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It was clear to me as early as 2008 that a pandemic was at hand. The symptoms were easier to ignore than to acknowledge. Some embraced and reveled in the early stages of this malady. Doctors began pointing to the symptoms, only to have their opinions dismissed. Clergy, mental-health professionals and lay people tried to stem the spread, and some began organizing to stop it. By 2016 this pandemic had spread to almost every corner of the United States. No one assumed responsibility for the finger-pointing; it always was someone else’s fault. A...
It is 2021, the year after the 2020 census and so the time when a Washington commission will – as by some method in every state – plan and determine district boundaries for state and congressional legislative districts. Boring, right? Did you know this happens? Voter, that is citizen, representation, is a key purpose of the census, part of the United States Constitution. In Washington, a bi-partisan commission, its members chosen by Democratic and Republican legislators, will hold public hearings before shaping existing districts...
From the disgrace of Richard Nixon to the disgrace of Donald Trump, I have watched the Republican party deteriorate from a party of strong moral principles, fiscal restraint and true conservative values to a cult of personality. The Republican party did not even bother to craft a platform for the 2020 election because the platform is now what Trump says it is - subject to rapid change based on the mercurial and ever self-serving whim of the great leader. Nothing reveals this utter moral collapse better that the treatment of Dr. Anthony Fauci...
I agree with Linda Peterson (“Elders need vaccine first,” Letters, Jan. 20) that elders should get priority for the COVID vaccine. Hubert H. Humphrey once said that the moral test of government is how it treats those at the dawn of life, at the twilight of life and the sick and frail in the shadows of life. Greater vulnerability demands greater care, not less. Last April, Bill O’Reilly received a public backlash – and deserved it – when he sniffed that many people dying from COVID “were on their last legs anyway.” So I am troubled...
I applaud Bruce Elliot for his insightful and accurate description of the unfair and, most likely, unconstitutional Tribal taxation of Reservation residents. We in Shelter Bay are at the mercy of the Tribe. They tax us on our property, but do not allow us any say on how it is spent. We have no representation on the Tribal Senate or within the Tribal administration. Why the Shelter Bay board of directors allows this taxation of its constituency without insisting that we be fairly represented in determining how and where these tax dollars are...
Alright, so what if I occasionally slobber on my sleeve, I make sure I leave before I sneeze! That’s just one small reason why we were named the coolest little town in North America. Besides that, we have lots of other cool things here. There’s the Bridge, duh, and two really cool Salmon structures in the new and improved Conner Park. I’d like to give my kudos to the characters who keep repairing the cement sculpture. Of course we have a pretty cool boardwalk that attracts us to the downtown shops, and the eateries that sate our taste...
A letter last week (Jan. 27 Weekly News) talked about the unfair school funding system. I do not think taxes of any sort are designed to be fair. They are designed to raise revenue. There are a lot of taxes and fees that we pay as citizens which may not benefit us. As a person living in Shelter Bay I felt the need to point out I have a lot of representation with the Swinomish Tribe. We elect a board every year made up of hard working volunteers that represent our wants and desires to the Tribal board which also happens to be our landlords. The...
Meaning of civility, according to my phone and Webster: to be courteous, polite, respectful, reflect concern for others, tactful. The last sentence under letter policy in this paper reads: “Letters are edited for civility, clarity and style.” It is the word “civility” that causes me to write today. I love this country, and I am sorely aware of the political differences. My husband, my elderly mother and I moved to La Conner almost four years ago and were glad to know this small town had its own newspaper. I recall that recently the La Conner We...
Both stores have the same owner(s) who are doing heroic work under a system that can only, politely, be called a disaster. It is part of the price that the U.S. is paying for having had Trump in the White House. An hour and a half after the stores sent their first email that they would begin vaccinations in mid-January (in Oak Harbor, in Island County), we signed up for a Jan. 18 appointment. However, the next week their vaccine stock was taken for Skagit County’s medical workers so our appointment changed to Feb. 1. Skagit County finished more...
Ferries are not just green-and-white boats to the families and businesses of the 10th District. To us, those boats are vital connections to work, school, and services like doctors and dentists. Reliable ferries are essential to our local economy and quality of life. So how can we improve ferry service today – and build a system that will work for the next 100 years? Part of the answer is we have to work together. I formed the Ferry Caucus alongside Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-Anacortes), creating...
It is 2021, the year after the 2020 census and so the time when a Washington commission will – as by some method in every state – plan and determine district boundaries for state and congressional legislative districts. Boring, right? Did you know this happens? Voter, that is citizen, representation, is a key purpose of the census, part of the United States Constitution. In Washington, a bi-partisan commission, its members chosen by Democratic and Republican legislators, will hold public hearings before shaping existing districts...
Voters have their ballots for the 1.45 mills replacement school levy. Some have already voted. The Weekly News supports this renewal, which decreases the tax rate from the current levy and lengthens the period to four years. Your choice is to vote “yes” to reduce the levy property tax rate or vote “no” and defund the schools. A yes vote recognizes and thanks the District’s staff, from administrators through teachers, educational aides, bus drivers and support staff for the herculean work they have done the last year under difficult circumsta...
