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Sorted by date Results 10 - 34 of 2077
Once there were two newspapers in La Conner. Soon there will be none. The pending closure of the La Conner Weekly News and retirement of its owner, Publisher and Editor Ken Stern, is the latest headline – though hardly a joyous one – from a robust local journalism tradition dating to the 1870s. The story begins, oddly enough, in Bellingham with James Power, who established himself as a politician and newspaperman of note before Washington became a state. Power published the Bellingham Bay Mail,...
Town revenue golden for ’24 The Town of La Conner’s $58,133 in November sales tax receipts raised the year’s total above $600,000, 98.5% of the 2024 budget. As in the past three years, the town will again exceed its sales tax revenue goal after December is reported. Hotel/Motel tax revenues have already beaten the budget by a larger amount in 2024, at $187,102, 33.3% above the $140,400 projection. November’s totals were $20,919, almost 10% above 2023 and the second highest November total ever, same as the month’s sales tax revenues. The same...
The Town of La Conner had a survey for the residents and business\people about the south end (aka transition zone, aka the subarea plan, aka the property in the vicinity of “big blue” and the old Moore Clark building, aka the freezer building. The survey asked for ratings on ideas about various categories. One of the survey categories is “access improvements” (roads, parking and paths). The highest rating possible is 5. “Extend waterfront path to Pioneer Park” received a seriously spectacular rating of 4.36 out of 5. Nothing else even reache...
The Dec. 3 planning commission meeting featured coming attractions related to potential redevelopment of La Conner’s former south end industrial area. Commissioners previewed proposed revitalization plans for the four-acre site that will be shared by consultant Tom Beckwith and his team at a public workshop at Maple Hall tonight at 6 p.m. Beckwith guided commissioners through a nearly hour-long presentation on concepts for the once bustling industrial zone. The Moore-Clark fish feed plant with its massive Victorian era warehouse dominated t...
Better safe than sorry. That’s the mantra embraced by members of the La Conner Emergency Management Commission, which oversaw flood barrier placement along the downtown waterfront and in low-lying areas the past two king tide seasons and recently reviewed La Conner’s emergency operations center at Town Hall. “King tides are not a problem themselves,” Chairman Doug Asbe reminded commissioners during their Dec. 3 meeting at Maple Hall, “but in combination with low atmospheric pressure, winds and the inflow of fresh water from the Skagit Ri...
Skagit Community Band with special guest A’Town Big Band will present a free concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at Maple Hall in La Conner. Enjoy an evening of holiday cheer with the SCB as they perform a program of festive and exciting holiday music. Joining the SCB will be the A’Town Big Band putting its own spin on “Swinging” holiday favorites. More info at: www.skagitcommunityband.org. Theater Arts Guild presents “The Secret Garden, the Musical” with performances on Dec. 12-15 and 19-21 at the Lincoln Theatre 712 S. First St., Mount Verno...
Sunday, Dec. 1 11:28 p.m.: Maybe too fast for conditions – Driver was crossing the bridge to Fir Island in the extreme fog and did not see that the road turns right just past the bridge. The driver hit the guard rail, causing significant damage but no injury. Moore and Best roads, greater La Conner. Tuesday, Dec. 3 8:14 a.m.: Still too fast – Another vehicle failed to negotiate the turn at the Fir Island bridge due to heavy fog. Minor damage done. Fir Island and Best roads, greater La Conner. Thursday, Dec. 5 10:25 a.m.: Hey, no parking – Compl...
HEADS UP Town of La Conner public workshop on the use of the Commercial Transition Zone, aka the Moore Clark Area, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St. Info: www.townoflaconner.org. Join us again at Pioneer Park as we remove invasive English ivy, 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Dec. 14, rain AND shine. We’ll meet at the top of Fourth Street, near the water tower gate. More info: [email protected]. Holiday origami ornaments with Mike Berry, 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Museum of Northwest Art, 121 S. First St. C...
News scoop: Santa's advance schedule of early La Conner visits has been leaked to the Weekly News. Parents, are these times on your calendar? Saturday morning Santa will be posing for photos at Maple Hall when the Rotary Club of La Conner holds its annual Santa Breakfast, 8-11 a.m. Dec. 7. Breakfast is $10 and $5 children, with those under 5 eating free. There is no charge for photos, but donations will help support the La Conner Rotary Club's literacy initiatives. In past years this was a...
The effort by the La Conner Community News group to purchase the La Conner Weekly News and secure its future into 2025 and beyond appears to have fallen short, but not for lack of effort. Unless an angel investor comes forward in the next two weeks, the final issue of the La Conner Weekly News under publisher Ken Stern will hit the streets and mailboxes on Dec. 18. "It's a sad day for La Conner," Mayor Marna Hanneman said. "It takes a village and when something important in the village goes, it...
History is full of mysteries and a good one focuses on a collection of old photographs stored for decades in the attic of a rural La Conner home. Steve Thein, of Landing Road southeast of town, came across the studio-quality black-and-white prints while clearing space to insulate his attic. The photos, judging from hairstyles and clothing fashions they reveal, appear to date from the early to mid-20th century. Some photos are identified only by first name, others not at all. Only a few photos ar...
The clock is running out on “Saving the La Conner News” . . . 3 weeks, 2 weeks, 1 week, GONE . . . say it isn’t so! . . . say it isn’t happening!! How shall we learn about town government meetings? School sport events and scores? Maple Hall events? New businesses and our wonderful current ones? Activities of fraternal organizations? Arts events? Emergency management efforts? La Conner redevelopment initiatives? The latest miracles from the Clean Energy Alliance? The vox populi in the Letters to the Editor . . . What’s on at the library a...
