SKATE PARK

Article brought back memories

Savannah Butcher’s article on RJ’s Kids and the skate park captured my attention. I haven’t followed the details of exactly how it happened, but I’ve watched the skate park build out over the last five-plus years or so. And it occurred to me there was definitely a force and an inspiration driving the project. Now knowing the backstory, I understand a little bit better how it all came together.

Tom Hughes’ photo on the front page was a good encapsulation of the project outcome: kids doing their thing without being told how to do it. And that photo took me back. My son was a skateboarder in the late 1990s and early 2000s. We were delighted to find the old Burton School gym had a place to skate not far from our house. That was where I met Mike Sudduth. The story I was told (maybe by Mike) is that his son would climb over the fence and skate in the old gym. That brought attention from the “authorities.” Mike had the idea to make it a “formal” skate park. Frankly, we weren’t sure what the ultimate fate of the skate park would be.

Thanks to Judith Neary and other contributors for making it a special place on our special island.

Eric Weber

FIRE LEVY

Response to letter

I am responding to the letter from Kirk and Brown (named in the article) in the Beachcomber supporting Proposition 1 in an emotional response with no actual data or facts.

In their letter they referred to, “those few loud voices opposing Proposition One”.

I do not doubt for a minute this referred to me as well as Scott Harvey. Essentially, they cooperatively say that if the citizens of Vashon don’t support Proposition 1 they hate all first responders and are cheapskates for not paying for unnecessary Levy Lift proposals.

Let me say, I totally respect Mr. Kirk as a principal and educator of my two children, as well as being a VIFR Volunteer for many years. At the same time, I do not appreciate being thrown under the bus, or as he would probably prefer, under a shiny new fire truck. Mr. Kirk berated and personally attacked me for my lack of fire experience and by not volunteering with VIFR. I was also accused of never attending a strategic planning board meeting, which is a flat-out lie.

It takes a community, and I have done my share of volunteering in King County. I volunteer regularly, and in a manner that I can physically accomplish. I served on the Ferry Advisory for several years and I also volunteered as an educator, work/job developer, and social worker for almost 20 years at the Washington Correctional Center for Women in Purdy, WA.

I have also put my name in to volunteer as a social worker at the old VCC when it is taken over by The Indian Health Board and at Benaroya Hall regarding ADA access. For three years I have contributed with my time and money at The Voice of Vashon, where I have a weekly show which is currently supporting and telling the stories of Vietnam Veterans.

Mr. Kirk also knows that I use a wheelchair for mobility, Mike if you can get a wheelchair lift and hand controls on one of those shiny new proposed fire trucks, I’ll be glad to volunteer to drive it. Let me know when that happens.

Steven Nourse