In Sequim, the year 2025 brought the sort of things that are chronicled in community newspapers everywhere: development controversies, new businesses opening their doors, helping hands extended to someone in need, dissatisfaction with government, and, sadly, tragic losses.

Here are the most-read stories published by the Sequim Gazette this year, according to website analytics.

#10: Tragedy on the Bogachiel

In late October, the tragic loss of a father and son on the Bogachiel River brought many in the community to the Gazette’s website in search of details about the deadly boating accident as well as to an online GoFundMe account to help the Sequim family.

Website analytics show that the same caring was shown by readers when obituaries for professional fishing guide Christian Parker Akers, 35, and his six-year-old son Wyatt, who shared his middle name, were published by the Gazette weeks after the accident, in early December.

Both Christian and Wyatt perished on Thursday, Oct. 30 when their drift boat overturned in turbulent water southwest of Forks near the Wilson Road boat ramp and Leyendecker County Park. A 33-year-old unidentified Port Orchard man survived the ordeal and was able to call 911 while clinging to a tree, but another man, 39-year-old Alfonso Graham, also of Port Orchard, remained missing for weeks despite an initial intense, multi-agency search effort. Graham’s body was recovered Dec. 7 after it was spotted by a fisherman not far from the Leyendecker boat ramp.

Five days after the tragedy, the Akers’ family dog, Turbo, a silver Labrador, was recovered from the Valley View area of Forks. The dog was driven home to Sequim — to widow Daylee Joers Akers and her surviving son, Aiden — by Shyliah Gorbett, president of Friends of Forks Animals.

#9: Second ‘No Kings’

Sequim’s second ‘No Kings’ demonstration on Saturday, Oct. 18 drew about 3,000 people, according to organizers with Sequim Indivisible, who said it was the largest local turnout thus far for protests against the Trump administration’s policies.

Demonstrators lined Washington Street near Priest Road to peacefully declare that America has no kings, and that power belongs to the people. A similar protest took place outside the county courthouse in Port Angeles.

The local rallies were among more than 2,700 similar demonstrations that took place in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., drawing more than 7 million people, according to nokings.org and reporting by various news organizations. About 5 million people reportedly turned out for the first No Kings protests that took place in June.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen Weighing in at #8 was the article about the reopening, under new ownership, of Paradise Cafe (formerly Paradise Restaurant) at 703 N. Sequim Ave. Waitresses Michelle Brianne Steward and Trisha Stigall hold platters of food offered on the menu: Captain’s Platter, Denver Omelette and 2-2-2.

#8: Paradise Cafe reopens

In February, Paradise Cafe, formerly Paradise Restaurant, re-opened at 703 N. Sequim Ave. under new ownership following the retirement in November 2024 of the eatery’s previous owners.

Jose Gallegos of The Big Elk Restaurant and Reynaldo Garcia, former owner of the Fairmont Diner, teamed up as co-owners, with Jenny Henke serving as manager.

Open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. with each day having its own repeating special, Paradise Cafe offers an extensive menu comprised primarily of American food, including steaks, pasta and seafood as well as breakfast all day. The recipes are different than those of the former owners and the decor was changed a bit, but the familiar sign has remained outside the restaurant.

#7: Two hearings, two subdivisions

When city officials hosted two hearings in February for two proposed developments — Bell Creek Major Subdivision with 104 lots, and Bella Vista Estates, a 24-lot subdivision — readers took note.

The Sequim City Council voted in February 2022 to amend the Sequim Municipal Code to use a hearing examiner for all quasi-judicial land use permits and appeals after expressing concerns of being fair to applicants and constituents. A hearing examiner can make final decisions on closed record appeals, subdivisions, binding site plans, special/conditional use, and planned residential developments and major amendments under the revision.

The hearing examiner was to submit a written decision within 10 days of the hearings’ closing, and appeals could be made within 21 days of the written decision’s published date.

Bell Creek, a development by owner Sequim Avenue LLC. and representatives Bell Creek investments LLC., proposes a 104-lot subdivision on about 28.4 acres with detached single-family homes on both sides of Bell Creek. The property is bordered by South Third Avenue to the west, West Brownfield Road to the north, and South Sequim Avenue to the east.

Bella Vista Estates owner Chris Weymouth with Bella Vista Estates of Medina, represented by Goldsmith Land Development Services of Bellevue, proposes 24 lots for single-family homes east of South Sequim Avenue and south of Miller Road.

Update: According to city staff, Bell Creek developers have an approved site construction permit while Bella Vista’s developers have not submitted for site construction since its preliminary approval. Read more about city projects at sequimwa.gov/471/Land-Use-Projects.

Photo courtesy Washington Department of Natural Resources From March 31-April 10, state and tribal crews removed 19,290 pounds of toxic wood and other large marine debris from the Dungeness Spit.

