The North Beach News

Disdaining a request to put the Bathke on a future, Mayor Crystal Dingler made it clear she wants to move on — offering no apologies or acceptance of responsibility, though a judge put her fully at fault for improperly firing the former OS fire chief. Announcing a $720,000 payout in a press release, Dingler said,Continue reading “Dingler ready to move on; others ready to investigate”

While it remains to be seen where the money is coming from, rather than around $750,000, Ocean Shores apparently negotiated a slight discount in the Bathke case, according to a city press release: “The city of Ocean Shores has reached an agreement to settle monetary damage claims in the Bathke vs City of Ocean ShoresContinue reading “Press release: OS pays Bathke $725,000”

Track your favorite (or least-favorite) Ocean Shores candidate’s raising and spending here: ****Most are using “mini-reporting” option, are using the “mini-reporting option” (“Neither aggregate contributions nor aggregate expenditures exceed five thousand dollars; and (b) No contribution or contributions from any person exceed five hundred dollars in the aggregate.”) https://www.pdc.wa.gov/search?search_api_views_fulltext=ocean+shores+2021

What else do you newspaper-challenged folks want to know about?

With the primary fast approaching, here’s what I have, so far: -What, if any, do you assess to be major problem areas in OS — and what if any are your plans to fix them? -OS looks to be on pace for record revenues — what should the money be spent on? -What are yourContinue reading “Candidate questions — what do you want to know?”

More than 2019 — but less than last year, according to the OS website, “The City has received several inquiries of how many visitors were here over the 4th of July holiday weekend.  Below are the statistics for the last 3 years. 20194th of July was ThursdayVisitor count Wed – Sunday (July 3-7)115,582 2020 (COVIDContinue reading “How many on the 4th?”

With departments UNDER budget and revenues OVER projections, Ocean Shores is off to a powerhouse financial year. The city is tracking and racking, according to the most recently available May 2021 financial report — which doesn’t include what may be a record-shattering June and July. True, this also doesn’t include a likely $1 million “hit”Continue reading “The good ship OS is sailing strong!”

The 2021-22 budget show OS is lookin’ good: 13% UP Building Permits2% UP Hotel / Motel Tax4% UP Property Tax21% UP Real Estate Excise Tax10% UP Sales Tax “Record-breaking tourism June—November 2020” New Positions Planned in 2021-20221 new firefighter in 2021 to reduce overtime3 new firefighters to staff the south station,via a partial funding SAFERContinue reading “How will the city spend all this money?”

“Biased.” “Just trying to stir the pot.” “Hates the city.” “He’s just trying to sell papers.” Yep, I’ve heard it all. Readers of the North Coast News, circa my time as editor there 2008-12, probably don’t need much introduction, and long ago formed an opinion of me: good, bad or ugly.  Those who moved toContinue reading “Who am I? And what am I trying to do?”

Tales of clam-eating contests, campaign pledges and Locals getting taken for a ride: Whenever scandal washes over Ocean Shores, I look to the west; more often than not, I find the OS doppelganger Atlantis City has been-there-got-ripped-off-by-that. “Atlantis City is a hard scrabble, ripped-from-the-ocean land of harsh rain and chaotic winds where kites go toContinue reading “Locals Only: ‘And overtime for all!’”