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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2013 | Vol. 89, No. 98 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
Bayview Valero stickup rattles South Whidbey Robbery suspect still at large
By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record
By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record A man wearing a black ski mask, camouflage jacket and pants stormed the Bayview Valero gas station Wednesday night and forced the store’s clerk to hand him $500. The clerk was not seriously injured by the armed robbery, although the Island County Sheriff’s Office reported the suspect jabbed the victim with the barrel of the weapon, leaving an impression in her skin that matches the diameter of a shotgun barrel. “Endangering somebody’s life for anything doesn’t make any sense for anything,” said Detective Ed Wallace,
Missing man sparks search of Langley marina
Contributed photo
An unknown gunman robs the Valero gas station in Bayview on Wednesday evening, making off with about $500. The suspect is still at large. spokesman for the sheriff’s office. Security footage from the store shows the masked
man, believed to be between 5 feet, 10 inches and 6 feet tall with a thin build, pointing a pump-action shotgun at the
clerk, who is not visible in the SEE ROBBERY, A20
Whidbey Island police are on the lookout for a missing person in Langley. Allen Fletcher, 30, was last seen intoxicated the night of Nov. 18 near the South Whidbey Harbor marina. Members of the Snohomish County Allen Fletcher Sheriff’s Office dive team spent several hours at the harbor looking for clues, or a body, and found only a navy-style coat underwater. “It doesn’t look good if we found his jacket at the bottom of the water,” said Dave Marks, acting police chief of the Langley Police Department. “There’s really a strong current in there.” Fletcher, whose last known residence was in Port Townsend, reportedly was helping a couple sail from Edmonds to Bellingham. The couple, according to a Langley police report, did not know Fletcher prior to welcoming him aboard the boat. Along the way, Fletcher, listed as 5 feet, 11 SEE MISSING, A20
State Ferries chief promises future meeting to discuss Clinton’s traffic congestion woes By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record A small but vocal crowd of 15 at a public meeting Thursday let Washington State Department of Transportation, Ferries Division officials hear all about how Clinton is being left out. Several in attendance were members of the recently established Clinton Community Council, and they had no qualms about voicing their frustration with ferries issues, such as traffic congestion. They also complained about the general state of Clinton, making clear hopes that the state agency may be able to help.
“It’s a disgrace when you have to negotiate potholes when you want to drop someone off at the ferry,” said Peter Van Giesen, a Clinton Community Council member. During the meeting — part of a regional tour of ferry locations by agency Chief David Moseley and his staff — division officials updated the public on the latest information about the proposed Mukilteo Ferry Terminal. And though the Clinton residents were happy to hear the former military oil tank farm is now in the possession of the Port of Everett, they were more interested in what can be done to alleviate ferry lane
traffic on South Whidbey. State Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, warned that implemented and scheduled fare changes are hurting lower income families on Whidbey Island. “What you’re putting the squeeze on is the diversity of our communities,” she said. The need for work in Clinton was a major issue during the questions segment at the end of the two-hour meeting. Jack Lynch, a Clinton Community Council member, told Moseley about the poor state of the sidewalk that leads from SEE FERRIES, A5
Ben Watanabe / The Record
David Moseley, assistant secretary of Washington State Ferries, speaks at a community meeting in Clinton Thursday.