Evan Thompson, former Record sports reporter

Former Record sports reporter Evan Thompson was hired as the senior sports reporter at The Observer, the student newspaper of Central Washington University.

After only one month into his studies at CWU, Thompson wrote a feature on the transition for freshmen athletes, and has covered volleyball, football and men’s soccer.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Thompson said. “In the summer before classes, I contacted the editor of The Observer, and he had two guys in mind for the position already.”

Thompson offered to cover games and proposed several story ideas, which led to the paper hiring him a week ago.

“When I heard it, it was just a huge feeling of relief,” he said. “Seeing my name in print in a whole new publication was awesome.”

Thompson graduated from South Whidbey High School in June and covered Falcon spring sports for the Record. He plans to pursue a journalism major.

A chance to sit with a dozen professional journalists in a press box came his way Saturday. Thompson shadowed an Associated Press reporter during the University of Washington football game against Colorado. Having statistics and records readily available to him, in addition to free food, helped spur his dream to become a sports reporter.

“Sports journalism is what I want to do in my life,” he said.

“It was nice because they have all the stats and media booklets laid out for me,” he added.

“Anything you could ever possibly want to know about UW or Colorado, they had.”

The beginning writer was a bit starstruck by some of the Husky greats he saw at Husky Stadium. In addition to the current stars such as Keith Price, Jermaine Kearse and coach Steve Sarkisian, former players were there, too.

“Damon Huard walked by, and that was pretty cool,” Thompson said.

He went onto the field to interview Colorado’s head coach, then walked through the Huskies’ tunnel to the media room to interview Price, Kearse and Sarkisian.

“I felt like I was the youngest guy in the room, which I probably was,” Thompson said.

“I felt like I was in the right place.”

Today’s front page. Top stories: candidates square off for coveted Langley City Council seat; details lacking on accused murderer’s six-state road trip.

Here’s a neat video making the rounds today: A television commercial for Volkswagen that was partially filmed on Whidbey a few months ago.

This week’s weather forecast for South Whidbey, from the National Weather Service’s office in Seattle:

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 60. North northwest wind around 7 mph. Increasing clouds tonight, with a low around 47. North northwest wind 6 to 9 mph becoming south southeast.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. South wind between 8 and 11 mph. At night, a 50-percent chance of rain.

Thursday: Rain likely, and cloudy, with a high near 55. South southeast wind around 8 mph. At night, 30-percent chance of rain, cloudy.

Friday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. Friday night, rain likely.

Saturday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of rain on Saturday night.

Sunday: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.

And here’s last week’s weather roundup from across Whidbey, courtesy of Jackie Vannice from the WSU Extension/Island County.

Oct. 10 to Oct. 16
Temp Hi    Temp Lo    Wind mph     Rainfall YTD    Rain Last Year

Crockett Lake
62    38    26    0.06    16.86    15.67

Fort Casey
63    41   [No wind report]  0.03    16.07    13.23

Greenbank
58    44  [No wind report]   0.09    17.30    12.10

Fawn Run in Coupeville
58    42    [No wind report]   0.03    17.87    15.74

West Beach
62    40   [No wind report]    0.28    15.80    14.74

Weather Desk Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
61    34    35    0.13    15.34    16.22

Outside the excellent Gettysburg National Military Park museum, Abe wonders why everyone is wearing baseball caps. "And what, exactly, is baseball?" he asked.

The newsroom received a welcome report from former Record sports guy Jeff VanDerford, who retired late last year and moved east with his wife, Nancy. Jeff, a big-time Civil War buff, has kept busy with travels north and south to visit historic battlefields and monuments.

Here’s the latest report from Jeff:

“This is why we moved east to Virginia. In size and scope, the battlefields at Gettysburg far surpass the other major sites we’ve visited. Though it rained at the start of our trip in Harper’s Ferry, by Tuesday the clouds parted and the weather was near-perfect.

Nancy found a vacation rental in the heart of downtown (at $35 a night! Amazing), so we walked everywhere, including the Garry Owen Tavern featuring the best Shepherd’s Pie ever — something about gravy granules imported from Ireland. On Friday, there was a Latin street festival and the whole city turned out for some great music and dancing. Between the tourists and the local college, it’s a busy place, especially on weekends.

