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Coupeville was on the verge of winning the bi-district volleyball title here last Wednesday. Until it wasn't. The Lady Wolves fell prey to a scintillating La Conner comeback that saw the hosts erase a daunting 2-0 deficit to forge an emotional 22-25, 17-25, 25-23, 26-24, 15-12 two-hour, five-set victory for the 2023 Northwest 2B Bi-District championship and berth to the state tourney today (Nov. 8) in Yakima. La Conner offset Coupeville's relentless power game by playing stellar defense. The...
The Kiwanis Club of La Conner High School Student of the Month for October is Katie Cayou-Lockrem. Katie's parents are Josh and Val Lockrem. She is in the tenth grade. Katie is in Associated Student Body leadership. She enjoys the Breads & Pastries class she is taking. Outside of school she enjoys hunting and fishing with her family. After graduating she would like to attend college and study to be a project manager. Middle School Student of the Month for October is Angus Poprycz. Agnus'...
Unity is a key part of the word community. That theme was stressed throughout the annual La Conner Young Life Dessert Fundraiser held Sunday night in the elementary school commons area. A wide cross-section of folks from in and around La Conner, representing the town, agricultural, Swinomish, Shelter Bay, Snee-Oosh and Fir Island communities attended the two-hour event, supporting the faith-based program that provides summer camp and monthly social and personal growth opportunities for local...
On a morning during which local veterans were honored, La Conner Schools staff employed military precision to blend two indoor student assemblies within 45-minutes. A Veteran’s Day program keynoted by retired U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Scott Poulton, a Shelter Bay resident, meshed seamlessly into a sendoff ceremony for the state tournament bound high school volleyball team. Students in grades K-12 entered Landy James Gym single file to designated seating areas Tuesday morning for the Veterans Day segment of the twin assemblies.. About a half-hour l...
One was a true La Conner original, scion of a storied pioneer family, blessed with a bevy of talents – singing, strumming and storytelling among them. The other was born on the other side of the country, in industrial Pittsburgh, and built an amazing career in southern California before bringing his myriad creative skills and good cheer to La Conner. Both lived richly full lives, artists in their own way, each enjoying more than 90 trips around the sun before passing in recent weeks. Bruce McCor...
The current Israel / Hamas war is tragic. The scenes of devastation and destruction in the Gaza strip and the reports of those killed and injured is heartbreaking, The continuing loss of human life and growing humanitarian crisis is overwhelming in the reality of little or no promise of reconciliation or peace. This past May my wife and I were able to join a group of people in a religious study tour of Israel and Palestine (also called the West Bank, Judea and Samaria) visiting the historical sites. It was good to see the land and to walk the...
Meet Morgan Huizenga, Soroptimist International of La Conner honored Student of the Month for November. Morgan, a senior participating in Running Start at Skagit Valley College, views her life as focused on school and volley ball. She started playing as a fourth grader and has become a valuable team leader. She also runs track and discovered that she could excel at throwing the javelin as well. While she was recovering from an injury she wanted to try the javelin and ended up fourth in the state...
The La Conner High School football team saved its best for last, closing out the campaign with a convincing 26-13 non-league victory over Annie Wright Academy of Tacoma on Senior Night at Whittaker Field last Friday. Versatile junior C.J. Edwards paced the La Conner attack – doing damage as a runner, passer and receiver – while the Braves stop unit forced Gator freshman quarterback Charlie Finch to flee the pocket much of the night, often resulting in tackles for loss. Edwards rushed for two scores, reeled in two touchdown passes from Ivo...
This year’s La Conner High School volleyball team, with its several underclassmen – including eighth graders – playing key roles, has taken a different route to reach a familiar destination this fall. That being the Northwest 2B Bi-District Tournament. The Lady Braves tuned up for a postseason run with an impressive 3-1 victory at Mount Vernon High Thursday. Monday they were paired against Auburn Adventist in a first-round bi-district clash at Landy James Gym. On the opposite side of Monday’s bi-district bracket, NW2B/1B rival Coupevi...
Having committed to a new K-12 math curricula that has already paid dividends in terms of improved student achievement, La Conner school board members Monday also reaped the benefits of that investment. The five-member panel was saluted as a School Board of Distinction among Washington state’s small enrollment districts for its embrace of the ambitious new math initiative and implementation of Professional Learning Communities, Universal Design for Learning and other innovative programs. The announcement was made via Zoom by Tricia Lubach, dire...
There will be cheers and tears at La Conner High School's home football game Friday. That's guaranteed regardless of the outcome. The former will be led, as always, by the cheer squad. The tears, on the other hand, will reflect the bittersweet acknowledgement that La Conner cheer sponsor Theresa James is stepping down from that assignment – one of several hats she wears for the school district – after a remarkable 30-year run. James is being honored for what district officials laud as her "as...
David and Lynette Cram are united in both marriage and their shared love of La Conner Schools, where they first forged career plans and were taught the value of public service. The Crams, both La Conner alumni, have since college taken on various leadership roles with their hometown school district, he twice on the administrative team and she as a coach, sports trainer and school board member. David Cram began his second tour as the La Conner Schools finance chief in March, enlisted to stanch a bleeding budget pierced by successive years of...
