Record South Whidbey
INSIDE
Freeland woman to speak on work in Burundi See...A10
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2015 | Vol. 91, No. 37 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
Campgrounds closed for good? Officials confirm park will transition to day-use only
Justin Burnett / The Record
Freeland resident Keith Anderson walks through empty campgrounds at South Whidbey State Park on Tuesday. The grounds, which usually open May 1, were closed due to the presence of tree rot. It’s in enough trees to present a safety hazard to overnight campers, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has decided.
By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record It appears the campground closure at South Whidbey State Park may be permanent.
Virginia Painter, spokeswoman for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, confirmed Tuesday that a site plan to be conducted later this year will specifically examine how to transition the campgrounds to a day-use facility only. The nature of the
closure — internal tree rot of old-growth trees — isn’t something that can be easily fixed, leaving little choice but to look for alternatives, she said. SEE CAMPGROUNDS, A5
Emerson joins Langley mayoral race, primary looms By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record Langley voters will decide a primary election for at least the mayor’s office this fall. Sharon Emerson, a vocal critic of the Langley funicular idea, jumped into the race Monday after being on the fence this past week. She joined a race that already had two challengers, Tim Callison and Thomas Gill,
to be the next mayor of Langley on the first day of Island County’s election filing week, which ends May 15. Emerson said she was undecided through the past week and wanted to consider it thoughtfully before declaring if she would seek office. “It’s a really serious thing to run for office, it’s a lot of responsibility,” Emerson said by
phone Monday. “I needed time to think about it to make sure I was ready to commit. I’m not a quitter.” “I really care and want to do it,” she added. She and Callison are both new to public elections. They are familiar with City Hall, however, and regularly attend city council meetings. Both sought a city council appointment
along with Robin Black, who is married to Callison and was eventually picked to take over the vacated post, in 2014. Callison said he chose to run for mayor because his experience as a corporate executive lends itself well to managing personnel. SEE MAYOR’S RACE, A9