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Thursday, April 11, 2013
Landslide benefit nets $10K for victim relief
VOL. 18, NO. 36
New governor in town
By Nathan Whalen Staff reporter
Whidbey Island residents and business owners came together Saturday to help victims of the March 27 landslide that damaged homes in Ledgewood. Hundreds of well-wishers ventured to Greenbank Farm to listen to live music and raise money for the victims of last month’s natural disaster. Those charitable music lovers chipped in to donate more than $10,000 to the people whose homes have been damaged by the landslide. “I think it’s extraordinary,” said Mark Laska, owner of Ciao restaurant in Coupeville. “It was a beautiful time.” Laska said it took six days, with Easter in the middle, to organize. Three bands performed in the main barn at the Greenbank Farm — Mojo Filter, The Still Bill Band and Johnny Bulldog. They provided plenty of music for the lively crowd to dance to during the five-hour event. Sho’ Nuff Barbecue and Useless Bay Barbecue prepared food and wine See Fundraiser, page 9
Workers scramble to restore utilities in Ledgewood By Nathan Whalen Staff Reporter
Crews have been working 10-hour days for more than a week to restore power to homes near the rubble of the landslide that devastated 1,000 feet of shoreline on Central Whidbey Island. Those work crews are installing a conduit about five feet underground that will carry power, cable and telephone lines to the homes that have been without power since March 27. It is one of the projects underway to restore utilities to affected homes. Walt Blackford, community services manager for Puget Sound Energy, said he hopes See Utilities, page 9
Nathan Whalen photo
Washington state Governor Jay Inslee visited Ledgewood in Central Whidbey Island Saturday. He was one of a number of elected officials that viewed the damage from last month’s incident.
Elected officials visit disaster area By Nathan Whalen Staff Reporter
Gov. Jay Inslee along with a throng of local, state and federal officials got a first-hand look at the natural disaster that devastated a Central Whidbey neighborhood in March. The newly elected governor visited Whidbey Island Saturday to tour the landslide that destroyed a significant portion of the Ledgewood area March 27. The entourage, which included county commissioners, State Sen. Barbara Bailey and several residents still living in the area, walked down a temporary gravel road to visit the landslide area. They had to climb over trees still lying in a roadway to get a view of the landslide area and see how close the new cliff is to home on the bluff. They also visited a home where the backyard
is crumbling away followed by a walk down to the beach, where a home that is no longer habitable was clearly visible. “I think it’s absolutely important,” Arthur Nowell said of the governor’s visit Saturday. Nowell lives in Ledgewood just south of the landslide. He added such visits are important because it helps state agencies who would be involved with the clean up to work together. His home has been without power since
the landslide. Work crews are continuing their efforts to repair the utilities and Nowell was impressed with the county’s efforts to build a temporary road that provided access to the low-lying homes in the Ledgewood area. “I’ve been blown away and impressed with the county,” Nowell said during the governor’s visit. See Inslee, page 9