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A Small project is a big addition to downtown La Conner. Skagit Valley artist Roger Small, whose work is on display at Earthenworks Gallery, is making an impact on the town's outdoor landscape. Small, a retired union ironworker who grew up in Burlington, is creator of a stunning sculpture donated by resident Marilyn Thostenson and installed recently by the Town public works staff at the foot of the Benton Street stairway. It was relocated from the Skagit County Historical Museum. Entitled "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...
La Conner Maritime Service is a second generation La Conner family owned and operated business providing marine services since 1992. We employ about 30 individuals in living wage jobs. Several of those individuals, including myself, call La Conner home. I consider it a great privilege to work and live in such a beautiful area. Over the years our business has grown and attracted new clientele to the area, many with larger boats. With this growth we’ve realized a need for indoor space to accommodate larger boats and maintain year-round work f...
With the main character’s name Ruby Fortune, the novel’s setting in the Arizona Territory at the turn into the 20th century and its title “Hardland,” the reader can guess this read is going to be quite a ride. And it is from the first page, when a woman who is more philosophical and self-assured than tough talking, introduces herself with the statement – not confession – that she killed her husband. She is wounded from that deed as well. While she wonders if she will ever be forgiven, she understands she would do it again. All that is in the f...
By Courtney Flatt NWPB Northwest Public Broadcasting A first-of-its-kind climate resiliency website will help communities understand climate-related risks, the Biden administration said. The new website, launched Sept. 8, provides real-time information and predictions for local communities that are more vulnerable to disasters, such as wildfires, heat waves and droughts. The website, known as Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation, or CMRA, will help community leaders better plan for climate-related hazards, officials said. The website...
What about Langley? Mayor Scott Chaplin is bullish on this seaside town of just over 1,100 residents. Like La Conner, it is a magnet for tourists seeking fine art, eating and shopping. Unlike La Conner, Langley has Langley Creates," one of 11 certified Washington Creative Districts, a program that helps communities turn their artistic, artisanal and cultural/historical assets into economic growth. During conversation with Chaplin in August, he championed his "village-by-the sea." "Our...
The Aleutian Isle remains in about 200 feet of water on the west side of San Juan Island near Sunset Point. Monday, Aug. 29, salvaging it was about to begin, after a boat and crew from Global Diving & Salvage arrived Sunday, said Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson. He confirmed the 49-foot fishing boat is owned by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. The barge and crane were secured Sunday, preparing for the 10-day effort to raise the sunken vessel, place it on...
Unpredictable gasoline and heating costs. Reliable electricity. Wars in the middle east and Ukraine. Energy independence. The environment. And more. The energy industry affects almost everything, from the price of groceries to geopolitics. People have reacted to energy issues by developing new technologies and policies for the production, delivery and use of energy. These innovations are being adopted faster than energy professionals believed possible 20 years ago. You are probably aware of...
In the second paragraph of his 2015 encyclical letter, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” Pope Francis reflects on the ways in which the human species has mistreated and abused the Earth, which he calls our “Sister, Mother Earth” in the tradition of his namesake St. Francis of Assisi. The pope then states: “We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.” This single sentence says a lot. It ack...
William Ripple is a professor of ecology at Oregon State University. In a paper published in BioScience this month, Ripple and 19 other authors suggest using portions of federal lands in 11 western states to establish new habitat for the beaver and gray wolf. They argue wolves and beavers improve biological diversity. Wolves by preying on grazing animals, which will allow more plants to grow. And beavers by creating ponds and wetlands. “The reason we want to do this is because wolves and beaver are considered keystone species. And that means t...
August opened with the news that a federal judge ruled for Whidbey Island resident Paula Spina and the group Citizens of the Ebey’s Reserve for a Healthy, Safe and Peaceful Environment in their lawsuit against the U.S. Navy. The Navy's 2019 plans to expand the number of Growler jets at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island needs to be redone. Why did the Navy lose to these people and the state of Washington, also a plaintiff? The Navy failed to follow the law in its development of an environmental impact statement. The judge did not say the Navy c...
A federal judge ruled Aug. 2 that the U.S. Navy’s environmental review process for expanding Growler jet use on Whidbey Island illegally failed to analyze the noise impacts of low-flying jets on classroom learning and birds, did not properly consider the greenhouse gas impacts of Growler fuel use and did not adequately consider moving operations to El Centro, California, all violating the National Environmental Policy Act. Judge Richard A. Jones supported without changes the NEPA challenge brought by the plaintiffs – the state of W...
Terry Brazas will be recognized by the Rotary Club of La Conner with its 2022 Paul Harris Recipient at their annual auction fundraiser Aug. 27 for his years of supporting the chapter. Brazas, a Skagit Valley native, started his long career in hospitality after graduating from Washington State University in 1972. Work took him to Los Angeles, but in 2003 he returned to the valley, beoming the sole proprietor of the Farmhouse Restaurant. Brazas has always focused on food quality and employee...
