When I agreed last year to run for the position of president of the Vashon-Maury Chamber of Commerce, I was well aware of the problems related to our national declining economy, but was not totally prepared for the seriousness of the downturn that would coincide with the beginning of my tenure.
The votes are in. Judging from the e-mails and comments I’ve received on the street, readers of this column are happier when I rant and rave than when I wax thoughtful.
It’s spring, and bird song is in the air. What are they all excited about? Like tree frogs and the rest of us critters, birds are responding to the longer and warmer days, a burgeoning crop of food and a rising amatory urge.
Those of us who pay close attention to the school board and watched its careful crafting of the bond measure that just went down to defeat noted this: To a large degree, these five elected Islanders tried hard to garner the input of their constituents every step of the way.
The gap between teens and adults seems to be getting wider and more contentious as each of us tries to understand why the gap is there and what can be done about it.
A visiting friend once told me that Vashon is “kind of a homely little town.” There may be some truth to that statement, but for those of us who live here, our town’s beauty lies not in its appearance, but in the cohesion and generosity of its citizens.
This week, King County Councilman Dow Constantine will send a survey about the Vashon Library to every registered Island voter. The survey is sponsored by the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council and was created by a committee of VMICC.
This time of economic uncertainty urges me to reconsider what I value most, what nurtures me, my family and my community. The answer for me is rural, wild spaces and nature. And the tool is conservation.
Most likely, you are reading this while holding The Beachcomber.
Do me a favor and feel that newsprint with your fingers. Smell the ink on that paper. Notice its rough edge on top, the little tiny holes punched into the bottom quarter inch. Rustle the paper and snap it into shape.
My Burton Coffee Stand and morning walking companion, Bad Michael (to distinguish him from another coffee stand regular, Good Michael), understands that I am not, deep down, a nice person.
This time of year the foraging selection is slim.
Something magical happened Saturday night. The Pirate hoopsters swept the state Class 1A tournament, and Vashon got swept up in the jubilance of their victory.
