Wednesday, August 24, 2011 • A-1
SEQUIM GAZETTE
The fair, up close
Name the cubs
Headed for repeat?
Images from Clallam Festival.
Check out Oly Game Farm’s new residents.
P.C. squad begins title defense.
A-9, A-16
A-9
B-1
SEQUIM GAZETTE Wednesday, August 24, 2011
2010
BEST
! We ekly per Newspa
www
com
75 CENTS
Sequim’s Hometown Newspaper
Survey says: Sequim likes it here
Heroin: Sequim’s drug of choice
New city hall low on residents’ priorities by MATTHEW NASH Sequim Gazette
City of Sequim residents are generally satisfied with how operations are going, according to results from a customer satisfaction survey. Ron Vine, a market researcher and vice president of ETC Institute, shared the results Monday, Aug. 22, from 430 randomly selected VINE residents. The city’s goal was to receive 300 surveys. Vine said receiving more surveys shows a lot of interest from the community and that the survey was well-written. Some city councilors said they were
See SURVEY, page A-4
Photo illustration Two Sheriff’s Office cars and a Clallam County Fire District 3 ambulance are parked near a Carlsborg home where a 60-yearold man overdosed on heroin Aug. 19.
Five overdose in nearly three weeks; drug’s close-calls put community on alert by AMANDA WINTERS
by MARK ST.J. COUHIG Sequim Gazette
Madison said police have noticed an uptick in the presence of heroin in the area over the past year or so. He hasn’t seen cocaine in years. He hasn’t seen methamphetamine in months. But he sees heroin all the time. “It’s quite frightening,” he said. Police believe the increase in heroin use is
See HEROIN, page A-6
See OMC, page A-6
Sequim Gazette photo by Amanda Winters
fifth overdose. The Aug. 19 overdose involved a 60-year-old man who was barely breathing. The two other patients were in their 20s, officials said. Medical Safety Officer Bryan Swanberg said a heroin overdose can start just moments after injecting the drug, first shutting down the respiratory system, then, within minutes, all other bodily systems. It is vital to get help immediately because once brain damage occurs from oxygen deprivation, nothing can revive the patient, he said. Andrews is concerned that the next victim might be alone or hesitant to call 9-1-1 when the need arises.
OMC, union still at the bargaining table A Kitsap court has approved a request by both Olympic Medical Center and union workers to extend a restraining order that led to the cancelation of a planned Aug. 11 strike at Olympic Memorial Hospital. The Kitsap County Superior Court on Aug. 3 issued the restraining order against the strike. The restraining order has been extended through Sept. 16. The court will hold a hearing at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 16 to hear OMC’s request for a preliminary injunction to keep in place the order prohibiting a strike. In issuing the original temporary restraining order, the court declared that as public employees the workers had no right to strike. OMC officials said the strike by workers covered by contracts with the Service Employees International Union Healthcare 1199 NW (SEIU) would have cost OMC $600,000 for temporary workers. After the restraining order was issued, OMC was
Sequim Gazette
After responding to five heroin overdoses in nearly three weeks, Clallam County Fire District 3 and local law enforcement are shocked and frightened by what they see happening. “These kids have no idea what they’re doing,” Sequim Police Sgt. Sean Madison said of the alarming number of young people shooting up black tar heroin in the Sequim area. “Your friend will die.” “And you’ll watch him die,” added Ben Andrews, assistant fire chief of Clallam County Fire District 3. All five patients, including a 16- and 17-yearold, were saved from potential death, often after their own friends performed CPR at the instruction of dispatchers while waiting for emergency responders to arrive. The incidents occurred on July 27 and Aug. 10, 16, 17 and 19. “If they hadn’t been with someone willing to call 9-1-1 or perform CPR until we arrived, I am certain all four would be dead today,” Andrews said Aug. 18, a day before the
Strike order extended
“It would be painful, but not surprising, if a teen dies from this in the near future despite our best efforts,” said Peter Loeb, District 3 public information officer and EMT.
Heroin use growing
Raising a glass to the 3041
Dubois, Miller advance in city council primary
After 43 years, the Evergreen Platoon is together again by MARK ST.J. COUHIG Sequim Gazette
On July 12, 1968, Washington Gov. Dan Evans had a special task: swearing in 80 new recruits to the U.S. Marine Corps. It was an unusual ceremony because the recruits were part of an unusual group: the Evergreen Platoon was made up solely of Washington residents.
This past weekend, some 43 years later, two dozen or so of those original 80 were together again. Evans wasn’t there, but they were joined by another special guest, retired platoon Cmdr. Roy “Gunny” Gallihugh, the man who shepherded the unit through basic training more than four decades ago. The 3041 was a special
See VETERANS, page A-6
by MICHAEL DASHIELL Sequim Gazette
The gathered members of the Evergreen Platoon raise a toast to the members of the old 3041, both living and deceased. The were hosted in Sequim by Chuck Looney (in black shirt), a member of the 3041, and his wife, Pat Severson-Looney. Sequim Gazette photo by Mark Couhig
INDEX Business ......................... A-7 Classifieds ...................... D-1 Crossword ....................... C-5
A&E Calendar ................. C-6 Obituaries ......................A-11 Opinions/Letters ...........A-12
Real Estate ..................... D-1 Schools ........................... B-5 Sports/Recreation ......... B-1
Strait Scenes ................. C-1 Weather .......................... A-2
This Week’s Forecast: See page A-2 for local weather. Check for updated weather reports at www.sequimgazette.com
Incumbent Laura Dubois and challenger John Miller took leads in the race for Sequim City Council Position No. 2, following initial primary election results released Aug. 16 and a second count on Friday, Aug. 19. Dubois leads with 844
See PRIMARY, page A-6
A-6 • Wednesday, August 24, 2011
SEQUIM GAZETTE
Heroin
Primary
From page A-1
From page A-1
the result of a decline in the availability of opiate narcotic painkillers like OxyContin. Also, many of the painkillers that used to be crushed up and ingested or inhaled by drug abusers now are made in liquid capsule form. Following the laws of supply and demand, those looking for an opiate high who couldn’t afford or find prescription painkillers turned to black tar heroin, Madison said. The cost of heroin, which on the West Coast almost always is black tar heroin from Mexico, is half what it was in the 1990s, he said. Users normally will begin by smoking the drug until that’s no longer enough to feed their addiction, which impacts the natural release of endorphins in the brain and causes withdrawal symptoms when the drug is taken away. At that point they turn to injecting the drug intravenously, which is a whole different ball game, Madison said. “They don’t know what they’re getting and they’re putting it directly into their bloodstream,” Swanberg said.
Deadly addiction Madison said when it comes to heroin use, getting in trouble with police should be the least of a user’s worries. “This addiction will kill you,” he said. In almost all the fatal overdoses he’s investigated in his career, the needle is still in the arm of the victim, he said. Andrews said people don’t know how fast an overdose can happen. In one of the incidents a subject injected heroin in a car, was driven
Three Clallam County Sheriff’s deputies respond to the scene of a heroin overdose on HarSequim Gazette photo by Amanda Winters rison Road in Carlsborg on Aug. 19. from the Walmart parking lot and stopped breathing as they drove through the roundabout at the exit. The friend pulled over at Taco Time and called 9-1-1, he said. Loeb said people should know that in drug overdose cases the person involved is treated as a patient, not a suspect. Law enforcement always is called to the scene when CPR is administered and they already know about the drugs in town, Andrews said. “We hope people see it’s more important to get help than the legal ramifications,” he said. Swanberg said the focus of responders is to prevent death. If there is a death, a homicide investigation will be conducted and charges could be pressed. In Bellevue, a 20-year-old man is charged with homicide after allegedly selling heroin to a 19-year-old who was found dead of an opiate overdose May 4. Washington state law states a person who unlaw-
Signs of drug use: Who are they hanging out with? Are they changing friends? Are they dropping activities? Are they listening to different, more destructive music? Have you noticed changes in their behavior? Are they exhibiting risky behavior? —from Sequim Police Sgt. Sean Madison
fully delivers a controlled substance which subsequently is used by the person to whom it was delivered, resulting in the death of the user, is guilty of controlled substances homicide.
Community education needed Swanberg said the fire district will work closely with Sequim High School to provide education on the dangers of heroin use, signs of use and calling for help in the event of an overdose. Sequim School District Superintendent Bill Bentley said district officials hadn’t seen heroin use at schools and plan on gathering with emergency responders to learn more
Veterans
OMC
From page A-1
From page A-1
group, he recalled, noting it was one of his “honor platoons.” The proud members still are quick to note they together won 11 of 12 pennants contested in the various training competitions, including drill, marksmanship and leadership. When basic training was over, many went their separate ways. In the end, as many as 32 ended up in Vietnam. One lost both of his arms in the fighting. Six of the Washington boys never returned. Three years ago the members of the 3041 decided to get together again and were received at the state capitol by their old friend, former Gov. Dan Evans. Doug Simpson, who is writing a novel based on the 3041, said the event “ended up being more than a reunion. It was a way to remember the guys we left behind.” This weekend the men, their spouses and friends enjoyed themselves and reminisced at the Dungeness River-side farm of platoon member Chuck Looney and his wife, Pat Severson-Looney. The weekend’s events included a toast — two bottles of champagne shared by all — to honor and recall all the members of 3041, those living and those lost.
able to cancel the contract with the temporary employment agency, but lost its nonrefundable $90,000 deposit. OMC officials and SEIU representatives both said they are committed to continuing to bargain in good faith toward a contract resolution. The two sides met on Aug. 4 and have three additional bargaining dates scheduled between August 25 and August 30. Laura Joshel, employee relations coordinator, said, “The agreement to extend the temporary restraining order another 30 days allows SEIU and the Medical Center to focus our full attention on negotiations. We have offered to set more dates for bargaining as may be needed.” The two parties already
Reach Mark Couhig at mcouhig@sequimgazette. com.
“An
Exqu
isite Seafood Exper
about the issue. “As of now, these are all really recent occurrences that I think all the agencies involved are trying to sort out what the next best move would be,” he said. “But we’re going to start by trying to get people together and work to put together the best response that we can to this.” Loeb said the magnitude of overdose calls recently is a surprise to everyone in a town the size of Sequim. “We have the skills, we just don’t expect that volume,” he said. “And this may be the tip of the iceberg.” Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequimgazette. com. are engaged in mediation through Washington’s Public Employees Relation Commission (PERC), a process they jointly requested.
