With all eyes now looking to the new year, a look behind is never a bad idea. Here’s a few of the prominent stories of 2014.
January
A teenage driver took a turn onto Deer Lake Road a little too fast, leaving his car nearly suspended on a telephone pole support wire.
Port of South Whidbey Commissioner Chris Jerome announced he was resigning for a job on the East Coast.
The Puget Sound Anglers chapter of Whidbey Island holds its last meeting.
Boxing champ Dakota Stone opens Solid Stone Boxing Gym in Clinton.
Work on Langley’s $2.2 million Second Street renovation project begins.
The Langley Whale Center on Second Street officially opens its doors to the public.
Freeland leaders breathe a sigh of relief as state regulators confirm an old fuel spill on Main Street is not threatening the area’s water supply.
Congressman Rick Larsen, a Second District Democrat, spends a day touring South Whidbey Fire/EMS’s new fire boat.
Whidbey Island and fair officials announce a new $10 million vision for the Island County Fairgrounds.
February
Clinton couple Amanda and Chris Peters win big with an all-expenses-paid trip to Super Bowl 48.
Treasure hunters confirm plans to retrieve what they believe is the lost anchor of the HMS Chatham along Whidbey’s west side. The ship accompanied the HMS Discovery on Captain George Vancouver’s exploration of Puget Sound more than 200 years ago.
Freeland resident Mike Gallion, founder of The Fishin’ Club, hangs up his gavel after 25 years of leadership.
A judge denies an appeal by convicted murderer James Huden, who is serving an 80-year sentence for the slaying of Russel Douglas.
Freeland Water and Sewer District officials formally announce plans to build new sewers in Freeland’s commercial core, scheduling a public workshop on the topic.
Navy jet critics hold a meeting in Langley in hopes of gathering public support.
The vision for a new fairgrounds suffers broad community criticism.
Langley leaders pursue a sand shrimp moratorium.
March
A NOAA policy reversal brings new hope for those fighting for the release of Lolita, a captive orca.
A citizen group forms to fight the fairgrounds plan.
South Whidbey Parks and Recreation commissioners reinstate soccer coach Terry Swanson’s field privileges after they were revoked by district officials.
Hopes to secure public beach access at Glendale are dashed when the Island County commissioners pass on acquiring additional park land.
Atlantis Inc. ROV earns the right to compete in an international competition in the Black Sea.
The Tokitae, the ferry that will operate on the Clinton-to-Mukilteo route, is christened.
The fairgrounds plan continues to come under fire by critics.
April
Colorado Air Force cadets spend their spring break helping to build a Habitat for Humanity home in Freeland.
Langley’s Grethe Cammermeyer is inducted into the Washington State Nurses Association Hall of Fame.
Governor Jay Inslee signs a second round of derelict vessel rules into law following the sinking of a crab boat in Penn Cove in 2012.
Island County commissioners green light the Whidbey Camano Land Trust’s purchase of beach property in Glendale.
Maxwelton resident Jan Quade loses her home in an afternoon house fire.
Sunny View Village, an embattled affordable housing project in Freeland, was granted a water availability permit.
The expansion of South Whidbey Harbor marina is finally completed.
May
Langley Dog House Tavern owners confirm they are considering demolishing the famous First Street bar.
Island County commissioner Kelly Emerson resigns seven months before the end of her first four-year term.
Langley leaders halt demolition plans for the Dog House with a moratorium.
Whidbey General Hospital commissioners decided to move forward with the sale of property in Bayview. Purchased in 2008 for nearly $2 million, the land was now estimated to be worth less than $600,000.
Langley developer Richard Francisco unveils big plans for property on First Street.
Robin Black is selected to replace Margot Jerome on the Langley City Council.
ProBuild in Clinton closes its doors.
June
Divers recover the mystery anchor off Ledgewood believed to be linked to Captain George Vancouver.
Whidbey coffee master Dan Ollis celebrates 25 years in business.
A jet noise class action suit is brought against Whidbey Island brokerages concerning Outlying Field Coupeville.
The Port of South Whidbey confirms it will consider plans to take over management of the Island County Fairgrounds.
July
Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, called for a “clean sweep” of Washington State Ferries management after the Tokitae, a 144-car ferry serving the Clinton-to-Mukilteo route, was found to have a flaw causing some cars to bottom out when going up the ramp.
Construction of sewers for Freeland’s commercial core was estimated to cost as much as $9.4 million, which would mean high monthly bills for customers.
