“It was a sellout!” That’s how an exuberant WARREN IVY describes the Coupeville Lions’ Clubs’ first Soup Social and Auction on Jan. 21, designed to raise money for its scholarship program. It was so successful, they will repeat it every January and use those funds to supplement what they take in from their popular July garage sale.

In all, roughly 105 people came. Windermere of Coupeville and Peoples’ Bank each bought blocks of 10 tickets to fill two tables.

After deducting $2,000 from ticket sales of $3,200 to cover overhead and adding that to $11,000 in auction proceeds, they will clear around $12,200, already earmarked for deserving local students.

Ivy gives much of the credit for the auction’s success to JOE WALCK. “He did many great things,” said Ivy, from printing tickets and an auction catalog, to posters and press releases; to BOB JOHNSON, food coordinator; and to AL CHACHON who was “so good at getting businesses to contribute things.”

As second VP of the Coupeville Lions, fund raising is Ivy’s main function. “We are looking at what worked, what we might change next year and what we may add,” he said. It is clear that folks can be lured away from their warm homes on a quiet January night to sample fine cheeses from bayleaf, hot soups from Mad Crab and Christopher’s and a chance to get a bargain in the auction.

One family certainly did, having the winning bid of just $600 for a garden shed donated by Lumberman’s of Coupeville and labor by Main Frame Construction of Oak Harbor to put it on their property.

Navy Leaguers serve …

NAVY LEAGUE VP RON TESTA of Spokane said, “There is a hero among us,” as he introduced ED WITT, new president of the Oak Harbor Area Council.

Witt served two tours in Vietnam in his 30 years of service. In November 2000, he was inducted into the Enlisted Combat Aircrew Roll of Honor for missions flown with V0-67 and VQ-1, and recently received Combat Aircrew Wings for flying with V0-67 in support of Marine Corps operations at Khe Sanh.

Witt told the gathering at the CPO Club on Jan. 26, “I think I am up to the challenge. Everybody that went before me did a fabulous job.”

He was a maintenance master chief in A-6 squadrons here at Whidbey and retired as Command Master Chief of VA-128. Today he is a warehouse supervisor for Del-Jen, Inc.

Other new officers are secretary, SHIRLEY BYRD; treasurer, JO BALDA; and the REV. DAVID LURA is chaplain. Judge advocate is CHRIS SKINNER.

Vice Presidents are RICH BENNETT, DEBRA COHENOOUR, TOM FORD, SARAH KONOPIK, DEB LEACH, SALLY MAYLOR, JOHN McMAHON, CINDY NORMAN, DAVE WILLIAMS and LEE YOUNGBLOOD.

One minute, guest speaker retired Navy chaplain MIKE COLSON, now a Clinical Outreach Coordinator at the Seattle Vet Center, had the crowd laughing at his story about a Rhodesian Ridgeback with an overbite, and the next he reminded guests that our men and women returning from the Global War on Terror are all suffering to some degree. Colson said he sees 52 clients as a mental health practitioner.

Read pioneer diaries …

We have a wonderful historical society in our own backyard where work never ends in bringing us displays that inform, entertain and touch our emotions. “OUR TOWNS” is opening on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Island County Historical Society and Museum.

Using original photographs, maps, diaries and oral accounts, plus many historic items, visitors will literally walk through Whidbey Island from the mid- to late-19th century to the present day, from early days of settlement to the present day of mass transit and the Internet.

Museum exhibit hours are Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thanks, everyone …

The shoes and sandals you donated to orphans of Haiti will let the children know they are cared for by people half the world away.

MONICA REYNOSO and members of her church will take the more than 120 pairs of footwear for big and smaller feet to Haiti next month and she promises to let us know how they were received.

Bake sale for Dillon …

You will not see YVONNE GROSE at Saar’s Marketplace until March 1. She is taking time off to support her 13-year-old son DILLON in his battle against testicular cancer. He has been receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital in Seattle, then comes home, then it’s back to Seattle and so forth.

It will take some help to see the family through. To that end, a bake sale is planned for Friday, Feb. 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Marketplace. Come even if you have sworn off cookies and leave a donation anyway. That’s what this community is all about.

Hum a few bars …

Mother Nature is such a tease. It’s February and bulbs are pushing up through the dirt. Better get the hummingbird feeders ready.

Thanks for keeping in touch so we can share your news. Call 360-675-6611 or e-mail lifeonwhidbey@yahoo.com. I’ll be back on Feb. 8.