Journal of the San Juans, August 20, 2014

Page 1

Local

Trashion Fashion 2014 climbs new heights PAGE 8

Island Scene

Decade of Dominance, Towing at the top PAGE 9

Fair Flashback

Photo collage revisits fun, frolic, fine times at the 2014 County Fair… but it’s just a start PAGE 7

Journal

The 75¢ Wednesday, August 20, 2014 Vol. 107 Issue 34

Back behind bars in 24 hrs

Miles to go, promises to keep By Scott Rasmussen Journal editor

Journal staff report

A San Juan Island man who recently served six months for a felony sex offense faces a new round of criminal charges for allegedly spending time with a woman and her child shortly after his release from jail. On Aug. 6, Troy Fitzgerald Niebling was taken into custody by the San Juan County Sheriff ’s Department on the heels of a complaint about the 49-year-old spending time with the woman and her child. Niebling, convicted in February of one count of voyeurism, a Class C felony, turned himself into the Sheriff ’s Department upon learning that a warrant had been issued for his arrest, according to Undersheriff Bruce Distler. He was taken into custody on a state Department of Corrections warrant and transported by plane to Island County jail later that day. He was then transferred to a socalled “violators facility” at the Snohomish County jail to await a hearing on the alleged violation of terms of his courtordered probation, Distler said. A registered sex offender, Niebling was ordered to serve six months in jail in mid-March after pleading guilty to the felony sex offense. He reportedly was released Aug. 5 from Island County jail. Department of Corrections spokeswoman Norah West said that Niebling is scheduled to See 24 HRS, Page 4

Journal photo / Scott Rasmussen

As far as wedding gifts go, theirs has to be a first. Not only did Joshua Accomando and Lexi Abel both finish first in the Friday Harbor 8.8K Loop Run, in their respective divisions, men’s and women’s, but by doing so they fulfilled a promise they made to Abel’s mother, Susan Hyde, and soon-to-be stepfather, Jay Lien, on the eve of the elder couple’s wedding. Which, by the way, was set to begin only about six hours after the Boston-area couple crossed the finish line, respectively, at the Friday Harbor fairgrounds, Saturday, Aug. 16. After catching their breath, the two avid longdistance runners were last seen sprinting away from the fairgrounds, headed for the shower, no doubt. “We told them we were going to win it for them,” the 32-year-old Abel said. “We looked at the times from earlier races and we thought we could do it,” Accomando added. And did it, they did. But only by a hair’s breath.

First place 8.8K Loop Run finishers Lexi Abel and Joshua Accomando show encouragement to Abel’s mother and stepfather on the day of the elder couple’s wedding. The two Boston-area runners vowed to win the annual 5.4-mile run as a wedding gift, and they both made good on that vow.

Mysterious, good, bad? Bats unveiled

See KEEP, Page 4

A baby longeared myotis bat, stranded on a deck on Orcas Island, eyes a droplet of water.

Juan Islan August 201 4

Contributed

photo

PO Box 171

Eastsound, WA 360.376.2145 98245 www.orcasislan drealty.com

ds

FREE MAP INSI See pages 13-17 DE!

Published the Journal of the San Juanthird Wednesday of each month Islands, Islands’ by the Sounder and Island s’ Weekly

Sunny Highlan

ds Home Panoramic

By Colleen Smith Armstrong

Sunny craftsma deck in fence n home in Orcas Highlan up a gently yard and beautiful mahogads built in 2003 with sloped drivewa newly ny porch in on main level y for added front. Sited added expansive back away from concept great with additional bedroomsun exposure and quiet the road enjoyment. room. Minutes s and All the necessitand to Moran State bath above. Recently ies updated Park or the village of Eastsou kitchen in open nd.

Sounder editor/publisher

There are few things as delicate as a bat’s ear. Thin, dark brown skin is stretched over fragile cartilage. In certain light, they are nearly translucent. The inside ridges look like a washboard for a doll’s house. I know this because I nursed an injured baby bat back to health. I got a close look at the dainty, cavernous ears, miniature teeth and fuzzy body of our local long-eared

Real Esta te San

in the

$299,000

MLS# 64737

8

Sunset

Sunny souther Easy water n views of the Wasp Islands, Crane access in Deer Harbor for kayaks. Warm Island, Pole . Light-fi Pass and inviting bedroom Northwest & San Juan Island. suite on main lled vaulted ceilings contemporary . 3 bedroo floor. Gourm ms and home et kitchen . Wonderful 3-1/2 baths. Master decks. 3 car garage.

$1,450,000

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2

Kathryn Sherman Deborah photoHansen

Harvey Olsan

Lisa Botiller Mary Clure

Journal photo / Cali Bagby

myotis bat. It had been a week of nocturnal activity. Two bats had perished in our overhead fan above the bed. I’ll spare you the details on that. The next night, I was startled by a fluffy ball careening across my bathroom

floor. The bat’s movements were jerky; he pivoted on clawed feet, spreading his wings wide across the tiles. I wrapped him in a towel and put him outside, hoping he’d fly off See UNVEILED, Page 3

2011 Special Award; Second Place: General Excellence from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association

Victoria Shaner

Kristen Slabaugh Marty Zier

Real Estate in the San Juan Islands

See inside for July’s real estate sales, listings and statistics.


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