Examiner
Renaissance Festival Saturday
The Whidbey
First-place winner, 2014 WNPA General Excellence
50¢
Page 2
www.whidbeyexaminer.com
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Town gears up for Arts and Crafts
VOL. 20, NO. 50
Stiff sails Mor
e Ph o t os on P a ge 7
By Megan Hansen Co-Editor
The Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival will flood the streets next weekend with artist vendors, music and food. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday in downtown Coupeville. A wine reception and juried art gallery will kick off the weekend at 7 p.m. Friday, at the Coupeville Rec Hall. The price of tickets is $20 for advance sale and $25 at the door. Tickets are available at bayleaf, Coupeville Chamber, Coupeville Arts Center, Lind’s Pharmacy, Branch Business Services and Big Rock Designs. With more than 180 vendors scheduled to attend, event organizers have created a new way for visitors to find their very favorite vendors. Go to www.coupevillefestival.com and find an interactive event map which shows where
See FESTIVAL, page 12
WGH cited for lack of nursing plan By Debra Vaughn Staff Reporter
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.
See WGH, page 12
Ron Newberry photo
Strong winds made for excellent sailing during Whidbey Island Race Week competition Tuesday in Penn Cove. The 33rd annual event is the premier sailboat racing event in the Pacific Northwest and is a viewing spectacle for fans. Racing wraps up Friday.
Race week a viewER spectacle
By Ron Newberry Staff reporter
Val Hillers couldn’t have asked for a more relaxing way to spend her Tuesday afternoon. The Coupeville resident visited Seaside Spa and Salon for a pedicure then took her time admiring dozens of colorful sails that dominated the seascape in Penn Cove. “I don’t know anything about sailboats,” Hillers said. “But I love the look of them as they move over the water.” Whidbey Island Race Week is making its 33rd annual splash this week, drawing visitors to the island for competitive racing that is billed as the premier sailboat racing event in the Pacific Northwest. The Oak Harbor Yacht Club and Oak Harbor Marina is hosting the event, which started over the weekend with a new youth sailing competition. Big boat racing began Monday in Penn Cove and Saratoga Passage and continues from noon until 5 p.m. each day of the week through Friday.
The event becomes somewhat of a spectacle in downtown Coupeville, where the colorful sails can be spotted from various vantage points. Curiosity seekers looking for an intimate lesson in sailboat racing on Tuesday flocked to the Coupeville Wharf, where boats travel precariously close to the dock and battled for position in an attempt to literally take the wind from each others’ sails. Tuesday’s winds were excellent, said observer Rich Hays, a novice sailor who was in town for an annual family vacation. “This is great sailing,” said Hays, who lives in North Webster, Ind., but is from Lynnwood. “It’s not often they can get in this close.”
Hays said his family vacations to central Whidbey have spanned five decades. The trips often coincide with Whidbey Island Race Week, so he tries to get to the wharf to catch some racing. He knows all the sailing terminology and shared it with his two sons Tuesday. “I don’t sail that much,” he said. “It’s kind of like an armchair quarterback.” Vickie Chambers has had a front-row seat to Race Week for the past five years. She’s a hot dog vendor and owner of Coupe’s Last Stand, which is located at the entrance of the wharf. “We can’t wait,” Chambers said. “Every year is so cool. This year is a little bit different. There’s such a fabulous wind that they’ve been busy racing.”