THE ISLANDS’
SOUNDER Serving Orcas, Lopez and San Juan County
Arts on Orcas Special section • Pages 8 and 9
WEDNESDAY, August 6, 2014 VOL. 47, NO. 32 75¢ islandssounder.com
Painting by Deborah Jones
Honoring memories, preserving a home Colleen Smith Armstrong/Staff Photo
Far left: Scott McKay on the front porch of the Frederick Head house. At left: The house in 1889.
by COLLEEN SMITH ARMSTRONG Editor/Publisher
To some, it’s known as a haunted house. For others, it’s called the “owl house” because of an inanimate bird perpetually perched in one of the highest windows. To owner Scott McKay, the home is a piece of family – and island – history. It’s been his summer home since the 1960s. “I’m very emotional about this house,” McKay said. Scott and his wife Cynthia, who live in Seattle, are the owners of the “Frederick Head House” at the east end of Crescent Beach. Anyone jogging or driving past the house can see its dilapidated front from the road. But the interior tells a different story. Nearly every inch of the building has been untouched
since it was built in 1889. And as Scott launches a major restoration project on the structure, he is determined to honor the originality of the house. “And it would break my heart to put in modern windows,” he said. The wall plaster (made from Crescent Beach sand and local lime) is peeling and the floor is warped in some spots, but the basic structure is sound. The house was made with old growth island fir milled on the property, which means the beams are still standing strong today. The doors boast original hardware with intricate designs. A new roof was put on earlier this year, and next up is gutting the inside. Scott says their immediate goal is to return the house to the con-
Seafood company fined over oil spill by SCOTT RASMUSSEN Journal editor
State officials cited negligence as a factor in imposing a $112,500 fine against an Anacortesbased seafood company, whose fishing boat accidentally sank in Bellingham Channel, near Guemes Island, a year ago in July. Following investigation of the sinking of the Clam Digger, owned by American Gold Seafoods, the Washington state Department of Ecology determined negligence on the part of the company was responsible for 315 gallons of oil that was spilled into the channel during recovery of the 59-foot sunken boat. “This spill was preventable,” said Dale Jensen, manager of Ecology’s Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response Program. “The Clam Digger was not adequately maintained, and not fit for its intended use that day.”
When the Clam Digger encountered high waves after it left Anacortes on July 10, it began taking on water, and eventually sank. The company immediately initiated appropriate response protocols, according to Ecology, and six days later divers recovered the boat. However, during the recovery as much as 315 gallons of oil spilled. The 59-foot boat reportedly was carrying 2,700 to 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel at the time it sank. Bellingham Channel, located just north of Anacortes, between Guemes and Cypress islands, is home to seagrass and kelp. Pink and Chinook salmon were present in the area at the time of the spill, as were marbled murrelets, listed as threatened by the state and federal government. Ecology’s investigators found uncovered, open or leaky deck hatches on the Clam
Digger, which compromised its ability to stay watertight. In addition, modifications, including the installation of a 2,000-gallon doublewalled portable diesel tank, caused the boat to ride lower in the water, making it susceptible to flooding, according to DOE. There was no evidence of any oil reaching the shoreline. Penalties issued by Ecology can be appealed to the Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board. Along with the $112,500 fine, Ecology billed American Gold Seafoods $9,796 to recoup cleanup costs and investigation work. The company paid an additional $13,844 to fund a shoreline restoration project in Anacortes in lieu of paying the same amount into a general fund for damage the spill caused to public resources.
dition it was in when first constructed. Their long-term plans include a small private farm. Scott, a lawyer, spends as much time on Orcas as he can. The house was built by Frederick and Beatrice Head, English Citizens who, along with Reverend Gray, were founding members of the Episcopalian Church in Eastsound. The house was designed by Elmer Fisher, a noted architect of that era who designed important buildings in Seattle such as the Pioneer Building in Pioneer Square. The home was sold to the Gautlett family in 1942, and Scott’s family purchased the house and land in 1962. His parents launched an organic farm in 1965, then tried sheep and goat farming and later started an oyster business, using their flatland rights on Crescent Beach. Scott is now the sole owner of the property. He recently overcame kidney cancer and is now
SEE HOUSE, PAGE 6
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