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Home or away, it didn't matter. Matching up with Friday Harbor and Orcas were tough tasks last week for the La Conner High School baseball and softball teams. The Braves (1-6) fell 16-1 at Friday Harbor last Tuesday and were defeated 20-4 by the Wolverines in a rematch at home Friday. The boys dropped a 11-6 decision at Orcas Saturday afternoon. The Lady Braves (0-9), whose roster features several first-year players, lost 21-1 at Friday Harbor April 4 and came up short 9-4 at Orcas Saturday....
Spring break was no vacation for a cross-section of Swinomish youth. Pre-teen and high school-aged tribal students sacrificed sleeping in and lounging in front of the TV to take part in a four-day conference at the Swinomish Gym designed to build self-esteem and develop lifelong leadership skills. It was hosted by Swinomish Health Programs. By all accounts it was time well spent for the large percentage attending all four days. They were introduced to the Gathering of Native Americans (GONA)...
For decades the odds were stacked against Native American students succeeding in the U.S. educational system. Statistics bear that out. La Conner Schools faculty and staff reviewed the data during a special program featuring Dennis Eller in late March. Eller is a member of the Cherokee Nations, an administrator at Thomas Jefferson High School in Federal Way and a doctoral candidate. “I had better odds of becoming a starter in the National Football League,” Eller said at one point of his 75-minute presentation, “than I did of earning a docto...
Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) is inviting high school-aged students who live or attend school in Washington’s Second Congressional District to showcase their artistic talents in the 2023 Congressional Art Competition. Art submissions and forms are due at Larsen’s office no later than Monday, May 1, at 5 p.m. All art entries must be original in concept, design and execution. Students can find details and a full list of contest rules larsen.house.gov/helping-you/2023-art-competition.htm Source: Office of Rick Larsen...
New La Conner School Board of Directors Loran James and Kim Pedroza hit the ground running last week in a two-hour marathon meeting. James and Pedroza were appointed last month to fill sudden board vacancies. They did not have the luxury of taking time to get up to speed. And despite the length, it was a relatively fast-paced session. New ground was presented midway through in the form of a 30-minute presentation and proposal by Morgan Brown and Jen Willup of the Between Two Worlds indigenous science class to develop a native food medicine fore...
HOLDING COURT – La Conner Elementary School named its Daffodil Festival Royal Court Friday. Princess Heidi Wilbur, Prince Emmitt Alvord, King Jaydon Otis and Queen Isabella Rubalcaba will ride in a float during the La Conner Kiwanis Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Parade Saturday....
Back in the day, PF Flyers claimed its sports shoes could make athletes run faster and jump higher. La Conner's Tommy Murdock does that regardless of what footwear he laces up. The Braves junior, a reigning state hurdles champion, took top honors in three events at an NW1B/2B track and field meet hosted by Mount Vernon Christian Wednesday afternoon. Murdock, as expected, swept both hurdles events at Mount Vernon. He won the 110s with a 0:15.81 clocking and captured the 300s in a 0:41.51 finish....
Growing pains aren't easy, but the La Conner High School baseball team's coaching staff takes solace knowing the youthful Braves are getting stronger. Last week's NW2B/1B action at Darrington and at home against league leading Mount Vernon Christian are examples. Both games ended in the loss column, but the Braves played on equal terms save for one bad inning in each outing. Darrington rode a 13-run second frame to an 18-7 triumph on Thursday. MVC also parlayed a big second inning – the H...
The afterglow of a stellar high school basketball season continues to shine for two La Conner High School seniors. Ellie Marble and Josie Harper have received Girls’ 2B all-state recognition from two national digital sports outlets. Marble was tabbed by SBLive, a technology partner of state associations, coaches and administrators, for first unit all-state honors. Harper was a second team selection. Both Marble and Harper were first unit All-State choices of Prep Girls Sports, a major source of in-depth hoops news and coverage, team r...
The Stanwood-Camano Branch of the American Association of University Women is accepting 2023 scholarship applications through April 29 for university students in their junior or senior year or in Master’s Degree programs. Scholarships of $10,000 will be awarded to three applicants who are current residents of La Conner, Stanwood, Camano Island, Arlington or Lakewood areas or are high school graduates from these school districts Applications are at aauwsc.org/scholarship. Source: AAUW, Stanwood-Camano...
Just months after stepping down as transportation director at La Conner Schools, Kim Pedroza is back, the newest member of the district’s board of directors. Pedroza was selected by board members last Thursday to fill the unexpired term of Lynette Cram, who the Town of La Conner director district seat when her husband, David Cram, became deputy superintendent of finance, human resources and operations. This director position is on the ballot for a full four-year term in November. Retired Dunlap Towing tugboat skipper and former La Conner F...
Bigger isn’t necessarily better. La Conner High School’s Tommy Murdock proved that statement beyond doubt Friday, punctuating it with an exclamation point by sweeping the hurdles events at the Bedlington Twilight Track & Field Meet in Lynden, where the reigning State 2B champion fended off challengers from larger schools. Murdock, competing against 1A-3A hurdlers, cruised to twin wins in the 110s (0:16.23) and 300s (0:41.46), a feat all the more impressive when you consider he had done the same just two days prior at an NW1B/2B League meet at...
