Two of Oak Harbor’s finest police officers, JAMES COVERT and STEVE KULPA JR., have retired and moved on to civilian jobs, but not before giving an outstanding combined 45 years of service to our community. Covert, who joined the city Police Department in 1986, is working as a dispatcher at I-COM, the Island County 911 Center. Kulpa joined the force in 1981. He is now in charge of security at the new Home Depot. He joined the city Police Department in 1981.

Police Chief STEVE ALMON, their former boss, is grateful for their years on the force.

“I think it speaks well of the city and the community that people are willing to spend their careers here. I’d say that for most departments our size, we have more career-oriented officers than most,” Almon said.

Almon describes Kulpa an all-around good guy. “He’s calm, doesn’t get too excited and is upfront,” Almon said. “If he disagrees with you, he’ll tell you. It’s refreshing having an honest conversation with him.”

Almon praised Covert for professionalism supplemented with a sharp sense of humor. Covert had worked as an Island County Sheriff’s deputy before joining OHPD, where he rode a police motorcycle and worked as a traffic safety officer.

A sticker on the back of his motorcycle read, “Smile. I could be behind you.”

“While law enforcement is serious, Jimmy doesn’t take himself too seriously,” Almon continued. Two significant events will remain with Covert forever. He was first on scene where an injured child had stopped breathing. He began CPR and continued until paramedics arrived. The child survived. Another time he and another officer dug a child out of a dangerous gravel pit slide and initiated CPR. That child also survived.

Our police officers perform 24/7, often in dangerous situations. How can we possibly thank them enough?

For starters, let’s salute Jim and Steve for being out there in a community that has had its share growing pains. Thank you, gentlemen.

I’m sure that when new recruits need a pep talk, Covert and Kulpa will be more than happy to help out.

Habit-forming fudge

ISLAND DRUG has just about everything, including homemade fudge that should carry a warning label. It’s that good.

Being treated well as a customer is rare these days, and owner/pharmacist AARON SYRING is young enough to be progressive and savvy enough to keep the personal touches.

He took over the Oak Harbor business when it was sold by his associate BILL BULPIN last year. They still offer free health screenings and a convenient drive-up window, but they’ve added something new.

Now there is a second Island Drug on the south end at Ken’s Korner Shopping Center in Clinton. “So far the folks there have been happy to see us,” Syring said.

When I need a prescription filled, I want to know my pharmacist cares enough to check on anything that seems out of place. So if you’ve got a code inda node, get your fudge and Flonase delivered. Call 675-6688 (north) or 341-3885 (south).

What a life …

Thank you to VIVIAN ANDERSON who, in her own words, “has only lived here 63 years this September.” She and her husband DEAN, owners of Dugualla Bay Farms, have raised everything from turkeys to laying hens, beef cattle, peas and other crops.

She called about the recent passing of ROY H. ANDERSON of Conway (no relation), who had an interesting tie to North Whidbey Island as a youth.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Roy and his brothers were well known locally as the Anderson Brothers Quartet. They sang at many civic and social events, including the opening of the Deception Pass Bridge in 1935.

A local news article written at the time states, “The Anderson Brothers Quartet are four youngsters, two only recently graduated from high school and two still in high school, who are successfully running the family farm since the death of their father, and who can sing as good as they can farm!”

Roy lived to see 93 years, surviving his first close call in October 1908. He was just an infant when his Swedish immigrant parents handed him out a window to a waiting rowboat which brought him to high ground during the first of many Skagit floods he’d experience.

To share your news with our North Whidbey neighbors, call me at 360-675-6611 or email lifeonwhidbey@yahoo.com. Have a safe 4th and join us again on the 6th.