INSIDE: Driven ... Sports, A7
RECORD SOUTH WHIDBEY
SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013 | Vol. 89, No. 40 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
Hit-and-run crash lands Clinton man in jail By BEN WATANABE Staff reporter A hit-and-run suspect picked the wrong place to turn after leaving the scene of a collision Tuesday morning at Bayview Road and Highway 525. A high-speed impact sent a Subaru Baja and its driver through the intersection from a dead stop about 11:30 a.m. The driver of the pickup that hit the Subaru left the scene, heading north toward Freeland. State Trooper Sgt. Bruce Maier, reading from the incident report Friday, said the suspect turned left onto Double Bluff Road, directly in front of the trooper who was responding to the accident. “He fled from the scene but was captured minutes later,” said Maier, identifying the man as Nicholas J. Sayko, 34, of Clinton. He was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and hitand-run. He was driving a 1997 Toyota Tacoma. The wreck scene snarled traffic in each direction for about 30 minutes. The driver of the Subaru suffered minor injuries, said South Whidbey Fire/ EMS Assistant Chief Paul Busch, who was on the scene. The driver, identified by the State Patrol as Judith E. Sleypan, 67, of Langley, was conscious and alert when first responders arrived. One witness stuck around to describe the crash to Island County Deputy Darren Crownover and the Washington State Patrol. Joel Shrut was crossing the highway on his bike on Bayview Road when the crash happened behind him. The Subaru was stopped at the light when he said a truck smashed into the car, sending the Baja screeching through the intersection until it stopped just north of the intersection near a Scotch broom patch on the side of the highway.
New life given to hospital bond vote By NATHAN WHALEN Staff reporter
Ben Watanabe / The Record
Joel Shrut waits to speak with Island County Deputy Darren Crownover about a crash in Bayview on Tuesday morning. The Subaru Baja was rear-ended by a truck, Shrut said, then fled north on Highway 525. The Subaru’s driver was transported to Whidbey General Hospital. South Whidbey Fire/EMS and Whidbey General Hospital first responders stabilized the victim on a stretcher, who was then taken to
Whidbey General Hospital about 20 minutes after SEE CRASH, A16
‘Parklets’ may solve First Street parking problems By BEN WATANABE Staff reporter
Ben Watanabe / The Record
Parking on First Street may look a little different in Langley’s future. A proposal will be made by June for the parking space configuration on Langley’s main shopping roadway to keep angled spots but remove four in favor of small pedestrian areas.
Driving along First Street, the thrust of the area is clear: business. Shops, restaurants and galleries line the road. The only problem for the merchants is parking, and it can be a major impediment to their success if cars block their storefronts. Langley’s city planner proposed three options for parking on First Street. After taking public input for months, Jeff Arango is close to making an official recommendation to the city council in June. With the support of several business owners, Arango will likely push for keeping the angled park-
ing. The twist will be the removal of four spaces in favor of two “parklets,” creating public spaces with benches, bike racks and tables. Keeping things the way they are is an option before city leaders. It’s just not a popular choice. Currently, 20 angled spaces exist on First Street with more available across the road as parallel spots. “Visually, it’s a lot more cars, particularly when larger vehicles park there it blocks the storefronts,” Arango said. A study was conducted in the summer of 2011 in which three days of parking SEE PARKING, A16
A commissioner for Whidbey General Hospital resuscitated the idea this week of asking voters to approve a bond measure. Staff members at the publicly owned hospital continue to struggle with inadequate infrastructure while making strides in medical technology and patient satisfaction. A proposal to ask the voters to approve a bond to fund expansion of the hospital — with the all-important, single-patient rooms — has been on the back burner since voters failed to pass a $50 million measure in May 2011. Hospital Commissioner Ron Wallin proposed during Monday’s hospital board meeting that hospital administration re-evaluate a bond. More than 55 percent of voters cast ballots in favor of the bond two years ago, but it fell short of the 60 percent supermajority needed for approval. Wallin cited the island’s growing population and the aging medical-surgical wing as reasons for urgency. He said construction could take as much as three years. “We have no doubts about the need for a new inpatient wing. We have the right plans and the right people in place to realize this vision,” Wallin said during the meeting. “Our community tells us in their patient satisfaction surveys that an upgrade is sorely needed.” Wallin advocated placing a proposal on the November general election. Commissioner Grethe Cammermeyer questioned whether there would be enough time to educate the SEE HOSPITAL, A16