Guinness on tap and good eats aside, this was all about Civil War history and Gettysburg did not disappoint.

The audio CD driving tour worked, so we were able to stop-and-start at our own pace. Watching the pricy tour buses whiz by, their passengers unable to debark to absorb the sights, made us laugh in a superior fashion. It took three days to do the whole battlefield, another day at the new museum and restored 1880′s Cyclorama and a day at the Eisenhower farm nearby.

The park service has gathered over a million artifacts from the battlefield and displayed them to great effect, the site being the crown jewel of its historical parks system. Restoration and preservation efforts continue, including adding or clearing brush and trees to the landscape so it looks as it did in 1863.

We were happy to see lots of young people listening to park rangers and learning something about their nation’s past, bloody though it was in this instance — Boy Scouts, school groups, kids with their parents and even 50 students from a middle school in Hawaii.

For us, the high points included seeing where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers converge at Harper’s Ferry, Joshua Chamberlain’s stand with the 20th Maine on Little Round Top, the spot where Lee welcomed back his defeated army on the final day, Custer’s ferocious battle with Jeb Stuart at the East Cavalry Field and the Soldier’s Cemetery where Lincoln gave his address. But in truth, it was all good. And the guns, everywhere …

This weekend, we attend the battle of Cedar Creek cavalry re-enactment — one year to the day we arrived in Staunton — before taking the train to D.C. next month. Then back to hibernation as winter descends on the Shenandoah Valley.”

Island County Board of Commissioners

Island County commissioners meet this morning, and will talk about creating a new county road between Race and Houston roads. A $690,000 federal grant is expected to help pay for the project.

Also on today’s agenda, a resolution to create a farm/agricultural advisory committee, and a plan for employees who want to opt-out of the county’s medical insurance.

The board will also host a joint workshop today at 4 p.m. with Coupeville officials to talk about Ebey’s Reserve.

The county commissioners’ work session starts at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, with the public works agenda.

Commissioners will also talk about the idea to use the $5,500 in annual campground fees that are collected at Rhododendron Park Campground used for maintenance and improvements at the campground.

The fees are currently collected and placed in the current expense fund, which pays for general government services.
County parks officials have also been talking about increasing the number of campsites at Rhododendron Park Campground and allowing recreational vehicles at the park.

Later in the work session, at 10:45 a.m., county commissioners will talk about the first draft of the 2012 fee schedule for the planning department, and there will be a report on the discussion of fees with the Skagit/Island Counties Builders Association.

Commissioners will also get an update on the Shoreline Master Program and get a first review of the planning department’s 2012 work program.

Langley City Council

The Langley City Council meets at 3 p.m. today for another workshop on next year’s budget.

There’s not much on the agenda for the 5:30 p.m. council meeting Monday; a presentation on the Langley Library, and a discussion led by Ted Hunter of Sound Law Center, the city’s new hearing examiner.

Agenda here.

2012 Election

Robert “Jeff” Lauderdale, the Republican candidate for District 1 on the Island County board of commissioners, will be South Whidbey Republican Women’s guest speaker at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Useless Bay Golf & Country Club. To reserve lunch, call 579-4062 or 341-2355.

Washington State Ferries

The Washington State Transportation Commission meets Tuesday, Oct. 18 and Wednesday, Oct. 19 in Olympia.

On Tuesday’s agenda, officials with Washington State Ferries will give an update on the WSF marketing program. David Moseley, Assistant Secretary of the Ferries Division, and Marta Coursey, communications director for WSF, will give the overview.

Moseley is also scheduled to give a report on the ferry system’s fuel hedging program.

Later in the meeting, Kathy Scanlan of the Cedar River Group and Michael Hodgins of Berk & Associates will report on the Joint Transportation Committee’s ferry fare media study.

In the newsroom

In Island Life this week, Patricia Duff looks at two music series kicking off their seasons.