#6: Contaminated wood removed from Dungeness Spit

The Gazette reported on May 7 that over recent weeks, Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe staff removed more than nine tons of contaminated wood and debris from the Dungeness Spit.

Zoe Love, communications manager for Washington’s State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said WCC crews managed by DNR regularly work on the Olympic Peninsula as “marine debris often washes up on the Dungeness Spit, so WCC does a clean-up there annually.”

From March 31-April 10, Love said, crews surveyed the Spit, cut and staged debris, and hauled boatloads for disposal, removing 19,290 pounds of toxic wood and other large marine debris from the Spit.

According to Love, most of the wood was treated with creosote, a chemical mixture that can hurt marine life and animals. Crews also removed plastic, Styrofoam and abandoned fishing gear.

In August 2024, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed a co-stewardship agreement for the Dungeness and Protection Island National Wildlife Refuges. The Tribe took over the day-to-day management of the refuges, including the Dungeness Spit.

Love said that cleanup efforts such as the Spit are typical projects for DNR’s Washington Conservation Corp as they partner with tribes, park districts and others.

#5: Seabrook’s Westbay proposal

The proposed Westbay development near John Wayne Marina from Seabrook developers was already a much talked about topic in Sequim when in July the city announced that the development was under review for being “technically complete.”

The developer had applied for a Master Plan review in June to build 600 lots with up to 650 residential units built over a number of years.

City Attorney Kristina Nelson-Gross said in an interview that a determination on whether the application was “technically complete” was expected to be posted by July 21, but that it wouldn’t mean that the permit was approved.

“(Technically complete) means that it is ready for continued city review and the public review process,” she wrote in an email to the Gazette. “Projects of this size typically involve several opportunities for public input, such as through the notice periods, SEPA (environmental review) and other processes. This project will be no different. Each public notice and comment opportunity will be posted on the city’s website.”

The project was derailed, at least temporarily, on July 28 when the Sequim City Council voted in favor of a six-month emergency moratorium on master-planned overlay applications with a required public hearing set for Sept. 22. Prior to the moratorium, city planners ruled that Westbay’s July 21 application was “technically incomplete” and requested a number of corrections, documents and studies.

Nelson-Gross stated prior to the September hearing that the moratorium was not specifically about Westbay or its approval or disapproval, but was put in place so the city could “ensure that the city regulations, comprehensive plans, and other guiding regulatory documents have reached a level of consistency that will allow the staff, members of the public, and the applicant to have a clear, well defined process.”

At the public hearing, residents, builders and nearby residents spoke for and against the moratorium — and the development in general.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Protests against the Trump administration were the fourth and ninth most-viewed articles on the Sequim Gazette’s website in 2025. Here, Trevor Gloor of Sequim holds a sign that reads “No Kings” at a rally on Saturday, April 19. A similar protest on Saturday, Oct. 18 drew about 3,000 people — more than twice the crowd size of the April rally, according to organizers.

#4: ‘Hands Off!’ protest

In April, almost 1,400 people participated in a “Hands Off!” demonstration in downtown Sequim as part of a national — and global — mass-action protest against President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies that some viewed as an assault against the federal government, the economy, and Americans’ rights.

The peaceful protest took place on both sides of Sequim Avenue, with about 30 safety volunteers in yellow vests helping protesters cross the street.

Deputy Chief John Southard of the Sequim Police Department said that organizers “had a plan for safety and have kept to the plan. The yellow vests are keeping people safe as they cross the streets, keeping them on the sidewalk. It’s working out great.”

Photo courtesy Seabrook Holding Company Articles that involved the proposed 600-lot Westbay project by John Wayne Marina were of great interest to readers, ranking #3 and #5 on the most-read list based on website analytics. Seabrook officials have recently re-engaged with city staff on the project.

#3 Westbay developers threaten lawsuit, pull-out

In a continuation of the issues with between the city and Westbay developers (see #5), on Oct. 1 the Sequim Gazette reported that John Wayne Enterprises and Seabrook Holding Company’s growing frustration over the city’s moratorium on master-planned overlay applications had led to a threat of legal action and/or the entities pulling out of the proposed development by year’s end.

The moratorium is set to expire on Jan. 28, 2026.

Update: In an email to the Gazette last week, Jeff Gundersen, CFO/COO for Seabrook Holding Company, said they’ve been in a holding pattern until recently when Wayne Enterprises, owners of the potential Westbay property, gave Seabrook an extension for its purchase and sale agreement on the property through the city’s moratorium. Gundersen said Seabrook officials signed the extension on Dec. 12, and they’ve re-engaged with the City of Sequim last week about the moratorium and its project.

Karla Boughton, the City of Sequim’s interim director of Community and Economic Development, wrote in an email that “city staff will bring forward and recommend an extension to the moratorium to the city council before Jan. 28.

“A work plan will be included with this extension that will be based on the Comprehensive Plan and development regulations update, which are necessary to be completed,” she wrote.

