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Archive for the ‘Not sports? Tough!’ Category

“I am so very proud of my community!”

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , on July 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville’s ultra-snazzy new Boys and Girls Club building is awash in bright colors. (Michele Kempees photos)

State of the art, and open for business.

A dream which has endured for close to two decades came to fruition Wednesday, as the new Coupeville Boys and Girls Club facility was dedicated with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The new establishment, located at 706 S. Main Street, welcomes local children starting Thursday.

Prior to making the jump to the snazzy new building, the Boys and Girls Club shared a building with the food bank, jointly occupying a garage on N. Main which once was part of a fire station.

“I am so very proud of my small community,” said Coupeville artist Michele Kempees. “This state-of-the-art building blew me away.

“Even the overhead lighting is computerized to change colors,” she added. “Nothing is stagnate here.

“To think this is only the beginning with a gym and ballfield planned. Wow, just wow!”

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Rapid response limits damage in prairie fire

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , on July 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

An equipment barn on Terry Road meets a fiery demise. (Photos courtesy Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue)

Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue led a successful fight Wednesday to prevent a fire at an equipment barn from spreading across the prairie during the height of the dry summer season.

While the structure on Terry Road, and the equipment inside are believed to be a total loss, there were no injuries or loss of life.

The property, farmed for many years by Robert Engle and his family, is currently owned by the National Park Services.

The NPS has a lease with a local farmer, Steve Hilborn, who is also the head baseball coach at Coupeville High School.

Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the scene shortly after noon Wednesday and was on scene in four minutes.

Coupeville firefighters were later joined by crew from North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, South Whidbey Fire and EMS, the Oak Harbor Fire Department, Navy Region Northwest Fire Department, and Whidbey Health EMS.

Extinguishment and overhaul operations wrapped up shortly after 8:00 PM.

Site security and fire watch will extend until federal investigators arrive on scene Thursday morning.

The National Park Service will lead the investigation, with assistance from local authorities.

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“The results left me gasping!”

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , on July 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The sky lights up for a show Thursday night. (Photos by Phoenix Da Costa-Ford)

A Wolf Mom, a camera, and the joy of achieving a lifelong dream.

Phoenix Da Costa-Ford, a talented artist and one of the best in the biz in running the clock at Coupeville sports event, brings us a glimpse into the heavens.

Her firsthand account:

 

Last night, I was determined to catch a glimpse at the northern lights since hearing about the forecast last week.

Besides being an artist, I’m a huge astrophysics nerd as well!

One thing since I was a kid that I had on the top of my bucket list was to see either aurora at least once in my life.

Being from Washington makes that a little difficult to do and going to them was financially out of reach for me. Nonetheless I was determined after seeing the news article.

When I saw the most recent article stating it wouldn’t be visible to western Washington, I was worried, but I still planned on heading out to Hidden Beach in Greenbank, just minutes from my house.

What’s the worst that could happen? I get really pretty shots of the stars?

So, at 10:30 PM last night, I calibrated my camera, packed my tripod and headed out in my anime Pj pants!

I waited for the sun’s last little light to go away while listening to the calming sounds of the water up against the shore.

Then, I searched the sky with my eyes, but saw nothing.

I was disappointed, but then remembered that my camera could catch the milky way across the sky without my naked eye ever seeing it!

I snapped the first picture and saw a little ribbon peaking back at me at the very edge of the photo. THIS WAS IT!

My heart started to flutter, and joy overcame my soul as I let out an audible “NO WAY!!”

So, I turned my camera more east (a lot more east than I had calculated) and started firing away.

The results left me gasping!

Even though my own eyes couldn’t see it, my camera didn’t fail me in showing me the very spectacle that I had dreamed about as a Neil Degrasse Tyson loving child!

I could’ve been out there forever, but needed to head back home so I could wake up with my kids in the morning without regret.

I wish I could’ve stayed out there longer in hopes of catching a sliver of light with my naked eye.

But for now, I sit proudly knowing I caught this wonderful force of nature with my own hands (and lens).

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Want a 41-page headache?

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , , on July 11, 2023| Leave a Comment »

This really ain’t my bag.

When I got into journalism, I went the easy route, covering sports and writing about movies.

My eyes glaze over when I try and parse complicated financial reports, such as the 2023-2024 draft budget for Coupeville schools.

I can pull out some numbers, such as the district acknowledging it expects to take a $400,000+ hit with its Connected Food Program.

The budget projects food service revenues to be $300,000 next school year, down considerably from the $502,960 generated in 2021-2022, when the state was financing free meals for all during the pandemic.

Expenditures for food service in 2023-24 are projected at $706,602.

That’s down from the $774,573 spent in 21-22, and the $863,155 projected in the 22-23 budget.

Now, there is also a line devoted to “School Food Services, Sales of Goods, Supplies and Services,” which projects $250,000 in profit.

The same line shows a $37,874 profit in 21-22 and $0 for the 22-23 budget.

Is the leap because the state has announced it will fund free breakfast and lunch for elementary school children, but NOT middle/high school students?

Or is there something else in play there?

I don’t know, and Superintendent Steve King went on vacation at the start of July.

He and his crew are obviously still tweaking things behind the scenes, but not answering emails currently — a deserved break.

People with a better understanding of budget ins and outs will have a chance to ask questions moving forward, with two school board meetings scheduled for July.

There is a workshop board meeting July 20 and a regular board meeting, with budget hearing, July 27.

Both meetings begin at 5:30 PM in the Anderson Board Room (Annex Room 305), which is located at the front of the CHS campus at 501 S. Main.

Until then, a link to the 41-page draft budget:

 

Click to access DRAFT_2023-2024_F195_Summary_Pages_Fund_Summary_Budget_Summary_GF1-GF15_ASB1_DS1-DS2_CP1-CP3_TVF1.pdf

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Potential finance hire placed on administrative leave at prior school

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , , on May 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Brian Gianello (LinkedIn photo)

The consent agenda for Thursday’s Coupeville School Board meeting includes a recommendation to hire Brian Gianello as the district’s new Director of Finance and Human Resources.

He will replace the retiring Denise Peet, and his hire becomes official if approved by board directors.

The agenda also mentions an “opportunity for meet and greet in June.”

 

 

What the agenda doesn’t say is Gianello, who previously held similar positions with the La Conner School District from June 2021 to Feb. 2023, was placed on administrative leave by that district at the start of 2023.

 

Gianello resigned a month later.

 

While school district officials are always tight-lipped about personnel decisions, the minutes from La Conner School Board meetings leading up to the administrative leave decision show questions about finances being raised.

 

From the Nov. 28, 2022 La Conner School Board meeting:

 

From the Dec. 16 La Conner School Board meeting:

 

Gianello’s LinkedIn page — https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianellobrian/ — shows he has an AA in General Studies and Psychology from Diablo Valley College, and a BA in Psychology from Azusa Pacific University.

He has held several finance-related jobs, with the La Conner position being his first as a Business Manager.

 

The Coupeville School Board meets Thursday, May 25 at 5:30 PM in Annex Room 305 at Coupeville High School.

The consent agenda, which includes personnel decisions, is right at the start of the meeting, after the flag salute and adoption of the meeting agenda.

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