B EACHCOMBER V ASHON -MAURY I SLAND 75¢ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012 Vol. 57, No. 51 www.vashonbeachcomber.com ADVOCATING FOR SENIORS Vashon HouseHold expands its services for the elderly. Page 5 By LESLIE BROWN Staff Writer Local law officials and community leaders are expressing concern about a new camp that has sprung up in a vacant lot just south of Vashon town, where a handful of people are living in squalid conditions and in makeshift shelters. Police have responded to the scene several times because of reports of illicit activities, said King County Sheriff’s Dep. Joel Anderson, who works the evening shift on Vashon. He believes six to seven people are living there. “It popped up as a place for the drug-using popu- lation maybe two or three months ago,” Anderson said. “It’s a bad scene.” Neighbors have also expressed concern, includ- ing members of the Vashon Methodist Church; the church’s playground is nearly directly across the road from the camp. “We’ve suspected drug use and drug dealing, and we’ve called the police when we’ve seen something suspi- cious,” said Rev. Kathryn Morse. “If the church is open, we’re happy for anyone to use our restrooms and for the church to be of service in the community,” she added. “But we also have a safe-sanctuary policy, which means people should feel safe here.” Advocates for the home- less, meanwhile, are quick to Big tides, mighty winds create a perfect storm By NATALIE JOHNSON Staff Writer Many on Vashon are famil- iar with king tides, those extreme high-water marks that occur during daylight hours a few times each winter. The extra-high water — caused when the moon and sun are in alignment — often turns heads as it puddles in water- front yards or creeps over low roads before retreating back into the Sound. But earlier this week, a king tide combined with high winds and low barometric pressure made for one of the most tem- pestuous mornings those on the waterfront can remember. As Monday morning’s predict- ed 13-foot tide rose even higher and was bolstered by strong winds, seawater bashed docks and bulkheads, closed roads and swept away boats and din- ghies all around Vashon. “I’m virtually sure this is a record height,” said Bruce Morser, a longtime Islander who bundled up and came out with a couple of friends Monday morning to survey Quartermaster Drive, which was inundated by 8 a.m. It’s hardly the first time the road has flooded, Islanders said, but it was one of the first times it was completely closed to traffic. As the waters rose, a green dinghy floated into the street and a sailboat that broke loose in the storm floated dangerously close to a waterfront home. Several emergency vehicles with lights flashing waited nearby, ready to respond should the situation worsen. Down the road, Kevin Pottinger, who lives near Portage, waded in rubber boots By LESLIE BROWN Staff Writer Whenever weather reports indicate a major storm is headed this way, Michael Cochrane says he sees a phe- nomenon that troubles him greatly — scores of Islanders flocking to stores to buy candles, batteries, canned food and other emergency supplies. That tells Cochrane, a leading fig- ure in Vashon’s emergency prepared- ness community, that many residents are not ready for what he believes is inevitable — a disaster that hits with- out warning. “How do I know we’re not pre- pared? Every time there’s portent of a big storm, people are buying supplies at the 11th hour and 59th minute,” Cochrane said. That lack of individual readiness, he added, “is our biggest area of vul- nerability.” It’s been a little more than a decade since Islanders interested in emer- gency preparedness embarked on a serious effort to ensure this relatively isolated, ferry-dependent community could take care of itself in a major disaster. And it’s been six years since the Island got a taste of how a weath- er-related disaster might play out on Vashon — the December 2006 wind- storm that brought down scores of trees, darkened the entire Island for days and left some Islanders without power for two weeks. Homeless camp near town prompts concern The weakest link in preparedness? You and me Leslie Brown/top and lower left photos; Natalie Johnson/lower right photo Top, Kevin Pottinger and his son Alec look at the high tide in front of their home on Quartermaster Drive. Left, the yard sur- rounding a house at Portage is inundated by water. Right, Sue Weston and John Montecucco survey damage at Sylvan Beach. King tides are garnering attention, causing damage SEE PREPAREDNESS, 19 SEE CAMP, 26 SEE KING TIDES, 17 Special Pull-Out Section How can we best prepare for a disaster? VashonBePrepared, Puget Sound Energy and Vashon Island Fire & Rescue offer several helpful tips. Pages 13 to 16
Transcript
BEACHCOMBERVASHON-MAURY ISLAND
75¢WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012 Vol. 57, No. 51 www.vashonbeachcomber.com
ADVOCATING FOR SENIORSVashon HouseHold expands
its services for the elderly. Page 5
By LESLIE BROWNStaff Writer
Local law officials and community leaders are expressing concern about a new camp that has sprung up in a vacant lot just south of Vashon town, where a handful of people are living in squalid conditions and in makeshift shelters.
Police have responded to the scene several times because of reports of illicit activities, said King County Sheriff ’s Dep. Joel Anderson, who works the evening shift on Vashon. He believes six to seven people are living there.
“It popped up as a place for the drug-using popu-lation maybe two or three months ago,” Anderson said. “It’s a bad scene.”
Neighbors have also expressed concern, includ-ing members of the Vashon Methodist Church; the church’s playground is nearly directly across the road from the camp.
“We’ve suspected drug use and drug dealing, and we’ve called the police when we’ve seen something suspi-cious,” said Rev. Kathryn Morse.
“If the church is open, we’re happy for anyone to use our restrooms and for the church to be of service in the community,” she added. “But we also have a safe-sanctuary policy, which means people should feel safe here.”
Advocates for the home-less, meanwhile, are quick to
Big tides, mighty winds create a perfect storm
By NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer
Many on Vashon are famil-iar with king tides, those extreme high-water marks that occur during daylight hours a few times each winter. The extra-high water — caused when the moon and sun are in alignment — often turns heads as it puddles in water-front yards or creeps over low roads before retreating back into the Sound.
But earlier this week, a king tide combined with high winds and low barometric pressure made for one of the most tem-pestuous mornings those on the waterfront can remember. As Monday morning’s predict-ed 13-foot tide rose even higher and was bolstered by strong winds, seawater bashed docks and bulkheads, closed roads and swept away boats and din-ghies all around Vashon.
“I’m virtually sure this is a record height,” said Bruce Morser, a longtime Islander who bundled up and came out with a couple of friends Monday morning to survey Quartermaster Drive, which was inundated by 8 a.m.
It’s hardly the first time the road has f looded, Islanders said, but it was one of the first times it was completely closed to traffic. As the waters rose, a green dinghy floated into the street and a sailboat that broke loose in the storm floated dangerously close to a waterfront home. Several emergency vehicles with lights flashing waited nearby, ready to respond should the situation worsen.
Down the road, Kevin Pottinger, who lives near Portage, waded in rubber boots
By LESLIE BROWNStaff Writer
Whenever weather reports indicate a major storm is headed this way, Michael Cochrane says he sees a phe-nomenon that troubles him greatly — scores of Islanders flocking to stores to buy candles, batteries, canned food and other emergency supplies.
That tells Cochrane, a leading fig-ure in Vashon’s emergency prepared-ness community, that many residents are not ready for what he believes is
inevitable — a disaster that hits with-out warning.
