Week of September 1

Man with a message - Gonzaga University senior Carl Buher, shown here with his girlfriend, Anna Sullivan, was a student at L:a Conner High School when meningitis nearly took his life. He is scheduled to appear on Good Morning America on Thursday.

[Photo courtesy Anna Sullivan]

Buher goes on Good Morning America to say
Play it safe: Vaccinate young athletes -- Meningitis targets teens - Lori Buher

A new school year can be a busy time for families. As busy as it is, it's a critical time for parents to make sure their children are up to date on all recommended adolescent vaccines. To help get the word out, my son, La Conner High School graduate Carl Buher, will appear on ABC's Good Morning America tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 2, to talk about his own ordeal with meningitis, a life-threatening  illness that can be prevented with a vaccine.

Good Morning America airs from 7 to 9 a.m. on Seattle TV station KOMO channel 4. 

 Tee-Sa-Luk Chester Cayou, Sr.

Chet Cayou: 1922-2010

Longtime Swinomish Senator and revered Elder, Tee-Sa-Luk, Chester Cayou, Sr., died Friday, August 27. At 88 years old, Chester was Swinomish's most senior male tribal member. People on both sides of the channel remember him for his sense of humor, his tireless work on behalf of his community, and his abundance of knowledge, especially pertaining to history and Salish culture.

Letters to parents don't tell whole story - Sandy Stokes

The La Conner School District recently sent letters to parents stating that because some grades have not made Adequate Yearly Progress, parents are welcome to send their kids elsewhere at district expense. So far, no parents have taken the district up on the offer. The letters look alarming, but as the federal "NO Child Left Behind Act of 2002" ages, some experts predict that virtually every school in the nation will eventually be deemed inadequate.

"A Blue Bath for Blue Birds"

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Week of August 25

We'd like to hear from our readers about the issue of the fire district disputes. Should there be a Fire Authority? Discuss it on our board--anonymously or first name. etc.--you can enter here.


Back to school time

This week the schools have been gearing up, while parents and kids get back into the fall routine. Classes for all La Conner students in first through 12th grade start at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 1; kindergartners will start classes on Tuesday, Sept. 7. Wednesday, Sept. 1 is a short school day; students have a minimum day, and school will be out at 11:45 a.m. for all students. The regular dismissal time is 2:35 p.m. each day.

Critter Haven - At John LeSourd's Pleasant Ridge home, a backyard pond and nesting boxes for water fowl provide a safe, comfortable home for wildlife including ducks and turtles. Many area residents are turning their yards, large and small, into backyard habitats.

[Photo by Sue Phillips]

Wildlife right at home in local yards - Sue Phillips

The birds and bees, as well as the other wildlife of the Skagit Valley, are very lucky to live here. John LeSourd of Pleasant Ridge built a pond in his backyard for birds and ducks. "I did it for pleasure and for the wildlife in the area," he said. LeSourd is among a growing number of La Conner area residents striving to make their backyards into homes for wildlife. With the loss of habitat due to increased development, the need for a safe haven for our wildlife is becoming more important every day.

Summer Sun - A summer morning illuminates this century-old barn off Beaver Marsh near La Conner. The historic barn is being restored.

[Photo by Fred Owens]

Cool summer tough on heat-loving crops - Fred Owens

Heavy rain in May caused an estimated 20 percent loss in the area's biggest cash crop--potatoes. And a cool start to summer slowed down other crops, including corn and pickling cucumbers, according to Don McMoran, Washington State University Extension agent. On the potato front, "It's going to hurt a little bit," said John Thulen of Pioneer Potatoes. Skagit Valley spuds were valued at $60 million in 2008, the latest year with available statistics.

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August 18 2010

August 11, 2010

Dusk on the Swinomish Channel, looking away from the setting sun.

 [Photo by Don Coyote]

Town & Fire District bury hatchet for now -- Sandy Stokes

The Town of La Conner acquiesced to the demands of Fire District 13 on Tuesday during a joint meeting of the elected governing boards of the two agencies. The Fire District is changing the operating agreement concerning the La Conner Fire Department, which is co-owned by both agencies.

