Examiner The Whidbey
First-place winner, 2014 WNPA General Excellence
50¢
Foraging for fungi Page 2
www.whidbeyexaminer.com
Thursday, October 1, 2015
VOL. 21, NO. 8
Early donors critical for CHWA budget By Megan Hansen Co-Editor
Photo by Ron Newberry
Dale Sherman shares tales of his Coupeville farm’s history inside a 19th century barn that will be converted into a ‘Haunted Barn’ this month during the Haunting of Coupeville. Sherman has worked on the family farm since he was a child. He mostly uses the old barn for storage.
A BARNFUL OF CREEPINESS
Community prepares for month of Haunting activities and fun By Megan Hansen Co-Editor
Ghosts and goblins will be sneaking out of the dark recesses of Coupeville as the Haunting of Coupeville starts Saturday, offering a month of hauntingly fun activities. Community partners throughout Central Whidbey have been preparing Halloween-and-harvest inspired events and activities, offering a month of fun for all ages. Starting Saturday, visitors may explore a corn maze daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New this year, will be a children’s corn maze, said Lynda Eccles, executive director for the Coupeville Chamber of Com-
See HAUNTING, page 15
Shermans turn historic structure into scary event
By Ron Newberry Staff Reporter
The smell is distinctly old. When Dale Sherman slides open the massive door of a rustic, old barn, a musty scent immediately fills the nostrils. It’s a creepy, old place, for sure, with dusty cobwebs galore, hooks and ropes that dangle from the rafters and a large hole in the floor covered by loose boards. All things considered, it is the ideal site for the “Haunted Barn” attraction that is part of “The Haunting of Coupeville” this month. Sherman’s Pioneer Farm on Ebey Road has been home to pumpkin patches, trolley rides and other kids’ activities for years. But this is the first time that the historic Terry Barn on the property is being converted into a “Haunted Barn.” And it was clear from a quick tour of the
19th century structure, that few props will be required to elicit a scare. The original portion of the barn dates back to 1855, according to Sherman. It was once owned by Charles Terry, who passed the farm down to his son-in-law Ben Tufts, who built on to the structure. Tufts sold the farm in 1956 to Edwin Sherman, Dale’s father, who started a successful Hubbard squash business and used the barn for storing squash. That practice mostly ended on the family farm in the 1990s when two more modern barns were built specifically designed to store squash, relegating the historic barn to general storage of farming equipment and packing materials. Until now.
See BARN, page 16
Protecting and promoting Coupeville’s historic waterfront takes not only time and effort, but also money. With the support of a state Main Street program and the community, the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association has done just that for years. The organization has built up one of the town’s biggest events, the Penn Cove Mussel Festival, which received state recognition just this year. Most of the events, promotions and community activities the group organizes are done independently and without asking for sponsorships or participation fees. But for the first time, the association finds itself in a bit of financial constraints and needs the community’s support. Through the Washington Main Street Program, any business that pays B&O tax can divert 75 percent of their taxes to a specific Main Street program. However, the state allowance maxes out at $1.5 million with each individual Main Street program allowed to collect $133,333. “It was never an issue because it was always 13-15 programs and we never reached that max,” said Vickie Chambers, executive director of the historic waterfront association. “Now there’s 35 Main Streets going after those dollars. “For the first time ever two years ago, the funds tapped out in December. Last year it tapped out in May.” And with the $1.5 million funding allocating out so early in the year, the association found itself with less revenue than expected. Chambers said the association received about 40 percent of what it normally does. And for an organization with an annual budget of about $100,000, that’s a big hit. Musselfest alone costs about $50,000 to put on each year and the association’s goal is to have enough money leftover for
See B&O, page 16