One of the first stores to get a state-issued license to sell recreational marijuana was on South Whidbey. Owned by Maureen Cooke, the proprietor of Mo’s Pub & Eatery in Langley, the Bayview-based retail weed shop was far from ready to roll when it got its license from the Washington State Liquor Control Board, as the store did not have any product to sell.
Whidbey General Hospital’s chief nursing officer was charged with assault in the fourth degree, a gross misdemeanor. Linda Gipson allegedly assaulted a 30-year-old patient who was reportedly restrained on a bed.
Public beach advocates got a win when the Whidbey Camano Land Trust moved forward with the purchase of property in Glendale, including a boat launch and an overwater pier. Motorboat enthusiasts, however, suffered a disappointment when it was announced both structures would be removed.
A teenage girl from Langley qualified for the USA Track and Field Junior national championship in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter races, which were held in Houston.
Whidbey General Hospital CEO Tom Tomasino announced he would not renew his contract and would instead retire in October 2015.
Commercial burglaries with similar modus operandi were reported throughout South Whidbey. Things came to a head when the Freeland Cafe was broken into after weeks of calls about cut phone lines to disable alarm systems.
Paul Schell, a prominent business owner in Langley and a former Seattle mayor, dies of heart complications. He was 76 and still pursuing plans to develop Langley’s business community with a proposal for a bridge and elevator connecting the marina and Cascade Avenue along the bluff.
August
The 90th annual fair, rebranded as the Whidbey Island Area Fair after long being the Island County Fair, hits a great stretch of hot, dry weather to draw large crowds for a renewed emphasis on entertainment and agriculture.
Whidbey gets its first lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA) pride parade, with a stroll through Langley.
Freeland Hall hits the century mark and notes the occasion with a party.
Hundreds turn out for a New Orleans-style processional in memory of Paul Schell through Langley, complete with a small band of student musicians.
The Soup Box Derby returns in a big way after being rained out the year before, with scores lining either sidewalk along the First Street hill in Langley.
Langley Community Planning releases sketches of what a bridge and elevator may look like on Cascade Avenue, which eventually led to mass rejection of the proposed project.
September
A bank robber made away with an unspecified amount of cash and an employee’s car from a heist at the Wells Fargo in Clinton. No one was injured.
David Bagley, a Greenbank resident, wins the Whidbey Island Coho Derby, a fishing competition that was salvaged after the Whidbey chapter of Puget Sound Anglers lost its charter earlier in the year.
A team of three teenage girls from South Whidbey wins an underwater robotics competition in Constanta, Romania, to which they were invited.
Hearing cries for help, Clinton resident Matt Kukuk rushed to the aid of Jim Grilliot, who was trapped under a 400-pound granite slab outside of his home.
October
After taking public comment and input on the bridge and elevator, dubbed the Langley Lift, much of the response rejected the project.
On the lam from Island County law enforcement, Christian Shorey was arrested in Forks for allegedly burglarizing a bar. He was wanted in Island County for alleged burglaries.
Jeff Arango, Langley’s director of Community Planning, submits his two weeks notice after accepting a position with a planning firm in Seattle.
Legal retail weed has its first sale on South Whidbey as Whidbey Island Cannabis Company opens its doors after a three-month long stop work order issued by Island County’s planning department for failure to obtain proper documentation.
Leo Langer, a 43-year-old father and janitor for the South Whidbey School District, competes in the World Beard & Moustache Championships in Portland, Ore., after growing his unkempt beard and moustache for nearly a year.
November
With funding secured, the Port of South Whidbey agrees to study managing the Island County Fairgrounds by running it for a year, starting in 2015.
A seemingly innocent toast during a Langley City Council was a violation of state and city rules which prohibit the consumption of alcohol in public places.
Estimated at $100,000 in damages, a fire ruined much of a South Whidbey couple’s detached garage, including a pair of classic vehicles and work equipment.
The Island County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild and Island County agree to a contract that includes $20,000 in back pay for deputies.
December
Snow, up to five inches in some areas, falls all over South Whidbey, canceling school for a few days after it melted and froze, making many of the roads a hazard.
Strong winds toppled trees across the South End, including knocking one towering tree into a Saratoga couple’s home.
After years being closed due to safety concerns, Holmes Harbor was planned by the state to reopen to recreational shellfish harvesting.
South Whidbey gets its first weather station off Craw Road. The high-tech sensors connect to the Washington State University AgWeatherNet to provide more detailed and more accurate readings for agriculture.