MOTH TRAPPER -- Ron Lake sets traps all over Skagit County during his annual hunt for gypsy moths.  [Photo by Fred Owens]

Hunt for the dreaded Moth-zilla -- Fred Owens

Ron Lake has been trying to trap gypsy moths for four years. How many has he caught?
"None, so far" he said. "and that's a good thing."
Lake, who works for the Washington Department of Agriculture, is part of a team that sets 22,000cardboard traps around the state. Gypsy moth larvae, fuzzy little caterpillars, are voracious and strip leaves off plants, killing them. The state works hard to keep them away because they are a major threat to agriculture.

FEMA Flood Map meeting on Thursday, Aug. 12

La Conner, Skagit County and federal officials will be at Maple Hall at 6 p.m. tomorrow to answer questions about the newest versions of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps.
Most of La Conner is in a floodplain, and most residents pay into the federal flood insurance program -- annual premiums are usually much higher than homeowners insurance. The maps essentially determine who has to pay. FEMA will take public comments on the maps through September and then they will become final.

ANTIQUE AUTO -- Members of the Horseless Carriage Club of America were driving through La Conner last week in cars more than 100 years old. Scott and Nancy Taylor of Sequim were here for a buggy ride. [Photo by Kane Stokes]

This week's issue, with these stories and many more, is on sale in stores and newsracks in La Conner, WA. Or it can be mailed to any address in the United States.

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Week of August 4th

Golf carts street legal in La Conner - Alexander Kramer

Residents can now drive golf carts in La Conner, provided they register with the town first. On Tuesday, July 20, the La Conner Town Council unanimously passed Ordinance 1050, which authorizes the use of golf carts within the town. This was spurred on by a state law that in June allowed municipalities to create golf cart zonez on roads in their control with speed limits 25 miles per hour or lower. Town Code Enforcement Officer Bill Stokes wrote the ordinance that was presented to the Town Council last week, after he spent a month researching and talking with other cities with golf cart zones.

On Kiket Island - Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire was on hand for the dedication of the state's newest park, which is co-owned by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Here Gregoire stans with Mike Cladoosby, and his son, Tribal Chairman Brian Cladoosby.

[Photo by Amylynn Richards]

Private ceremony marks dedication of Kiket Island - Amylynn Richards

Swinomish tribal officials treated about 200 guests including Governor Christine Gregoire to a seafood lunch on Kiket Island for Friday's dedication of the state's newest park. After two years of negotiations, which nearly fell through, the State Parks Commission's $14 million purchase of the 84-acre property has the land now co-owned by the state and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. Now the island is part of Deception Pass State Park and is open for limited public access, with a permit issued by the tribe.

View from Kiket - Deception Pass Bridge, wearing a veil of fog, as seem from the beach on Kiket Island, the state's newest park purchase.

[Photo by Amylynn Richards]

Town and Fire District meet - Sandy Stokes

After months of tensions escalating with each letter going between the two agencies, the La Conner Town Council and Fire District 13 Commissioners will sit down to talk face-to-face next Tuesday. The two entities have been haggling over their operating agreement for the La Conner Fire Station, which is co-owned by the town and fire district, which surrounds the town. Fire District Chief Roy Horn said the Aug. 10 meeting will be held at the district's Snee-Oosh Road fire station. Initially, the town announced it as a 6 p.m. meeting.

Read the Town Council and District 13 letters in full here.



 New Pavilion at Swinomish - Alexander Kramer

Construction has begun on a welcoming pavilion and park for next year's Canoe Journey Landing, which will be at Swinomish. On the waterfront across from La Conner's Gilkey Square. the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is building a facility on 37 acres to accommodate 7,500 people and about 100 canoes from tribes throughout Washington and British Columbia. "The park and pavilion are a long-term goal," says Aurelia Washington, coordinator of Canoe Journey, Paddle to Swinomish 2011, to be held July 25 to 31. "Of course, we want to get as much done before next July for the Canoe Journey," she said. Construction on the pavilion is expected to start this November.

 Avid Walkers - La Conner residents Nina and Dick Dorsten stand in front of their Morris Street home where the garden is bright with summer blooms. The Dorsten's greet everyone in town on their daily walks, hand-in-hand.

[Photo by Marci Plank]

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Paper is on sale in stores and newsracks in La Conner, WA. Or it can be mailed to any address in the United States.

Don't miss a single issue!

To subscribe or for ad rates, please call us at (360) 466-3315.