With it now almost certain that Central Whidbey will get its second summer ferry, a vessel switch-a-roo may be in the future.
According to Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano, Washington State Ferries officials may be considering having the Salish and Kennewick permanently take over service on the Coupeville-to-Port Townsend ferry route once both vessels are completed.
From beautiful textiles to tasty treats by some of Whidbey Island’s best restaurants, this year’s Spring Business Expo in Oak Harbor will have it all.
Kicking off Thursday, March 31, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge in Oak Harbor, the fourth installment of the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s annual event will host about 30 individual business, according to membership and administrative coordinator Tammi Petty.
The home of a well-known Coupeville woman was destroyed by an early morning fire Tuesday.
Located on NE Leisure Street, the two-story, wood-and-brick structure belonged to Jeannette Omar. Known by many in the community by her maiden name of Kroon, Omar is the former longtime owner of the Knead and Feed restaurant on Coupeville’s waterfront.
It’s looking more and more like the Coupeville-to-Port Townsend ferry route will have a second vessel after all.
The Senate and House submitted transportation budgets this week and both place the Salish, the second of three Kwa-di Tabil class ferries being built, on the Coupeville run. Although neither has been adopted as of Friday morning, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano, said she is confident that this is one part of the budget that will not change.
Whidbey Island Naval Air Station’s electronic attack wing welcomed a new leader this week.
In a change of command ceremony held on base Thursday morning, Capt. Christopher Shay formally relieved Capt. Thomas Slais Jr. as commodore of Commander, Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
A gray whale known as Dubnuk drew a steady crowd of looky-loos and rubber-neckers at the end of Penn Cove Sunday.
For much of the afternoon, the estimated 35-foot-long, 30-ton behemoth was seen trolling back and forth along the shoreline between Grassers Lagoon and the long dock owned by Penn Cove Shellfish. Surfacing every few minutes for air, the rare spectacle lured a seemingly endless stream of a passing motorists.
At one point, the section of Highway 20 was lined with enough observers and parked cars that police officers were called out to direct traffic.
A hiccup in the bond market that caused Oak Harbor government to take out an emergency loan and alter its long-range plans for funding the marina dredging project may actually have been a blessing in disguise.
By waiting for the market to improve, and moving forward with a different type of bond than originally planned, the city was able to secure an interest rate of 4.03 percent, far below the original 5.6 percent weighted average. Over the next two decades, that tallies up to a savings of about $700,000 on the $2.56 million bonds.
A backed up sewer main in Coupeville caused problems for at least one business and became a disruption for traffic this week.
The problem appears to have begun late Wednesday evening. Tyee Restaurant and Motel manager MaryAnne Bailey got a call that a grassy area behind the motel next to the trailer park was flooding. The pooling water turned out to be sewage.
Oak Harbor’s business community got its first in-depth look at Whidbey General Hospital’s proposal for a $50 million expansion this week.
Hospital CEO Tom Tomasino gave a 30-minute presentation on the need for the new 40-room addition at the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon Thursday. But with just three questions from a crowd that easily numbered over 100 people, it’s difficult to tell just how the businessmen and women feel about one of the biggest bond proposals ever to go before Island County voters.
A basement fire that nearly claimed the Roller Barn in Oak Harbor earlier this month may have been the result of arson.
Detective Sgt. Teri Gardner with the Oak Harbor Police Department confirmed that a criminal investigation has been opened following a fire expert’s determination that the cause is “suspicious” in nature. She declined to say whether police know how the fire started or if any suspects have been identified.
“I can’t release any details at this time,” Gardner said.
Nearly 200 Whidbey Island Naval Air Station sailors are participating in relief efforts off the east coast of Japan.
Electronic Attack Wing VAQ-139, the Cougars, deployed aboard the USS Ronald Reagan in January. The ship, which serves as the core of the Navy’s 7th Fleet carrier strike group, was in the area when a huge 9.0 earthquake, followed by a devastating tsunami, rocked western Japan Friday afternoon.
Speaking from the Reagan by telephone Tuesday morning, ship spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Kate Meadows said the strike group was now in its third day of operations, delivering items such as food, blankets and personal hygiene products to victims of the disaster.
A portion of SE Pioneer Way was closed to all vehicle traffic Monday and the disruption is expected to continue throughout the week.
Eastbound traffic on the road, which is now a one-way street, is being detoured left on Ely, right on Fidalgo, then right again on Dock Street.
State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen’s message to more than 60 people at a town hall meeting in Coupeville Saturday was to brace for another round of hefty budget cuts.
The Legislature trimmed the budget during its special session in December, then made more cuts in February. And before it convenes again this spring, lawmakers expect to chop a whopping $5 billion from the 2011-2013 biennial budget.
