NEWS-TIMES WHIDBEY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2012 | Vol. 113, No. 12 | WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75¢
Oak Harbor cheerleaders among the ill
Mayor’s firing ‘investment’ nears $500,000
By JIM WALLER Staff reporter
Five Oak Harbor High School cheerleaders and several Oak Harbor parents and spectators are among the 192 who reported being ill after attending the Feb. 4 Washington State High School Cheerleading Championships in Everett. The Washington State Health Department is investigating the incident, and the cause and specific disease are still unknown. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, and while most people have recovered, 30 attendees have reported seeking medical treatment. Donn Moyer, a DOH spokesman, said every member of the 52 squads of high school cheerleading and dance teams that participated in last Saturday’s competition is being surveyed to find out if they became sick. Oak Harbor cheer coach Robin Gohn received the questionnaire and forwarded it to all of her athletes and anyone else she knows who attended the event. As of Friday morning, Gohn said she knew of five Oak Harbor cheer participants and a number of others who attended who became sick. None of the coaches have become ill, she said. According to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, sponsors of the event, more than 3,000 people attended, including 1,000 competitors. Comcast Arena, where the event took place, was cleaned Wednesday. “Workers are wiping down every single surface in the arena with a bleach solution: restrooms, seats, door handles --- everything,� said Kim Bedier, general manager of the arena.
Students take on Shakespeare. A11.
Some workers join Teamsters By JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter
Justin Burnett / Whidbey News-Times
Oak Harbor resident George Holtry speaks at a city council meeting Tuesday concerning the recent firing of Fire Chief Mark Soptich. Holtry was one of over 20 people to do so at the meeting.
Chief’s firing sparks firestorm of protest By JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter
Newly elected Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley, the champion of Pioneer Way dissenters, found himself on the receiving end of public criticism this week. In a packed room at City Hall Tuesday, more than 20 people took to the microphone to condemn, express outrage, seek understanding or plead for the job of longtime Fire Chief Mark Soptich. “There’s been a travesty of justice that’s taken place,� an emotional George Holtry said. The Oak Harbor resident, like many in the crowd, said he voted for Dudley this past November because he wanted to see change in city government. But this was not what Holtry envisioned and he was among a chorus of voices who beseeched
the mayor to reconsider his decision. Soptich was one of the latest in a house cleaning of senior Oak Harbor officials during Dudley’s first two weeks on the job. City Administrator Paul Schmidt and City Attorney Margery Hite were also fired and Police Chief Rick Wallace is retiring under mutual agreement with the mayor. Most of those who spoke on the fire chief’s behalf were friends, family members, business owners and people from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where Soptich serves as one of three bishops. Throughout the one hour and 10 minutes of public comment, many expressed consternation over the fire chief’s SEE CHIEF, A4
The price of implementing newly elected Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley’s staff changes is now bumping up against the half-million dollar mark. According to Doug Merriman, the city’s finance director, the direct and indirect costs attached to the firings of three senior level city officials and the retirement of a fourth this past January will cost taxpayers at least $480,475. That sum includes severance packages for contracted employees who were fired without cause, the expense of hiring, training, and recruiting permanent replacements, and the cost of interim appointments. Dudley acknowledged that his firing spree comes with a hefty price tag. “It is a lot of money, absolutely,� Dudley said. “But once again, it’s the cost of doing business.� The mayor said he is looking at the expense as “an investment� into the future, and that he believes those costs will be justified over the course of his four-year term with positive change for Oak Harbor. During his first two weeks on the job, Dudley fired Paul Schmidt, city administrator; Margery Hite, city attorney; and Mark Soptich, the city’s
longtime fire chief. Rick Wallace, police chief, is also retiring under mutual agreement with the mayor. Dudley says he doesn’t anticipate additional staff changes anytime soon, but it may not be for a lack of trying. Christon Skinner, an attorney representing City Engineer Eric Johnston, recently sent a letter to the city’s legal department that said he believed the mayor was attempting to manufacture cause to terminate his client’s employment. The letter warned the mayor to back off or face potential litigation. Johnston, who declined to comment, is what’s called a “for cause� employee. That means, unlike those already let go, he can only be fired for legitimate reasons. If not, the city could be liable for wrongful termination and face financial damages. Dudley acknowledged there have been times in the past when he’s publicly criticized the city engineer’s job performance but he denied allegations that he is deliberately or actively looking for ways to fire Johnston. “There is no validity to that letter,� he said. SEE COSTS, A4
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