“How do I know we’re not pre-pared? Every time there’s portent of a big storm, people are buying supplies at the 11th hour and 59th minute,” Cochrane said.
That lack of individual readiness, he added, “is our biggest area of vul-nerability.”
It’s been a little more than a decade since Islanders interested in emer-gency preparedness embarked on a
serious effort to ensure this relatively isolated, ferry-dependent community could take care of itself in a major disaster. And it’s been six years since the Island got a taste of how a weath-er-related disaster might play out on Vashon — the December 2006 wind-storm that brought down scores of trees, darkened the entire Island for days and left some Islanders without power for two weeks.
Homeless camp near town prompts concern
The weakest link in preparedness? You and me
Leslie Brown/top and lower left photos; Natalie Johnson/lower right photo
Top, Kevin Pottinger and his son Alec look at the high tide in front of their home on Quartermaster Drive. Left, the yard sur-rounding a house at Portage is inundated by water. Right, Sue Weston and John Montecucco survey damage at Sylvan Beach.
King tides are garnering attention, causing damage
SEE PREPAREDNESS, 19 SEE CAMP, 26SEE KING TIDES, 17
Special Pull-Out Section How can we best prepare for a disaster? VashonBePrepared, Puget Sound Energy and Vashon Island Fire & Rescue offer several helpful tips.
Pages 13 to 16
Page 2 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM
JR Crawford 206/954-9959 Nancy Davidson 206/406-2952 Sophia Stendahl 206/992-4636
Deborah Teagardin 206/819-2700
Beth de Groen 206/463-9148 x206 Sue Carette 206/351-7772
Rose Edgecombe 206/930-3670
Dick Bianchi 206/714-3544Linda Bianchi 206/947-1763Heather Brynn 206/979-4192 Connie Cunningham 206/853-5517
The Beachcomber, in a story last week about Canlis’ decision to serve cof-fee from the Vashon Island
Coffee Roasterie, incorrectly stated the ownership of the roasterie. Eva DeLoach is the founder and owner; Jim Stewart is the roasterie’s coffee broker and works
as a mentor to DeLoach. And the Seattle restaurant chose a light roast with beans from Stewart’s wife’s Costa Rica estate, not from Stewart’s farm.
King County and the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust teamed up to put another 10 acres of property along Judd Creek into protected ownership, representatives from both entities said last week.
The purchase includes 400 feet of Judd Creek, Vashon’s largest stream and a source of habitat for spawning salmon. The prop-erty is also adjacent to other acreage the two entities recently protected and kitty-corner to more than 40 acres of protected land in Paradise Valley.
All told, said Tom Dean, executive direc-tor of the land trust, the county and the nonprofit have safeguarded nearly 90 acres as part of the Paradise Valley Preserve.
“This is Vashon’s big creek,” Dean said. “We’re trying to piece together a preserve that can sustain a salmon run.”
The property on 111th Avenue S.W. was owned for years by Peggy Anderson, who raised two children, as well as countless chickens, there. But the small 1944-era house is problematic, Dean said. The septic is broken, and the well drew water from the stream.
The modest home would likely would need to be rebuilt, but because of the configura-tion of the land and the house’s proximity to a salmon-bearing stream, permits would be nearly impossible to secure, he said.
What’s more, Dean said, restoration of the property will add considerably to Judd Creek’s health.
“Some of this work will have an immedi-ate impact,” he said.
Greg Rabourn, Vashon’s basin steward for King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks, concurred.
The purchase, he said, “gives us an oppor-tunity to do some real good here.”
The property was purchased for $272,000 by the land trust, which was then reim-bursed by the county when the county bought a conservation easement from the land trust. That approach — keeping the land trust as the owner but involving the county as both a funder and a partner — works well, both Dean and Rabourn said.
“It’s good for the land trust because it enables them to acquire a lot more land. It’s good for the county because the land trust is responsible for the management and the upkeep,” Rabourn said.
Dean said the house will be torn down and the property restored, eventually providing a spot where people can walk along the stream and possibly see salmon spawning.
“I’m really excited about this purchase,” he said.
— Leslie Brown
Greg Rabourn, Vashon Island’s basin steward, walked the property Monday, noting that the purchase along Judd Creek will provide another important opportunity for restoration.
Page 4 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM
…from these local Vashon businesses and Mr. Swift’s
4th period Art Class at Vashon High School!
By LESLIE BROWNStaff Writer
In the few weeks since she set up shop at J.G. Commons, Michele Kimble has been able to help one resident reduce the amount she pays for her cable ser-vice.
She’s filled out Medicare paperwork for another resident, helped an elder-ly woman craft a will and acted as a facilitator between two residents who were in a conflict.
“Some of the issues we take for granted can some-times overwhelm people,” she said.
Kimble provides support services, she added, so that the elderly residents of the 21-unit building owned by Vashon HouseHold can “age in place.”
“Growing old with dig-nity and respect and joy means more than having a roof over your head,” she said. “It means social support. It means feeling a sense of belonging and purpose.”
Vashon HouseHold hired Kimble in October as part of a new effort by the non-profit to provide “support-ive housing,” case manage-ment and advocacy that can help residents secure ser-vices and address a range of needs, said Chris Szala, its executive director.
Vashon HouseHold received a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) to hire Kimble, who works three days a week at J.G. Commons. Szala says he hopes the organiza-tion — the only provider of affordable and below-market rate housing on Vashon — can expand this kind of support work to the three other apartment buildings it owns, Eernisse, Charter House and Mukai Commons.
The organization is not straying from its core mis-sion by providing services, he said. Rather, he said, “We’re taking the notion of a community land trust to a new level.”
It’s good to hold land in perpetuity for affordable housing, he added. “But people on fixed incomes need more than that,” he said.
Indeed, Kimble’s role is endorsed by the other organizations that make up Vashon’s Social Services Network, said Diane Kjellberg, interim executive director at Vashon Youth & Family Services.
One of Kimble’s many tasks will be to look at all the services on the Island and begin to put together a resource guide that a wide range of clients and tenants could use, she said.
“I think she’s helping the entire Island,” Kjellberg added. “She’s not overlap-ping in services; she’s help-ing to coordinate services.”
Vashon’s handful of
agencies came together in 2008 to see where and how they could complement one another, Kjellberg said. “This is one more step in that process.”
For Kimble, an Islander since 2008, working with the elderly residents at J.G. Commons is both mean-ingful and enjoyable. A sea-soned social services pro-vider, she holds a master’s degree in counseling as well as a resume that includes a long list of jobs work-ing with tough, low-income populations — including homeless people and those
who are chronically men-tally ill.
“I’m thrilled to be here,” she said last week, in between meetings with residents. “The minute I arrived, I felt a sense of being welcomed.”
Residents at J.G. Com-mons, who range in age from 62 to 92, say they’re
also glad she’s there. In the lobby of the two-story structure, next to a Christmas tree bedecked with lights, Sue Knight, 76, and Lorraine Oliver, 90, said they’ve not yet needed to turn to Kimble.
