News-Times Whidbey
INSIDE: Best of Whidbey
SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2014 | Vol. 124, No. 56 | WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75¢
‘The consummate journalist, photojournalist’
Hospital CEO gives one-year notice By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
Photo by Ron Newberry / Whidbey News-Times
Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce Director Kathy Reed congratulates Wallie Funk on receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Whidbey News-Times. Funk was the owner and publisher of the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record from 1964-89.
Whidbey General Hospital commissioners are putting together a list of criteria to help them find the perfect chief executive officer, according to Commissioner Ron Wallin. Current CEO Tom Tomasino announced his plans during a board meeting last month to not renew his contract and retire in October of 2015, according to Trish Rose, hospital spokesperson. “He is announcing this now to give the board ample time to mount a search to find a new CEO,” Rose Tom Tomasino said in an email. “It is also his hope for there to be a good turnover CEO tends to be five to 10 years period to ensure a smooth transition before they start to “burn out” from in leadership.” the amount of complex work. Tomasino started serving as inter“It’s not a bad thing,” Wallin said. im CEO since October of 2008 and “He’s feeling it’s time for a change was officially chosen as CEO in the for him and the hospital.” summer of 2009. Wallin said the board plans to do Wallin said the fact that Tomasino is retiring isn’t a big surprise because SEE CEO, A15 the “average stint” for a hospital
Wallie Funk surprised with Sheriff fights to Lifetime Achievement Award protect deputy files
By RON NEWBERRY Staff reporter
A
s he’s advanced in his years, Wallie Funk doesn’t get around as well as he used to. Sometimes rising from a chair can pose its challenges. But at 92, his quick wit has hardly diminished. Nor has his warm smile, charm and charisma that tends to make people gravitate toward him. As he received a Lifetime Achievement Award Thursday at the Oak Harbor Elks Lodge to
SUVs • CASH • PRIZES
*
honor his quarter-century spent as owner and publisher of the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record, Funk rose from his chair and displayed a little of his humor to the full house that attended the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce luncheon. When he sold the newspapers in 1989 and eventually moved from Oak Harbor to Anacortes, he joked it was necessary to ease the social engagements. “I appreciate you and always will,” Funk told the crowd after it gave him a long standing ovation. “You say, ‘Well, why did you move
away?’ I had to find a time where I didn’t have commitments for every moment of my life.” Whidbey News-Times publisher Keven Graves, who worked as a reporter under Funk, honored his former mentor as part of the “Best of Whidbey” award presentation. He had invited Funk as a guest and Funk, unaware of the first-time award, obliged. “I wanted to acknowledge the great contributions Wallie has made to the community and the newspaper,” said Graves, who was inspired
Weekly DraWings ings:
SEE FUNK, A15
By JANIS REID Staff reporter
A proposal to move sheriff’s deputy files into the county’s human resources office was kiboshed by the county’s two Republican commissioners during Wednesday’s work session. Commissioner Helen Price Johnson, the board’s sole Democrat, argued that keeping personnel files in different offices could open the county commission up to costly lawsuits.
SEE FILES, A15
Win a 2014 Ford SUV!
Thursdays, July 24 & 31
2 – 8 pm
Sheriff Mark Brown, backed by county Prosecutor Greg Banks, said he had the right to protect his deputies files as an elected official. “I want to keep my employees’ personnel files under my control — they’re my employees,” Brown said. “It’s not a reflection on our human resources department. I’m not hiding anything from you or the public or anyone else. I hope you would honor my request. It’s very important to me.”
Owned by Upper Skagit Indian Tribe
July 24 • explorer
July 31 • expeDition
theskagit.com On I-5 at Exit 236
*Must be a Rewards Club Member–Membership is FREE! Visit the Rewards Club Center for details. Management reserves all rights. Must be present to win. Casino opens at 9 am. Must be 21 or older with valid ID. WNT