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Rotary Club of La Conner

Service Above Self

We meet In Person

Mondays at 5:30 p.m.

Shawn O'Donnell's Farmhouse Restaurant

11376 LaConner-Whitney Rd
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
United States of America

Everyone is Welcome
5:30 - Set-Up, Social, Meal
6:00 - Formal Meeting
Note: 3rd Monday of month is devoted to Committee Reports & Boards. All members are invited. Auction tickets

District Site

Bulletins

Venue Map

We are a hands-on service club committed to improving lives locally and globally. We achieve this by promoting and investing in literacy, public health, and community service. We are the club people want to join because we have fun while making a difference.

Skagit County Commissioner Peter Browning 2026

At our March 2nd Rotary meeting, Inspiration was provided by Doug Moore

In addition to March 2^nd being a day to honor many things such as Texas Independence Day, National Old Stuff Day, World Teen Mental Health Wellness Day, and National Banana Cream Pie Day, it is also the birthday of Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Suess. For many years, his birthday has been celebrated as Read Across America to promote in children the joy of reading. Doug discussed Dr. Seuss's various pen names and book publications, including his real name Theodor Geisel and pseudonyms like Theo LeSieg and Rosetta Stone. He read excerpts from "Oh, the Places You'll Go" and passed around 8 Spanish-language Dr. Seuss books for members to sign. These will be added to our mobile library in Honduras. Thank you, Doug!

Our Guests included: Skagit Rotary Club members Peter Browning and Dale Ragan, Turner McGarityh, and Fidalgo Island Rotary member Dianna Jordan-New

Our Speaker was Skagit County Commissioner Peter Browning

Commissioner Browning discussed the county's budget situation, explaining that they are $19 million in deficit due to implementing competitive salaries to retain staff and giving raises of 7.5-9% to bring compensation in line with neighboring counties. In the past, Skagit County was a good training ground for employees who then went elsewhere for better pay. Now the well trained employes stay and work for Skagit County. Staff reductions will occur due to the budget deficits, but retirements will make this easier.

Peter outlined efforts to address the epic flooding issues, including negotiations with Seattle City Light for additional flood storage behind the dam, which will provide protection starting November 1st as part of a 50-year relicensing agreement. He said that as commissioner, his job is to protect life and property in Skagit County.

His presentation also covered the North Star project, which aims to provide alternative care for individuals experiencing mental health crises or substance abuse, rather than relying on expensive hospital or jail visits. The North Star project, which includes a new STAR Center opening in about 3 weeks and an evaluation and treatment center for court-ordered cases. He discussed plans to repurpose a building on Lila Lane into bridge housing for those transitioning out of the STAR Center. Peter also addressed housing challenges, including issues with Washington State Commerce Department’s "no barriers" policy which allows residents to continue to abuse drugs while in Commerce financed housing.

Additionally, he mentioned three new cases of difficult-to-treat tuberculosis in the county and described plans for salmon recovery efforts, including the purchase of Howler Farm to create an outstanding estuary.

Websites for information about the Skagit County Commissioners and Skagit County:

https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/countycommissioners/main.htm

https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/Home

We’re Winners! Our club won the Rotaract Gift Giving Contest!

The Shred-a-Thon was a success! We almost broke even on this first attempt.

Calendar

Saturday, March 7: Luck of the Irish 5pm at Maple Hall

Tuesday, March 10: Volunteering at Helping Hands Food Bank 10am - 12pm.

Thursday, March 12, 5:30pm: Rotary Social at The La Conner Brewery

Monday, March 23: Tulip Booths open.

Monday, March 23: Chinook Enterprises tour. 10:30-11:30am. No evening Rotary Meeting!

March 28: Helping Hearts and Hands presents Memory Round Up at Swinomish Yacht Club 10am-2pm. (Louise Edens is coordinating this event.)

Monday March 30, 5:30: Farmers and Merchants Appreciation Dinner at Maple Hall. RSVP on email from Doug. Sign-up to volunteer.

La Conner Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra

At our Feb 23 Rotary Meeting, for Inspiration, Roy Anderson played a YouTube video of Nimble, the All-American Mixed Breed Dog, winning the agility championship at Westminster. If you want to enjoy it again, or for the first time, here is the link: (You may have to watch an add before Nimble performs.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-OhgzpSyWE

Our Speaker was Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra who is the only paid fireman in the La Conner Fire Department.