“But she’s here if we need her,” Oliver said. “I have all my marbles, and I really
don’t need any help. But I’m sure the day’s coming.”
Knight agreed.“We had a really nice
long talk yesterday,” she said, looking up from her knitting and smiling at Kimble. “I don’t have any problems living here. But if I had a problem, I could go to her.”
Vashon HouseHold begins offering services, support to seniors
Michele Kimble shares a laugh with J.G. Common residents Sue Knight, center, and Lorraine Oliver.
Write to us: The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber welcomes community comment. Please submit letters — e-mail is preferred — by noon Friday for consideration in the following week’s paper. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Only one letter from a writer per month, please.
All letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and libel considerations. We try to print all letters but make no promises. Letters attacking individuals, as well as anonymous letters, will not be published.
Wet gravel scatters under our tires. In our headlights is an assortment of neatly sheared firs and pines displayed like rows of ancestral busts in the hallway of an Elizabethan manor. Webs of winking outdoor Christmas lights shroud the trees against a starry night, the strands gathered and stapled to a power pole, yellow extension cords snaking into the darkness.
The damp night air smells like Christmas trees, campfire and cigarette smoke and convenience-store fried chicken.
We’re greeted by a genial man in a heavy-equipment cap and Carharts, seated in a director’s chair under blazing work lights, warming himself in front of a spectacular fire built in an iron fire pit, gnawing on a drumstick.
Fluorescent light pours from a small window in a job shack behind him. A cord of split alder lies neatly stacked to one side of a metal staircase. An old black dog with bad hips waddles over to us, slobbering on us as we pet his curly wet head.
The kids fan out into rows of tall Douglas and noble firs and Norfolk pines, exultant whoops crystallized in trails of misty warm breath swirling behind them. They pull out several candi-date trees and call for our imme-diate inspection.
I peek at the price tag of a sleek, exotic and expensive-looking evergreen. My wife Maria and I share a glance. We palm-peek at more tags, working our way back to the rows of cheap, sturdy trees suitable for large families. We spin a handsome tree around a couple times and, satisfied, we follow our amiable host into the job shack.
We’re dazed by the jittering fluorescent lights and stuffy warmth of the job shack as Maria
writes the check, all six of us crowded around a tiny counter. The kids study a giant glass jar of cello-wrapped lol-lipops at close
range, making fun-house faces through the convex glass.
Another man materializes — shy black eyes under a yellow rain hood, carrying a small orange chain saw. Without a word he yanks the chain saw to life and saws an inch from the bottom of our tree. He and I wrestle it on top of the minivan, tying the tree to the luggage rack with twine, trussed up like a hunting trophy.
I push the tree through the front door, and while Maria holds the tree straight, I dad-crawl on my winter doughnut-belly to spend several tense minutes high-centered, tightening the thumb-screws in the flimsy metal stand.
The tree that looked perfectly right-sized in the lot now takes up half of the living room. It stands regal, dignified, a forest king, feral and mute, smelling of wet moss and dark nights, dropping pointy green needles all over the rug — a caged and wild thing in a house that’s only known comfort and warmth.
Maria queues up “White Christmas” and begins unwrap-ping strands of lights, her grand-mother’s Christmas ornaments, my grandmother’s Christmas ornaments, the ornaments the kids have chosen in years past and the weighty ancestral litany and webs of inheritance held in those delicate and ancient ornaments.
Maria loves Christmas, cher-ishing memories of extended family convening at the family farm, Christmas specials on TV, trimming her family’s artificial, screw-together prairie evergreen crowned with an achingly beauti-ful gold star, clear skies full of stars and moonlight glistening on fresh central-Illinois snow.
Several days later, we’re seated in a packed theater while drift-ing flakes of artificial snow glint in icy-blue stage light. We’re watching our children costumed in frilly pink tutus or red and black soldier hats dancing in the Blue Heron’s “Nutcracker Ballet,” bathed in the milky-sweet sounds of Tchaikovsky’s florid pipe-dream. After weeks of nightly rehearsals, we’re happy for show time at last, watching awkward girls and boys grow into graceful and poised young adults.
And every year on Christmas Eve, we stand in packed pews in the middle of a dark winter night with incense burning in our eyes and sleep-heavy hymnals in our hands, and the entire church, even the church often absent the rest of the year, drives out the darkness of winter singing “O Come All Ye Faithful,” singing as if each word matters, as if it matters to tell the stories once again, to remember the birth of a Jewish boy pro-claimed by some as the Messiah, and to bring those memories into the present once again.
Later that night, perhaps when the presents are wrapped, the stockings are full and the house is still and silent, on my way up the stairs I might turn back to look at the twinkling lights of the tree, casting a shimmering, peaceful glow. In that peace and silence, I remember Christmas.
— Kevin Pottinger and his family live on Vashon.
EDITORIAL
Five months ago, an editorial about the mass shooting in Aurora, Colo., appeared on these pages. We noted the mad-ness of a legal system that allowed a young man to purchase 6,000 rounds of ammunition by mail order, that the United States is first in the world, followed by Yemen, in our per cap-ita ownership of guns and, most noteworthy, the seeming lack of a collective sense of outrage over this sorry state of affairs.
We’ve now had another mass shooting, a repeat — though far more tragic — of the rampage in Colorado. This time,
however, one thing feels different. This time, there is a nationwide sense of outrage.
During an interfaith gathering in Newtown, Conn., Pres. Obama all but uttered the words “gun
control,” saying instead that it’s time for meaningful action. The National Rifle Association has been shamed, at least temporarily, into silence. A handful of pro-gun lawmakers are changing their tune. And protesters are taking to the street, laying blame where it belongs, with an NRA-backed gun lobby that has a $300 million war chest and, as the New York Times wrote Monday, a “virtually unmatched ferocity in advancing its political and legislative interests.”
As Slate’s David Weigel reports, the NRA trots out nearly the same line after each and every tragedy: Now’s not the time to broach policy; now is the time to let families and communities grieve.
The NRA is wrong. Now is the time to talk policy. Now is the time for action.
In the last few days, some of us at The Beachcomber have been struck by the similarities between Newtown and our own community. Theirs, like ours, is a tight-knit place. Many of the people who live in Newtown consciously chose it as their home, drawn to the small town because of its schools, its sense of community, its more relaxed pace. Like us, they hold community celebrations marking Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Everyone seems to know each other.
The chances are slim. But let’s not forget for one second that Newtown could have been Vashon. Here, too, there’s a culture of gun-ownership. Here, too, there’s little support and few services for the mentally ill, for those who are living on the edge. Here, too, this is a debate that matters.
What can we do? Write our lawmakers. Stand up to the NRA. Support those organizations fighting for gun control. Confront gun ownership in our own backyard.
If we care about our children, we’ll do all that we can to stop this madness. The time to act is now. The time for excuses is over.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
It’s time to confront a gun lobby that’s out of control
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Each year, Christmas comes in the quietFAMILY LIFEBy KEVIN POTTINGER
Sandy Hook tragedy
As the horrendous news of Sandy Hook Elementary unfolded and tales of heroism and sacrifice were told, I took time to reflect on our teachers and administra-tors here on Vashon.