Van De Wege speaks State representative Kevin Van De Wege has found himself caught up in the dispute, a result of his decision to speak to SEIU workers during the informational picket they held as an alternative to the VAN DE WEGE planned Aug. 11 strike. But Van De Wege, who as a firefighter also belongs to a public union, said he isn’t taking sides. “I agree with a lot of the things the union is talking about,” he said, “but not with every issue.” He said he is concerned that SEIU lacks both “the right to strike ... and binding
of the 1,595 votes tallied — about 53 percent — following Friday’s count. Miller is second with 514 votes or about 32 percent of votes cast. Challenger Ron Fairclough looks like the odd candidate out after receiving 237 votes (15 percent). “I was hoping I’d do a little better,” FAIRCLOUGH Fairclough said on Aug. 16, noting he plans to continue being involved in improving the city. “I really feel like I have good ideas for Sequim,” Fairclough said. Dubois is seeking reelection for the first time after earning her council seat in 2007. “You never want to get too confident,” Dubois said after seeing the Aug. 16 results. “I think people are pleased with how we’ve been doing the last four years,” she said. “We have a downtown plan in place … and we have been working on a comprehensive plan update.” Dubois DUBOIS said she expects traffic to be a big issue for the general election, which is set for Nov. 8. Miller said he was pleasantly surprised with Tuesday evening’s results. “I thought I’d do pretty good; I’m pretty overwhelmed at this point,” he arbitration.” He said his own union has no right to strike, but is subject to binding arbitration. If contract negotiations break down, both sides of the dispute are required to accept the decision of the arbitrator, he said. “I would be a proponent that they come to an agreement that they agree to binding arbitration. I’m not sure the union would go for that, but I think the management probably would,” he said. Van De Wege said he also is watching to see how the negotiations regarding staffing levels play out, noting those “impact patient care.” Van De Wege said he has not been approached by any-
said. Miller said a key issue for the general election is how city MILLER councilors are spending tax dollars. “Are we getting what we’re paying for?” Miller asked rhetorically. The first-time challenger said city leaders should be more vocal and honest about what they’re doing for its citizens. “People should be told what’s going on,” Miller said. “I’m just going to be honest.” As for topping Dubois in the general election, Miller said he’s got work to do. “Now I’ve got to step it up as far as door-belling,” he said.
McEntire holds edge in commissioner primary The numbers mean little as both candidates advance to the general election, but Republican Jim McEntire tallied 4,747 votes after Friday’s primary election count, or about 56.2 percent, as he holds a lead over Democrat Linda Barnfather (3,700 votes, 43.8 percent).
Turnout, ballot counts A total of 8,518 votes have been counted in the primary election out of 19,092 registered voters — a 44.6 percent voter turnout. Primary results are certified by the Clallam County Canvassing Board on Aug. 31. Ballots for the Nov. 8 general election are mailed to all registered voters on Oct. 19. one from OMC management, although, he said, “I would be willing to do anything I can. And I’m not going to go in there and say you need to totally agree with the union. I just think it’s best for the community if this is settled.” Van De Wege said he had called OMC CEO Eric Lewis on several occasions to offer his assistance, but did not receive a phone call in response. Lewis said, “OMC and SEIU have, and will continue to come together and are using the PERC mediation process to do so.” Reach Mark Couhig at mcouhig@sequimgazette. com.
LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED
ie n ce”
Steamed Clams, Sautéed Oysters, Fresh Fish Sandwich and Fresh Fish Dinner. Oh My!
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
1102 E. Washington St. • Sequim (Adjacent to Greywolf Vet) • 360-683-1300 Open Wednesday -Saturday 10:30 - 7 pm, Sunday 12 - 6 pm
“For All Your Construction Needs, From Foundations To Painting”
Jim’s Famous Parking Lot
FRAMING CONCRETE REMODELS PAINTING MIKE 360-775-0392 CONT#EPICCC*944DA
SALE Fri., August 26th 1O am - 6 pm Sat., August 27th 9 am - 4 pm
Enter to Win a Gift C Card!
We are ready to lower prices! HUGE DISCOUNTS! ★ $1 HOUSEHOLD BARGAINS!
www.jimsrx.com w Locally grown, owned & operated
360-452-4200 • 424 East 2nd ((Behind Post Office)) • Port Angeles g
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 • A-1
SEQUIM GAZETTE
Sequim owner takes Dobies up rankings. A-9
Pack on the rise: Wolves aim for School league repeat. information B-1 inside!
SEQUIM GAZETTE Wednesday, August 31, 2011
2010
BEST
! We ekly per Newspa
www
com
75 CENTS
Sequim’s Hometown Newspaper
‘A gateway to death’ Police, prosecutor, teens discuss heroin problem by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
Benjamin Wyant got two second chances at life this month. The first he received from Judge George Wood, who sentenced him to a residential treatment program Aug. 9
for his addiction to heroin instead of prison for possession of a controlled substance, residential burglary and resisting arrest. The second chance at life he received the next morning from a friend who called 9-1-1 when she awoke to find the 32-year-old man on the floor, blue and not breathing, after injecting heroin when he should have been on a bus to American Behavioral Health Services in Chehalis. “He went straight to Sequim to the house of his drug dealer and almost died of an overdose,” said John
VROOMIN’
WITH THE
Troberg, Clallam County deputy prosecuting attorney. “This offender’s actions are an incredible testament to the power of addiction ... the next time Wyant goes to a drug house he might not be so lucky to have a fellow addict who displays responsible enough behavior to call for help,” a corrections officer wrote in a report recommending Wyant be sentenced to prison so he could obtain forced abstinence before seeking treatment.
See HEROIN, page A-6
A ball of black tar heroin sits on a table. The heroin was seized by Sequim police officers in a recent drug bust. Photo courtesy of Sgt. Sean Madison
VOLKSWAGENS
Betts is sentenced to 12 years Court orders $609,000 in restitution by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
Brooklyn Santee, 12, from Maple Valley, relaxes in the shade of friend Stevie Archer’s 1973 Super Beetle. From sporty to sleek to casual camper to off-the-wall, the fifth North Olympic Volks Fair on Aug. 28 brought an array of Volkswagen owners and their vehicles to 7 Cedars Casino. David Louden, president of the Strait Air Volksgruppe, said the car show and swap meet was the biggest yet with more than 50 vehicles participating. See story, a list of show winners and more pictures online at www.sequimgazette.com. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
Technical workers approve OMC contract
Sequim P.D. to retrieve artifact from Twin Towers
by MARK ST.J. COUHIG Sequim Gazette
Sequim Gazette
See OMC, page A-3
City, United Way plan service day to honor fallen by MATTHEW NASH Sequim Gazette
Thanks to three dedicated police officers’ efforts, Sequim soon hosts a permanent 9/11 tribute. Sequim Police Chief Bill Dickinson, Detective Darrell Nelson and Officer Randy Kellas leave Thursday, Sept. 1, for New York City to retrieve a piece of the fallen World Trade Center. Dickinson said the officers would bring back an 843-pound rectangular sheet of steel measuring 36 inches by 32 inches by 3 inches thick. “We don’t know the condition but I assume it’s in bad shape,” Dickinson said. The officers are using vacation time for the 6,000-mile trip to pick up the steel sheet on Sept. 6 from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. There’s no cost for the
artifact except for the officers’ travel expenses. They plan to arrive back in Sequim on Sept. 11 to display the artifact at the Museum & Arts Center’s DeWitt Admin-
A&E Calendar ................. C-6 Obituaries ......................A-11 Opinions/Letters ...........A-14
Real Estate ..................... D-4 Schools ........................... B-6 Sports/Recreation ......... B-1
Police officers, from left, Detective Darrell Nelson, Randy Kellas and Chief Bill Dickinson will venture to New York City to pick up a large sheet of steel from the fallen Twin Towers on Sept. 6. They arrive back in Sequim on Sept. 11 with the piece for a future permanent display in the city. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
9/11 remembrance opportunities • The artifact goes on display noon-3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, at the Museum & Arts Center’s DeWitt Administration Center, 544 N. Sequim Ave., across from the old Sequim High School. Then it moves to the Sequim Veterans of Foreign Wars Building, 169 E. Washington St., until 4 p.m. • A dedication for an I-beam monument from the World Trade Center begins at 2 p.m. at Francis Street Waterfront Park in Port Angeles. istration Center from noon3 p.m. They’ll bring the artifact to the Sequim VFW Hall for an hour afterward.
See ARTIFACT, page A-8
INDEX Business ......................... A-7 Classifieds ...................... D-1 Crossword ....................... C-5
See BETTS, page A-6
Community sets 9/11 remembrances by MATTHEW NASH
Well, that’s settled. Fo l l ow i n g s eve r a l months of negotiations, Olympic Medical Center and the Professional Technical Unit of UFCW Local 21 have come up with a winning formula for a new contract. Of the 168 “regular employees” of the unit, 95 percent voted on Aug. 24 to approve the new threeyear agreement, said Tom Geiger, communications director for the local unit. Geiger said the membership of the unit “runs the gamut” of professional technicians, from radiologists to lab workers to pharmacy technicians. Geiger said union
A former Clallam County treasurer’s cashier received a 12-year prison sentence for stealing up to $793,000 in real estate excise tax proceeds from a cash drawer over a six-year period. Catherine Betts, 47, was found guilty of first-degree theft, money laundering and 19 charges of filing a false or fraudulent tax return following a jury trial July 27. BETTS Additionally, the jury found the theft and money laundering to be major economic offenses, allowing the court to impose a sentence above the standard range. Scott Marlow, the assistant state attorney general prosecuting the case, recommended a 15-year sentence. Marlow noted
Strait Scenes ................. C-1 Weather .......................... A-2
Organizers of the National Day of Caring set a high goal for memorializing the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Patrick Downie, United Way of Clallam County event volunteer coordinator, said he wants to find 1,000 helping hands to work on Saturday, Sept. 10, in conjunction with the Day of Caring and the City of Sequim’s observation of the National Day of Service. The events honor those who responded to the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy. L a s t ye a r ’s eve n t s brought more than 330 volunteers across Clallam County to support nonprofits and cities’ projects. Many of the same facilities and nonprofits are seeking volunteers for upkeep, including United Way projects at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club, Sequim Com-
This Week’s Forecast: See page A-2 for local weather. Check for updated weather reports at www.sequimgazette.com
Day of Caring and Day of Service Sept. 10 City of Sequim and United Way of Clallam County Opening ceremonies 7:45 a.m. at Sequim City Hall, 152 W. Cedar St. Projects across the city helping nonprofits and public agencies To volunteer, visit City Hall the day of the event, call United Way at 457-3011 or visit a particular site. munity School and Sequim Food Bank. Some of the city-led projects include painting fire hydrants, maintaining park space, trimming city lavender and more. Karen Kuznek-Reese, Sequim city clerk, said the city organized the event for
See SERVICE, page A-8
A-6 • Wednesday, August 31, 2011
SEQUIM GAZETTE
Heroin From page A-1 After he was discharged from the hospital, Wyant was sentenced to 13 months in prison. “That’s the power heroin has over people,” Troberg said, commenting on what seems to be a surge in heroin use locally. “They are extremely addicted and when people are really not in control of what they want, their whole life revolves around using.” Users often turn to stealA bag of black tar heroin cut into a powder form resembling ing or dealing drugs to sup- brown sugar recently was seized by Sequim police officers. port their habit, he said. Photos courtesy of Sgt. Sean Madison Sequim Police Chief Bill Dickerson said the heroin er operative three times, once inject the drug. Their friends gather in problem is not only a public from outside his home while health threat but a public his young son was inside. private to inject each other, H e p l e a d e d not just in their arms but in safety threat not guilty July their necks as well, someas well. 13 and faces a times with their infant chil“We don’t trial date of dren in the next room. It’s want them to not like when cocaine was Sept. 26. die. We don’t An 18-year- popular and people would want them to old, a 19-year- be in the corner at a house become ado l d a n d a party “railing a line or two,” dicted,” he 2 2 - y e a r - o l d they said. said. “But obIt’s different from the also face delivviously some ery of a con- other drugs that have phased do. Once they trolled sub- in and out since Taylor and get addicted stance, hero- Jessie first were exposed to i t n o t o n ly in, charges in drug use among their peers. changes their separate cases life physically, Bill Dickinson, Sequim s t e m m i n g ‘Nerve-racking’ it almost alChief of Police from Sequim changes w ay s t u r n s arrests. PosJessie first noticed prevathem to a life of crime in order to support sessing heroin is a Class C lent experimentation with their habit. That not only felony; delivering it is a Class drugs at the end of his sophoaffects them but all their B felony. Additionally, drug more year in 2009. It started victims. That’s a larger conse- dealers whose product leads with marijuana and drinking to a fatal overdose can be alcohol, then they tried pills quence to our community.” charged with homicide. — swallowing them, railing But the buying, selling and them or burning them to inIncrease in heroin using of heroin isn’t just a hale the vapors. cases Jessie said when drug Richard “TJ” Terwilliger problem in the sense of crimiis one of eight Sequim defen- nal actions and repercus- manufacturers started makdants ages 18-32 to have her- sions. Two Sequim teens who ing the prescription painoin-related probable cause spoke to the Gazette anony- killer OxyContin in a liquid motions filed against them mously say it is destroying form so the drug no longer could be crushed and in Clallam County Superior their friends and family. smoked, people looked for an Court since February. alternative. Troberg said there is a Heroin ‘really easy’ Marijuana isn’t intense noticeable increase in heroin to find Like most teenagers, “Tay- enough. Cocaine is “a rich cases coming across his desk this year and while it isn’t lor” and “Jessie” think adults man’s drug.” Meth isn’t hard feasible to charge every pos- don’t have a clue. When it to find but it isn’t as cheap or session arrest, drug dealers comes to the scope of heroin convenient as heroin, which and those committing crimes use among their peers, they Jessie said is “really easy” to find. to support their habits are just might be right. Taylor is surprised and From July 27-Aug. 19, five most likely to face felony people overdosed on heroin scared at how popular the charges. The heroin trend, seen by in Clallam County Fire Dis- drug is with her peers. Relaw enforcement in the past trict 3. The patients were 16, cently, when confronting a year and especially the past 17, two in their 20s, 32 and 60 friend about using “H,” he six months, seems to have the years old. Jessie knows one insisted he wasn’t “slamming” it, meaning injecting. strongest hold in the east end of them. Three people Taylor once Another friend insisted the of Clallam County, especially with teenagers and young considered good friends now pockmarks on his face were are regular users of heroin. due to acne and brushed off adults. Terwilliger, 23, is accused Both say they know close to questions about track marks of selling heroin to a Sequim a dozen people ranging in on his arms. “They become really good Police Department undercov- age from 16-22 who smoke or
“We don’t want them to die. We don’t want them to become addicted. But obviously some do.”
