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The paper collection can for recycling at the La Conner post office was removed from the lobby area late last week. Post office management made this change because of customer disregard; there were too many people contaminating the collection by tossing too large a quantity of non-paper into the container, according to post office staff. The recycling container has been moved to the retail lobby. Residents are welcome to recycle their unwanted mail inside....
The 2024 annual budget the La Conner Town Council will pass at its Dec. 12 meeting will be the largest in its history. It projects revenues of $7.4 million, expenditures of $8.6 million and the fund balance growing to $5.9 million. The graph, above, shows continued growth in revenues council's continuing to commit more resources each year. The bars represent approved funding, except for the fund balance, which is an end of the year total. A graph tracking actual year ending revenues will show...
A few hours after completing the La Conner Turkey Trot, Jaime Stroebel-Reinstra was keeping a brisk pace as a volunteer server at the Waterfront Café's community Thanksgiving Day meal. She and others – including her own family members – who pitched in to help with the annual fundraiser for local charities were kept busy throughout a three-hour early afternoon shift last Thursday. "We had more reservations and more people this year than ever before," Waterfront Café co-owner Marla Vallee told...
Mingling pays off in La Conner. The proof is in the long-term results from an October forum on short-term rentals. Residential input on short-term rentals at the Civic Garden Club building – referred as “a mingle,” by Town officials – produced much-anticipated planning department recommendations. The staff report was well received at the Nov. 21 Town Planning Commission hybrid session at Maple Hall by community members concerned that the green light for inclusion in town neighborhoods could be given. That possibility appears highly unlikel...
John Agen has won the District 2 La Conner school board director race with 52.9% and at least 779 votes against Janie Beasley, a past school board member. The Nov. 17 count added one vote to each candidate. The last 70 or so countywide ballots will be counted by Skagit County elections office staff Nov. 28 when they certify the results. Agen leads by 93 votes. Agen led the only contested election in greater La Conner by a wide margin since election day, Nov. 7....
La Conner's new flood barriers are staged and in place up and down the waterfront. But the work of the Town's six-member Emergency Management Commission has only just begun. The Nov. 11 power outage here that impacted residents, businesses and those attending the annual Art's Alive celebration underscored in real time that the mission of the local advisory board is to focus on all forms of emergencies. "The commission met an immediate need by addressing flood mitigation," said Rick Dole, town...
The $7.4 million in revenues in the Town of La Conner’s 2024 preliminary budget will be the largest ever and is matched against projected expenditures of $8.6 million. The $1.2 million deficit will be covered by the $5.9 million fund balance. The year’s theme is “plan, prioritize and perform” Mayor Ramon Hayes states in his budget cover letter. Staff are prioritized with all receiving a 4.3% cost of living increase, except the unionized public works employees. Their contract is in negotiations. The code enforcement budget is $73,604. a 20.9% i...
After two more ballot tallies, totals indicate La Conner School District Director John Agen is likely to continue on the board, moving over from his District 1 seat to taking the District 2 position. Voters are giving Agen 53% of the vote against former District 2 Director Janie Beasley after counts on Nov. 14 and 15, after the Weekly News went to press. Beasley has gained 29 votes, to 675, reducing Agen’s lead to 95 votes. His total is 770. Another 144 school district votes were counted Monday and Tuesday. Elections office staff estimate 5...
It’s long been said that two things in life are certain – death and taxes. Now a third certainty can be added to the list: high winds in November leading to power outages in and around La Conner. A year almost to the day after a windstorm knocked out power for local Puget Sound Energy customers, gusts exceeding 60 mph Friday night led to extended outages from southeastern Fidalgo Island across Swinomish Channel to the Skagit River at Fir Island. Some households reported a literal “on again, off again” experience with their electrical service...
It is back to the drawing board for at least parts of the controversial 306 Center Street multi-family three-story project. Town of La Conner Planning Director Michael Davolio said several planned elements of the proposed apartment/condo building have been remanded to the project applicant for revision. “We’ve noted three or four things that aren’t consistent with the approved project and we have advised the applicant of these inconsistencies,” Davolio told the planning commission during their Nov. 6 hybrid meeting at Maple Hall. Davolio...
Up again. Not a record, but the $65,603 in October sales tax revenue reported to the La Conner Town Council by the state Department of Revenue is the highest monthly collection in 2023 and topped only by four record setting months last year. This is the third month in a row that sales tax revenues are above $60,000, with totals increasing monthly The $528,778 collected to date is 86.8% of the total forecast for the year when the budget was set. It seems likely that the revenue target of $609,191 will be met if tourists continue coming. The...
Trudy Newton enjoyed a five-star horoscope on Thursday. That's nothing new for the woman believed to be La Conner's oldest resident. Hers has been a particularly blessed life and Newton's many friends here insist she generously shares those blessings daily. They, in turn, shared well wishes and congratulations of their own during a special celebration of Newton's 107th birthday at La Conner Retirement Inn Nov. 2. "She's a beautiful soul," Executive Director, Jeff Hendrickson, told the Weekly...