Having had children in the district for 15 years
(with four-and-a-half remaining), I realized how often I take for granted the dedication of the people who spend enormous amounts of time with my kids. I have seen firsthand the compassion, patience and skill in which they have managed every issue large and small — from hurt feelings, struggles with math concepts, preparation for graduation and even, sadly,
the loss of a fellow student or loved one. Although I try to acknowledge my support and appreciation as often as I can, this par-ticular tragedy reminded me of the service our teachers are giving and the sacrifices they are willing to make for their students.
So, thank you, teachers, administrators and staff of Vashon Island School District. Thank you for guiding our children each day and helping to chap-erone them safely into adulthood with care, com-petence and kindness.
— Sue Stinson
Peace begins with each one of us
The mass shootings in the last week have horrified me again. It’s not enough to ask why we allow automatic weapons to be sold or other legitimate issues about gun control. We have an epi-demic of gun deaths, but the issue goes deeper. Our cul-ture is steeped in violence.
As a lifelong educator, I’ve been in school lock-downs with the threat of armed intruders and an evacuation while robots looked for explosives. I’ve been trained in school safety programs and taught by police officers how to run from a shooter. Chilling protocols I never imagined signing on for as an educator. The violence in Connecticut shows that no plan can protect school children and staff with our current mindset.
Our culture of violence permeates every layer of our lives. Each of us can exam-ine how we contribute to it. Do you settle a conflict through intimidation or the threat of physical violence?
If you consider yourself a peaceful person, how much of your entertainment involves violence? Gun violence rocked our com-munity just a few months ago. How many households have since altered their gun ownership or gun storage? As one of my teachers said, “What you think on, you will become.”
At a national level, we are engaged in endless wars and feel justified to send drones to kill any-where our so-called ene-mies may hide. Our killing machines have many civil-ian casualties, including children as tender as those who died in Connecticut.
True peace begins within us, lived out in our families, community and our national course. As we await the Prince of Peace in this Advent season, we must set our sights on a new path. We will need to be resolute, standing together to change our society so a child can grow up safely. Being armed to the teeth is no security.
— Julia Lakey
Finding Faith seriesBe mindful of facts
The recent flurry of let-ters regarding the Finding Faith series reminded me of some words spoken by Pres. Kennedy. “The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie — deliberate, contrived, and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. … We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the dis-comfort of thought.”
The idea that the Christian majority in a place like Uganda is inspired by hate-filled reli-
giosity to harass, imprison and murder homosexu-als is absurd. The largest group of Christians in Uganda is Catholic, and their church has unfalter-ingly defended the dignity of homosexuals through statements like, “It is deplorable that homo-sexual persons have been and are the object of vio-lent malice in speech or in action… The intrinsic dig-nity of each person must always be respected in word, in action and in law” (Pope Benedict XVI).
It is forgivable that some-one would believe the “hate myth,” however, as there are many people who haplessly perpetuate it by failing to explore opinions that differ from their own and easily accept the most superficial interpretations available to them. Perhaps this is what one of the letter writers was referring to when she shared her hope that the Finding Faith series would go fur-ther and ask, “How did your church come to form that teaching or belief?”
I am hopeful that the seemingly shallow under-standing of the opposition to Referendum 74 that I’ve seen in the editorial section of this newspaper is actually an indication that if people really made an effort to understand one another, they would find our community is less polarized than they thought. After all, in a state where “Christians” account for 70 percent of the popu-lation, some Christians had to support Ref. 74 in order for it to pass with 53.7 percent of the vote, and certainly not all of the ref-erendum’s opponents had religious objections.
— Kelly Daly
Morningside campThe full picture needs to be clear
In 2003, my husband and I gave conditional support to the idea of a small summer camp on the Morningside property. Our concern then, as with the 2012 proposal, is primar-ily the impact on drinking water quality and supply for neighboring water systems.
However, with the cur-rent proposal, I am also concerned about the con-taminated soils and the eventual size of the camp. We aren’t getting the full picture to review.
There is not a detailed plan for the soil work. The general idea is to test, till, scrape, move and contain yards of arsenic-laden soils. Will the dirty dirt be hauled off-Island, con-tained on site in a capped pit with no liner or placed in a containment cell with a liner? We don’t know yet.
I’d like to see the dust control plan, especially considering the Tahlequah winds. What is the source of water to keep the dust
down? What is the plan for replacing the soil, replant-ing and the source of water for irrigating plant starts?
King County and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency have regulatory authority over the con-taminated soils project and airborne particulate. They should be asking the two proponents — the devel-oper and the Department of Ecology — to provide detailed plans for the proj-ect’s proposed “voluntary compliance program.”
There is also no clarity about the scale of the camp project. Is King County reviewing plans for a small or large summer camp? The Morningside plan available for review is for 230 campers and is titled “Phase 1.” However, some documents show develop-ment plans for “Phase 2” and “Phase 3.”
There is not a demon-strated source of water for any expansion beyond Phase 1. King County should be very clear in any determinations or deci-sions that there won’t be a Phase 2 or Phase 3.
Let’s see the whole pic-ture before we’re asked to
comment or spend money hiring experts for an appeal.
— Julie Burman
Year-end givingRemember Vashon schools
It’s that time of year again, when we get out our checkbooks to make year-end donations to our favor-ite causes. This year, please include Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation on your list of charities.
For the past three years, Islanders have shown tre-mendous generosity, giving close to $500,000 annually to bridge the gap between what the state pays our dis-trict and what it actually costs to run our schools.
This culture of giving allows us to continue offer-ing a wide range of core classes and electives, and it helps keep the teacher-student ratio at a reason-able level. Your support makes all the difference in maintaining great schools for a great community.
— Anne AtwellVashon Island Public Schools Foundation
Page 7
Amiad & Associates Exclusively Representing Buyers of Vashon Island Homes
206-463-4060 or 1-800-209-4168
We were putting up Christmas lights on our house and part of the wood gutter just disintegrated in my husband’s hands. He almost fell off the ladder! I’m thinking the sellers should have
been responsible for repairing the gutters. Don’t you agree?
I looked back at the home inspection you did when you bought the house a year ago. The inspector did make a note that the gutters should be replaced. Wood gutters are generally found only on very old houses so it’s no surprise that they have rotted. However, if you
recall, you chose to take a reduction in the price instead of asking the sellers to do any repairs. Those funds were, presumably, for you to do the repairs later on.
Since you didn’t replace the gutters right away, they have continued to rot. I would recommend getting them replaced as soon as possible. Rotted or poorly fi tting gutters can cause roof leaking and even water damage inside the house. Not having the water channeled properly off the roof can cause fl ooding in crawl spaces and basements.
Fortunately, new gutters are not very expensive. If properly installed, gutters can save you thousands of dollars in home repairs and even some really major damage. They are well worth the investment. Since snow dams can accumulate this time of year, it’s extra important to have clean, properly installed gutters and downspouts.