Betts From page A-1 Betts violated a position of trust repeatedly and deliberately by stealing from the cash drawer and hiding her crime by manipulating office computer spreadsheets, falsifying records and altering or destroying documents.
Betts’ defense attorneys, Loren Oakley and Harry Gasnik, requested a 90-day jail sentence, citing her previously clean criminal record and serious health problems. Betts requested her doctor write a statement listing her health problems, including diabetes, hypertension, nerve damage that makes her depend on a wheelchair for mobility, depression and a prior diagnosis
focus on their strongest cases, typically involving the distribution of heroin. “He sells poison to people for money,” Madison said of heroin dealers in general. For about $30 someone can buy half a gram of black tar heroin, which is considered a “good” amount, he said. A significant heroin habit is half a gram to one gram per day, he said, though some use much more. To put the price in perspective, heroin users can spend $10 to split half a gram of heroin with two other friends and A bag of heroin weighing in at 0.7 grams is taken into evidence get high for four to six hours by Sequim police officers. On the street the bag would sell for the same price they’d pay for less than $60. to see a movie at the theater. Jessie said splitting a heroin liars,” Jessie said. there really isn’t any go- purchase between friends is Taylor said warning signs ing back,” Dickerson said. common. of heroin use often go ignored “You’re going to be fighting it In the 1990s, the last time because users explain them for the rest of your life.” heroin was popular, a gram away. The exceptionally addic- sold for $100-$120. Now it’s $60, “It changes them,” Taylor tive, all-consuming drug he said. said, listing dramatic weight deteriorates the lives of usUndercover buys, such as loss, pockmarks on their skin, ers slowly. It’s a progression, the ones that led to Terwiltrack marks on their arms Madison said. liger’s arrest, are part of the or necks, sudden seclusion “No 22-year-old girl drug drug operations conducted and standoffish, defensive prostitute starts out thinking by the Sequim Police Departpersonality changes. “It’s she’ll ruin her life smoking ment. With more money they nerve-racking.” heroin,” he said. could conduct more investigaMadison said there is only tions and make more arrests, so much he and his fellow but that wouldn’t solve the Education needed Jessie remembers learn- officers can do to combat the problem, Madison said. ing about drugs in high school increasing presence of heroin “We’ll fill up the prisons. health class for one day dur- in this small community. We’ll take lots of drugs off “It’s a big success if I the street,” he said. “But this ing freshman year. It wasn’t can take one person out and is a community illness ... the enough. “From middle school prevent a few people from community has to solve this through high school, drug getting heroin this weekend,” problem.” education should be similar he said. “But they will get it Dickerson said law enforceto (drug) treatment educa- Monday.” ment can only step in once the Like all agencies, the police drugs lead to criminal behavtion,” Taylor said. “Students should learn what drugs do to department is ior. Prevention you, fill out evaluation ques- working to do and interventions and be asked, ‘What do more with less. tion must hapyou know about it?’ not just In three years pen before that told, ‘Don’t do drugs, it’s bad t h e d e p a r t point and that ment has lost for you.’” is something Students are told drugs three officers. law enforcemight seem like the cool thing There no lonment can’t do. to do, but Jessie said that’s not ger is a dediThere isn’t cated school why they’re using. a simple an“Everyone does it (drugs) resource offiswer to a because they want to feel cer and there complex socinormally are something,” Jessie said. etal problem, Jessie and Taylor said if only two to which is what people knew who they are three officers drug abuse is, Sean Madison, Sequim they’d probably get their in Sequim at a he said. Police Sergeant homes robbed and their cars time. A partner“That’s the vandalized in retaliation ship among for bringing attention to the A-Team, there is no B-Team,” the police, fire department heroin problem. But they are Madison said. and school district is in the Additionally, the heroin in works to provide drug educatired of seeing their friends “being stupid” and destroy- Sequim comes from Mexico tion to school staff, parents ing their lives and the lives through organized crime. and students. “You can’t just shut one of their young children, they Jessie and Taylor would person down and solve the like to see that. said. problem,” he said. “Someone shouldn’t have Officers regularly make to die for the community to A community problem drug arrests and forward wake up,” Taylor said. “It’s a gateway to death.” That’s how Sequim Police cases on to the prosecutor’s Sgt. Sean Madison describes office and to the Olympic Reach Amanda Winters Peninsula Narcotics Eradica- at awinters@sequimgazette. heroin. “Once they’re hooked tion Taskforce, he said. They com.
of cancer, according to court documents. Betts testified to her health problems during the Aug. 24 sentencing hearing, but did not address the court when given the opportunity before Judge S. Brooke Taylor handed down his sentence. In addition to the 12-year prison sentence, Taylor ordered Betts to pay $597,516 in restitution to the
“It’s a big success if I can take one person out and prevent a few people from getting heroin this weekend. But they will get it Monday.”
Great American Insurance Group, the county’s insurer, and $10,000 to Clallam County to cover the deductible paid to receive reimbursement of the lost funds. She also must pay $1,000 in fees for her courtappointed attorneys, $500 in victim assessment fees and $100 in DNA collection fees. Oakley immediately appealed the sentence, taking issue with
Taylor’s decision to allow as evidence statements Betts made to coworkers, among other things. The appeal is at public expense. Taylor denied a motion to stay Betts’ sentence pending the appeal and she was transported to the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Purdy that afternoon. Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequimgazette.com.
Register now! Classes begin Sept. 1 Preschool-8th grade Interactive Classroom Technology Full Day Kindergarten After school program for K-8
1007 South Oak St. www.qofaschool.org
457-6903 Faith-based education for tomorrow’s leaders Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner at ISLANDER!
Back-To-School Special 1 topping, 14”
10
Now through Sept. 30
PIZZA $
“The Imposter” Breakfast Special 7 to 10 a.m.
1 egg, 2 pieces of meat, hashbrowns, toast & coffee
$
99
6
Come in for the
BEST BREAKFAST in town,
7 days a week 7am-noon Full Menu available
380 E. Washington Street • Downtown Sequim • 683-9999 Sunday-Thursday 11 am to 9 pm • Friday & Saturday 11 am to 10 pm
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 • A-1
SEQUIM GAZETTE
Jack’s view
FFA on parade
Right on time
New landmark comes to marina.
SHS to take tractors to town.
CD reveals holiday inspiration.
A-16
A-9
C-1
SEQUIM GAZETTE Wednesday, December 14, 2011
www
com
75 CENTS
Sequim’s Hometown Newspaper
Vol. 38, Number 50
Television coming to Sequim? City leaders consider adding digital channel by MATTHEW NASH Sequim Gazette
Highway of havoc A head-on collision near Guiles Road on U.S. Highway 101 brought traffic to a halt June 13, 2011. Three people were injured, including one airlifted to Harborview Medical Center. Head-on collisions caused four fatal car accidents from 2001 to the end of 2010 on a 17-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 101 from Diamond Point Road to Shore Road. Sequim Gazette photo by Mark Couhig
Accidents, fatalities continue to plague U.S. Highway 101 by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
The most dangerous stretch of U.S. Highway 101, from Kitchen-Dick Road to Shore Road, is precisely where the Washington State Department of Transportation will begin a two-year widening project in 2012. From Jan. 1, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2010, 304 accidents happened in the four-mile stretch of highway from east of Kitchen-Dick Road to Shore Road, injuring 216 people and leaving eight dead, according to an analysis of DOT data. East of Sequim, seven people were killed and 212 injured in 339 accidents during the same period over a nine-mile stretch east of Sequim, beginning at Simdars Road and ending at Diamond Point Road. The decade of data shows accidents in the 17-mile stretch from Diamond Point to Shore roads hovering around 90 per year until 2008, when they declined for two years before spiking to 86 accidents in 2010. Injuries and fatalities similarly took a dip before rising again in 2010. WSDOT collision data from 2011 is not yet available. Every day, tens of thousands of cars
drive between Sequim and Port Angeles on the only highway serving the east end of Clallam County. Steve Bennet, WSDOT traffic safety engineer, said traffic counts show 26,000 cars drive past Taylor Cutoff Road per day, decreasing to 18,000 per day to the west at Old Olympic
Highway and 11,000 per day to the east at Diamond Point Road. “The population isn’t huge, but it is the only way to get from here to there,” Bennet said. As the main thoroughfare in the east end of the county, it sees its share of serious vehicle accidents, which in 2004 led the Washington State Patrol to formulate and implement a plan for action called the SR 101 Corridor Project.
