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As you read these words, the continent of Africa is being ripped apart. In spite of what you might have seen on YouTube, that statement is true. Like a planetary zipper, a gaping wound is opening from northern Ethiopia south through Kenya, Tanzania and parts south. Volcanic ash that accumulated in the scar over a million years, a desolate place called Olduvai Gorge, gave anthropologists the first fossils of our human ancestors. A similar gorge emerges from the northern Atlantic Ocean and extends through present day Iceland. Planet Earth is...
Our mailboxes have been deluged with attack ads against our State Senator Ron Muzzall, saying he is a “two-faced” liar trying to “take away our reproductive freedom.” Some reality therapy: Washington has been one of the states most protective of a right to abortion for over half a century. In 1991, the voters narrowly (50.1% to 49.9%) approved Initiative 120, declaring a right to abortion for any reason until viability (when a child can survive outside the womb) and for any “health” reason after that. In 2018 the Reproductive Parity Act made it...
As a follow up to last week’s editorial (“Let’s vote for president now”), let us call for a series of regional constitutional conventions in order to: (a) Let we the people be heard (b) Avoid anarchy and suppression of voices in the name of law and order (c) Instill hope for democracy to live by example here in the heart of the free world (d) Guarantee representation at the table of all people invested in this country by birth, by naturalization, by labor and by service for the common good. To “get real,” people and powers that be: Regional re...
Last week I reread an article in the Weekly News from Sept. 4 regarding various news in town including First Street going one-way (about time) and the town working with the fire department to obtain a new fire boat and a new ladder truck. The one that really got my attention was news of burglaries in the north end of town and LATE arrival by the sheriff’s office. My view: Fire boat and ladder truck: Absolutely agree the fire department should have the right equipment to fight fires in or near our town. However, as I stated at a council m...
My name is April Emanuelson-Barnett. I am working on my doctorate in natural medicine and work at Thrive Direct Health Care as a certified functional nutrition coach. I plan to continue to offer my expertise there, in the clinical setting and offer the fitness and fresh food side of health at La Conner Wellness and MMA. My husband, Tracy Barnett, is a retired paramedic. He did rescue work for over 24 years and has taught martial arts and self-defense for 23 years. Our SBA (Small Business Administration) lenders love our idea of turning the old...
Local permits and Washington’s Growth Management Act Last week I wrote a citizen’s view column about the proposal for 214 Maple Avenue (the old COA) and promised that I would write more this week about the condition that is hardest to understand: (e) The proposal, through findings, satisfies the goals and policies of La Conner’s comprehensive plan and floodplain ordinance and the state Shoreline Management Act. I will address the Comp Plan only here. Long ago the Washington State Legislature passed the Growth Management Act The GMA estab...
7 Maple Street is the site of what many call the old COA restaurant. This letter is an attempt to make La Conner’s conditional use procedure process clearer. The property’s current zoning is residential. This means that residences can be located on the property. The residences can be single family or multifamily. Residences are not a conditional use. No conditional use permit would be needed to locate new residences there. Most of Maple Street is residential. Is there anything else that can go on 214 Maple Street? Yes, The code specifies a nu... Full story
With the expected finalizing of Kamala Harris to be the Democratic presidential nominee, our planet has hope for remaining livable. Earth will of course remain no matter what, but the four years that Trump occupied the office set back actions to limit climate change by 10 to 15 years. No one can argue that our weather has become more hostile to humans and animals. Many cities are passing the temperature threshold for outdoor activities plus the number of severe storms and wildfires has gone beyond any expectations. By Trump eliminating the... Full story
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...
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... Full story
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...
One of the central themes of Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’, “On Care for our Common Home,” is Francis’ strong and repeated critique of anthropocentrism, or the tendency for us humans to not only prioritize our species over and against the rest of creation but also to promote a hubristic sense of our exceptionalism on this planet. The results of this misguided way of thinking, to borrow a phrase from the pope, have been devastating for the environment. We have put our own comfort, desire for wealth and distorted sense of dominion...
Elliot: Like most people I have heard numerous references to Project 2025 from the Heritage Foundation. However, I did not understand the complexity and reach until I read this editorial column in the Seattle Times. I feel that if Project 2025 is adopted or even sections of it, everyone needs to have a better understanding of the effect on the U.S. Please republish. There are a multitude of issues that voters must assess when deciding between President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and the independent presidential candidates before... Full story
Every year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publishes updated statistics for water safety (or lack thereof) at its project locations throughout the country. In the eight years I’ve been working for USACE, the statistics on drownings have not significantly changed (that I can recall), regardless of the amount of focus and messaging the enterprise has published. Again, it’s no surprise that USACE data from 2023 shows that drowning victims at our locations are 88 percent male and 89 percent who weren’t wearing life jackets. This is an impor... Full story
Home Trust of Skagit is a community land trust that serves all of Skagit County. Currently, we are serving 28 homeowners and 18 renters. Home Trust of Skagit offers affordable homes now and preserves that affordability for future homebuyers. Our goal is to have homes in neighborhoods and communities throughout Skagit County (preferably near community transit routes) and to provide opportunities for both homeownership and affordable rentals. With a healthy mix of housing types and home sizes available, we strive to serve those earning up to 80%...
