Vol. 125, No. 41
News-Times Whidbey
SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2015
WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75 CENTS
Kids going green
Living
Your hometown newspaper for 125 years
Navy ‘setting the foundation for the next 30 to 40 years’ By KEVEN R. GRAVES Editor Photo by Ron Newberry/Whidbey News-Times
Whidbey Island Naval Air Station commander Capt. Mike Nortier delivers his State of the Station Thursday.
At a gathering of area business leaders Thursday, the commanding officer of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station described
a base that’s on the rebound. NAS Whidbey, which peaked at approximately 9,000 active duty personnel in about 1994 and dropped to fewer than 7,000 personnel in 2013, will rise to about 9,000
Nuisance properties challenge for county
ALMBERG:
“Right now is
the most important time to manage this facility.”
By DEBRA VAUGHN Staff reporter
One man’s trash may be another’s treasure. But what happens when a neighbor’s “treasures” become an eyesore or worse — a threat to public health and safety? About 200 complaints are made every year to the Island County Planning Department for code violations, for things such as junked cars, garbage in the yard and improper storage of hazardous materials. Most complaints are resolved in a few months. A few properties — about eight a year countywide — receive multiple complaints, and the owners are unable or sometimes unwilling to do anything about it. “It’s something we and every other jurisdiction struggle with,” said David Wechner, director for Island County Planning and Community Development. In April, a woman died in a fire in the Dugualla Bay Heights neighborhood. County officials had a long history with the property, the subject of multiple complaints for health department and county code violations. An overloaded extension cord caused the fire but the accumulation of newspapers and other items in the home likely contributed to the speed and heat of the fire, officials said. Afterward, SEE STRUGGLE, A13
by the year 2018, according to Capt. Mike Nortier. The active duty population is projected to settle back to just over 8,000 by 2020. SEE NAS WHIDBEY, A14
DUDLEY:
“I’m out on medical leave, but that shouldn’t worry the City Council …”
PAGGAO:
“We are frustrated with what’s happening with the mayor.”
‘Uninvolved’ mayor raises council’s ire By DEBRA VAUGHN and JANIS REID
Paggao. “He is not communicating with us.”
An already strained relationship between the Oak Harbor City Council and Mayor Scott Dudley is further deteriorating in the final months of the mayor’s term — just as the council is poised to make crucial decisions on a multi-million dollar sewage treatment plant. Members of the City Council say the mayor doesn’t talk with them and seems increasingly uninvolved in city business. They also say it’s been difficult at times to get the information they need from city staff, whom the mayor directs. “We are frustrated with what’s happening with the mayor,” said Councilman Danny
THE MAYOR took a medical leave of absence May 4 to heal a ruptured disc in his back. Dudley said he takes phone calls and emails from city staff at home, but he’s not able to go to the office or attend city meetings and functions. It’s not clear when Dudley will be back full time, if ever. His term runs out at the end of the year, and he’s not running again. Dudley said his health is “week-to-week” and he has no sense when or if he’ll feel well enough to resume all his duties. He said he’d like to return. “I’m out on medical leave, but that shouldn’t
Staff reporters
Photo by Debra Vaughn/Whidbey News-Times
Mystery beneath the bridge
Multiple agencies, including North Whidbey Fire and Rescue and Island County Sheriff, swept the waters around Deception Pass Thursday after an empty kayak was recovered. Rescuers didn’t find anyone. The kayak probably washed out to sea or came loose, but officials take such a report seriously in case someone needs help, said North Whidbey Fire and Rescue Chief Mike Brown.
SEE FRUSTRATED, A14