See 101, page A-8
Through a recently approved contract extension with Wave Cable, the city is considering its own cable access channel. City attorney Craig Ritchie said on Monday, Dec. 12, that in the contract, the city could run its own digital public, educational and government access channel if it has a minimum of 48 hours of programming per week. Ritchie said possible options for the channel could include airing city council meetings, police informational videos and other city meetings, and opening it up for tourism and educational opportunities and to other agencies such as the Sequim
See CITY, page A-11
Commissioners approve 2012 county budget by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
Car Accidents from Diamond Point Road to Shore Road Data from the Washington State Department of Transportation
100 80
Accidents Injuries Fatalities
60 40 20 0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Accidents along a 17-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 101 from Diamond Point Road to Shore Road hovered around 90 per year before dipping down to 72 in 2008 then spiking up to 86 in 2010. Graph by Mandy K. Harris
After three months of strenuous union negotiations and identifying painful but necessary program cuts to close a $2.7-million budget gap, Clallam County has a balanced budget for 2012. Kay Stevens, the county’s budget director, created 15 different budgets as the financial situation evolved. She normally makes two, County Administrator Jim Jones said. The budget has a general fund of $31.2 million in expenditures, which uses $38,326 in JONES reserves. To close the budget gap, 15 people were laid off, four positions were reduced in hours and unions agreed to accept 16 unpaid furlough days and exchange their 3-percent cost-of-living
See BUDGET, page A-6
College chooses interim president
Santa Claus is still on the job Pickett’s well-worn Christmas card makes 77th journey
by AMANDA WINTERS by MARK ST.J. COUHIG Sequim Gazette
This week Jim Pickett, of Sequim, mailed a Christmas card to his cousin Bill Reeves, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Nothing unusual about that, of course. The cousins have been posting a Christmas greeting to each other since the early 1960s. What makes this event unusual — what makes it a first-rate Christmas story — is this was the 77th time in 78 years the exact same card has been exchanged. In 1933, before the cousins were born, Pickett’s father, Earl Pickett, received a Christmas card from his brother-in-law David Truitt Reeves, who was stationed in Philadelphia with the U.S. Marines. Reeves chose one that is admittedly in moderately poor taste, showing Santa seated in
an outhouse. As he recently showed the card to a reporter, Pickett said with a laugh, “Exactly the kind of thing I would expect a Marine to send to my father.” The next year Pickett’s dad sent it back with a note typed along the edge of the card: “No sense waisting (sic) a good card. But don’t you think since the depression is over and it is your last Xmas as a Marine that Santa should pull up his pants, reach for some paper and a pencil and write me a letter?” The answer, clearly, was no. And so the tradition began, with each taking a turn: write a little note on the card and post it back the following year. When room ran out on the original card they started adding small sheets of paper.
Sequim Gazette
When David Reeves and Earl Pickett ran out of room for notes on the card, they started attaching new sheets of paper. Jim Pickett, above, and Bill Reeves continue to do the same.
See PICKETT, page A-6
Sequim Gazette photo by Mark Couhig
INDEX Business ......................... A-7 Classifieds ...................... D-1 Crossword ....................... C-5
A&E Calendar ................. C-6 Obituaries ..................... A-16 Opinions/Letters ...........A-14
Real Estate ..................... D-1 Schools ........................... B-5 Sports/Recreation ......... B-1
Strait Scenes ................. C-1 Weather .......................... A-2
This Week’s Forecast: See page A-2 for local weather. Check for updated weather reports at www.sequimgazette.com
Dr. Brinton Sprague will serve as the interim president of Peninsula College starting in February 2012. The board of tr ustees on Dec. 6 authorized the SPRAGUE board chairman to negotiate a contract with Sprague, who currently serves as special assistant to the president of Lake Washington Institute
See PC, page A-6
A-8 • Wednesday, December 14, 2011
SEQUIM GAZETTE
Deadly DUIs by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
State Patrol troopers and District 3 firefighter/EMTs tend to a three-car collision in Carlsborg in July 2008. It was the second such serious accident on the highway in a week — both near the main Carlsborg intersection — after more than 290 days without one. “Mostly (these accidents) are caused by inattention,” Gailin Hester, Washington State Patrol sergeant, said soon after the crash. “We just need to get people to slow down, get home safe.” Sequim Gazette file photo by Michael Dashiell
101 From page A-1 Deaths provoke project From Christmas Day 2003 to the end of January 2004, nine people died in car accidents on Highway 101 in Clallam and Jefferson counties. The state patrol and DOT met in February 2004 to review crash site analysis and traffic data, deciding to embark on a public awareness and law enforcement effort while reviewing options for engineering improvements, according to a state patrol report. Though the public response was tremendous, five more deaths occurred on Highway 101 in March 2004. The May 12, 2004, edition of the Sequim Gazette included four articles about four different serious collisions on Highway 101, two of
Safety on 101 Driving tips: • Maintain five seconds of distance between your car and the car you are following. • Be patient with cars that are slow. • If there are five cars following behind you, pull over to the right and allow them to pass. • Pass with caution when it is safe. • Remember, everyone is trying to get somewhere. From Washington State Patrol Lt. Dan Hall
Year
Accidents
Injuries
Fatalities
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
90 99 84 92 85 88 92 72 61 86
73 62 74 62 44 43 39 46 32 67
0 0 3 5 2 1 2 2 0 2
which were fatal. By the end of June 2004, a 32-mile length of highway from Laird’s Corner west of Port Angeles to Diamond Point Road east of Sequim was designated as the project area. The state patrol and DOT focused on enforcement, engineering and public education efforts for the next 2½ years, during which time fatal and disabling collisions declined 22 percent. But the most common collision-causing violations, following too closely, failing to yield the right-of-way and speeding, continue to wreak havoc on drivers who have little choice but to travel the mostly two-lane highway between Diamond Point Road and Shore Road.
right-of-way there (at the Carlsborg Road intersection), you’re probably running a red light,” Bennet said. “It’s pretty clear what the signal is ahead of you and the signal there has a lot of sight distance. It’s hard to know how to get those people to pay more attention.” Turn lanes at the KitchenDick Road intersection were installed to increase safety, but there always is driver error, he said. “A lot of times I think people become a little too impatient and they go when they probably shouldn’t go,” he said. On the stretch of highway near Barr Road, following too closely is a common
cause of accidents, according to DOT data. WSP Lt. Dan Hall said if drivers hit the vehicle in front of them, chances are they were following too closely or driving too fast. Each month the state patrol reviews collision reports to identify areas that need extra enforcement, he said. Two or more state troopers will work in a specified area enforcing driving laws, making sure people aren’t speeding or following too closely among other things, he said.
Structural safety Hall said structural improvements to Highway 101 by the DOT are key to traffic safety. Notable improvements to the east of Sequim include installing more guard rails near the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Center and a turn lane into both the 7 Cedars Casino and Longhouse Market & Deli, widening the bridge over Jimmy Come Lately Creek and widening a stretch of highway from two lanes to four between Blyn and the Miller Peninsula.
Between Jan. 1, 2001, • Blood alcohol concenand Dec. 31, 2010, driving tration less than 0.15: under the influence caused 24 hours in jail up 63 car accidents and killed to a maximum of 364 five people on a 17-mile days; fines and fees stretch of U.S. Highway 101 $865-$5,000; automatic from Diamond Point Road to Kitchen-Dick Road. license suspension of Perhaps the most mem90 days; alcohol/drug orable in recent years was assessment; five years Aug. 6, 2004, when then-34probation. year-old Andrew David, of • Blood alcohol conGoldendale, crashed into centration 0.15 or greater a car driven by 75-yearor BAC test refusal: old Lorna Kuhlman, of 48 hours in jail up Sequim. David was speedto a maximum of 364 ing at an estimated 70 mph days; fines and fees and a blood draw registered $1,120-$5,000; automatic his blood alcohol content at license suspension of 0.16, twice the legal limit. 1-2 years; alcohol/drug Kuhlman died at the assessment; five years scene of the accident. probation. David was charged with The above does not vehicular homicide and found guilty after a jury include attorney fees. trial in April 2005. Because of his four previous DUI convictions and two driving with a suspended license convictions, David was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Through Jan. 2, Clallam County law enforcement will conduct extra DUI patrols. From Thanksgiving through Jan. 2 last year, officers in Clallam County arrested 26 people for driving under the influence. The efforts are part of Washington’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan, combining public education with strict enforcement to reduce DUI crashes and fatalities. The Clallam County DUI Traffic Safety Task Force organizes and supports the enforcement patrols. For more information about the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, visit www.wtsc.wa.gov. Rumble strips installed along the highway help keep people on the road when driving and awaken sleepy drivers. Drivers asleep at the wheel accounted for 20 accidents from Diamond Point Road to Palo Alto Road, including one fatal accident on April 27, 2007. The driver of a Department of Veterans Affairs van traveling west near Sequim Bay State Park fell asleep and hit a tree. He later died in the hospital. To the west, expanding
Causing a crash In 2010, the two most common causes of car accidents on Highway 101 from Diamond Point Road to Shore Road were exceeding a reasonably safe speed and failing to yield the right-of-way, the latter happening frequently near the Kitchen-Dick Road intersection and the Carlsborg Road intersection. “If you’re not granting
Donald W. Rosbach Dec. 6th, 1926 - Dec. 6th, 2011
Don was born December 6th, 1926 to Frank and Dora Rosbach in Chehalis, WA. He was the fifth of nine children. He was married in 1953 to Gwen Howard of Poulsbo, his first wife, they had four children together; Vernon Rosbach (Tami) of Port Ludlow, Mark Rosbach of Port Townsend, Pamela Rosbach of Kingston, and Todd Rosbach of Port Townsend. Don is also survived by his wife Liz Rosbach of Port Townsend and her sons Martin Whitcher, Russell Hunt, and Allen Whitcher, all residing in Australia. He is the beloved grandfather (“Bumpa”) of 20 grandchildren, and great-grandfather of 10. Don worked for 24 years for the Port Townsend School District, 19 of those years as Principal of the Port Townsend Junior High School. He was an active Kiwanis member for many years, helping to build several Junior Royalty floats for the Rhododendron Festival Parade. He also served as a member of the Port Townsend City Council for several years. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Milton, Chuck, Francis, Bruce, and great-granddaughter Destiny. A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held at the old Port Townsend Junior High School Auditorium/Gymnasium, on 1925 Blaine Street, Saturday, December 17th at 3:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Port Townsend YMCA, P.O. Box 1637, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
One person was treated and released from Olympic Medical Center following a two-vehicle collision at U.S. Highway 101 and Louella Road in April 2009. Sequim Gazette file photo by Jay Cline
Tooth Truth
with Richard (Bud) Davies, DDS Family Dentist
First offense DUI penalties
the highway from two lanes to four between KitchenDick Road and Shore Road will help ease congestion and eliminate head-on accidents. Head-on accidents accounted for four of the 15 fatal accidents between Diamond Point Road and Shore Road from 2001 through 2010. The $84 million project is set to begin construction in late 2012. “Whenever you separate traffic out, one direction from the other, it either cuts down or eliminates head-on accidents,” Bennet said. “When you do work like that you also flatten the side slopes of the roadway and clear some of the trees away from the road and that certainly makes it safer.” Bennet said the DOT keeps track of accidents and makes safety improvements as it can. The four-mile stretch from Kitchen-Dick Road to Shore Road was identified as needing improvement. “Certainly any deaths are not acceptable and I think the widening will go a long way in helping that situation,” he said. Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequim gazette.com.