It’s often true that large problems can be averted by taking care of the smallest things. A tiny washer that’s worn out in a faucet can cause a slow leak that, over time, rots out the fl oor. The washer will cost under a dollar but tearing up and replacing the fl oor can cost thousands of dollars. It’s always wise to take the time to check out the systems of your home, especially before winter.
Because it’s December, I and my staff would also like to wish you and all of our fabulous community a wonderful holiday season. No matter if you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, Solstice, Kwanzaa, or any other winter holiday, let’s all think peace!
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Our family has benefited hugely from the programs at VYFS and Playspace over this last year and half. From counseling and guidance to baby group and play groups, we've been able to round out our family life and values through the well organized, compassionate, brilliant team that runs the programs we participate in. The Baby Group was so influential and helpful in the early months, the comradery and guidance pulled us through some of the toughest times. Currently, the Incredible Years parenting class improves our family relationship with each passing week and gives us the skills to interact with our son in the most beneficial way possible. Participation in these programs and others within VYFS have helped, and will continue to help us be the parents, partners and individuals we strive to be. -Jordan Beck
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Page 8 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM
Winterfest
Th e holiday season on Vashon is one of fun, tradition and joyous community involvement. Th is was never as apparent as it was this year when many last minute factors tried to humbug our plans. We are grateful for the quick response of the many volunteers who stepped forward when Vashon needed some extra elf power! By the day of the Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony downtown businesses were decked with garland, Th e Candy Canes were hung along the Highway with care and Gingerbread Houses sprung up at local shops. When the Holiday Parade made it to the Village Green for songs and the tree lighting ceremony even the rain held out! All in all it was a magical night.
Please join us in thanking everyone who contributed to making WinterFest 2012 special.
Th anks to the garland hangers who braved the wind and showers to beautify the town – Tom Langland (who coordinates the event each year); John L. Scott Vashon (for the use of their truck), Doug and Kathy Snyder; Jim Kelly; Dave and Myra Willingham; Mike Stroble; Alicia Cronin; Molly Hassain; Karen Bargelt; Paul Bulson; Nancy Katica; Shawn Hoff man; Gib Dammann; Andrew Davis; Melissa Schafer; Royce Wall; Bill Brown; Rick Brown (and family); Angela Luechtefeld (and family); George and Kim Brown; Greg, Beth, Eli and Ethan Sedgemore; Scott and Tanner Stinson.
…and the Chili makers who helped feed the hungry hangers - Heather Corinna, Mark Price, Royce Wall and Melissa Schafer.
Th anks to those who helped hang our Vashon candy canes – Doug Snyder, the Fraternal Order of Eagles; Mike Weed and…mostly…our secret elves!
And to those who made our Winterfest Weekend Tree Lighting and parade musical and festive – Th e Vashon Merchants Association; Bettie Edwards (Vashon’s favorite elf, who supplies magical twinkle rings, helps with Santa’s cot-tage and brings her heart to WinterFest); Doug Snyder at Vashon True Value for fi xing the tree’s star, making sure Santa’s sleigh had plenty of “bling”, helping with last minute tenting of the stage and almost anything else he is asked to do!; Tree climber and light hangers Randy Tonkin and Andy Johnson; Tree light helpers from the Latter-Day Saints Boy Scout Troop; Vashon Island Fire and Rescue for use of the ladder truck; Earl Van Buskirk and Island Home Center and Lumber for the genie lift; Bonnie Lynch for fi xing the star for the top of Santa’s cottage; Blooms and Th ings for helping with Vashon Village decorating; Schafer Spe-cialty Landscaping for weeding and pruning the beds in Village Green; Shawn Hoff man for allowing us to stage the parade in the Vashon Market parking lot; the Yates family for making Santa’s cottage a welcoming place for Santa and the kids; Angie Kelly for helping to ensure that the letters to Santa fi nd their way to him; the participants in the parade (Linda Kozak and Cheerio, Ken Quehrn and the Vashon High School band, Ron Hill for pulling Santa’s sleigh, Michael Bous-ka for his festive fi re truck; Th e Vashon-Maury Cooperative Preschool, Drama Dock, Vashon Allied Arts, Bike Vashon, Island Dance Th eatre and Dasher); the 3rd grade students and teachers from Chautauqua Elementary School for their songs; Loren Sinner for use of stage; Dennis Didricksen for helping with the tent and lighting over the stage; Janet Welt for help with crowd control; John Hemmer, the Vashon Explorer’s and Jim Didricksen for helping to keep the roads closed and safe; Pamn Aspiri, Mike Masi and Nancy Carr for their help with the “secret surprise”; and fi nally….thanks to Gretchen the elf for announcing and Mr. and Ms. Claus for making the night magical for kids and adults alike!
We also want to thank Puget Sound Energy and Nimarata Gill at Comcast Business Class for their generous sponsorships.
If you know anyone we missed let us know via our Facebook page, we want to thank everyone!
Th e staff and members of the Vashon-Maury Island Chamber of Commerce wish you all a wonderful holiday season and thank you for supporting the local businesses that make these community events special.
W
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We wish everyone a prosperous and healthy New Year!
Friday, Jan 4th
Please have your insurance information when you call and bring a picture ID and Insurance/Medicare/Medicaid cards to the appointment. Thank you for partnering with us in the fight against breast cancer.
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Islanders, prepare for the final daysBy KEVIN JOYCEFor The Beachcomber
I’m on the plane ride home from visiting my folks, and it’s exactly two weeks before Dec. 21, 2012, the total end of the world. Yes, here, too.
The guy in 7E has been shot-gunning zombies at close range for the last 40 min-utes, breathing hard, his device 12 inches from my face. I’ve never actually seen somebody do this; clearly, I’m hanging with the wrong Vashon crowd.
Maybe he’s part of the “vidiot” masses, or maybe he’s preparing for the “Zombie Apocalypse,” one of the many versions of the 2012 cataclysm. How does this end-of-the-world thing show up on Vashon? A Google search for “2012 Armageddon Vashon” has, and I’m not kidding, 904,000 results: Obviously, people are thinking about this.
It is my contention that Island women are far more prepared. Sexist? Perhaps. But look at the rash of announced retirements by women community leaders from the Vashon equivalent of public office. I refer, of course, to Susan Hanson at Vashon High School and Bettie Edwards from The Little House.
We’ll miss them both terribly; they must know that. But clearly, their need to prepare for the Vashon Apocalypse super-sedes civic duty, and they can both be found at home, stocking up on beans and shuttering their houses from the zombies.
Many other Vashon women are appar-ently part of an all-female, underground organization engaged in Island-wide Apocalypse readiness, almost like a shadow government. I mean, if we had a government, it would be its shadow.
They’re called the Vashon Intelligence Keepers In a Nearly Gone Society, or VIKINGS, which speaks volumes about their power.
One member from Wax Orchard Road claims to have been abducted by either aliens from the planet Niburu or Californians. They transmitted ancient wisdom and revealed that they placed the original “Bike in the Tree” 1,600 years ago, which, of course, eventually gave rise to modern Vashon culture. I know, right?
