At our Aug. 10  Rotary Meeting as Inspiration 

Dennis played a YouTube video of “The Peace Arch Song” performed by Terry Kelly. Terry, a blind musician, performed the song in public for the first time at the Hands Across the Border this past Saturday. You can see the video at this link: https://youtu.be/jGCqjLnOgbs?is=Z8woQLS0ZVMZId8M

Dennis and Audrey announced awards our club received at Hands Across the Border:

• 3^rd highest per capita  giving to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund

  

• Club Excellence  Award

  

• Full retention of Membership

Our Speaker was Dr. Christina Chambreau on the  Topic:  The value of companion animals

Dr. Christina is a homeopathic veterinarian,  author, and speaker who lives in Florida,  but spends July and August in Anacortes every year. She asked us to take care of our animals, our children, and ourselves with a more holistic approach that will also decrease stress and, at the same time, make a difference for our planet.

1. Decrease the environmental cost of buying bags of dog food that have been processed and shipped from all over and instead feed your dog locally sourced meat, fish, vegetables, etc. that you can prepare with your own food. Make sure to get organ meat as well, even if you don’t eat it. Cook and puree the vegetables. The Magic Skagit has everything you need. Just something to consider. 

2. Animals don’t need vaccinations every year or year-round flea medications. It costs lots of money and you want to be careful about the toxins you are giving your pets.
   They must have rabies vaccinations every 3 years. 

3. Christina started working in vet clinics when she was 11 and living in Japan. Dogs then often lived into their mid 20s. Cats to 25 or 30.  She said, “And holistically treated animals, I see that in all the time.”

4. Too many people are bit by dogs every year. Read the book: Ask the Dog by Steve Dale. See the Resource list.

5. Change the idea of Net Zero by 2050 to Climate Restoration. “So, as we think about the environment, we want to think about our footprint. Every time we make a choice for anything, we want to think, how is it affecting the environment?” This is also in line with the Rotary Environmental Committee.

   See the Resource list at the end.

   

Thank you to the  VanderSandens for the Rotary Picnic.
The Bakken/Jones scholarship was given to a graduating high school female going into a STEM field.  

Rotary Joining anniversary:      Martin Howard has been a Rotarian for 19 years as of August 7^th!

Car and Boat Show:    Patsy thanked our volunteers. LC Kiwanis did their part too.  🙂

Reading Glasses:          We’re collecting for the ETTA Project.

CPR Class

Our first CPR class was August 6^th for 21 La Conner School District staff members.  Chief Woods and newly trained instructor Cole were great! Lori put in a plug for the Rotary’s involvement in this one and in 3 more over the next several months.  

Calendar

• Saturday, August 29, 5pm: La Conner Rotary’s “Let the Good Times Roll” Auction Doors open at 5:30. 

Let the Good Times Roll 
Annual Harvest Dinner & Auction 
Saturday, August 29^th, 2026 • 5:30–9:30 PM 
Maple Hall • 104 Commercial St, La Conner

Gourmet dinner, preceded by appetizers offered during the silent auction, provided by La Conner Seafood & Prime Rib. Paired with wine provided by Skagit Crest Winery.

$100 per person 
Kindly RSVP by August 15^th , 2026

Respond by visiting: https://bit.ly/harvestinghope2026 or

Harvesting Hope for Literacy

Historical tradition provides that people gather, celebrate, and share a bountiful harvest with a feast.
On August 29, 2026, the Rotary Club of La Conner will gather to share fellowship, promote peace and understanding, honor one another, and share our prosperity.
All proceeds further the promotion of Rotary education and humanitarian projects.