The new-look La Conner High School volleyball team rekindled memories of the recent past during two impressive matches last week. The net program, which has suffered heavy graduation losses in the wake of four straight state titles dating to 2018, flashed championship form with twin straight-sets triumphs over NW2B/1B rival Friday Harbor on the road and 3A Marysville-Getchell at home. The team defeated M-G 3-0 on Oct. 17 in its annual Dig Pink Senior Night event at Landy James Gym. Morgan Huizenga and Addison Keller fueled a comeback in the...
Zaira Najera-Davalos, a La Conner High School senior, is the Soroptimist International of La Conner Honored Student for the month of October. Zaira is a busy young woman both at school and home. She is the executive president of the high school's Associated Student Body (ASB). Her interest in student government began when she was the freshman class president. Now as spokesperson for all the students, Zaira excels with her strong speaking ability and mature outlook on life. Helping to sharpen...
A solid ground game supported by a potent passing attack led by quarterback Ivory Damien wasn't enough for La Conner to defeat archrival Coupeville in the Braves' Homecoming football game at Jack Whittaker Field Friday night. Seeking its first NW2B triumph of the campaign, the team fell 43-12 to the Wolves despite a strong start that saw the Braves reel off a methodical nine-play touchdown drive on their first possession. C.J. Edwards capped the 46-yard march, which came after holding...
Matthew Lawrence (Matt) Pratt was taken from a wonderful life much too early on Monday, October 2, 2023, at his home in La Conner, Washington. He suffered a heart attack while going out to feed his faithful dog companion, Danny. Matt was born on Nov..16, 1954, in Kennewick, Washington to Joseph C. (Jim) and Judythe S. Pratt. From the beginning he was an active and inquisitive boy which both aggravated and charmed his parents and older brother, Steve. He never tried to hide the outrageous stunts...
Like loons calling across the water, like Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," the Swinomish Canoe Family hushed the crowd of 150 people as they sang and drummed a blessing prayer, the chorus meandering its way from the majestic totem outside into the La Conner Swinomish Library Saturday afternoon. The building felt just a little more hallowed. And crowded. Whew! There were a lot of people there. The pole, made from a 400-year old western red cedar, carved by Kevin Paul and assisted by his son-in-law...
Candidates responded to these issues: 1. School District's greatest strengths. 2. Curriculum and policies valuing student voices. 3. Schools' unique features to maintain. 4. How to best support Superintendent Will Nelson. 5. High school's future if enrollment remains low. 6. Your experiences and qualities. John Agen 1. Community: La Conner has a long history of great support for our students and schools. Diversity: We have a wonderful blend that includes significant numbers of Native, Hispanic a...
The candidates in La Conner's only contested 2023 election shared their views and personal backgrounds at a Skagit County League of Women Voters forum in Mount Vernon Monday night. John Agen, elected director in District 1 in 2019, is the La Conner school board's legislative liaison. Janie Beasley served a decade on the five-member governing body until 2019. Each shared prepared statements and answered a set of questions. Candidates for seats on the Sedro-Woolley and Mount Vernon school boards p...
Dave is gone. For someone who was consistently late to every appointment, he left this world way too early. David Francis Ehman was born to Shirley Ehman and Marvel Brodt Ehman on October 21, 1950, in Dayton, Ohio. He joined sisters Kathy and Marilyn. Later, Julie would join them. He attended public schools in Dayton, Ohio through high school, and went on to attend and graduate from Valparaiso University in Indiana with a Political Science degree. Beginning as a teacher's aide, David was...
The La Conner High School Lady Braves brought their ‘A’ game to the soccer pitch Saturday. Actually, they brought their better than ‘A’ game. Lydia Grossglass took a well-placed pass from Kendall Lee to break a scoreless tie and forge a thrilling 1-0 La Conner non-league triumph at 1A Sultan, taking the sting out of twin 5-0 setbacks earlier in the week to Friday Harbor and at North Mason. “I’m so proud of the team for performing at such a high level with back-to-back-to-back away games,” Lady Braves coach Maddie Huscher said after her cha...
When Port of Skagit officials unveiled preliminary plans last year for long-range re-development at La Conner Marina, workforce housing was a key variable for future investment. Port leadership emphasized that its maritime tenants are engaged in growth industries and will better expand their labor forces to meet market demands when more local housing is available. Consider American Tugs, on Pearle Jensen Way, a boatbuilding firm whose top-of-the-line pleasure craft feature rugged hulls like...
The eyes of Olympia were on La Conner Schools last week focusing on the district's innovative approach to assessing student learning. And state leaders visiting the local campus liked what they saw. State Sen. Lisa Wellman, chair of its early learning and K-12 education committee and Alissa Muller, director of the state board of education's mastery-based learning collaborative, met with students and staff here Oct. 4 to view and receive feedback on the La Conner district's mastery-based...
The traffic volume in town last weekend teased that it was the height of tourist season. That wasn't the case, of course.. But it was a peak weekend in terms of La Conner High School's fall sports schedule. The football and volleyball teams played simultaneously on campus Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the Braves' boys soccer team hosted league rival Mount Vernon Christian. Results were mixed. The La Conner grid program broke into the win column with a convincing 30-0 shutout win...
Darrell McCormick died peacefully with his wife by his side on Sept. 20, 2023. Darrell was born and raised in La Conner. He spent much of his youth hunting with his dad, Bruce, and brothers Larry and Gail. Darrell loved working long hours on his grandparent's farm which instilled a, "Let's make hay while the sun is up!" attitude. In school, Darrell was a stand-out athlete who helped draw town locals out to cheer on the Braves. After graduating from La Conner High, he married his high school...
