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La Conner Town Council and La Conner Schools officials addressed common goals and interests at their respective meetings last week. Councilmembers Mary Wohleb and MaryLee Chamberlain joined the Jan. 9 school board session via Zoom to share tips for the district best applying for state Department of Commerce grants that fund solar energy projects. Superintendent Will Nelson and Bobby Vaughn, director of operations and planning, returned the favor by attending the Jan. 10 Council meeting to weigh in on a possible joint venture to install a new...
The coronavirus pandemic roared into 2022 but vaccinations slowed its spread and the story faded from the public consciousness. Fewer people reported their positive tests and infections. People are still getting infected and hospitalized, however. Skagit Count now over 15,000 COVID-19 cases Jan.12 New COVID-19 hospitalizations swamping county Jan. 26 Indoor mask mandate ends statewide March 21 Feb. 23 Skagit one of 12 state counties with high COVID-19 transmission Jul. 6 New Skagit COVID-19 cases drop dramatically Sep. 7 Wearing masks indoors...
Each October La Conner Public Works Director Brian Lease and his crew begin bracing for all kinds of wintry conditions anticipated in the weeks ahead – heavy snowfall, icy streets and sidewalks, high winds, steady rain and standing water. They dealt with all those in the last few days alone. A fierce winter storm that brought up to nine inches of snow was followed by record low temperatures making for hazardous travel and then rapid melting marked a wild weather week leading up through C...
As we get ready to ring in the New Year the library is looking forward to exciting new events that will happen in the new year. First, we must look back and thank everyone who worked on the Festival of Tiny Trees auction. The event was very successful and a good time was had by all who attended. The library is looking forward to ordering some new furnishings for both the teen and children’s areas and we are looking forward to an even bigger and better event next year. Under 19 and want to learn how to ride the bus for free? Come to the l...
Bring your kids so they can ring in the new year early with a Noon Year’s Eve celebration at the La Conner Swinomish Library Saturday. Come at 11 a.m. – or earlier. There will be fun craft and ringing in Noon Year’s at 12 p.m....
Once again our community responded generously and warmly to this year’s Festival of Tiny Trees. More than $8,000 was raised to support additional furnishings for the new La Conner Swinomish Library. It was wonderful to be able to host everyone in our new library and to recognize the amazing efforts that made it possible. We applaud and appreciate all who made this year’s event a success! Tam Mason from WaFd Bank who stepped up to coordinate the event. What a hero! Our creative tree donors & designers: Local businesses and museums: Linda Ban...
What recession? Not in La Conner last weekend. A slew of activities started the holiday festivities – and the season's spending. The Christmas season began 6:30 p.m. Friday night, when all doors opened at the newly-built La Conner Swinomish Library, letting in a crowd of waiting bidders for the Tiny Tree auction. At 6:45, after remarks from Susan Macek, La Conner Library Foundation director, and library Director Jean Markert, one "Let the auction begin!" sent the audience to the bidding tables....
Last week was quite the start of holiday activities throughout the Skagit Valley. From Friday evening’s Tiny Tree silent auction at the La Conner Swinomish Library through a myriad of events Saturday in La Conner and holiday markets Sunday at the Vinery next to Christianson’s Nursery and at the La Conner Pub and Eatery, people were out and about, shopping and singing – a lot of singing. Did you know that the La Conner Schools volunteer students from the middle and high school music program played on Gilkey Square at 1 p.m. Saturday? Did you s...
The Christmas season has arrived along with a variety of holiday events La Connerites can participate in this December. First on that list is the Festival of Tiny Trees silent auction at the La Conner Swinomish Library on Friday, Dec. 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Participants can enjoy refreshments, including wine and hard cider, and bid to buy their favorite tiny decorated holiday tree. You can preview the trees at the library until Friday and sign-up at the library or WaFd Bank on Morris Street. The...
By Jean Markert, La Conner Swinomish Library director In this season of Thanksgiving, the library has so many things to be thankful for. We are extremely thankful for the amazing community volunteers and school district partners who helped us move our books into the new library. Every single book in our library was moved here by someone from our community. We feel extremely fortunate to have so many people who support our library. We are also thankful that we are open and can welcome everyone...
Ballots are mailed Friday. Help get all ballots counted quickly: Vote and return your ballot now Sign your ballot envelope Use a county dropbox Mail your ballot by Nov. 4 Election drop boxes nearby: La Conner Regional Library, 614 E. Morris Street Swinomish Indian Tribal Community: Social Services Building, 17337 Reservation Road Ballots must be in drop boxes by 8 p.m. Nov. 7. You can register to vote on election day. Voting information and register to vote at VoteWa.gov. Skagit County Elections: 360-416-1702...
The La Conner Swinomish library opened its door to the public for the first time Tuesday, Oct. 18. Blue and silver helium balloons were tied to the railings leading up the stairs to the doors of the 520 Morris Street building. Tony Harrah and Brian Wilbur waited for 11 a.m., the first members of the public in the library. Already present were staff and La Conner Regional Library board members. Craig Barber checked out the first book, his wife, Katryna, staffing behind the counter. La Conner...
