'00 baby what a decade
Compiled by ADAM STEWART & JEREMIAH O’HAGAN Staff Reporters
June 24, 2008
Cama Beach State Park opened to visitors on June 24, 2008 after a decade of delays and setbacks. Grand Cama Beach
Despite more than a decade of obstacles, state’s newest park opened on the island in royal style
Cama Beach State Park officially opened Saturday, June 21 after more than a decade of setbacks. Visitors strolled through the park’s grounds celebrating the first new state park to open in Washington since 1997.
Governor Christine Gregoire celebrated the milestone by acknowledging the park’s extensive history and the amount of work that went into its renovation.
Gregoire credited the tenacity of Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, of Camano Island, with bringing the park into the Olympia spotlight.
Colton Harris-Moore nicknamed the barefoot bandit. February 13, 2007
Camano’s barefoot bandit caught
There was a time when nearly no one knew his name. With his capture Friday, 15-year-old Colton Harris-Moore has reached a certain level of infamy on and around Camano Island.
Island County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) deputies arrested Harris-Moore around 9:30 p.m.
He was cornered at a vacant house, after neighbors reported seeing lights on at the residence.
After securing a perimeter around the house, deputies began negotiations with Harris-Moore.
The teen’s mother was brought to the scene and encouraged him to come out peacefully.
After 45 minutes, Harris- Moore gave himself up and surrendered to deputies.
Dayna Fure He was transported to the Island County Juvenile Detention Center, and bail was set at $35,000.
Suspected in several burglaries, thefts and other felony crimes, Harris-Moore was sought by the ICSO for over six months.
He subsequently walked away from a group home that following April. There are currently 10 outstanding felony charges against the teen in Island County. As the decade ended, Harris-Moore remained a fugitive.
November 28, 2006
Snowstorm cuts power to thousands
Thanksgiving weekend fast became a winter wonderland in Stanwood and on Camano Island as snow began falling Sunday afternoon and continued, almost nonstop, through Monday, giving students and some residents an extended holiday.
Justin Hebert The Stanwood-Camano School District was one of many schools in Snohomish, Island, Skagit, and Whatcom counties that canceled school for the first snow day of the season.
More than 40,000 Snohomish County Public Utilities District (PUD) customers were left without power, after heavy wet snow caused weary tree limbs to fall and knock out power lines, said Mike Thorne, PUD spokesman.
DECEMBER 5, 2006
Area in cold’s grip
Deep snow, long power outages test residents’ resolve, patience
The scenery was spectacular, but road hazards, downed trees, burst water pipes and power outages left much of the area literally in the cold and dark last week.
Twelve to 17 inches of snow fell last Sunday and Monday and was more than an inconvenience for most Stanwood and Camano Island residents.
Garbage piled up for a few days, and sewage problems plagued some areas on the island. Stanwood-Camano schools were closed for four days, resuming on Friday with a two-hour late start.
On Camano’s south end, residents were still without power until Thursday or Friday, and some homeowners in Silvana Crest, three miles south of the city, were without power until Saturday.
MARCH 8, 2005
Farewell to town grocers
Two stores up for sale
Two of Stanwood’s landmark grocery stores announced some big changes last week.
Brown and Cole, owners of Thrifty Foods, said they plan to shed eight of its 31 supermarkets to remain competitive, which includes its Stanwood, Smokey Point, and Arlington locations.
Thrifty Foods opened in Stanwood in 1964 and was originally co-owned by the late Bob Andrews, who also served as the store’s manager.
Later, Andrews purchased Viking Market, and it carried the Bob’s Red Apple Market name, even after his son, the late Gordy Andrews, purchased it.
In 2000, the younger Andrews sold it to Roger Burns and Cameron Powers, and it became Twin City Market and Deli.
Coincidently, the day following the announcement of the Thrifty sale, Burns and Powers made it known they sold to The Dollar Store and would close its doors March 31.
“It wasn’t based on (the threat of) Wal-Mart coming,” explained Burns.
