Whidbey News-Times, July 20, 2013

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News-Times Whidbey

THE WINNERS Best of Whidbey 2013 inside this edition

SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2013 | Vol. 114, No. 58 | www.whidbeynewstimes.com | 75¢

Federal suit filed; OLF practices suspended By JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter

A Central Whidbey community group aiming to close Outlying Field Coupeville has taken its fight to federal court. Citizens of the Ebey’s Reserve for a Healthy, Safe & Peaceful Environment filed a lawsuit Monday. Capt. Mike Nortier, commander of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, and Adm. Bill Gortney, Commander Fleet Forces Command, are both named as parties in the suit. In a Thursday statement, the Navy declined to comment on details of the suit, but it did reveal a major change of airfield operations.

“It would be inappropriate for the Navy to comment on the specifics of pending litigation. “Last month, however, the Navy decided to temporarily suspend field carrier landing practice (FCLP) operations at OLF Coupeville until the end of the calendar year. “This decision will create operational impacts, and is not considered to be sustainable for the long term. Conducting all FCLPs at Ault Field will interfere with other necessary operations, entailing delays and operational conflicts.” EFFORTS TO engage Navy leaders about jet noise concerns have failed and legal action was the last recourse, said representatives of the citizens

group. “The only way we could get them to talk to us was to file a suit,” said Maryon Attwood, a member of the group’s board of directors. In June, the organization’s attorneys, Seattlebased Gendler & Mann, gave the Navy 30 days to begin an in-depth review of operations at the airfield based on National Environmental Protection Act standards. The letter also included a privately funded noise study that claimed aircraft performing touch-and-go maneuvers at the airfield are so loud they represent a health risk. See LAWSUIT, A14

Avid anglers prep for estimated 6.2 million pink run

By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter

Joshua Lambert questioned himself at trial. He described killing his grandfathers to the jury. He swore at the judge and prosecu- Accused tor during killer hearings. After issu- attacks jail ing dozens of manager stern warnpage A14 ings, Island C o u n t y Superior Court Judge Vickie Churchill ruled Thursday afternoon that Lambert may no longer represent himself in his double murder trial. The final straw came when Lambert called Island County Coroner Robert Bishop to

By RON NEWBERRY

T Staff reporter

THE EXPERIENCE of an 8year-old from Oak Harbor catching his first salmon with his dad

Photo by Ron Newberry/Whidbey News-Times

Kyle Eckles, 8, of Oak Harbor, lands his first salmon with an assist from his dad Bob Eckles during an evening of fishing along the shore at Driftwood Park in Coupeville on July 17. Pink salmon are beginning to enter the Sound. on the beach at Driftwood Park in Coupeville Wednesday night was more than either of the Eckles could have imagined. The fish, which weighed about 3 pounds, was one of the early arrivals of an estimated 6.2 million pink

salmon expected to return to Puget Sound this summer. “We were just out practicing,” Bob Eckles said. “I wanted to give him some experience.” “We caught a few trout earlier this year. I wanted him to experience the

Now – September

SUNDAY Summer

tug of a bigger fish.” “It was really fun,” Kyle said. WHIDBEY ISLAND’S wildest fishery is about to unfold, sending See HumpIES, A11

See churchill, A14

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WNT-ST

NAS Whidbey commander defendant in federal suit.

Judge loses her patience with Lambert

In humpy heaven

he tug on the line caught Kyle Eckles by surprise. Could it really be a salmon? Eckles saw a flash in the water and told his dad he had a fish. His dad thought he caught the bottom of Puget Sound. “You’ve got seaweed,” Bob Eckles said to his son. But the elder Eckles watched his son’s line get yanked away from the shoreline. “Seaweed doesn’t fight back,” he said.

Capt. Nortier

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