INSIDE: Gutsy finish ...Sports, A7
Record South Whidbey
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012 | Vol. 88, No. 85 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
Bugs, birds and beans
New Langley cop to double duty at schools BY JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter Langley’s budget is beginning to take shape and it appears the police presence in town and in the South Whidbey School District is set to increase. Last week, the City Council gave Langley officials the green light to begin the formal process of looking for a new officer. The position will not only bring needed relief to the small three-man police department, but it will also see the establishment of a school resource officer. “It’s going to be great for the school district and it’s going to be great for the community,” said a happy Randy Heston, Langley’s police chief. The line item won’t be finalized until
“It’s an example of alternative roles for police officers in the community.” Larry Kwarsick Langley mayor
Ben Watanabe / The Record
Above, Taryn Henny and Taylor Ford examine a taxidermy pheasant during the South Whidbey Elementary School’s second grade science kickoff Monday.
SWES second graders dig into science lessons BY BEN WATANABE Staff reporter
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here’s a lot to be grossed out by worms. Their sticky skin, writhing motion and eyeless heads are some of the reasons South Whidbey’s second graders squirmed while studying the creatures. As Janet Hall explains that the container of soil she has is actually worm poop, the unison ick-factor becomes audible — “ewwwwww.” Seeing, smelling and touching the worms in compost Monday morning was part of South Whidbey Elementary School’s science kickoff day. All second graders rotated to five stations covering various science and naturerelated issues, including worms and soil, beans, bees, birds and gases and solids. “My kids may not get to insects until spring, so it’s fun for them to know this is coming,” said Leslie Woods, a second grade teacher. “It’s a taste of what’s coming.” Woods and the other second grade teach-
Plans are in the works ers planned the science for how the second event to give kids a grade educators can glimpse of their curincorporate the kickriculum. It’s the first off groups, including year since Woods has Whidbey Audubon, taught at the school Island Apiaries and that such an event hapLeslie Woods South Whidbey Elementary School Waste Wise, into their pened, and her ultimate second grade teacher curriculum this year. goal was to keep kids Second grade students engaged and interested are expected to learn in lessons that may be about life cycles, basic months away. scientific methods of inquiry and investigaThe exhibits also allowed students to have tion, insects, liquids, solids and gases and more tactile experiences with some natural air and weather. The worm exhibit allowed world science. They felt owl, pheasant and several of those curriculum points to be hit. peacock feathers, held man-made and natural Hall explained the nature of worms eating rotbird nests, examined worms in compost, ting organic matter, such as food waste, then learned about bee hives and honey cultivaturning that into compost and soil, which in tion, growing beans and the states of matter. turn nourishes plants that can bear fruit and And though each lesson was a short introvegetables, which people eat and in turn creduction — the whole event lasted two hours ate food waste for the worms. — for the little learners with brief attention The Whidbey Audubon exhibit was a spans, teachers hope it made a lasting first hit with Sue Raley’s class. Members of the impression. group’s education committee displayed “We’re trying to make things more handson and connected,” Woods said. “It really gen- photos of various birds and passed around erated an excitement about what happened and what can happen.” See science, A24
“We’re trying to make things more hands-on and connected.”
the budget is formally approved, but Mayor Larry Kwarsick said he felt the council’s preliminary nod was as good an indicator of support as you can get. “It was a pretty strong nod,” he said. This is a significant victory for both men, as they have been hinting, if not outright advocating, for the position all year. The department was downsized in 2011 by one officer through attrition for budgetary reasons. Getting the department back up to its previous strength has been a goal for Kwarsick since he took office. Working with Heston, the mayor said he believes they were able to effectively demonstrate to the council that overtime and the cost of hiring reserve officers has proved comparable to the price tag of a fourth officer. “The difference is not that significant,” Kwarsick said. A new officer will mean big things for the department. For one, it will take pressure off Heston and his two existing officers who have been working hard to maintain a consistent police presence in town. A fourth officer will also allow the scheduling of two cops during the day. See Duty, A24