I’m sure you have experienced it — that feeling of arriving somewhere, either a physical or emotional place, when you know you finally fit. My first experience with this was arriving in the early 1970s at the then-Cornish Institute. But the most profound experience was shortly thereafter, when I moved to Vashon, a decision based almost exclusively on the artistic population of the Island. I knew I was home.
Having sat on the board of the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council and shown up for meetings of the board, general council and the recent forums since July 2009, I have come to a startling demographic conclusion about our Island. I know what the census and other statistics indicate about the current population of Vashon Island and its Siamese twin, Maury Island, but I regret to inform you that only 25 people live on Vashon. Shocking, I know, but apparently true, as these are the same 25 (or 20, sometimes less!) people that I meet and greet at every type of community council meeting from board to general to forum — the very rooms where ideas, motions and, ultimately, decisions that impact the present and future Island lifestyles of those 25 or so residents are made.
