RECORD D
INSIDE
SOUTH WHIDBEY
Repurposed art ... A10
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2013 | Vol. 89, No. 104| WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
State says OLF blocks do impact landscape
Hypothermic but alive
By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record A state agency has reversed its determination about cement blocks placed at Outlying Field Coupeville saying that they are, in fact, an “adverse effect” to the historic landscape of Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve. More than 1,000 cement barriers were installed earlier this month at the Navy’s outlying field, part of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, where they conduct touchand-go operations for the EA-6B Prowler and the new EA-18G Growler. The Navy
By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record
SEE OLF BLOCKS, A20
Emerson won’t run in 2014 By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record Commissioner Kelly Emerson has announced that she will not run for re-election next year. Emerson represents Island County’s District 3, which is comprised of Camano Island and North Whidbey Island. She could not be reached for comment Thursday for this story. According to her website, camanokelly.com, Emerson was the founder of Renew SEE EMERSON, A20
Another armed incident on South Whidbey
Ben Watanabe / The Record
Emergency responders bring Matt Shorey of Freeland to the Whidbey General EMS ambulance after he fell into Holmes Harbor on Thursday morning while boating. His brother said he was released Thursday evening.
Boater survives frigid harbor for 15 minutes By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record
A man was transported to Whidbey General Hospital Thursday for injuries he sustained after falling out of a 16-foot boat in Holmes Harbor. And first responders said he has one man to thank for being alive: Forrest Hill. The Clinton carpenter heard Matt Shorey’s pleas for help as he worked on a home near the old holly farm on Bercot Road in Freeland. He grabbed an inflatable dinghy that was not fully inflated from a nearby dock and rowed out to him about 50 yards away. Fearing the dinghy would tip if he tried to bring Shorey into it, he told him to grab onto a rope and rowed back to the dock.
Paul Busch, assistant chief of South Whidbey Fire/ EMS, was one of the first responders to make sure the boater got out of the water and got warm. He said the man was likely treading water between 15 and 20 minutes and credited the good Samaritan for retrieving Shorey so quickly. “I was surprised he held on as long as he did,” Busch said. “By the time Central Whidbey, South Whidbey and the Coast Guard would have gotten out here, the outcome could’ve been different.” At least three people in the area called 911 to report the unidentified man had gone overboard. Shorey was not wearing a personal flotation device or lifejacket at the time SEE BOATER, A20
A masked man broke into a Langley area home at gunpoint earlier this week. The Island County Sheriff’s Office, in a news release, reported the home invasion occurred around 10 p.m. Monday evening. Neither of the two residents was injured, and nothing was stolen from the home. “Apparently he did not leave with anything,” said Detective Ed Wallace. The suspect, described only as an unknown masked male, reportedly entered the home through a window, pointed a shotgun at the residents inside but did not make any demands. After searching the South Whidbey home, he left a short time later possibly in a black Volkswagen Jetta, based on a witness statement, said Wallace. In an interview Friday, Sheriff Mark Brown said the department has no suspects, and that the make and model of the shotgun remain unknown. He also noted the peculiarity of an armed intruder who broke into a home but did not steal anything. “There’s some conflicting reports that make it difficult to sort out what’s factual,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, that takes time.” Earlier this month, the Bayview Valero gas station was robbed by a masked man who also wielded a shotgun. Wallace said he couldn’t say whether or SEE ROBBERY, A20