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La Conner Town Council members were akin to traffic cops during their May 23 nearly 90-minute hybrid meeting at Maple Hall. The council forwarded proposed local restrictions on adult businesses to state officials in Olympia while remanding for review to the town planning commission a bid by developer Greg Ellis to site tiny homes on the lots behind Pioneer Market at Whatcom and Washington streets. Mayor Ramon Hayes echoed what planning staff have previously said for restricting such businesses. “If we don’t regulate them,” said Hayes, “we o...
Upcoming events at the La Conner Swinomish Library: For kids, this week it is "Eat the Rainbow to Improve Gut Health!" Make and take a healthy snack and learn about your personal microbiome in your tummy. Thursday, May 25, 3-4 p.m. Hosted by April Emanuelson, F.N. P. If you missed the Seed Swap last Friday, mark your calendar and save your seeds for our next swap November 2. Friday, June 2, at 3 p.m. come to the drive-in theater in the library to watch "CARS." As an added attraction kids can...
It could have been the perfect weather or the Guitar Festival that steered residents away from the Citizen Engagement Opportunity in the La Conner Swinomish Library conference room last Saturday, May 20. About ten people came to it, including La Conner Town Councilmembers MaryLee Chamberlain and Rick Dole. The relaxed setting encouraged public discussion of pre-selected topics: sustainable businesses; open spaces, infrastructure needs; public safety; and density development and growth. The gathering was put on by the council’s communications c...
La Conner residents are invited to attend a citizen engagement opportunity at the La Conner Swinomish Library Saturday, May 20, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. sponsored by the town council’s communications committee....
With long-awaited warm weather hinting of summer arrival, La Conner Mayor Ramon Hayes told Town Council members that tighter fitting fashions will be the coming style at their May 9 Maple Hall session. “We’re going to have to tighten our belts this fall,” Hayes predicted, referring to next year’s budget, despite robust sales and hotel-motel tax revenues. “There will be pressure on our budget negotiations,” said Hayes. “Costs are rising, and we see inflation across the board. And labor costs are on the rise.” Councilmember MaryLee Chamber...
The art of leadership took several forms in La Conner last Friday. The current class of Leadership Skagit, which develops leaders from the private, public and nonprofit arenas, visited town to see examples of how the arts help leaders broaden their perspectives. The nearly three dozen participants, selected for the long-running leadership training program affiliated with the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) and Skagit Valley College, took part in a briskly paced tour...
The new La Conner Swinomish Library is where one can find the latest word on almost any subject. And not just between the covers of books. A large turnout Thursday evening, for instance, spoke volumes about the unyielding commitment made by two civic leaders to secure funding for the construction of and multi-media operations now provided at the 5,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility at Sixth and Morris streets. Susan Macek, executive director of the La Conner Library Foundation for a...
The Swinomish Tax Authority used the same levy rate for 2023, 2022 and 2021: $11.98 per thousand. But, the assessed value of homes in Shelter Bay and Pull & Be Damned increased from $196,279,100 to $206,399,050 over the past year. The Swinomish government aims to collect $2,440,832 in taxes from Shelter Bay, Pull & Be Damned and Thousand Trails. Three taxing districts will receive contributions from the Swinomish. These are: Fire District 13 at $400,000 for operations and maintenance, plus $90,000 impact fees from the casino, plus a medical...
Ramon Hayes, mayor of the Town of La Conner for 16 years, is retiring when his term ends after the November elections. Hayes deserves a huge thank you for his steadfastness. He deserves credit for the solid staff employed in support of the town's residents and infrastructure. Hayes can be rightfully proud of the two – three, really – most visible accomplishments under his watch. He secured critical state and local funding for the downtown channel boardwalk and the La Conner Swinomish Library. And, in the dark days of the coronavirus pan...
The Seattle author Timothy Egan's latest book, “A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them,” is a riveting saga of the Klan spreading their hatred of Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants. The leader was a predatory con man, the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, who believed he was above the law. This is the story of how the Klan held complete power over the politicians, judges and law enforcement across the state of Indiana. They then tried to spread their tentacles over the ent...
Spring has sprung and the tulips are blooming – well almost – but it is spring at the library! Congratulations to Mary Cayou, our lucky Winter Reads grand prize winner. Mary received a $25 gift certificate to Seaport Books. Thank you to everyone who participated and to Beaver Tales Coffee, Stompin' Grounds Coffee and Seaport books for their support, and a big thank you to the Friends of the Library for sponsoring our gift certificates. The library has a brand-new website, make sure to check it...
The 36th annual La Conner Kiwanis Not-So-Impromptu Tulip Festival Parade Saturday did not lay an egg. That chore was left to the Easter Bunny, who did his usual egg-ceptional job at Pioneer Park a few hours before the downtown serpentine, which many onlookers afterward ranked among the best tulip parades since the late Kiwanian Luke Long first invited his Nile Temple cohorts to march down First Street without a permit in the 1980s. Parade spectators included some who started in the Park at the...
