Articles by Janis Reid
Members of Team A led by James Burkes and Michelle Maxwell play on their rendition of “Deception Pass Bridge
Oak Harbor holds eighth Driftwood Day
By Janis Reid • August 29, 2013 1:05 pm

Though the day started gray and chilly, by noon the sunlight was beaming through the clouds for the eighth annual Driftwood Day Saturday at Oak Harbor’s Windjammer Park.

Organizer K.C. Potilla said that, while the weather may have affected this year’s attendance, the event still had a great turnout with 31 registered teams, 130 participants and more than 200 spectators.

Participants and spectators traveled from around the country, including Seattle, Ohio, Canada, Hawaii, Anacortes, Coupeville, Oak Harbor, and one gentleman flew in from New York for the event, Pohtilla said.

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Attorneys named in Outlying Field lawsuit
Attorneys named in Outlying Field lawsuit
By Janis Reid • August 26, 2013 4:23 pm

The Navy has named the attorneys who will represent it against the lawsuit filed by Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve even as that group has hired an additional lawyer.

The preliminary date for a joint status report and discovery plans for each party is set for Monday, Sept. 23.

The citizens’ group, based in Coupeville, filed a federal lawsuit in July against the Navy, Adm. Bill Gortney, and Cmdr. Mike Nortier in the wake of increasing complaints about the noise stemming from touch-and-go landing practices at Outlying Field Coupeville.

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Members of the All-Island Community Band play at one of the season’s final summer concerts at Windjammer Park Gazebo. Two more summer concerts will be held 7 p.m. Thursdays
Fifty years later, All-Island Band is still playing...
By Janis Reid • August 26, 2013 4:21 pm

When Bruce Seltveit left his four years of enlisted service with the Seabees, he joined the All-Island Community Band and never looked back.

A trombonist since middle school, Seltveit took over direction of the band four years ago.

“We love to do this,” Seltveit said. “And this is a great place to do it.”

The All-Island Community Band is rounding out its 50th year performing all over Whidbey Island. The All-Island Community Band plays all types of music from traditional military marches to holiday tunes.

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Island County commissioners to address community concerns over shoreline plan
Island County commissioners to address community concerns over...
By Janis Reid • August 23, 2013 12:44 pm

Island County commissioners now have the community feedback on a proposed Shoreline Master Plan.

The comments were gathered during a public hearing in May and presented to the commissioners last week by the state Department of Ecology.

The commissioners must address any concerns and submit solutions to the state Department of Ecology by a deadline of Sept. 23.

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Central Whidbey’s Rhododendron trail work OK’d despite noise concerns
Central Whidbey’s Rhododendron trail work OK’d despite noise...
By Janis Reid • August 22, 2013 11:42 am

The Island County Commissioners voted to move forward with additional work on Central Whidbey’s Rhododendron trail, despite concerns voiced by Chairwoman Jill Johnson.

“My concern is that, at this stage, I’m not willing to build under the flight zones,” Johnson said.

“If it’s true that it is dangerous to play in the park and to engage in activities in those areas, we need to limit action in the areas of concern.”

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Owners Brenda and Eliaser Loera stand in front of their new business.
Father-daughter duo launch mobile Mexican eatery in Oak...
By Janis Reid • August 22, 2013 2:35 pm

When Eliaser Loera and daughter Brenda, both of Oak Harbor, purchased a large food truck, they initially thought they would be selling seafood from it.

Then their friends and neighbors started to get Loeras thinking.

“Everyone kept asking if we were starting a taco truck,” Brenda Loera said.

Given their Mexican descent, Loera said it seemed like an even better idea and that it would be “easy food for us to cook.”

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Dan Mitchell replaces Dave Jamieson as the chief civil deputy prosecutor in the Island County Prosecutor’s Office.
Mitchell takes chief civil deputy spot
By Janis Reid • August 19, 2013 4:12 pm

Public service runs through Dan Mitchell’s veins.

Preceded by three generations of police officers in his family, his role as the new Island County chief civil deputy prosecutor seems to come naturally.

“I was definitely interested in public sector work,” Mitchell said. “My father, grandfather and great grandfather were Chicago police officers.”

Mitchell is replacing Dave Jamieson, who has served Island County for 37 years and whose last day was Aug. 14.

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Island County must now respond to shoreline plan concerns
Island County must now respond to shoreline plan...
By Janis Reid • August 19, 2013 4:04 pm

Island County commissioners now have the community feedback on a proposed Shoreline Master Plan.

The comments were gathered during a public hearing in May and presented to the commissioners this week by the state Department of Ecology.

The commissioners must address any concerns and submit solutions to the state Department of Ecology by a deadline of Sept. 23.

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Island County responds to Burnett suit with next steps
Island County responds to Burnett suit with next...
By Janis Reid • August 19, 2013 4:03 pm

Responding to a lawsuit by Oak Harbor resident Bill Burnett, the Island County Prosecutor’s Office provided steps he must take to go any further.

Burnett, who is currently an Oak Harbor School Board candidate, filed his lawsuit last month in Island County Superior Court.

Burnett is asking a judge to compel the Island County Board of Commissioners to reinstate Kelly Emerson as chairwoman.

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Island County cameras funded by Homeland Security grant
Island County cameras funded by Homeland Security grant
By Janis Reid • August 15, 2013 2:29 pm

The Island County Sheriff’s Office is purchasing three infrared cameras, one for each precinct, through a grant received through the Washington State Department of Homeland security.

Through the same program, the county is also purchasing a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado for its Marine Safety Program to help tow the county’s existing watercraft and other functions.

The three Flir LS-64 units cost $5,300 at a total of $15,900 for three, and the Silverado costs $40,135.17. All of the costs were covered for by the Homeland Security Grant Program.

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Above
Island County chief civil deputy retiring after 37...
By Janis Reid • August 15, 2013 2:21 pm

The son of an attorney, Island County Chief Civil Deputy Dave Jamieson said his training in the law started around the family dinner table.

“I’m very interested in the details of things,” Jamieson said. “It’s a real problem-solving endeavor as well as something that helps people. Those attributes really attracted me to the law.”

After dedicating his life to serving Island County, he announced last week that he will retire after 37 years. His last day is today.

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Whidbey chamber directors say ‘boycott’ talk is divisive
Whidbey chamber directors say ‘boycott’ talk is divisive
By Janis Reid • August 13, 2013 10:00 am

Whidbey Island business leaders are taking a stand as pro-Navy and pro-business in the wake of the ongoing debate over jet noise at Outlying Field Coupeville.

Coupeville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lynda Eccles said she was inspired to speak out when she heard some Whidbey residents were calling for a boycott of Coupeville businesses in the wake of a federal lawsuit filed by a Central Whidbey Group against the Navy over the jet noise.

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