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Thursday, June 4, 2015
VOL. 20, NO. 43
Coupeville named top 100 town By Megan Hansen Co-Editor
Coupeville was named this week as one of the country’s 100 best small towns in 2015. The list, compiled by Livability.com, recognized cities and towns that have that tight-knit community feel, but also have amenities expected in larger cities. Coupeville, which made number 65 on the list, was recognized for its small town charm with its historic waterfront, many restaurants and larger amenities like Whidbey General Hospital. “I’m very happy we made the list,” said Lynda Eccles, executive director of the Coupeville Chamber of Commerce. “It’s not just a tourism list, but a usability list. “For a small town, we have a lot to offer. To have all the history and scenic beauty in addition to facilities like Whidbey General Hospital, we still maintain that true sense of a small town.”
See Top, page 16
Ron Newberry photo
Coupeville High School’s top-ranked graduating seniors are, back row, left to right: Aaron Trumbull, Erin Rosenkranz, Marisa Etzell, Amanda Hoesman-Foley, Kylie Burdge and Taryn Ludwig. Front row: McKayla Bailey, Josh Bayne, Michael Kelly and Geoffrey McClarin.
Phone scams an ongoing problem, says town marshal
sky’s the limit
By Megan Hansen Co-Editor
By Ron Newberry Staff Reporter
With the growing trend of fraudulent phone calls happening across the nation, the Coupeville Marshal’s Office is taking a proactive approach to better educate local residents. While Marshal Rick Norrie said Coupeville isn’t a hotbed for fraudulent phone crime, incidents have happened. Many phone scams come from other states and even other countries and can be very difficult and costly to investigate and prosecute, he said. The best thing to combat the issue is to educate the public. The marshal’s office has already made an education presentation to the Coupeville HUB and Norrie said his office is willing to hold presentations for anyone interested. Because of generational differences, fraudulent phone calls seem to target the
Their ties to Coupeville are deep-rooted as are the connections they hold with each other and their small community. When the 60 students who make up Coupeville High School’s graduating class bid their farewells Friday night following the Wolves’ commencement ceremony, in some ways it’s going to be like parting with family. “In a weird way, it feels like we’re all brothers and sisters growing up together,” said Kylie Burdge, who moved from Utah to Whidbey Island when she was 4 and has only known one school district. “I have a strong bond with people here. It’ll be odd going somewhere else.” Burdge’s academic ranking places her among the top 10 students from Coupeville’s Class of 2015. Of the 10, eight have attended Coupeville schools since kindergarten. The cream of Coupeville’s academic crop
See Scams, page 16
Coupeville’s Top 10 seniors share bonds, memories along their journey
from 2015 is a tight-knit bunch that has been heavily involved in community service and a wide range of extra-curricular activities and share an appreciation of the historic, scenic town that they call home. “Growing up in this community has been really rewarding,” Amanda Hoesman-Foley said. “It’s been amazing,” Erin Rosenkranz said. To see bios on each of Coupeville’s Top 10 students, see page 7.
Graduation The commencement ceremony for Coupeville High School’s 115th graduating class will take place at 6 p.m. Friday in the school’s gymnasium. A reception will follow in the high school commons. Coupeville’s Class of 2015 is made up of 60 students. There are four valedictorians with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages — Michael Kelly, Amanda HoesmanFoley, Erin Rosenkranz and Kylie Burdge. The salutatorian is Maria Etzell, who has a 3.986 GPA. All five students have attended Coupeville schools since kindergarten. Tickets are not required for bleacher seating in the gym.