NEWS-TIMES WHIDBEY
Living: Family duo featured. A10
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2011 | Vol. 120, No. 87 | WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75¢
Slowik tops in campaign contributions By JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter
Jessie Stensland/Whidbey News-Times
Paula Spina peers into her 1950s-era crystal ball, but it offered no clues to the whereabouts of the ghost that haunts the Col. Walter Crockett House.
Unwanted guest may haunt
CROCKETT HOUSE
By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
The owner of a 150-year-old house in Central Whidbey plans to open it as a bed and breakfast after years of being closed to the public, but there may be one tenant who’s never left. For decades stories have circulated about a spirit haunting the historic Col. Walter Crockett House. There’s tales of an unseen presence, objects moving by themselves and strange noises at night. But unlike most other haunted house stories on Whidbey Island, ghost hunters can point to a specific dead person who might be lingering inside the farmhouse. Charles Crockett, one of the colonel’s sons, killed himself in an upstairs bedroom on Dec. 12, 1893. His blood still stains the floor boards underneath the carpeting. His trou-
bled spirit is said to roam the old parts of the house. Or perhaps those days are gone. Paula Spina, who owns the home and the adjacent Crockett barn, said she’s never noticed anything otherworldly in the circa-1850s house. And she’s sensitive to those kind of things, being the owner of a genuine crystal ball and an occasional seance participant. “It’s a very peaceful home,” she said. “Very comfortable. No bad feelings.” Spina is in the process of getting the house ready to open once again as a bed and breakfast establishment. She obtained the necessary permits and remodeled the kitchen. She lured historian Diana Peterson away from the Camlann Medieval Village to be the “bed and breakfast proprietress.” SEE CROCKETT, A4
BE SAFE, BE SEEN: Children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween night so the Impaired Driving Impact Panel of Island County will team with Walmart to hand out free reflective trickor-treat bags, clothing, bike reflectors, stickers and candy at Walmart Saturday, Oct. 29 from noon to 5 p.m. Even parents get a treat. Call 672-8219. PETS IN COSTUME: Dress up yourself and your pet and come to the Oak Harbor Library for an afternoon of fun beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Compete for prizes for most original and best look-alike. The library is located at 1000 SE Regatta Dr. Call 675-5115 or visit www.sno-isle.org. SEE EVENTS, A4
Campaign contributions. Are they a barometer of public support? A crystal ball into tomorrow’s agenda? Or, in small communities such as Oak Harbor where everyone knows everyone, are they simply the ultimate expression of one friend supporting another? Whatever the case, the vast majority of those paving the road to power with their pocketbooks this year are doing so for Jim Slowik. The incumbent in the one of the most hotly contested mayor’s races in years, Slowik has amassed $13,828 from some 98 contributors since June. “I’m humbled by the fact that people have confidence in me,” Slowik said. Challenger Scott Dudley isn’t far behind, at least in terms of total contributions. Since he filed in March, the Dudley campaign has amassed $10,799. However, it comes from just 41 people, fewer than half the number Slowik contributors. But Dudley is unfazed, saying fundraising hasn’t been the focus of his campaign. “We were more focused on spreading the message,” Dudley said. On the Slowik side, an $800 check from Skagit Island Realtors Group’s makes them the mayor’s largest financial backer though Corey Johnson from C Johnson Construction comes in at a close second with a $500 donation. However, couples and family members who made separate donations have contributed equal or, in one case, greater sums. The mayor’s brother and sister-inlaw, Brian and Warangkana Slowik, put in a total of $800, while retired developer Bill Massey and his wife, Kathy,
have collectively thrown $500 into the pot. Greg Wasinger and his wife, Linda, also contributed a total of $500. They own an Oak Harbor 7-Eleven store and Greg is a member of the Oak Harbor Planning Commission. Other top contributing business people include John McMahon of Northrop Grumman Field Support Services, who pitched $250; $200 donations from Tony Bartley of Whidbey Community Physicians and self-employed dentist Gary Berner; $150 from Kristi Leland of Windermere Real Estate; and finally, $100 sums from Michael Horrobin of Oak Harbor Motors, Geri Morgan of Koetje Real Estate, and both Greg Saar and Christon Skinner of the Law Offices of Skinner & Saar. According to state Public Disclosure Commission records, the restaurant China City contributed $200 but an individual is not identified. Slowik also saw financial backing from a host of past and present elected officials. Oak Harbor City Councilman Rick Almberg pitched in $250, Councilman Bob Severns $200 and Councilman Danny Paggao’s wife, Nida, $100. Island County Sheriff Mark Brown contributed $100 and former Oak Harbor Mayor Al Koetje gave $75. Other community wellknowns who made donations include a $250 check from Oak Harbor School District Superintendent Rick Schulte — he also gave $100 to Dudley — $290 worth of contributions from longtime SEE PDC, A7