Vol. 126, No. 57
News-Times Whidbey
SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2016
WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75 CENTS
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Your hometown newspaper for 126 years
In wake of Dallas, locals step up to thank police By DEBRA VAUGHN
dvaughn@whidbeynewsgroup.com
The killing of five Dallas police officers happened far away from here, but local residents want Oak Harbor Police to know they’ve got their backs. Since the incident July 7, the local police department has been inundated daily with cards, flowers, pizza, muffins and all manner of other tasty treats, including, yes, dozens and dozens of donuts. Officers have found painted rocks outside the department that call them “heroes” and SEE SHOW OF SUPPORT A4
Photo by Ron Newberry/Whidbey News-Times
Keath and Lisa Worley search for Pokemon creatures behind a convenience store in Coupeville Tuesday. The couple has enjoyed the new ‘Pokemon Go’ app on their phones. “We cleared them out here. On to the next location,” Keath said. Below, an Eevee is spotted nearby.
Phone app drawing players into virtual scavenger hunt By RON NEWBERRY
rnewberry@whidbeynewsgroup.com
T
he walking path at Windjammer Park felt a little nostalgic for Rob Andres and Chase Zylstra Wednesday night. Andres, 24, and Zylstra, 25, both from Oak Harbor, felt like kids again, playing “Pokemon Go” on their smartphones. By the looks of others around them, with their noses stuck in their phones, the two friends weren’t alone. “We grew up playing this,” Zylstra said. “It’s good to see people out and about, especially here,” Andres said. “This place kind of died.” Nintendo created a frenzy last week when it released the “Pokemon Go” application for users in the United States, New Zealand and Australia to download for free on their smartphones. The app was downloaded more than 15 million times, exceeding Twitter in daily active users for a 24-hour period, and started an unexpected craze for people of all ages who immediately set
out looking for animated characters superimposed on real-life backgrounds on their phone screens. “No one predicted this,” said Keath Worley, who was out catching Pokemons with his wife Lisa at a bank parking lot in Coupeville Tuesday. “Pokemon Go” is essentially a smartphone scavenger hunt that guides people to creature hotspots using GPS technology. On North and Central Whidbey, it’s created search parties large and small wandering around in public places in pursuit of things to catch that others who aren’t playing can’t see. “It’s pretty crazy,” said Oak Harbor’s James Bolden, who came to Windjammer Park with his wife Mimi and their sons, Tyler, 10, and
Photo by Debra Vaughn/Whidbey News-Times
Claire Payad, 4, of Oak Harbor puts her handprint on a tile with the help of her mom Kristal Payad.
Day was perfect for party in park By DEBRA VAUGHN
dvaughn@whidbeynewsgroup.com
It is so, so nice to have all three kids on the swings at once. That’s the verdict of one mom, Ashley Flaherty, who brought her little ones to Fort Nugent Park to play and enjoy the festivities marking the 10-year anniversary of the playground. That party on a perfect Oak Harbor sunny day featured snacks, balloons and play time on
SEE POKEMON CRAZE, A3
EW EY N S GR DB
THE
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“Bringing independence to living and quality to life”
SEE PARTY, A4
WH I
Pokemon Fever
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