RECORD
INSIDE
SOUTH WHIDBEY
Hometown Heroes A10
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2013 | Vol. 89, No. 68 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
Risen from the depths
Board calls off Nov. law, justice measure By JESSIE STENSLAND South Whidbey Record One commissioner’s recognition of the county’s recuperating finances has led the board to pull the law-and-justice levy from the November ballot. The Island County commissioners are scheduled Monday to formally remove the proposed property tax increase from the ballot. All three commissioners informally agreed on the decision during a work session Wednesday. “I’m concerned about going out and asking the taxpayers for more money when we have capacity in SEE L&J TAX, A7
A crane that spent more than one week on the bottom of South Whidbey Harbor was raised early Thursday morning.
Justin Burnett / The Record
Drowned crane successfully hoisted from seafloor By CELESTE ERICKSON South Whidbey Record A crane at the bottom of South Whidbey Harbor was hoisted to the surface Thursday morning after spending more than one week underwater. No diesel fuel from the crane leaked during the operation or throughout the week, said Carl Andersen, a hazardous materials specialist with the Department of Ecology who was on site Thursday. The crane was lifted in three parts including the crane’s main body, the counterweight and the boom. A piling was also removed. All parts were out of the water by 10:30 a.m. The crane fell from a barge that tipped due to a mechanical error last Wednesday, Aug. 14. The operation was handled by barge and crane owner Neptune Marine with assistance from
Orion Marine Group, a civil marine contractor. Overall, the operation went smoothly but wasn’t without excitement. During the lifting of the crane’s counterweight, a line snapped just as the object was about to touch down on a barge. Two workers were nearby, but no one was injured. No additional permits were needed for the operation. It was covered in permits associated with the project, said Ed Field, port operations manager. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Michael Berlin said the lifting process went well and there was minimal environmental damage. He said the majority of the vegetable-based oil used to lubricate the equipment was contained within the boom and removed with absorbent pads. About 10-15 gallons of the vegetable-based oil
Fairgoer howls foul over service dog dispute
was released from the crane since Wednesday. Andersen said the company did a good job getting the boom out quickly and getting the crane out of the water. “They did an awesome job with safety and with the environment,” Andersen said. “Everything turned out really well.” Curt Gordon, port commissioner, said the company did the job quickly and efficiently. “I can’t wait until we can stand there with an additional breakwater and 400 feet of additional moorage next year,” he said. “It should be pretty nice.” Neptune Marine was beginning to install the second piling in the marina expansion project last Wednesday when a mechanical problem caused the barge to take on water and tip.
An incident at the Whidbey Island Area Fair last week may soon become the subject of an investigation by the Washington Human Rights Commission. Clinton resident Laurie Cecil confirmed Thursday that she is in the process of filing a discrimination complaint with the state agency over the eviction of her service dog by a fair official.
SEE CRANE, A11
SEE SERVICE DOG, A7
By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record