RECORD D SOUTH WHIDBEY
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FAIR PARADE A12
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2013 | VOL. 89, NO. 67 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
Trail work launches airfield concerns
Fish master coaches for Derby
Rhododendron project moves foward with 2-1 vote By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record The Island County Commissioners voted to move forward with additional work on Central Whidbey’s Rhododendron trail last week, despite concerns voiced by Chairwoman Jill Johnson. “My concern is that, at this stage, I’m not willing to build under the flight zones,” Johnson said. “If it’s true that it is dangerous to play in the park and to engage in activities in those areas, we need to limit action in the areas of concern.” According to the county’s noise contours map for the island, the stretch of Rhododendron Trail in question lies within the area surrounding Outlying Field Coupeville that reportedly experiences noise levels at 75 decibels.
“I’m not arguing that the planes aren’t loud — they’re loud.” Jill Johnson, Commissioner
A recent independent study recorded levels in excess of 130 decibels. Operations at OLF have been embroiled in controversy in recent months with a citizens’ group filing a SEE TRAIL WORK, A24
Ben Watanabe / The Record
Kevin Lungren gets in a few more casts just before sundown Sunday at South Whidbey State Park. The longtime angler parted with a few trade secrets on a fighting venture with a South Whidbey Record reporter. Lungren, vice president of The Fishin’ Club, is helping at the biennual Freeland Ace Pink Salmon Derby, Aug. 24. See Sports page A8 for details.
Clinton business picks up roots for new digs By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record The register’s bell is a bit busier these days at Jim’s Hardware. That’s because a risky move by owner Becky Bell from its storied downtown Clinton location to Ken’s Korner is paying off. “It was a really tough decision,” Bell said. “I had to do something.” Bell bought the store from proprietor Jim Harwell’s widow Mary Harwell on April Fools’ Day, 2008. Sales were steady for years until about eight months ago when they dropped an unprec-
edented $23,000 between October and July, Bell said. At the bustling Ken’s Korner Shopping Mall on the intersection of Highway 525 and Langley Road/Cultus Bay Road, “foot traffic” — the number of people visiting a store — and sales have picked up. Bell said business is better because of the distance from the ferry, which makes residents more likely to visit rather than contend with Clinton traffic. It’s also closer to higher-density populations in Langley and Freeland. On a recent Friday, customers told Bell as she rung up fishing licenses, screws and paint that they appreciated the location change.
“It’s nice that we have the whole circle of people going in every direction,” Bell said. “At the old location, it was just that community.” Not alone in move Jim’s Hardware was one of several stores that have decided to pick up roots and move from downtown Clinton. The Rack and Good Cheer Too, the second thrift store for the South Whidbey food bank, moved to Ken’s Korner in October 2012 after eight years in Clinton. SEE BUSINESS, A24