Record South Whidbey
INSIDE
115th Christmas Bird Count See...A10
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 | Vol. 91, No. 2 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
Justin Burnett / The Record
Sea Float Scramble participants run from one of several start lines Saturday to find glass balls hidden at Seawall Park. The event was held by the Langley Main Street Association and Callahan’s Firehouse Studio.
Sea Float Scramble draws huge crowd
Hundreds turn out for annual Langley event By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record
Justin Burnett / The Record
Birdie Holtby, 11, holds up her prize at the Sea Float Scramble in Langley Saturday. The event saw a large turnout, with more than 200 glass balls given to participants.
Hundreds of people turned out for the third annual Sea Float Scramble in Langley Saturday, and like all treasure hunts it was a madhouse. The star ting line dropped, and men, women,
children and the elderly all raced forward to find glass gold — it was every man for himself. Over 200 glass balls were hidden in Seawall Park, but with so many people competition was fierce. Old men scooped up balls right in front of little girls, and children used their youth to race ahead. Yet everywhere
one turned people were cradling newfound prizes and sporting ear-to-ear smiles. “It was fantastic, a lot of fun,” said Jason Cranch, a Clinton resident who attended with his two girls, Chloe, 8, and Holland, 5. To help make sure everyone left with a glass ball, SEE SCRAMBLE, A9
School District struggles under weight of the Open Public Records Act By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record Asking the South Whidbey School District for public records comes with a new price tag these days — your name, the information sought, and the time and cost to fulfill the request posted for all the world to see on the district’s website. Beginning late last month, such details were included in a specially created document linked to online school board agendas. The
move comes in the wake of years of litigation with a single Clinton man, a former teacher who officials say has cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, and who has besieged administrators with what school leaders characterize as broad and time consuming information requests. Top district officials deny the online posting policy is retaliatory, but rather is meant to keep the school board informed about the burden requests, both legitimate and superfluous, place on employees.
“It’s really just to give the board the transparency of knowing where staff is spending its time and resources,” said Jo Moccia, district superintendent. School board members add, however, that there are problems with the state’s Open Public Records Act, specifically that its lack of limitations make it ripe for abuse. Making public who is asking for documents, and the cost to district taxpayers, is a way to address the issue. Those with reasonable requests have nothing to hide, they say.
“I find it to be the perfect response. … If someone has a legitimate request they should own it,” said Director Linda Racicot. “We’re just making people responsible,” echoed Director Rocco Gianni, a board member and an advocate for the inclusion of such information online. “With rights come responsibility,” he said.
SEE RECORDS, A9