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THURSDAY, December 13, 2012
Conard weds 10 same-sex couples Sun.
VOL. 18, NO. 19
Preserving History
By Justin Burnett Staff Reporter
Ten gay couples became some of the first in Island County to take advantage of Washington’s new same-sex marriage laws Sunday when they tied the knot at a private ceremony in Langley. Officiated by Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard, the weddings were held at the home of one of the nation’s most famous gay couples: Grethe Cammermeyer and Diane Divelbess. They were one of the couples who wed. Cammermeyer said it was a memorable day to begin with but it was made that much more special thanks to Conard. She prepared for the ceremonies by calling each of the couples in advance to learn a little about them so each service would be a little more personal. “(She) did such a beautiful job with all them,” Cammermeyer said. An Uzbeki wedding horn, loaned by Langley resident Fred Lundahl, and drinking glasses with the date and “Married in Washington” blazoned on the side, also helped to make the day memorable. Amazingly, all of the ceremonies were conducted over a short two-hour period, from 1 to 3 p.m., and were then followed by Cammermeyer’s and Divelbess’ annual Christmas party. Adherence to a regimented schedule allowed everything to go smoothly and on time, said Cammermeyer, who is a retired colonel with the Washington National Guard. “It was a military operation,” she joked. Coupeville residents Jim Sherman and Michael Ferri were one of the couple’s who wed on Sunday. Their relationship began more than 30 years ago in San Francisco, Calif. Sherman was working for the state and living in a church rectory when he was convinced by a friend to attend a spiritual group for gay men. There he met Ferri. It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. The two sat next to each other but in a confusing case of mistaken identity, Ferri thought Sherman was involved with a mutual friend and that he had been cheating on him with an anonymous doctor. Later, when Ferri was asked if he wanted to give Sherman his number, his impression of the man sunk and he thought, “The nerve.” Of course it was all soon cleared up and the two hit it off. “That’s how it started and we’ve been together ever since,” Ferri said. Just not legally. See MARRIAGE, page 13
Justin Burnett photo
Workers install a new roof on Smith Farm at Willowood Farm in Central Whidbey. Located in the heart of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, it’s believed to be more than 100 years old, is one of the parks signature structures and favorite of photographers.
Ebey grant gives barn new protection By Justin Burnett Staff Reporter
A community supported grant program is giving one of Central Whidbey’s most recognizable and historic structures a new lease on life. Workers recently began installing a new metal roof on the Smith Barn at Willowood Farm, which is located about one mile south of town in the heart of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. According to farm owner Georgie Smith, the project was made possible due to grant money received from the Ebey’s Forever Fund. The pot of money is generated from local donations and is awarded to owners of threatened historic structures. “We would not have been able to afford to do this without it,” Smith said, of the grant program. The exact age of the Smith Barn is unknown, but Smith says it’s believed to be at least 100 years old. She said she can’t be sure but thinks the barn was constructed sometime in the 1880s.
“I’ve never been able to find an actual date but we’re confident it’s before the 1900s,” she said. Better known is the age of its roof. Bill Smith, Georgie Smith’s father, said he remembers it was installed just after the great Columbus Day Storm of 1962. Shingles from the old roof had just been taken off when the West Coast was hit by the famous blow, a storm that killed dozens of people. “We had about 100 mph winds,” Bill Smith recalled. New metal sheeting went up shortly afterwards but that was 50 years ago this year. Over the years, that shiny new roof turned brown with rust and had begun to leak badly.
According to Georgie Smith, a new roof was expected to run at least $30,000, a hefty bill for a small-town farming family. So they applied for Ebey’s Forever Fund money, a program that has only been around for two years, and was awarded a grant. “We knew we couldn’t afford it from the get go,” she said. That money was then leveraged for a Heritage Barn Grant, a program administered though the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, which was used to replace the structure’s old doors. Altogether, the Smiths’ received about $29,000 from the two funds. Both grants reSee BARN, page 13