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School’s out, but learning hasn’t stopped. Local students ages 8-14 spent their first week of summer vacation mastering content shared by the Swinomish Tribal Community Police Department and other area law enforcement agencies, members of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, and local firefighters. Their classroom was the great outdoors. Swinomish Junior Police Camp youth spent a fast-paced four days scaling an obstacle course at Swinomish Yacht Club, boating to Hope Island and visiting Naval Air Sta...
Donna E Zimmerman 87, a long-time resident of La Conner passed away in Seattle on June 12, 2019. Donna was born in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota on August 5, 1931 to SR (Bob) and Mina Green. She lived in the Avon-Fredonia area, working on farms. Donna attended school in Avon and Burlington and graduated from La Conner High School in 1949. She was married to Boyd Zimmerman for 68 years. Donna worked for the post office as a rural mail carrier, retiring in 1991. Donna was a member of the La Conner Methodist Church and Billkens Club. Donna loved...
The La Conner School District’s two unions each turned thumbs down on their boss, Superintendent Whitney Meissner, in “no confidence” votes at meetings each held Friday at the school campus. The La Conner Education Association, LEA, voted 35 to 9, with 44 of 48 members present. The support staff, Public School Employees, PSE, voted 22 to 6, with three abstentions, with 31 of 46 members present. The secret ballot votes were 80 and 79 percent yes, respectively. A joint press release believed to contain some of the same language as a letter email...
This corrects and updates the June 5 Weekly News story which inaccurately concluded Georgia Johnson reached an agreement with the La Conner School District to continue as food services director in September for the next school year. Georgia Johnson lost her job without a whisper from her employer June 4 at their specially called School Board meeting. Co-workers, colleagues and friends statements, whether loud and passionate or sent as emails and letters to the La Conner School District Board of Directors, did not win the day. Superintendent...
This corrects and updates the printed June 5 Weekly News story which inaccurately concluded Georgia Johnson reached an agreement with the La Conner School District to continue as food services director in September for the next school year. Johnson lost her job without a whisper from her employer June 4 at a specially called School Board meeting. Co-workers, colleagues and friends statements, whether loud and passionate or sent as emails and letters to the La Conner School District Board of Directors, did not win the day. Superintendent...
Lettuce consider this bunch of actions: A simple online search for the “La Conner Food System” results in a variety of sites – some with logistic details that highlight nutrition information, free/reduced lunch ratios, farm partnerships and practices. A simple online search for the La Conner School District website depicts similar information, along with the importance of establishing and supporting wellness, placing a high priority on serving students the most nutritious meals possible and the value placed on optimum good health. Stu...
Warm weather, warm memories. It was a perfect combination for those who gathered at La Conner area cemeteries on Memorial Day to honor deceased veterans and departed loved ones. A large sun-splashed crowd at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery was greeted by Rev. Don Robinson, who said the occasion was an opportunity to embrace both the past and future. “We look back with gratitude,” he said, “for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We’ve inherited much and have much for which to be g...
The La Conner School District’s Board of Directors will have Food Services Director Georgia Johnson’s termination on their agenda for the third time in two weeks when it convenes for a special meeting June 4 at 5:30 p.m. The Board did not comply with the state’s Open Public Meetings Act when it “considered Resolution 18-08 regarding” Johnson’s employment at its May 20 meeting, Superintendent Whitney Meissner wrote in a letter dated May 24. The letter states “the Board and I did not fully comply with the Open Public Meetings Act, and thus we con...
A critical decision of the La Conner School District Directors was not discussed or decided at Monday’s monthly board meeting. Last week the Directors had a resolution before them that “resolved as follows: 1. The Board of Directors hereby finds that just and sufficient cause exists for the termination of Georgia Johnson.” The recitals supporting that were: “2. The administration has recommended that Georgia Johnson’s employment be terminated. “3. The Board of Directors has reviewed the adminis...
I would like to invite anyone with the energy and smarts to file for local offices in La Conner. I would do it, but I am too old. The County Auditor is taking applications until 4:30 p.m. Friday. There is a $36 filing fee. We have two council positions open, those of Jacques Brunisholz and Mary Wohleb. The mayor’s position is also open. Here are some issues that have been overlooked but need some attention. Maybe one of them interests you. Taxes. I believe that, when a county taxing district disappears, the taxes that it used to collect should...
Elaine (Mom) passed away at home surrounded by her loving children, after an extended illness. Mom was born January 13th, 1937 in Argura, Jackson County, North Carolina to Robert and Lonnie Harris. She had fond memories of her childhood in North Carolina and was proud of her “Tar Heel” heritage. At a young age, Mom lost her parents and was grateful for the families that cared for her afterwards. She graduated from La Conner High School in 1955, where she met the love of her life, Ivan Carlson, Sr. They were married August 12th, 1955, and as new...
It’s safe to go into Town Hall. The mold that had crept out of the vault of the former bank building and into the reception area was removed last Wednesday. Air and surface sample readings taken after the cleanup were normal, below ambient air tested outside the building, said Brian Lease, director of public works. The spreading mold closed Town Hall April 16-18. SERVPRO, an emergency restoration services company in Burlington providing mold remediation, did the cleanup. Scott Thomas, Town Administrator, said “they came in on Tuesday mor...
