Examiner The Whidbey
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Thursday, May 28, 2015
VOL. 20, NO. 42
Janis Reid photo
Randy Thiesfeld shows off his collection of stuffed dogs in his Coupeville yard.
Man and his stuffed dogs rise to fame By Janis Reid Staff Reporter
Ron Newberry photo
Julie Hunt, left, trains with Janet Wodjenski as she transitions into Wodjenski’s administrative assistant role with the Coupeville School District. Wodjenski is retiring Friday after 25 years with the school district, serving under nine different superintendents.
institution of knowledge
Longtime schools’ administrative assistant retires By Ron Newberry Staff Reporter
Chances are, the notion of retirement won’t sink in with Janet Wodjenski for quite some time. After spending 25 years as a secretary and administrative assistant in the Coupeville School District, following four years on the school board, she’s trying to figure out what she’ll do with all this free time on her hands. For the short term, that is. “I’m giving myself four months before I volunteer for anything,” Wodjenski said. Starting Friday when she closes the door of the school district office, Wodjenski will catch her breath and unwind, retreating to the home she and her husband had built in Coupeville in 1979, and join him in retirement to start a new chapter in their lives. “He’s trying to coach me what it’ll be like,” Janet said of Don, who retired last spring after 20 years as an art teacher at South Whidbey High School. If it’s going to feel foreign to Wodjen-
ski, it will only pale in comparison to the only natural feelings of co-workers who’ve come to depend on her attention to detail, organization and vast knowledge base of the district’s policies and procedures that comes with nearly three decades of careful study and input. “She’s the finest assistant I’ve ever worked with,” said Superintendent Jim Shank. “She’s incredibly valuable to us. She’s phenomenal. “When someone goes out after 25 years, they’re taking a ton of institutional knowledge with them. We’ll really miss that.” The feeling is mutual for Wodjenski, a self-described “word nerd” who enjoyed the people and the duties she performed. With her main priority to provide support for the superintendent and the school board, she found herself wearing many different hats in the small school district. Over the years, she’s prepared countless reports, scheduled meetings and events, updated the website, created the newsletter and updated the school district’s manual on policies and procedures in more common
language. She’s served as the school district’s communications officer and led community education efforts. “I’ve never had a dull day in this job,” Wodjenski said. In her 25 years, she served under nine superintendents, including five within a year’s span at the time Shank arrived in 2013. “Every superintendent brought something unique to the district,” Wodjenski said. “I have enjoyed working with each person.” Wodjenski is one of five Coupeville
See RETIRED, page 16
It started with two dogs. But the pack of stuffed canines that frequent the corner of Center and Fourth Street in Coupeville has swelled to nine over the last two years. Popular with locals, the display adds a bit of whimsey to Coupeville’s small-town feel. “If I don’t put them out everyone goes, ‘Where’s your dogs?’” said Randy Thiesfeld, who puts them out nearly every morning and takes them in every night. “They don’t ask how I’m doing. Everybody loves them.” Thiesfeld was raised in Coupeville and points to a nearby house when he describes the house he was born in. Having worked for 30 years as a concrete mason across the country, Thiesfeld returned to Coupeville about four years ago when his health took a turn for the worse. Despite a couple of health scares, Thiesfeld said it’s obviously not his time to go. “I’m still here,” Thiesfeld said. “Raising hell.” Thiesfeld’s sister, Loann Gulick, who also lives in Coupeville, said she always hears people ask about the dogs. “When they walk their dogs, (the dogs) start barking,” Gulick said. “Everybody loves the dogs.”
See DOGS, page 16