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Thursday, MAY 1, 2014
VOL. 19, NO. 39
CUCKOO for COOPS
Man claims to own island, loses in court By Jessie Stensland Editor
A Clinton man who maintains that he is the chief of a Native American tribe that owns all of Whidbey Island recently lost his claim on a Central Whidbey property. Reuel E. Cohn, however, said the case is not over and he plans to appeal to the federal courts. Cohn said he is a direct descendant of an Indian chief named Pat-Ka-Nam, who was a signatory of the 1855 Treaty Point Elliot on behalf of the Snoqualmoo Tribe. He claims all of Whidbey Island is a reservation set aside for the tribe and that he is the chief. Cohn originally filed a lien against the “game farm” near Coupeville in 1994. The state owned the property at the time and used
Tour offers glimpse of best, most creative housing for chickens By Ron Newberry Staff Reporter
After spending 28 years as an educator, Diane Tompkinson is familiar with ways to try to keep a child’s attention. Visuals were always a stimulating method. Charismatic storytelling often did the trick. When it comes to getting the attention of her chickens, however, Tompkinson doesn’t need to be so creative. All she has to do is appear near her garden and chickens high-step it from all directions. As she walks, the flock follows her and softly clucks. They don’t seem to give a hoot about Missy or Charley, two dogs who are a constant presence. “They make very nice sounds,” Tompkinson said. “I enjoy them. I like having them around.” Tompkinson, who lives in Coupeville, has been raising chickens for 22 years. She is one of six residents who have opened up their properties for the fifth annual Whidbey Island Chicken Coop Tour, which takes place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 3, with stops from Oak Harbor to Clinton. The self-guided tour is designed to give poultry enthusiasts an opportunity to learn about care and coop design for chickens, ducks and other fowl. Tompkinson grew up around chickens on relatives’ farms and tinkered with them on a smaller scale at the start. But it wasn’t until she raised 45 chickens on a large farm in Tenino when her wisdom in fowl grew immensely. Retired and starting a new life in Coupeville following a divorce, she’s back in a familiar rural environment, in a new home she had built, surrounded by familiar feathered friends. As an avid organic gardener, she relies on chickens about as much as they rely on her. This time around, she has 35 chickens, including a month-old brood of chicks, with
See LIEN page 16
District grows Farm to School philosophy By Megan Hansen Editor
Ron Newberry photo
Chickens such as this inquisitive one owned by Coupeville’s Diane Tompkinson take center stage this Saturday during the fifth annual Whidbey Island Chicken Coop Tour. breeds ranging from Speckled Sussex to Cuckoo Marans. “I like the companionship of chickens,” Tompkinson said. “I like the eggs and I like the fertilizer for gardening because I’m an organic gardener. So to me, it allows you to do that complete natural cycle where all the excess of the garden goes into the chickens. The chickens turn it into eggs and fertilizer. It goes back into the garden. It just keeps going around.” Since she’s been at it awhile, Tompkinson said the heavy lifting of chicken care is outfitting a coop so it’s chicken ready. The three coops on her property all had other purposes but were converted into coops. One she used for 10 years was a jumbo-sized doghouse.
Basic requirements included raising the coop off the ground, building a roost to nest, attaching a flat feeder, providing a water container (heated in the winter) and hanging a light. The light is to maximize egg laying for
See COOP page 15
Come lunchtime this fall, students in the Coupeville School District may see fresher, healthier food grown in the rich fields that surround the schools. Officials within the district are exploring the options for starting a “Farm to School” program, which is aimed at promoting and serving locally produced food in school cafeterias. While the school board has made no formal motion, Superintendent Jim Shank publicly said Monday night it is something the district will be moving forward with.
See FARM page 15