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With wildfire season approaching, the Washington State Department of Ecology wants people to get #SmokeReady. This week its staff are posting on social media daily themes of identifying personal health risks, learning how to protect your indoor air and knowing where to find the most up-to-date information about the location and intensity of wildfire smoke. For June 12: Smoke and your health. June 13: Minimize exposure to smoke. June 14: Prevent smoke. View Ecology’s website, social media pages and the Washington Smoke Information blog – the...
Emergency management has been a hot topic in the La Conner area the past couple years. Tabletop disaster preparation exercises have become more frequent. An even more visible two-day emergency response activity staged from the Duane Berentson Twin Bridges boat launch on the north end of Swinomish Channel took place June 4 and 5. “The purpose of the exercise is to validate response equipment, practice our emergency response plan, confirm viable spill control points, and refresh personnel on response tactics,” a spokesperson with the Can...
Renewable energy is a key issue for state Senate hopeful Janet St. Clair, a two-term Island County commissioner with an extensive background in public education and social work. Renewable energy also defines her campaign style. St. Clair brought her energetic, bilingual approach to La Conner on June 3, meeting at the Civic Garden Club with local Democrats. State Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow, attended and offered a ringing endorsement of her candidacy for the 10th Legislative District seat. St....
The La Conner Pub & Eatery was so busy Wednesday that people joked the fire department might be called to red tag the place for exceeding its occupancy limit. Turns out, members of La Conner Hook & Ladder and the local firefighters' association were already on scene – en masse. They took over the downtown tavern and diner that night for a major fundraiser, collecting half the food and beverage receipts and all of the gratuities. Nor did their five-hour serving shifts represent a hostile t...
Busy lives paused Monday as local residents took time to reflect on the past during annual Memorial Day services at two area cemeteries. Somber holiday programs drew large turnouts to the Pleasant Ridge and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community cemeteries despite cloudy and chilly conditions. Rev. Don Robinson and Anne Basye keynoted the one-hour gathering at Pleasant Ridge, site of the oldest cemetery in Skagit County and where the accomplishments and sacrifices of veterans, pioneers and Native Ame...
Strange as it may sound today, there was a time when having a parking problem in La Conner meant more cars were wanted on First Street to spur retail shopping – and when retail meant purchases for home use. It was also a period when home builders were being actively recruited to develop vacant lots to grow a town census that barely rose above 625 residents. The year was 1957. Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House. The space race was launched with Sputnik 1 orbiting the earth. The Fortran c...
Five-year old Drea Edwards-Gould hugged her Auntie Melinda tight as the Swinomish Fish and Game Enforcement boat pulled out of the docks and propelled in one of the four directions to make an offering to the sea for a safe fishing season – the annual Blessing of the Fleet and First Salmon Ceremony of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Sgt. Shaun Beasley navigated Skagit Bay at 24 knots with the precious cargo of a king salmon dressed in crab, clams, mussels, blackberries and blueberries o...
“The Langley Chamber of Commerce is supported through grants that are specific to tourism,” notes Nicole Whittington-Johnson, the Chamber’s executive director. Additionally, there is Langley Creates, a state-designated creative district, part of a Washington state program that helps communities turn their cultural and historical assets into economic growth, a non-profit created by the Langley Chamber of Commerce. Plus, there is the Langley Main Street Association championing the downtown’s economic revitalization and historic preservation. “The...
It was an astounding Saturday afternoon in La Conner on several levels. That's thanks to the annual downtown Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Parade presented by Astound Broadband. A large crowd descended on First Street – cars were parked as far away as S. Fourth and Caledonia – to take in the now not-so-impromptu serpentine, which has evolved over four decades into a well-organized, half-hour, must-see event. The 2024 edition featured emergency vehicles entered by La Conner Hook & Ladder, Ska...
It seems that spring has finally arrived, and we have lots happening at the library to get you ready for warmer weather. Library Giving Day is here! You are invited to support the La Conner Swinomish Library as a vibrant, welcoming place for all! Your gift, now through April 4 as part of National Library Giving Day, will directly benefit your library as we look toward our youth summer reading program, ongoing use of our meeting space, author readings, musical events and more. Our goal this year is $15,000, with the first $5,000 matched thanks...
Most gardeners know from experience the benefits they feel from working in their gardens. These moments are what keep us going back season to season, year after year. As author Sue Stuart-Smith writes in "The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature," "Gardening is more accessible than other creative endeavors, such as painting and music, because you are halfway there before you start; the seed has all its potential within it – the gardener simply helps unlock it." Gardening rewards u...
Daffodils have bloomed and tulips aren't far behind. Soon, thousands of people will descend upon the La Conner flats to enjoy vividly colored fields here. It's hard to imagine, any among the throngs of visitors appreciating the striking spring landscape more than Joyce Johnson, long a bright and engaging fixture with the La Conner Civic Garden Club and related organizations at the local, district and state levels. Johnson recently died at age 105. "Joyce was most certainly a treasure to all who...
Harvest time on the La Conner flats is months away, but the time is ripe now to cultivate goodwill. That was the prevailing theme at the annual La Conner Rotary Club Farmers and Merchants Night dinner and program Monday at Maple Hall. The event, which underscores the club's ongoing mission of public service and education support, was attended by more than 100 people representing the local agricultural and commercial sectors plus government leadership. "We're a hands-on service club," La Conner...
