May 2008

May Featured Business
At Cottons we celebrate real women by creating a
clothing store that offers more than just clothes. We
offer inspired solutions and ways to simplify your
life. The lines we carry have a softness about them,
putting emphasis on you rather than shouting for attention.
Our customers are our true inspiration, and
our mission is to provide them with clothing and accessories
that speak to their very essence.
At Cottons our clothing is relaxed, versatile and comfortable
with accessories that allow you to express
your individual style and sensibility. We have sought
out a rich palette of colors and unique textures available
in easy care fabrics for real life.
Simplicity with substance. Casual and elegant. Timeless,
yet always wearable.
Bryn Walker · Flax · Tianello · Kleën · Cut Loose
Three Dots · Dansko · Naot
714 S. First Street, La Conner
www.cottonslaconner.com
360.466.5825 or 800.995.5825

Skagit River Poetry Festival
Opening Night Friday May 15th 7:30 PM!
The Skagit River Poetry Project began in 1998, the result of a conversation between leaders from seven rural school districts in Skagit County, Washington. These leaders hoped to create a project which would support our high literacy standards with the arts; poetry was the natural vehicle. From 1998 to the present, over 50 Skagit county teachers a year have hosted resident poets. More than 10,000 local students have had the experience of playing with words while reading and writing poetry one-on-one with experts. These professional poets have modeled instructional strategies to teachers and prepared a bank of poetry lessons. The culminating event for this in-class work is the every-other-year Skagit River Poetry Festival. In 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008 the Festival Board invites a combination of regional and national poets to participate in readings, workshops, and panels over two days.


Welcome to the La Conner Chamber of Commerce and Thank You!
LyfeBank
CEO and Founder Randy Ray
101 N. First Street, La Conner
www.lyfebank.com
360-466-9100
TJ Kirsten’s Restaurant
Owners Tom and Jennifer Grennan
505 S. First Street, La Conner
www.kirstensrestaurant.com
360-466-9111

From the Board President ~ Cindy Tracey
Rain, wind, sleet, hail, and lots of snow! Here we are at the end of April and not all the tulips
are in bloom. But even in a snow storm, the tourists made their way to La Conner! The streets
were full all last weekend as people strolled with umbrellas prepared for whatever the weather
had to offer! What a fabulous Tulip Festival, the longest in history. I am still booking rooms
into mid- May. The best day was the day of the Tulip Festival “Not so impromptu Parade”. The
streets were lined with people 3 deep. I cannot remember so many people in town for the parade!
It was a perfect spring day, a perfect day for a parade. The weather has been crazy, but
it has not slowed the tourists from coming to visit our little town. In fact, I think this will be
the best Tulip Season we have had, since we came to La Conner, five years ago. With the reports
that there will be tulips through Mother’s Day, we are still booking into mid May! Then
the Poetry Festival will bring even more people to town May 15-17. Looks like we are going to
have a great May too! So Mother Nature has created a wonderful opportunity by extending the
tulip season. But I think we are all ready for a little more sun and it looks like sunny days are
ahead. So have a great May Tulip Festival everyone!

5th Annual La Conner Summer Street Festival ~ June 28 & 29, 2008
La Conner is getting ready for the upcoming La Conner Summer Street Festival when artists from throughout
the Pacific Northwest will showcase their handmade wares along Morris Street. This Fifth Annual 2-day
celebration will take place June 28th, 10 am-5 pm and June 29th, 10 am-4 pm. Admission is free.
Booths will be lined up along Morris Street between First and Third Streets, blocking Second Street. All
merchants are encouraged to bring a representation of their merchandise outside on tables along the front of
their store fronts, same as last year.
There will be live entertainment located in Gilkey Square and Dirty Biter Park. The Children’s Activity Area
will be located in Nasty Jack’s parking lot with participation from the Museum of Northwest Art, Boys &
Girls Club and much more!
If you are a Platinum or Gold level chamber member, one of your benefits is the opportunity to have a booth
on Morris Street for free! You can use this for yourself or one of the artists that you represent in your store.
If you know of any artists that show their work at street festivals, please let them know we are currently accepting
applications, with a deadline of May 15th. They can call the La Conner Chamber of Commerce at
360-466-4778 or 888-642-9284. Applications are also available to download off our web site at
www.LaconnerChamber.com under the heading of Chamber.
If you are interested in helping out on the committee for this event (or any other event) please call the chamber
at 466-4778 or send an email to director@laconnerchamber.com.