Duane was born and raised in Mount Vernon, Washington, with his brother, Dwight, and sister, Diane. A proud 1966 graduate of Mount Vernon High School, he was honored to be one of six commencement speakers. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from Whitman College in Walla Walla, where he joined Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and served as social chairman for two years. He later completed a Master of Science degree in physics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Duane’s career took him into the high‑tech world, beginning as a physicist with the Ultek Division of Perkin‑Elmer in Palo Alto, California, where he developed electron‑beam instrumentation. He later spent 30 years with Coates and Welter Instrument Corp. and Nanometrics Inc., and his work on scanning electron microscope design resulted in several patents.
Duane also brought his talents to construction, serving as a project engineer and superintendent for Hagengen Pacific Construction on projects in San Jose, Cupertino, and San Francisco. After retiring, Duane and Mary returned to their Skagit County roots and made their home in Shelter Bay.
Duane’s lifelong love of genealogy led him to serve as president of the Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society. He has also served faithfully as a church deacon and elder. In the local community, he served Sunrise Food Bank as treasurer for several years and continues to care deeply about its mission and the people it serves.
Duane and Mary are blessed with three children, seven grandchildren, and nine great‑grandchildren.

Another peak at a live item for our upcoming auction on August 29

At our July 13 Meeting Doug provided this inspiration.  See Read More for the details.

Besides our speaker, our Guests included Rick Olson, Ginny Dugaw, and John Dugaw

The meeting featured our new District 5050 Governor Kathleen Olson as the main speaker, who discussed creating lasting impact through club collaboration and engagement initiatives. Kathleen shared examples of successful international projects, including a Global Neighbor Project in Lesotho and a water project in Ecuador, emphasizing how simple conversations can lead to meaningful service. 

Notice a need, make an impact. Invite one person, engage and act. DG Kathleen’s Engagement initiative will take the place of a District Conference.

As with all our speakers, she signed a book destined for the Honduras mobile library

Other Business

The club discussed upcoming events including the Car and Boat Show on August 1st and the annual picnic on August 3rd at Big Lake, with sign-ups needed for both.

Members were asked to collect reading glasses (strengths 3.5-4.5 and higher) for an Etta project in Bolivia.

Lori read a letter from Brian Hennessy  , who proposed starting a US version of the Climate Change Initiative in District 5050. Lori announced plans for a kickoff meeting at North Cascade Institute's fall stewardship weekend to organize a new dedicated group within District 5050. 

Marty shared thank you letters from Honduras school YES project.

The meeting also covered auction planning, with Audrey reporting that invitations had been sent and the website was live for table reservations. The committee decided the club should create a "cart of fun" featuring member-donated items like wine, games, and puzzles for the auction.

Birthday, Adam McGarity July 13, who brought and shared carrot cake!

Anniversary Don and Danya Wolf   July 13 (30 years) off at Crater Lake to celebrate.

Joining Anniversary  Randy  Goembel  July 10, 2015 (11 years)

Car and Boat Show: Saturday, August 1.

At our June 30, meeting, Adam gave the Inspiration including a quote attributed to Pope Francis:

"Life is of no use if not used to serve others, for life is measured by love."

followed by:

“Rivers do not drink their own water. Trees do not eat their own fruit, the sun does not shine on itself, and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other.”

Audrey introduced Scott Thomas, Town Administrator for La Conner. Background shared with the group is in Read More

 State of the Town of La Conner

Scott Thomas has served as La Conner's Town Administrator since 2018 (approximately 8 years). He framed his remarks around the town's size relative to its scope of responsibility, and around the Town Council's strategic plan.

Town Size and Staffing

• La Conner recently surpassed 1,000 residents per the latest census estimate.
• The town operates with 12.5 staff positions, not including law enforcement (contracted through the Skagit County Sheriff's Department) or wastewater treatment plant operations (contracted out).   Giving about 1 staff to 83 residents.
• Despite its small size, La Conner is proactive on regional issues — a practice established under former Mayor Ramon Hayes and continued under current Mayor Varna Hanneman, who encourages staff involvement in regional bodies (Thomas himself chairs the 911 board).
• La Conner provides a broad range of services comparable to or exceeding those of larger nearby communities (Mount Vernon, Burlington, Cedar Wooley, Anacortes), including water, sewer, stormwater, planning, a senior program, and public works/streets. Staffing ratios vary by community depending on service scope (e.g., Anacortes has a larger water service area, requiring more staff per capita, 1 staff per 49 residents)

