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South Whidbey
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2014 | Vol. 90, No. 63 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
A fair story See...A10
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QUEER PRIDE PARADE Organizers pick Langley to host island-first event By KATE DANIEL South Whidbey Record
Contributed photo
“Queer” is defined as something strange, or odd. For Logan Weiler and many other members of the LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and asexual) community, it is also a term which, having been reappropriated, denotes identity. When Weiler, a 20-year-old Coupeville resident, moved to the island from San Diego in 2010, he was at the crux of his self-development, both as a teen and as an individual. Before the move, Weiler said he made a conscious decision to be more open. He came out to his parents; he embraced his individuality and his identity as a gay man. Upon arrival in Coupeville, Weiler noticed a lack of youthcentered LGBTQIA groups. Although PFLAG and Integrity were present, the teens and young adults were not. “I got tired of not having a safe place to go where I could be who I am,” he said. Soon, Weiler had networked with other LGBTQIA groups to create Alliances on Whidbey Island as well as a radio show, Queer Corner, which he hosts with his partner Austin Johnson. And on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 2 p.m., he and his partner will
Bonnie Stinson and Kathryn Morgen organized Whidbey’s first LGBTQIA pride parade, to be held Sunday, Aug. 10.
SEE PARADE, A14
County, city leaders call for transit director’s resignation By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record Two county commissioners, the mayor of Oak Harbor and a city councilman say they want Island Transit Executive Director Martha Rose to resign. In recent weeks, the transit agency has revealed that its money has been mismanaged for several years, the finance manager was fired in May and routes are being cut. While some believe resignation is the only option for Rose, others are waiting to see the results of
the state audit that begins Aug. 11. “She has failed to do the most critical part of the job because the financial problems have been going on for years,” said Aubrey Vaughan, the appointed Island County commissioner. “She has accepted the responsibility and it is time for her to do the honorable thing. It is not about personalities, it is not about egos and it is not about politics. It is about what is best for Island Transit and the people of Island County.” Rose said Monday that she has no intention
of resigning and that she is eager to see the results of the investigation. “I want to get to the end of the audit and see what happened,” Rose said. Vaughan, who took office in June, gave a statement about the Island Transit controversy at the county commissioners regular meeting Monday. Vaughan also called for the resignation of Island Transit board chairman Bob Clay. “If public confidence is to be restored, the board should restructure,” Vaughan said. “Mr.
Clay should step down. The board should vote in a new chairperson with real-world business experience and someone with no ties to Island Transit. The public needs to see real changes. Changes that will restore confidence.” Vaughan, who now serves on the Island Transit board with Commissioner Helen Price Johnson, said that at his first meeting last week, he was told that the financial data placed before them to review was still not SEE ROSE, A13