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Thursday, April 17, 2014
Deep Sea owner to go to trial
VOL. 19, NO. 37
Fairy fun
By Jessie Stensland Editor
The owner of the Deep Sea crab boat that caught fire and sank to the bottom of Penn Cove will go to trial on a misdemeanor charge this September. Rory Westmoreland and his attorney, Cooper Offenbecher of Seattle, appeared in Island County District Court for a lengthy hearing Monday morning. Westmoreland was charged with “vessel abandoned or derelict upon aquatic lands” for allegedly leaving the 128-foot crab boat anchored just outside Penn Cove Shellfish’s mussel rafts. Westmoreland purchased the nonfunctioning boat from the Port of Seattle and had it towed to Penn Cove in December of 2011, according to Island County Deputy Prosecutor Chris Anderson. He said it’s unclear what plans Westmoreland
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Mad Crab project hits title snag By Megan Hansen Editor
Developers of the old Mad Crab building on Front Street encountered a bit of a road block in the permitting process this month. Thom Kroon, owner of the building, approached the commissioners for Port of Coupeville last week after learning that part of the building he owns is actually sitting on port property. The land in question is roughly 864 square feet of tidelands and Town of Coupeville will not move forward with any permits until the issue is addressed. Kroon said he wanted to keep the issue as simple as possible and proposed purchasing the property from the port. Prior to Kroon contacting the port, commissioner weren’t even aware they
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Ron Newberry photo
Fairy godmother Annie Horton admires the work of Coupeville sisters Hayley Fiedler, right, and Emily Fiedler during the Meerkerk Magic event at Meerkerk Gardens in Greenbank Saturday. Children gathered to build fairy dolls out of materials collected in the woodland gardens.
Meerkerk throws party for children By Ron Newberry Staff Reporter
Her title has changed over the years but not her enchanting presence. Dressed in a frilly pink dress, a tiara and large purple wings, Annie Horton visited with child after child, offering praise and encouragement in a soft, gentle voice. Playing the role as fairy godmother at the “Meerkerk Magic” children’s event seemed to flow as naturally for Horton as the gentle breeze that was felt at Meerkerk Gardens in Greenbank on a sunny Saturday. “I haven’t granted any wishes today yet,” Horton said. “It’s been done and they’ve come true.” No magical intervention was needed to create happiness for the dozens of children who arrived for the annual event. “Ever since I heard about this, I really wanted to come here,” said Ciandra Allen, 8, of Coupeville. They came to build fairy dolls out of mate-
rials gathered by event organizer Arlee Anderson and others on the vast woodland gardens’ grounds. And children were engrossed in the project from the start. That is, whenever they could pry the glue gun out of the hands of their mothers or fathers. “Sometimes, parents are the ones making the fairies,” Horton said. Horton, who has a background in children’s theater, has been entertaining kids at Meerkerk Magic ever since the event started 20 years ago. A resident of Greenbank, she first spread her wings as the fairy princess. “It is a magical place,” Horton said. “You
don’t need to wear wings. It’s a special spot on the island. It really is. It has been for as long as I’ve been here.” Located on 53 acres of woodland gardens and forest preserve, Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens was founded by Ann and Max Meerkerk in the early 1960s. The property was bequeathed to the Seattle Rhododendron Society in 1979 and now serves as non-profit organization open to the public with emphasis on educating youth and research to develop new hybrid rhododendrons. On Saturday, it was a place for children to
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