Marketing Report
*Seasons of La Conner marketing campaign is in full swing. The VIC has an abundant stock of these media
cards. Please let us know if you need more. Stuff those shopping bags or put a pile of 100 of these media
cards in a heavy trafficked area of your place of business. Feel free to also mail these out to your customers!
*The La Conner Co-op pages in the Tulip Festival Guide is a success with over 3 pages of La Conner
businesses and a chamber ad including La Conner events for the year. *La Conner has a beautiful
“double truck/2 pages” ad coming out in the Bellingham Herald 101 Things to Do insert. Watch out Bellingham,
here we are! *We are working on finalizing a Washington State Tourism Co-op ad in the
Alaska/Horizon In-flight magazine this week. *Our next big marketing push will be the Summer Street
Festival. Check out the new Summer Street Festival web pages on LaConnerChamber.com!
*LaConnerChamber.com is busy this month with a big increase in visitors! *As you have seen, the La Conner
map has hit the streets! We also have the La Conner map in VIC’s up and down I-5, the Sea-Tac Airport,
and the Ferries that arrive to Anacortes. Always open to suggestions and feedback! E-mail:
julie@childhoodbliss.com ~Julie & Stephanie


Google Stats
March 20- April 20
7,937 Visits
25,567 Page Views
77.5% New Visits
6022 USA visitors
1706 Canadian visitors
Top 3 USA States
WA: 4578 visits
CA: 417 visits
OR: 178 visits


Kiwanis Club of La Conner Event
Calling all local artists! The Kiwanis Club of La Conner is inviting you to participate in “Cash Cow Days in La Conner” an
exhibit to be held all of June. We are asking for a signed and dated art piece showing your idea of a cow. You may work in
any medium and the cow can be whatever you imagine a cow to be. The artwork will be exhibited in the shops of La Conner
for the month of June, then auctioned off in a “Cattle Auction” to be held Saturday, June 28th with proceeds to be split
between the artist and Kiwanis. Rules and entry forms are available at La Conner Fruit and Produce, La Conner Regional
Library or e-mail jneal@lclib.lib.wa.us.


Sales Tax and Canadian Currency
For most of us, dealing with state sales tax is an everyday event. However, to some of our visitors dealing
with sales tax is a new and strange phenomenon. People visiting from Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New
Hampshire, and Oregon do not have sales tax where they live. Additionally, our Canadian neighbors from
Alberta have no sales tax.
Our Canadian neighbors enjoy visiting us and spending their hard earned money here like many of our
other visitors. Sometimes they pay using their credit cards and sometimes they pay in cash. In the event they
should pay in cash, what do you do with their currency? Here is what our La Conner Bank Branches will and
will not accept.
¨ Bank of America only takes Canadian paper bills, not coins.
¨ Key Bank accepts both paper and coin currency.
¨ Washington Federal Savings does not accept any Canadian currency.
We welcome our visitors and appreciate them spending time with us. We also appreciate the ease of use of
their credit cards. The simplicity of that magnificent piece of plastic speaks a universal language for all of us to enjoy!

Financial Seminar
Back by popular demand, local attorney Gary Jacobson and financial planner Larry Morrison will be conducting
a planning seminar on Friday, June 20 from 9:00-4:00. The Anacortes Chamber-sponsored seminar is
designed for business owners who are considering buying or selling their companies. The material will also
cover related estate planning, business valuation and tax issues, internal and family succession considerations,
shareholder buy/sell agreements, and employment contracts and non-competes as essential parts of
any comprehensive package.
The seminar will be taught by two nationally recognized experts in the field. Larry Morrison takes primary
responsibility for "financial engineering", as well as tax-structuring such transactions. Gary Jacobson is a
business attorney. Together they have planned and implemented hundreds of these transactions.
In addition to six hours of instruction, attendees are also provided 160 pages in handout materials. The response
to this seminar last year was uniformly positive. If you are considering any financial change to your
business, this is great information. Cost of the seminar for any Chamber member is $50. Questions or to enroll,
please contact the Anacortes Chamber office @ 293-7911.