Man hurt badly on motorcycle
An Oak Harbor man was seriously injured Wednesday when his motorcycle slammed into the back of a car on Highway 20 south of Coupeville.
The State Patrol reports that 55-year-old Gary Breazeal was riding a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle southbound on the highway.
At about 6:30 p.m., he failed to stop and struck a 2002 Honda Civic that had slowed for traffic turning onto Parker Road.
Antonio Martinez, 42, of Renton was driving the car. Neither he nor his passenger, 23-year-old Shellanie Martinez of Coupeville, were injured.
But Breazeal sustained severe injuries and was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment.
The State Patrol reports the cause of the accident as “speed too fast for conditions.”
Breazeal was listed in satisfactory condition Friday afternoon.
Olympics impair glove supply
The Olympic Games in August provided a worldwide spectacle but also affected the local hospital.
Whidbey General Hospital had to take steps to assure its supply of latex gloves in recent weeks.
It turns out that Beijing produces most of the latex gloves in the world and production of this medical necessity was shut down for the duration of the Olympics.
“Luckily we got advanced warning from our distributor,” said Trish Rose, spokesperson at Whidbey General Hospital. She learned from the distributor that production was shut down due to air quality issues and to provide more labor for the Olympics.
She said the hospital was able to stock up on the gloves and a shortage wasn’t a concern.
One candidate for school board
Only one candidate has applied to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Coupeville School Board.
Greenbank resident Chris Cahn applied to fill the spot being vacated by Deborah Turner, whose resignation from the Coupeville School Board becomes effective Oct. 31. She resigned because of health issues. She served on the school board for seven years.
Cahn will be interviewed by school board members during the Oct. 20 meeting.
Coupeville School District Superintendent Patty Page said that applications for school board members are still being accepted and candidates must live in the Greenbank area.
During the same Oct. 20 meeting, Turner will be recognized for her years of service to the the Coupeville School District.
