympia area and played slow pitch for the Armstrong Home League, making many friends, before moving to La Conner. While living in La Conner, Les worked...
The La Conner School Board on Monday endorsed and approved a four-year replacement levy on the Feb. 11 ballot to bridge the gap between state funding and the cost of staff, materials, services and facilities during a briskly paced 40-minute meeting. The proposal seeks $ 4,745,000 starting in 2026, $1.11 per $1,000 assessed valuation, the present tax rate. The levy and contributions from the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community offset a $1 million shortfall between state funding and rising costs in...
Friday Harbor missed the boat when it came to getting its NW2B/1B boys' basketball season off to a good start. In hindsight, the Wolverines would have fared better had they literally missed the boat – their ferry ride from San Juan Island – to face La Conner in the conference opener for both teams at Landy James Gym Friday night. The home team, behind superb perimeter shooting and relentless full-court defensive pressure, sank Friday Harbor 72-48 in an impressive league debut. "We played har...
Skagit Valley College showed foresight when it envisioned Sarah Cook as a rare two-sport athlete coming out of high school. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community member and La Conner grad rewarded SVC with a focused 20-20 effort in Skagit's Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball tournament title win over Linn-Benton Community College in Tacoma last month. Cook, a key member of SVC's women's basketball program, delivered 20 kills and 20 digs to help lead the Lady Cardinals to a gritty five-set...
The holidays provide an opportunity to lift your favorite gardener’s spirits with the gift of a gardening book – or two. There are a wide variety of volumes filled with beautiful images and educational content to help gardeners learn something new and provide inspiration for the seasons to come. For the gardener with a passion for a specific plant family, publications are available focused on individual species, from pansies to succulents and dahlias to peonies. Still more provide guides beyond the plants to include insects, pollinators, bir...
The kingfisher is a year-round resident in this area, but often difficult to photograph. They are shyer than other birds and fly away with a loud voice to announce their dislike of being disturbed. You can see them on perches over saltwater shorelines and lakes where they detect small fish and dive down head first to catch them. During nesting time, they create burrows in sand banks that are several feet deep. The kingfisher is one of the few species where females are more colorful than males,...
Theater Arts Guild presents “The Secret Garden, the Musical” with performances on Dec. 19-21 at the Lincoln Theatre 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon. Advance reserved seating tickets: $34 1st section; $32 2nd section; $26 3rd section; $20 4th section plus applicable fees. Discount night Dec. 12: $20 all seats plus applicable fees. Tickets online at lincolntheatre.org/live-theatre-secret-garden-musical. Skagit Symphony presents “Timeless Elements, The Composer is Dead,” a famiily concert and children’s music fair, on Sunday, Jan. 26, in McIn...
TOWN OF LA CONNER NOTICE OF SUMMARY ORDINANCE Notice is hereby given that the Town Council of the Town of La Conner, Washington, passed Ordinance No. 1252 at the December 10, 2024 Town Council meeting. A summary of Ordinance No. 1252 is as follows: An Ordinance amending the 2024 Budget. Complete copies of Ordinance No. 1252 are available at La Conner Town Hall, P.O. Box 400, La Conner, WA 98257 Dated this 11th Day of December, 2024. /s/ Maria DeGoede, Town Clerk Published in the La Conner Weekly News, Dec. 18, 2024. TOWN OF LA CONNER NOTICE OF...
This recipe begins with a homemade cranberry sauce, prepared in advance. You will find me at home cooking fresh meals each day. You can reach me at [email protected]. Ingredients Fresh cranberries, 2 cups Crushed pineapple, 1 cup Sugar, 1 cup Water, 1 cup Olive oil, 2 tablespoons Brussel sprouts, 8 or 10, halved Lemon, 1, quartered Preparation The cranberry sauce is not to be rushed, to avoid scorching. Add cranberries to a medium saucepan. Add water, crushed pineapple and sugar. Stir...
LIBRARIES La Conner Swinomish Library. 520 Morris St., La Conner. 360-466-3352. www.laconnerswinomishlibrary.org/events. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays. Storytime for Children, 11 a.m. Fridays. Tech Help Mondays, 3-5 p.m. Get 30 minutes of one-on-one technical help. Must register. After-school LEGO club, ages 5 and up, 3-4 p.m., second Fridays monthly. Mount Vernon Public Library. 208 W. Kincaid St., Mount Vernon. 360-336-6209, mountver...
The La Conner Weekly News is an adjudicated newspaper and your best choice for placing legal notices in Skagit County. Rates are $15 per linear inch. Prompt invoicing with a notarized affidavit of publication when your legal posting is complete. Click here to upload (Word documents preferred) and submit your legal notice or email the document directly to our Production Manager at [email protected]?subject=Legal [email protected]. After submission, you will receive a proof...
