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SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014 | Vol. 90, No. 68 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
Generational butcher family to slice out market on South Whidbey By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record
By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record
Greg Gilles is known throughout South Whidbey as a respected homebuilder. But there’s a secret about the Maxwelton man that many may not know. His calloused hands and permanently bent index finger aren’t just from swinging a hammer — it’s from years of holding a knife. A fifth generation butcher from Evansville, Indiana, Gilles was strapping on a tool belt of metal and chain long before he ever picked up one filled with nails and tape measures. On his resume are positions at five state and federally inspected plants such as Oberto’s in Seattle. In as soon as two weeks, he’ll be dusting off those knives and slicing into South Whidbey agriculture. Gilles and his son, Nathan, are on the verge of opening 7 Generations Artisan Meats, a home-based butcher business serving Whidbey Island. Nathan Gilles is sixth generation, and his son, 5-year-old Liam, makes seven. “We’re all really excited about it,” Greg Gilles said. 7 Generations Artisan Meats won’t fit the image of the historical corner butcher shop, as it’s not certified by the United States Department of Agriculture for direct sales of unprocessed meats. In other words, one can’t swing by the store and pick up a steak or ribs for dinner. They can, however, sell processed meats such as sausage. When it comes to links, Gilles knows his stuff. They will offer 33 different products, from French, Italian, Polish and Irish sausages to smoked Hungarian links and salamis, and a few recipes from the family book. SEE BUTCHER, A11
Riders demand answers at transit meeting
Justin Burnett / The Record
Greg, 5-year-old Liam and Nathan Gilles pose for a photo in front of their new butcher shop. They hope to open in two weeks, serving local farms with a mobile processing truck.
Where did the money go and what is Island Transit going to do about it? This was the main question repeated by an angry and confused room full of people at the Island Transit board meeting Friday in the wake of financial mismanagement, service reductions and staffing cuts. “You folks had a pile of money and over a period of time it was gone,” said one resident. “Why are you still here pretending to manage?” Friday, the board approved its staterequired Six-Year Transit Development Plan before going into its regular meeting. Board chairman Bob Clay appeared to struggle to maintain traditional meeting procedure as questions and answers flew between residents and board members. Several of those attending said the board’s sixyear plan was unrealistic given their current finanSEE TRANSIT, A11
Disgraced transit finance director fires back By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record
Island Transit Chief Martha Rose was aware of the transportation agency’s building fiscal crisis for years, and ignored repeated warnings, according to the department’s former finance manager. Barbara Savary, the bookkeeper Rose has publicly blamed for the funding fiasco, fired back against the allegations with a
formal letter to Island Transit’s Board of Directors last week. It tells a very different story of what happened, alleging that Savary warned Rose of the problem on multiple occasions over a period of years and that her concerns went unheeded until the situation became “critical” in 2012. “I am saddened that Ms. Rose has opted to publish false statements … in what is apparently a desperate attempt to retain her own job,” Savary wrote. “I’m truly sorry it has come to this, but I cannot silently accept blame when it is
not due.” Savary’s letter is in response to statements Rose made in June that she fired Savary after it became clear the agency didn’t have enough money to pay its bills. Staffing and service cuts have followed. Rose claimed in a previous interview with the South Whidbey Record that Savary did not properly communicate SEE SAVARY, A20