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Skagit County has objected to a request by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community to turn an Anacortes gas station into reservation land. Swinomish purchased the Shell gas station on Christianson Road in Anacortes for $1 million in May, according to county records. It is located across the street from the tribe’s Swinomish Links golf course and is more than a mile west of the Swinomish Reservation. Late last month the county was notified that Swinomish had applied to the United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs to put th...
Skagit County Commissioners stepped into what appears to be a land dispute between two local Native American tribes and warned property owners that they could end up being annexed to the Swinomish Reservation. At the same time, the commissioners filed an objection with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs over the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s plans to amend its constitution — a move they claim could stretch its reservation boundaries across thousands of acres of privately owned land northwest of the current reservation. This n...
It was a homeowner’s nightmare — water creeping underneath the front door, furniture, books and electronics soaked as water levels slowly rise. Carefully tended gardens were washed away in a wave. In March residents along Snee-Oosh Beach suffered thousands of dollars in damages as an unexpected tidal surge washed across Chilberg Road near Hope Island and swamped their homes. In advance of “King Tide” season coming again in a few months, five neighbors on McGlinn road pooled their money...
The La Conner Volunteer Fire Department has a new chief, and a new way forward. Chief Josh Morrison, 35, accepted his new position last Wednesday after he was voted in unanimously by his fellow volunteer firefighters. He immediately put into motion plans to equip the town’s firefighters with uniforms, establishing a “sleeper” program, with volunteers manning the station round the clock and attracting new recruits. Morrison brings years of firefighting and leadership experience to his new post....
Janna Gage, who has been at the helm of the La Conner Senior Center for nearly 15 years, gave the Town Council notice that she’ll be stepping down in April. The Senior Center was organized in 2002, as a department of the town, and Gage has been its volunteer coordinator the whole time. From day one, she and a small cadre of original members have maintained a vibrant program with services and activities for seniors who meet every Tuesday at Maple Hall. Gage says 15 years is long enough and she wants to move on and do other things in life. A...
La Conner locals who love getting free compost from the bin on Chilberg Road will be pleased to know that the program is going strong after 17 years. The Town Council recently approved a two-year contact to process yard waste from Mount Vernon at the La Conner water treatment plant. The mutually beneficial deal helps support the program that allows the public to grab some free soil amendment for their yards and gardens. “It reduces Mount Vernon’s costs and decreases what we have to spend on buyi...
Marcia M. Chesterfield, a long-time resident of Shelter Bay, La Conner, died at home with her family beside her on Tuesday, October 11, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born in Seattle in 1937, she attended West Seattle High School where she met her future husband of 62 years. She is survived by her husband John Chesterfield, her sons Bob and Paul and her daughter Leanne Chesterfield Pike. Services will be held at Westside Presbyterian Church in West Seattle at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 28. Memorial gifts may be made to the A...
The Skagit County Auditor’s Office has certified the petition signed by more than 100 voters who want to withdraw from Fire District 13. That means the ball is in Fire District 13’s court — its three commissioners will be tasked with studying the proposal, holding a public hearing and then making a recommendation to the Skagit County Commissioners. Fire District 13 Chief Roy Horn said he can’t predict how fire commissioners Chuck Hedlund, Arne Fohn and Larry Kibbee will respond to the r...
Baby Joshua Joseph Cayou Lockrem, passed into eternity the day he was born, September 8, 2016. Joshua was the son of Velma S. and Joshua E. Lockrem of La Conner. Funeral services were held on Monday, September 12 at 10 a.m. at Kern Funeral Home. Graveside followed at the Swinomish Cemetery. Arrangements were under the care of Kern Funeral Home of Mount Vernon....
They’re here... See them peeking out from a windowsill, wedged into tree trunks, perched on poles. It’s the new rock painting craze that’s arrived in La Conner and other Skagit County hiding places. The game of “paint, hide and seek” leaves palm-sized creations all over the county, from artistic landscapes, to food and cartoons. Also, there is a whole lot of Seahawks pride, as the many posts on the new “Skagit County Rocks!” Facebook pages show. A handful of administers manage the active page,...
The Washington Department of Revenue says it asked the state’s 39 county assessors for comment as it crafted the property tax policy that hit La Conner residents so hard. When homes were taken off the county’s tax rolls, a $1.8 million tax burden was shifted to the remaining taxpayers, some of whom saw their property tax bills jump by thousands of dollars. The state’s documentation of the process as it developed its response to the so-called Great Wolf Lodge decision shows assessors were never called in for meetings with state officials. But t...
Arden D. Cheer, 48, a resident of Seattle with family members in La Conner, passed away at his home. Visitation was held at Kern Funeral Home on Sunday followed by prayer services. Services were also held on the Colville Reservation, and Arden will be laid to rest at the Chief Joseph Cemetery in Nespelem. To read his complete obituary, please go to www.kernfuneralhome.com. Local arrangements are under the care of Kern Funeral Home....
Kenneth Wayne Edwards died at the age of 59 on Friday, July 29 in Everett. He was born to Charles R. and Eileen Adolph Edwards on January 3, 1957 in Mount Vernon. He worked as a commercial fisherman for many years, fishing the San Juan Islands, Alaska, Frazier River, Skagit Bay and Samish Bay. Ken cooked for many gatherings, as well as worked for the Tribal Longhouse Restaurant, fireworks and Planning Department for Swinomish Tribe Air Quality. He was in the Navy from 1976-1977, a member of St....