Strategic Plan

The Town Council adopted a strategic plan roughly four years ago, updated it two years ago, and will update it again at the end of July 2026. Six goal areas were covered:

• Economy: An updated comprehensive plan has spurred more affordable housing (small-home apartments, an incoming Habitat for Humanity development). Agricultural support has lagged, but a farmer’s market is being explored with the Port of Skagit, building on the existing Saturday producer’s market. The town is also expanding festival programming (Tulip, Birding, Daffodil festivals) and is piloting a 4th of July street closure/shuttle system alongside the usual parade, fireworks, and concert.

• Economic Development Plan: Not yet started independently; the town intends to build on Skagit County’s forthcoming countywide strategy (CEDS).

• Public Safety: A new fire boat (replacing an inadequate old one) has meaningfully improved emergency response on the channel. The town coordinates with the County Sheriff and Fire District 15, shares mutual aid with Fire District 13, and has an Emergency Management Commission whose all-hazards plan performed well during last December’s flooding. The recent rapid Winthrop wildfire evacuation was cited as a reminder of local wildfire risk.

• Capital Projects: Three major infrastructure projects are underway or looming — a ~$32M wastewater treatment plant replacement (targeting 2031–2032, dependent on grant funding), a $3.4M Channel Drive water line replacement (mostly funded, aiming for completion within a year), and an eventual ~$10M replacement of the aging main supply line from Anacortes (needed within roughly 10 years, timing uncertain).

• Staff Talent: The town is midway through a wave of turnover in senior staff; the Finance Director and Town Planner have both already been replaced successfully, with more transitions expected.

• Community Engagement: Council continues to encourage resident involvement and thanked the town’s volunteer base for its outsized contribution.

Q&A Following the Presentation

Members asked about several topics, and Thomas responded as follows:

• Town revenue comes mainly from property and sales taxes (including destination-based online sales tax), service fees (water, sewer, stormwater, compost), and lodging taxes that fund tourism efforts.

• Contracted vs. town staff: Sewer plant operators and law enforcement are contracted services, not direct town employees.

• Regional coordination: Search and rescue runs through the County Sheriff’s office; La Conner and Fire District 13 provide mutual aid to each other, and the Port of Swinomish contributes to the town in exchange for fire protection of port facilities, even though the Tribe itself supports District 13.

• Ongoing community needs: The Maple Hall sound system remains broken with no fix yet identified; the bike repair station came in well under its original budget. The town is also launching free community CPR training this August (in partnership with Fire District 13 and LC Fire) and is looking to address a local shortage of public AEDs (currently only at the library, Maple Hall, the Retirement Inn, and the school).

• Rescue boat: Run by the Fire Department and berthed at the port; response time has dropped from hours to minutes, and it will be patrolling for fire risk on July 4th starting around 4–5 p.m.

Following Q&A, the club's traditional guest gift (having Scott Thomas sign the club's Spanish-language guest book, which supports a partner library in Honduras) was presented.

Club Announcements

• Birthdays: One birthday this period — Rick Bullduck (not in attendance), whose birthday was the 27th.
• District Installation for Kathleen Olson (July 19): Expected attendance over 100. Begins 11:00 a.m. Sunday. Registration available via District 5050 (link to be included in circulated minutes). Event will include a bagpiper.
• Mariners Field Trip: Being organized for September; details to follow.

At our 6/22 meeting, Mike Cook was inspired by the opening of the Obama Library and quoted from a speech given by President Obama in 2015:

“You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention. Unencumbered by what is, ready to seize what ought to be. For everywhere I this country, there are first steps to be taken, there is new ground to cover, there are more bridges to be crossed. America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We The People.’ We Shall Overcome.’ ‘Yes We Can.” That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.”

Also inspiring: Mike and his wife have tickets to visit the Obama Library in October!