Early morning fog and mist lent a magical twist Thursday to streams of students hauling books from the old to the new La Conner Swinomish Library. The rumble of wheels along Morris Street from carts packed with books began three days of magic – the spell of the written word. Though not part of the Skagit River Poetry Festival itself, it seemed a fitting start. The festival, canceled twice due to COVID-19, brought in dozens of poets from as far away as Argentina and Scotland, hundreds of s...
Driving distances between charges (range), and charging station availability, are usually the biggest uncertainties people have about whether an electric vehicle (EV) will work for them. Both are improving fast. Almost everyone who owns an EV charges it at home or work. By charging during the workday, or overnight, you can start each day with the batteries at full capacity. However, most EVs won't need to be charged every day. In rural areas, American drivers average 49 miles a day. Practically...
It is a rare day when you can be loud in a library. Saturday, in La Conner, was one of those days. The new La Conner Swinomish Library on Morris Street was the site of what was fondly dubbed "organized chaos that morning and afternoon." Noise, laughter and joy filled the spacious new facility, a long sought gleaming addition to the town's landscape. Enthusiasm was the word of the day, as it had been since Thursday when children, parents and grandparents began pitching in to move books from the...
Because Jean Markert has always enjoyed reading and books, the next chapter in her career could not have been better scripted. Markert, previously an instructor at Skagit Valley College and manager of the Northwest Workforce Council, has been named the new director of the La Conner-Swinomish Library set to open on Morris Street in mid-October. The La Conner resident had served for just over a month as interim library director. That interim label is now lifted from Markert's job title, library bo...
Good news. The new La Conner Swinomish Library is on the move, literally, as volunteer book brigades shuttle its precious cargo from the old library site to the new building at 520 Morris Street. A new library, what a wonderful idea realized. Take part in making it happen this week. Call to volunteer. With the library closed and the Weekly News concerned about its – and the public's – access to Town of La Conner documents, this editorial against censorship and for celebrating access to all reading material comes after September's national wee...
We are scheduling Book Moving Volunteers for Thursday, Oct. 6, Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8. If you already signed up to be a volunteer, you will get a phone call to schedule a shift to help one of those days. We'll start calling on Monday, Sept. 26. If you didn't sign up yet and want to help on any of these days, please call 360-466-3352 or email [email protected]. Saturday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. -1 p.m. is Kids Day to Help! Show up with your parent or guardian and help move the children's book collection. Feel free to bring your...
It is mid-September. The decision train – trains, actually – are boarding. It is time to get on if you do not want to be left behind as Town of La Conner governmental entities prepare trips into 2023 – and beyond. First on the schedule is a Sept. 19 town conversation for residents to come together and talk. It is organized by La Conner Town Council’s communication committee. They want to hear from citizens and listen for celebrations, concerns, trends, hopes and ideas. It starts at 6:30 p.m. in Maple Hall. Come early the next night for the pub...
At the La Conner Town Council Aug. 23: Planning Director Michael Davolio presented a draft of a proposed impact fee ordinance for review. This would raise funds toward priorities such as acquisition of a fire boat and ladder truck and/or support for parks and recreation initiatives here. Impact fees are often used by municipalities to cover local match requirements tied to grant awards. “I’ve done this before in other jurisdictions,” Davolio said, “and it has worked well.” Mayor Ramon Hayes announced dedication ceremonies for the new La Conner...
The La Conner Library will close Sept. 1in order to transition to the new La Conner Swinomish Library building at 520 Morris Street. The Library will reopen in October. We are very excited to be moving to the new location and look forward to welcoming everyone to the new La Conner Swinomish Library! What to expect until we reopen: The book drop will remain open throughout the move. Please keep your items as long as you like. We do not charge late fines, but if you wish to return your items before we reopen in October, the book return at the...
The La Conner United Street Fair on Saturday, Aug. 20 was a great day for selling planter boxes. It was a success largely because of the great people that helped. Rich Cushing and Rick Linton raised their hands when I asked for help. Susan Macek gave her approval to proceed. Tiger Construction of course made the whole project possible by donating the cut offs from the cedar siding left over. I appreciate the promotion that the Weekly provided. Joy Neal and the other members of Rotary and Kiwanis helped me set up at the site. Margaret Hillard...
Old memories were shared while new ones were made at the 118th annual Pioneer Picnic on Thursday, August 4. The traditional summer event, organized by the Skagit County Pioneer Association, brought together long-standing friends and new acquaintances who enjoyed a barbecued salmon lunch prepared by the “Good Girls” and served by members of the La Conner Civic Garden Club. Sisters Kim Good Rubenstein, Virginia Good-Vlahovich and Patsy Good cooked 185 pounds of sockeye salmon for the outdoor lun...
Those looking to spice up their garden are in luck. On Saturday, Aug. 20, the La Conner United Street Fair will have hand-crafted cedar planter boxes for sale. The new La Conner Swinomish Library will get 100% of the proceeds. In early July, La Conner resident Brad Bradford decided he wanted to build planter boxes using the library’s scrap wood. “Everybody needs a couple planter boxes,” he told the Weekly News. Tiger Construction, the library’s contractor, generously donated scraps of the cro...
