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Robert (Bob) Lee Olson took his first breath on earth September 18, 1938 in Sayre, PA, and his last on March 11, 2022 in Anacortes, WA. Bob found great pleasure enjoying his love of sky, sea, and land at an early age. He grew up in beautiful Elmira, New York where his playground included the lovely Finger Lakes, the Thousand Islands, Watkins Glen Racing, and Harris Hill, home to many glider plane enthusiasts. Lots of time spent hanging around the “fly boys” often got him free rides in exc...
The new Island Grown Farmers Cooperative (IGFC) meat processing facility at the Port of Skagit in Burlington is a dream come true for its 80 regional members, including the Mesman Dairy. Still primarily an organic dairy, the Mesman family began raising and selling beef, lamb and pork in 2019. Besides selling meat and eggs at their farm store at Chilberg and Dodge Valley Roads, they also supply meat for several local restaurants and the La Conner School District. IGFC has been their partner all...
The $640,000 the state invested in the La Conner Swinomish Library, is only the project closest to home for greater La Conner residents. Before the state legislature adjourned its 60 day session March 10, it passed three budgets: capital, operating and transportation. Rep. Greg Gilday, R-Camano Island, a member of the House Capital Budget Committee, noted, “Unlike other state spending plans, the capital budget is truly bipartisan – proving that lawmakers from across the ideological spectrum can come to a consensus that benefits all W...
On March 1, at a public hearing before the Skagit County Board of Commissioners, representatives of several organizations expressed concerns about the absence of references to climate change and sea level rise in the February 2022 draft Shoreline Master Program. Molly Doran of Skagit Land Trust described “planning” as the most effective way to reduce impacts on shorelines, homes, farmland and infrastructure. With another update not due for eight years, many fear it will be too late. The SMP is going in the wrong direction said Tim Mann of Ska...
The La Conner School Board accepted a donation of 900 COVID-19 rapid tests from the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community valued at $7,000 at its Feb. 28 meeting. “This is a huge deal,” Board President Susie Deyo said. “We really want to thank the Swinomish Tribal Community for this donation.” During surges in positive cases earlier in the school year, athletes had to be tested several times weekly. The board voted 4-0 to accept the donation, with member J.J. Wilbur abstaining as he serves on the Swinomish Tribal Senate. Elementary School Princip...
The expansion of homeless shelter services in Skagit County is on the horizon. Gov. Jay Inslee toured Skagit First Step Center March 7 to hear Mayors Steve Sexton and Jill Boudreau’s pitch for increased funding for homeless services in Skagit County. Skagit First Step Center opened June 14, 2021 and provides temporary 24/7 shelter and care to those struggling with homelessness. There are 45 individual cabins made by Pallet, a rapid-response shelter construction company based out of Everett, W...
The Swinomish Tax Authority used the same levy rate for 2022 as for 2021: $11.98 per thousand. But, the assessed value of homes in Shelter Bay and Pull & Be Damned increased from $178,838,070 to $196,284,197, an increase of $17,446,127. The Swinomish government hopes to collect $2,350,888 in taxes from Shelter Bay, Pull & Be Damned, Thousand Trails and Dunlap Towing. That’s $208,214 higher than last year. Three taxing districts will receive contributions from the Swinomish. These are: Fire District 13 at $300,000 ($100,000 more than last year),...
If you were to ask me last year what our state’s financial position would be, I likely would have given a fairly grim outlook. However, the state is seeing a boom in tax receipts so large it could make you blush. The opportunity to provide relief or prepare the state for future revenue decreases is ripe for the picking. Unfortunately, the mindset of Olympia’s legislative majority is a poverty of riches. It favors growing an already bloated and unaccountable bureaucracy while doing the bare minimum with our $15 billion surplus to help struggling...
Even the smallest of fires have the potential to stir up some trouble. A La Conner Maritime Service crew member noticed smoke coming from a sailboat at the end of J-dock in the La Conner Marina about 12:10 p.m. last Wednesday, March 2. He alerted Project Manager Joe Franett via radio to call the marina and 911. As other crew members alerted each other of flames coming from the boat’s aft cabin, Franett grabbed a fire extinguisher and launched a skiff with two other staff. They arrived on s...
It’s no secret that La Conner has a lot to offer. While the best things in life may be free, the goods and products, at local stores, galleries and eateries require payment. Some, though, as La Conner merchant and Chamber of Commerce board member Lisa Judy pointed out in last week’s Weekly News, try cashing in with the proverbial five-finger discount. Town officials and business leaders are hopeful that the newly expanded police services contract with the Skagit County sheriff’s office will help reduce incidents of shoplifting and theft. “We h...
The lineup at the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office La Conner detachment has been reshuffled. But residents here will not need a program or scorecard to recognize who is in charge. Sgt. Jenny Sheahan-Lee, assigned to La Conner between 2013-16, is returning, moving from supervisor of investigations. Mayor Ramon Hayes well recalls Sheahan-Lee’s prior tenure here. “Jenny did an excellent job,” Hayes told the Weekly News. “She’s very community-oriented and established a good rapport with everyone....
Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen got the first word and Congressman Rick Larsen the last at the 6th annual Ag Summit hosted by Washington State University Skagit County Extension Feb. 11. The hybrid event, with lunch for those attending in-person, offered updates on everything from the county-sponsored farmland legacy and voluntary stewardship programs to new state rules for agricultural overtime pay. Water was a key topic. Skagit River water use is regulated by the Department of Ecology’s instream flow rule, protecting aquatic species a...
