The news in and around greater La Conner

There was a grand convergence in last week’s edition: Reporting on the Swinomish Planning Commission upholding the Tribal planning department's $92,513 fine against the Shelter Bay board of directors and resident Steve Swigert meshed with the Weekly News annual subscription drive delivering the paper to every address in the La Conner school district. That includes some 900 homes in Shelter Bay.

Credit the Shelter Bay Community's staff for sending its members an email with the planning commission's decision and order. Everyone could read the 12-page document for themselves. But did all Shelter Bay residents open and read that email? Here is betting that the top front page Weekly News headline, "Shelter Bay must pay $92,513; loses Rainbow Park clearcut appeal,” was more widely read.

That is fortuitous for Shelter Bay residents and the Weekly News. More residents got more facts and details about a critical issue ongoing in the community for 15 months. The Weekly News was fortunate that residents had earlier reached out to the paper and were willing to share concerns and documents so the story could be pieced together. The paper went into all school district mailboxes, showing everyone the reach and hopefully worth of the local newspaper.

That is a great example of how a newspaper functions and serves its community. News often starts with a tip. The Weekly News does not have the resources to attend Shelter Bay board of directors' meetings and might not be let in the room of this private organization. Coverage of this community, twice the population of La Conner, depends on residents trusting that the newspaper will research stories and report information to its readers and thus the larger community.

The paper and Shelter Bay residents would benefit from stringers and freelancers willing to regularly cover the community in which they live.

For the La Conner Weekly News to become the Greater La Conner Weekly News – which the publisher desires – residents living outside the Town of La Conner need to watch, listen, and report on matters of importance in their neighborhoods. La Conner has a town council that meets biweekly.

Covering that, and the local school district's school board and Fire District 13's monthly commissioner meetings and these governing bodies’ news generating activities can be done on a schedule and through the symbiotic relationship of governments and journalists.

Getting beyond the town and districts boundaries is more difficult because greater La Conner is amorphous. Politically, government-wise, it is unincorporated. The county government oversees 5,000 people in the school district's 98257 and 98273 zip codes, but it is not passing ordinances, resolutions or funding those residents uniquely, unique as they are.

The Weekly News has editorialized that all county residents learn about fully contained communities and tell county commissioners they are a bad idea in the 21st century. That is how the editor reaches beyond the town's boundaries.

Relationships by definition are two-way affairs. Greater La Conner residents understanding that the Weekly News is their community newspaper and reaching out with tips and reporting will improve the newspaper and strengthen the community. Those efforts will benefit everyone.

Contact the editor if you want to write about your community: [email protected].

As has been written here before: I own it but it is your newspaper.