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The Lantern (the school’s winter edition) only tells part of the story about taxes. The total tax for schools is made up of the enrichment levy, the bond levy, and the State levy parts I and II. The levy rates per thousand look like: Enrichment $1.5000 Bond $2.5515 State part I $1.7492 State part II $0.6968 Total $6.4975 If you own a home with an assessed value of $300,000, you will pay $1,949.25 in taxes for La Conner schools during 2019. The State tax part II is the new tax, called the McCleary solution, which is merely a tax shift. The o...
In a one-hour meeting Jan. 22, the Town Council heard three presentations, consented to the reappointment of four parks commissioners, set 2019 sewer rates with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and agreed to a contract for fixing the elevator in Maple Hall. The last had a rare dissenting vote, by Councilmember Jacques Brunisholz. Council agreed to have Mayor Ramon Hayes enter into a contract for $83,709 with thyssenkrupp Elevator Corporation “to modernize the elevator equipment” as described in the company’s proposal. The Maple Hall eleva...
It is levy “season” again for some Skagit County public schools, including La Conner. Some unique circumstances affecting the La Conner school district need to be examined before the proposed levy deserves community endorsement: First, the “McCleary Fix” was supposed to reduce/eliminate local school tax levies by “fully funding basic education.” To pay for McCleary, the state’s share of local property taxes was increased. The LCSD committed the majority of new state monies to raise teacher salaries – the highest in the county, as I...
Tami Mason, branch supervisor at the local Washington Federal bank, heard at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, Jan 12 that the La Conner KeyBank will be closing April 12. Her comment last week was “It’s going to get busy. The line was out the door on Monday.” Area residents with KeyBank accounts were mailed a notice dated Jan. 11 informing them “KeyBank will be consolidating your La Conner Branch into the Mt. Vernon Branch on April 12, 2019.” Mayor Ramon Hayes heard about the closing secondhand Jan. 17....
Tiny Bubbles was a big hit for singer Don Ho in the 1960s. But his feel-good signature tune was about tiny bubbles in wine, not water, as was the case for some La Conner-Whitney Road residents when their homes were recently connected to a new water main between Young Road and McLean/Downey roads. Short of turning water into wine, the issue was addressed last week by flushing lines to rid them of the air bubbles that can cause tap water to appear cloudy, said Town Public Works Director Brian...
With “Proclamation for Janna Gage” on the Town Council’s agenda last Tuesday, it wasn’t a surprise, just richly deserved. Mayor Ramon Hayes made the presentation, first reading a short list summarizing a few of her contributions to the town, including 15 years as volunteer director of its senior center. Gage came to the Council table and, like the historian she is, gave a brief analysis. In summarizing the town’s social richness, she gave partial credit to the strong ongoing participa...
John Franz Feichtinger of La Conner, Washington (1965 – 2018), beloved father, son, brother, and friend, left us too soon. John was born in Seattle, grew up in Ballard and Kent before he moved to his chosen home of the beautiful Skagit Valley. An unfailingly kind man, John’s love of nature grew from the forests and waters he dearly cherished. In recent years, John was thrilled to explore the coastlines and waters in Alaska, where he found incredible joy. With pockets full of friendship and dog treats, whether it was someone in need, a p... Full story
Kimberly Oldis rooted hard for the University of Washington football team from one of the best seats available at the storied Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. The underdog Huskies came up just short in a frantic fourth quarter comeback bid against Ohio State, the only time Oldis didn’t pick a winner during her time in Pasadena. The Shelter Bay resident, a nationally renowned floral designer, was one of three persons selected to judge the 40 floats entered in the annual Tournament of Roses Par...
A friend sent me your article on Skagit Plastics and its association with Guy Lombardo. I have personally been associated with Skagit Plastics boats since my childhood. My dad, brother and I got a tour through the plant in the summer of 1957. That tour and trip to la Conner was the first time I saw the plug for what Skagit Plastics called the largest all fiberglass production cruiser in the world. I saw the completed Skagit 31 Saratogan at the 1958 model year boat show in Seattle in October of 1957. I was eleven years old and thought it was the...
Curt McCauley lives the adage, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The 75-year-old seventh degree black belt and teacher is once again on the mend: He is recently back home in Shelter Bay following 12 days at the University of Washington hospital in Seattle for pneumonia. In his 34 years of practicing and teaching the Korean martial arts Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan, he has probably voiced that sentiment in class. Reflecting on his avocation last September, McCauley quoted his mentor: “we do...
The problem with Swinomish taxation lies with the Washington State Department of Revenue. Now that Shelter Bay and Pull & Be Damned are withdrawn from the tax base, the $154,161,500 assessed valuation, and the $13.0988 levy rate, and the $2,019,333 in taxes (2018 figures) are shifted to the remaining taxpayers. This affects the following taxing districts: the state levy, county roads, county general, conservation, La Conner library, the Port of Anacortes, Medic 1, Fire District 13, and the La Conner school district. It should have been that...
I live on Lummi Drive in La Conner in Shelter Bay. I thought, we’ve got such beautiful lights here on Lummi Drive, both sides, street side and water side and the lights across the bay reflect in the water and it is just absolutely glorious. I thought you might want to commend these people or take pictures. It is just beautiful. There are boats in the bay here that are lit up that reflect, also. I thought it would be just beautiful if we had some nice, nice pictures. I thank you. Patricia Roper [This is a word picture that is just beautiful, t...
