PUGET SOUND ENERGY
A win-win-win idea for Vashon’s power grid
I would like to thank Jenny Bell and the Community Council for bringing light to the situation involving the Vashon Power grid. As PSE tries to upgrade reliability of our power, the maiming of our trees along the one hundred miles or so of power lines that grid our island community is coming into focus.
The fact is, the grandfathered-in line and pole power distribution system here on the island is nearly a century behind current technology. Imagine if your house had exposed knob and tube wiring across the ceiling to each light and switch, and you had learned the hard way long ago not wave your arms inside or jump at the ceiling. Knob and tube wiring was replaced in housing in the 1930s, but its counterpart outside the home delivering power continues today.
We are used to the miles of disfigured trees making room for the wires strung from the creosote-soaked power poles that melt in the sun and leach in the rain. We are used to the dangers of electrocution and fires from broken power lines and accept the injuries and deaths of drivers who lose control and run into power poles as well as the mortality of birds and wildlife.
Imagine our island if the power poles were gone, where the branches of large intact trees could shade the roads in the summer, and the trees along our roads could grow to specimen height and shape. Meanwhile, the annual interruptions of power from wind storms and inclement weather are gone. That can be our island reality if we work with Puget Sound Energy to upgrade our power distribution to underground distribution.
In the long run, this could be a win-win-win for the environment, the power company, and the island community. At the community council meeting, a spokeswoman from Puget Sound Energy told us there is a pathway to having our powerlines buried, so let’s get together and solve this for the beautiful future of Vashon and Maury islands.
Joe Yarkin
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
More thoughts on phone service
VashonBePrepared wrote an article on emergency phone service in last week’s Beachcomber. Here are a couple of things to consider before you hook your landline back up, or even worse send your money to Elon Musk (Starlink).
Cell phones stopped working for several hours after the Nisqually earthquake because the system was overloaded. I would expect that to happen in the next major disaster, regardless of the provider. I’m sure satellite providers will tell you differently, but you won’t really know until it happens. I went to a pay phone and called my wife — it worked fine.
The power frequently goes out here. Have you ever noticed that the landlines still work? Trees, wind, and lightning can damage or short circuit power lines causing the power to go out. While these things can also damage phone lines, the damage rarely stops them from working. Phones can work even when the lines are on the ground.
We turned off the ringer to our landline a few years ago; it is sitting on the kitchen counter unplugged. I recently noticed the antenna for the handheld unit fell off and there’s a wire sticking out the top. No idea if it works anymore. We have an old office phone in the closet. If we plug it in we can make phone calls. It doesn’t require electricity. Cell phone batteries do.
While we still have a Centurylink connection for the internet, two years ago we got an AT&T hotspot. This is faster, and we’ll probably stop our phone service. I have been told that when we do that we will still have 911 service because landline providers are required by Washington State Law to provide it. I haven’t verified that this is actually true, so do what you will with that information.
Henry Perrin
BEACHCOMBER COVERAGE
Thanks for the good news
Thank you for the recent illuminating articles highlighting island treasures: the decades of generous dedication from Patti and Mike Kirk, the innovative and trailblazing VISD food services led by Lisa Cyra, and our newest gift through the Fire and Rescue’s Mobile Integrated Health program that benefits our at-home recovery needs, and offers prevention, nutrition and wellness resources.
Grateful for your coverage of some good news.
Thank you!
Wendy Dahl
BUS SERVICE
Change is coming
I have been a King County Metro driver for almost seven years in Seattle and on Vashon. In that span the bus schedule has had minor changes, usually just a minute or two. Starting on April 1, 2024 there will be major schedule changes that we islanders will need to adapt to.
The first bus in the morning will leave Tahlequah at 5:37 a.m., arriving at the north dock at 6:05 a.m. That’s tight for the connection to the 6:10 a.m. Water Taxi. I believe this is unrealistic because it takes about 30 minutes end to end with only a few stops in between. This being the first and only bus at that hour, logic dictates it should take longer.
Another change is late night service. The last bus leaving the north dock will depart at 6:58 p.m. That destination is Dockton with service to Upper Gold Beach; it then turns around at the Dockton firehouse returning to the north dock meeting the ferry for the 8:15 departure.
Cut are the 7:58 p.m. and 9:27 p.m. bus from the north dock. Also gone are the early morning trips from Dockton and Tahlequah, including the 4:03 a.m. and 4:40 a.m. from Burton, the 4:23 a.m. from Tahlequah and the 5:06 a.m. from Dockton.
Granted, there are more trips during the day serving the island, but the early morning and late evening travelers are left twisting in the wind for a ride to work or home. We don’t have the services here to pick up the slack that KC Metro has left us.
Without the late night service over the summer, will the tourists have to leave the island before dinner in our restaurants? What about school kids participating in after school activities? Forget about a night out in Seattle when you need to catch the 6:35 boat back to Vashon (and hope that boat is not late). Dinner at Anthony’s? Forget about it — the last Tahlequah bus is 6:01 p.m. Change is afoot!
Eric Perlman, transit operator and Vashon resident