Another member is creating gluten-free cookies with now-legal ingredients, designed specifically to calm community concerns about the endless removing and
replacing of the exercise machines from across from the Portage Store, which many Islanders have regarded as an ominous sign.
Vashon men, not to be outdone by the Island’s relentlessly over-achieving finer sex, have created their own Apocalyptic support group, albeit with a certain inferi-ority complex: SHOVEL, Scared Husbands of Vashon’s Enlightened Ladies.
They speak of the weird pig-dog animal that has been sighted on Vashon — the Beast, they call it. One man claims to have chased and tackled it, only to be imme-diately apprehended by a plainclothes member of VAPPO, Vashon Association of Pathological Pet Owners (not to be con-fused with VIPP, whom we love), which is trying to save and study the weird Beast.
A retired Air Force colonel from Gold Beach presented an End of Days theory, which posits that Vashon is actually on a collision course with Bainbridge Island, and that on 12/21/12, Islanders will be forced to chose between two fundamen-tally opposed worlds.
There’s a dizzying array of approaches to the 2012 phenomena here on the Rock. How do we come together to address the impending day of reckoning?
The only choice, it seems to me, is to find common ground and to attack togeth-er whatever we all agree is the greatest oth-erworldly threat to our way of life.
I would like to suggest the new Rapid Ride bus stop at Fauntleroy and California, where evil zombie bus drivers, occupying the ONE lane of traffic, hold up scores of swearing, gesticulating ferry-rushers to let off one absurdly slow old lady. It’s part of a fiendish campaign to ruin our lives and cause widespread panic.
But it won’t work. These are the good times! Local solutions to the Apocalypse are being created even as I write: new efforts at effective governance, park dis-trict budget forensics, that cool state-of-the-art cook stove, the huge indoor play space, a massive collective organic farm and a fleet of 200 ride share electric cars soon to be unveiled on Vashon.
OK, that last part is, as of yet, just a pos-sibility. But if any place can do it, Vashon can. We’re the perfect, world-rocking petri dish for imagination, innovation and col-laboration. Zombies — bring it!
— Kevin Joyce is an Island humorist.
Page 9
Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust Tree Sale: The land trust is selling a variety of native trees and shrubs. All plants are bare-root stock. All orders must be placed by Jan. 18. For more information, see www.vashonlandtrust.org or call the land trust at 463-2644. Purchased items can be picked up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Satur-day, Feb. 2.
Tai Chi: John Hanna and Deena Eber teach the gentle Chinese exercise technique. 1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays at the Vashon Senior Center.
The Fiscal Cliff and Donations: Ted Kutscher, Vashon resident and Seattle tax attorney, will discuss this issue and others at a discussion called, “Cliff Notes on Charitable Giving: Implications of Potential Tax Code Changes for Donors and Nonprofits.” Vashon Allied Arts is sponsoring the event. 7 p.m. at the Land Trust Building.
Chamber Membership Mixer: This will be a casual open house to meet and mingle and also to wish Bettie Edwards and The Little House goodbye and to thank her for all the years of magic. 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Little House.
The Grinch Takes a Wholiday: Islander Steffon Moody will pres-ent his spin on the Grinch and his Christmas woes. A $5 donation is suggested. 7:30 p.m. at the Vashon Theatre. (For more information, see page 11.)
Senior Center Holiday Party: Wear your best ugly holiday sweater and take home a prize. There will be lunch and musical entertainment. 11:30 a.m. at the Vashon Senior Center.
The Nutcracker: Dancers from Island Dance Theatre will perform excerpts of “The Nutcracker” in three shows over the weekend, opening at 7 p.m. at Ober Park. (For more information, see page 11.)Teen Movie Night: Teens 13 to 18 are invited to a see a free movie, munch on popcorn and maybe win a door prize. 7 p.m. at the Vashon Library.
Solstice Celebration: The event, called The Beginning, will include a dessert buffet and roving enter-tainers from on and off the Island. 8 p.m. at the Open Space for Arts & Community. (For more information, see page 10.)It’s a Wonderful Life: Drama Dock will stage this holiday classic. The show will run from Dec. 21 to 30 at the Blue Heron. (For more information, see page 10.)
Adopt-a-Cat Day: Adopt a feline friend for Christmas. Vashon Island Pet Protectors hosts a cat adoption day each week at its cat house. See www.vipp.org for more informa-tion. 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 12200 S.W. 243rd. Street.
Unitarian Fellowship: Raven steals the light, we celebrate the solstice, and everyone eats the goodies. There will be a mini-service to celebrate the season followed by a finger-food potluck feast and Christmas cookie ex-change. 9:30 a.m. at Lewis Hall behind Burton Community Church.
Santa at Nirvana: Santa Claus will make a special visit to Nirvana restaurant. Kids of all ages, from babes in arms to senior citizens, are invited to enjoy the festivities, including free photos with Santa, special treats, holiday songs and more. For more information about the event and the restaurant, see www.nirvanavashon.com. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nirvana.
Molly’s Revenge Celtic Christmas: The concert will fea-ture the band’s mix of bagpipes, fiddles, whistles and other tradi-tional instruments, playing Christ-mas music with a Celtic twist. 3:30 p.m. at Bethel Church. (For more information, see page 11.)Open Recovery Room at Ho-listic Approaches to Recovery Treatment (HART): HART will open up its Adult Recovery Sup-port Group to welcome anyone interested in a recovery-based lifestyle, managing substances, eating disorders, codependency, gambling, sex and relationship ad-dictions, etc. There will be snacks and opportunities to learn about finding serenity within the stress
of the holidays. The evening is free and provides an way to check out the treatment center, a tenet of which is that recovery depends on the constant maintenance of new attitudes and responses to life. For more information, contact Mari-anne Rose at 463-5511, ext. 232 or email [email protected]. 5 to 7 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 24 and Jan. 31.
Morning of Silence: Come and go throughout the morning. Read, meditate, drink tea and decom-press. 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Dec. 26, and Tuesday, Jan. 1, at Puget Sound Zen Center, 20406 Chautauqua Beach Rd.
Vashon Park District Facilities Closed: All classes in Ober Park and events booked in Vashon Commons will be cancelled Dec. 26 through 28. All parks and Com-mons facilities will be closed to booked events and gates closed for ad hoc usage. Facilities will re-open and programming resume on Dec. 29.
Benefit Concert: Kat Eggleston and Kate McLeod will offer a ben-efit concert to the Vashon Commu-nity Food Bank. The concert will be free; donations of canned goods and money will be accepted. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29, at Bethel Church, 14736 S.W. Bethel Lane.
Labyrinth Walk for Peace: A burning bowl will be at the center of the labyrinth for those wish-ing to mark the passage of the year, Contact Betty Hawkins for more information at 463-5062. 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31, at the north end of the grounds of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, 15420 Vashon Hwy. S.W.