The other 25 are all volunteers, which was what Aaron was before he was selected as Fire Chief. Aaron is also the Town of La Conner’s Code Enforcer. He does pre-planning for houses and construction, boat checking to make sure the owners are paid up, and animal control. He is a fourth-generation La Conner graduate who met his wife in middle school and coached sports here for many years. Aaron discussed his role in managing the La Conner Fire Department, which includes overseeing volunteers, coordinating with other departments, and managing a limited budget. The department has 2 trucks and a marine fire boat. One truck is 32 years old and needs replacement. He highlighted the department's efforts in training, equipment maintenance, and community engagement, while also sharing personal anecdotes about his experiences as a firefighter. The state requires 165 hours of training for each firefighter every year. 3 people are currently going through EMT training and one is through an academy, adding 160-200 hours of additional training. There are 3 women volunteer firefighters in the department, one of whom is the Burlington Fire Marshall.

He said he always asks potential firefighters whether they would rather find out a friend needed help yesterday when they weren’t there to help or get up at 2:00am to help a stranger. You have to be the second kind of person to be a good firefighter and then treat all the people as if they are your grandma, grandpa, brother, sister, mom, or dad when you respond.

Announcements:

Join us, Thursday, March 12 at La Conner Brewery for a social evening.
Our tulip parade marchers will have skirts and crocheted tulip hats, thanks to Lyanne and her daughter.
Tulips are expected to be early this year. Opening day for sales will be March 23^rd.
The next two Helping Hands Food Packing are on March 10^th and April 14^th.

Calendar

Saturday, February 28, 10-1: Shred-a-thon and old flag collection
Saturday, March 7: Luck of the Irish to support the Rotary YES program.
Buy tickets online: https://auctria.events/LuckoftheIrish2024
Tuesday, March 10: Volunteering at Helping Hands Food Bank 10am-12pm
Saturday, March 21, 9-12: Spring Cleaning at Camp Kirby on Samish Island, no registration needed
Monday, March 23, 10:30-11:30 Field Trip to Chinook Enterprises (limit 20 members)
Lunch at Gentlemen Gene’s Pub to follow. Danielle will have a sign-up at the meeting next week. Evening Meeting Cancelled on 3/23

Monday, March 30: Farmers and Merchants Appreciation Dinner at Maple Hall

Presidents Day 2026

At our Feb. 16, 2026 Meeting, 4 Way Test story by Lori described how she used the 4 Way Test to change her attitude and Marty talked about how she used it to make a fair and beneficial transaction with a local business.

Lyanne gave the inspiration about Presidents Day. See "Read More" for details.

Blood Drive

Friday, February 20^th is the day to donate blood if you are able. It is at the La Conner High School gym, and they give you treats when you finish. Register online at Bloodworks Northwest.

Rotary Attire

Lyanne has coordinated with Clever Kathy in La Conner to have La Conner Rotary shirts/sweatshirts/jackets available for purchase. She will have order blanks available next week and then order the items on Tuesday, February 24. Payment may be made to Lyanne by Venmo or check. Clever Kathy will keep the logo if someone wants to order something in the future. Be sure to wear your Rotary clothing to our social events!

Membership Activities

We will have a social event on March 12 at the La Conner Brewery. Bring friends and enjoy a strictly social time showing others what fun La Conner Rotarians have when we get together. Wear your new Rotary attire.

Tulip Parade

The Tulip Parade is on April 11th. We will have 5 members at the District Assembly and 2 selling tulips. Hopefully, everyone else will dress up as tulips and represent Rotary in the parade.

Large Project Report

Both large project grant requests, Log Park Updates and Newspapers in the Classroom, are being studied further before any decisions will be made.

Timing

After discussion, it was agreed that speakers be given a specific amount of time for presenting and answering questions. The rest of the meeting will run efficiently so our ending time will be consistent.

Calendar

Saturday, February 28, 10-1: Shred-a-thon and old flag collection
Saturday, March 7: Luck of the Irish to support the Rotary YES program.
Buy tickets online: https://auctria.events/LuckoftheIrish2024
Tuesday, March 10: Volunteering at Helping Hands Food Bank 10am-12pm

Thursday, March 12: Rotary Gathering at La Conner Brewery. Bring a friend!
Saturday, March 21, 9-12: Spring Cleaning at Camp Kirby on Samish Island, no registration needed
Monday, March 23, 10:30-11:30 Field Trip to Chinook Enterprises (limit 20 members)
Lunch at Gentlemen Gene’s Pub to follow. Danielle will have a sign-up at the meeting next week.
Evening Meeting Cancelled on 3/23
March 28: Helping Hearts and Hands presents Memory Round Up at Swinomish Yacht Club 10am-2pm. (Louise Edens is coordinating this event.)
Monday, March 30: Farmers and Merchants Dinner at Maple Hall.

