K2

Why take shots at a good project

It is so frustrating to see that a few people are trying to derail the K2 project. I had hoped we put that to bed long ago. After over a year of public meetings, many articles in the newspapers and well-publicized discussions, the land use committee of the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council voted last January not to take a position on a re-zone. They felt it was inappropriate, given that the project had become a private project, not a public one. They specifically voted to leave the re-zone process to the local group developing the K2 site.

Now, well after the fact, come a few disgruntled individuals who want to stir up trouble. Why, in these hard economic times, would anyone want to slow the process of a project that could bring jobs, housing and opportunities to Vashon?

Having been involved from the very beginning in the idea to reuse this giant space, I am amazed that anyone is still concerned with this. The county’s comprehensive planning process was so public, with so many meetings and even online opportunities for comment, that I can only conclude that these folks were just not listening.

I have no ongoing interest in the K2 Commons other than wishing them well and hoping for their dreams to come true. I gave over a year of volunteer time to work on this and find it so discouraging that there are those few people who have nothing better to do than try to cause trouble. There is so much work to do in our community, the state and the nation; I could sure find better things to do with my time.

For anyone that wants to see a detailed timeline of all the public meetings that discussed the K2 project, including the rezone, as well as my personal efforts, I would be glad to e-mail it to you.

Just e-mail me at eamiad@vashonislandrealestate.com.

— Emma Amiad

Council stifled a needed debate

I am very disappointed with the three Vashon-Maury Island Community Council (VMICC) board members who stopped debate short at the last community council meeting. Our bylaws and policies declare that we operate in the style of a town meeting and that we are the conduit forum for discussions of issues relevant to all residents.

With a packed room, with people sitting on the floor, with people standing in the doorways, I do not know another more positive sign that this urgent motion from Tom Bangasser was relevant to all Islanders. But the opportunity was lost. I feel the board should have taken their jobs as representing all Islanders and voted to allow the motion to move forward so the crowded room would have an opportunity to voice their opinions. Then when a vote came from the main floor, those on the board could vote their conscience. Our policies also mention doing outreach to encourage more people to participate in council matters. There were people that came to this meeting that I had not seen before.

Please continue to come to the meetings. There are new board members taking office in December. I can only hope that we on this board will encourage discourse and not stifle debate.

— Hilary Emmer, VMICC board member

Father Roach

Thank you for a lovely eulogy

I’d like to thank The Beachcomber for publishing an excellent obituary and a beautiful eulogy for Father Richard Roach. Elizabeth Shepherd’s piece captured him perfectly, and I’m grateful to her for posthumously introducing this exceptional man to the rest of the Island. Father was a literal godsend, both to the Catholic parish on Vashon and to me personally, a non-Catholic member of the congregation. In spite of my “outsider” status, Father made me feel very much at home in his church. He welcomed my questions and my participation in the life of the parish. In addition, his brilliant homilies enriched my understanding of religious history and Christian philosophy. Father filled many roles — priest, scholar, pastor, friend — and filled them beautifully. Thank you for making space in the newspaper to honor Father Roach and his many gifts.

— Katrina Lande

Hunting

Residential areas no place for guns

Hunting this year has been especially busy in my neighborhood — and especially troubling. I live just south of Misty Isle Farms, which is posted “no hunting.”

Yet a few weeks ago a young male deer was shot just across the street from my house, on Misty Isle Farms’ property just inside the fence line and literally behind a “no hunting” sign. The shot may have been illegal as it had to have been made at a shallow angle to the road in front of my house, with the potential for the shot to have gone across the road in the direction of my house or one of the neighbor’s houses, had it not hit the deer.

A few weeks later another shot rang out, just as I was retrieving the morning paper. It just so happened that a representative of Misty Isle Farms drove by at that moment and confirmed that hunting was being allowed on Misty Isle property. Not five minutes later, another shot was heard from the same Misty Isle pasture, and within a few minutes a fawn with one of its front feet shot off came limping through my yard and off into the forest south of my house. The hunter had already left the scene.

Vashon Island is a residential area with the close proximity of houses and people masked by the trees and dense undergrowth. Hunting here is dangerous. Deer hunting may be a subject for the community council to take up and ultimately address with the state game and fish department. Maiming fawns in the neighborhood is bad enough, but it is only a matter of time before an incompetent and irresponsible “hunter” wounds or kills a human.

— Bob Smueles