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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012
VOL. 18, NO. 11
Accountant Autumn treasure hunt resigns from Greenbank Farm post By Nathan Whalen Staff Reporter
Noting concerns about financial statements from Greenbank Farm Management Group, a prominent Whidbey Island accountant resigned as a volunteer examining the operations of the publicly owned farm. Georgia Gardner, a Coupeville accountant who is a former state representative and current Whidbey General Hospital commissioner, resigned in early October after she wrote a letter to the management group’s board of trustees about her concerns. “I hereby notify you that, in my professional opinion, there are errors, omissions and/or inconsistencies in your federal and state tax returns, federal forms 990 and 990T and in schedules purporting to Georgia Gardner be financial statements issued by the GFMG,” Gardner wrote in a letter to the Management Group Board of Trustees. “I believe there are also omissions with regard to Island County taxes. I believe these errors have sufficient impact that you should seek legal counsel about the remedies,” she wrote. When called Monday asking for elaboration about her opinion, she refused to provide details. “It would be inappropriate to comment on it,” Gardner said, arguing that the letter was a private correspondence. A reporter obtained a copy of Gardner’s letter through a public records request to the Port of Coupeville, which owns the Greenbank Farm. In a written statement, Michael Stansbury, president of the Greenbank Farm Management Group, said, “We think it important to note that we cannot at this point know with any certainty what her concerns were.” Stansbury said he has contacted Gardner seeking more details so they can be addressed with the executive planning group and the Port of Coupeville. “Our board is mystified by her reference to unspecified financial and tax issues, especially See GREENBANK, page 12
Kasia Pierzga photo
Lauren Haskins, 1, whose family recently moved to Hawaii from Oak Harbor, searches for the perfect pumpkin at Sherman’s Pioneer Farm outside Coupeville. The farm’s pumpkin patch is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday until Halloween.
Hansen hired as new Examiner editor Megan Hansen has been named editor of The Whidbey Examiner and The Whidbey News-Times. Hansen spent the past four years as assistant editor of the Nisqually Valley News in Yelm. “I’m excited to have Megan join our team,” said Kasia Pierzga, publisher of the NewsTimes, the Examiner and The South Whidbey Record. “She brings not only her experience in news reporting and editing, Megan Hansen but also a commitment to being involved with the community.” Hansen said she’s looking forward to exploring North and Central Whidbey, and getting to know the people in both communities. “I believe that community is what shapes a newspaper. And in order to effectively cover the news, we need to know the people,” Hansen said. “I look forward to getting to know
the communities that help shape Whidbey Island.” Hansen’s background includes more than five years with the Nisqually Valley News. Originally from Bonney Lake, she holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from Central Washington University. Hansen will be based in the main newsroom in Coupeville. As Hansen begins her new job, Supervising Editor Jim Larsen, who has been in charge of editorial content for the News-Times and Record, will shift into a more focused role as editor of The South Whidbey Record. Larsen has been editor of the South Whidbey Record for most of the past 30 years.
The change in newsroom leadership coincides with the return of the Record office to South Whidbey. Record staff will move into a new office in Langley next month. The Record office will be housed at 211 Second St., Suite 8, in the building that previously housed a retail shop called Chic Debris. “My aim is to make sure Whidbey Island’s community newspapers are engaged and connected with the communities they cover,” Pierzga said. “Bringing on a new editor for the News-Times and Examiner and returning the Record to its home community in South Whidbey are a step toward achieving that goal.”