Almost 50 years ago I extracted myself from a life and livelihood in our nearest metropolis to follow a dream, a soul mandate, to live in Skagit Valley. A decade earlier, when I was 16 years old, I’d seen it for the first time and its beauty kept calling: those flat vistas, miles of mist and farmland. As the greening of this place happens once again and we celebrate this season, let me, please, rain a bit on your parade by mentioning something your sense of beauty, indeed none of your senses, will be good at detecting: Glyphosate. While Mons...
Knowing what to believe these days can be a challenge. From AI-generated images and text to blatant disinformation from political campaigns and foreign governments, the number of scams, spoofs and charlatans seems to be never-ending. However, there are those who continue to stand against the tide of false information, men and women who will continue to seek truth and report it, without fear or favor. I recently worked with some of these people to highlight the importance of local news, during the April 29 forum hosted by the League of Women... Full story
A leading theme of the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council has been “reading the signs of the times.” The signs of the times are clear: human dignity is under grave threat. The Vatican has issued an important new declaration on human dignity. “Dignitas Infinita” is the title of this 23-page document. In its preface, Pope Francis explicitly asked that the document “highlight topics closely connected to the theme of dignity, such as poverty, the situation of migrants, violence against women, human trafficking, war and other the...
I have been living here just a year now, but my neighbors and the community as a whole have been so open, friendly and inviting that I feel totally at home here. One of the things I truly love about our town is its “walkability.” The beautiful new Swinomish La Conner Library is just a few blocks away, with a steep hill to get my heart rate up on the return trip. And what a wonderful place it is to visit. Not only do they offer a lifetime of fiction and non-fiction books to read, but magazines, DVDs, events and programs for all ages. A new exp...
A little perspective: In 1869 bearded men in tall black hats whacked in a golden spike completing the Transcontinental Railway at Provo, Utah, establishing the first sit-down transportation between the East Coast and San Francisco. In January of the following year a magnitude 9 earthquake set off a flood that drowned Native coastal villages from mid California to the northern tip of Vancouveer Island. In short, it was a whopper; but almost completely unrecognized for over 100 years. In January 1700, the offshore portion of that fault fractured...
At its recent convention in Spokane, the Republican Party’s endorsement committee removed gubernatorial candidate Semi Bird’s name from consideration due to Mr. Bird’s failure to disclose a prior federal conviction for bank larceny. This action by the state committee resulted in such a chaotic uproar from the Bird supporters in attendance that the committee removed the governor’s endorsement entirely from consideration. Once again, Bird’s supporters vociferously objected. As a result, former U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, the leading contender...
Tsunami is a Japanese word for what used to be more appropriately called a “tidal wave.” In movies and television dramas, tsunamis are portrayed as monster ocean waves cresting over the likes of New York City or Los Angeles. A bit misleading to say the least. Tsunamis are huge bursts of energy being transported in water. In reality, when a tsunami reaches land it’s much more like the tidal flood that invaded La Conner a few years ago, only bigger, much bigger. As most folks have seen in YouTube videos of Japan’s 2011 flooding, a tsunami...
The Swinomish Tax Authority uses the same levy rate for 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021: $11.98 per $1,000. The assessed value of homes in Shelter Bay, Pull & Be Damned and Thousand Trails increased from $206,399,050 to $262,085,926. The Swinomish Tribal Community has the right to collect $3,139,456 in taxes from Shelter Bay, Pull & Be Damned and Thousand Trails in 2024. Last year they collected $2,440,832. After deducting contributions, exemptions, uncollectable taxes and taxes shared with the county, the Tribe will have an estimated $1,958,197...
My name is Wood Weiss and I am the Chief of Skagit Fire District 13. Recently people have been asking me about the upcoming ballot measure for the countywide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy renewal. I thought it might help to clarify who we are as a fire district and how the EMS levy impacts us and the people we serve. Our district provides Fire and EMS protection for a 71 square mile area, which includes the Swinomish Tribal Reservation (Tribal village, Shelter Bay, Snee Oosh beach area, Casino), farmlands east of the Swinomish channel,...