Your healthy smile is a ref lection on us.
CAPS AND CROWNS
One and the same thing. What Dentists call crowns, most non-dentists call caps. Crowns replace or cover the part of the tooth that shows above the gumline. But not all crowns are created equal. Materials range from gold to ceramic. Gold had long been the standard for quality crowns, but with the development of stronger and finer ceramics bonded to metal substructure, the majority of patients increasingly chose the more natural looking ceramic-covered crowns (at least in America). The latest development is crowns made entirely of ceramic. The increased ceramic strength means no metal substructure is necessary. All ceramic crowns tend to look more natural than the porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns. The CEREC technology our clinic uses allows us to create these allceramic crowns in a single appointment.
Dr. Davies is accepting new patients His office is located at 321 N. Sequim Ave., Ste. C.
(360) 683-4850
NEW PATIENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!
Accepts Delta Dental/Washingon Dental Service WDS. Preferred provider (for 20 years)
Dr. K. Ben Skerbeck, DDS | 218 South Laurel, Port Angeles | 452-3808
TOM’S GARAGE Auto Repair & Maintenance
Celebrating 1 year in business! Thank you to all our
Happyys customers for your Holida continued c support. 380 E. WASHINGTON • SEQUIM 360-683-9214 (behind Islander Pizza)
SEQUIM GAZETTE
Inside today
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 • A-1
Dog days da s
Learning to fly Learni
Bulldogss end Wolves’ season
Author ta takes flight with mou mouse story.
B-1
C-1
SEQUIM GAZETTE Wednesday, February 22, We 22 2012 20 2
www
com
75 CENTS
Sequim’s Hometown Newspaper
Vol. 39, Number 8
Teen dies in shooting Suspect flees, remains at large by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
A Sequim man is dead after he was shot Tuesday, allegedly by his mother’s ex-boyfriend, at his home on Woodcock Road. Law enforcement confirmed David J. Randle, 19, died after being shot at about For updates about 10:15 a.m. Feb. 21. this story, see www. The shooting sus- sequimgazette.com pect, convicted felon John Francis Loring, remains at large. He was last seen around 10:15 a.m. driving westbound on Woodcock Road in a white Dodge Dakota pickup. Sheriff ’s deputies located the truck Tuesday afternoon and
Updates online
John Francis Loring
Submitted photo
believe Loring may have switched to driving a 1985 blue Volkswagen van with Washington plate: 613PMG. The Sheriff ’s Office is also investigating a possibly related second homicide of an unidentified white male at an undisclosed location east of Sequim, according to the Sheriff ’s Office.
See SHOOTING, page A-8
Clallam County Sheriff’s deputies and Sequim Police officers investigate the scene of a fatal shooting in the 3900 block of Woodcock Road Tuesday. Sequim Gazette photo by Amanda Winters
Chamber picks finalist trio for Citizen of Year
An opiate emergency
Hughes, Martin, Tidrick to vie for civic honor Sequim Gazette staff
Clallam County leads state in deaths Vicodin, a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, is the most commonly abused opiate, according to Dr. Ronald Bergman. Sequim Gazette photo by Amanda Winters
by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
I
n Clallam County, what started as a surge in prescription drug abuse in the early 2000s is turning to heroin addiction and death. Statistics released by the University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute indicate Clallam County holds the highest rate of opiate-related deaths in the state as of 2010. According to the 2008-2010 data, the average annual rate of opiate-related deaths, both from prescription drugs and heroin, was 11.7 per 100,000. Opiates are a class of drugs that originate from opium, produced in the sap of the opium poppy, or are semi-synthetic or synthetic derivatives of opium. The group includes morphine, heroin, opium and prescription narcotic painkillers such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and methadone.
From 2005-2011, substance abuse treatment admissions for pharmaceuticals and heroin jumped from 0.05 percent of total admissions to 15 percent of total admissions, according to Clallam County data. Jude Anderson, a human planner with Clallam County Health and Human Services, said while nicotine and alcohol addictions still are the most common, opiates are extremely dangerous and when used in excess or in combination with other drugs can be deadly. “I think we haven’t seen GRAHAM the worst yet,” said Patrick Graham, a chemical dependency counselor at Olympic Personal Growth Center in Sequim.
Dangerous addiction
Clinic in Port Angeles, said the reason opiates are so addictive is simple — they hit specific receptors in the brain that “make you feel good.” “We do things that make us feel good,” he said. Problems arise when the body becomes dependent on the opiate, which is possible even when used as prescribed; when people become addicted to the high and abuse the drug; and when people take too much or mix the drugs and die, he said. Anderson said opiates interfere with the brain’s natural release of endorphins. It can take a long time for the brain to re-learn how to produce proper amounts of the feel-good hormone on its own, she said. Bergman said opiates have the side effect of suppressing the respiratory system, which is the most common cause of fatal
Dr. Ronald Bergman, director of integrated pain management at the Lower Elwha
See OPIATES, page A-8
The Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday its three finalists for 2011 Citizen of the Year and two Community Service Awards. The finalists include Dick Hughes, Cynthia Martin and Donna Tidrick. Chamber members and families of the honorees will recognize the finalists and announce the two Community Service Awards and the Citizen of the Year at a luncheon at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Sunland Country Club, 109 Hilltop Drive, Sequim. Hughes was nominated for his dedication and involvement in the Sequim
TIDRICK
HUGHES
MARTIN
See CITIZEN, page A-4
Sequim clinic closing Primary Care services available through March 7 by MARK ST.J. COUHIG
Fighting loitering, vandalism with music? City of Sequim, Clallam Transit partner with pilot project
by MATTHEW NASH Sequim Gazette
The City of Sequim and the Clallam Transit System are trying a new method to deter people from loitering in and vandalizing the area around the Sequim Transit Center, 190 W.
Cedar St., also referred to as the Half Block. In a few weeks, city staff plan to install a musical Mosquito, a speaker that plays pre-recorded music such as classical or opera, that increases in volume as its surroundings’ noise increases. Jeff Edwards, city parks man-
ager, said the city has received complaints from City Hall and transit staff and local businesses about disruptions and issues with youths around the center. “They aren’t bad kids,” he said. “They are being a nuisance
Primary Care Sequim and Walk-In Clinic will close its doors forever on March 7. The clinic, which has operated since November 2006 at 520 N. Fifth Ave., is owned and operated by Bridgett Bell Kraft. The 3,400-square-foot clinic has been welcoming patients for primary care and on a walk-in basis since November 2006.
See TRANSIT, page A-5
See CLINIC, page A-6
INDEX Business ......................... A-7 Classifieds ...................... D-1 Crossword ....................... C-5
A&E Calendar ................. C-6 Obituaries ......................A-12 Opinions/Letters ...........A-10
Real Estate ..................... D-1 Schools ........................... B-6 Sports/Recreation ......... B-1
Sequim Gazette
Strait Scenes ................. C-1 Weather .......................... A-2
This Week’s Forecast: See page A-2 for local weather. Check for updated weather reports at www.sequimgazette.com
A-8 • Wednesday, February 22, 2012
SEQUIM GAZETTE
Armed robbery suspect at large
Shooting From page A-1 Loring, 44, is described as 6 feet 6 inches tall with shoulder length brown hair in a ponytail, wearing glasses and a plaid jacket. He is considered armed and dangerous. In January, Loring was charged with unlawful imprisonment and violation of a no contact order after allegedly holding the victim’s mother, Shellie Gillis, against her will for several hours. Gillis filed for a protection order from Loring on Dec. 12, citing domestic violence, harassment and unpredictable behavior. The order was dropped Jan. 27 when Gillis failed to appear for a hearing on the matter in Clallam County Court. Loring’s convictions include misdemeanor assault, domestic violence, arson and firearms possession. Jim Borte, public information officer with the Clallam County Sheriff ’s Office, said according to eyewitnesses, Loring approached the house and an altercation occurred in which at least one shot was fired by Loring that struck and killed the victim. Clallam County Fire District 3 responded to the
Opiates From page A-1 overdoses. When opiates are taken with benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan) and diazepam (Valium), the combination adds to the respiratory suppression. If alcohol, which acts as a depressant, is added to such a mix BERGMAN it is a “pretty good indication they’ll die,” Bergman said. Te e n a g e r s at t e n d i n g “pharm parties,” where prescription pills are placed in a bowl and taken at random, are in danger because they often don’t understand the potentially deadly implications of mixing substances, he said. Abusing prescription painkillers — as a patient or not — is often only the beginning. According to UW’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, 40 percent of heroin users in 2009 reported being hooked on prescription opiates before trying heroin. Graham said some people addicted to the prescription painkiller OxyContin were smoking up to 240 mg per day. At a cost of $1 per mg, it was a very expensive habit and they began committing crimes to pay for the pills,
Man flees on foot after nabbing $300 by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
Law enforcement officials investigate the shooting of a 19-year-old man near Woodcock Road. Sequim Gazette photo by Amanda Winters area of Woodcock Road and Meyer-Andrew Lane for the report of a patient with a gunshot wound. Medics and a crew from Olympic Ambulance were requested to the scene by first arriving law enforcement units to evaluate a patient lying outside, said Patrick Young, public information officer for Fire District 3. An evaluation of the patient was conducted and the scene was turned over to the Clallam County Sheriff ’s office for investigation, he said. Deputies with the Clallam and Jefferson County Sher-
iff ’s offices and Washington State Patrol troopers secured the area with yellow crime scene tape while they conducted their investigation. The shooting took place at a residence in the 3900 block of Woodcock Road. In December 2011, the garage of that residence burned down. Kimberley Pope, who babysits at a neighbor’s house, said the residence is known as a party house. “ E ve r yo n e h a s c o m plained,” she said. “It’s a problem house — an ongoing issue.” Neighbor Greg Vella said
Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequimgazette. com.
OPNET investigations net three arrests Prosecutors file heroin charges Sequim Gazette staff
Law enforcement cracked down on heroin and pill distributors over the past year, with about 10 from Sequim and Port Angeles arrested and charged. Most recently, Ronald Charles Critchfield, 40, listed by the court as a transient, was charged with three counts of delivery of a controlled substance, heroin. According to a probable cause statement filed in Clallam County Superior Court, Critchfield sold heroin to a confidential informant working with the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team on three separate occasions. Twice in August 2011 and once in September 2011, Critchfield acquired heroin he said. When drug manufacturers made the pill into a gel form that can’t be smoked, users turned to the cheaper alternative — heroin, he said.