On July 18, the Skagit County commissioners approved a six-month moratorium on offsite compensatory mitigation of salmon habitat. “Offsite compensatory mitigation” means habitat restoration projects that mitigate for environmental impacts that are a considerable distance away. The moratorium expresses the commissioners’ concern that Seattle City Light (SCL) may go on a spending spree purchasing land in the lower estuary of the Skagit River. SCL is halfway through the five-year process of renewing its license for its three hydroelectric dams...
The Town of La Conner opened a cooling station at its fire station on Chilberg Road Tuesday afternoon, offering area residents a relief from the week's weather. It is open 12-5 p.m. through Friday or as long as the high temperature persist, said Town Administrator Scott Thomas. Skagit County and state of Washington health department issued news releases Monday and Tuesday, the state’s headline reading “Extreme heat expected through the week” with predicted daytime temperatures in the 90s or over 100 degrees in some places. A Heat Advisory is in...
Here the Magic Skagit mingles into the Bay, sheltered yet centrally located; Swinomish is a place of great healing. People here enjoy a diverse, continuous and bountiful ecosystem. The soil is rich. Water is always accessible. Food is found easily in plentiful amounts. The climate is mild. People are drawn here. Some may realize a portion of why they are drawn here, yet few are fortunate enough to have experienced the full spectrum of its gift. In a field of rich and intoxicatingly beautiful diversity it is easy to loose perspective and take...
In submitting a $30,000 CBDG (Community Development Block Grant) proposal June 1, the Town of La Conner has taken a baby step toward restoration of the South First Street waterfront and old Moore Clark property. If funded, a master plan will be prepared to determine future residential and economic development. An ambitious, nine component strategy is outlined, starting with creating a “plan that is achievable within a few years” with features that emphasize an optimal mix of commercial, dining, entertainment and residential use. The Town pro...
We are facing a crisis with inflation, as happened in the 1980s. Gas prices are at record levels, a different crisis from their spikes in the 1970s, when there were two Arab oil embargoes, both a result of Israeli wars. Russia’s invasion of and war with Ukraine is the precipitating factor now. There are forest fires in New Mexico and the southwest, crises that came earlier in the season than past years. There will be soon be west coast forest fires, from California north into Canada. Thankfully the fire season has not yet begun. Both r...
La Conner is all about history – all the time, it often seems – perhaps because the trend here is for it to constantly repeat itself. A case in point is the controversial promotional sign, or “marketing icon” in modern parlance, proposed for Gilkey Square and which has already undergone a major facelift to quell a groundswell of protests. The current flap is reminiscent of one that occurred 33 years ago. That’s when in response to tulip traffic congestion a directional sign to town at the base of Pleasant Ridge was doctored to re...
Thank you for continuing to talk about our existential crisis in your last editorial, “The world after Earth Day.” I am sorry that you have not had anyone else saying that you were not radical enough but let me say it now: you were not radical enough. I have always been a nature-lover and concerned about the environment, but only began really learning about oncoming climate chaos when I retired seven years ago. I cannot believe we have only taken baby steps, and many people are still kicking and screaming about any policy that might appear to...
I would like to commend Ken Stern for his April 20 editorial calling for creating Car Free Sundays downtown. As he points out it would reduce our carbon footprint and help clean the air for not only our citizens and our children but also those coming to visit our town. But I would like to take this one step further and suggest we have Car Free Weekends throughout the tourist season, Tulips to Christmas. And replace the cars with a shuttle service that would move folks between our two municipal parking lots as well as the parking lot near Maple...
Computers are useless. They only give you answers. — Pablo Picasso Mysticism seems to focus on the questions, on wonderment and awe. In world religions, mysticism stands in contrast to fundamentalism. Not its opposite, for I don’t believe mysticism opposes anything. It would be inclusive in its wonder, but there is a contrast between asserting dogma and a receptive state of attentiveness. (I am composing this on a computer, Pablo.) Mysticism takes a lot of a person’s time. All of it, actually! And dang, it can look like you’re doing...
Cascadia Daily News The Skagit Valley Farm, a system of farm LLCs owned and operated by several farmers in the region, plans to fight a $267,000 penalty for violating water rights during last summer’s drought. The company, which operates on over 3,000 acres in Skagit County, irrigated around 348 acres of vegetable crops in the lower Skagit and Samish watersheds without water rights, according to documents obtained from the state Department of Ecology. Eight farms in the Skagit Valley Farm group will face penalties ranging from $6,000 to $...
Some 30 town and area residents gathered last Thursday evening, March 31, in the La Conner school district auditorium seeking answers to “How does our town grow? and to ask their own questions at a workshop sponsored by the Town of La Conner’s communication committee. A five member panel were brought together to provide insight to factors shaping housing growth from local, county and state perspectives. Hal Hart, Skagit County director of planning, began with a question, too: “Where does growt...
In my work representing our community, I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many of you and your neighbors, listen to your concerns and learn about what issues affect your daily lives. It’s clear that people want bold action to support a healthy economy – one that benefits all in our community. This session, I looked for ways to support our rural economy, fund important local projects, support veterans and military families and improve public safety. I’m pleased to report that we made...
