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Coupeville vet clinic reaches out to Oso A10
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014 | Vol. 124, No. 60 | WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75¢
State to audit transit books By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
Photo by Jessie Stensland / Whidbey News-Times
Dave Olinger puts on his “ferocious” face while holding a rifle. He is running as a write-in candidate for Island county sheriff.
Write-in aiming to represent Democrats
Financial experts at the Washington state Auditor’s Office will be going through books at Island Transit in the next couple of weeks to figure out what went wrong, said a spokesman for the agency. Thomas Shapley, deputy director of communications for the office, said the auditors’ last accountability audit of Island Transit covered the year 2012 and nothing appeared to be amiss at that time. “As someone told me today, we’re good, but we can’t audit the future,” he said.
“I’m really anxious to see what we will find.” Shapley said a July 26 Whidbey NewsTimes article about financial problems at Island Transit motivated the auditors to start the audit scheduled for this year as soon as possible. A total of 24 employees will be laid off, Saturday bus service is being cancelled and five routes will be eliminated or changed due to financial problems uncovered at Island Transit. The first of the community meetings about the route changes is at 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 4 at the Oak Harbor Library. As a result of the shortfall, the tran-
sit board approved an $800,000 note —basically a bank loan — to pay bills. On top of that, the board OK’d issuance of a $1.5-million bond to pay the balance of the agency’s matching funds ROSE for the new transit facility near Coupeville. Shapley said the Auditor’s Office also received several letters from state lawmakers who were concerned about the problem after reading the stories. Martha Rose, director of Island SEE AUDIT, A20
A BLUE ANGEL COMES HOME
By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
When you watch too much Jon Stewart, you run the risk of ending up like 87-year-old Dave Olinger. At least that’s what his wife says. The North Whidbey resident is running as a write-in candidate for Island County sheriff in an effort that’s both serious and symbolic, but also intentionally provocative and a bit tongue-in-cheek. SEE WRITE-IN, A20
Photo by Jessie Stensland / Whidbey News-Times
Oak Harbor Police Chief Ed Green stands next to the department’s new armored vehicle.
Police haul out armor for Tuesday’s Nat’l Night Out By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
Oak Harbor Police Department’s newest and biggest toy will be unveiled during Tuesday’s National Night Out.
Photo courtesy Nate Barton
Lt. Cmdr. Nate Barton, a product of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station’s electronic attack community, is a Blue Angel pilot who flies a lot of eyeopening maneuvers, including this one that he captured himself over Annapolis, Md. Barton, who plans to return to Whidbey after his stint with the Blue Angels, will be performing at the Seafair Air Show in Seattle this weekend with shows at 1:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. See story on A3.
Police Chief Ed Green said the department got the chance to trade in its circa1967 armored vehicle, which was on loan from the federal SEE ARMOR, A20
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