The Greening of Coupeville â?… December 1, 2012
m t s a i s r Ch
in Coup eville
360-678-7729 • 1-877-240-5400
www.atouchofdutch.com • OPEN 10:30AM-5PM • CLOSED SUNDAYS
TICKETS: $18, $20 @ DOOR UNDER 18 FREE W/ADULT
11 N.W. Front St. Coupeville
CAMP CASEY AUDITORIUM A
New! German Foods and Gifts!
Dutch/German Stollen, Chocolates, Licorice and Candy
NOV 30, 7:30 PM
MAGICAL STRINGS
www.concertsonthecove.com
Tickets available in Coupeville at Bayleaf, Linds Pharmacy, Coupeville Auto Repair, Local Grown & CWCC; in Oak Harbor at Click Music & Wind & Tide Bookstore; in Freeland at U-Haul; in Langley at Moonraker Books; and at www.brownpapertickets.com
C E LT I C YULETIDE FESTIVAL
TICKE AVAILA TS B NOW! LE
eat
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drink
Christmas in Coupeville shop
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stay
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After thAnksgiving sALe Friday, Nov. 23
Home Decor & Accents, Gifts, Pre-Loved Clothing, Jewelry, & more....
Stuff Your Sto ckings on Green Day ing
Honey Bear The
Open Late, December 1st for
play
Annual Art and Antique Walk 7 NW Front Street, Coupeville • (360) 678-3900
toys • gifts • candy • cards Open daily 10:30–5:30 • 23 Front St. • Coupeville • 360-678-6122
Sally’s Garden
ComeCelebrate the Season with Us!
Number 4 Front Street Coupeville, Washington 98239 360.678.5431
Tons of GreaT sTockinG sTuffers and GifTs for under The Tree for your peT! We have coats, sweaters, safety gear for dark nights, and toys to extend outdoor play longer! Want a Clean dog for the holidays? let us help you!
M-F 9:30-7pm • Sat 11-5pm 105 S. Main, Coupeville • (360) 678-1601 whidbeynaturalpet@gmail.com
Wishing youanan Wishing you extraordinary extraordinary Holiday Season! Holiday Season! Whidbey Island Bank Whidbey
Island Bank
7:30 pm • FRIDAY, Nov. 30
5 pm • SATURDAY, DEC. 1
Gingerbread Challenge!
Concerts On The Cove presents “Magical Strings” a Celtic Yuletide Festival.
Lighting of the Christmas Tree at Cook’s Corner Park, Main and Ninth.
Visit the Coupeville Library at 788 N.W. Alexander St. to see the entries in this year’s Gingerbread Challenge, a contest sponsored by The Whidbey Examiner. Entries will be accepted through Dec. 15, and the People’s Choice winner will be announced at the Red Ticket drawing at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23 at the Island County Historical Museum.
Enjoy Christmas Carols
Concert is at 7:30 p.m. at Camp Casey Auditorium, Coupeville. Tickets, $18 advamce, $20 at the door. For information visit concerts@concertsonthecove.org.
4 pm • SATURDAY, DEC. 1
Christmas Parade Main Street and Front Street
Helpour turnshop our into shop ainto a Winter Wonderland! Help turn Winter Wonderland! 26 - Saturday, Dec. 15 •kids For thru kids thru age 10 Friday, Monday, Nov. 25Nov. - Thursday, Dec. 15 • For age 10 be accompanied an adult Must beMust accompanied by anby adult.
Open at 7:00am-4:00pm • Mon-Sat 8:00am-3:00pm • Sunday Open at 7 am Mon-Sat • 8 am Sunday Open forMain Dinner ~ Weekly Specials! 200 S. St.,Fri-Sat Coupeville 360-682-5832
200 S. Main St., Coupeville 360-682-5832
coffee • cuisine • conversation • community
Annual Christmas Art & Antiques Walk Historic Coupeville 6 pm • SATURDAY, DEC. 1
Enjoy the floats, the arrival of Santa, and themed characters
Kids - Craft a Beautiful Paper Snowflake & Get a Free Hot Chocolate!
5 pm • SATURDAY, DEC. 1
View the Boat Parade of Lights from the Coupeville Wharf (Weather Permitting)
Coupeville Historic Waterfront Associations’ Red Ticket and the Coupeville Chamber of Commerce are hosting a
All things delicious!
Gingerbread Workshop
FREE FAMILY EVENT • Noon to 3 on SHOP LOCAL Saturday, Nov. 24th 2012 • Coupeville Recreation Hall We will provide all the “fixin’s” to make a gingerbread house graham crackers, candy, frosting!
