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Posts Tagged ‘Coupeville’

Youth pickleball league on its way

Posted in pickleball, tagged , , on November 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Living Hope Foursquare Church in Coupeville is launching a pickleball league for students in grades 6-12 early next year.

Things start Jan. 12 and run through Mar. 2.

The eight-week season will have practices/games one night a week, with separate nights for middle school and high school students.

Every player will receive a jersey, with each night consisting of “a practice, short devotional, and games.”

Cost is $60 per child, though there are discounts if you sign up multiple children.

 

For more info and to register, pop over to:

https://registration.upward.org/UPW89853

 

For adults interested in volunteering to coach or ref, pop over to:

https://registration.upward.org/UPW89853/volunteer

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“Judy was a force of nature”

Posted in In memory, tagged , , , , on October 22, 2025| 1 Comment »

Judy Marti

Coupeville lost a wonderful woman earlier this month.

Judy Marti, the matriarch of one of our town’s largest, and most successful, sports families, left the prairie Oct. 5, after spending 50+ years here.

Her sons and daughters, and grandchildren, have formed the backbone of Wolf athletics since I started writing about sports on Whidbey in 1990, and well before that.

I also came into contact with Mrs. Marti many times at Videoville and Miriam’s Espresso during my golden years, and always found her a kind, gracious woman.

She will be remembered fondly.

 

From the Marti family:

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of a legend, our loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Judith “Judy” Bernice Marti, who passed away peacefully in her home on October 5, 2025, at the age of 85.

Born in 1940 in Seattle to the late Lester and Opal Roberts, Judy was a force of nature. A lively child who climbed trees and wore mismatched socks and didn’t care what you thought about it.

In 1960 she met the love of her life, Roy John Marti II, and they married the following year.

Together they built a beautiful bustling family with ten children.

After raising the first five in the city, they moved to the countryside to sow the land and grow the rest of their brood and have called Coupeville home for the last 50 years.

Judy used life experiences to become one of the most valuable teachers’ aids ever to grace the school district.

Her ability to relate and connect impacted everyone she met, from the student struggling in math, to the stranger sitting next to her on the bus.

She was spiritual and an avid reader, from mysteries to the Bible; her favorite picture was Jesus laughing; she herself enjoyed humor and was often described as the funniest person in the room.

A talented wit who showed compassion for all.

It’s hard to measure the breadth of impact she had on us all, but it would look similar to the deepest view of the universe ever captured by the James Webb telescope.

She is survived by her sister Mary, as well as her children Chris, Rick, Rose, Mike, Frank, Bill, Jim, and Tony.

She is proceeded in death by her husband Roy, their son Roy John III, and daughter Judith Catherine, as well as her siblings Bette, James, and Daniel.

She leaves behind 15 adoring grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, all of whom will carry on her legacy of love, strength, and humor.

A memorial will be held at the Coupeville Recreation Hall on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 3:00 PM.

Refreshments will be served. Parking is limited, overflow available behind the library. 

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And then he was gone…

Posted in Everything changes, tagged , , , on July 6, 2025| 1 Comment »

Welcome to the World Headquarters of Coupeville Sports.

I’m not big on change, apparently.

I’ve lived my entire life in Washington state, with 36 of those 54 years here on Whidbey Island — the last 20 residing in the same duplex on the shores of Penn Cove.

It used to be a candy store back in the day, and a beach shack before that.

I arrived on the corner of Sherman and Madrona in time for the second season of Lost and have remained here through two sets of landlords, several next-door neighbors, and at least four mailboxes — only three of which have been exploded by wayward drivers.

Being a converted beach shack, it often doesn’t hold its heat very well in the winter but catches enough breeze skipping off the mussel rafts in the water below to stay cool for all but a few days in the “sunnier” months.

I’m used to it, and it’s used to me.

From the latter part of my video store days through farm and restaurant work, we have endured together.

And, for the past 13 years, it has been the home of “Coupeville Sports.”

