News-Times Whidbey
INSIDE: Supporting local bands
A8
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014 | Vol.124, No. 95 | WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75¢
City administrator undergoes brain surgery Cort out of intensive care, on road to recovery, according to wife By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
There are two things Oak Harbor City Administrator Larry Cort’s friends, colleagues and admirers need to know. First, he made it through brain surgery Wednesday with flying colors. Second, his trademark mop of wild hair is intact. His wife, Lisbeth Cort, sounded overjoyed in a phone call from Swedish Medical Center in Seattle Thursday. She said he was already
out of intensive care and was doing great. “Less than 24 hours after surgery, he’s talking and doing everything” she said. “It’s fabulous.” “There’s no reason to believe he won’t make a full recovery” she said. She said surgeons successfully removed a mass from his brain and it’s being tested to figure out what it is. The couple knew something was wrong when Larry Cort’s speech had become garbled, his wife explained. They were worried he may have had a small stroke and went to
IT inks 6-month deal for interim director
Whidbey General Hospital on Sunday. He had a brief seizure at the hospital and jerked so hard he broke his shoulder, Lisbeth Cort said. Doctors found a mass in his brain. Larry Cort was transferred to Swedish Medical for surgery, which only required shaving “a tiny little spot on the back of his head” Lisbeth Cort said. “He’s still got his wild hair” she said. Next, he will have to have surgery to repair SEE CORT, A10
Photo by Jessie Stensland/Whidbey News-Times
City Administrator Larry Cort speaks at a council meeting. He is recovering from brain surgery.
Swim coach’s contract sent back for revise
HELPING HANDS
By JESSIE STENSLAND
By MICHELLE BEAHM
Island Transit’s interim director begins his six-month stint no later than Dec. 15. The transit board approved a contract, in a 4-1 vote, to hire Kenneth Graska as the temporary chief during a meeting Friday marked by a strange little game of musical chairs. Both Oak Harbor Councilman Joel Servatius and Mayor Scott Dudley showed up to represent the city on the board, causing some confusion and tension. “I don’t know why you chose to make a spectacle of it,” Servatius said to the mayor before agreeing to bow out. “I’m not the one who is,” Dudley replied.
of baskets with all the fixings for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, including turkey, dressing and potatoes. “I refer to this as our fat, dumb and happy time,” said Jean Wieman, executive director of the Help House, “because everybody remembers us.”
An unauthorized contract for a swim coach and terms of that deal raised concerns this week for the North Whidbey Park and Recreation District’s board of commissioners. A contract was already signed by Executive Director Gino Wolfe and the coach candidate, but the commissioners last year adopted rules stating the executive director may only make recommendations for hiring or firing a district employee. Hiring recommendations must approved or rejected by the board before they are official. One swim team parent, who works in human resources, offered the commissioners
SEE HELP, A10
SEE SWIM COACH, A5
Staff reporter
SEE TRANSIT, A10
Staff reporter
Photo by Michelle Beahm / Whidbey News-Times
Petty Officer First Class Clayton Steckel hands Petty Officer First Class Jeffrey Arrowsmith a box of frozen turkeys as volunteers work to unload 320 frozen turkeys into the freezer at North Whidbey Help House.
Putting food on tables for Thanksgiving
By MICHELLE BEAHM Staff reporter
A
s of Friday, North Whidbey Help House had handed out around 360 Thanksgiving baskets. A tradition dating back to the 1970s, Help House staff and volunteers gather to fill hundreds
YOUR FULL SERVICE FINE JEWELRY STORE
Attention Santa Baby:
CHRISTMAS SALE GOING ON NOW!
THANK YOU FOR 23 YEARS! We Buy Gold, Silver, Coins, Diamonds & Estate Jewelry 360-679-3700 830 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA 98277 Tues-Fri 11-5:30, Sat 10-5