In the May 11, 2011 issue...

Photo by Amylynn Richards

Guerrilla knitting gang exposed 

Writer Amylynn Richards caught up with a the notorious Tree-Sweater Knitter, one of a rogue band of fabric artists known for leaving fuzzy ornaments in public places around La Conner.

Planning Commission turned down industrial zoning request

The La Conner Planning Commission will recommend that the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe’s property on the waterfront south of Caledonia Street not be zoned for industry.

The tribe has asked the town to change its comprehensive land use plan to allow the 5½ acres  of commercial zoned property it purchased in 2009 to be zoned for industrial use, as it was before 2006.

Although the Planning Commission has recommended that the land stay commercial, the Town Council will have the final say. The issue is scheduled for a public hearing and council decision on June 14.

The property is adjacent to a residential neighborhood, where residents worry that an industrial zoning designation could increase the truck traffic through their streets. 

Photo by Sue Phillips

This week's must read is by writer Sue Phillips, who brings us "The adventures of Tomato Mike" with her story about Mike Hackett, the organic food inspector for the Washington State Department of Agriculture. 

Photo by Don Coyote

Off with their heads!

This is the sight that makes tulip tourists sad while some local residents sigh with relief. When the tulips are topped, what some refer to as the tourist Traffic Festival winds down. The tulips are topped to make the bulbs stronger; the beautiful flowers are actually byproducts of the bulb crop. 

And read about traffic in the new Mel Damski column, "If I ran the zoo." 

 

  From the Police Blotter:

5:13 p.m.: Bicycle vs. car – A 13-year old boy rode bicycle down the hill on 4^th Street south of the Catholic Church and blew the stop sign at 4^th and Caledonia streets. The boy careened into the path of a car traveling through the intersection and was hit. The boy was not badly hurt because he was wearing gloves and a helmet. He was treated at the scene for minor injuries. His bike was mangled and the car was dented, but the boy was taken home by a relative. The driver of the car was shook up but not injured.  Skateboarders go down this hill too! 

The paper is on sale in the usual places -- drug store, liquor store, gas station, book store and produce market.  Subscribe and you won't have to go out in the rain to get a copy. 466-3315 and we take credit cards.

 

Weekly La Conner High Sports capsule, May 11, 2011

Boys Track Team took the League Championship!

Photo by Nancy Anderson

La Conner Braves Boys Track Team won the league championship match for the first time since 1998!

Braves Raves

By Amylynn Richards 

TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

La Conner hosted the Northwest 1B/2B/1A League Championships on Thursday, May 5. The boys won the league championship, and the girls came in second to Mount Vernon Christian.  

“It's great that our track team is so successful this year,” said Coach Seeling.

La Conner hosted the Northwest 1B/2B/1A League Championships on Thursday, May 5. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams came in third place out of nine schools. Concrete won first place for the boys’ and Mount Vernon Christian won first place for the girls.

Highlights:

Senior Brandon Drye won first in the 12 lb. shot put with a distance of 40.06.00, and second in the 1.6 discus with a distance of 129’04.00.

Landy James won first in the 800 g. javelin, with 164' 2.00, his personal best by 3.6” and third in the high jump with 6.2.00”.   

Jamall James tied for first in the high jump, with 5’10.00”, second in the long jump, with 18’ 7.75, second in the triple jump, in 38’ 8.25, and third in the 110 hurdles, in 16.67a.

Conner Anderson came in first place in the 200 mater race, in 24.94c and came in second in the 100 meters, in 12.22 seconds.

Nathan Parker set a new personal best and earned second place in the 12 lb. shot put, with 40' 5.00.

Sam Traylor came in first in the 3200 meter race, in 11:28.75.

Nathan Sybrandy came in second in the 800 meters, with a time of 2:12:50 and also took third in the 1600 meters, in 5:01.00; Sybrandy took third in the 1600 meter in 5:01.00.

Todd Hoagland came in second in the 200 meters, in 25.16 seconds and second also in the 800 meters, in 2:21.89a.

The team of Nathan Sybrandy, Todd Hoagland, Conner Anderson and Sten Mejlaender won first place in the 4x100 relay with a time of 3:41.91a.  

In he Girls’ league competition, Kelsie Crawford took first place in the long jump, in 13’6”, in third in the 100 meters, with a time of 13.94. She also took third in the long jump, with 13’11.00”.

Priscilla Ponce-Venegas earned second place in the 300 m. 30” hurdles. She also won second in the 600 gram javelin throw.

Lydia Lenning set a new personal best by  .10a of a second, earning herself  second place in the 3200 meters, in 13.34.85, third in the 1600 meters in 6:27.50a.

Madi Cavanaugh earned third in the 400 meters race, in 1:10.63.

Sammie Mesman earned second in the 800 meters, 6:00.31. 

Two relay teams won their matches. The team of Kelsie Crawford, Madi Cavanaugh, Katie McKnight and Priscilla Ponce-Venegas took first in 4:43012. The team of Kelsie Crawford, Madi Cavanaugh, Katie McKnight, Chrissy Barness and Madi Cavanaugh competed, bringing La Conner another first place in the 43x200 in 1:53.41

BI-DISTRICT TRACK

The boys and girls team went to Stanwood on Friday, May 6 to compete in Stanwood Twilight Invitational with 11 boys’ teams and 10 girls’ teams competing.

La Conner’s boys scored 5 out of 11, and the girls were number 9 out of 10. The girls did not have varsity finalists in the Stanwood match.

 Sten Mejlaender won first place in the 39” 100 meter race in 16.19 and first again tin the 300 m. 36” hurdles, in 41.11. Landy James won third in the 800 g. javelin, 145’0”. Landy also won third in the high jump, in 5’10.00, 4 in the high jump. Jamall James won second in the long jump, in 18’07.75 and third in the trip jump, in 39.04.00”

BASEBALL

The Braves played Mount Baker on Thursday, May 5 in La Conner on Thursday. Mount Baker won, 6-4. The Braves got off to a quick start, scoring four runs in the bottom of the 1st inning. The Mount Baker pitcher allowed only one hit after that.  Coach Jeremiah LeSourd said of the game, “although the Braves came up short, it was an opportunity for the Braves hitters to learn about making the necessary adjustments during the game.”

Team highlights: Garrett Wilbur pitched five strong innings for the Braves, allowing just one run; Kyle McKnight was 1 for 3; DJ Carr was 1 for 4; Garrett Wilbur was 1 for 3 with a double and a RBI; and Tyler Howlett was 1 for 3 with an RBI.  

FASTPITCH

The Braves took the ferry to Orcas Island on Tuesday, May 3. The Orcas Vikings won 5-3. Coach Peg Seeling reports that the team led the game until the sixth inning, when Orcas managed 4 runs.  The Braves had three hits and six errors. “Hard to win with this combination,” Seeling said. Samie Miller struck out six batters during the game.

The team went to Concrete for a double header on Wednesday, May 4. The Braves won the first game 21-2 in five innings and the second game 18-6 in six innings.

The Braves had 21 runs on 17 hits and 1 error.  Freshman Kelley McClung hit her first home run of her high school career and was 8 for 8 across the two games, which “is incredible,” said Coach Peg Seeling.  Lauren McClung hit a home run and Samie Miller hit a grand slam. Taysha James, Alissa McCoy and Kaitlyn Summers each made doubles.

In game two, the Braves had 18 runs on 19 hits and 8 errors. Sierra Brown, Galena Graham, Kelley McClung each hit a double, and Kaitlyn Summers scored two doubles. The Braves are 11-5 overall and 8-2 in league.