The La Conner School District is promoting a 4-year special levy to be voted upon in February. Special levies are paid for exclusively by local property taxes. In La Conner only a fractional proportion of residents actually pay property taxes, the result of peculiar demographics and highly uneven, unfair tax laws. Tribal members residing on the reservation are strongly encouraged to vote for school levies. They enjoy the benefits but have virtually no tax liability. Under federal laws, they pay no property taxes, no sales taxes, nothing....
As a parent of teens in La Conner, I would like to express deep appreciation on behalf of myself, and all of the La Conner Young Life Committee members, to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community for their faithful support. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community generously donated $15,000 to La Conner Young Life. This is not the only year that the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has donated. They have been a faithful supporter to the efforts of Young Life in La Conner for over a decade. This support has been invaluable in enabling countless...
We are writing a letter to let our community know how much passing this levy means to us. La Conner School is a special place because everyone knows everyone, it is easy to get around and it is much more flexible than bigger schools. Since our school is smaller we get more one-on-one time with our teachers. The school will help provide students opportunities that do not have many. La Conner is more of a supportive community since there are not a lot of kids at our schools. We are given the opportunity to choose the classes we are interested in...
We would first like to clear up the intent of our proposed citizen’s advisory group. Barring any changes to our luck with the Powerball, we do not have any plans to purchase the Hedlin property. Our main goal is to ask the town for time and transparency as we work toward preserving more than just 20,000 square feet (approximately 25%) of the property for open space. Over the past several weeks our group has spent countless hours researching, asking questions and trying to fully understand the details and timeline behind the town’s purchase agr...
One of the things astute observers of the 45th president have not failed to notice is his self-promotion. In the questionable ethics of the twenty-first century, this is taken to be a good thing. It is thought to be necessary in order to beat out the competition. But we seem to have lost sight of the fact that throughout history self-promotion has not been thought of as a good thing, not even for business people and politicians. Donald Trump says he is the most popular president in history and that he has been the best friend to Black people...
I passed a sign on someone’s front lawn in Mount Vernon last week that read: “Dementia Joe? Heels Up Harris? Lord Help Us All.” Obviously, these people must be devastated and I am dedicating this column to them. If the election went their way, I had a plan in place to create Cascadia, including Washington, Oregon and California. The new “country” would still be technically part of the USA but with its own healthcare, its own intolerance for racism and anti-Semitism and its own support of public...
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John reports Jesus telling his disciples that. Knowing and following the truth is good advice in all times from whomever is advising it. This is a time of people embracing truths shared among friends, neighbors and co-collaborators: “My truth” and “our truth,” are shared certainties between allies. But in the larger, civil society – in the realm of facts and laws and newspapers, what served as “your” truth or “our” truth does not always hold up where facts and measurements an...
Yeah, I’d be a tough taskmaster, sorta like a winning coach, I’d push us to exceed our goals. Improvement every day, by all of us, from the top on down. That would be my goal, to lead us all to share, and soothe each other’s souls. I’d be open to what people have to say, ideas can be works of art, like rows of produce protruding from the nearly silty clay. I’d help make challenges turn into ways to learn, and call it play. I’d be an inspiratory, yeah, a real deep instigator, why I’ve already done a lot of investigation, and none of what I’d p...
During last week’s power outage, 36 hours at my house, with no land line and minimum cell battery, my sister in Florida was worried about me. I talked to her once, assuring her I was OK but really missing my morning coffee. She posted on Facebook that I was fine, but really missing my morning coffee.That’s all she did. Lo and behold: one-half hour after posting this, I got a knock on my door with a special delivery of a “caramel mac”, a delicious blueberry scone and a huge heart cookie. This delivery was personally made by Kim of the Stompin...
Before Feb. 9 we have a chance to improve La Conner Schools. The La Conner School District replacement levy vote will provide for educational programs and operations that are either not funded or seriously underfunded by the state. The renewal of this levy will focus on enhanced offerings in STEAM classwork (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). Also included will be extra-curricular activities and athletics, extended day learning, special education services and safety improvements for the schools. The proposed four year...
In response to Max Monteborne’s opinion about age related vaccine immunizations: Max, after reading your opinion about age related vaccine immunizations I was incensed. But then I read it again and realized this was probably an attempt at dark humor. I could not believe anyone could actually believe what you had proposed. If it was dark humor, I do not think it was very funny. If you really do believe what you wrote was a good idea then shame on you. Those of us who are seniors in our community are not the “throw away” generation. We are at a h...
Six years ago, I saw hate on the rise toward American Muslims. This hate was carefully cultivated by well-funded, flag-pinned profiteers. If you demonize a faith of 1.8 billion people you can sell a lot of weapons. Ibram X. Kendi, in his book “Stamped From the Beginning,” proposes that racism starts with economic interests, gets expressed in policies that benefit a few, and becomes rationalized by propaganda, that then creates racist feelings and attitudes in the population. This begins an ever-expanding cycle of violence. When we learn to hat...
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John reports Jesus telling his disciples that. Knowing and following the truth is good advice in all times from whomever is advising it. This is a time of people embracing truths shared among friends, neighbors and co-collaborators: “My truth” and “our truth,” are shared certainties between allies. But in the larger, civil society – in the realm of facts and laws and newspapers, what served as “your” truth or “our” truth does not always hold up where facts and measurements an...