A draft of the Comprehensive Plan, Future Land Use Map, and Development Regulations package will be made available to the public on April 1, 2026.

Boughton wrote that Seabrook staff had not reached out since the Sept. 22 moratorium public hearing prior to their recent effort to re-engage in conversations about their project application being “technically incomplete.”

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash The tribulations of Dungeness farmer Nash Huber made #2 on the Sequim Gazette’s most read online stories of 2025. Huber — shown here greeting visitors during a May 17 benefit concert and dinner at Sequim Prairie Grange that raised funds for his medical and legal expenses — has faced eviction from Delta Farm by Washington Farmland Trust for alleged lease agreement violations. In an update to that situation, Washington Farmland Trust reports that the Hubers will vacate the farm in early 2026.

#2 Farmer faces eviction

In May, the Gazette reported that Dungeness farmer Nash Huber was continuing to farm and operate his grain and seed business while facing eviction from Delta Farm for alleged repeated violations of his lease agreement with Washington Farmland Trust, formerly PCC Farmland Trust.

Family and friends hosted a benefit for Huber, 84, at Sequim Prairie Grange featuring food, music, and a silent auction to help defray his medical expenses and legal fees.

Huber signed a 30-year lease to farm the property on Delta Farm, 1888 Towne Road. The lease runs through Dec. 31, 2032.

Huber’s eviction went to Clallam County Civil Court on March 14 but was dismissed without prejudice by judge Simon Barnhart because the Farmland Trust wanted more time to clarify Huber’s attorney’s request to cure the lease violation.

On April 24, Huber was re-issued a Notice to Cure, and he had 10 days to remedy the alleged violations.

Melissa Campbell, executive director of the Washington Farmland Trust, wrote in an email to the Gazette that Huber didn’t have an official eviction date and that they would file pleadings again with the court system.

According to information that was on the Trust’s website in May, complaints from neighbors and community members about Huber date back 10 years, but they weren’t formally documented until 2021 by the Department of Ecology related to water quality violations pertaining to livestock and derelict vehicles by groundwater.

Some progress has been made to resolve the violations, according to the Trust’s website, but water quality violations had still not been addressed.

Update: Campbell wrote via email last week that the nonprofit had reached a settlement agreement with the Hubers. They will vacate Delta Farm in early 2026 and have through mid-year to remove their farming equipment and supplies. She said at that point “(the agency) will begin the process of restoring and remediating the property to address the outstanding violations.”

“Once resolved, we will seek a new farmer who shares our conservation values and can steward the land in alignment with the conservation easement,” Campbell wrote.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash A senior prank just days before graduation landed 45 Sequim High School students in hot water with law enforcement after a late-night break-in and vandalism at Sequim High School. The initial article about the incident, posted on the Gazette’s website on June 4, ranked as the #1 story of the year in terms of clicks on the Sequim Gazette’s website. Charges were ultimately filed, but none were for felony crimes.

#1 Senior prank goes awry

The story that received the greatest number of clicks on the Sequim Gazette’s website was the one with this headline: “As many as 50 students involved in SHS vandalism incident.”

In early June, Sequim School District’s public information officer, Megan Lyke, confirmed to the Gazette that school district officials and the Sequim Police Department were investigating a vandalism incident at the high school that occurred on Sunday night, June 1, involving dozens of students. The number was later determined to be 45.

A review of campus cameras indicated that the students made unauthorized entry of the school’s H-Building at around 10:30 p.m.

Although no permanent damage was done, Lyke said eggs were smashed both inside and outside the building and an “offensive” message was scrawled on a whiteboard.

No graduating seniors were denied the ability to participate in graduation as the investigation was carried out.

In October, the Gazette reported that Clallam County Prosecutor Mark Nichols had filed charges for the graduated seniors, then 17 and 18 years old, and his staff recommended that through the county’s Diversion Program, Juvenile Court, and District Court they be required to perform various hours of community service and write apology letters to school officials and the community. Five students were also recommended to pay restitution for damages to the school district for allegedly throwing eggs inside and outside the school building.

Nichols said he recommended that eight students who returned to help staff and fellow students clean up the mess not be required to do community service because “they showed an effort to make amends regardless if they made the mess.”

While the Sequim Police Department forwarded misdemeanor and felony charges for the different students, Nichols said he did not file felony charges for any student.

Update: Nichols wrote via email that the former SHS students’ referral to diversion (through Juvenile Service’s diversion program and his office’s informal diversion process) has been completed and diversion processes are underway. He wrote that students referred to diversion have been afforded time to finish apology letters and complete community service work, while many have already completed both.

“Once we receive all the apology letters, we will forward them to Sequim City Council, Sequim School District, and Sequim High School,” Nichols wrote.

Of the five students who were charged, three have entered deferred dispositions, which remain pending, and the other two still have active cases and are awaiting resolution in the courts, he said.