The Saratoga Chamber Orchestra breaks out its fifth anniversary season with “Meet the Orchestra!” an evening of Gabrieli, Mendelssohn, Williams and Britten on Oct. 23 and 24. The orchestra will also hold a “musical petting zoo” before each performance. Patrons and their families can get an up-close and personal look at the musical instruments of the orchestra.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island Chamber Music Recital series also gets underway this month Oct. 28 and 29 with island musicians Eileen Soskin, piano, Gloria Ferry Brennan, violin, and James Hinkley, cello, playing the music of Bach, Halvorsen, Beethoven and Arensky.

In the schools

At South Whidbey High School this week, a mandatory senior class meeting will be held at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 to talk about the senior culminating project.

In sports, there will be a pre-season boys basketball team meeting for interested players during lunch on Tuesday, Oct. 18 with Coach Henry Pope.

The Falcons girls soccer team will celebrate Senior Night on Tuesday. The game is against Coupeville and starts at 6 p.m.

The volleyball team is also at home on Tuesday, and will square off against Cedarcrest at 7 p.m.

The Falcons play cross-island rival Coupeville in football Friday. It’s a home game at Waterman Field and starts 7 p.m.

The cross country team has its conference championship meet at Lakewood High School at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The soccer team plays Archbishop Murphy at home at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Today’s front page. Top stories: Candidates for Langley council Jim Sundberg and Robin Adams stress priorities; man accused of stabbing parents had been repeatedly contacted by police prior to attack.

You probably know country star Martina McBride best for her music. McBride has a new album, “Eleven,” slated for release this month and is nominated for female vocalist of the year at the CMA Awards on Nov. 9.
In the Oct. 15 issue of USA WEEKEND Magazine, the Southern songbird shares a few things you probably don’t know, including what you might find on her family’s holiday dinner table. Enjoy this delicious pot roast recipe Martina learned from her mom and find the full story in USA WEEKEND by picking up this Saturday’s edition of the South Whidbey Record.

Ingredients:
1 chuck roast or arm roast
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Fresh ground sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
½ onion
1 small green pepper
2-3 cans beef broth
1 can water
Baby carrots or carrots peeled and halved (optional)

If roast is frozen, thaw thoroughly and rub both sides with minced garlic, tucking garlic pieces into random crevices in the roast. Generously salt and pepper each side of roast. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet over moderate heat and brown roast well on both sides.

After roast is browned, place in large, wide pot (such as a Dutch oven). Pour any oil and browned bits from the skillet over roast. Pour two to three cans beef broth (the more beef broth, the more gravy!) and one can of water in pot with roast.

Slice onion and green pepper and layer on top of roast.

Bring to low boil, then turn heat to low, cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours, or as long as it takes until meat is fork-tender all the way through. Be sure and check fairly frequently so that it doesn’t cook away all the liquid. Add liquid as needed.

If desired, add carrots to pan and cook about 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from pan and set aside or keep warm.

When roast is fully cooked and tender, remove onion and green pepper and discard. Remove roast from pan and place on platter.

To make gravy:

Mix warm water, a bit of the broth and enough flour to make a thick liquid. (If your gravy needs to be gluten-free, you can use cornstarch.) Make sure the liquid isn’t too hot when you add the flour or it will cook the flour too fast and make lumps! You want it warm, but not boiling.

Bring broth in pot to a boil. Slowly add flour mixture and whisk, cooking, until liquid thickens to gravy. Salt and pepper to taste.

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders is making news — and not in a good way — in the San Francisco area after the $4.3 million commuter ferry from the Freeland shipyard has been beset with breakdowns after it went into service.

A San Francisco Chronicle story is here.

A News10 report is here.

Christo Komarnitski, Bulgaria

Demonstrations against corporate greed continue on Wall Street in New York, and in other cities across the country. This Saturday, a group of Whidbey Islanders led by Jeff LaGasse are heading to the Occupy Seattle demonstration.
LaGasse told the Record on Thursday that his Whidbey carpool includes nine people (and a dog), and he’s still being contacted by others interested in attending who are heading over on their own.

Here’s an interesting take of media coverage of the Occupy Wall Street movement:

Depth Needed in News Coverage of Wall Street
By Jesse Laird

Nate Silver’s analysis of news coverage of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations shows how clashes with police have increased media attention to the movement. Silver presented evidence in his New York Times piece [Ot. 7] that after each major confrontation with police American media increased the number of articles devoted to the movement.

