The number attending Outlying Field Coupeville support rally Saturday more than doubled from the previous weekend.
“For me, I’m tired of the squeaky minority getting the oil,” said Kathy Garey, an Oak Harbor resident who served 20 years in the Navy. “The majority needs to come out.”
“There is power in numbers.”
The group swelled to about 70 people, in part because of a growing online presence for the movement.
News that Department of Defense civilian furloughs are being reduced from 11 days to six was welcome news Tuesday in Oak Harbor.
The announcement was made by U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.
The furloughs, part of the larger government sequestration, began the week of July 8. About 1,200 civilian workers at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station were slated for an 11-week furlough, comprising a loss of one day a week or 20 percent of their income through the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30.
For Gene Berg, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, being able to sign up for the Agent Orange registry through the Veteran’s Administration gives him peace of mind.
“It helps me stay on top of any health concerns I may have down the road,” he said.
Berg, a volunteer at the Veteran’s Resource Center, is this year’s coordinator of Veteran’s Stand Down, an event aimed at assisting veterans as they return to civilian life and making them aware of the VA benefits to which they are entitled.
The first rally supporting the Navy’s use of Outlying Field Coupeville was held July 27, despite fears expressed by some of a negative backlash.
Twenty to 30 people attended the event, and a second rally begins at 10 a.m. today, Saturday, Aug. 3 at the intersection of Pioneer Way and State Highway 20.
It’s really all about the pie.
Mary Murphy, 9, said that while she didn’t win the Loganberry Festival pie-eating contest Saturday afternoon, she was still a winner.
For some, it’s really all about the pie.
Mary Murphy, 9, said that while she didn’t win the Loganberry Festival pie-eating contest Saturday afternoon she was still a winner.
An Oak Harbor businesswoman is starting a nonprofit organization to assist the local autistic and disabled community.
Owner of La Lonnie’s Notions on Pioneer Way —and the mother of an autistic son — Lonnie Schopen has applied for nonprofit status as Autism Resources of Oak Harbor.
The application is pending.
Just days after announcing the closure of Outlying Field Coupeville’s runway till the end of the calendar year, Whidbey Island Naval Air Station said this week another runway closure will be closed temporarily.
From Aug. 5 to Sept. 20, Ault Field at NAS Whidbey will have only one operational runway for flight operations, according to a press release issued by the base.
NAS Whidbey Public Affairs Officer Mike Welding said the closure of Runway 14 will have only minor impacts on scheduling and operations.
Oak Harbor is responding to complaints about jet noise on Central Whidbey with displays of support for the base.
The Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce has started a “Jets = Jobs” campaign.
Legislation has been introduced by U.S. Senator Patty Murray, D-WA, that would end the ban on in vitro fertilization (IVF)…
A 47-year-old man was rescued from rocky terrain near Snoqualmie Pass Thursday by a search-and-rescue team from Whidbey Island Naval…
With U.S. Navy suicides on the rise, nationwide and local efforts are being made to increase soldier resiliency.
While Navy suicide rates are historically lower than national and Department of Defense rates, they have trended upward over the past three years “indicating a problem,” according to a report released by the Navy in April.
Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, along with Navy bases across the country, no longer requires vehicles to have permanent installation-access decals as of July 1.
Instead, gate security will rely on electronic credentialing and increased scrutiny in verifying identification cards manually, according to a Navy news release.
