Snow day Wednesday!

Ken Stern | Jan 22, 20200

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JUST LIKE A SIERRA CLUB CARD – Whether you rely on liquid nourishment or not, winter is especially hard when you are one of the smallest among us. This Anna’s Hummingbird, probably in Shelter Bay, lives here year round, but last week the cold froze bird feeders and they were struggling, reported our photographer: – Photo by Sarah Walls

It wasn’t just La Conner’s students who had the day off last Wednesday. It is not known how many owners or employees joined kids on the Washington Avenue sledding hill, but except for Pioneer Market and Stompin Grounds, where Kim Broadhead was engaged with her regular customers midmorning, Morris Street was eerily quiet early. The open sign was out at Vintage Lighting but it wasn’t certain that employees were inside. A much sadder sign was taped to the door of Sliders Cafe: They were closed Wednesday and Thursday in honor of co-owner Tim Fisher’s Monday death.

Seeds Bistro welcomed people coming into town with their sidewalk sign signaling they were open. At noon more than a couple of tables, one with some six people around it, were keeping owner Kjendal Hicks hopping. She, not the landlord, shoveled and salted her deck and steps. Hicks reported a busy day; she kept her regular hours, closing at 8 p.m.

Santo Coyote, at the other end of Morris, stayed closed, as it was Tuesday. Co-owner Belen Cortes recounted she could not get her car out of her Mount Vernon hillside street either day.

The Soroptimists Vintage store was closed Tuesday and Wednesday morning. The Friends of the Library Thrift Store didn’t open Wednesday or Thursday.

The sign in the library’s door, posted Tuesday, expressed indecisiveness on being open the next day, but by 11 a.m. the lights were on and a couple of parking spaces had been shoveled.

On First Street, no one was seen rolling a bowling ball, or a snowball for a snow person, but either could have taken place on the sidewalk or the street without hitting anyone. Only the Town’s public works staff and an occasional store employee wandered down toward their stores.

Town Hall was open, staffed by Danielle Freiberger and Andrea Moore. Both drove in from Sedro-Woolley. Freiberger said she saw more than one SUV off the road on her drive in.

Maybe Calico Cupboard’s management had an early premonition, for the restaurant was closed from the start of the week for painting. Actually, they are open weekends for winter hours.

Likewise, Pam Fields closed her La Conner Coffee Company Wednesday. Rick Hendrickson was painting it, free of worry that customers were in the way.

The Tavern, or Pub, took a snow day, too. Staff proclaimed that in the whiteboard in the window, writing the announcement Tuesday night.

Matt Farrell opened Anelia’s and Jennifer Ferry prepped the kitchen for lunch, but few if any customers came in and they closed early.

Albie Bjornberg was shoveling snow in the Nell Thorn parking lot around noon. The general manager closed his place early.

Sabrina at the La Conner Brewery hustled to handle a fairly large lunch crowd who came to one of the few eateries open, though staff on the phone reported they were closing at 3 p.m.

Gabe did an impressive job shoveling the sidewalk and one of the biggest parking lots in town, so Nasty Jack’s was open at least part of the day.

Melissa x was trudging up First to Caravan Gallery in at least a couple shades of grey. Paperwork, not retail sales, was on her mind.

Michelle Havist, at the Weekly News office, worked past 5 p.m., a normal work shift. Midafternoon she had a long phone call and then was alternatively typing and writing notes at her desk.

Out in greater La Conner, The Rex was unable to open. Co-owner Wes Whiteaker reported Thursday they and several houses on Summers Road lost power about 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. It didn’t come on till after 8 a.m. Thursday. He put some foodstuffs on the porch for natural refrigeration and did not lose anything from the freezer. There was some loss from refrigerated foods.

Across the channel, the Swinomish gas station was open Wednesday but the government’s administration building parking lot was unplowed, with one car in it. It is not known if that was the general manager’s or left from Tuesday.

There was more snow in Anacortes. Thursday afternoon the main lanes of streets were plowed but downtown angle and curbed parking areas were not.

Saturday Congressman Rick Larsen’s community coffee went on as planned, but only his staff, County Commissioners Ken Dahlstedt and Ron Wessen and an area dairy and berry farmer had coffee with him.

Snow kidding: La Conner cool place to be last week

Bill Reynolds

Snowmaggedon 2020 left much of La Conner at a standstill.

But not all of it.

Though two separate storms dumped about eight inches of snow here last week, compelling businesses, offices and especially La Conner Schools to shut down and wait out the icy conditions, locals still managed ways to get around.

Many observed the time-honored winter tradition of trekking to the top of Washington Street – best known to prior generations as Whitney Hill – for some fun-filled, fast-paced sledding.

Mayor Ramon Hayes and his wife, Heidi, who own a First Street business, opened their South Third Street home at the top of the hill to sledders in need of a hot drink, band-aids and restroom breaks.

“The sledding hill from our balcony,” explained Heidi, “is one of my favorite sounds.”

Others enjoyed La Conner’s temporary winter wonderland in relative silence.

As they did a year ago, Catey Ritchie and her faithful pooch Meatball laid some fresh late-night ski and paw tracks downtown.

While doing so, Ritchie gave a shout-out to late La Conner civic leader and longtime educator Tom Winn, who shared her enthusiasm for skiing.

Winn was known to love setting out around town on skis after a good dusting, even to the point of lamenting when snowplows and sanding trucks appeared.

Swinomish Tribal Community Archivist, Historian, and Records Manager Theresa Trebon can relate.

“I’m so tempted to pull my skis out of the attic,” she said upon learning of Ritchie’s after-hours cross-country jaunt.

The decision by La Conner schools to close Tuesday and Wednesday then open on a delayed schedule Thursday left more time for kids to frolic in the snow. It was also applauded by parents as a wise move.

La Conner Superintendent Dr. Whitney Meissner said school officials preferred acting on the side of safety rather than risking staff, students, and families driving on slickened roadways in early morning hours.

“It was the right decision,” parent Sarah Walls said. “I still have to work – I telecommute – but I’m sure the kids are enjoying it and I feel good knowing our bus drivers and teachers don’t have to worry about getting to school early.”

After all, it didn’t take long for things to get back to normal.

Now, temperatures are back in the low-50s. Rain is in the extended forecast, of course.