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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...
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...
Dolores and John retired to Shelter Bay in 1992. She loved gardening and boating and she was a great 1st Mate. John and Dolores were charter members of the Shelter Bay Yacht Club. She loved to travel, and Hawaii and Arizona were a few of her favorites from her world travels. Dolores was a member of the Ann Carlson Orthopedic Guild, Seattle Ryther and the Ballard Elks Emblem Club. Dolores is survived by her spouse John, daughter Karen (Malcolm) Unseth, son John F Bratland, grandson Matthew (Christena) Unseth, 2 great-granddaughters, sisters...
Family and friends brought a dozen guns and a plethora of knives to be fired in a blacksmith’s forge and pounded flat and twisted into useless pieces of metal – and made into a future sculpture. Five artists, a couple of churches, City Councilman Eric Johnson and Director of the Anacortes Are Festival Rita James are the force behind “The Anacortes Regeneration Project: from Guns to Art, from Conflict to Peace.” They were joined by Chris Wardenburg-Skinner, an Edison artist with Safe and S...
Work along Shelter Bay Drive posed a minor inconvenience for motorists on Thursday. But the work itself was in response to what looms as a potential major concern later down the road. Drought-stricken and dead trees lining Shelter Bay Drive were cut and removed as a traffic and pedestrian safety measure, a scene community leaders fear will have to be repeated going forward. “According to arborists we have contacted,” Shelter Bay Manager David Franklin told La Conner Weekly News last week, “th...
A local fire district is turning 13 into a lucky number. That’s because Fire District 13 residents have the good fortune to be served by an outreach program rarely found elsewhere – even in urban settings. “Good Morning – District 13” is a free voluntary program in which on-duty crews check the welfare of seniors, shut-ins, persons with functional needs or residents living under special circumstances. Nearly 50 persons residing within District 13 boundaries have signed up for the p...
Class reunion season here isn’t just for former students. Retired La Conner High teachers and administrators also gather each summer for what’s fondly called an “old school lunch” on the waterfront. The class act resumed Wednesday afternoon on the outdoor deck of the La Conner Pub & Eatery. Some came from as far as the Olympic Peninsula. Many, however, still reside locally – living in or near a town much different from the sleepy fishing village with boarded up downtown storefr...
I would like to thank all the crew at “Good Morning District 13” for their help in early June getting me to the ER and home again. I know when I signed up for the Good Morning Dist. 13 service I wouldn’t be sorry. Thank you Gary Ladd and all the great staff that helped me and checked on me each day. Sincerely, Betty Wells Shelter Bay...
To the Editor: Thank you for your recent “Damn democracy” editorial. Achieving the goals of democracy requires constant vigilance and debate. Your statement has stayed with me because it captures the political malaise influencing us all. Those like me who oppose Trump and those who support him are more likely to express our views, but your message is for everyone who cares about our country’s future. That means all of us. It is not a time for silence. Yes, it can be discomforting We often hear “Let’s not get into politics” in social situ...
There’s a growing appetite for a game in which staying out of the kitchen can be a winning recipe. A couple dozen people of all ages got their first taste of pickleball, the nation’s fastest growing sport, during a special two-hour beginner’s clinic on the Shelter Bay community’s lower courts Saturday morning. It was clear a good time was had by all. “Pickleball is so much fun,” confirmed clinic instructor Barb McGrady. “I know a lot of people who got addicted to pickleball after playing it fo...
For the school year 2018-2019 the La Conner School District budget shows general fund taxes at $1,006,174, and debt service taxes at $1,500,000, for a total of $2,506,174. There are 564 students estimated in the school population, of which 90 students will come from Shelter Bay and Pull & Be Damned. These areas are not on the tax rolls. Subtracting 90 from 564 leaves 474. Divide that into $2,506,174 and you get $5,287.29 per student. That times 90 equals $475,856 that the Swinomish Tribe owes for the kids who come from Shelter Bay and Pull &...
Mark Eisen passed away on July 21, 2018, his 66th birthday, at his home after an extended illness. Mark was born on July 21, 1952 to Vincent and Augusta Eisen. He spent his childhood in La Conner, graduating from La Conner High School in 1970. After high school, he served in the United States Air Force. While stationed at Edwards AFB, California, he met and married his wife Debra in 1973. The couple recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Mark moved his family back to La Conner in 1982. Mark was very handy and a skilled mechanic....
New greens at Swinomish Golf Links helped raise much appreciated green for area charities, among them the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank. Golfers taking part in a special free day at the Swinomish Tribal Community-owned course near La Conner last Wednesday chipped in $227 for the local food pantry, which took donations on the par-3, 156-yard fifth hole. Almost $5,600 was raised for area charities, split evenly between $2,800 donated by golfers to the charities positioned at each hole and $2,757...
