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VOL. 19, NO. 8
Thursday, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013
Food bank expanding to serve elementary By Nathan Whalen Staff reporter
Several Coupeville Elementary School students will be taking more than homework and books home on weekends. The Gifts from the Heart Food Bank is starting a program to ensure some students will have food to get through the weekend. The new program, called Meals 2 Kids, will send up to 50 elementary school students home with a bag of food, helping to provide meals through the weekend. “For some families, it could be a positive thing for them,” said David Ebersole, principal at Coupeville Elementary School. He said the weekend meal program could be a “conduit” to other services that could provide assistance to families. Students participating in the program will receive each Friday two breakfasts, two lunches, two beverages, two snacks and two pieces of fresh fruit. Teachers at Coupeville Elementary School are identifying possible students who could participate in the program. Volunteers for the Central Whidbeybased food bank said they notice a significant number of children and youth receiving food when it is doled out twice a month. Gifts from the Heart president Molly Hughes said 34 percent of the people helped by the food bank are 18 years old and younger. “School kids are always a huge part of our demographic,” Hughes said. In the Coupeville School District, 34.5 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced-priced lunches. Ebersole said that number has fluctuated as high as 40 percent. Hughes said volunteers already has experience providing the service. During the last school year, Gifts from the Heart implemented a pilot program for six weeks last spring. That program helped 24 students. It costs Gifts from the Heart $5 per student per weekend to provide the meals. Hughes said the food bank has enough resources to help 50 students for the school year. Volunteers have several hurdles to
See FOOD page 16
Weather permitting Megan Hansen photos
A group of kite fliers from British Columbia and Washington practice during the Whidbey Island Kite Festival Saturday at Camp Casey Conference Center. Despite sporadic weather changes, event organizers were able to hold planned competitions Saturday. To see more pictures from the festival go to page 16.
Kites soar during annual festival By Megan Hansen Editor
Sporadic weather didn’t stop Whidbey Island Fliers last weekend from putting on another kite festival. “It is tough when the weather is tough,” said organizer Lisa Root. “I think we had good support and turnout.” Rain held out Saturday, giving competitive fliers the chance to take to the field in precision and ballet competitions. Root said because of weather predictions most of the competitions were held Saturday. “We had to move competition up to Saturday to get them done,” Root said.
Kites of all shapes and sizes attempted flight Saturday. Sporadic wind grounded kites from time-to-time, but competitions were successfuly completed.
Saturday offered breaks of sun and scatter clouds, but minimal wind. At times it completely dropped off. The two teams of Revolution fliers didn’t get to compete. Revolutions are four-stringed kites often used in synchronized flying. Root is a member of the Oddsquad, a Whidbeybased Revolution team. “The wind just wasn’t what my team could fly in,” she said. The other team, Island Quad, made up of fliers from British Columbia and Washington, were able to get a bit of flying in on Saturday, but not for competition. Sunday offered strong winds and scattered showers. Weather didn’t detour many attending the event Sunday. “It was really surprising to me,” Root said. “The wind was blowing so hard Sunday.” While the weather didn’t cooperate for a children’s event called a “Teddy Bear Drop,”
See KITES page 16