Shakespeare: Starting in January Vashon Shakespeare Festival will offer Shakespeare Studies and Production for kids ages 7 to 17. Classes, forming now, will be held one afternoon a week for one and a half hours. Kids will learn about Shakespeare’s times and texts and put on an edited version of one of his plays. For more informa-tion, contact Aimée van Roekel at [email protected] or (415) 713-5520.
TQI Diet: Kathy Abascal will teach her popular anti-inflammatory,
diet class. Participants will learn why some foods quiet inflam-mation while others increase it. Register online at tqidiet.com. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays, Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28 and Feb. 11, at the Sheffield Building, 18850 103rd Ave. S.W.
Coping Skills Group: Vashon Youth & Family Services will offer this group based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for people
having trouble regulating painful emotions such as anger, fear, and shame. Participants will learn mindfulness skills and tools to help. The cost of the eight-week session is $200 with a discount for upfront payment and sliding scale available. Contact Ruthanne Rhoads at 463-5511, ext. 615, for more information. 5:30 to 7:20 p.m. beginning Tuesday, Jan. 8, at the Methodist Church.
Vashon’s Audubon group will host the annual Christmas Bird Count again this year. This count, sponsored by the National Audubon Society, is the longest-running citizen science wild-life survey in the world, with people counting birds between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, from the Arctic to the Andes. On Vashon, volunteers are needed on Sunday, Dec. 30. Those who would like to join a roving team and spend the day in the field or simply count birds at their feeders should contact Sue Trevathan at [email protected]. There is no charge to participate.Vashon volunteers may even spot a snowy owl, pictured above. While these birds typically live in the far north, they have been spotted recently in Washington, including in Seattle and many other locations in the lower 48. On Vashon, local bird experts say the best places to see one of the striking birds might be KVI or Point Robinson.
CALENDARVashon-Maury
Deadline is noon Thursday for Wednesday publication. The calendar is intended for commu-nity activities, cultural events and nonprofit groups; notices are free and printed as space permits.
The Beachcomber also has a user-generated online calendar. To post an event there, see www.VashonBeachcomber.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the prompts.
Plays through Jan. 3
7:30 p.m. Dec. 20.
1 p.m. Dec. 22. Free.
Breaking Dawn, Part 2 and Lincoln.
Voice of Vashon TV is Comcast station 21. For a full schedule, see www.voiceofvashon.org.
: 10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thurs-day and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
: Noon Saturday and Sunday; 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 10 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday. By the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, this program explains the problems and impacts that aquatic invasive species Quagga and Zebra mussels pose on our local, regional and national ecology, and how boaters can play a major role in preventing these devastating effects.
For a list of Christmas church services, see page 24.
Orthodox Christmas Day is Jan. 7, and the All Merciful Saviour Or-thodox Monastery in Dockton will celebrate accordingly.
Introduce yourself, tell us about you, or your event
or organization. Call Matthew or Daralyn
for ad rates & sizes.463-9195
Ad Deadline: Jan. 3, 2013Publishes: January 16, 2013
Friday, December 21st, 11:00amThe Green Ginger Restaurant
Regular Rotary meetings will resume after the holidays.email: [email protected]
Service above Self Since 1985 www.vashonbeachcomber.com
Give Your Child The Opportunity To Be A Better Student!
(Even if he’s a good student now!)
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Light up the nightPage 10 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM
ARTS&LEISUREVashon-Maury MUSICIANS HELP OUT: A fundraiser and concer t for the Vashon Maur y Community
Food Bank, featur ing Kat Eggleston, Kate MacLeod and special guest Joe Jencks, will take place at 7:30 p.m . Saturday, Dec. 29, at Bethel Church. The concer t is free, but gifts of non-per ishable food and monetar y donation are encouraged.
By ELIZABETH SHEPHERDArts Editor
Islanders who have been watching the ancient Mayan calendar wind down and shivering in anticipation that it might
mean the end of the world won’t want to miss a big event coming up on Friday.
That day marks the winter solstice — the short-est day and longest night of the year — and the very last day on that Mayan calendar that’s currently all the rage with the doomsday crowd.
To mark the occasion, a fear-less group of Islanders is stag-ing “The Beginning,” an artful happening that is equal parts raucous celebration, circus-style show and interactive ritual — as well as a tongue-in-cheek rebuke to the idea that the apocalypse is near.
“We thought it would be great to take advantage of this moment as a turning point, rather than an Armageddon,” said Kevin Joyce, who with his wife Martha Enson has recruited more than a dozen performers to appear in the show.
“We’re turning it on its head and calling it ‘The Beginning.’ It’s about our ability as an Island to imagine for ourselves and the world a new path.”
Joyce promised the event would take a light-hearted approach to a serious subject: how to move forward in a world beset by climate change, war, gun violence and other problems.
“It’s not going to be grandiose,” he said. “We’re making fun of fearful predictions and celebrating our creativity and our community.”
The evening’s lineup will include world music
from the Vashon band Avaaza, South American sounds from Correo Aereo, original music and movement from Lelavision and Cirque du Soleil veterans Flor de Tiel, stories from master mythol-ogist Michael Meade and other offerings from UMO alumni Steffon and Arlette Moody, Martha Enson, Esther Edelman, Lynelle Sjoberg, David Godsey and Janet McAlpin. The Threshold Choir, a hospice choir, will also perform, and everyone who attends will be able to join in a closing kirtan (a devotional song done in a call and response style) led by Joe Panzetta.
There will also be chances for show-goers to warm their hands by an outdoor bonfire and come back inside to indulge in a potluck-style dessert bar laden with all sorts of sugary, deca-dent treats. Those who are so inclined will also be
able to help create a large-scale altar in celebration of the solstice and the community’s collective dreams for the future.
The evening is for all ages, Joyce said, adding that he’s encouraging attendees to come in fanciful cos-tumes. Several young people, he said, are planning to come in colorful manga attire, inspired by characters in Japanese animated films and comic books.
For Joyce and Enson, who run a production company called En-Joy
Productions that stages special events for busi-nesses and non-profit clients, “The Beginning” is a chance to give back to the community they love.
“We’ve never had the time to create an event for the Island, and we both love the solstice,” said Joyce. “This one has had such a hilarious buildup, it seemed a great chance to create something that combines a celebration, great performances and a low-key, user-friendly ritual for the community.”
“The Beginning,” an alcohol-free, all-ages event described as a party/performance/ritual, will take place at 8 p.m. Friday at Open Space for Arts & Community. Tickets, $10, are on sale at www.brownpapertickets.com.
The duo Flor de Tiel is part of the large cast in “The Beginning.”
For many, it’s a holiday tradition — to gather the family in front of the tube and fall into the flickering, black-and-white magic spell that is Frank Capra’s great American film, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
The 1946 movie starring Jimmy Stewart tells the story of George Bailey, a kind-hearted businessman caught in a spiral of disillusionment and debt until he is saved by a bum-bling, elderly angel who helps him realize the difference he has made in the world.
It’s a tale that been made even more potent by the recent recession, and now Islanders can treat themselves to a staged version of the story, when Drama Dock presents a reader’s the-ater radio version of the film, opening this weekend at the Blue Heron Arts Center.
