Record South Whidbey
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Clinton artist makes it to prime time See...A8
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2015 | Vol. 91, No. 5 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
County cops arrest three for felony domestic violence By JESSIE STENSLAND South Whidbey Record
Ben Watanabe / The Record
Greenbank residents Rob and Leslie Born enjoy the Friday special of fish tacos from Bubba Flame Broiled Burger truck in Freeland on Friday. Not frequent food truck diners, they said they were in favor of Langley allowing food trucks in the city.
Langley considers new rules for food trucks By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record Langley may join the hip foodie ranks of Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and New York if the city council approves a newly proposed food truck ordinance. City council members will have their first discussion of the ordinance at Tuesday’s 5:30 p.m. meeting. As the proposal is currently worded, a $100 license would cover the calendar year and
allows food trucks to operate between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week. There are no existing restrictions, however, that regulate the operation of such trucks inside city limits. Director of Community Planning Michael Davolio, who was hired earlier this month, said the upcoming council meeting will likely include talk of setting a seasonal restriction on food trucks. Perhaps between Memorial Day and Labor Day when the city sees a major increase
in business activity. “I’m aware that there’s a potential for food trucks to have an impact on existing businesses,” said Davolio, who previously worked on a temporary food truck ordinance in Rhode Island and found it to be successful. “I want to make sure that there’s a level playing field.” A prospective food truck license holder was SEE FOOD TRUCKS, A16
Lawmakers launch legislative session with unusual bills By Cooper Inveen WNPA Olympia News Bureau OLYMPIA — Would your state lawmaker ever consider decriminalizing heroin possession? Or maybe turning the Supreme Court justices’ elections partisan? What about allowing teenagers to taste alcohol? The 2015 Legislative session is just getting started, but already some proposed bills are likely to
turn a few heads. Sixteen Republicans and three Democrats have sponsored House Bill 1051, which would require Supreme Court justices — but no other judicial officer in the state — to declare a partisan affiliation when running for election. One sponsor, Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, has called the bill more of a poke at the Supreme Court than a genuine attempt to pass legislation. The bill comes in response to the
Supreme Court’s 2012 McCleary decision, which requires legislators to pass fundamental reforms to state education funding. The bill’s sponsors believe the Supreme Court violated the separation of powers by telling legislators explicitly what to do, and therefore “should be considered partisan like the legislature,” according to the bill’s first section. Sen. Jan Angel, R-Port Orchard, has sponsored Senate Bill 5008,
which would amend the state definition of a “beverage” to exclude beer and other malt drinks. The proposal is all about the container, though not the liquid inside. The bill would allow business owners to sell beer in a new type of container with a recyclable lid. That type of bottle is prohibited under current law. HB 1004, co-sponsored by Rep. SEE SESSION, A16
Deputies with the Island County Sheriff’s Office investigated three allegations of felony-level domestic assaults on South Whidbey in a three-week period. In the first case, a South Whidbey man is accused of stomping on his girlfriend and fracturing her spine. He recently appeared in Island County Superior Court. In that case, prosecutors charged 44-year-old Kenneth E. Short, Jr., of Freeland in Island County Superior Court Dec. 19 with assault in the second degree. A judge issued a $5,000 warrant for Short’s arrest after he failed to appear at a Jan. 5 hearing, but he appeared in court three days later, according to court documents. A deputy responded to a report of a domestic assault on Fish Road Oct. 30. The alleged victim reported that she and her boyfriend, Short, were in a mobile home and he attacked her for no apparent reason when she was looking for a movie to watch, the report states. The woman said he threw her to the ground and “stomped her” with his boots on; she was in great pain and had trouble moving, the report states. Doctors at Whidbey General Hospital reported SEE CHARGES, A16