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The first numbers are in and so far, it’s a blowout win for the Coupeville School District.

Voters are overwhelmingly approving two replacement levies, which would replace ones voted into place in 2022.

While levies require 50% + 1 vote to pass, Coupeville’s have pulled in much more than that through the first counts released Tuesday night by Island County officials.

Proposition 1 – Replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy has tallied 1,588 yes votes, or 63.67% percent.

Meanwhile, Proposition 2 – Replacement School District Technology Capital Projects Levy is at 64.71% with 1,610 positives votes.

As of Tuesday, Island County states that 6,381 ballots have been counted, with an estimated 1,200 ballots remaining.

That second number can increase if additional ballots with valid postmarks are received.

Officials will issue another count Wednesday night, with the election finalized Feb. 20.

 

For vote totals, pop over to:

https://www.islandcountywa.gov/569/Election-Results

 

Russell Torres

This Christmas, it will be 20 years since I left Videoville.

That capped a 12-year run behind the counter at two stores, running from 1994 to 2006.

First, a year in the lil’ house converted into a snug video store — where the squirrels dashed in the open front door to try and snatch up fallen popcorn and where someone (probably me…) cracked the front window by playing the Jurassic Park laserdisc WAY too loud one time.

The T-Rex roared, the glass gave up with a whimper, we told Miriam a bird hit the window, and she sort of half-believed us.

After that, the building that has been housing physical therapy businesses the last couple of years was built across from the elementary school, and Miriam’s Espresso joined the now HUGE Videoville.

Over the next 11 years I ate a lot of Reese’s Pieces, (literally) golfed a lot of gumballs into the then-empty field where the Pizza Factory now sits and tried to convince a lot of customers to rent “Bottle Rocket.”

Customers are the life blood of any store, and we had some who were great, and a few who were genuine Grade-A asses.

Two decades down the road, at a time when the current generation has no clue what a video store was, or why they should miss it, I tend to remember the good customers more than the bad.

Well, except for the one who completely shattered a chair merely by sitting on it, and probably the one who tried (and failed) to flush a really full diaper, flooding the bathroom.

You tend to remember those ones…

But mainly I remember ones like Russell Torres and Kathy Christensen, who were both customers and parents of some of my best co-workers.

Both passed away this month, and both will be genuinely missed, even if I hadn’t seen either one in person in some time.

Kathy Christensen

Russell, whose son David and daughter-in-law Erin worked on video and espresso, respectively, was a straight shooter and I mean that with the deepest respect.

He was a kind man, a friendly face, always, and a proud husband, father, and grandfather, a man who loved his God and his country while allowing others the grace to hold their own beliefs.

Simply put, Mr. Torres earned your respect through his actions and his words, and the way he carried himself. He was a class act.

Kathy Christensen had a lot of the same attributes.

Her daughter Jodi (Christensen) Crimmins and daughter-in-law Shawn (Evrard) Christensen, who both worked as baristas for Miriam’s, are miracles of happiness, two of the nicest human beings I know.

That love of others was always on display when Mrs. Christensen swung by the store, either as a customer or to check on her girls.

The weather could be lousy outside, but she always brought the sun indoors with her.

Coupeville is a better place for having been graced with the presence of these two, and I hope the Torres and Christensen clans find some peace in troubled times with the knowledge of how positively their loved ones were regarded.

“I win, son. I win.” (Photo property Plattsburgh State track and field)

Why wait for the weekend?

Spicing up the early part of the week, Coupeville grad Taygin Jump and her teammates hosted the Plattsburgh State Tuesday Track and Field Meet, the lone home indoor rumble for the Cardinals.

Then the former Wolf went out and was one of the brightest stars of the event.

Jump smashed her PR in the weight throw, launching her implement 44 feet, nine inches, to win the title by a solid seven inches over her nearest competitor.

Her previous best was 44-6.75, set at the SLU Open Feb. 21, 2025.

The Plattsburgh junior also claimed 8th place in the shot put Tuesday, throwing the orb 27-2.75.

When she’s not crushing it in the world of track and field, Aleksia and Khanor’s big sis studies Environmental Planning and Management at the New York-based institution of higher learning.

Learn to love the sport early.

Central Whidbey Little League is offering a free softball skills clinic for girls ages 5-13, a prime opportunity to tantalize your children with the allure of diamond life.

The camp is set for Monday, Feb. 16 at Rhododendron Park, and all the info is in the photo above.

Girls can bring personal equipment if they have it, but CWLL will also have extra gloves available for prospective players.

The event can be a great icebreaker, especially for those who may not have played the sport previously.

“We’ve found that softball/baseball often needs a lot of prep and commitment from parents,” Mandi Black said. “And it can feel easier to say no than to sign up and buy all the gear without knowing if your child will even like the sport.

“So, we had an idea, this is a “come try it out” opportunity.

“A chance for kids to test the sport, have fun, see how amazing it is, and then decide if it’s something they want to sign up for.”

Wolf grappler Marquette Cunningham (left) and water wizard Finn Price lead off Senior Night festivities. (Photos by Julie Wheat)

It was a milestone evening.

Coupeville High School winter sports teams celebrated Senior Night festivities recently, with Wolf basketball players, cheerleaders, a wrestler, and a swimmer honored.

Along for the ride was photographer (and CHS grad) Julie Wheat, who delivers the pics seen above and below.

Avery Williams-Buchanan

Easton Green

Teagan Calkins

Aiden O’Neill

Hayden Smith

Malachi Somes

Danica Strong

Chase Anderson

Camden Glover

Jacob Schooley