Wednesday, February 9, 2011

In the February 9, 2011 issue...


The skate park has wheels
A major skateboard park design company is drawing up plans for La Conner's long-awaited Skateboard Park and the project could be ready to go out to bid in a couple of weeks.  Lots of community fund-raising,  money from the town and a pledge from the Swinomish Tribe are going into this project. It's in today's paper!

 Photo by M. Sharon Baker
So if the La Conner turkeys are officially fugitives, how come they can sit around and preen their feathers in public?  M. Sharon Baker has the latest episode of Town Trapper vs. Trap-wise Turkeys in today's paper.

Photo by Amylynn Richards
Is this the cutest thing you ever saw? We thought so, too. This is little Maicy Bowles in the arms of her grandma, Andy Schmittou at Friday's high school basketball game. That's mom, Beth, in the background.
Town hires marketing person
If you're wondering why a town with a population of 850 needs a marketing director pick up today's paper and read all about it.

Mansion restoration grant
La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum has won a big grant to go toward it's $340,000 restoration of the historic Gaches Mansion, where the museum is housed. M. Sharon Baker reports on the grant and the museum's on-going fund raising efforts in today's paper.

  
Be a sweetie! Buy the paper for Valentine's Day. Pick it up at news stands all over town and places that sell Valentines like the the drug store, liquor store, gas station, produce market and book store.


  

Weekly La Conner High Sports capsule, Feb. 9, 2011

Basketball boys undefeated!
We have it on good authority that the Braves "cleaned the floor" with Concrete Tuesday night.
Braves Raves
By Amylynn Richards
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
The Braves are league champions! The title was clinched during the Saturday, Feb. 5 away game at Friday Harbor, with a 61-41 win over the Wolverines. Spencer Novak scored a whopping 25 points for the team, and kept the Wolverines at bay, with the narrowest lead of only 3 points. DJ Carr sunk 7 points and made 8 rebounds.
The boys played Darrington on Tuesday, Feb. 1, beating the pine-tar out of the Loggers 67-32. Spencer Novak scored 14 points; Kyle McKnight scored 10 points, and Tyler Howlett also scored 10 points.
The Braves hosted the Orcas Vikings on Friday, Feb. 4, winning 70-33.  Coach Scott Novak reports that Garrett Wilbur paced the Braves with 15 points, DJ Carr contributed 14 points, and Sten Mejlaender brought home 11 points.
The Braves are 13-0 in league and have a season record of 17-2.
BOYS’ WRESTLING
The Braves wrestlers earned third place at the Sub-Regional championship, which took place on Saturday, Feb. 4 at Concrete high school, and will be sending nine qualifiers and one alternate to Regional competition at Chief Leschi on Saturday, Feb. 12.  
Congratulations to two Sub-Regional Champions, senior Brandon Drye (215 lbs.) and junior Cameron Wischhusen (285).
Placing second: senior Travis Silva (215 lbs.); Wil James (189); senior Dan Biladeau (160); and Hunter Johnson (125).
Third place went to Nathan Parker (285) and Dahlton Zavala (152).
Placing fourth was Sid Lease (171) and placing fifth was Robert Duckworth (189), which means he is an alternate for Regional competition.
Coach Mike Compton said that the boys made quite an impression on Darrington’s head coach, Andy West. When West’s heavyweight fell in the match for first place to Cameron Wischhusen, Coach Compton relays, “he had nothing but praise for the La Conner wrestlers, saying he was impressed with that the team had accomplished, and that the kids came prepared to wrestle.”
GIRLS’ WRESTLING
Coach Compton is proud of the girl’s team, and made a point to praise the girls’ coach, Laura Baker-Skelton. This is only the second year for the Braves girls’ wrestling team. The girls’ team has only two wrestlers and both girls qualified for Regionals competition on Saturday, Feb. 12 at Sedro-Woolley.
“The team is 2-for-2,” Compton joked.
The girls also came prepared to wrestle on Saturday, Feb. 4. at the girls Sub-Regional Tournament at Squalicum; both Ashley Norton and Amber Drye qualified to move on to Regional competition. Ashley Norton (152) placed third and Amber Drye (160) placed fourth.  
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Coach Compton announced, “for her efforts, senior Ashley Norton is this week's Wrestler of the Week.”
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
The girls went to Darrington to play the Loggers on Tuesday, Feb. 1. The Loggers won the game 69-36. “The girls fought to the bitter end,” said Coach Marla Quesnell, “it was a tough matchup.” Team highlights: Nikki Finley, 11 points; Samie Miller, 9 points and 6 rebounds; and Kelley McClung, 7 rebounds.
Friday, Feb. 4 was senior night. The lady Braves played a close game against Orcas Island high; the Vikings won 48-43. “The girls played well at times,” said Quesnell, “Orcas made key plays at the end to win, we struggled from the field.” Team highlights: Nikki Finley, 13 points; Kelley McClung 9 points and 11 rebounds; Samie Miller, 10 points; and Aubrey Stewart, 7 rebounds. . 
The girls took the ferry to Friday Harbor on Saturday, Feb. 5. The Wolverines won 55-41. “We got down early in this game but were 38-38 the final three quarters,” said Quesnell. Team highlights: Priscilla Ponce-Venegas, 14 points and 9 rebounds; and Samie Miller, 10 points. 
COACH OF THE YEAR
The middle and high school wrestling coaches took a vote during the tournament on Saturday, Feb. 4 in Concrete, and declared La Conner Middle School’s Vince Cicotte the Middle School 1A/2B Northwest District Coach of the Year. Barry Harper was named high school Assistant Coach of the year.