At the corners of Morris and Sixth streets you will find three booming businesses and a library that are owned or operated by women: Beaver Tales Coffee, Stompin Ground Coffee Co., Tillinghast Postal & Business Center and the La Conner Swinomish Library. All serve the community in unique ways. Library Director Jean Markert started in September 2022 after serving as chair of La Conner Regional Library board of directors, where she had a key role in the process of building the new library, a project that had been in the works for ten years. Becau...
The opportunity to be involved in a new library project in the community we chose to move to in 2007 has been a once in a lifetime experience. I’m grateful to have been able to work with so many who were dedicated to a shared vision that united our community. After a 20-year dream of the Friends of the Library, and an all-out effort over the past 10 years, our “little library that could” made it happen. Thank you to the La Conner Library board of trustees for your commitment to the new library. You held fast to the goal of a building design and...
A Weekly News unsung hero is singing her swan song as chief administrator of the La Conner Library Foundation. Susan Macek, whom this newspaper heralded in 2019 for her tireless fundraising efforts to build the new La Conner Swinomish Library on Morris Street, is stepping down Friday from the helm of the not-for-profit entity she has piloted for almost a decade. "It's nice to be able to hand off the baton," said Macek, who looks forward to traveling with her husband, Dave Buchan, while...
We have sprung forward and lots of things are happening at the library. The library invites you to participate in #LibraryGivingDay on Tuesday, April 4, a national day focused on support for local libraries. Your gift will help our new library fully equip our community meeting room and complete the signage for books, DVDs and more in our new space! Help us reach our goal of $10,000. 100 gifts x 100 donors = $10,000. You can donate online at laconnerlibraryfoundation.org or by mail to La Conner...
In 2023 the La Conner School District taxes will be $993,717 for operations and $1,300,000 for debt service. There are 2,313 taxpayers in the district. On average, each taxpayer pays $992 for schools. According to the school district’s budget, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community contributes $500,000 to operations and nothing to debt service. Debt service is covered by non-Indians. According to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 34% of the student population is Native American. The Tribe’s share of debt service is $442,000...
Disney and magic are synonymous. As are La Conner artist Bob Abrams and the famed mass media and entertainment conglomerate he first dreamt of joining as a pre-teen. So, it came as little surprise that Abrams, the 93-year-old former Disney illustrator, was able to work some magic of his own at the La Conner Swinomish Library last Wednesday. Abrams, a Pittsburgh native who grew up admiring the legendary Walt Disney, somehow managed to shoehorn his long and storied career into an extended...
The La Conner Town Council met on Valentine’s Day, then its leaders looked for some love from state lawmakers in Olympia later in the week. A Town delegation met with state Reps. Dave Paul and Clyde Shavers and the staff of Sen. Ron Muzzall to discuss flood management measures and other key local issues, including increased funding for law enforcement. By all accounts, it was a positive dialogue with the District 10 legislators. It left Town officials hopeful yet more productive talks will take place. “I think it went well,” Town Admin...
New library cards have arrived! Come by the library to get your brand-new library card featuring our new logo. Our system requires us to use a new barcode number, so everyone will get a new card. If you are an online reader, no need to worry, we can merge your old number and your new number so you will not lose any of your saved information. Please see a library staff member if you have any questions. Don't miss our special event with Bob Abrams today from 5-6 p.m.. Mr. Abrams will talk about...
Bob Abrams can literally draw upon a lifetime – at 93, a long one, at that – of sharing highlights of a colorful career as an animator with Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera and Disney, among others. Fondly known as the "Disney Artist" around La Conner, his home for the past 15 years, Abrams will recount his illustrious times in the entertainment and media industries during a special one-hour program at the La Conner Swinomish Library next Wednesday. Abrams, a Pittsburgh, PA. native who hit the big ti...
As a popular song says, there are few ways better to gain fame than to have your picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone. A La Conner singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist may not be on the iconic magazine’s cover, but she is featured on its digital pages as an artist readers need to know. Locally and regionally, Katherine Paul, the face of Black Belt Eagle Scout, needs no introductions. Her brand is now getting plenty of national exposure, thanks to a glowing profile penned for rollingstone.com by Philadelphia-based writer, editor a...
Are you in a winter reading rut? The library has just the solution for you: Stretch your reading muscles by checking out our Winter Reads Bingo. There are bingo squares for everything from cookbooks – what better way to find a new comfort food recipe – to audiobooks, to romance to true crime. This reading challenge has something for everyone. Read five books to get a bingo and get a coupon for a treat at either Stompin' Grounds or Beaver Tales Coffee. Read 25 books to get a blackout and get ent...
In my 16th and final year as mayor, I would like to thank the La Conner community for the opportunity to serve as your representative. Although our resources are limited, La Conner has been fortunate to attract and retain staff who are dedicated to the community and whose work ethic, in many cases, far exceeds a 40-hour work week. La Conner is also blessed with a plethora of volunteers who participate in everything from our town council, planning commission, arts and parks commissions and, with 23 active volunteers, our fire department. Its...
