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Thursday, JUNE 19, 2014
VOL. 19, NO. 45
Port axes nonprofit exemption By Megan Hansen Editor
Port of Coupeville revised its policy to no longer exclude nonprofits from having to pay a $1 per head passenger fee. And some local nonprofits fear it could have an adverse impact. Commissioners passed resolution 191 in April, which instituted a $1 fee per passenger for vessels picking up passengers at the Coupeville Wharf. The initial resolution excluded nonprofits and vessels bringing passengers from outside the area, specifically the Victoria Clipper. “In my opinion, the waiver for nonprofits was too liberal,” said Tim McDonald, executive director for the Port of Coupeville. McDonald presented resolution 192, amending the former resolution, to take
See Fee page 12
Coupeville’s B&Bs embrace shifting trends By Megan Hansen Editor
Just weeks into retirement, Coupeville resident Kevin Griggs is venturing into a new business endeavor — host of a Bed and Breakfast. Griggs is one of two business ventures that recently popped up in Coupeville, commonly known as pocket B&Bs. His newly opened Whispering Bamboo B&B features a single room structure on his two-acre property. The rental space has its own private garden, access to Griggs’ manicured art gardens and what many travelers seem to be seeking these days — independence. Diane Binder, who owns Anchorage Inn in Coupeville, said the B&B industry is changing. The millennial’s and generation X’ers are independent travelers, she said. “They want to help themselves and to be left alone.” Having owned Anchorage Inn for 16
See Trends page 12
Ron Newberry photo
Bill Bainbridge, right, of the Coupeville Lions Club, gets a hand from his nephew Josh Stern as they unload one of two bicycles from a truck Monday. The bikes were donated to the club for its widely anticipated 35th annual garage sale that will take place June 28-29.
Decades of collecting treasures By Ron Newberry Staff Reporter
When Ricardo Reyes first got involved with the Coupeville Lions Club three years ago and learned about the organization’s annual garage sale, one of the members took him to where donated items were stored. Reyes was awestruck. “I could not believe how much stuff we had,” he said. Flash forward three years and the assessment remains the same. Crack open a door to Freeman Boyer’s cavernous barn and there are objects stacked high and deep with little room to spare. Three nearby barns share the same story. “They’re all full,” club member Bill Bainbridge said. This leads to the biggest myth about the Coupeville Lions Club garage sale, which will get underway at the sound of an air horn June 28-29, sending hundreds of people rummaging through thousands of items at Coupeville Elementary School. “People always say it’s the same stuff. They’ll say, ‘You must store it over,’” Bainbridge said, breaking into a smile.
“No, we start fresh every year.” This is the 35th year of the Coupeville garage sale, the Lions Club’s largest fundraiser. More than $40,000 was raised in each of the past two years. All of the money goes back into the community through the various causes the Lions Club supports, said Reyes, who is co-chair of the event this year. During the course of the year, some donations such as a mattress or an appliance might be routed directly to a family or community member in need. But the lion’s share goes to the sale. “People in this community are really, really good,” said Rod Barnes, the club’s historian. Barnes has seen the sale grow “by leaps and bounds,” recalling the time he was chairman about 30 years ago when the sale raised
about $7,000. It takes about 200 volunteers to make the event happen from setup to shutdown, Reyes said. Volunteers this year include about 15-17 active duty personnel from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. In the days leading to the event, a convoy of vehicles with flatbed trailers will transport items from Boyer’s farm to the elementary school. But some people don’t need to see the trucks to know what’s coming. Reyes said that he was told by Lynda Eccles, executive director of the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce, that some out-of-state visitors plan their vacations to the
See Lions page 12