Reporter Bill Reynolds 2026

Feb. 9, Club Meeting Inspiration: Mike Cook

When Mike was a younger person, he was a bit confrontational, especially at work. He had a smart manager who sat him down and asked: “Do you want to be right, or do you want to be rich?” Relationships are damaged by always trying to be right. Mike recommended that we cut down the number of things we have an opinion about. He has about 5 things that really matter

Program:

Bill Reynolds La Conner Community News

Bill Reynolds, a journalist with 50 years of experience, shared his connection to the La Conner Rotary Club, recalling his father's involvement as a charter member and his own childhood experiences attending meetings. He described his father's meticulous approach to tracking Rotary club meetings across North America during their summer travels.

Bill also recounted several memorable news stories from his career in La Conner, including a Christmas toy drive incident involving an unexpected handgun donation and a story about a man who stripped naked and climbed onto a bank building after ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms. The article was labeled “Naked Man Draws Interest on Bank Building”. Bill shared several memorable stories from his time as a journalist in La Conner, including covering a plane crash, interviewing celebrities like Danny DeVito and Roy Rogers, reporting on local events, and interviewing local people like Patsy’s dad, Pat Good. He discussed the challenges of modern journalism compared to the past, particularly in terms of infusing humor into articles.

Our club members thoroughly enjoyed Bill's stories!

Awards: Dennis and Connie Milliken were presented pins for being Rotary International Major Donors Level 2

Calendar

Friday, February 20: Blood Drive at La Conner High School. Register online at Bloodworks Northwest https://donate.bloodworksnw.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/85148
Saturday, February 28, 10-1: Shred-a-thon and old flag collection
Saturday, March 7: Luck of the Irish. Buy tickets online https://auctria.events/LuckoftheIrish2024
Thursday, March 12: Rotary Gathering at La Conner Brewery. Bring a friend!

Saturday, March 21, 9-12: Spring Cleaning at Camp Kirby on Samish Island, no registration needed
Monday, March 23, 10:30-11:30 Field Trip to Chinook Enterprises (limit 20 members)
Lunch at Gentlemen Gene’s Pub to follow. Evening Meeting Cancelled on 3/23

Summit Assistance Dogs 2026

At our Feb. 2 Club Meeting, Inspiration was provided by Pam, who shared " For the Garden of Your Daily Living." See Read More for details.

Sabrina Hill, one of our Youth Engaged in Service (YES)- sponsored students, told us she has until March 1 to sell $1,500 worth of Raffle Tickets for $10 each. She offered our club members an opportunity to support her mission.

Program from Carlin Padgett from Summit Assistance Dogs with support and demonstration from Heather Anderson, advanced trainer, and Sherry, a yellow labrador retriever.

Summitt Assistance breeds dogs (yellow, black, or chocolate labs and golden retrievers, or a mix of those) to assist people with mobility issues. In their ten years of existence, they have placed 132 dogs. Dogs learn how to retrieve dropped items, open doors and drawers, and be of service to people with mobility issues. Puppies begin at the 40 room Canine Condo at Summit Assistance, then go to a foster family to live and be socialized, then to the Prison Program at Monroe Correctional Institution. Currently, there are 8 dogs in the prison program. The dogs live in the cell with the training inmate. The men work in pairs, attend classes twice a week, and train their assigned dogs. This program is good for both the men and the dogs. Then, the dogs return to Summit for advanced training. Throughout all the training, only positive reinforcement is used. We saw this demonstrated. Male dogs develop a bit slower than female dogs, just like people, so they are placed a couple of months later than females.

The average wait for a dog is 2-5 years, and at about 2 years of age, dogs are carefully matched with clients. They work together for 6 to 8 years. Then the dog retires from working but can remains as a pet for the client or becomes a pet for someone else. The client is qualified to get a new service dog when their first one retires. While dogs are in service, Summit still owns them and can take them back if they don’t receive proper care. Each dog cost about $50,000 but are provided to clients free so no one ever has to go without a needed mobility service dog because they can’t pay. Summit Assistance gladly accepts individual and service club donations. Our club will plan a visit to the Oak Harbor site.

Calendar

Feb 7 6-8: Skagit Valley Historical Museum Valentine Soiree

February 10 10-12: Helping Hands volunteering

Feb. 20 9-3: Blood Drive at La Conner High School

Feb 28 10-1: Shred-a-thon and the fire department will also take old flags to be retired.

