Criticizing King County is a sport on Vashon, and every now and then, it’s an understandable preoccupation. No government is perfect, and certainly not Seattle-based King County. But those who think it’s an absentee government paying scant attention to the Island should take a closer look at this week’s paper.

Let’s start with a small item on page 9, where we note the county’s plan to hold a work party to build a trail through a new swath of Island Center Forest, recently purchased by the county. County crews have already begun the process, after spending weeks clearing out debris left behind by a small but ensconced homeless community. The new holding means Island Center Forest is now 400 acres strong.

Or consider a story on page 5 about the deal that’s been forged between the Backbone Campaign and King County to develop the area’s first community solar project. After months of working with the Backbone Campaign, the county is now ready to transmit its proposed contract to the county council for approval. By all accounts, the county has been a strong and engaged partner in the process.

Finally, there’s the front-page story about the county’s efforts to redesign portions of its rumble strip project in response to the Island’s outcry. The project is a misguided effort on the county’s part to improve highway safety on Vashon. We’re sorry these grooved strips of pavement were installed, and the way the project unfolded is unfortunate.

But in the months since, county officials have clearly poured considerable hours into an attempt to address the situation. They’ve openly acknowledged that they failed to engage the community before beginning the project. They’ve come out to the Island several times and plan to again next week, when they’ll explain the rationale behind their thinking at the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council.

One can certainly take issue with their decisions, but we believe they’ve worked hard and in good faith over the last few months in an effort to address a difficult situation.

Islanders occasionally suggest King County is made up of incompetent and unfeeling bureaucrats. They decry the lack of “local” control. They suggest we have no government. But in fact, we are governed; we do have representation, and those at the helm are, for the most part, smart, professional and well-meaning.

In this era of anti-government sentiment, where Pres. Kennedy’s famous words — “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” — seem quaint and distant, it’s easy to decry the county’s failings.

But from our vantage point, we see a government that, for the most part, is forward-thinking, responsive and hands-on. Despite its imperfections, the county strives to do right by Vashon. Let’s keep that in mind even as we fight to ensure that our values and sensibilities are fully represented at the highest levels of county government.