Heralded as forward thinking by some and illegal by others, a controversial proposal for a county-wide Clean Water Utility became a reality this week.
Nearly 160 years ago, three men filed land claims that would lead to the founding and eventual incorporation of Oak Harbor.
An old and not-so-historic wooden structure on Engle Road that some consider a Central Whidbey landmark has become one of this winter’s first victims.
The five-foot wide by six-foot tall wooden blockhouse, which has decorated the driveway to Rod Barnes’ home overlooking the Keystone Harbor for nearly 30 years, succumbed to a windstorm in late November.
“It didn’t just fall over, it exploded,” Barnes said.
It’s seeming more and more likely that Whidbey Island residents will be facing a $50-million bond proposal on a ballot next year, possibly as soon as spring.
Oak Harbor City officials may be holding their collective breath over the next few weeks as the SE Pioneer Way Improvement Project has entered a pivotal stage.
In a 6-1 decision, the City Council gave the green light Tuesday to seek bids from construction firms to turn the downtown street into a one way. The decision, which follows nine months of painstaking preparations, from design work to fighting legal battles with merchants over sidewalk rights, will be the deciding factor in whether or not the controversial project remains within budget and is completed on deadline.
What was recently just a possibility is now a full-blown threat: If Washington State Ferries’ funding model doesn’t change, the Port Townsend-to-Coupeville ferry route will remain a one-boat run year round.
The very best and brightest at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station were honored in a special luncheon on base this week.
For their outstanding service, Petty Officer 1st Class Ross Beebe, Petty Officer 1st Class Dennis Holloman and Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Benito Chavez were named sea and shore sailors of the year and marine of the year by the Oak Harbor Area Council Navy League and the Rotary Club.
A proposed contract for construction outreach during the SE Pioneer Way project is too much for too little, according to the Oak Harbor City Council.
In a unanimous decision Tuesday evening, the council voted to delay making a decision on a $149,897 contract with EnviroIssues, a Seattle-based consulting firm, until its Jan. 4 meeting so that the total might be reduced and the scope of work refined.
The only common sentiment to come out of a public workshop geared toward gathering ideas about where to build Oak Harbor’s proposed wastewater treatment plant Monday was “not in my back yard.”
Despite the demands of downtown merchants and the urging of Oak Harbor’s mayor, the City Council may be hard pressed to sign off on a plan to spend up to $170,000 on marketing for downtown businesses during the SE Pioneer Way Improvement Project.
The public will have a chance to weigh in on the location of a proposed $70-million wastewater treatment facility in Oak Harbor next week.
An Oak Harbor ordinance allows some of its city council meetings to be held illegally, according to a legal opinion sought by the Whidbey News-Times and release this week by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.
Measuring barely 3 inches in diameter, it’s easy to miss the rusty little metal ring that sticks out of a sidewalk on SE Pioneer Way.