March 7: Luck of the Irish at Maple Hall, buy tickets online

March 7 or March 28: Grant Seminar online - Dennis and Lori are registered.

March 30: Farmers and Merchants Dinner

Our guest Carlin Padgett won the raffle receiving $285!

Next meeting: February 9 Bill Reynolds La Conner Community News

AI and you 2026

At our Jan. 26 Rotary meeting, for the Inspiration, Adam played a file he created about the history of a Norwegian immigrant, Magnus Anderson, whose original cabin is in La Conner. Adam asked us to think about immigrants historically and in the present day. You can view and listen to Adam’s file by clicking on this link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K5hESv_wzTNeuI47K1i7yn4A1eGCRDrI/view

La Conner Rotarian Keith Stobie talked about Artificial Intelligence. His entire presentation is accessible at the following link: (The presentation must be downloaded as microsoft powerpoint to appear correctly.)

https://tinyurl.com/usingAIv1-pptx

The following is the AI Quick Recap provided by Zoom:

Keith delivered an in-depth overview of AI chatbots and their applications. Keith demonstrated various AI tools, including ChatGPT, and provided tips for using them effectively, emphasizing the importance of verifying information and setting appropriate temperature settings.

The group discussed upcoming events, including a blood drive, a food bank shredding event, and planned visits to local organizations like Chinook Enterprises and Summit Assistance Dogs.

Calendar

2/10 Tuesday 10A: Helping Hands: Currently signed-up Marty, Lyanne, Keith, Roy, Don, Dennis, Mike
2/20 Friday: Blood Drive
2/28 Saturday: Shred-a-thon for Sunrise Food Bank in the parking lot behind the school gym, $10/box
3/7 or 3/28 Saturday: District 5050 Grants Seminar
3/7 Saturday: Luck of the Irish-Register at: https://app.auctria.com/Message/View/cb0b49ef-03bf-48d0-b987-db7cf81812af
3/21 Saturday, 9-11: Work day at Camp Kirby

Every Rotarian Every Year 2026

At our Jan. 19 Rotary Meeting, we had guests: Bella Haughey, Ellen Lemon, Charles Lemon, Rosi Rizo, and Honorary Member Irene Johnon.

Bella Haughey, a Youth Engaged in Service (YES) student sponsored by Fidalgo Island Rotary, presented the history of the 4 Way Test. She did a wonderful job of explaining how Herbert J. Taylor in 1932, while trying to save his business, created the four questions for his employees to ask themselves as they dealt with customers. The employees started using the questions in their dealings with each other as well, and the company thrived. The Four Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943, and in 1954 Herbert J. Taylor became Rotary International President.

The Four Way Test

Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned

Inspiration Lori talked about the “Human Impact for Meningococcal Disease”. She shared her son Carl’s experience with the disease which he contracted at age 14. He lost both his legs below the knees, three fingers, and had the skin burned off his arms and legs. Many who get the disease don’t survive. Lori was on the board of the National Meningitis Association for 17 years during which time the cases of the disease went from 3,500 to less than 300. In 2019 the Association retired because meningitis vaccines were recommended/required. Now that the vaccines are no longer recommended by the CDC, the Association and some professionals reconvened to redo the impact statement from which Lori shared highlights.

Rosi Rizo, one of our YES students, sold tickets to help her reach her goal for the YES program. We are also sponsoring her to attend Rotary Youth Adventures in Leadership (YAIL).

Reports

Audrey: Auction Update: Sponsorship Levels will be $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000. Please let Audrey know of potential sponsors to be contacted.
Lori: Large Project: La Conner Log Park and Newspapers in Education have been submitted. The deadline for submitting applications is January 31.
The Shred-a-thon to benefit La Conner Sunrise Food Bank will be February 28. This is sponsored by La Conner Thrives of which La Conner Rotary is a member.
Doug : Farmers and Merchants Dinner: March 30, Catered by La Conner Seafood and Prime Rib Speakers:

Brianna Wilson, chair of the La Conner emergency management committee

Kari Marr, publisher of La Conner Community News

John Sternlicht, CEO of Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC)

Marna Hanneman, Mayor ofLa Conner

Maybe someone from the dike district

Dennis: Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY): Dennis announced that 20 of our members have met the goal of giving $100 to the Rotary International Annual Fund or Polio Plus. He distributed badge stickers to those people.
Audrey presented Marty an End Polio Now certificate for our club's support.

