Vol. 125, No. 58
News-Times Whidbey
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2015
WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM | 75 CENTS
Lavender Festival pullout
pages 11-14
Your hometown newspaper for 125 years
Candidates: City Hall ready for new leadership By JESSIE STENSLAND
jstensland@whidbeynewsgroup.com
Yount
Severns
Campbell
Martha Yount is arguably the wildcard in the race to be the next mayor of Oak Harbor. The two other candidates in the contest, councilmen Jim Campbell and Bob Severns, are well known by those who pay attention to city politics. Over the years Campbell and Severns have expressed their views on a wide variety of subjects, from guns in city parks to the placement of the sewage treatment plant. Both men have their group of supporters. The list of people who donated to Severns’ campaign reads like a “Who’s Who” recitation of Oak Harbor — fellow council members, business
and community leaders, a former mayor and even Yount. Campbell said he’s the candidate for those outside of the “good ol’ boys club.” He has the support of a local conservative blog but describes himself as an independent thinker. As a retired Navy chief, Campbell said he is a voice for all the veterans in the community. Yount, however, doesn’t fit neatly into the political scene. A former council candidate, she has shown up at council meetings for years and never hesitates to voice her thoughts in a politely circuitous manner. She didn’t decide to run because of any specific issue or problem, she explained. Rather, she said, it’s her love of the SEE MAYORAL, A8
$42,000 sculpture moves to to council for OK
Hospital cited by state for staffing plan lapse
By RON NEWBERRY
By DEBRA VAUGHN
rnewberry@whidbeynewsgroup.com
dvaughn@whidbeynewsgroup.com
A metal sculpture depicting oak leaves blowing in the wind could greet visitors entering Oak Harbor from the north along Highway 20 in the near future. The Oak Harbor Arts Commission is recommending the city council approve the purchase of the sculpture, which is 42 feet long and 15 feet tall and features six 5-foot-tall oak leaves. Cost would be $42,000. The commission would like the piece, which would be created by the Bellingham architectural firm of Archetectual Elements, to be installed near 4th Avenue along Highway 20 near the entrance of the Oak Harbor Farmers Market. A chainlink fence might have to be moved to make way for the piece. City engineers are trying to determine if the location rests in the state highway right of way and whether the artwork in that spot might pose an issue with sightlines, said Skip Pohtilla, chairman of the arts commission. Pohtilla said he likes the spot because it allows the art to serve as sort of a gateway to the city. “It’s a sculpture that does (justice to) Oak Harbor because
won top awards at a national competition — again. Flyers won golds for its Barnstormer Ale and Pacemaker Porter at the North American Brewers Awards. Flyers brewery, considered small for a craft brewery at around 700 barrels a year, competed against the likes of mega-producers like Sam Adams. The batches that won the awards were brewed by assistant Robert “Fergie” Ferguson. But the recipes were all by Savoy, who learned his craft in the past 20 years. He started at age 21, just as the craft brewery movement was taking off. Pioneering brewers started making so called “craft” beers, more full-flavored brews using high-quality ingredients. His job, he said, “never felt like work.” From “grain to glass,” the 14-day brewing process includes a number of decisions that affect the style of beer and the flavor. It’s part science and part art. Savoy knows both, but said he he leans toward the cre-
The state Department of Health cited Whidbey General Hospital for violating a state law designed to ensure nurses and hospitals work together to create nurse staffing plans that keep patients safe. The hospital didn’t implement a committee to develop and monitor a staffing plan, the chief executive officer didn’t review the plan, and staff didn’t have a chance to present and discuss staffing issues, according to a state investigator’s report. The investigator reviewed hospital documentation from 2013, 2014 and this year, interviewed employees and observed hospital units. “This omission may result in nurse staffing levels that do not support safe and effective patient care,” according to the Department of Health report. The investigation pertained to the nurse staffing committee and nothing else, according to hospital spokeswoman Trish Rose. “(Whidbey General Hospital) was found to have missed one of the two required annual staffing committee meetings. A corrective plan was submitted and accepted by the DOH
SEE BREWS, A5
SEE HOSPITAL, A5
SEE ARTWORK, A8
Photo by Debra Vaughn/Whidbey News-Times
Tom Savoy enjoys a Pacemaker Porter at Flyers Restaurant and Brewery. He developed the recipe for the award-winning ale while his assistant brewer, Robert “Fergie” Ferguson, brewed a prize-winning batch.
Art of the Brew S By DEBRA VAUGHN
dvaughn@whidbeynewsgroup.com
acks of barley, wheat and rye are transformed into beer — all within a 20-foot radius of the bar taps at Flyers Restaurant and Brew Pub. There are always a few people who don’t seem to notice that beer is being brewed onsite, despite the stainless steel tanks visible behind glass. That makes head brewer Tony Savoy shake his head. So does the idea of someone ordering a Bud Light, although the restaurant happily serves that too. Flyers produces six beers year round and an assortment of other speciality beers that appear seasonally, or when time allows Savoy to brew an extra batch. “My goal in brewing is, whether you like blonde ale or IPA or something else, somewhere in there you have a beer you like,” he said. The craft brewery is producing some of the best beers in the country. Two beers developed by Savoy recently