There was a time, not all that long ago, when dentistry on Swinomish Reservation was conducted in a single-wide trailer by young practitioners using outdated instruments. Tribal officials today like to think of those days as ancient history. That view was reinforced with the much-anticipated grand opening and blessing of the gleaming new expanded Swinomish Dental Clinic Thursday morning. An overflow crowd wedged into the facility, located in the shadow of the iconic Swinomish totem pole on...
The third time was indeed a charm for Swinomish Tribal Community members last week. The replica Swinomish totem pole, crafted and installed as part of 1989 Washington State Centennial festivities, was put back in place last Wednesday morning after undergoing extensive revamping to erase effects from a generation of Pacific Northwest weather. “It was a beautiful ceremony and a beautiful day,” said Swinomish Tribal Senate Chairman Brian Cladoosby. “I was blessed to witness this and be a part...
Town Councilmembers were like surprised cats suddenly learning of 100,000 available canaries at their Feb. 26 meeting. The agenda item: “presentation Crown Castle, cell tower lease and tower point” was completely different from September, when Councilmembers admonished company representatives for being in arrears on an existing lease. Mayor Ramon Hayes made the introduction, saying the company had paid its bill. He later stated the new terms: “Crown Castle will write a check to the Town of La Conner for $100,000 to the general fund.” There is a...
Collection of taxes was $1,928,815 from Shelter Bay and Pull & Be Damned this year. The levy rate of $12.3500 per thousand is higher than the levy rate in the county’s tax area 1580, which, before the Great Wolf decision, used to include these two areas. That levy rate is $11.4983. In previous years the Swinomish always used the same levy rate. The Tribe contributes $660,000 to the La Conner School District. Using the levy rates from area 1580, the Swinomish will contribute $141,000 for Fire District 13, $25,764 for the La Conner Library, a...
Aaron Reinstra was born to be a fire chief. The La Conner Fire Chief, to be exact. As a kid he would sneak along when his dad was called from home to the fire hall for emergency runs. Reinstra was just eight or nine at the time, but it only seemed natural to catch those rides given that multiple generations of his family have served as La Conner firefighters. Reinstra’s own service dates to 1991. Today he is La Conner Hook & Ladder’s new chief, succeeding Josh Morrison, who stepped down fro...
There were not very many fish but the weather turned out favorably and lots of people were in town. It was interesting to see that this year’s winners were all from out of town, Seattle being the furthest. The Treasure Hunt was also a great success as all the Treasure Chests were empty and over 50 Treasure Maps were distributed. Lots of kids also enjoyed fish printing and families came out for a delicious pancake breakfast. The Rotary club of La Conner puts on this event year after year to bring people to town and to give families something to...
Before we had newspapers and journalists, we had poets. When all communities were small and tribal, poets were sometimes leaders and prophets. A prophet is a poet naming out loud the community’s pain. That is what some of the books, psalms and words of the Old Testament are. In today’s paper is a Bob Skeele poem about KeyBank closing their La Conner branch in April. It is his response to the letter they mailed customers saying that to provide better service they are moving to Mount Vernon. Skeele’s poem asks, “How are the users better served...
Just a few weeks ago, I was sworn in as a representative from the 40th Legislative District in the Washington State House of Representatives. I’m proud to be the first Native American woman in state history elected to this position and am looking forward to tackling some of the key issues facing our community. As a graduate of Central Washington University, and after spending a majority of my 20 years of governmental services in the Skagit, I am honored to serve in this new position and to know my work will help create a better Washington a...
Ballots went into the mail Tuesday to La Conner school district residents for replacing the school levy. The proposed rate for this educational and operational programs levy is $1.50 per thousand, a reduction of almost one dollar of assessed valuation. It is not a new tax. The two-year levy will provide $1,741,210, with $870,605 collected in each 2020 and 2021. The total school tax rate is $4.25 per thousand with the current bond. Funds are targeted for safety, extra-curricular activities, food services, highly capable program, special...
Michael Thomas Good (Mike) a lifelong resident of Skagit County passed away January 4, 2019, surrounded by loving family. Born in 1933, to Ron and Mary Good, Mike lived a quiet life on Fir Island (Conway) working the family farm. He attended elementary school in Conway. Many remember Mike, in younger days, riding around the island on his bicycle, visiting with neighbors or riding to the bread outlet to buy treats for his chickens. Mike loved the holidays, especially Christmas when he would decorate the farm with lights and a big Santa. He...
Here are highlights of Gover-nor Jay Inslee’s 2019 budget supported in the Weekly News Dec. 19 editorial. The two-year budget proposes $54.6 billion in general fund spending and almost $4 billion in new revenues – taxes. This budget is about 20 percent higher than the current one. These five program areas would get additional funds if the legislature enacts Inslee’s proposal: Education, K-12, $4.6 billion; college, $103 million for college financial aid expansion. $4.1 billion, McCleary $214 million, local levy authority $173 million, com...
His work often goes unseen but never unnoticed. Or unappreciated. At least by those who occupy offices at Town Hall. After two decades on the job, Town Public Works Director Brian Lease knows every inch of La Conner’s underworld yet has also played an integral role in development of key high-profile landmark projects here as well. “Every infrastructure and capital improvement project – seen or unseen – has his stamp on it,” La Conner Mayor Ramon Hayes said of Lease as 2018 prepared to give way to a new year. Hayes spoke from his d...
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...
