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Falcon, Tiger faceoff See...A8
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2014 | Vol. 90, No. 76 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
Island Transit chief ‘retires’
County to pay $30,000 in fairground repairs Annual event was held despite dangerous conditions
Action follows one-hour closed meeting with board By JESSIE STENSLAND South Whidbey Record The embattled executive director of Island Transit quit Friday after a tense meeting with the board of directors and an hour-long executive session. It was unclear whether the board asked Martha Rose to turn in her keys during the closed-door session, or even whether she retired or resigned. The board members voted unanimously — with Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson calling in — to accept Rose’s letter of resignation. But afterward, Rose said she was retiring, not resigning. Rose previously said she had no plans to leave, but changed her tune after the Oak Harbor City Council appointed Mayor Scott Dudley to the transit board on a temporary basis. He is filling in for Councilman Jim Campbell, who’s on an extended vacation. Dudley made it clear during the meeting and in an interview with a Whidbey News Group reporter Thursday that he would call for her to be fired. He said the city council was also concerned about the financial mismanagement SEE ROSE, A16
By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record Ashley McConnaughey photo
Annika Hustad, Haley McConnaughey and Hannah McConnaughey enjoy the sun and surf of the Black Sea in Constanta, Romania.
ROV CHAMPS pick up top prize, fame at Black Sea contest By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record Three girls from South Whidbey recently made international headlines. Hannah McConnaughey, Haley McConnaughey and Annika Hustad’s accomplishments in underwater robotics earned them an invitation to the Black Sea ROV International Competition in Constanta, Romania. Not only were they invited to compete against other high school teams, of which most were “overwhelmingly male” in Hannah’s words, but they left with the first-place trophy for the high school division and as kind-of celebrities enjoying Americans-in-Romania status along the idyllic seaside walkway where the events were held. After the five-day competition, the Whidbey-based Atlantis ROV (remotely-operated vehicle) squad did educational outreach. During a stop in Istanbul, the girls presented their work and a couple of micro-ROVs to an international school of about 45 students. They left the two small “bots” with the school, hoping to plant the seeds of another underwater robotics club. “We’re definitely putting Whidbey on the map,” Haley said. Traveling to Eastern Europe was a first for all three girls, ages 13, 14 and 17. Constanta (pronounced constanza) also was the first time Atlantis ROV ever competed in
open water. Previously, the South Whidbey-based team practiced in the Island Athletic Center pool in Freeland and, on occasion, in the North Whidbey Park & Recreation District pool. Past competitions, after all, were held in controlled-environment pools such as the King County Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center in Federal Way for the MATE (Marine Advanced Technology Education) Pacific Northwest Regional competition. After this year’s MATE competition, at which Atlantis finished in second place and missed out on qualifying for the international competition in Michigan, the girls had three months to build an entirely new bot. Given the conditions of open water, they elected for a bulkier, heavier ROV. That meant sacrificing some agility and maneuverability, and lots of money and worry over its transport from airport to airport. Rough seas and 12-foot waves cresting onto the beach meant the more robust robot was a blessing, even if it was curse at customs. Other teams from Romania had smaller ROVs. During the first day, as teams were meeting each other, the McConnaughey sisters recalled other students questioning them on their roster — “Where are the boys? — and about the bot’s size. “They’d come up to us and SEE ATLANTIS, A9
The county will fork out nearly $30,000 to repair “potentially” dangerous electrical problems at the Island County Fairgrounds. Facilities Director Larry Van Horn asked the Board of Commissioners for the emergency funding at Wednesday’s work session because “violations of this magnitude” needed to be repaired right away. The property was cited by state inspectors during a routine inspection prior to this year’s county fair, but the proposed repairs did not come to Van Horn until after the annual event was over. “He found a number of code corrections that are required, but it didn’t prevent the fair from going forward,” Van Horn said. When asked if holding this year’s county fair was dangerous knowing that problems existed, he said, “Potentially, yes, to be frank about it.” “That’s the purpose of having the electrical inspection,” he said. Once the problems were identified, the county had a few weeks to work with inspectors and electricians to develop a plan of action. Van Horn said the problems are both lack of updated electrical wiring and hardware, as well as failure to meet SEE FAIRGROUNDS, A9