Few elected officials have the ability to affect the civic lives of Islanders more than the man or woman who holds the District 8 seat on the King County Council.
It’s unfortunate that the Vashon Island School Board opted to postpone a vote on a proposed measure to renovate and rebuild portions of Vashon High School — a move that will cost the district several thousand dollars.
My first waking thought today was of Tracy Bennedsen.
In that vulnerable twilight between sleep and lucidity, my grief for her was profound. I realized this was the third day Tracy woke knowing she’d never again kiss and hug her son Robert. My heart dropped through the bottom of my stomach and cracked open a flood of sadness.
It has been brought to my attention by alert Islanders — though, given my attention span, why anyone would bother is a mystery — that there has been, within just the last few days, an astonishing 200 percent increase in the acreage of the Island’s scenic viewscape devoted to (some would say blighted by) terrifically distracting, flashing, neon, wide-screen retail video display signs in town. Which is to say they’ve gone from one to two: Thriftway’s trying to outdo Island Lumber. Clash of Titans.
With every transition comes bumps in the road, and the Park District’s assumption of Vashon pool management has been no exception to that rule.
More than 100 Vashon residents showed up for a recent meeting held by the Army Corps of Engineers to discuss Glacier’s proposed gravel barging operation on Maury Island. Their presence, and their strong words at the meeting, hopefully let the Corps know how important it is that they do a thorough, scientifically based inquiry into the potential environmental effects of Glacier’s proposal.
Almost every book club on the Island has probably read at least one work by Barbara Kingsolver. She has been enriching American literature since “The Bean Trees” was published in 1988. Kingsolver is a national treasure, authoring short stories, fiction, poetry, essays and history. She has won several literary prizes, including the 2010 Orange Award for Fiction for her
sixth novel, “The Lacuna.” No surprise, then,
that Vashon College chose “The Lacuna” as its “Vashon Reads” summer book.
The news of the Island’s successful fundraising to support the school district was awesome news in the July 7 Beachcomber.
I want the parents of Vashon to give their children a gift. A gift that is priceless, doesn’t cost a thing and one that will last a lifetime. I want Vashon parents to give their children the gift of extended family. I want your children to know their aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins and as many other family members as possible.
As usual, I didn’t even want to go to the Strawberry Festival, but our dog trainer encouraged me to attend with my dog, Bubby, because he needs the exposure. Also, my wife reminded me that attending the SF is one of those implied duties of a faithful spouse. So my mind was made up.
Strawberry Festival is an exciting time each year on the Island, but it can also be a hectic or overwhelming one. We at The Beachcomber love the festival, and have a few suggestions to help you and yours enjoy the celebration without a hitch.
Now that the smoke has cleared and my ears have stopped ringing, I have to say I have mixed feelings about Independence Day.
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.
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