At the public hearing Nov. 14 on the Town of La Conner’s proposed 2024 budget be prepared to discuss the record $6.98 million in revenues and the $8 million in expendituresa, a deficit budget of just over $1 million. It is balanced by tapping the reserve fund balance of $5.5 million. As in recent years, the bulk of the projected revenue, $3.7 million comes from the four wastewater funds. These programs account for over half the costs, $4.2 million. The street fund is projected to take in $1.2 million and spend $1.3 million. The current e...
Place an order to receive four free COVID-19 rapid test: special.usps.com/testkits or 800-232-0233. COVID-19 tests are available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities. No-cost COVID-19 testing sites: aspr.hhs.gov/TestToTreat/Pages/default.aspx. No-cost COVID-19 vaccines for the uninsured: vaccines.gov. Check FDA’s website to see if COVID-19 tests’ expiration dates have been extended before throwing tests out. Go to https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/home-otc-covid-19...
It is time to speak up on Town of La Conner budget and tax issues. The town council will hold four public hearings at its Nov. 14 meeting to consider: 1. Formation of a Transportation Benefit District. 2. 20-year Transportation Improvement Plan updates. 3. 2024 preliminary budget. 4. 2024 property tax levy. The public hearings will be held during the 6 p.m. regular city council meeting in Maple Hall, second floor, 204 Commercial Street. Public comments are welcome, written or oral. Submit written comments by email prior to the meeting, by 12...
Unity is a key part of the word community. That theme was stressed throughout the annual La Conner Young Life Dessert Fundraiser held Sunday night in the elementary school commons area. A wide cross-section of folks from in and around La Conner, representing the town, agricultural, Swinomish, Shelter Bay, Snee-Oosh and Fir Island communities attended the two-hour event, supporting the faith-based program that provides summer camp and monthly social and personal growth opportunities for local...
An alarm of sorts went off at last Friday’s fall party for the Skagit County Historical Museum – on purpose. An enthusiastic crowd was enjoying itself at Maple Hall. Radio show host Mike in the Morning was master of ceremonies. Santo Coyote staff served the appetizers. The 120 or so folks showed their support for the Museum by buying tickets for five raffle items and bidding on 2024 naming rights to the East Wing. Madeline Roozen’s top bid was made in memory of her parents William and Helen Roozen, whose names will appear on the East Wing...
The application for the three-story condominiums and first floor rentals at 306 Center Street needs to be revised to meet the town’s code height requirement, Town of La Conner Planning Director Michael Davolio wrote property owner Bandon Atkinson at 10:50 p.m. Oct. 24. “[Y]our design plans appears to show an elevator shaft that exceeds the town’s 30’ height limit. This drawing will not be approved.” Davolio’s communication might have been prompted by questions at the town council meeting earlier that evening. Residents Linda Talman and Leslie...
Historic First Street could look different in the future as Town officials ponder proposals ranging from one-way traffic flow, occasional pedestrian only access and angled and paid parking downtown. Those are options being discussed in the review and update of the transportation element of La Conner’s comprehensive plan. A presentation on paid parking infrastructure will be made at a joint town council-planning commission meeting Nov. 28 at Maple Hall. Staff from at least one firm marketing metered parking are expected to attend. “There sho...
The Town’s saltwater flood barriers are nearly all in place ahead of king tide season, but for La Conner’s six-member Emergency Management Commission the heavy lifting is just getting started. The panel has focused primarily on short-term flood mitigation this year. It shifted attention during the second half of its one-hour Oct. 24 hybrid session at Maple Hall to long-range preparedness strategies along the waterfront. The commission endorsed a potential cooperative venture between the Town, Port of Skagit and Swinomish Tribal Community to...
After 42 years on the job in La Conner, Jeanie Hertz ended her career Thursday the way it started – with style. The buoyant and cheery cosmetologist, who began styling hair when shaggy bobs and wispy bangs were all the rage, has handed over the keys to La Conner Hair Design on Maple Avenue to Katrina Brumley, ending what has literally been a colorful four-decade tenure at the local salon. The transition, as might be expected, has been bittersweet. “I cried for three days when I made the dec...
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town of La Conner will hold four (4) Public Hearings on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 to consider each of the following: 1. Formation of the Transportation Benefit District. 2. 20 Year TIP Updates. 3. 2024 Preliminary Budget. 4. 2024 Property Tax Levy. The Public Hearings will be held during the 6 p.m. regular city council meeting located at 204 Commercial Street (Upper Maple Center). The Public Hearings shall be for the purpose of receiving public comments, written or oral. Written comments are to be submitted by...
Autumn has arrived and settled in. The leaves are falling, the snow geese are returning and farm stand stock is thinning. The fresh produce season is transitioning. The farm stand at Hedlin's Family Farm officially closes on Halloween, but it may open on occasion in the days following. La Conner Gardens remains open all year as long as they have produce available. It also will continue at the Anacortes Farmers Market through their season ending Oct. 28. This season has been good for area...
Town officials and La Conner residents have spent a long time discussing short-term rentals. Which has been part of the plan all along – and going forward. The needle inched further toward defining short-term rentals and reaching consensus on whether regulations governing them should be modified during an Oct. 17 forum at the Civic Garden Club attended by more than 30 people. "We were excited about the turnout," Assistant Planner Ajah Eills told the Weekly News afterward. "We hope that the m...
