In the January 26, 2011 issue

 2008 file photo by Anna Ferdinand

History, news & darn good bread

Dick Fallis: 1926 – 2011

Richard “Dick” Fallis, the historian, author and former newspaper publisher who helped put La Conner on the National Register of Historic Places, died at his La Conner home a few days shy of his 85^th birthday on Thursday, Jan. 20.

Dick was a publisher of the historic Puget Sound Mail, which was the oldest continuously published newspaper in Washington State until it closed in 1983 after a run of 103 years. Later was the “Breadman of Mount Vernon,” after he opened the Bridgside Bread Co. downtown.  

He was also the driving force behind several works of public art, including granite sculptures by  artist Tracey Powel of Jasper Gates in downtown Mount Vernon and “The Embrace,” to honor his wife Bernice, at the Cancer Care Facility in Mount Vernon.

A celebration of Dick’s life is planned Saturday, Jan. 29 at 4 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland Ave., Mount Vernon.

 Photo by Ryan Hiller

LIONS & TIGERS & BRAVES, OH MY! – And Seahawks and Bulldogs and Cubs! Mix them all up and you get the Skagit County Monster Band, made up of young musicians from Concrete, Burlington-Edison, La Conner, Anacortes, Mount Vernon and Sedro Woolley high schools. The 100-plus member ensemble filled the La Conner High School Landy James Gym with more music than anyone ever imagined possible during the basketball game Saturday night. 

  

 Photo by Maggie Wilder

One of the most venerated Northwest artists, La Conner's Clayton James, is preparing to celebrate his 93rd birthday and his first exhibit in town in many years on Feb. 5 at Gallery Cygnus.  Anna Ferdinand profiles the master beautifully in today's paper.

 From the Police Blotter: 

11:29 a.m.: Citizen assist – A dog inside a vehicle wouldn’t unlock the car door so his owner could retrieve her purse and car keys locked inside, South First Street in La Conner. Deputies had to come and get the door unlocked. (This is better than the stuff we make up!)

 The paper is on sale in the usual places -- the liquor store, drug store, produce market, gas station, book store and even in the newspaper office at 313 Morris Street right next to the Station House.
(Subscribers have it brought to them.)