Record South Whidbey
INSIDE
Dodgers claim second straight Andrade win See...A8
SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2015 | Vol. 91, No. 46 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
Contributed photo
Island County Beach Watchers perform bioassessment monitoring at Hastie Lake. The organization is splitting from Washington State University Extension, Island County.
BEACH WATCHERS TO STAND ALONE Group casts off university shackles to become independent organization
By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record The Island County Beach Watchers are breaking free from Washington State University Extension, citing frustration with restrictive policies and conflicts in vision. “The university is very clear. The first priority is the univer-
sity, the second is the project and the third is the members,” said Derek Pritchard, president of the Island County Beach Watchers board of directors. “We see it differently.” The group will remain under WSU Extension stewardship until Dec. 31. After that, the group will become an independent organization, but retain close ties with Lighthouse Environmental Programs, the nonprofit through which it does
all its fundraising. “The idea is that the membership has reached a maturity that it can run its own business,” Pritchard said. “We want to address the needs of the community and the desires of the membership.” SEE BEACH WATCHERS, A12
Langley considers option for firehouse sale By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record
Ben Watanabe / The Record
Patrick Forrestal and Brian Iverson work on blown-glass rockfish at Callahan’s Firehouse in Langley on Thursday.
Langley is trying to find a way to part with its old fire station. The city had put it up as a surplus property through a request for proposals. Only one proposal was submitted, and it came from current tenant Callahan McVay, who runs Callahan’s Firehouse Studio in the Second Street building.
Since 2009, the glass-blowing artist transformed the old cinderblock truck bays into a working studio for his blown glass business as well as a showcase for glasses, sea floats, bowls and art. He made a $350,000 offer after being in the building six years this July because, he said, he has shown it is a successful business in an ideal location. “I’ve been able to demonstrate with hard work and regular hours what I’m able to do,” McVay said.
“I grew up in a fishing family,” he added later. “This is my gill net.” The offer is reasonable, he says, because the building is old and would not include exclusive rights to use the parking lot behind the building near Third Street. Langley City Hall initially disagreed. Mayor Fred McCarthy said the planSEE FIREHOUSE, A5
Last minute response saves Freeland post office from having water shut off By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night can stop the mail, but a pesky and persistent water leak came close this week.
A Freeland Water and Sewer District official confirmed Friday that the U.S. Postal Service nearly had their water shutoff due to inaction regarding an ongoing leak. The federal agency was given 30 days to address the problem,
and responded the day before the deadline, narrowly averting a possible closure of the building. Andy Campbell, the water district’s manager, said he was contacted Friday morning by
postal officials and told a contractor had been hired. Some work — utilities location — began that day, but the real repair wouldn’t begin SEE POST OFFICE, A20