Win Stites, president of the PBY Memorial Association, recently returned from Pensacola, where he spent some time at the National Museum of Naval History. He met with the executive director and several museum officials who directed him through the visuals and the magnificent PBY cutaway full-size model. The PBY Memorial Association was well known to our hosts who gave them encouragement and advice. The number one priority is to get a PBY paid for and restored at the seaplane base, Oak Harbor.

At the board meeting in January, officers for 2003 were elected, Win Stites president, Ron Wallin vice chairman, Dolores Meisch secretary, Troy McKelvey treasurer, and Jim Vannice assistant treasurer.

New members of the growing “Cat” family include Jim and Jean Duffy of Langley, Donnabelle Winsten of Oak Harbor, Earl and Billie Halliday of Lake Tahoe, Calif., and Max Taylor of Oak Harbor.

While in Pensacola, Stites met with Ben Myers, formerly of Oak Harbor where he was the director of the Navy Flying Club.

First United Methodist church has two new staff members: Kathy Kraiza, interim youth director and Mike Finch, interim special project assistant.

Kraiza is a retired Navy officer who has served as youth and family ministries at the Coupeville UMC. Finch and his wife Renee joined the church within the last year.

Desiree Hoskins of Oak Harbor spent January studying in Greece through a special study program at Linfield College. Hoskins is a 1998 graduate of Oak Harbor High School and the daughter of Garrett and Darleen Hoskins of Oak Harbor. She is a senior history major and a member of Phi Sigma Sigma sorority.

The Island County Historical Society is pleased to announce the election of three new members to its 2003 -2004 board of trustees: Bill Myhr, superintendent of Coupeville School District; Derle Solheim; and Dale Williams, owner of Berg and Associates, Tax and Financial Services in Oak Harbor. These new members bring to the board their expertise in the areas of education, facilities management and finance.

The board of trustees has one more position they hope to add to their roster for 2003 – 2004, and that is the position of chair of the fundraising committee. If you have experience in non-profit fundraising or development campaigns, and would like to volunteer, call Joy Iverson, board president, or Cindy Gass Johnson, executive director, at 678-3310.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Ladies Auxiliary have just completed their 2002 -03 “Voice of Democracy” youth essay programs. The VFW and the auxiliary have a long standing commitment to foster patriotism, promote Americanism, and support educational activities.

The Voices of Democracy competition for grades 9-12 covered the theme “Freedom’s Obligation.” At the local level: 1st place – Tiffany Green, a homeschooler in Oak Harbor; 2nd place – Ashley Small, sophomore at Oak Harbor High School; 3rd place – Olivia Schmidt, a sophomore at the Branches homeschool in Oak Harbor. Green’s essay also took first place at the district level, and moved on to compete at state.

The youth essay program for grades 3-8 was themed “My Pledge to America.” There were 336 entries from 8 schools. Locally, the winners are: Oak Harbor Elementary – 1st Karina Reddy, 2nd Brienna Peterson, 3rd Erin Neilon; Crescent Harbor Elementary – 1st T. Wade Burns, 2nd Shelby Kirk, 3rd Katie Wilkinson; Olympic View Elementary – 1st Ashley Moats, 2nd Torrey Spoerer, 3rd Aditya Bhardway; Hillcrest Elementary – 1st Harrison Livermore, 2nd Gabrielle Slais, 3rd Michael Radka; North Whidbey Middle School – 1st Christopher Olson, 2nd Brytny Masters, 3rd Katie Holcomb; Oak Harbor Middle School – 1st Geneva Kenworthy, 2nd Christina Neilon, 3rd Krissy Schoeffling; Coupeville Elementary – 1st Riley Quinn, 2nd Sam Vier, 3rd Jordan Lamb; Home Connections – 1st Megan Hall, 2nd Lindsey Hall, 3rd Jonathan Royal.

Locals who fared well at the district 15 level, which includes Burlington, Bellingham, Concrete, Oak Harbor, Lynden and Custer, were: Third grade – Brittany Stancil, Oak Harbor Elementary; Sixth grade – Christopher Olson, North Whidbey Middle School; Seventh grade – Tylor Kaser, (homeschool) Coupeville; Eighth grade – Geneva Kenworthy, Oak Harbor Middle School. These winners were forwarded to the state level where they competed against essays from 17 other districts. Christopher Oslon, of North Whidbey Middle School took 1st place in the sixth grade division.