Dan Nieder and myself, Jason Legat, formed a real estate investment company based in Seattle five years ago, building on the friendship we established in Coupeville Elementary School.  The companies’ values and goals are based off of the lessons learned from the leadership and support of this generous community.  The goal of the Leganieds LLC Scholarship is to acknowledge a graduating male student and not just focus on his GPA, but concentrate on one who demonstrates great potential in the world.

It was not so long ago that we were in the same position as these seniors, about to take a huge leap from the friendly arms of the community in Coupeville, to the unknown world off the island.  We have never forgotten the influential teachers, coaches and community volunteers that helped to shape our lives, and we always hoped that the day would come when we would be able to give something back .

Giving away our scholarship not only helps a future graduating CHS senior, but it helps keep our roots and ties to the community strong.  Each year we are continually amazed by the quality of the students and the support that surrounds them.  We are already looking forward to the day next June when we can spend the morning on Ebeys Landing, the afternoon touring the beautifully new school, and the evening being a part of the magic that is the Community of Coupeville.

Jason J Legat  - CHS Grad 1990

Reunion - Class of 1996

(Top Row,L–R)Leah Whittaker, ?,Lark Eelkema, Frank Buckner, Isaiah Penrod, Keith Dunnagan, ?, ?, Heath Carpenter, Jennifer Eelkema . (Next Row,L-R)Courtney White, Tammy Allmer, Rebecca Lions, Joe Herbold, Ryan Harris, Sarah Engle, Brandon Reedy, Jennifer Nicole, Lori Frericks, Vanessa Bodley, Zarah Leaman.

Submitted by Darlene Ellis Libbey, married to Howard Libbey.

CHS grads 1952.

Fall of 1955 – Ben Lamphere in upper left, Chuck ? Nichols, Harold Buckner, Doug Spears, Gary Hammons, Billy Smith, Dick Yake, Denny Zylstra, Bobby Lamphere, Freddy Hamlin, Rich “Speed” Hammons, Merlin Strang, Bibs Bailey, Rolly Davis, Jerry Zylstra, Peter Whelan, John Moskeland, Pat Clark, and Coach Mert Waller.

“Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder”

CHS Grad Recalls Experience

This past year, I have truly learned what the phrase “absence makes the heart grow fonder” means.  I am a first year student at the University of San Francisco, after graduating from CHS last spring in the class of 2006.  Moving to California was a major decision, and as I wrap up my first year of college, I can honestly say I have loved every minute of it. Once I got here I realized that while I live here, and go to school here, my true home will always be in Coupeville. 

The big city is so different from where I came from.  It’s a 20 minute bus ride to the ocean, there are no fields and I can’t see the stars at night.  The smell of cows is gone and I don’t miss it!  I explain what home is like to people here who don’t believe we only have one stoplight.  I have shown Practical Magic to just about everyone who will watch it, and show them the latest Whidbey Examiner.

I don’t think that I ever realized how lucky I was to grow up in a community like Coupeville. Being so far away allows me to brag to my friends who think that “small town” is 10,000 people. Imagine the looks I get when I tell them that my graduating class was 73!

It may sound sappy, but I love the place I come from  and I’m so proud of it.  I’m proud that we can have a night to remember the high school. I’m proud to open the local newspaper and see a picture of my brother in an article about History Day. Above all, I just wanted to express something I think the majority of people who grew up in Coupeville and then move away discover, and that is a new-found sense of appreciation and pride.

Alexandra Platt – Class of 2006

Where are the Wolves Now?

Jack Elzinga (’56) – Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Florida. ”We had our 50^th class reunion in ’06 and I know one thing I learned (coming back to Coupeville) was the remarkable effort that so many people, a lot of whom I know, worked to establish the (Ebey’s) Historical Reserve.  That says a lot about Coupeville’s character continuing into the future.”

Joanne (Engle) Brown (’52) – Attended WSU and graduated from WWU with a teaching degree.  Received her MA from San Jose State.  Taught school and was a Title 1 Coordinator for over 30 years in Washington and California.  Joanne married Dave Brown in 1968.  She retired from teaching and moved back to Coupeville in 1999.  They raise prize-winning Keeshonds.  They’ve also done some traveling to the Caribbean and England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.  Joanne shared some great tales about her fellow classmates, Manetta (Jenne) Green, Barbara (Ward) Johnson, Ray Reuble, and Wayne Libbey.  We’ll save those for another time!

Doug Wieringa (’78) is married, lives in Seattle, and is the Director of Learning Development for Knowledge Anywhere, a firm specializing in on-line learning.

Kristen Brown (’86) – Kristen owned and operated a Front Street ice cream parlor after high school and left Coupeville in 1987.  She attended Cascade Business College in Bellingham studying computer accounting.  Her dot.com career took her to California where she worked for Netscape and Napster.  Kristen married Tony in 2000. She says, “I’ve moved 12 times, lived in 9 towns, traveled most of the US, Canada, and Mexico.  I’ve been to Germany, France, Hawaii and 10 times to Disneyland.  I want to retire to Washington State, which I really miss.     

Greg and Morgan White (’98) –“ Since graduating from CHS, life has been one big adventure for our family.  After high school, Morgan and I both found ourselves  serving in the U.S. Air Force.  I got stationed in Germany, at Ramstein Air Base, while Morgan was freezing her tail off in Minot, North Dakota.  We got married in September of 2001 and spent the next three years working and traveling through Europe.  In 2005 we got sent to Colorado Springs, where Morgan worked for the big dogs in charge of Homeland Defense.  We had a great time in Colorado; our little guy, Cole, was born, and Morg even got to meet President Bush.  We recently moved back to the island to start Youth Dynamics in Coupeville.  A few days ago we walked through the halls of the new high school and reminisced about all the coaches, teachers, and youth workers who cared for us over the years.  We are so thankful for this community and we’ve come to realize that Coupeville is a fantastic place to call home.  We’re looking forward to lots of CHS football games and booster club hamburgers!”

Jason and Tina (Lyness) Joiner (’00) – Jason is a Real Estate Agent and partner in a small real estate company in Coupeville.  “I moved back to Whidbey in November of 2005, and found myself back in the old groove of spending late nights and long hours hanging out with my old pals, Mike Meyer and Tina Lyness.   Tina and I were engaged and our spectacular wedding took place at the Crockett Barn in Coupeville.  Tina graduated from the UW with a degree in communications.  She just started a job as the manager of North End Fitness in Oak Harbor, is also a Mary Kay consultant, and very active in her church, Christ the King in Coupeville.  Tina is currently training for the Seattle Marathon.

Kandace (Dunnagan) Meinecke (’01) – “Since graduating from Coupeville, I spent 5 years at Central Washington University getting 2 degrees, Elementary Education K-8 and Special Education K-12.  Upon graduation from CWU I now teach full time at Pasco High School as a special education teacher.  Teaching has absolutely been the best job I have ever had.  Happily married for 4 years to my husband, William, we are expecting our first child in late February.”

 Mike Meyer & Jason Joiner, class of 2000.  In October of 2006, after a long battle with bone cancer and recovery from a knee-replacement, which took a large portion of Mike’s femur, Mike was cancer free.  The friends went on a Mexican Rivera cruise to celebrate.  This photo was taken in Cabo San Lucas in front of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.  A year later Mike is still cancer free!