Vol. 125, No. 48
News-Times Whidbey
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2015
WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75 CENTS
Honoring orca advocates
page 10
Your hometown newspaper for 125 years
Schools serving lunches ‘rain or shine’ District gets USDA grant to ensure kids eat over summer By DEBRA VAUGHN Staff reporter
There is apparently such a thing as a free lunch — at least if you’re a student in the Oak Harbor School District.
This summer, the district plans to provide free lunches for children ages 5-18. The lunches are available to all children regardless of family income. The program is intended to make sure tummies stay full when children don’t have access to the school cafeteria. “It’s priceless for a child to know they can get a healthy lunch every day, rain or shine,” said Ken Harrison, the
district’s nutrition services director. “The program provides security to kids and families. Children receive a nutritious meal and they can enjoy it in the company of their peers, so it’s fun too.” Sample menus include a mix of mostly cold food, such as sandwiches, veggies and dip, fresh fruit and string cheese. SEE SUMMER LUNCHES, A12
HOLY MACKEREL!
Photo by Jessie Stensland/Whidbey News-Times
Patrick Heussmann appears in court with his attorney Monday.
Man accused of driving truck into girlfriend’s house By JESSIE STENSLAND Staff reporter
An Oak Harbor man with a history of domestic violence is accused of driving his truck into the side of his girlfriend’s house, kicking down a door, threatening her with a knife and beating her, court documents state. Patrick W. Heussmann, 29, made a preliminary appearance in court over the weekend. Island County Superior Court Judge Vickie Churchill found probable cause to hold him on suspicion of firstdegree assault, reckless endangerment, fourth-degree assault, possession of controlled substance and first- and seconddegree malicious mischief. SEE COURT, A20
Photo by Jill Hein of the Orca Network
A transient orca appears to glide above the water after breaching the surface of Admiralty Inlet outside Fort Casey State Park in Coupeville in the late afternoon of Friday, June 12. Jill Hein, of Coupeville, photographed a pod of about six or seven orcas from her boat, using a 300mm lens. “All of a sudden, one breached, another one breached and then they all started breaching,” she said. “I think there were close to 30 breaches.” Hein said she didn’t realize she had captured Admiralty Head Lighthouse in the background.
City raises $37,000 at one-day auction
Flyover, bigger fireworks display in store for Oak Harbor on July 4 By RON NEWBERRY Staff reporter
Organizers of Oak Harbor’s Fourth of July celebration are planning a 2015 event they believe will be a crowd pleaser. Not only is a Navy jet flyover scheduled to signal the start of the late morning parade, the evening fireworks show is expected to be the most explosive in the event’s history.
Donations of $20,000 are earmarked for this year’s fireworks display, an increase from the $14,000 typically raised for the annual show. “It’s exciting to watch the community come together and put on this kind of show,” said Christine Cribb, executive director of Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce. SEE FOURTH OF JULY, A12
By DEBRA VAUGHN Staff reporter
File photo 2014/Whidbey News-Times
Young parade goers wait for candy to be tossed during Oak Harbor’s Fourth of July parade last summer.
Hundreds of bargain hunters showed up Saturday to bid on a bizarre mix of unwanted items from the City of Oak Harbor and other agencies, items that included a school bus, street lights and a jungle of fake potted plants. All told, bidders spent $80,000 and the city, which hosted the auction, pulled in $37,000, said Sandra Place, the city’s budget and purchasing SEE AUCTION, A20