Executive Director Carrie Omdahl and Conductor Michael Wheatly 

not only verbally highlighted the Skagit Symphony, they gave us a flavor of the symphony with Michael on the violin, Carrie on the clarinet, playing Mozart duets. 

Symphony highlights include growing to 80 musicians and:

• Art in the Garden Bash and Garden Tour on June 28^th https://www.skagitsymphony.com/garden-bash-2026

• Fifth- grade orchestra concert for all Skagit County fifth graders in January, which our club supports.  This year it will be The British Are Coming!

• The 2026-2027 Concert Season: https://www.skagitsymphony.com/

  Faces of America

  • American Reflection

  • Christmas  Past (with our friend Al Call reciting The Night Before Christmas)

  • The  British are Coming-Children’s Concert   Dave Johnson will narrate

  • Mother of  Exiles

  • Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

  • Critical Hits-Pops Concert

• Stringed instrument instruction in the libraries, including La Conner/Swinomish, to get kids playing since strings are no longer taught in the schools

• Adult strings instruction at the La Conner/Swinomish library too!

Scholarship Recipient Isabelle Villard

Isabelle inspired us with her public speaking, leadership, academics, and sports. She was ASB Executive Vice President and participated in leadership all four years. She played volleyball, basketball, and threw discus,  javelin, and as part of the state winning La Conner track team. She is executive vice-president of the Associated Student Body and participated in leadership all four years. After high school, she will attend Western Washington University to study early childhood education.  Her parents, Shaye Villard and Lucas Villard, attended our meeting.

Rosi painting

Sabrina manning a drill

Sabrina putting in bolts to attach the swings

At our 6/8 meeting  Connie gave the inspiration based on advice to graduation seniors, which also applies to all of us: 

Be bold, be courageous, be your best. The journey of life brings both challenges and chances. May you snatch the chances and beat the challenges. Never stop growing, exploring, learning, and challenging yourself. Never chase other people’s dreams. You’re unique and so are your aspirations. Be curious and bold as you forge through life, and you’ll never go wrong. Start each day believing in yourself and watch the magic happen. Remember, if opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. 

And one funny one:  You were always good at surprises! Graduating is your best one yet.

The Duskin twins, Dave and Dale, sold Duck Dash raffle tickets which they encouraged us to buy since their club (Arlington) bought 80 bunches on tulips from Lyanne this year.

Our Speaker, Shawn Howard is Recovery Café Executive Director and gave an excellent presentation about their work addressing substance use, mental health, and homelessness in the community. 

Recovery Cafe Skagit, which opened in March 2023, provides a safe space for people in recovery to connect with each other. The cafe operates on a free membership model (must be 18 years old) with requirements including weekly support group attendance and maintaining sobriety while at the facility. The organization serves meals throughout the week using locally sourced food from various community partners, and is staffed entirely by peers in recovery, creating a supportive environment where community members can see recovery in action. We are invited to spend time at the Recovery Café getting to know the people who participate there, and also to bring family or friends who might benefit from the environment.

Shawn highlighted a successful mural project on Stuart Hogue Road that improved the area's appearance and community relations. He shared his personal recovery journey from childhood trauma and addiction, emphasizing the organization's message that everyone is capable of change. The organization's 2025 metrics showed significant growth, with over 11,000 meals served and 175 classes held, and they are preparing to expand services to the local jail for the first time in six years.

Shawn talked about their work with Cascade Job Corps and plans for recovery coach training. He announced that Recovery Cafe received $2 million in state funding to purchase their building, with plans to close the remaining funding gap in the first quarter of 2027. The organization currently has 130 members, up from 65 in 2024, and operates as a certified member of the international Recovery Cafe Network. 

Shawn Howard is a member of the Skagit Rotary. 

Lisa Versteegh was our other guest

Our auction on August 29^th is quickly approaching. 

Calendar

• Monday, July 6 – Rotary Club of La Conner Installation, 5:30pm, Sign-up with Lori 

• Saturday, July 19 – District Governor Kathleen Olson’s Installation at Shawn O’Donnell’s, 11:30am Registration required on the District Website.