Shooting up The summer of 2011 brought a string of nonfatal heroin overdoses largely involving Sequim’s young adults and teens. Five people — a 16-year-old, a 17-year-old,
Tires • Brakes • Alignment Wheels • Batteries • Shocks
The LES SCHWAB Warranty • Road Hazard Warranty (Limited) • Mounting • Air Checks • Rotations • Flat Repair - Passenger & Tubeless Light Truck Tires
FREE
“If We Can’t Guarantee it, We Won’t Sell It!
from a supplier to sell to the confidential informant, OPNET detectives said. The drugs were tested by the Washington State Patrol crime lab and found to be heroin, according to the report. Detectives arrested Critchfield on Feb. 3 and placed him in custody at the Clallam County jail. Critchfield posted $5,000 bail Feb. 6 and was arraigned Feb. 12. He pleaded guilty to all three charges and has a trial date of April 23. Critchfield is the third person in less than a month to be arrested following an OPNET investigation and charged with delivering heroin. Ralph Omer Needham and Cheryl Ann King were arrested and charged in separate cases earlier this year.
two people in their 20s and one 60-year-old — overdosed after shooting up black tar heroin in incidents ranging from July 27 to Aug. 19, 2011. Sequim Police Sgt. Shawn Madison said the department has seen fewer overdoses since the summer months, which he hopes is the result of reducing the supply by arresting heroin dealers. While the overdoses may be less frequent than six months ago, Graham expects to see a spike in opiate-related health issues next. Hepatitis C and HIV/ AIDS are spread easily by intravenous drug users sharing needles, he said. Statistics from the Clallam County Syringe Exchange show the number
Serving The West Since 1952 With Over 400 Locations
Sequim 802 E. Washington....................... Monday-Friday 8am - 6pm Saturday 8am - 5pm
he heard a “bunch of ruckus” about 10:30 a.m. and looked out and saw police cars. Emergency responders were loading someone on a gurney into an ambulance, he said. This is the first murder in Sequim since September 2008, when Forest Service Officer Kristine Fairbanks, 51, was shot and killed by Shawn Roe, who died the same day in a shoot out with Sheriff ’s deputies at the Longhouse Market and Deli in Blyn.
360.683.7261
lesschwab.com
of needles exchanged has increased dramatically in four years from 60,850 in 2008 to 115,900 in 2011. Anderson said she believes the increase is due to more people shooting up drugs as well as increased awareness of the program, which aims to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C and protect the public from needles lying around. “People ANDERSON who use the exchange tell the people they’re using with about it so they use it, too,” she said.
Treatment trouble Part of Anderson’s job is
Lite House Specials
™
Les Schwab Credit Plan 90 days same as cash (OAC)
3-5 p.m.
™
Live Music
Saturday Night 6-8 p.m. ALL YOU CAN EAT FISH & CHIPS All Day! Reservations requested - 683-4264 Hours: Thur.-Fri.-Sat. 12-Noon 11 Three Crabs Road • Sequim
Law enforcement is searching for a man who robbed Hardy’s Market on Taylor Cutoff Road on Feb. 14 while armed with a semiautomatic pistol. Ron Cameron, Clallam County Sheriff ’s chief criminal deputy, said a man robbed the store clerk at gunpoint at 6:40 p.m., making off with an estimated $300. The man fled on foot before law enforcement arrived, Cameron said. Clallam County Sheriff ’s deputies, assisted by officers from the Port Angeles Police Department, Sequim Police Department, Washington State Patrol and U.S. Border Patrol, set a to make sure high-risk populations, such as pregnant women, teens and IV drug users, receive substance abuse treatment through state funding. The prescription narcotic methadone was developed to be used as a substitute for heroin, she said. There are methadone clinics on the east side of the Puget Sound where heroin users can go each day for methadone maintenance. Iva Burks, director of Clallam County Health and Human Services, said the purpose of methadone maintenance is to maintain a certain amount of opioids in the body so the user can live a normal life and not seek the drug. Bergman said methadone was well developed and acts as an effective painkiller but is potentially BURKS lethal because it builds up in the body over time, easily leading to an accidental overdose. There also are detox facilities, which will get users through the initial withdrawal period, Anderson said. But following detox, which isn’t offered at any facilities in Clallam or Jefferson counties, patients still may need methadone maintenance or Suboxone, she said. Suboxone is a prescription drug that relieves withdrawal symptoms without producing a high and blocks the euphoric effects of opiates, she said. Doctors must receive special training before they can prescribe the drug to patients, she said.
Abstinence and education Graham said the Olympic Personal Growth Center has an abstinence approach to drug treatment. Patients are connected with support systems, recovery activities and services
LOCAL BUYER
perimeter around the crime scene within minutes. A K-9 search conducted by a Port Angeles Police K-9 team led officers to an area approximately 1/8-mile south on Taylor Cutoff Road where the suspect likely entered a vehicle to flee the area, Cameron said. The suspect is described as being a white male, 5 feet 7 inches tall, slender build, wearing a blue or grey hooded sweatshirt and black ski mask. He brandished a silver-colored semiautomatic pistol during the robbery, Cameron said. The Clallam County Sheriff ’s Office is seeking assistance from the public in identifying the robbery suspect. All calls should be forwarded to Sheriff ’s Sgt. John Hollis at 360-461-9257. Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequim gazette.com.
in an effort to prevent them from relapsing on drugs, he said. People often come in after court orders, family or other outside forces intervene, but it isn’t until they want sobriety for themselves that they are successful, he said. “You can definitely tell when someone gets it,” Graham said. “Their lives change in a positive way quickly.” One patient, who started using drugs and alcohol in grade school, was doing “everything” from acid to methamphetamine when he lost his children to Child Protective Services, Graham said. The man struggled through drug court, quitting before getting help for his anger and trying again. He went back to school, got a job and got his children back, Graham said. “You can just see the change in their eyes,” he said of patients in recovery. “Those are the things that make our job worth it.” Bergman, who leads the Clallam County Medication Abuse Work Group, said it is time to look for solutions on a communitywide level. “As health care providers, we need to look at how we’re prescribing,” he said. Since 70 percent of prescription drug abusers get the medication from family or friends, people need to make sure their prescriptions are secured and disposed of properly. Parents need to watch their children and know what they’re doing and who they’re hanging out with. Community awareness, drug demand reduction, prevention, treatment and outreach, and educating youth and families are ways to create solutions to the problem, Bergman said. “Get involved,” he said. “Be aware.” Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequim gazette.com.
FOR OLD COINS
GOLD & SILVER 360.452.3358
CHARTERS February 15–April 15
2012 TRENDS
Sundays from Port Ludlow Resort Marina PortLudlowResort.com 00 Starting @ $110p.p.
• Large format tiles, resembling exotic natural stone. • Darker tile colors, textures & hues • Small, mixed stone & glass mosaics
Free design service available with your tile purchase. 490 South Blake Ave., Sequim 360-681-2877 4001 Tumwater Truck Rte., Port Angeles 360-457-3371 W W W . B L A K E I N C . N E T
Taking Reservations for charterboatjoker.com
GardinerSalmonDerby.org
Venture Charters • 360-895-5424 www.venturecharterboats.com • portludlowresort.com
SEQUIM GAZETTE
Fit for a queen? n?
Eyes on us
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 • A-1
Tourney time
I-fest pageant preview. ew.
Student artists ready for spotlight.
Pirates lock up NWAACC seeds.
A-3
B-1
C-1
SEQUIM GAZETTE Wednesday, February 29, 2012
www
com
75 CENTS
Sequim’s Hometown Newspaper
Vol. 39, Number 9
Hughes named top Citizen Retired pastor honored for volunteerism Sequim Gazette staff
Dick Hughes couldn’t help but recognize others during his Feb. 28 acceptance speech as the 2011 Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. Hughes, a retired pastor, acknowledged several board members
of the Sequim Education Foundation who have helped him in recent years. He spoke for a few minutes in front of a packed house at the chamber’s luncheon at the Sunland Country Club. “It’s not me, it’s them,” Hughes said, deflecting the accolades to his cohorts with the Sequim Education Foundation and Dungeness Valley
Health and Wellness Clinic. Hughes is president of the education group and the wellness clinic. He also is active in Sequim Noon Rotary, Sequim Wolf Pack Youth Football and Sequim Middle School Interact Club.
See CITIZEN, page A-6
Dick Hughes grins as he’s named the 2011 Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Tuesday afternoon. His wife, Kris, is to the left. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
WAG seeking facility for canine care Animal guild is doggedly seeking funds Sequim Gazette staff
A member of the Washington State Patrol SWAT Team stands near a Port Angeles Fire Department medic unit at the scene of a four-hour standoff with homicide suspect John Francis Loring, who was found inside the apartment dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Sequim Gazette photos by Amanda Winters
Timeline of a tragedy Three dead after shootings; witnesses, officials recount homicides, standoff by AMANDA WINTERS
A quiet Tuesday morning in Sequim turned into 26 hours of terror Feb. 21 when shots rang out at a home in the 3900 block of Woodcock Road. A Sequim construction worker hired to rebuild the home’s garage, which burned down in December 2011, was busy at work with his business partner when John Francis Loring, 44, pulled up.
Letter to both spells out concerns
10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21
More inside
by MARK ST.J. COUHIG A bomb squad robot is examined before being sent into an apartment where John Francis Loring, who is suspected of killing two people, was hiding from police. what he was up to. The man replied he was working on a garage. The man knew Loring and the resident of the home, Shellie Gillis, had dated and that Loring had threatened her. “I didn’t think he’d come to the house and kill someone,” he said. But after Loring walked by the garage carrying a cardboard box, he knocked on the door, which was opened by 19-year-old David J. Randle, Gillis’ son, and a struggle ensued, the man said.
A&E Calendar ................. C-6 Obituaries ......................A-12 Opinions/Letters ...........A-10
Real Estate ..................... D-1 Schools ........................... B-6 Sports/Recreation ......... B-1
Sequim Gazette
Gillis and her boyfriend were inside, officials said. According to court documents, Gillis called 9-1-1 at 10:03 a.m. reporting Loring was at her house in violation of a court order. “David opened the door a crack and John pulled a gun and started forcing his way in,” the man said. “I yelled, ‘He’s got a gun.’” The man and his business partner crouched
State Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, this week sent a letter to Olympic Medical Center CEO Eric Lewis and SEIU Healthcare Local 1199NW president Diane Sosne, for mally asking VAN DE WEGE each to enter their
See SHOOTINGS, page A-4
See OMC, page A-8
INDEX Business ......................... A-7 Classifieds ...................... D-1 Crossword ....................... C-5
See WAG, page A-8
Van De Wege calls OMC, union to binding arbitration
Sequim Gazette
“John looked right at me and said, ‘Nice garage,’” the man recalled. The man, who spoke to the Gazette anonRead details about ymously because he doesn’t want his busithe homicide ness connected with the victims and suscrime, said earlier in pect on page A-5. the morning he’d seen Loring in a white Dodge pickup parked at a local minimart, heavy metal blaring from the car’s speakers. The man said he tried to pretend he didn’t see Loring, who he knew had problems. But Loring said hello and made small talk, asking the man
Welfare for Animals Guild is launching a capital campaign to purchase a house with acreage in the Sequim area. The new facility will enable WAG, a local nonprofit organization, to significantly increase its capacity for taking care of lost, neglected, injured, abandoned or surrendered dogs. WAG currently uses foster homes to care for rescued dogs but too often is running out of room, said Paula Creasey, the organization’s secretary. At the same time, she added, the current poor economy has led to a steady increase in the number of dogs needing to find homes.
