Interest high in 2012 election | Editorial
Normally during a local election year we urge more people to file for office in Island County. This year is different. File if you want, but we already have plenty of candidates.
Two of the three county commissioners, both Democrats, are up for election for a second term. Helen Price Johnson from District 1 and Angie Homola in District 3 took over what had long been Republican-held seats. The election was in 2008, on the cusp of the Great Recession, and voters were in the mood for change. Now, challengers are hoping voters are in the mood for another change.
May 16, 2012
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Good luck, Mayor Dudley | Editorial
Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley is setting a fine example in giving one if his kidneys to a man he doesn’t even know. The operation is scheduled to take place Monday in Vancouver, B.C.
People tend to by cynical about politicians, but this is not a move to improve his poll ratings, not that Whidbey Island has political polls. The News-Times announced his decision to donate a kidney long before he took office. Nor is this political grandstanding. The information came from another source, not Dudley. He explained that he’s just helping out a fellow Rotary Club member whose husband needs a functioning kidney to extend his days on this earth.
May 11, 2012
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Any man can be a predator | Editorial
When it comes to protecting children, organizations need to remember that any man can be a predator. Certainly, we hear of women who commit sex crimes against youth, but men are far more likely to be the perpetrators.
This sad fact of life hit home over the last month when two Oak Harbor men were arrested for sexual abuse of boys. Both held positions of trust, on with the Cub Scouts and one with Oak Harbor Lutheran Church. It’s unclear early in the investigation if any Cub Scout was actually abused, and the initial charges against the church’s “middle school youth coordinator” include only one youth who attends the church, but police wouldn’t be surprised to find more victims in each case. Of course, one victim is one too many.
May 8, 2012
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April in Afghanistan | Editorial
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Nicholas M. Dickhut, 23, of Rochester, Minn., died April 30 in Zharay, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire. He was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
May 4, 2012
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A tax that will tell voters a lot | Editorial
Island County Commissioner Kelly Emerson, a Republican with a tea party background, has never hid the fact that she’s against taxes but she picked a telling one to tackle by proposing that the Conservation Futures tax be placed on the August primary ballot for an “advisory” vote on whether it should continue.
Commissioners Helen Price Johnson and Angie Homola shot down the proposal after a long and heated debate, arguing in part that we have a representative form of government in which the electorate expects their representatives to make tough choices.
May 1, 2012
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Task force wise to be prepared | Editorial
Oak Harbor’s Save Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Task Force has doggedly pursued a high profile in Washington, D.C., ever since the base was temporarily placed on the base closure list back in 1991.
April 28, 2012
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Number of ‘users’ in Island County nearly doubles over the last year | Sound Off
Are you a user? I’m happy to say I am. I “use” almost every work day along with almost 1,000 others here in Island County. That’s nearly double the number of “users” registered on Rideshareonline since January 2011.
“Users” leave the car at home and take the bus, bike, walk, carpool or vanpool and use Rideshareonline to track their progress and register for prizes.
April 27, 2012
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Anonymous tips fight child abuse | Editorial
Child sexual abuse is the last thing we like to write about. Nevertheless, two important stories on this appalling subject appeared on the front page of Saturday’s Whidbey News-Times.
One was about the trial of Ryan Stephenson, 27, who abused a 21-month-old baby so badly that the judge offered the jurors counseling after they were exposed to the gut-wrenching testimony and photographs. It only took a matter of minutes for the jury to find Stephenson guilty on charges that will likely send him to prison for 35 years.
April 24, 2012
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Fireworks idea a dud | Editorial
The basic facts of life argue against discussion among the Island County commissioners to further restrict the use of fireworks among the populace.
April 20, 2012
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Health benefits and small business tracked | Sound Off
National Employee Benefits Day was celebrated April 2 in the U.S. I had to look hard for any benefit trends that look encouraging for small business owners and individuals.
These are historic times for employee benefits in the U.S. as the Supreme Court hears arguments on the federal health reform law. For decades, health insurance, the most important employee benefit, has been highly regulated by the states, and now the federal government wants to take on far more regulatory power over health insurance.
April 19, 2012
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A crowning achievement | Editorial
Island Transit Director Martha Rose was the personification of the phrase “crowning achievement” as she fielded accolades April 10 during the groundbreaking ceremony for the bus system’s long-needed headquarters expansion south of Coupeville.
Rose has dedicated her professional life to Island Transit, making Island County’s no-fare bus service beloved locally, regionally and nationally. There’s just something about a free, friendly, county bus service and Rose’s enthusiastic promotion of such service that hits a soft spot in the hearts of public transportation supporters.
April 17, 2012
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