INSIDE: John Sarkis brings his work to Museo... Island Living, A 10
Record South Whidbey
SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2013 | Vol. 89, No. 18 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
Emerson to get turn as chairperson
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By JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter
Two months ago, Commissioner Kelly Emerson received 60 days to settle her issues with the Island County Planning Department or face the possibility of once again being passed over for chairmanship of the board. The matters have yet to be resolved, but Emerson will likely serve as county commission chairwoman. Newly-elected Commissioner Jill Johnson is supporting her fellow Republican’s bid to serve as chairwoman. Johnson said Thursday that she met with Emerson and Democratic Commissioner Helen Price Johnson before being sworn into office. Johnson said she made it clear to both that she believes Emerson deserves her turn at the helm. “I made a promise and that’s to support Commissioner Emerson as chair,” Johnson said. “I keep my promises.” The issue of chairmanship is the first thing the board will talk about during its next work session, set for Wednesday, March 6. The meeting begins 9 a.m. and will be held in the Commissioners Hearing Room, 6 N.E. Sixth St., Coupeville. Since her election in 2010, Emerson has battled with Island County Planning and Community Development over an alleged critical areas violation at her Camano Island property. It started when department officials were informed during her campaign that an un-permitted porch was being built at the residence. A stop-work order was issued and county officials said they found there might be a wetland on the property. Emerson and her husband, Ken Emerson, spent the past few years maintaining that the wetland does not exist. They unsuccessfully sued the county, wracked up $37,000 in fines and hired two hydrologists to examine their property. Both hydrologists said no wetland exists. Emerson said it should come as no surprise to anyone that the issue isn’t resolved. She said she made it clear in January, when she was given the 60-day deadline, that she didn’t expect anything to be resolved by March. Neither she nor her husband are going to back down, she said, so the next steps — and ultimately resolution — is in the hands of planning officials, particularly its departmental chief, Bob Pederson. See Emerson, A9
Jim Larsen / The Record
The superstructure of the Tokitae is lined up on the I-beam tracks to prepare for its trip to the barge waiting in Holmes Harbor. It was scheduled to leave Saturday and be towed to Vigor Shipyard in Seattle to be mated to the hull and deck. The new ferry will carry 144 vehicles.
Tokitae on track in Freeland By Jim Larsen Record editor
The superstructure of the new state ferry Tokitae was still poking its nose out of Nichols Brothers Boat Builders Friday morning as workers prepared it for its harrowing journey across the road and beach onto a waiting barge. In prior days, what looked like an elevated railroad had been built, some 14-feet high between the yard and nearby Holmes Harbor. Huge I-beams formed the bridge, perhaps 600-feet long, held aloft by a spider web of supportive bracing. Matt Nichols, company CEO, estimated the big vessel would proceed about 20-feet per hour until reaching the back of the barge. The 2.5 million pound piece of shipbuilding work was designed to crawl slowly through the boat
yard and over the rocky beach to the huge barge, which in turned would be towed by two tugs to main contractor Vigor Shipyard in Seattle to be wedded to the hull and deck. Plans had shifted throughout the week, and nothing changed Friday. At first, it was thought the vessel would start moving at 10 a.m., then at noon, and then after lunch, too late for this edition of The Record. Plenty of people were watching, though, many from the hill leading up to Freeland. Closer to the work site were the two tugboat pilots and the moving project’s insurance underwriter. “We don’t want anything to go wrong,” said the latter. It’s no simple job moving a superstructure 83-feet wide, 260-feet long and roughly 50-feet high, weighing 250 tons. See Nichols, A14
Jim Larsen / The Record
Workers Thursday evening finish the last connection of the long, I-beam track the Tokitae superstructure was to cross to reach a barge in Holmes Harbor. The 600-feet trip required passing over Shore Avenue and the beach to the waiting barge.