Chris Legeros and a camerman on Friday. Sue Frause photo.

Langley ~ When I saw the KIRO-7 satellite truck parked on Anthes Street in Langley, I knew why "they" were here. It wasn't for the new angled parking on First Street.

It was all about whooping cough.

The TV station already ran a story about the outbreak on South Whidbey; you can read the story here and see the associated video (click on the red VIDEO link). Most likely they'll be doing an update for tonight's news.

(Note: I just watched the update on the 5 o'clock news, and Case backed off on his original statements about staying away from Choochokam. Dr. Bob Wagner, a respected pediatrician in Freeland, was also interviewed and pretty much told folks to come and enjoy the festival.)

In the original news story, Dr. Roger Case of the Island County Health Department told reporter Gary Horcher it would be "unwise" for him (the reporter) to go to Clinton "or anywhere else on South Whidbey Island" to cover the story, since the reporter had not been innoculated against the whooping cough disease in the past two years.

Huh?

The reporter said that he got a call from the Washington State Ferries that they were scrambling to print signs "at this very minute" to post at the ferry terminal in Mukilteo to warn people about the whooping cough outbreak on South Whidbey.

I e-mailed Susan Harris-Huether at WSF to see if that was the case, and she said it wasn't. "I said if we were asked by Island County we would do so, but they did not ask," said the WSF spokesperson.

At 3:30 PM on Friday afternoon, there was a two-hour wait at the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal.

Interesting to note that as eager as Dr. Case is about spreading the word on whooping cough to the media, the top two "notices" on Island County Health Department's website under Headlines and Current Events are:

Stay Healthy -- Wash Your Hands
July is National Parks & Recreation Month

In this era of instant communication, the Internet is a valuable tool. Island County's website could use some serious rehab in getting its message out.

Choochokam, Langley's 33rd Annual Arts Festival. Saturday and Sunday, July 12-13, beginning at 10 AM each day. Arts and crafts, music, food, Saturday night street dance, kids' stuff. Free shuttle on Island Transit on Saturday. See you in the Beer Garden!