APRIL 12, 2005
Town turns out to debate Wal-Mart
People came in large numbers last night, like pilgrims to the Promised Land, with passion and concern about what would become of their town if 23-acres at 72nd Avenue N.W. and SR 532 in Stanwood was rezoned from residential to general commercial.
About 450 people filled Cedarhome Elementary gym to over capacity, many delivering impassioned speeches in an effort to save Stanwood’s agricultural and rural ways of life and its small-town charm.
Alen Federspeil of Stanwood said it wasn’t right for a developer to make a “killing”on a piece of land that serves as a gateway to the city and sang, to loud applause, Joni Mitchell’s 1970 song, “Big Yellow Taxi”:
“Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
However, the issue quickly died by year’s end when the developers unexpectedly pulled its application to rezone the property.
JUNE 1, 2004
Profound loss
Community mourns murder of Dayna Fure
A graduating senior at Stanwood High School (SHS), trying her best to keep safe from the estranged boyfriend she had a protection order against, was shot and killed by him on Monday. He then turned the gun on himself.
In an apparent murder/ suicide Dayna Marie Fure, 18, of Stanwood, died from a handgun wound to the head, while her ex-boyfriend, Mainor Mario Valentin, of Seattle, died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Her death sent shock waves through the high school and community the next day. The SHS flag was flown at half-mast and a makeshift memorial of flowers and notes continued to grow around the flagpole during the week in honor of the young woman who was voted Miss Congeniality and who had just been named the scholar/athlete of her graduating class.
JULY 20, 2004
Developments pave way to annexation in Cedarhome area
The Stanwood City Council intends to move forward in annexing 225 acres and is requesting the state’ Boundary Review Board (BRB) of Snohomish County to invoke jurisdiction over the Cedarhome school property, plus 88 additional acres, which would include 80th Avenue N.W., into the annexation’s final draft.
The proposed Helfers’ annexation is adjacent to the city’s north boundary between 68th Avenue and 76th Avenue and between 280th Street and 291st Street, the northern boundary of the city’s Urban Growth Area. The annexation would also include a portion of Jensen Road.
A 330-acre annexation was denied by the state Boundary Review Board in May 2002; however, after months of appeals, the 2004 annexation was approved. The family-farm landscape of the Cedarhome area had begun to rapidly change before the annexation was approved.
JULY 1, 2003
Happy birthday Stanwood
Parade, entertainment, fireworks
The city of Stanwood celebrated its 100-year anniversary with special events, activities and exhibits July 4, 2003.
Stanwood was incorporated, first as a “town,” on September 19, 1903. An annual children’s Fourth of July parade in west Stanwood kicked off the day of family events commemorating the milestone. Kids were awarded cash prizes for costumes and entries that best depicted the Stanwood Centennial theme.
Games, contests, music and activities took place all day in the east field of Josephine Sunset Home, and a fireworks show began at 10 p.m. at Heritage Park.
On the same day, at 9 a.m., Camano Island dedicated Freedom Park at Terry’s Corner to the memory of World War II Pearl Harbor attack survivors.
AUGUST 5, 2003
Silvana mourns first hometown Iraq War death
August 1, 2003 was a sad day for Silvana.
The community mourned with the family of U.S. Army Spc. Justin Hebert, 20, killed in action.
While the county winced each time a U.S. soldier had been killed since the war in Iraq began, this time it hit close to home.
Hebert was the first U.S. casualty in Snohomish County.
Hebert was part of a convoy that fell under attack east of Bagdad, Iraq. A rocketpropelled grenade hit the vehicle he was in, wounding three of his comrades and killing him.
AUGUST 19, 2003
Ex-coach sentenced to six years in prison
Johnni “J.J.” Hanson was sentenced to six years in a federal prison for giving two of his male students drugs and propositioning them for sex.
In June 2003, Hanson, 29, pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance to a person under age 18 and delivery of a controlled substance – both felonies – and communication with a minor for immoral purposes, a gross misdemeanor.
At his sentencing on August 12, 2003, Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Ronald Castleberry said the former teacher and coach at Stanwood High School had abused his position and the trust of students.
