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It strikes me with the ending of the Biden campaign today that a couple of things are worthy of note. Joe Biden has said right along he is in this to win as recent as just a day or so ago, then he contracted COVID-19, again and ran home to Delaware to regroup. Joe Biden won nearly 100% of the votes for the nomination, only a few voted for others. Did it matter? Nope. So, who is it that decided to overrule the will of the voters in the Democratic Party? Was it Trump? Nope. The Republican party? Nope. We know that Joe Biden didn’t want to give up...
In the 23 years I have lived in Shelter Bay there have been many notable improvements in La Conner, such as the roundabout, the fire station, the La Conner Swinomish Library, Channel Cove, Gilkey Square, the boardwalk and Conner Waterfront Park. However, I have noticed that many projects seem to reach a certain stage and then just stop. Whether this is because of money, permits or lack of will, us common folk don’t know the reason. Maybe others could help me understand why so many projects stall. Here are a few examples of what I am talking a...
Photosynthetic power, that that falls freely from the sun, is captured by the oceans, trees, rocks, leaves, cities, sidewalks and streets. Yeah, the last three are as unnatural as covering perfectly good farmland with solar panels. Solar panels are more appropriate on slopes, like roofs and open rocky south-facing places. Of course, there are farmland ditches that could be creatively covered with them and as you might have guessed, I’ve designed a few different concepts about how to get it done. Our south-sloping dike between La Conner and Plea...
My old MacBook died so I have relied on those pesky PCs at the library. The difference is vast and I stumble at the task, but get by with the aid of the librarians. Then on down the street, Rico and I seek a head of lettuce and find a bib type to blow your mind, Hedlin grown to perfection. As Rico rolls in the grass, scratching his back, I gaze to the north across the flats, a view to enchant the poet or painter, or me and you, my lucky neighbor. Jai Boreen La Conner...
I recently bought a used plug-in hybrid car, a Chevy Volt. After the federal tax credit and Washington licensing fees (EVs are currently exempt from sales tax), it cost about $8,000. I already had a home charger for Jenelle’s Chevy Bolt. If I had needed to install a 240-volt EV charger at home, that would have cost about $2,000 to $3,000 more. Over almost three months, I’ve put a little over 1,800 miles on the Volt, using it as my primary car. It’s a plug-in hybrid, not a pure electric, so it...
Skagit County League of Women Voter members have new T-shirts that read “LOCAL NEWS = DEMOCRACY.” They printed these ahead of their successful campaign to have the national League adopt this as a resolution in June: “The League of Women Voters of the United States believes it is the responsibility of the government to provide support for conditions under which credible local journalism can survive and thrive. “The LWVUS defines local news as accurate, in-depth coverage of government entities, including but not limited to, city council...
I had never been to Washington, D.C., before, but it’s always been on my bucket list of things to do – the museums, memorials, statues, the seat of American government and just so much history. But now I found myself packing my bags in anticipation of going there, not as a tourist, but for an entirely different reason. I was about to fly across the country as one of the Washington state delegates to the League of Women Voters’ national convention being held in D.C. For those readers unfamiliar with the League, it is a nonpartisan, grass...
I am sad that the Skagit County Pioneer Association chose a year when Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen is up for reelection to honor the Wesen family. Not a good look. And Commissioner Wesen should know better. The Wesen family deserves the honor, but next year would have been better. And, by the way, I am not supporting Wesen’s opponent. Gale Fiege Pleasant Ridge...
In February of 2024 former President Donald Trump called himself “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House,” and said that during his presidency he had “done nothing. We didn’t yield” (all quotes, U.S. News and World Report). Perhaps Chambers of Commerce across America are noting reduced international tourism since 2006 since there have been over 570 (and counting-up) mass killings in the United States. Perhaps, for those living outside America and planning a trip, they are simply afraid to come for fear of being shot. Yet...
Our country is in a pickle, politically, and, oddly, a vast majority of us seem to agree that our two major political parties are the primary factor. While more Republicans are enamored with their presidential candidate, Donald Trump, the polls show that most voters wish we had two different people to choose from to lead the country. Neither the Republican Party, as an institution – or its adherents – have any inclination of dealing with the deficits of their candidate, whether it is his age, his character or his criminal record. The Dem...
I would like to share some clarifying information about the closure of Little Braves Preschool in La Conner. Skagit/Islands Head Start (SIHS) partnered in quality preschool programming in La Conner for many years. We continue to believe it could be an important contribution to the community. It may have been unclear to the contributors writing the Weekly News this spring, but the funding model for the Little Braves preschool was never intended to rely solely on SIHS funding. SIHS agreed to provide a contracted amount to the district preschool f...
“What about airplanes?” That’s one of the most common questions I get when people start talking with me about renewable energy. It’s like asking Henry Ford “Hey, Henry, when’s that Model A going to be able to run 200 miles an hour for about three hours at Talladega?” The answer: Not immediately, but a Ford that’s a direct descendant of the Model A will be able to do that. It’s not like asking when a Ford car will be able to land on the moon. Switching to renewable energy will be possible witho...