Attorneys working for tribes, including some employed by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, helped write a Washington State Department of Revenue’s guidance document that had a profound effect on local taxpayers. Last year the Skagit County Assessor’s Office removed 931 La Conner area parcels from the county property tax rolls, which caused the tax burden to shift to the remaining taxpayers. Property taxes went up by more than 20 percent for many La Conner families – some saw their bills jump by thousands of dollars. Research by thi...
About a quarter of the Swinomish Police Department’s officers have submitted resignations, according to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Allan Olson, the tribe’s general manager, said four officers, including Chief Andrew Thorne, Assistant Chief Larry Yonally, a sergeant and a patrol officer “resigned” after the Swinomish Senate decided to “reorganize” the department following a two-month review of police department activities. The 11-member senate met last Tuesday, July 18. Its meetings are not open to the public. That same morning, this...
Beverly Jean Erickson, 88, died Tuesday July 19, at her home in Shelter Bay following a long illness. Beverly, the only child of Catherine and Rudy Erickson, was born in Proctor, Vermont on May 20, 1928 and grew up in Poultney, Vermont. She graduated from the Lennox Hill School of Nursing in New York City in 1949. Her nursing career carried her from Saudi Arabia to Palmer, Alaska and finally to Seattle, Washington where she continued her education to graduate as a nurse anesthetist. She was...
Raymond Albert Merian, 60, a resident of Blaine, died away Saturday, July 9. Prayer services were held on Friday, July 15, with funeral services following on Saturday, July 16. Both services were be held at the Social Service Building, in Swinomish. Arrangements are under the care of Kern Funeral Home of Mount Vernon....
La Conner resident Kenneth J. Rohal, 64, died on Saturday July 16. He was born to Lawrence and Betty Jane Panovec Rohal on April 17, 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio. Ken served his country in the Vietnam War as a Marine. He was an avid fisherman, gardener and carpenter in his time away from work as a union pipefitter with Matrix in Anacortes. He dearly loved to spend time with his family and friends and will be greatly missed. Ken is survived by his child Trista Moon and son-in-law Andrew Nelson; his...
Longtime La Conner resident Fred Martin died peacefully of natural causes at age 97 on Tuesday, June 14, in Mount Vernon. Fred was born in Burlington on November 1, 1918, with the name Fredrick L. Saunders. In 1921, when the family fell on hard times, Fred was given to the Seattle Children’s Home. In 1927, Fred was taken to the Martin’s home on Orcas Island to be their laborer because of the couples declining health. At this time Fred became known as Fredrick S. Martin. At the age of 18, Fre...
Fire District 13 is ready to start transporting patients to area hospitals with its new ambulance. Chief Roy Horn said the district was anticipating a go-ahead from the Skagit County Commissioners next week to get the program rolling. UPDATE: The approval came Monday to start it up with a six-month pilot program. Horn said that initially the ambulance will respond to calls only within the District 13 boundaries, but it will be available to be dispatched anywhere in the county if it is needed. “I envision us to eventually assist in La Conner a...
The La Conner School Board on Monday voted to accept a slate of proposed budget cuts put forth by the group that has been meeting in budget workshops since April. District Business Manager Bonnie Haley told the board that the group actually exceeded the district’s goal of $500,000 in savings by more than $40,000 and that items could be added back in. Still, “I’m loathe to tinker with the recommendations,” said board member Brad Smith. “My druthers would be to keep the recommendations intact and act on it.” Board member John Thulen agreed, tho...
Monday May 16 4:04 p.m.: Worth checking – Someone inConway reported possible abuse of an 8-year-old child that occurred inSnohomishCounty. The case was referred to that county’s child protective services. 9:44 p.m.: Bad customers – A clerk at the Shell station atLa Conner Whitney Road and Hwy. 20 wanted four obnoxious customers removed. The disorderly quartet left before deputies arrived and no actual crime had occurred. Swinomish Police also responded to assist on the call. Wednesday May 18 10:23 a.m.: No guns – Only ammo w...
William H. De Silva of La Conner died at age 102 on Wednesday, April 20. He was born in a hospital in 1914 in New York City, the first of five boys born to William Smith De Silva and Ada Harter De Silva. He saw more than 100 years of American history unfold before his eyes. William remembered World War I soldiers coming home and served in the World War II National Guard Signal Corps. He began his employment with Prudential Insurance Company in Newark when he was 15 years old. He married Rita M. MacArthur of Newark, New Jersey and in 1947...
One thing was very obvious to the people attending the La Conner School District budget workshops — the school staff has been working very hard to find places the district can cut costs. Monday’s was the fourth in the seven-workshop series and like the others was attended mostly by school employees and a few taxpayers with no school ties. School Superintendent Tim Bruce told the group that nearly 80 percent of the school budget goes toward teacher and staff pay. “Think about keeping a quality teacher in every classroom,” he said. Shoul...
The 30 or so community members participating in the La Conner School District’s crash course in school finance started listing things to slice out of the budget during Monday’s session. The district is asking voters to approve a one-year levy of $995,000. Ballots, in voters’ hands right now, will be counted on April 26. In February, voters rejected two levies totaling about $1.5 million. The scaled-down version being put before them now, will require the district to find $500,000 in savings, even if it passes. Should it fail, another $1 milli...
