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inside: U-pick season starts. Page 3
VOL. 18, NO. 48
Thursday, JULY 4, 2013
Priess hangs up hat with reserve By Justin Burnett Staff Reporter
After more than six years at the helm, Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve Manager Mark Preiss is hanging up his hat and headed for high country. Preiss has accepted a position as chief executive officer of Glacier National Park Conservancy, the non-profit fundraising partner for the Montana-based park. His last day on the job is set for July 31. Leaving was a difficult decision but Preiss said he feels good about his tenure and is proud of what the community has accomplished. “I think we’ve shown what’s possible,” Preiss said. “People were ready and committed. How can you not be optimistic about the future when you see what’s been accomplished?” “Ebey’s has always been about possibilities,” he said. Al Sherman, a longtime Central Whidbey farmer and Trust Board member, credited Preiss with a series of successes, from his role in helping to overhaul county and Coupeville design review rules to shepherding over innovative new programs that leverage community support. “He’s done a great, job, he really has,” Sherman said. “He just got things done.” According to Jan Pickard, also a Trust Board member, his “visionary leadership style” not only energized the public but galvanized community efforts into a cohesive and effective force. To start, the reserve’s 30th birthday saw the establishment of the annual Ebey’s Forever Conference. The event would later give birth to the highly successful Ebey’s Forever Fund. The community-driven grant program aims to help struggling property owners with the high cost of maintaining historic structures. In 2013 alone, the fund contributed $100,000 to 13 property owners. While Preisssaid he is proud of the work he’s done, he is adamant that the accomplishments over the past six years are really those of the community. All he did was provide a few nudges in the right direction. “What I’m most proud of is I was invited to be a part of this, a part of Ebey’s, to feel its story and help preserve and sustain its unbroken record,” Preiss said. Pickard said the Trust Board will likely hire an interim director to fill in until the position can be filled with a permanent replacement.
Preserving partners
Megan Hansen photos
Rain or shine, Central Whidbey Lions were out working on preserving two historical structures located on the Pratt Property in Ebey’s Reserve. Inset: The Sheep Barn located on Ebey’s bluff is also being restored by a group out of Michigan.
Groups working together to save Pratt history By Megan Hansen Editor
Several treasured historical structures in Ebey’s Reserve have been getting muchneeded TLC with the help of local and visiting preservationists. Tucked toward the back of Ron Hanson’s property at the top of Ebey’s bluff, are two small structures getting repairs aimed at preserving their historical integrity. The two buildings, originally owned by Frank Pratt Jr., were built in the first part of the 1900s. Just behind a barn and brush are an old child’s playhouse and a house once known as the China Man’s Cabin or Cook’s Cabin. With the help of the Central Whidbey Lion’s Club and Whidbey Partners in Preservation, Hanson is able to preserve the structures sooner than he anticipated. “It’s really about honoring the Pratt’s and
the legacy they left,” Hanson said. “They were stewards of the land.” Frank Pratt Jr. moved to Whidbey Island in 1908 and purchased the Jacob Ebey property and the Ferry House. His intention at the time was preserving the history. He maintained the Ebey House and restored the Ebey Blockhouse. “People don’t know the important stuff,” Hanson said. “He was protecting the land before it was cool.” “He was 70 years ahead of his time.” The children’s playhouse is believed to have been built for Pratt’s son Robert, who upon his death, donated some of the property to nonprofit organizations. Parts of the property ended up in the hands of The Nature Conservatory, who now owns the Sheep Barn, which is farther down from the Jacob Ebey House, tucked in against the bluff. With the help of Partners in Preservation and a group of 12 volunteers who are known
as the Michigan volunteers, the group is also working at preserving the sheep barn. That project include floor and beam repairs. Preservation of these properties included many hands and organizations. The Michigan volunteers traveled across the country to lend a hand and expertise, Central Whidbey Lions provided manpower, supplies and additional support. Hanson provided a place for the out-ofstate volunteers to stay as well as supplies, equipment and other support. Work spanned roughly two weeks. “All of this would not have happened without the initiation and coordination of Whidbey Partners in Preservation,” said Harrison Goodall, founder of the group. “Our purpose has been to stimulate, educate and enable partnerships to support heritage preservation. We are all stewards of this island and working together we can protect it for future generations.”