My computer setup has moved from the bedroom to the living room over the years, with furniture changing, and — over the course of the last year — 7,000+ DVDs/Blue-Rays coming to reside on 34 bookshelves.

I live in a video store now, something which is both sublime and stupid all at the same time.

Videoville is never coming back in reality, but, for relatively few bucks, I recreated it for a moment.

But things have been thrown asunder of recent, and it’s sent me drifting in a deep funk.

My sister, brother-in-law, and three nephews, who lived in Freeland the past seven years, suddenly moved to West Virginia in April.

I have kept the blog going for 13 years, and 12,105 articles, by being willing to live on a few pennies here and there. There were far more positives than negatives over the years.

But losing daily, or semi-daily, contact with my nephews has forced me to reflect on things.

I can keep the blog going, I can attempt to scrape by on sporadic donations and side hustles.

Or I can make a big change and go see my nephews continue to grow up in person, while I’m still taller than at least one of them.

Will I adjust to wild West Virginia weather after a lifetime of living in the fairly serene Pacific Northwest? I guess we’ll see.

So, this is a long way to get around to confirming that yes, this is the end of Coupeville Sports. And the start of something else.

I’m not 100% sure when I’ll be on a train heading East, duffel bag in hand, but it will be sooner rather than later.

To all of you who supported me over the years, with financial help, or baked goods, or kind words, thank you.

If anyone wants to help me ease down that long and winding road, you can always celebrate the legacy of Coupeville Sports with a final visit to:

 

Venmo: David-Svien

PayPal: https://paypal.me/DavidSvien?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US

 

And if you know someone interested in swinging a deal for a whole lot of movies, well, there’s that, too.

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Devil’s doody delights diners

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, Ranting and Raving, tagged , , , , on March 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Yet another Mussel Fest I somehow skipped. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

You can’t fool me.

I worked on the mussel rafts down in Penn Cove for four long months in my younger days.

I’ve seen (and smelt) things up close and extremely personal.

Put all the butter, cream, wine, and seasonings on top of the gelatinous hunks o’ junk you want … mussels are still an unholy abomination against nature itself.

Look, I know the annual festival is good financially for Coupeville, especially on a cold, rain-splattered weekend in the non-tourist season.

So, go chew on the stuff the scavenger birds have trouble keeping down.

And may God have mercy on your souls (and your intestinal well-being)…

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Gordon’s Fusion calls it quits

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , on January 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville’s restaurant business is taking a hit.

Gordon’s Fusion Cuisine, which has operated on NW Coveland Street in the building formerly occupied by Christopher’s on Whidbey, is closing as of Sunday, Jan. 26.

The restaurant released the following statement:

 

Dear Community,

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of Gordon’s Fusion Cuisine’s permanent closure, effective Sunday, January 26.

This decision was not made lightly and comes after exhausting every possible effort to continue serving you.

First and foremost, we want to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who have walked through our doors, whether as a loyal customer of Gordon’s Fusion or from our days at Blueberry Hill.

You have been the heart of everything we do, and it has been an absolute pleasure to serve this wonderful community through both bustling times and quieter moments.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of creating meaningful connections with so many of you. Whether it was a quick hello or a heartfelt conversation, these moments have been a constant reminder of why we do what we do.

Our goal has always been to provide a place where the island could gather to enjoy good food in a warm and welcoming environment, and we hope we have succeeded in that mission.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to navigate the increasing challenges of running a small business, we have reached a point where it is no longer sustainable to continue operating.

The financial pressures of these times have taken their toll, and in fairness to our amazing staff, we must face this reality with honesty and integrity.

To our loyal customers, thank you for your unwavering support and for allowing us to be a part of your lives.

To our dedicated staff, thank you for your hard work, passion, and commitment—you have been the backbone of everything we’ve accomplished.

While this chapter is coming to an end, the memories we’ve created together will live on in our hearts.

We are truly humbled by the love and support we’ve received from this incredible community over the years.

Thank you for everything.

Gordon’s Fusion Staff

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