For example, when nonviolent Occupy Wall Street protestors were maced, news stories jumped. When more than 700 were arrested in a nonviolent march across the Brooklyn Bridge, the number of news articles surged nearly 400 percent.

Silver’s analysis supports what is already known about the dynamics of nonviolent action, and also supports a long-held perception among members of the American peace community that news outlets are obsessed with violence to the exclusion of other worthy events. However, you would not likely know this from reading about the protests in most major publications.

When nonviolent activists are repressed by force — even when they are breaking the law—public opinion tends to turn in their favor. Nonviolent activists are more likely to be thought of as “reasonable people” than are violent activists, who are perceived as extremist and threat to public safety.  Reasonable people attract allies, sympathy and material support. Extremists attract repression and social isolation.

Gene Sharp, the Harvard scholar of nonviolence, coined this dynamic “political ju-jitsu,” because the force that the opponent uses to squash the movement tends to backfire by attracting more support for that movement.

There are diverse examples of this dynamic. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 Children’s Crusade in Birmingham, Ala. knowingly put unarmed school children out into the streets to face police dogs and fire hoses. The images of that confrontation between a nonviolent community seeking justice and the police were branded upon our national consciousness and led to an expansion of public support for Civil Rights. The injustice of systemic violence against African Americans already existed, but the issue was not thrust into public debate until it was laid naked by violent repression of the nonviolent movement.

A second example: Thousands of mostly working and middle class Christians waged a massive sit-in campaign between 1987 and 1990 to promote an anti-abortion agenda. The campaign culminated in a nationally organized multiyear wave of nonviolent blockades of medical clinics. In 1988 alone there were 188 nonviolent clinic blockades in which more than 11,000 people were voluntarily arrested. The strategic logic was to endure mass arrests to bring attention to the pro-life movement through the media. The approach more or less worked until new laws and legal action by women’s organizations made blockading a medical clinic too costly to bear. Anti-abortion violence increased after the new laws took effect and the movement found itself increasingly isolated.

Public intellectuals in the American peace community have known about these dynamics for years, including the propensity for American media to fixate on violence and confrontation.

Elise Boulding, a founding matriarch of women’s studies and a pioneer in the American peace community, articulated the bias toward violence and confrontation in her seminal work “Cultures of Peace: The Hidden Side of History.” She understood the American fixation with violence to be an expression of a male dominated society. In the case of some movements, this fixation has been exploited to advance public knowledge of key issues. The central deciding factor in how these confrontations are understood by the public, however, is the degree to which the movement expresses and maintains nonviolent discipline.

So far the Wall Street occupation and its satellite demonstrations in hundreds of cities throughout the U.S. and Canada have largely expressed and maintained nonviolent discipline. Small episodes of violence and property destruction have been damaging to the movement as a whole, but they do not fully capture the spirit and intention of the protests. Organic social movements – like churches and political parties – sometimes attract fringe characters, but the presence of these fringe characters and their sometimes-irresponsible behavior do not define the work of thousands of others.

As Robert Borosage has written, what the Occupy movement lacks in measurable policy objectives and talking points it more than makes up for with moral clarity. There is a pervasive sense that the true meaning of the bank bailout, high corporate profits, partisan political paralysis, the mortgage crisis and long-term unemployment is that America has lost its moral direction. As long as these fundamentally moral failures persist, and as long as the Occupy demonstrations remain committed to nonviolent direct action, the movement will likely continue to grow.

What is less certain, however, is whether American mainstream media will take upon themselves the more useful tasks of analyzing these underlying moral failures and of providing a fair hearing to the people most damaged by the economy.

So far, media coverage tends to focus on dramatic encounters and confrontation without going deeper into the underlying causes or dynamics. America needs greater depth of insight by media into the present crisis.

It has happened before that peace and social justice scholars –expert analysts of the present crisis – have informed and deepened public debate through mass media. Given the naked failures of the generals, politicians and economists to understand and explain the world over the past 10 years, it seems like a good time for all media organizations to make space for peace and justice scholars on the front pages and in news reports and analysis.

Jesse Laird is a Portland, Ore. activist who teaches courses in the humanities and studies human rights education.