A Treasury of Holiday Delights
Beautiful Themed Trees And Holiday Decorations Holiday Greens, Wreaths, Garlands Poinsettias, Christmas Cactus, Holly Gifts, Candles, Soaps, Polish Pottery Lamps, Pillows, Table Runners, Furniture
107 S. Main Street • Coupeville • 360-678-9114 www.sallysgardens.com• Open 7 days a week
Vail Wine Shop & Tasting Room Eagles Song Health & Wellness Christopher’s on Whidbey Streamers of Coupeville Windjammer Gallery Front Street Realty The Oystercatcher Front Street Grill Far From Normal The Honey Bear Knead & Feed Lavender Wind Kim’s Café bayleaf
Red gift bAskets, pArty plAtters, & chAmpAgne
Coupeville 360-678-6603
20 1 2
T ic k et
S h op L o c a ll y
Drawing Sunday December 23rd at 1:00 pm Island County Historical Museum
Oak Harbor 360-675-6600
w w w.bay l eaf.u s
Island County Historical Museum Garden Isle Guest Cottages& Vacation Home Elkhorn Trading Company Coupeville Auto Repair Collections Boutique Penn Cove Gallery The Coupeville Inn The Vintage Perch Back to the Island One More Thing! Toby’s Tavern Aqua Gifts
Historic
Association
Snover’s snowpeople snag historic support By Kathy Reed Staff Reporter
T
his might be harvest season, but it’s never too early to think snow – snow people, that is. Lyla Snover, who has spent the past few years, along with her husband, Phil, creating many of the snow people that go on display throughout Coupeville each holiday season, is being honored this year by the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association for her contribution to the community. The group’s annual “Christmas in Coupeville” sweatshirt and apron feature a sketch of a great blue heron wearing a beret, holding a paintbrush and preparing to paint a snowman. This year’s design was unveiled earlier this month, when a sweatshirt was presented to Snover at her Coupeville garage, which doubles as the town's official snow people workshop. “This year we decided to pay homage to Lyla as a thank you for her effort all these years,” said Chuck Poust, CWHA member and owner of Windjammer Gallery on Front Street. “To be honored with a sweatshirt is really, really special,” Snover said. The Coupeville snow people got started shortly after Nancy Conard became mayor, Snover said. “It started at the Christmas parade,” she recalled. “(Conard) wore
Learn more Sales of “Christmas in Coupeville” sweatshirts and aprons benefit the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association, which promotes preservation of the historic downtown. Sweatshirts are $25; aprons are $20. Both are available at Windjammer Gallery, 22 Front St., and the Coupeville Chamber of Commerce, 902 N.W. Alexander St., Coupeville. a snowman costume and has worn it every year since then. The next year some of the town’s maintenance crew made two plywood snowmen. One said, ‘Welcome to Coupeville,’ and the other said, ’Bye.’” Snover said she volunteered her husband’s services cutting out more plywood snow-people shapes after Conard mentioned that she thought it would be fun to have even more of them to put on display around town. “Phil cut out maybe 10 the first year and several people helped paint them,” she said. “We were retired by then, so we just kind of started.” The town pays for the plywood, Phil Snover uses his Skilsaw to cut out the shapes and Lyla and fellow snow-people fans paint them. At last count, Snover said she had 84 large snow people in her ga-
Elisabeth Murray photo
Chuck Poust of Windjammer Gallery puts the finishing touches on a snowman honoring Central Whidbey Hearts and Hammers.
Elisabeth Murray photo
Gwen Samuelson, Lyla Snover and Chuck Poust gather in front of several of Coupeville’s snowpeople at Snover’s garage. Snover is wearing this year’s “Christmas in Coupeville” sweatshirt, which is being sold as a fundraiser by the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association and pays tribute to Snover for her work creating snowmen to decorate the town. rage, about 40 mid-size figures and a couple of dozen small snow people. Each year they add to the collection. This year there are 16 new snow people, many of whom have been painted to represent different service clubs, such as the Lions Club and Hearts and Hammers. Some draw attention to local businesses, including one of the new ones painted this year that shows a snowman reading a copy of The Whidbey Examiner with the front-page headline, "Invasion!" and a picture of a crowd of invading snow people. “We did whatever we could think of for people that did things for the town,” Snover said. “Different people have come and painted them every year so we have a lot of different styles.”
As the snow people project has evolved, so has Snover’s technique. Over the years she has painted bears and even a Mickey Mouse. Her favorite snow people are the small ones that appear to be waving at passing motorists, although she admits she enjoys all of them. “I just like looking at them,” Snover said. “I go out and talk to them.” What used to be a seasonal hobby has become more of a full-time passion for Snover, who keeps the snow peeps stored in her garage. “It’s easier to work on them all year 'round and to freshen them up,” she said. “They get muddy and dirty – and sometimes vandalized.” One of the hardest things, she said, is motivating certain people to get going on the project each year. “It’s hard to get Phil to cut them out. That’s what slows us down,” Snover said with a laugh. The snow people go on display just before the annual Greening of Coupeville parade, which takes place the evening of the first Saturday in December. Over the years, the snow people have become a small-town tradition that has meaning to many. “That’s part of the fun of them,” said Poust, who has helped with painting the past couple of years. It's a lot of work, but Snover said she enjoys every minute of it. “This is my home. I love Coupeville,” Snover said. “It’s really a thrill to see all the snowmen along the road.”
Snowman coloring contest Don’t miss our first-ever snowman coloring contest, to be published in the Nov. 29 issue of The Whidbey Examiner! The contest is free, and includes categories for both kids and adults. So get out your crayons and prepare your glitter and glue – the best entries will win some cool prizes!