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  • Theatre review: 'The Tempest' is stormy, but ends well

    Ken Stern|Jul 26, 2023

    By Ken Stern Two outstanding performances of two fantastical characters are sound reasons for blowing into the Rexville Blackrock Amphitheater to see Shakespeare Northwest’s production of “The Tempest.” It is not an island but the outdoor theater is the natural setting for this play. Nate Wheeler’s Caliban scurrying out of the woods, snorting and babbling and Ariel (Maia Newell-Large), flitting and swooning as she darts on and off the stage and up and down the aisle, are way worth the price of admission. This is almost a fairy tale and starts...

  • Marina Moorings: Port of Skagit

    Chris Omdal|Jul 12, 2023

    The Fourth of July was just fantastic! We had so many people contribute their time and efforts I can’t possibly name them all, but I will say our marina maintenance staff and dockhands were everywhere all the time and I could not have been more pleased with how they represented the Port of Skagit. We see all types of travelers passing through the La Conner Marina and RV Park. One example is an RV couple who is trying to be out for an entire month. They want to see if they enjoy actually l...

  • Construction started on La Conner Heights homes

    Ken Stern|Jun 28, 2023

    Construction of the first two homes on La Conner Heights began at the start of June. The structures are visible on the property residents long called Snapdragon Hill east of Whatcom Street and south of Hill Street, near Sacred Heart Catholic Church. BYK Construction of Sedro Woolley, as Snapdragon Hills Estate, LLC, owns the property, platted as seven lots on the newly constructed High Street. The two houses under construction are each over 2,600 square feet. "I know the size seems large but a...

  • Marina Moorings

    Chris Omdal, Harbormaster|Jun 28, 2023

    The guest docks have been slammed this week. We have been docking boats and fielding reservations left and right. And yet, even as the summer rush is upon us we generally still have space available during the week. Boaters who are not tied to the weekend have their choice of moorings. We have had a lot of people asking about crab season opening, with audible disappointment when we tell them we are not the ones who set the season. Talking with these people has made me realize once again what a...

  • Smoke Ready Week is now through June 16

    Jun 14, 2023

    OLYMPIA – As our climate changes, the threat of wildfires looms larger. The Washington state Department of Health is urging the public to prepare for smoke that can make air unhealthy to breathe. Smoke Ready Week, June 12-16, is an opportunity to take proactive steps to protect yourself and your family. “We are expecting to have above normal fire activity in Washington by July,” said Kaitlyn Kelly, MPH, air quality policy specialist, DOH. “We have an outlook for below normal precipitation and that’s going to last into fall, so condition...

  • Natural gas stoves are bad for you and the environment

    Greg Whiting|Jun 7, 2023

    A few days ago, one of the people I was talking with at the coffee shop asked me whether a possible ban on gas stoves is real, or just another straw-man argument designed to rile up the public in search of television ratings. It’s a real issue. Several cities, starting with Berkeley, California in 2019, banned new natural gas connections to residential and commercial buildings. The primary purpose of these laws is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Eliminating natural gas as a fuel supply f...

  • La Conner Schools gains financial contributions

    Bill Reynolds|May 31, 2023

    La Conner Schools, which is considering installation of a campus garden, knows it cannot plant a money tree to solve the district’s present fiscal crunch. But sometimes unexpected financial windfalls appear seemingly out of nowhere without anyone having gone out on a limb to shake loose the funds. The district has received such a surprise, receiving $258,000 in federal impact aid monies, designed to assist districts with tax-exempt federal property such as military bases or Indian trust lands. The allocation wasn’t anticipated at this tim...

  • Master gardeners plant sale a great success

    Anne Hays|May 31, 2023

    Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners hosted their annual Welcome Summer Plant Fair May 13. This was the 29th year the Master Gardeners have held the Plant Fair and again, it was a rousing success. Every year on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, the Skagit Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon transforms into a gardener and would be gardeners’ delight. More than 130 certified Master Gardeners and volunteers – plus about 20 family and friends – grew all the plants that were available for purchase, including over 3,000 tomato plants. Our greeter...

