INSIDE: Early lead slips away ... Sports, A7
Record South Whidbey
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013 | Vol. 89, No. 5 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
Council balks on Unexpected twist in court leaves zoning ordinance lover/murderer’s testimony in doubt Residents blast
property lines next to a single family residential zone. “This isn’t just in the By BEN best interest of the busiWATANABE ness owners, it also beneStaff reporter fits the residents,” Arango said. LANGLEY — Seeking a Noise inside the popular compromise, City Planner nightspot was just one part Jeff Arango thought his of the problems. Patrons work with the ordinance at Mo’s, Lagerquist and on commercial develop- others said, litter, loiter ment next to single family and yell outside the bar. zoning was over. “We have a rare qualMonths ity of life of work here, and and meetit’s so ings with unfor tuLangley’s nate to Planning think of a Advisor y business Board, resisuch as dents and M o ’ s Mo’s Pub being owners next to Kay Lagerquist hit anotha single Langley resident er snag f a m M o n d a y. ily resiResidents dence,” said one woman, a at the city council meet- Langley business owner. ing blasted the ordinance The council backed for allegedly favoring away from the staff and the pub and ignoring its planning board’s recomSecond Street neighbors. mendations to approve And council members the ordinance. But at extended the ordinance least one councilman was to a second reading. worried with the nature New rules included day of hemming in Mo’s. and time limits for live, Councilman Bruce Allen amplified music, buffers warned detractors that between properties and should Langley lose one size restrictions on loung- of its few nightspots, the es. But one resident said city could lose tourists’ the rules were empty. dollars. “There’s no way to “If you start winding it monitor and enforce, we down too tight, they’re not don’t have that in a real going to come here,” said serious process,” said Kay Allen, a former employee Lagerquist, who lives on at Mo’s. Second Street. While Langley’s As part of the new Planning Advisory Board ordinance, live, amplified made the amendments music would be allowed six and submitted its final times a year. Businesses recommendations to the wishing to have live bands city council for approval, would need a special per- any further changes will mit, approved by the city be made by the council. council. The next city council Lounges, 21-and-older meeting is scheduled for areas where liquor is 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. served, are limited to a 22. 500 square-foot maximum Ben Watanabe can be space. Langley added a reached at 221-5300. 30-foot buffer from the
‘Mo’s’ rules
“There’s no way to monitor and enforce, we don’t have that in a real serious process.”
Jessie Stensland / The Record
Peggy Sue Thomas, who was allegedly involved in the 2003 murder of Russel Douglas on South Whidbey, appears in court Friday.
Peggy Sue Thomas appears in court By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter During a very unusual hearing Friday, two suspected murderers and former lovers came face to face in court for the first time since their arrests. Peggy Sue Thomas, a former beauty queen, is facing a murder charge, and now a count of conspiracy to commit murder, for her alleged role in the 2003 shooting death of 32-year-old Russel Douglas on South Whidbey. James Huden, her alleged accomplice and former boyfriend, was convicted of first-degree murder in a high-profile trial last summer and sentenced to 80 years in prison. He was summoned from prison by Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks to appear at a hearing to determine whether he’ll testify against Thomas at trial. The Friday afternoon hearing, however, didn’t go the way the prosecutor was expecting. The case has received widespread media coverage. Nightline, the ABC television news program, is following the
Jessie Stensland / The Record
James Huden, who was convicted of killing Russel Douglas, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during a hearing in Island County Superior Court. case and had a TV camera at the hearing. True-crime author Anne Rule is planning on writing a book about the murder. Throughout the case, Huden has refused to testify against his former girlfriend. He ignored an offer from the pros-
ecution which would have lessened his sentence in exchange for his testimony against Thomas. He remained silent at the sentencing hearing as the victim’s See Twist, A8