News-Times Whidbey
Oak Harbor cartoonist diversifies market A15
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2015 | Vol. 125, No. 5 | WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75¢
TO FEED THE NEED
Growlers to fly over CenturyLink By JANIS REID Staff reporter
Annual donation drive is Monday By JANIS REID Staff reporter
While approaching the North Whidbey Help House Thursday, nearly everyone greeted or hugged a small woman sitting in her walker who was referred to as the “queen bee.” Monte Parker is as big an advocate for the food bank as a recipient, and to her, the Help House is more than just a place to get food. It’s a community hub. “One reason I come is to get groceries for me,” said Parker, who has been visiting the food bank for the past five years. “The other reason you come is the social part. You come see people in the same situation as you. Years ago, I never thought I’d be standing in line for groceries, but here, it’s kind of fun.” Parker, an aging Oak Harbor resident who lives in subsidized housing off Highway 20, said that she’s 40 years old, “but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been 40.” Living on Social Security and food stamps, Parker said the food bank has helped fill gaps in her limited resources. “My budget is tight,” Parker said.
“It means I do eat.” In efforts to ensure that everyone eats, the annual Feed the Need food drive will be held 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19. Volunteers will collect donations in Oak Harbor at Walmart, Albertsons and Saar’s Marketplace, and will pass out slips with suggested purchases. A semi-truck will also be parked on the corner of Highway 20 and Southeast Barrington Drive to serve as a drop-off point with volunteers collecting goods. Eric Mager, deputy director of the Help House, said Feed the Need is one of the biggest donation drives of the year and the food bank relies heavily on its contributions to weather the slow times. “It means we’re less likely to run out,” Mager said. “It definitely brings in a good amount. The event encourages people to purchase or donate items we tend to run out of.” In 2014, North Whidbey Help House has handed out 7,843 food baskets that have fed 21,088 nearby residents, according executive director Jean Wieman. SEE FEED, A24
Photo by Janis Reid/Whidbey News-Times
Monte Parker shows items from her monthly “food basket” from the North Whidbey Help House, an organization that provides free groceries to more than 20,000 annually.
CenturyLink Field is in for a noise-off Sunday. Noise created by the EA-18G Growler, well-known for it’s 110-plus decibel levels, may be drowned out in a flyover at CenturyLink Field, where crowd levels have been recorded as high as 137.6 decibels. Weather permitting, two Growlers and one MH-60 Seahawk from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station will conduct flyovers over CenturyLink Field at the kickoff of the NFC Championship Game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. The Seahawks fan base took the Guinness World Record for crowd noise in December 2013 in a game against the New Orleans Saints with a crowd of 68,387 contributing to the effort. The title is now held by Kansas City Chiefs fans, who broke the record in September with a reading of 142.2 decibels. The Growler has taken heat locally from residents who claim the aircraft, which has nearly completed its transition from the EA-6B Prowler, is overly loud SEE JETS, A23
Business community excited for Main Street possibilities By RON NEWBERRY Staff reporter
Photo by Ron Newberry/Whidbey News-Times
Sarah Hansen, coordinator of Washington Main Street, speaks Thursday in Oak Harbor.
Sarah Hansen expects to become even better acquainted with Oak Harbor in the coming years. What she sees taking place among civic and community leaders in the waterfront city these days is different than during past visits. Hansen, coordinator for the Washington State Main Street program, came to Oak Harbor Thursday to talk about a program she
anticipates she’ll see in the city’s near future. About 100 guests at the Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon learned the finer points about the program and more from Hansen, who was the chamber’s invited speaker. “I’ve been up here a number of times to meet with people, and I think there’s been a few false starts, but there’s an interim board in place and the city and the chamber are so supportive, so I’m really encouraged by that,”
Hansen said. “I think things are going to move forward.” For the past year, Mayor Scott Dudley has worked to bring Main Street to Oak Harbor to benefit his city and help revitalize the community’s quiet, historic downtown. More concrete steps were taken in October when a group of business owners and community members came together to form an SEE MAIN ST., A23
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