As an active community member, I read almost every article in the La Conner Weekly News, usually by early Wednesday afternoon, so I typically find things about which to write. Sometimes I just sit and let the soup simmer, see if it needs some seasoning, maybe some seasoned reasoning should come to bare. I found the town council’s priorities (“La Conner council sets priorities at retreat,” July 3) very interesting. One member of the council brought up the importance of community involvement, another stressed volunteerism, communication and s...
A recent article in your paper reviewed the new exhibitions at MoNA, the powerful paintings and glass work of Joseph Gregory Rossano’s “Portrait of the Divine,” and “Early Rituals,” the iconic creations of a master in glass, William Morris (June 19, 2024). However, two upstairs exhibitions were not mentioned. The first is a beautiful exhibition from MoNA’s permanent collection, “At the Seam,” including new acquisitions and the last is “SOMOS (WE ARE)” in the small Outside/In Gallery. It is the latter upon which I would like to comment. The art...
Tomorrow is the 248th anniversary of the Continental Congress passing the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The easy thought, the belief that the colonists rose up with one voice in kicking the Brits out and demanding self-representation and democracy is a nice story, but not completely true. The anger, energy and righteousness throughout the 1760s and early 1770s leading up to war with Great Britain came from a minority of the population. Historians estimate that perhaps 20% of people in the 13 colonies were ardent patriots working toward...
Ambrose Bierce fought with honor and distinction in the Civil War, but the carnage and horror scarred him deeply. He became a fiction writer of some renown, but the darkness and cynicism in his words was unique for his time. His black humor and unhappy endings are more of the late 20th century than the 19th century. His 1906’s “Devil’s Dictionary” may not be appreciated today, either, given that our time is not one of subtlety or nuance. Take his definition of prejudice: “n. A vagrant opinion without visible means of support.” And politics: “A...
On June 5, the La Conner Firefighters Association took over the La Conner Pub and Eatery. Firefighters, EMTs and association members ran the restaurant with the help of John, Jada and a few pub employees: Julie, Jasmine, Adolfo, Blythe and Estella. We wanted to thank our community for all of the support and for joining us for such a fun event! We’re looking forward to seeing all of you at our Golf Tournament on Sept. 7. Natalie Baker La Conner...
It was fun to see that a photo of what some call the “La Conner Loopers” on their bikes and trikes in “A view from the editor’s eye,” the centerfold in last week’s La Conner Weekly News. Much ado has been made about this old dude crossing mileage milestones, when the attention really should be about all of the other characters that have been the inspiration to get me up and rolling every morning. Weather permitting. Fred, the recognized leader of the Loopers, caught me tooling around on my new trike shortly after Barb and I moved to Center S...
I was greatly moved by last week’s editorial, in which Ken Stern ponders the fate of our truly local newspaper, the La Conner Weekly News. I would urge you to read it if you have not, or to re-read it if you have. We are in danger of losing a critically important component of our community. Social media and individual websites are not adequate replacements. We are uniquely blessed to have a locally owned paper dedicated to the interests of our community, with reporters actually reporting what is going on, often in depth, which you would n...
Describing the thoughts and feelings over these last two weeks is challenging, to say the least. A house fire is one of those things that you always think will never happen to you. It’s such a surreal experience that we are still trying to fully process our new reality. Having gone through this trauma, we should be feeling despondent and defeated. In every right, we should be miserable and yet, we find ourselves optimistic with smiles on our faces looking toward the future. There is one clear cause of our positive outlook: this extraordinary c...
Reducing energy use through energy efficiency is easier than ever. As we say in the energy efficiency business, a megawatt is the energy you use, but a “negawatt” is the energy you don’t need to use. Efficiency, as I’ve mentioned before, doesn’t mean that you have to stop using energy-consuming devices, or even that you have to use them less. It means that you choose systems and controls that enable you to use less energy to get the effect you want. Often, new, energy efficient technologi...
I have several addictions and they are increasing all of the time and the good news is that all of them are positive, not negative. I play Words With Friends on my cellphone, so I can take it with me wherever I go. It's a competitive crossword puzzle and I have several competitors and some of them use words I've never heard of even though I was an English major in college. It's a very healthy brain activity and the last thing I do before I go to sleep at night to use whatever brain cells I have...
I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. – Henry Thoreau, in “Conclusion” chapter, “Walden,” 1854 This issue is the 364th I have printed as the Weekly News publisher. It finishes my seventh year here. Next week, issue 365, begins my eighth year as owner of the La Conner Weekly News. It has been a great run. “Best job ever” has long been my mantra. I am blessed to ha...
The road to buying the La Conner Weekly News went through Vermont, with my summer 2016 contest entries to win the Hardwick Gazette. I shaped my third entry as a future editorial, my last before retiring. I imagined selling the paper to a co-op comprised of its staff and readers, they having organized to purchase it. This is a fable near impossibly hard to make true in real life. This was published in the July 12, 2017 La Conner Weekly News, my second issue as publisher. It’s my paper now, but I am only borrowing it. Franklin said “A Republic,...
La Conner Weekly News Team: Thank you for the wonderful story and photo last week, reporting about our dedication/blessing of the new pavilion at Conner Waterfront Park (June 19, page 1). One thing I said that day and would like to see reported is the idea for the park started with Parks Commissioner Brian Scheuch, who I said was the father of the park, along with his friend BJ Carol. Thank you, Ollie Iversen La Conner Parks Commissioner...
