INSIDE: Hearts and Hammers hits right nerves ... Island Life, A14
Record South Whidbey
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2012 | Vol. 88, No. 91 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
SIDING WITH LOVE
Ben Watanabe / The Record
This banner hangs above the entrance to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island in Freeland. The multi-religious congregation supported marriage equality for same-sex couples and the approval of Referendum 74. Justin Burnett / The Record
Marriage equality supporters celebrate Curbside recycling idea recycled Thrift store worker Cabot Grey drops off cardboard at Island Recycle’s collection site at the Solid Waste Transfer Station in Coupeville. A curbside recycling plan for Island Disposal customers is being considered by the Island County commissioners.
BY JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter
BY BEN WATANABE Staff reporter FREELAND — The banner encompassed everything Dennis Reynolds and his Unitarian Universalist Congregation believed in. The gold and white sign above the entry to the building in Freeland reads: “Standing on the side of love,” with “love” in huge, white letters next to a sketched heart. The Unitarian congregation has been on the side of marriage equality for same-sex couples since the early 2000s, and even for the new minister, Washington voters’ approval of Referendum 74 presented an exciting future. “I’m looking forward to signing same-sex marriage certificates,” Reynolds said. Voters approved the measure with a simply majority of 53 percent. Nearly 1.5 million people cast their ballots in favor of allowing same-sex couples to marry. In Island County, there are now two Republican commissioners and long-time State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, a Democrat, was voted out of office. Still, the seemingly conservative county comprised of Whidbey and Camano islands supported marriage equality with 52-percent approval — 21,256 votes.
Langley residents Diane Divelbess and Grethe Cammermeyer supported Ref. 74. The vote was divided along geographic lines. A total of 1,691 votes separated approval from rejection in Island County. The referendum was rejected by voters in 29 precincts, anchored by North Whidbey precinct 2 (61 percent “no”) and approved by only 19. South Whidbey’s 10 precincts made the difference in approving Ref. 74, bolstered by large margins of victory in Langley, with 79-percent approval. The vote was also an approval of a bill passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in February. At that time, the Unitarian congregation in Freeland celebrated the historic signature with singing See Marriage, A11
A curbside recycling program almost identical to the one pitched more than four years ago is being considered for Island Disposal customers. The Island County commissioners agreed in an informal split decision last week to move forward with plans for a “combined subscription” service that could add as much as $11.60 to the bill of all Island Disposal customers who live in rural county areas. First proposed in 2007, the program was derailed in light of two major shortcomings; it didn’t include glass and it required all Island Disposal customers to pay for the service, whether they elected to recycle or not. Four years later, a plan almost identical to the original — the only substantial difference is the price tag — is again on the table and this time it appears to be getting some real traction. During a Wednesday work session, two of the three-commissioner board made it clear they would cast their support for the program, saying they believed the public has waited long enough. “I’ve had so many people say,
‘When are we going to get around to this?’” said Commissioner Angie Homola during the work session. “I think it’s about time we put our foot forward in Island County,” said Homola, who became a lame duck after the Nov. 6 election. Commissioner Helen Price Johnson was also was in favor of the idea. It’s the right thing to do for the environment and the public because the proposal appears to be the most affordable of all the known options, she said.
The program Like the original plan, the program would be administered by Waste Connections, parent company of Island Disposal. The company is Whidbey Island’s current state-franchised hauler. As proposed, single stream, curbside pickup would be provided every other week. That means subscribers would not need to sort their recyclables but could throw everything into a 96-gallon bin provided free of cost. Smaller sizes may also be available upon request. The only exception is glass. It poses a variety of problems for recyclers, such as glass shards
damaging expensive equipment at paper mills, so it is not being included. Glass products would continue to be accepted at county recycling centers, but residents would have to take them there themselves. The program would apply to all of the trash hauler’s Whidbey Island customers, estimated to number between 7,000 and 9,000. People would not have to utilize the service by using the provided bins, but all would be required to pay the extra fee so the program could be implemented on a company wide scale. Current non-customers who self-haul, however, could subscribe for curbside service only. The largest difference may be cost. Waste Connection estimated earlier this year that it may be up to 44 percent more expensive to implement than its original 2007 curbside program, which was proposed at $6.40. The increase is the result of a changing economy and, ironically, efforts that began in 2009 by the board to identify an alternative hauler that could not only implement a curbside program See Recycling, A11