Schools

Fundraising campaign is a sound investment

We support the Save Our Teachers fundraising campaign. Maintaining the current staff level is essential. Reasonable class size, electives to meet a variety of interests, help in the library and counseling are key to good schools.

Not all parents of students can afford to contribute to the fundraising. 

Those of us who don’t have school-age children — but want the best educational system possible here on Vashon — can help bridge the gap. We appreciate all that the students, parents, staff and board contribute to our community.

Please join us in donating today. It’s a sound investment and a step towards assuring a quality education for everyone.

— Julie Burman and Bob Sargent

District 19

Water share plan makes sense for Vashon

I was so thrilled to see Steve Haworth’s article on Water District 19’s plans to consider more accessory dwelling units (ADUs), also called granny flats, in its service area. I’ve been an active proponent of this for many years.

Most people on the Island have no idea of the depth of our affordable housing shortage. 

Many of the low-income workers on the Island, and that’s virtually everyone in the service and retail industry, are desperate for low-cost housing.  Another population, one that’s growing, is our retired folks who want to stay on the Island but can’t afford housing here.

Cities and counties all over our state and the country are moving forward aggressively to encourage these small ADUs to provide workforce and elderly housing, and I’m glad to see that District 19 is moving with them.

Most of these units are 500 to 800 square feet and house one or possibly two people. 

They use very little water or other utilities and offer a chance for homeowners to make a little money as well as serve a great need. They can only be 50 percent of the size of the main house, up to a maximum of 1,000 square feet. and the main house must be owner-occupied.

Another need that these little cottages fill is for caregivers for our retirees who own their own homes and want to live independently for as long as possible. In addition, many of our young families need housing for child care providers or older parents.

Of course, property owners will still have to go through the health department on septic and sewer issues and follow all other regulations.

This type of development also supports our town plan, which calls for more intensive development to be within the plan area.

— Emma Amiad

Restoration

Replanting natives helps ecosystem

Jonathan Cronin may be right that Scotch broom serves some function in the Maury Island Marine Park ecosystem (“Broom removal doesn’t help park’s ecosystem,” June 3).

However, removing invasives is only one step in the restoration process. At the beginning of the rainy season next fall, native plants should be planted.

Native plants in our gardens, yards and parks benefit orcas and salmon, as well as birds and butterflies.

Orcas depend on salmon for survival. Terrestrial invertebrates — insects — are a major part of the diet of migrating juvenile salmon. Their size after they head out into the ocean helps determine their survival.

Douglas Tallamy, an entomologist, says extensive use of introduced plants in our landscapes is a cause of the decline of song bird populations in North America.

Insect biomass on native plants is from two to 35 times greater than that on introduced plants. Diversity of insects — the number of species — on native plants is from three to 48 times greater than that on non-native plants. More than 95 percent of all terrestial birds in North America feed their young insect protein.

Despite our enjoyment of seeing a goldfinch in the broom or butterflies attracted by butterfly bush, these aliens will not help these and other species survive. They, as well as orcas and salmon, need native plants in our yards, parks and town/street landscapes to survive.

Restoring native plants will help curb extinctions and preserve biodiversity.

— Pat Collier

Maury Park doesn’t need human meddling

I first became aware of the effort to purify Maury Park during my semiweekly beach walk. I noticed an area where all the plants had been ripped out by their roots exposing the barren soil.

My assumption was that the park service had removed an infestation. This saddened me, because I knew there were many sea birds nesting in that exact area. Across from the now barren ground was a pile of Scotch broom. It was drying out and appeared to be a fire hazard.

Then I heard that the Scotch broom itself was the infestation because it is not native to our region.

This seemed like a curious notion. I have learned that earthworms are not native to our region either, but who would imagine trying to turn back the clock on earthworms? This cleansing process, if it even works, will not beautify the park. It will transform it into a giant historical garden — the one place in Washington without Scotch broom.

If Maury Park could speak, it might express gratitude that the miners had left, but it might also express disdain for this latest invader — the ravenous eco-dilettante that grazes the extant plant life to its very roots.

If these people want to help the environment, they should pick up some of the garbage that washes up on the beach.

If they really want to make a difference, they should do something about the remains of the old dock. It was dismantled, piled up and enclosed by an elaborate rented fence.

I speculate that the remains of the old dock and the rented fence will sit there for years — wasting tax dollars that could be spent maintaining parks.

What Maury Park requires now is less human meddling, not more.

— Scott Wall

Low tide

Let’s respect tidal life

My husband and I went for a walk on the north-end beach west of the ferry dock recently to enjoy the extremely low tide.

There was a large group of local elementary students enjoying the day as well. It was fun to see all the kids out there having the rare chance to experience such a low tide and see many creatures that are usually hidden from view under the water.

We also experienced sadness because it seemed the children had not had an orientation about how to respectfully enjoy these creatures, and monitoring for good beach etiquette was not part of their field trip.

In addition to kids moving creatures far from their rocky homes, we came upon several large rocks that obviously adults had helped upend.

Tubeworms, sea cucumbers,

rare crabs (one with eggs), Northern clingfish and spaghetti worms were all left exposed and struggling in the dryness and light. Imagine your home being picked up and turned upside-down; this was their situation.

Organizers of Vashon-Maury’s excellent low tide festival (held on May 25 at Point Robinson) have been doing a great job of introducing people to the diversity of life on our shores and how to enjoy it without accidentally harming it. Here is a “Best Beach Behavior Pledge” that I hope every Island adult will share (and take) with kids close to them, so the next time they visit low tide creatures, everyone will thrive:

“When I come to the beach, I will touch beach animals carefully with wet fingers. I will not collect any beach animals, or shells they could use for homes. I will leave the animals in their places on the beach. I will not walk in tide-pools or on eelgrass. Many tiny creatures live there. I will be gentle when lifting and looking beneath rocks so I don’t smash animals on or under them.”

— Kathryn True

Parks

Many thanks to Burton park volunteers

Vashon Park District applauds the work of Brian Forsythe, Tim Heryford and their band of 15 volunteers who spent a large portion of Saturday, May 9, clearing the disc golf course at the Burton Adventure Recreation Center (BARC).

In so doing they not only saved hours of park district staff time and dollars, they made a new sport more available and accessible for Islanders.

The golf course is just one part of the BARC master plan to create a unique “alternative” park on the old Burton Elementary School site.

With substantial help from BARC stewards and community volunteers of all stripes, BARC will become a jewel in the Islands’ recreational resource crown with an expanded skate park, walking trails, a natural playground, a BMX bike track, picnic facilities and the disc golf course. Thank you, Brian, Tim and BARC volunteers!

— Susan McCabe