I saw the announcement of a “Public forum” on Dec. 11 that is called to address “the town’s south end plan.” I see that title as an obfuscation, by the town, to hide the important process of dealing with the blight and danger present in the Moore Clark property. Reality is that the Skagit County Assessor’s Office current fair market value appraisal of the property, parcel P74496, is actually $442,300, not the $2,300,000 that the town administrator keeps quoting. So far there has been no attempt for the current owner to purchase insurance a...
The La Conner public parking lot, east of Maple Hall, occupies about an acre. It’s big enough to host a 400 kilowatt solar generation system, built in the form of a canopy covering most of the lot. Such a canopy would also provide protection from snow, rain and sun. Building a solar canopy over most of the lot would require installation of support structures and some analysis on how the power would be delivered to the grid, or whether it would be better to install batteries and keep the s...
It was a La Conner Town Council meeting that nearly wasn’t. The Nov. 26 session at Maple Hall was almost scuttled due to lack of a quorum among the five-members. Councilmembers Ivan Carlson, Mary Wohleb and Annie Taylor were absent as the 6 p.m. start time approached. Fortunately, Taylor – who Mayor Marna Hanneman said was under the weather – shook off the effects of fatigue and illness and arrived to save the day 10 minutes later. “We’ll try to make this as short as possible,” the mayor stressed, as Taylor took her seat, “so that Annie ca...
The Town of La Conner has scheduled a public workshop on Dec. 11 to hear citizen feedback on future uses of the Commercial Transition Zone, also known as the Moore Clark Area. The Moore Clark warehouse dominates the area south of Town Hall and west of the South Third Street public parking lot. Draft concepts for the area will be presented. Consultant Tom Beckwith and his team have crafted revitalization scenarios. Zoning changes will likely be made to encourage development. The meeting will be...
Skagit Community Band with special guest A’Town Big Band will present a free concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, at Maple Hall in La Conner. Enjoy an evening of holiday cheer with the SCB as they perform a program of festive and exciting holiday music. Joining the SCB will be the A’Town Big Band putting its own spin on “Swinging” holiday favorites. More info at: www.skagitcommunityband.org. Theater Arts Guild presents “The Secret Garden, the Musical” with performances on Dec. 6-8, 12-15 and 19-21 at the Lincoln Theatre 712 S. First St., Mount...
Jo Wolfe has a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. The executive director of the Skagit County Historical Museum says that its recent fall party netted the museum about $25,000 – a new high for an event that is just three years old. The new fire detection system, paid for by the raise the paddle segment of last year’s fundraiser, is up and running. When problems are detected, the system alerts Guardian Security, which calls the La Conner fire department, all in a matter of minutes. Visitors and participants in museum-sponsored pro...
SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR KING COUNTY IN RE THE ESTATES OF DEAN EDWARD MILLER AND KAREN L. MILLER (HUSBAND AND WIFE) DECEASED. NO 24-4-07131-5 SEA NOTICE TO CREDITORS Glen R. Clausing has been appointed as personal representative of these estates. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the undersigned at the address stated below a copy of the...
HEADS UP Kiwanis Annual Holiday Craft Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St., La Conner. Christmas shop with locals. Ornaments, bags, stickers, jewelry, tablecloths, toys, cards, wall art, cookies and pies for sale. Come early for the Rotary Club Santa Breakfast and stop by the vendors on your way out. Town of La Conner public workshop on the use of the Commercial Transition Zone, aka the Moore Clark Area, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St. Info: www.townoflaconner.org. LIBRARIES La...
Only 26 shopping days remain until Christmas. But another significant deadline looms even sooner. The Town of La Conner will hold its second public workshop on proposed revitalization of the four-acre former south end industrial zone on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. at Maple Hall. That's just two weeks away. Draft concepts for the area will be presented. Planning Director Michael Davolio confirmed that a spokesperson for property owner Triton America, whose focus is aviation, has been invited to all...
Jerry George vowed for several months that a draft La Conner Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan would be completed by year's end. The town's Emergency Management Commission approved and sent the 36-page document to the town council at its Nov. 19 meeting. It includes a risk assessment for potential natural disasters and spells out emergency response procedures, operations and communications policies. Ironically, the hour-long session at Maple Hall was held just ahead of a bomb cyclone that...
HEADS UP Kiwanis Annual Holiday Craft Show, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St., La Conner. Christmas shop with locals. Ornaments, bags, stickers, jewelry, tablecloths, toys, cards, wall art, cookies and pies for sale. Come early for the Rotary Club Santa Breakfast and stop by the vendors on your way out. Town of La Conner public workshop on the use of the Commercial Transition Zone, aka. the Moore Clark Area, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St. Info: www.townoflaconner.org. LIBRARIES La...
The more things change, the more they stay the same – even for an iconic half-century-old La Conner business that will have new ownership in January. A downtown fixture since 1972 when it was launched by Jack Wilkins and Jim Reynolds, Nasty Jack's Antiques has carved out a unique niche in the Puget Sound region with its eclectic selection of gift and novelty items, vintage toys, collectibles, housewares, tin signs, decorations, political and sports memorabilia and much, much more. That won't c...
Like parents or counselors for a 900-member family, Mayor Marna Hanneman, the La Conner Town Council and staff, primarily Town Administrator Scott Thomas and Finance Director Maria DeGoede, are wrestling with short, medium and long term funding needs as they advance the town’s 2025 $8.4 million draft budget. Hanneman reflected on the challenges of the past five years in her Nov. 12 budget message: the COVID-19 “pandemic, flooding, extreme weather events and the highest inflation in half a century.” Hanneman, Thomas and DeGoede discussed the p...
