Volume 4 • Number 6
June 2001
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Feature Story When you bite into a luscious local strawberry this month, note the red center, the uniformed compactness, the succulent sweetness. This is a Skagit berry, and it’s quite possible it comes fresh from Sakuma Brothers Farms and Processing of Burlington. The Sakumas, six brothers and cousins who run the operations, are descended from a prominent Japanese-American family that goes back three generations in the valley. And strawberries aren’t all they farm.
Summer officially begins here at 11:38 p.m. June 20, but there’s no reason you have to wait to hit the local stores for snorkels and hiking boots and sunscreen. Heidi Thomas spoke to the owners of a wide range of businesses that do particularly well during summer months, from bicycle shops to classy convertible car dealers, from outdoor-equipment salespeople to purveyors of frozen mochas.
Burlington has, over its nearly 100 years of history, been so many things to so many people. It’s the “Hub” of the county and its agricultural base. It’s the scene of the valley’s oldest festival, Berry Dairy Days, and it’s the modern-day equivalent of the Greek Agora with all its shopping possibilities. Janet O’Mara takes a look at the town, its people and what it holds for the future.
At 64 years old, Burlington’s Berry Dairy Days is the oldest festival in Skagit County. Dick Irwin, executive director of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, lets us in on some of the doings during this year’s event, July 19-22. One of the biggest features, as every year, will be the Grand Parade on Saturday, mixed in with a lot of strawberry shortcake served up by Burlington-Edison cheerleaders. |
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