  • 2023 Legislative session wrap-up: Fighting for you

    Clyde Shavers|May 17, 2023

    During the hectic, fluid and complex process of the 2023 legislative session, I wanted to keep our priorities front and center. I’ve been fighting to help our low-income and working families, support our veterans and military families, protect and preserve our environment, provide our students more opportunities and ensure our rural counties and cities have the resources they need to keep our communities strong. We’ve made significant progress and I wanted to share some successes we’ve had t...

  • Politicking cans Shelter Bay Cinco de Mayo party

    Bill Reynolds|May 10, 2023

    Politics is by nature a social science. But, in Shelter Bay, questions have arisen over whether there should be a separation of politics and social gatherings, akin to that of church and state. The community’s social and recreation committee canceled a Cinco de Mayo celebration scheduled last Thursday afternoon following publication in the Weekly News the day before of an ad that invited those attending to meet candidates seeking election to the Shelter Bay Board of Directors while enjoying their favorite adult beverages. Shelter Bay Board P...

  • Gordon Godfrey

    May 3, 2023

    A true original has left us. Gordon Godfrey weighed anchor and headed for the 19th hole in the wee hours of March 28th, 2023. He was surrounded by his family, and we spent his last afternoon sharing with him an imaginary round of golf that was taking place in his head, mostly at the 4th and 5th hole of the Vashon Island golf course. His wit and sense of humor were intact until the last. His wife, Jane, announced that she had just hit a hole-in-one, and he informed her that she hit the ball into...

  • Master Gardener Plant Fair

    Claire Cotnoir and Hank Davies|Apr 26, 2023

    The annual Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Plant Fair, an always exciting event, kicks off the Skagit Valley Gardener's summer with thousands of quality garden plants for sale, all locally grown and chosen for success in our Skagit Valley environment. When and where The Annual Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Plant Fair is set for May 13, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Skagit County Fairgrounds, 501 Taylor Street in Mount Vernon. Parking is free – admission is free and the fun a...

  • Cannabis test will not be used to deny hiring in proposed law

    Alexandria Osborne, Washington State Journal|Apr 12, 2023

    Employers would be prohibited from denying a person a job for their non-work-related cannabis use in a bill passed by the state Senate 28-21 and the House of Representatives 57-41. There is one difference between the two bills. The House legislations excludes people seeking positions as a first responder, corrections officer, a law enforcement agency or a fire department. Both bills exclude applicants in the aviation and aerospace industries because of federal transportation rules. Beyond those exemptions, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5123...

  • Town tax revenues strong

    Ken Stern|Apr 12, 2023

    The $40,187 reported in sales tax revenues to the La Conner Town Council for March by the state’s Department of Revenue is the second highest ever, only behind 2022’s record $44,210. It exceeds $40,000 for only the second time and is 20% above 2021, the third highest March report. The Special Use Fire Tax Revenues also dipped from 2022, by $314, 7.4%, below $4,000, barely, to $3,924, but still the second highest ever March total. Tourists still stayed overnight, creating record revenues for the Town’s hotel/motel tax, $8,083, the highest March...

  • Thanks for library support

    Apr 5, 2023

    The opportunity to be involved in a new library project in the community we chose to move to in 2007 has been a once in a lifetime experience. I’m grateful to have been able to work with so many who were dedicated to a shared vision that united our community. After a 20-year dream of the Friends of the Library, and an all-out effort over the past 10 years, our “little library that could” made it happen. Thank you to the La Conner Library board of trustees for your commitment to the new library. You held fast to the goal of a building design and...

  • Protecting the environment with green hydrogen

    Clyde Shavers|Mar 29, 2023

    The Skagit Valley’s environment and economy has been shaped over time by changes in our climate and land use. Some of these changes have resulted in devastating impacts to our communities, including floods, heat waves, droughts and wildfires. In 2021, our farmers and farmworkers witnessed one of their driest years with record low rainfall in spring and a vicious heat wave in summer. By late July, the Washington Department of Ecology issued a drought emergency as farmers dealt with dry conditions...

  • BNSF locomotive derailed early Thursday morning behind Swinomish casino

    Ken Stern|Mar 22, 2023

    SWINOMISH RESERVATION -The "active cleanup of the diesel spill caused by the early Thursday morning derailment of two BNSF locomotives" was ending early Saturday afternoon, Bill Dunbar, U.S. EPA public affairs staff reported. He gave estimates that approximately 2,100 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 4,300 gallons of groundwater were removed from the site, with fewer than 50 gallons of diesel fuel in the groundwater. No diesel reached the shoreline, and no impacts to fish or wildlife have...