“He took students that trusted in him and took advantage of them,” said Castleberry. “It was an abuse of his position and abuse of trust.”
NOVEMBER 11, 2003
Voters fund fire levy
City of Stanwood residents approved their inaugural fire operation levy to hire additional firefighters and staff the city’s new fire station 24 hours a day, seven day a week.
Previously, the Stanwood Fire Station was covered by three career firefighters Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, the station was staffed by two volunteer firefighters from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The levy provided: • A paid crew of three to cover 24 hours a day, seven days a week; • Full-time chief; • Full-time assistant chief; • Full-time training chief; • Secretary/receptionist; • Records management system; • Vehicle maintenance.
MARCH 5, 2002
On top of the world
Stanwood boys district champions
It wasn’t theirs until Paul Zweber executed a slick backdoor cut to the basket, received a zip pass from Shaun Messerli, and calmly banked it off the glass to give themselves a five-point lead.
So the Spartan boys’ team had to wait until the final klaxon sounded to celebrate.
But celebrate they did after the 79-73 victory over the Snohomish Panthers earned the Sparts their first district championship in 26 seasons.
NOVEMBER 19, 2002
Camano corner, home of new ‘Freedom Park’
Store chain donates land
Oh, the sweet sound of freedom.
Flags flew high and survivors applauded, when 3.3 acres of Terry’s Corner, referred to as the gateway to Camano, was donated for a public park on Dec. 7, the 61st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Brown and Cole, owners of Thrifty Foods in Stanwood, officially transferred ownership of the acreage to Camano Action for a Rural Environment (CARE) with a dedication ceremony, naming it Freedom Park, in May.
The park was dedicated as a memorial to Pearl Harbor survivors.
DECEMBER 10, 2002
Grocery to anchor shopping center
If plans are signed and sealed, which is expected in the very near future, a 50,000-square-foot grocery store will rise in 2003 between La Hacienda Restaurant and SR 532 in downtown Stanwood.
According to Bellevue developer Marc D. Wilson, who is in the process of purchasing properties adjoining his own to make room for the new shopping center, plans also call for a gas station, four retail shop buildings and three other business structures.
Wilson calls the proposal “Stanwood Towne Center.”
MAY 1, 2001
Walk-out closes schools
Teachers protest state funding of education
Stanwood-Camano schools closed Thursday, May 3, when teachers walked off the job for a day to call public attention to issues of salaries, benefits and half-hearted state funding of citizen mandates.
Over 80 percent of Stanwood Camano union members voted in favor of the walkout.
The then-president of the Stanwood-Camano union, Dave Woodward, said teachers in the state of Washington have the lowest salaries on the West Coast, while the state has the 47th highest average class size in the country, as well as “poorly funded medical insurance benefits and the worst retirement benefits in the United States.”
SEPTEMBER 18, 2001
Delivered from evil
Most Stanwood- Camano relatives made it out alive
With scant seconds to spare, Ian Epstein and his new bride, Torie, escaped from the blazing World Trade Center, living through horror in the streets of New York City last week.
It wasn’t the kind of honeymoon they had hoped for, but they were happy to be alive, if only by seconds.
Another close call was endured by Ben Luce, 25, who was in his New York Stock Exchange office across the street from the towers when the planes struck. Fortunately, he too made it to safety.
Jason Dahl, 43, of Denver, was the pilot of the United Airlines flight that crashed in a field near Pittsburgh, Penn., and the son of Camano Isladn resident Catherine Hansen’s cousin. Evidence indicated that Dahl was a national hero for helping avert a larger disaster.
NOVEMBER 20, 2001
DreamWorks Pictures comes to Stanwood for filming of ‘Ring’
DreamWorks Pictures, makers of the films “Shrek,” “Gladiator,” and “Saving Private Ryan,” pulled into Stanwood for the filming of “The Ring,” which appeared in theaters in the summer 2002.
Film crews set up between Warm Beach and Silvana at a farm near the east end of Happy Hollow Road. They also shot at several other locations around the state.