Next Week: Membership Meeting immediately after the Rotary Meeting

Campfire Samish 2026

At our Jan. 12 Rotary meeting, Marty provided the inspiration, reading from Theo of Golden by Allen Levy. (See Read More at end)

Adam presented our Rotary check for $1,850 for camperships to Marcus Roskamp from Campfire Samish. This is double what was asked for in the grant request, but the board felt like it was such a worthwhile cause, they doubled it. This goes directly to families in need. All camp experiences are at Camp Kirby on Samish Island.

Marcus spoke briefly:

Overnight Camp: They have already had requests for $15,000 for scholarships for camp, even though camp is not until summer. 800 campers are served in this one week, over-night camp program. There are not enough beds for more. There are seven sessions every summer.
Day camp serves younger kids or kids not ready for overnight
Outdoor School is for school districts, generally 5^th grade, for 3 days and 2 nights. There was an outdoor school fund in state budget, now no longer. School districts are looking to other organizations to help fund outdoor school.

*All these camps are outdoor-based and technology-free.

Our Rotary Youth Engaged in Service students make use of Camp Kirby for leadership training and volunteer activities.

Spring and fall work parties would be a great time for our club to volunteer.

Keith conducted an audience survey about what people would like to know about Artificial Intelligence in preparation for his presentation on January 26^th.

Happy Birthday and welcome home Danielle! January 5th

Classroom Snacks:

Marty and Dennis will shop and deliver the snacks. Christi has been doing this, but her efforts are needed to take care of Chris and her mom. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Marty discussed Homeless families, what could we do to support.

5^th graders in La Conner are distributing the weekend food.

Calendar

Monday, January 19^: Auction Meeting at 5:00pm

Monday, January 26: Membership Meeting following Club Meeting

Saturday, January 31: Deadline for Large Projects to be submitted. So far Log Park and newspapers in the school

Saturday, February 28: Shred-a-thon with La Conner United

Shred-a-thon cost: $1050, charge $10/box, club signs and banners, table with coffee and brochures. The proceeds after recouping the cost of the shredding company will go to the Sunrise Food Bank.

Property Tax in Washington: Strengths, Challenges, and Senior Support 2026

At our January 5, 2026 club meeting. Keith Stobie provided inspiration about the New Year. (See Read More at end)

Guests : Dawn and Mark Marszal, Rosslyn Tellvik, Phil Ohl, and Danny Hagan

Speaker : Don Wick introduced our speaker: Danny Hagan, Skagit County Assessor, and highlighted his many civic leadership roles, including his membership in the Burlington Rotary. Danny’s topic:

Property Tax in Washington: Strengths, Challenges, and Senior Support

Danny told us that property tax is the most stable form of revenue in Washington, is a clear, visible, public process with local accountability. It is a budget-based system that is relatively low cost to administer. Danny has spoken to us before about how property tax works, but his emphasis in this talk was on:

The Senior and Disabled Exemption Program

It is designed to reduce the property tax burden for seniors and people with disabilities, provide fairness for those on fixed incomes who can’t keep up with rising taxes, and create equity by adjusting the system for those who are most impacted. It is not a handout. To enroll in the program, these qualifications must be met:

Must be 61 or older, or 57 or older and be a surviving spouse or domestic partner of someone already in the program. OR
Be disabled causing an inability to work or be a 100% service-connected disabled veteran.
Own and occupy your own home, living there at least 6 months and one day a year.
Household income must be within program limits, which at this time is $48,000 per year. It is calculated on 70% of the median income in Skagit County. It is recalculated every 3 years and may go up to $65,000 at the beginning of 2027.
There is an online portal to apply, or a person can go to the assessor’s office to apply
The online portal is in English and in Spanish, and one of the Senior Exemption Specialists is bilingual

Danny Hagan is asking us to share this info with people we know who may qualify so they can age in place without the fear of being taxed out of their homes.

New Member

Roy Anderson is officially a new La Conner Rotarian!

Calendar

Friday, January 9 at 10:30am: Nonprofit meeting at La Conner Swinomish Library
Tuesday, January 13^th 10am-12pm Helping Hands Volunteering: If you haven’t signed up and want to participate, let Marty know.

Who We Are

We are a hands-on service club dedicated to improving lives locally and around the world. We do this by promoting and investing in literacy, public health and community service. We are the club people want to join, because we have fun while making a difference. Our La Conner Rotary Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization. Our tax ID# is 26-2730981. Learn More About Our Club

Please note that we meet most Mondays at The Farmhouse starting at 5:30pm. Please check the speaker list and/or event schedule for changes to the venue for the Monday meeting.