Strait Scenes ................. C-1 Weather .......................... A-2
This Week’s Forecast: See page A-2 for local weather. Check for updated weather reports at www.sequimgazette.com
A-4 • Wednesday, February 29, 2012
SEQUIM GAZETTE At one point, Loring even came to the door and was going to surrender but turned around and barricaded himself instead, he said.
Shootings From page A-1 down as Loring “went in blasting,” he said, recalling at least three shots initially and accompanying screams. The man went first to his partner’s truck, where he normally keeps a gun, but he hadn’t brought it that day so he ran to the neighbors and called 9-1-1, he said. Loring broke a side window of the house before going back to the front door, retrieving his box, and driving away toward Port Angeles, he said. Law enforcement wasn’t far behind. “I just couldn’t believe how fast they (Sheriff ’s deputies) got there,” he said. Deputies found Randle lying in the driveway, dead of gunshot wounds from a .38 caliber pistol. Gillis said she heard her son’s screams and the gunshots and when they stopped she thought he’d run away to safety. When she came out of the house she saw emergency responders loading Randle on a stretcher and thought he was going to be OK, she said. She thanked God he was safe. She didn’t realize he was dead and wasn’t told until later. Clallam County Undersheriff Ron Peregrin said Loring was prohibited by court order from going to the Woodcock Road residence. As investigators examined the scene of the shooting, a countywide manhunt began. Through local media and an emergency communications system, the Sheriff ’s Office asked people to be on the lookout for the 6-foot 6-inch suspected killer.
10:15 a.m.
Peregrin said. Law enforcement requested help from the Washington State Patrol SWAT Team to serve an arrest warrant on Loring, State Patrol Lt. Dan Hall said.
Hall said when it became clear the negotiations were breaking down, the SWAT Team shot tear gas into the apartment after breaking the glass sliding door at the back of the unit. As the tear gas deployed, Loring fired two shots from inside the apartment. An investigation by the Port Angeles Police Department revealed the shots were fired from Loring’s .38 caliber pistol at the SWAT Team but did not hit anyone. The SWAT Team did not fire back. Wind blew the tear gas down the block where bystanders watched the standoff unfold. The construction worker who had been on Woodcock Road the morning before was among them. He said he kept his gun close after the shooting and couldn’t sleep at all that night. “I wanted to see him leaving in custody or in a body bag,” he said.
6:30 a.m.
10:35 a.m.
Members of the Washington State Patrol SWAT Team approach the back door of an apartment where homicide suspect John Francis Loring was hiding out during a standoff on Feb. 21. Sequim Gazette photo by Amanda Winters
sponded to several locations in Port Angeles and Sequim throughout the afternoon and evening after receiving tips from the public, Cameron said.
Two more people left the apartment after Loring told them to go, Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict said. Benedict said of the five people in the apartment, including Loring, none of them was the actual resident. The resident was on vacation in Hawaii and any relationship among the five was determined to be extremely casual, he said. With Loring the only person inside the apartment, law enforcement began to evacuate residents and get ready to act on the SWAT Team’s plan. Clallam Transit provided buses to hold residents a block away during the standoff.
11 p.m.
7:20 a.m.
A State Patrol SWAT Team parked vehicles near the front and back doors of the apartment where homicide suspect John Francis Loring barricaded himself during a standoff Feb. 22. Photo courtesy of KOMO 4 News
11 a.m. Fleming Drive, Peregrin said. Loring dated Varney’s daughter, Andrea Varney, previously, he said. When deputies weren’t able to contact anyone inside the home they forced entry and found Var ney dead inside. An autopsy later revealed Varney died of multiple gunshot wounds from a .22 caliber gun around Feb. 18, or three days before he was discovered, Cameron said. Officials later learned Loring was stopped by a Washington State Patrol trooper around 1 a.m. Feb. 19.
Sequim police notified the Sequim School District of the shooting and told officials they didn’t believe a lock-down was necessary, said Patsene Dashiell, community liaison with the school district.
2 p.m. The truck Loring drove was registered to 68-yearold Ray Varney in Diamond Point. Ron Cameron, Clallam County Sheriff ’s chief criminal deputy, recalled the last Sequim murder, in September 2008, when Shawn Roe killed Forest Service officer Kristine Fairbanks, then shot and killed retired corrections worker Richard Ziegler and stole his truck. At the request of the Clallam County Sheriff ’s Office, deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office went to Varney’s residence on
3 p.m. Leads poured in from throughout the county and an estimated 100 law enforcement officers were involved in the manhunt and investigation, Peregrin said. “Nobody ever questioned
what they could do for us,” he said of the collaboration. A resident of Olson Road reported the getaway truck parked on the road and law enforcement responded cautiously, approaching strategically to see if Loring was inside, Peregrin said. The truck was empty and one report connected him to a blue car so a new alert with an updated vehicle description was sent out to the community, he said. An automated call went out, warning residents in the vicinity of Taylor Cutoff Road that an armed and dangerous suspect might be in the area. Officials rerouted school buses so school children weren’t dropped off in that area and parents had to pick them up from the school, Dashiell said. Law enforcement re-
3
Police officers contacted two people as they left the apartment and they confirmed Loring was inside,
The Clallam County Sheriff ’s Office confirmed Loring died during the standoff. Law enforcement prepared to process the scene for further investigation and officials called a press conference at 1:30 p.m. to disclose further details. A few days later, the construction worker returned to the garage on Woodcock Road to finish the job. His tools were lying in the mud after days of rain. He said he grew up in a rough area of South America and he’s seen plenty of things in his life but nothing like that. “I’m never going back there again,” he said. Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequim gazette.com.
1
$ 29 COCONUT FLOUR BULK HONEY
ROLLED OATS
Kettle Foods
$ 99
ALL PRICES EFFECTIVE 02/29/12 through 03/06/12.
2:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22
Noon
The State Patrol negotiator made phone contact with Loring several times over a period of an hour and a half, Hall said. “For a while we thought communication was going very well and it would end without incident,” he said. Loring told the negotiator he had a gun, Hall said. A Port Angeles Police sergeant warned responding officers Loring was known for having “survivalist thinking,” said Brian Smith, Port Angeles deputy police chief. “When we first got contact, we were encouraged,” Benedict said.
BULK • REG. $1.59 GLUTEN FREE
Grain Miller’s OLD FASHIONED • Eugene, OR • Oven-Toasted 261461 HWY. 101 WEST, SEQUIM (360) 683-8003 • WWW.SUNNYFARMS.COM EVERY DAY 8 A.M. - 8 P.M.
A resident of Victoria, British Columbia, reported receiving a phone call from Loring, Peregrin said. The number Loring called from was a landline traced back to an apartment on West 16th Street in Port Angeles. The Port Angeles Police Department positioned officers around the apartment to help Sheriff ’s deputies secure the perimeter.
Cameron said Loring continued to talk to the negotiator after the tear gas filled the apartment. When he stopped, the State Patrol Bomb Squad arrived and sent in a robot. The robot, equipped with a video camera, couldn’t find Loring at first until it opened a door to a bathroom and found him dead with a weapon at his side, Hall said. “We were surprised to find what we found,” Cameron said. Loring died of a single shot to the head, Peregrin said.
KRINKLE CUT
5 LB. BAG
REG. $5.09
3
$ 39
BULK • REG. $3.99 GRADE “A”
LB.
Nature’s Path
LB.
Crystal Geyser
POTATO CHIPS GRANOLA BARS JUICE SQUEEZE
3
$ 79 13 OZ.
SAVE REG. $1.30 $4.49
2
$ 49
SAVE $2.00
REG. 4.69
3
$ 49 4 PACK
SAVE $1.20
¢ 48 NAVEL ORANGES $ 79 FROZEN BLUEBERRIES ¢ 2 17¢ RASPERRIES $299 LEMONS $ 59 $ 29 Jonagold APPLES 75 SPELT FLOUR 1 SPELT FLOUR 2 8 3 CUCUMBERS 99¢ CUCUMBERS 39¢¢ 2 4 BROCCOLI CROWNS 79 1 2 $148 ¢ 1 7 TOMATOES TOMATOES 98 9 5 ¢ Large Head LETTUCE 88 SUPPLEMENTS ¢ ¢ $ 59 LETTUCE 99 POTATOES 39 COCONUT OIL 17 ¢ resh Cauliflower F 69 25% NOW® 25% Country Life™ White Large & Sweet
FOUR FLAVORS
LB.
Sweet
Stahlbush Island Farms
Small Fancy
ly
On
1/2 PINT
EA.
Sweet n’ Juicy
Slicing
BEEF TENDERLOIN STEAK
EA.
ALL NATURAL
BONELESS PORK CHOPS
DRAPER VALLEY
LB.
Graze
Large Slicing
CHICKEN DRUMS & WINGS
SMOKED
HAM SHANKS
LB.
PINT
COOKED
TIGER PRAWNS
LB.
$ 99
OUR OWN • REG. $3.99
$ 99
MADE IN STORE • REG. $5.49
$ 79
SUNNY FARMS’ • REG. $3.49
LB.
COLESLAW MIX
$ 99
FLAVORFUL • REG. $8.49
$ 49
DOMESTIC • REG. $6.29
LB. LB.
LB.
LB.
BLUE CHEESE POTATO SALAD
PINEAPPLE-POPPY SLAW DRESSING
LB.
Sno-
LB.
Organic
HASS AVOCADOS BABY KALE
1 Organic e Larg
$ 49EA.
BROCCOLI
Organic
99
LB.
LB.
1
LB.
LB.
LB.
LB.
$ 29
LB.
• Raw • Virgin • Organic • Vegetarian • Unrefined • Unbleached
March right into savings! Shop at Sunny Farms or Sunny Farms Supplements
CELERY ¢
$ 49 $ 49
SWISS CHEESE
OFF VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS
Ultimate Nutrition® 2Organic 79 DHEA 50 mg ¢ FUJI APPLES $ 39 25%
$ 99 5 oz PACK
LB.
Shop at Sunny Farms Country Store or Sunny Farms Supplements located near JCPenney (360) 683-6056
Health from the Sun
Organic
$ 29
$ 99
HONEY HAM
No 1 Baker
HEAD
10 OZ.
BULK • REG. $2.69 WHITE
EA.
Leaf
REG. $4.69 SAVE 90¢
LB.
LEAN & TENDER
EA.