DECEMBER 4, 2001
Camano woman found guilty of mate’s murder
An Island County jury found Linda H. Miley guilty of second-degree felony murder and first-degree manslaughter for the 1997 shooting death of her live-in companion Jack Pearson at his Camano Island home.
Miley, a 58-year-old former Camano Island resident, claimed she shot Pearson five times because he was threatening to rape her, but her story didn’t jive.
The inconsistencies eventually led to Miley’s conviction, and she faced 15-23 years in prison.
MARCH 27, 2001
Jean Shumate superintendent
Jean Shumate, a former administrator with the Highline School District, was unanimously selected as the new superintendent of the Stanwood-Camano School District in a special school board meeting March 26.
Four finalists were picked from 19 applicants, and Shumate was hired after extensive meetings with faculty and the community.
Shumate said she was “impressed by the genuine commitment of the community to excellence in education.”
JANUARY 4, 2000
Start of a new century
Region braced for Y2K disasters that didn’t come to fruition
Police departments put their entire staff on duty, volunteer fire departments staffed their stations, bank employees carefully monitored computer systems, and the NEWS went to press early before it could document the first few hours of the new century.
But most government agencies and businesses last week predicted little more than a few minor inconveniences from possible Y2K glitches as the new century began.
Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel predicted that Jan. 3, the first working day of the new millennium, would be “business as usual.”
MAY 16, 2000
Welcome to Camano
A large crowd gathered as the Camano Chamber of Commerce dedicated its new visitor center and art park at Terry’s Corner, unveiling new works by island artists.
Harmon victims seek money in another class action suit
Victims of the Stanwood- Camano-based Harmon financial scandal, by means of a class action civil lawsuit, are seeking the balance of investment money they lost in a $14 million securities fraud scheme between 1986 and 1997.
They recovered part of their money via a civil settlement last year. Now they hope to reclaim the rest by alleging complicity of certified public accountants, attorneys, investors and Harmon family members.
JULY 25, 2000
Five months in prison for Steve Harmon
Prosecutor calls tax fraud term ‘very lenient’
Judge Marsha Pechman lectured Steve Harmon about tax evasion, but she still gave him a break in his sentence: five months.
A federal prosecutor commented that even 18 months in this case would be “very lenient.”
Harmon, a former insurance and securities salesman who was involved in his father’s Stanwood-Camanobased multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme, apologized for “mistakes” he made with his 1993-95 tax returns.
Pechman retorted that Harmon’s actions were “more than mistakes.”
City fire station a safety hazard
Building is beyond repair
“We’ve got $900,000 worth of vehicles we could lose in a heartbeat.”
That’s the way Rick Nauman, operations captain for the Stanwood Fire Department, describes the precarious condition of the existing fire station.
A tour of the structure indicates that lives could be lost, as well. In many places, the walls are as rotten as the roof.
When a wooden stairway to the second floor became rotten, it was cut off to prevent an accident. The doorway it served was boarded up. Without the second exit, the fire station is in violation of fire codes.
The city of Stanwood will be asking voters to approve funding for a new station in November’s general election.
AUGUST 15, 2000
District loses disabled student lawsuit
Jury awards $310,000 to Haugstads
A jury in U.S. District Court Monday found the Stanwood-Camano School District was negligent in supervising a boy accused of harassing Taya Haugstad, a disabled student, at Stanwood Middle School in 1997.
The jury found, however, that the school district did not discriminate against Haugstad.
The jury awarded Taya $150,000 for economic damages such as counseling; $150,000, non-economic damages, for her pain, suffering, humiliation, and lack of socialization; and $10,000 to her parents, Karrie and Kenneth Haugstad, because the incident interfered with the parent/ child relationship, for the total award of $310,000.
Haugstad, 18, of Stanwood, a disabled student with cerebral palsy, sued the district for failing to protect her; the suit stemmed from a May 1997 incident in which a male student was accused of grabbing the controls of her wheelchair and ramming it into the wall.