A cold wind ripped up the Swinomish Channel, swirled around Gilkey Square on Saturday and undid plans for the La Conner Pet Parade's red-carpet walk. Still, around 50 registrants and a small crowd of intrepid pet lovers, their pets all dolled-up for photo ops, shivered down First Street from the La Conner Marina to Gilkey Square, up to Maple Hall and back to the square for judging. Mayor Marna Hanneman was on hand and the La Conner Chamber of Commerce "made a showing." Cameras were clicking,...
In his all-too-short life, La Conner's Rich Watkins created a legacy to last generations. Consider pre-season baseball practices now under way at La Conner High School, where two decades ago Watkins was the team's head coach, an ideal role for the former Spokane area sports standout. His influence is still felt by current Braves' coach Jeremiah LeSourd, whom Watkins mentored. "He prepared me for the job," said LeSourd, who along with Andy Otis has since coached the baseball team to numerous post...
Longtime La Conner news photographer Don Coyote is renowned for making magic with his camera. But no magic was needed to enhance the image of his favorite photographic subject, the late Brodie Coyote, the endearing golden retriever who was loyally at Don's side for more than a decade before the four-legged La Conner goodwill ambassador's death Feb. 15. Variously described as a "godly creature" and "darling retriever," Brodie Coyote was the ideal model and photographer's sidekick. Coyote called...
Brodie Coyote, the winsome and engaging golden retriever who served as the town's goodwill ambassador and whose image graced calendar pages and numerous editions of the Weekly News, died Thursday, Feb. 15. Brodie passed away peacefully with his human, noted La Conner news and lifestyle photographer Don Zieger Coyote, at his side, according to a social media post by longtime local music promoter and former mayoral candidate Marc "Zappa" Daniel. Brodie Coyote was 14 and retired from being the...
At the eighth annual Skagit Ag Summit, on Friday, Feb. 9, about 75 people working or interested in agriculture spent the day learning and sharing critical developments in local agriculture topics at the event hosted by WSU Skagit County Extension. During a panel discussion about economic viability, farmer Jason VanderKooy, co-owner of Harmony Dairy, answered a question about succession planning. It is one of the most difficult things in family farming, said VanderKooy. He recommended hiring...
After having survived last month’s primary by a single vote, Bruce James, Jr. emerged from the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community general election on Saturday with a comfortable victory for a five-year Senate term outpolling Myrtle Rivas 167-124. Rivas had led a three-candidate field with 97 votes in a low turnout bad weather day Jan. 20 primary election. James followed with 84. Three-term incumbent Brian Wilbur, had 83 votes and was eliminated by a lone ballot. Prior to the primary, James told the Swinomish Qyuuqs publication that his ...
Local firefighters are taking a step in the right direction when it comes to winning the fight against cancer. Make that many steps. Six members of Skagit County Fire District 13, including Chief Wood Weiss, will take part in the 33rd annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Firefighter Stair Climb in Seattle on March 10. The event, whose mission is to raise much needed funding toward finding a cure for those battling blood cancer, is billed as the largest on-air stair climb competition in the world. Standing 788 feet tall, the Columbia Center is...
Delivering a baby at roadside and rescuing kayakers in distress was all in a week’s work for Swinomish Indian Tribal Community police officer Brian Geer. Geer, who doubles as the Swinomish Emergency Management coordinator, was hailed last week for heroic actions by both Swinomish Tribal Police and Skagit County Fire District 13 leadership. Geer was first on the scene Jan. 30 when a kayak capsized in Skagit Bay south of Lone Tree Point. He quickly commandeered another kayak and was able to pull a person to shore who had been in the cold water fo...
La Conner became a landing spot for bird lovers last weekend. Drivers and pedestrians passing Maple Hall Saturday morning saw a roving raven drawing attention to the La Conner Birding Festival inside. That was Lisa Judy, her black costume complete with wings and a mask with a beak. Judy, La Conner Chamber of Commerce board chair, is lead organizer of the festival. Saturday she welcomed visitors to step inside and enjoy. "We got a really good response," said Judy. "I think it worked out really...
Want to spread love around Valentine’s Day? Save some lives and donate some blood. A community blood drive will be held at the La Conner High School gymnasium, 404 N. Sixth Street in collaboration between local volunteers and Bloodworks Northwest 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23. The blood drive is organized by high school students and the La Conner Kiwanis Club. Every donation can make a lifesaving difference and each donation only takes about 15 minutes of your time. Did you know that the blood you donate can save up to three lives? Blood d...
The La Conner Drug Store opened for the last time Monday, Jan. 22, but there were few customers shopping and not much on the shelves to purchase – though that was a years long reality. Late morning, customers were trickling in to pick up prescriptions or transfer their accounts to Rite Aid, the new owner. There was the air of a failed garage sale that was devoid of bargain hunters because there were no bargains to hunt for. Resident Lysa Sherman wandered through with an armful of products, s...
The Unified Command, consisting of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Washington Department of Ecology, the Skagit County Department of Emergency Management, bp, and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, is hosting two community meetings for the public to learn about: cleanup progress, air monitoring, water quality monitoring, wildlife impacts, and the plans and timeline for removing the remaining impacted soil and sediment. In-person: Tuesday, Feb. 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m.,Conway School cafeteria, 19710 State Route 534, Mount Vernon....