SPARKLING • 8 FLAVORS
• Sustainably-Grown • Product of U.S. • 8 varieties
BULK • REG. $1.89 WHOLE GRAIN
LB.
English
ORGANIC • 7 FLAVORS
OFF
• Platinum Series • Pharmaceutical grade
Entire Line
REG. $21.99
32 OZ
OFF VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS
Spring-time savings on our longest-selling line.
1799
$
REG. 100 CAPS $29.99 All natural, award-winning products for the face, body & skin.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 • A-5
SEQUIM GAZETTE
Shooting victims to be remembered at services Family, friends share memories by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
The family and friends of David Randle and Ray Varney will hold memorial services this week in Sequim. Varney, 68, died around Feb. 18 from gunshot wounds and Randle, 19, died Feb. 21 also from gunshot wounds, said Ron Cameron, Clallam County Sheriff ’s chief criminal deputy. John Francis Loring, 44, is suspected of killing them before turning his gun on himself during a standoff with police Feb. 23. Loring dated Varney’s daughter, Andrea Varney, and Randle’s mother, Shellie Gillis. A n d re a Va r n e y s a i d she and Loring dated from 2006-2011 and she knew him to be charming. Her father and Loring were friendly and she spoke with Loring just a few days before Randle was killed. The morning of Feb. 20 he left a message on her phone that didn’t make sense, she said. She believes methamphetamine was involved in causing Loring to snap. “It was not the John I knew,” she said. Gillis filed for a protection order against Loring in December 2011 and in January got a court order prohibiting him from coming near her or her home pending his trial for allegedly holding her against her will at a house in Sequim and possessing a gun, according to court documents.
The Sequim High School sign expresses condolences to the family of David J. Randle, who died Feb. 21. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
Andrea Varney, left, Ray Varney, center, and Anthony Varney, right, stand together for a photo on Nov. 25, 2011. Photo courtesy of Andrea Varney
Randle Gillis said her son just got a new truck and his first car stereo system shortly before he was killed. He worked as a union apprentice and was respected by his co-workers, she said. While he got into some trouble during middle school and the beginning of high school, he turned his life around after attending a boot camp where he became the only 15-year-old ever to lead a platoon for the entire duration of the camp, she said. “David is, was, and always will be a rock in this town for these kids,” she said. The night before he died, he introduced three friends as his “boys.” The three, Nick Spencer, 20, Jimmy Byers, 18, and Tyler Davis, 19, made T-shirts with Randle’s photo and the phrase “the boys.” “I love these kids, these are my sons,” Gillis said of the three friends. She said she is very con-
cerned people who weren’t actually his friends and hadn’t been a part of his life for the past couple of years might be trying to cash in on the spotlight. She also doesn’t appreciate speculation about how she ran her household. “Dealing with the loss of my son, who was becoming an upstanding citizen, I don’t appreciate the negative remarks from outsiders when he was a rock and a hero,” she said. Spencer said Randle was “a protector” who cared about his mom and sister, Victoria LaCroix, more than anything. Byers, who lived with Randle at Gillis’ home for a while, said Randle woke up singing every day and would sing to his dog, Leroy. Spencer said Randle’s happiest time was in the morning and he’d always be ready to go get started on the day. Close to 300 people attended a candlelight vigil for Randle on Feb. 23. Though
they wish they had been the ones to hold it, Spencer said it was too soon; they were glad to see how many people came. “It was just how David would’ve wanted it,” Spencer said. “He would’ve been glad to see how many people cared about him,” Byers said. Family and friends established two funds to collect donations for Randle’s memorial service and burial arrangements. Both are under his name, David J. Randle, at First Federal and Wells Fargo banks. Donation jars also have been set out to collect money to cover costs, Spencer said. The jars can be found in Sequim at Reef Tanning, A1 Auto, Kettel’s 76 Station, Ohana Coffee, 101 Outpost, HiWay 101 Diner, Mariner Cafe, Chinese Garden, Domino’s Pizza, Loan Zone and Pawn, Hardy’s Market 2, Westside Pizza and Jiffy Lube. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, March
‘... meth changed him’ Loring’s friend blames drug for killings by AMANDA WINTERS Sequim Gazette
When Mark Koonz saw his friend John Loring at a Sequim bar Feb. 20, he had no idea the man had killed his exgirlfriend’s father a few days before and the next morning would kill again. “He would’ve given you the shirt off his back,” Koonz said, describing his decadelong friend as having a good heart. “He was very giving. He was great with kids.” But that night something didn’t seem right about Loring. He was standoffish, he wasn’t acting like himself. Koonz said he quickly realized Loring was high on methamphetamine. Over the past several months, Koonz, a recovering addict, was forced to distance himself from Loring after it became evident he’d started using meth again, he said. “The devil that is methamphetamine changed him inside,” Koonz said. At the bar that night, the last thing Koonz said to Loring was, “Stay out of trouble.” The next morning, Loring fatally shot his ex-girlfriend’s 19-year-old son, David J. Randle, who was trying to prevent him from entering their home, officials said. Ray Varney, 68, the father of a different ex-girlfriend, was found dead in his Diamond Point home by Jefferson County Sheriff ’s deputies shortly after that. Officials believe Loring shot and killed Varney around Feb. 18. After the ensuing manhunt led law enforcement to an apartment on West 16th Street in Port Angeles, Loring barricaded himself inside during a five-hour standoff. It ended when a bomb squad robot equipped with a camera found Loring on the bathroom floor dead of a gunshot wound to the head.
Local history According to court docu-
John Francis Loring is suspected of killing two people over a period of three days before committing suicide during a standoff with police Feb. 22. Photo courtesy of the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office
ments, the Port Angeles Police Department first encountered Loring in March 2001 after the Ministry for Children and Families in British Columbia, Canada, contacted a Port Angeles social worker about an investigation into Loring. Canadian police sought to deport Loring, a U.S. citizen who at various points in his life lived in British Columbia, and during those arrests found him in possession of cocaine, marijuana and firearms, police said. A detective with the Port Angeles Police Department learned Loring had a concealed weapons permit in Washington despite his felony drug trafficking, unlawful possession of unregistered weapons, theft, fraud, assault and breaking and entering convictions from Canada, records show. Police obtained a search warrant for Loring’s apartment and found a rifle, a handgun, two grenades, seven switchblade knives, a commercial explosive device, a butterfly knife, three throwing stars and assorted instructions and items for creating explosives, according to court documents. Loring told police he didn’t think his felony convictions from Canada applied to his ability to possess weapons in the U.S., the police report said. He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon and sentenced in October 2004 to 68 days in jail with credit for time served. In May 2005, Loring was ar-
rested and charged with firstdegree theft and possession of methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty and received a five-month sentence. In 2010, the victim in the theft case, a Port Angeles business owner, e-mailed the court asking why he never received any of the court-ordered restitution from Loring despite the fact Loring had come into a large amount of money through a trust fund.
Domestic violence Shellie Gillis, Randle’s mother, filed for a protection order against Loring on Dec.
-
11, 2011. In the petition, she said she and Loring broke up because of his unpredictable and controlling behavior but he wouldn’t leave her alone and was threatening her and her children. She relayed instances of violence and threats to kill her. She did not indicate any drug or alcohol problems and stated she didn’t know of any guns in his possession. On Jan. 4, 2012, a woman reported Gillis was being held against her will at Loring’s residence on West Maple Street in Sequim, according to an arrest report. Police went to the home and knocked on the door but no one answered. Since there was no other evidence of a problem, the officers left. Later, the woman called back and said Gillis texted her asking for help. Moments later a passerby in the area reported hearing a woman yell for help, police said. When officers arrived back at the home they saw Gillis and Loring outside the home. They arrested Loring on suspicion of violation of a protection order, unlawful
David J. Randle, 19, will be remembered at a service March 3 at King’s Way Foursquare Church. 3, at King’s Way Foursquare Church, 1023 Kitchen-Dick Road, in Sequim.
Varney Andrea Varney was born on her father’s birthday, which helped her understand his split Gemini personality, she said. For her 40th birthday he came to Sequim for a joint celebration and after that decided to relocate to Sequim from Hillsberg, Calif., she said. Andrea Varney described her dad as a “ZZ Top-looking” man with a long white beard. Ray Varney was rough around the edges with a passion for possession of a firearm and false imprisonment after Gillis indicated he would not let her leave the house, according to court documents. At Loring’s preliminary hearing Jan. 5, Clallam County Prosecutor John Troberg requested bail be set at $25,000 but Superior Court Judge George Wood set bail at $5,000 and it was posted Feb. 7, court records show. A no-contact order was entered, prohibiting Loring from contacting Gillis or going to her residence on Woodcock Road. Trial was set for March 27.
Hurt Koonz said Loring was hurt by the breakup with Gillis and reached out to Andrea Varney, whom he dated on and off for several years. It wasn’t unusual for Ray Varney, Andrea’s dad, to help Loring out and let him borrow his truck, Koonz said. “He was never openly violent,” Koonz said. But when someone’s hurt and on meth, he wants the whole world to know his pain, he said. “He was a good guy and something happened,” he said. He wishes Loring would’ve called a friend or that some-
Residents have a blast during a bowling competition with youth from the Boys & Girls Club! ub!
woodwork, she said. Her favorite picture of him shows him and his girlfriend on his Harley in South Dakota. Ever since she and her brother, Anthony Varney, were children their father always had a Harley, she said. The day before Ray Varney was found dead in his Diamond Point home, he became a grandfather for the third time when Anthony Varney’s son, Wyatt Anthony Ray Varney, was born. Andrea Varney said Ray Varney also had one greatgrandchild. A service for Ray Varney will be held at 1 p.m. today, Feb. 29, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 30 Sanford Lane, in Sequim. Andrea Varney said she will keep her father’s ashes until she can place them in a Veterans Administration cemetery. He served in the U.S. Army starting in 1961 and she still has a picture of him in his uniform. “He looked so handsome,” she said. Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequimgazette. com. one could’ve helped him, he said. Koonz said he hopes people can see that meth, not Loring, was the monster. Reach Amanda Winters at awinters@sequimgazette. com.
LOCAL BUYER wants
PAYING
10kt 14kt Dental 24kt
- $15/gm. - $19/gm. - $25/gm. - $39/gm.
BUYING
Silver Coins before 1971 — Dimes — ea. / $95 roll — Quarters — $4.50 ea. / $180 roll — Half Dollars — $9.00 ea. / $180 roll — Half Dollars — 1965-1970 $2.75 ea. / $55 roll — Silver Dollars — $20.00 ea. / $400 roll Sterling’s Our Favorite $1.80
Come to
ELEGANT FLEA ANTIQUE & COLLECTIBLE SALE Friday, 3/2 and Saturday 3/3 Sequim Prairie Grange 290 Macleay Rd. 9 am - 3 pm Or call for appointment at our new shop 425 E. Washington Ave Sequim, WA
Assisted Living with a Difference! 550 W. Hendrickson Rd., Sequim, WA 98382
360.683.3348 www.sherwoodassistedliving.com
Aloha Coin First Stop Coin Shop
360-681-0607