Kennedy Miller, a La Conner High School senior, is the Soroptimist Honored Student for the month of March. Kennedy is a very hardworking student and volunteer. She helps coach her younger sister, Maddy's La Conner Middle school basketball team. She also is a National Honor Society member and a member of the Swinomish Tribal Youth Council. As a Tribal Youth Council member, Kennedy works on beach clean-up teams and helps to serve at Swinomish elder dinners. She has been playing volleyball since mi...
Former La Conner High School state golf title winner Emma Worgum is back on the links after a superb fall freshman season with the Western Washington University women's team. Worgum and the Lady Vikings placed ninth out of 15 teams entered in the spring opener Fujikura Invitational Tournament hosted by Cal State-San Marcos in Vista, CA. earlier in March. Worgum tied for the second best finish on her team and was 40th overall by carding a two-day score of 160, shooting 80 (8 over par) each...
On the University of Washington dean’s list for the spring 2022 quarter are La Conner area residents Geraldine Grace Costello, a senior; Daniel Andre Knudson, sophomore; and freshmen Keridwyn Mayetta Bray and Macquaid Riley Clothier Hiller. Source: UW...
Sarah Cook was a multiple sports standout at La Conner High School, and she is enjoying similar success as a freshman at Skagit Valley College. After a stellar volleyball season with SVC last fall, Cook joined the Lady Cardinals basketball team and helped Skagit post a 17-12 mark and secure a Northwest Athletic Conference playoff berth. As a result, Cook was a second unit selection to the 2023 NWAC North All-Region Team. She filled the SVC stat sheet much as she did while at La Conner. Cook...
La Conner High School junior Tommy Murdock has picked up where he left off last year. Which is in the winner's circle. Murdock, the reigning Washington state class 2B 300-meter hurdles champion, opened the 2023 track and field season by sweeping two hurdles events in a 10-school invitational meet at Whittaker Field last Wednesday. Murdock captured his signature event, the 300 hurdles, with a 0:42.75 finish. He also took top honors in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking a winning time of 0:16.32. He...
There was a definite chill in the air but the Braves still managed to swing hot bats late in their non-league baseball home game with Northwest Christian Thursday afternoon. La Conner squared its early season mark at 1-1 by scoring five runs in the final two innings to record an 8-7 comeback triumph. Middle infielder C.J. Edwards sparked rallies in the fifth and sixth frames by drawing lead-off walks and coming around to score each time. In the fifth, with La Conner trailing 7-3, Edwards advanced to third when a sharp grounder from Kaleb Otis w...
School boards, by their very nature, are tasked with hard choices, tough decisions involving families’ children and money. The La Conner school board last Thursday faced a tough choice of a different kind – whom to select to fill the unexpired term of Swinomish director district representative Amanda Bourgeois, who resigned in February after three years. The decision was hard, board members said afterward, because all three applicants were well qualified. Yet, ironically, it was also an easy assignment, given that the board felt it couldn’t go...
La Conner High School families filled the library Wednesday evening to celebrate the successes of their students. Twelve sophomores and juniors and one senior accepted the invitation to join the La Conner Chapter of the National Honor Society. This organization requires that students be of good character, practice leadership skills, value academics (students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better) and are committed to service to their communities. Former LCHS National Honor...
The Kiwanis Club of La Conner High School Student of the Month for February is Andrew Villard. Andrew's parents are Lucas and Shaye Villard. He is a senior. Andrew enjoys his leadership, automotive and wood shop classes. He is a teacher assistant with the special education class and helps with maintenance in the school bus barn. Outside of school he is an Eagle Scout and a volunteer fire fighter with the Mclean Road Fire Department. After graduation he plans to work toward being a diesel mechani...
All states, including Washington, provide two statues to the U.S. Capitol. In the near future one of those stone figures gifted by the Evergreen State will bear the image of late Nisqually tribal leader and treaty fishing rights champion Billy Frank, Jr. La Conner Schools recognized Frank with a special program March 7. The two-and-a-half hour public event, billed as the district’s first annual Billy Frank, Jr. Remembrance Fair, was held in the middle school gym and included information booths focused on salmon protection and key chapters in F...
The high school girls' basketball team saved its best for last in Spokane last week. The sixth-seeded Lady Braves, fueled by a monster second half from game-high scorer Ellie Marble, erased a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Adna 52-46 Saturday morning to claim fourth place at the Washington state 2B Hardwood Classic. Down 39-29 early in the final stanza, the team staged an improbable comeback to match the team's finish at Spokane last year. "It was fantastic and so much fun," said first...
Public education has evolved far beyond the traditional three r’s – readin’, ritin’ and ‘rithmetic. At La Conner Schools three other letters – C, T and E – are helping spell success for students. CTE is the abbreviation for Career Technical Education, an increased district emphasis the past few years, most notably Daniel Castillo’s home construction class that is building a tiny house. The program’s mission hasn’t gone unnoticed. The La Conner Rotary Club donated $1,000 to the district’s CTE curriculum, gratefully accepted by school bo...
Join La Conner Schools administrators at La Conner Waterfront Cafe, 128 South First Street, 2 p.m. March 20 for a candid conversation. Bring your questions for Superintendent Will Nelson and his team of administrators. Source: La Conner Schools...