Fall roared out of the Salish Sea region with winds of up to 60 mph last Thursday, darkening all or parts of Island, Kitsap, Skagit and Whatcom counties served by Puget Sound Energy. In La Conner, the windstorm came without rain. About 1,600 greater La Conner residents were among the 120,000 people in Skagit County without electricity for up to 18 hours. La Conner lost power at 11:05 a.m. The lights returned in Town at 6:49 p.m. It was 2:22 a.m. before power was restored in Shelter Bay and south...
It’s true that there is a “tax problem” on the Swinomish Indian Reservation, but it is much larger than the Great Wolf Lodge tax case that everyone has been hearing or reading about lately. For decades, the Swinomish Tribe has faced at least four separate but related tax problems that went largely unnoticed in the Town of La Conner until the impact of the Great Wolf Lodge decision that invalidated a state tax on the permanent improvements of lessees on federal trust land was felt by property owners of fee lands both here in town and on the r...
The Golden Age of Radio, at least for La Conner, is making a comeback. That’s music to the ears of listeners here, many of whom remember the 1991 production of “Have A Twisted Xmas,” the gonzo radio play hailed at the time for its social commentary, and which was originally presented in downtown La Conner. Its message, like the original Christmas story itself, is one for which time has few limits. Which is why, thanks to modern technology and the guidance of radio personality and former La Co...
Many La Conner School District voters and most of its students live in homes on land that the district does not tax. We were told the so-called Great Wolf Lodge decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in 2013 is why more than 930 homes, mostly in Shelter Bay, were removed from the county tax rolls in 2015. That decision applied to Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation vs. Thurston County. In that case, the tribe is the majority owner of the Great Wolf Lodge buildings that sit on its land. In 2008 Chehalis sued Thurston...
Some 80 La Conner area residents packed the Methodist Church’s social hall Friday night to see the documentary “Plane Truths,” about the coming 36 Growler jets expansion at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Several shared the truths of their experience of the jets currently flying overhead on a sometimes-daily basis. Filmmakers Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young led a discussion after the film. Young’s first question, “How do you hear the planes here?” drew laughter. Hands shot up into the air. Dick...
Someone called the office Friday asking if anyone was reporting on a Mastiff dog running loose. No, we weren’t aware. Did the caller want to place a classified? That’s typical at your local newspaper. Covering big dogs running loose, offering classifieds for lost and found and being considered a resource in the community. In all kinds of ways the newspaper is a community resource. Does the La Conner Yacht Club or the La Conner Firefighters Association make a donation or give a scholarship? They call ahead and there’s a photo in the Weekl...
It is my belief the intention behind Thanksgiving Day goes well beyond the mere “thank you” or “thanks for the grub” that can be said in a passing moment. The meaning of the day becomes the memories we share and the gratitude we express for each other, whether we are with immediate family, friends or family found in community. Here is a story to share what I mean. It is Thanksgiving Day. We are sitting down to dinner. There is much chatter and shuffling of plates as we pass around the dishes of our feast. Before I hand the bread basket to my d...
When it rains, it pours. It’s not just a phrase that describes local weather this time of year. It also aptly describes a recent flurry of activity related to key town of La Conner Public Works projects. A lot is happening all at once. Several major items on the Town checklist are being addressed simultaneously between now and Christmas. Topping that list is the water main replacement project on the west side of La Conner-Whitney Road between Young and McLean / Downey Roads. As of this week, SVR...
The La Conner School District, board and staff, is almost the government. And, they do want to help. Superintendent Whitney Meissner and various board members championed listening and participation at neighborhood meetings Oct. 24 and 25 at the Shelter Bay clubhouse and Christianson’s Nursery schoolhouse, respectively. Meissner, in her second year, modeled inclusiveness at the gathering, attended by three and seven parents, respectively. She drew each group in by asking them “What’s on your mind? Ask me anything. Share anything.” Especia...
August 6, 1938 - October 2, 2018 Ron Ellis, a long-time resident of La Conner and the Eagles Nest community, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 80. He had been in declining health and was on his way to a doctor’s appointment when life left him. May his soul rest in peace. Ron was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Denbigh and Ethel Ellis. He resided in the Chicago area suburb of Hinsdale when, at the age of four, the family moved to Southern California, eventually settling in Laguna Beach near Los Angeles. Ron totally loved the beach e... Full story
In case of a major earthquake here, local first responders will be on shaky ground only in a literal sense. Their training for such an event – one that experts say is a matter of when, not if – has put them on solid footing to save lives and limit disruptions caused by a major quake and the tidal waves likely to follow. Fire District 13 personnel, Swinomish Tribal Police, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, HAM radio operators and Skagit County Department of Emergency...
Today’s page one story on large donations filling the No on Charter Committee campaign coffers is a tidbit worthy of your consideration. Whether or not you’re paying attention to the Proposition 1 ballot measure, whose passage opens the door to developing a county charter, consider whose thumbs are on the scale, that is whose checks are giving weight to the campaigns. Why are 14 people contributing $48,375? The total is $50,875.00 when the Skagit County’s GOP $2,500 donation is included – and some of that might come from those 14 donor...
The La Conner school board and superintendent invite the community to neighborhood gatherings Wednesday and Thursday. Topics include: • What’s new with programs and learning • Assessment trends • District Strategic Plan Discussion and questions encouraged. The Wednesday meeting is at the Shelter Bay Clubhouse, 6-7:30 p.m., with District Director Dr. Brad Smith. Thursday, District 4 and 5 Directors John Thulen and Dr. Lynette Cram, respectively, will meet from 5:30-7 p.m. at Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Rd. District Sup...