  • When banks and trains crash

    Ken Stern|Mar 22, 2023

    Seems like banks and railroads are failing all around us. No one is really surprised, from corporate CEOs to congressional committees and Congress, period, to front line workers driving engines and managing branches or federal and state regulators at every agency. Train cars and locomotives jumping the tracks in East Palestine and Springfield, Ohio or nearby, behind the Swinomish Casino? Banks failing in California, New York and, now, Switzerland? The new normal is business as usual. Big companies are always failing. Big companies are always no...

  • Salmon recovery is underfunded

    Ken Stern|Mar 1, 2023

    The status of salmon in Washington state is not good and will not improve markedly without a substantial, sustained increase in funding, Gov. Jay Inslee’s Salmon Recovery Office State of Salmon in Watersheds report summarizes. The status: “Fourteen population groups of steelhead trout and Chinook, coho, chum, and sockeye salmon in Washington State are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.” The assessment is blunt: “No salmon species have been removed from the federal Endangered Species Act list in Washing...

  • Billboard will be travesty

    Feb 22, 2023

    To those who are concerned from a Skagitonian. Choosing an environment to enhance a business when you’re young, or to enrich each day when you’re old becomes a vital decision. My family members chose Washington state’s Skagit County and have never regretted it. Farms with verdant fields framed by magnificent mountain ranges enhance every outing. Space allows eyes to absorb and minds to respond to our natural beauty. To block the openness with a commercial sign threatening this healthy, developing opportunity is a travesty. I implore you to co...

  • Farmland and farming community protection

    Clyde Shavers|Jan 25, 2023

    Washington has a proud history of agricultural leadership. Here in Skagit County, we have one of the largest and most diverse agricultural communities west of the Cascade Mountains. Island County is home to an ecosystem of organic and school district farms, training programs and community supported agriculture. We have a lot to be proud of – and a lot to protect. Agriculture should be home-grown and family owned. Local farmers mean a stronger local food pipeline, more robust local economy and a...

  • Community invitations

    Ken Stern|Jan 18, 2023

    La Conner area residents are invited to engage this week and next with the two local institutions that define and make a difference in our lives. This is where citizens can have the most impact, making self-governing a reality. Your participation is needed first Saturday in a Town community conversation for the development of a communication plan. La Conner’s Council seeks conversation with citizens to clearly define the priorities, strategies and tools the town will use to communicate with the community. Open communication facilitates p...

  • La Conner community combats wave of saltwater flooding

    Bill Reynolds|Jan 4, 2023

    Normal lasted less than 24 hours last week after La Conner weathered heavy snowfall and thick ice before Christmas that brought the community to a virtual standstill. Winter king tides along with high westerly winds and low barometric pressure contributing to steady rain and rapid melt-off combined to produce flood conditions causing significant damage to more than a dozen homes and businesses in the town's low-lying areas from Sherman Street (south) to State Street (north) and downtown last...

  • Composting as a climate solution

    YEP students|Dec 28, 2022

    We are Youth for the Environment and People – a cohort of Skagit County teens working to complete a climate action project. Our project will improve food composting at Sedro-Woolley High School and educate about the importance of composting. Here we discuss how food waste contributes to climate change and how composting can limit its negative impacts. Food waste is a big contributor to climate change. When people waste food, scraps usually end up in landfills, where they start to release methane, a greenhouse gas. Methane contributes to climate...

  • Port Townsend recognizes legal rights of southern resident orcas

    Bellamy Pailthorp, KNKX Public Radio|Dec 14, 2022

    A growing legal movement seeks to recognize the rights of nature. Activists in the Northwest are celebrating a first here: the city of Port Townsend, Washington, recognized the inherent rights of Southern Resident orcas Dec. 5. The City’s mayor signed a proclamation Monday night, urging action by local, state, federal and tribal governments to protect those rights – and the ecosystems on which they depend. “Whereas the Southern Resident Orcas are culturally, spiritually and economically important to the people of Washington State and the world...

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