Sunday, February 8 8:31 p.m.: Road rage – Caller reported that 7 hours earlier a black Bronco had began following him and ended up road raging at him as the Bronco passed. Calhoun Rd, Greater La Conner. Monday, February 7 2:24 a.m.: Boat intruder– Caller reported a male in a green coat entered his boat while he was sleeping. The boat owner woke up and confronted the male, yelling at him to get off his boat. N. 1st St., La Conner. Tuesday, February 8 1:06 p.m.: Border Patrol Scam – Caller reported a phone scam. Caller said a...
This fall’s mid-term elections are already on the minds of voters here and around the nation. For Swinomish Tribal Community members, the 2022 election cycle begins Saturday with two senate races, one involving the 11-member panel’s chairman, Steve Edwards. Ballots will be cast at the tribe’s social services building. Edwards faces singer-songwriter Katherine Paul, the face of popular band Black Belt Eagle Scout, for senate seat 6. Former senator Joe Williams and Swinomish cultural events director Aurelia Bailey vie for seat 7, held by retir...
Washington state has an unusual problem right now: too much money. Soaring tax revenue and billions in federal coronavirus pandemic relief funds have left lawmakers with a robust bottom line as they work to develop and agree upon the state’s three supplemental budgets: operating, transportation and capital. Typically, supplemental budgets make minor adjustments to the current two-year budgets. But it’s not a typical year. After nearly two years of Congress giving out trillions to help the economy stay afloat during the pandemic, both red and...
The newly formed La Conner Town Council began laying the foundation for 2022 by finalizing committee assignments and tightening up ordinance language related to hazardous buildings during its one-hour Zoom session last week. New Councilmember Ivan Carlson, III flagged what he termed “broad” and “subjective” terminology in an ordinance section for abating structural dangers, questioning non-tangible references to infringements upon aesthetic and sensory standards. “They’re too broad,” said Carlson. “I feel there would be unintended cons...
It is clear that individuals and families need better options for long-term care. This is especially true in rural communities like ours, where people want the resources to age or take care of a loved one at home. Private insurance used to be an option, but it is not affordable for most of us now. Worse, many plans do not cover pre-existing conditions. This leaves families with terrible choices. Many spend their life savings, sell their homes and go into bankruptcy to pay for long-term care. We even see couples married for over 50 years get...
Changing county planning rules to permit fully contained communities (FCCs) “opens the door for making this county suburban,” said Margery Hite last Tuesday, Jan. 11, during an online Community Conversation sponsored by the Skagit Valley Food Co-op. “Growth in Skagit Valley: Our Future, Farming & FCCs” drew about 90 Zoom participants, La Conner residents among them. Hite is on the grassroots campaign ‘Right Growth, Right Place’ advisory group, which opposes permitting FCCs. She described FCCs and their likely impact on Skagit County in g...
The Washington State Legislature convened at noon on Monday, Jan. 10, starting the clock on a 60-day legislative session. For the House of Representatives, at least for the first few weeks of session, that means another fully virtual format. For now, I am able to work out of my Olympia office. In the coming weeks, I will continue to push for changes that improve the public’s ability to take part in-person in the legislative process. Repealing the Long-Term Care Act There will be some tough public policy debates this session. One of the most c...
In my work as your representative over the last three years, 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. From those conversations, it is clear the Legislature should support?a sustainable economy that?allows?all members of our community?to thrive.? Our?state must?improve access to higher education and family-wage jobs, foster?economic development and recovery in rural communities and prioritize healthcare and our quality of life. This s...
Louis Duane “Red” Bretvick, age 94, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021 in Mount Vernon, WA. Duane was born September 26, 1927, in Mount Vernon, WA to Laverne (nee McNeil) and Louis (Lud) Bretvick. He was raised in the family household on the north fork of the Skagit River. He attended La Conner schools and was a La Conner High School class of 1945 graduate. Following high school graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and honorably served in WWII and the Korean conflict. While in the Nav...
The people have spoken, but the last word in La Conner’s 2021 election goes to Councilmembers Bill Stokes and John Leaver, whose terms expire as the year ends. Voters did not return them to the council table, instead choosing challengers Rick Dole and Ivan Carlson, III in November in campaigns emphasizing public and traffic safety, law enforcement, housing, protection of public open spaces and retention of La Conner’s much coveted quality of life. Stokes and Leaver – as well as longtime Councilmember Jacques Brunisholz, who resigned in...
Curtis (Curt) Anthony Buher passed away peacefully on December 20, 2021 at his home on Pleasant Ridge near La Conner, Washington. He was 66 years old. After being diagnosed with brain cancer in the Spring, Curt was able to spend his last months with family and friends. Curt was born Sept. 23, 1955 in Bremerton, Washington, to Donald and Juanita Buher. He was the youngest of four children. Curt grew up across the street from the town tennis courts and began playing with a shortened racquet when...
Louis Duane Bretvick, age 94, a longtime La Conner resident, passed away on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. Visitation will be held at Kern Funeral Home on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, followed by visitation on Thursday, January 6, 2022, 9:00 AM to 10:00AM. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 6, 2022, 1:00 PM at Salem Lutheran Church followed by graveside services at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery. A complete obituary will be published in a future edition of the Skagit Valley Herald. Funeral arrangements are under...
The La Conner Town Council agreed, with Councilmember John Leaver voting no, to a five year agreement with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office at its Dec. 14 meeting. New to the contract is patrol and community policing services, with twice weekly pedestrian patrols on Morris and First Streets. Deputies will now handle dangerous dogs, parking, blocking rights of way and camping on public property. La Conner becoming a base in a precinct-type system may be three years away, Administrator Scott Thomas said. Mayor Ramon Hayes introduced the i...
