Andrew Schwarz’s meaningful comments about solidarity (Beachcomber, Letters to the Editor, Aug. 13) were well taken.
Thank you, Beachcomber, for highlighting the unusual number of lice cases on the Island. I am aware of a 10-fold increase in the last two years compared to the previous 30. Extremely troubling! But while your article touched on communication and treatment, it left out another critical step: environment. The state requires me to close and sterilize as soon as I realize that lice have been in my workspace.
I want to thank and commend The Beachcomber for the excellent coverage of the desecration of Havurat Ee Shalom and the stories about the wonderful support of the community. The paper took a bold step to speak out on this sad event and its implications for our community.
At this year’s Strawberry Festival, the Backbone Campaign brought some of its giant puppets to the parade, including one of our newest creations, the Penta-Gone. Carried by five people, the Penta-Gone shows the outside of the Pentagon building, with five questions about our national priorities: “One-year nuclear weapons budget or renewable energy for 16.5 million homes?” “One year ‘star wars’ spending or 200,410 new teachers?” “One month in Iraq or health care for 3,214,990 Americans?” “Twenty F22 bombers or 274,000 four-year university scholarships?” (These numbers, based on the Pentagon’s budget for 2009, were provided to the Backbone Campaign by the National Priorities Project — www.nationalpriorities.org.)
“Are you from the Land Trust?”
My name is Nathaniel Parrott, and I am going into the seventh grade. Last Saturday, my friend Ryan O’Grady and I sold Jones Soda to the people in the ferry line.
As a Jew and a member of the Vashon Havurah, I want to thank The Beachcomber for its kind, graceful and inspired coverage of the recent break-in and desecration of our holy space. I want to thank Father Tryphon and other religious leaders on the Island who immediately saw the universal degradation that comes from allowing such intolerance to go unnoticed.
I’m confident that all parishioners are with me in standing in solidarity with our Jewish brethren on the Island who have suffered the damages and painful insult of a hate crime that desecrated the most sacred part of their synagogue. We deplore this crime and the hatred that spurred on the criminals, and we pledge to do what we can to bring the criminals to justice. They need to be held accountable for the evil they have perpetrated.
I have been asked, “Why should I bother to vote in the primary? None of our legislators have opposition.”
We all need to take the time and effort to vote in the Aug. 12 primary election for several reasons.
My mom did not take my brother and me out for fancy meals growing up. Or, if she did, there was nothing memorable about it. My mom was in sales, and raising us alone meant long hours at work.The responsibility of dinner would fall on my brother and me. We became proficient at spinach lasagna and pasta with Le Seure baby peas.
Thunderstorms and Independence Day get the same response at my house. Both situations are pretty horrific if you’re a large animal like a horse or a mule. Whether the noise and light show are caused by nature or humans, we head out to a safe corner of our property and sing peaceful songs to our outdoor animals. In either case, someone (the mule, Shetland or Arab cross) gets a serious case of gas. Indeed, I have spent many a July 5th massaging a prostrate equine whose belly is so tight with gas I could play a drum solo on it.
On behalf of our family and 50 or so friends and neighbors who gathered at our home this Independence Day, we would like to thank The Hardware Store and friends for a beautiful and entertaining fireworks display.
Skull-splitting explosions, animals cowering in fear and sleepless nights hardly seem appropriate ways to celebrate the Fourth of July. Vashon Island is special because of its quiet repose and year-round serenity — except for the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve, when everyone must endure the regressive, pathological need of a few to blow things up.