The play will unfold as actors gather around microphones to enact the scenes. They’ll be dressed in period garb, and sound effects will help bring the story to life. Original music by noted Island composer Jason Staczek will add to the proceedings.
Director Elise Morrill has assembled a cast of veteran Island thespians to play the iconic roles.
Toby Nichols has been tapped to take on the role of George, and Jill Bulow will fill the role of his wife Mary. Younger versions of George and Mary will be played by Max Lopuszynski and Maya Krah. Spreading their wings in the roles of the angels will be Lois Watkins and Greg Ericksen. Gordon Millar will play Henry Potter, the mill owner, banker and slumlord whose character is the antithesis of George — he’s a man
whose greedy ways bring misery to everyone he meets.
Of course, those who love the film know that it has a happy ending, and according to the show’s producer, Elizabeth Ripley, audiences can expect a charming evening, filled with a beautiful message.
“It’s a celebration of the value of each and every one of us in our com-munity,” she said.
— Elizabeth Shepherd
Toby Nichols and Jill Bulow rehearse “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” will be per-formed at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21, 22, 26, 27 and 28 and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 23 and 30. All shows are at the Blue Heron. Tickets, $7.50 to $20, are on sale at the Blue Heron, the Vashon Bookshop and online at www.vashon alliedarts.org.
Local stars come out to shine in an all-ages celebration of the solstice at the Open Space for Arts & Community
Page 11
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Ho, Ho, Ho, Hmmmmmmmmmm?Well, it’s the holiday season. Time for warmth, cheer and gift
anxiety. What to get for your Sister who has everything? Or the grandkids. Toys or a new smart phone? How about your wife? Nothing with a power cord is my advice.
You face the same dilemma when choosing a contractor to work on your home. Are they reputable? Are they someone you can work with? Will they share your vision or just put in eight hour days until the job is done and the last check cashed? Below are my Top Three things to look for in the person you are going to hire to work on your biggest asset, your home.
1. The vision thing: I know that the first thing you will hear when getting advice on whom to choose is to look for their license and bond. Important, but not the first thing on my list. Make sure that your builder shares your vision. Anyone can look at a set of prints and build what is on the piece of paper, but not everyone will understand what those lines mean to you. Make sure your contractor understands why the project is impor-tant to you and what you want to get out of it.
2. Experience: Not just how long they have been in business, but how many projects they have done that are like yours. There are no two jobs that are exactly the same, but many share common attributes. Style, logis-tics, complexity, and size all come to mind but I am sure there are many more you can come up with. Check to see if your first choice for the job has lots of experience with projects like yours.
3. Honesty: By this I don’t mean will they take your deposit check and head for the South Pacific. I mean will they look you right in the eye and give you the straight scoop. Like your budget is too small for what you want to accomplish. Or your plans will never get by the building depart-ment the way they are written. Will they tell you about their past mistakes and what they did to fix them? If not, look elsewhere for your contractor.
Have a great Holiday and a safe and prosperous New Year. And, by the way, make sure your builder is licensed and bonded. You’ll be glad you did. Bob
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An annual show based on the Dr. Seuss classic will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Vashon Theatre. “The Grinch Takes a Wholiday” stars Island performer Steffon Moody in what has become a yearly opportunity for the actor to don an elaborate Grinch costume and deliver his own comic spin on the beloved character. This year, Moody will be joined on stage by his wife Arlette and daughter Louisa, who will revive their roles as Grinchettes. His son Giacomo Moody will play the role of Grinch, Jr. The Grinch’s dog, Max, will be represented by a giant Zambini Brothers’ puppet, performed by Crystal Culp. Together, the group will tell the story of what happens when the Grinch decides to leave “VashWhoville” and vaca-tion in a place that has never heard of Christmas. Song, dance, a reading of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and lots of other antics are in store. Tickets are $5. Note to parents: Moody’s Grinch costume might scare sensitive young children.
Posse Impossible, a band that blends funk, rock and hip hop, will play a free show at 9 p.m. Friday at Red Bicycle Bistro. Band members include vocalists
Simon Hathaway-Spurlock and Kelsey Bernheisel and trombonist Stuart Hambley. Erik Reimnitz will open. The show is for all ages until 11 p.m.
More than two dozen performers affiliated with Island Dance Theatre will perform excerpts of “The Nutcracker” ballet at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Ober Park’s performance space. Tickets, $5, will be sold at the door. This location and dates replace a longer run at Vashon High School that was previously announced by the group.
Molly’s Revenge and special guest vocalist Christa Burch will perform a Celtic Christmas Celebration at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Bethel Church. The concert will feature the well-known band’s mix of bagpipes, fiddles, whistles and other traditional instruments performing lively traditional jigs and reels. The Murray Irish Dancers will add to the infectious mix. Both the band and Burch have garnered rave reviews over the years. The Irish-American News called Burch “a full-voiced confident woman at the height of her powers.” Tickets, $18/advance and $20/door, are on sale at the church and www.mollysrevenge.com.
Did you know?There is a whiter smile diet? Teeth darken over time due to pigments
in the foods we eat. These pigments stay in the porosities of the teeth and absorb light causing teeth to appear darker. Teeth bleaching agents work by breaking down the chemical structure of these pigments which prevents them from absorbing light. Most whitening toothpastes have a stronger abrasive agent to physically remove the pigments but can also cause erosion of tooth structure. The pigments in cigarette and cigar smoke, colas, red wine, coffee and black tea seem to be the main culprits. Brushing soon after eating these foods can help by removing the pigments before they are deeply absorbed into the teeth.
Tooth TalkTips for maintaining a healthy smile
with Dr. Langland& Dr. Maki
Vashon Island Dental(206) 463-9282
www.VashonIslandDental.com
Dr. Langland Dr. Maki
Physical Address: 17425 Vashon Hwy SW
Mailing Address: PO Box 673, Vashon Island WA 98070
HOUSECLEANING ORGANIZING & MORE
Exp
Gift Certifi catesAVAILABLE
The Beachcomber offi ce will be closed Monday & Tuesday, Dec. 24th and 25th
Editorial & Advertising deadline for the 12/26 issue is
Wednesday, Dec. 19th at 1:00 pm
Due to the holiday we go to press 3 days earlier than usual.
|7
Page 13 gePPagPa
Last Minute Tips for Safety and ComfortWe almost always know when big weather will be heading our way and you can do a lot
to get ready by making the most of those few days of early warning. Use this tip list to make
your last minute preparations before the storm moves in.
W inter arrives every year. No surprise there, yet
each year many of us find ourselves sitting in the
dark, cold and shivering, waiting for power to be restored.
Roads blocked by snow and fallen trees isolate us in our
homes without food, fuel, medicine and other supplies.
Don’t get caught short this year. Use this special section
of the Beachcomber to get ahead of the game. The easy
yet essential tips on these pages will help keep your
family safe, cozy and ready for whatever nature throws
at you.
We’ve compiled the information from expert sources
such as VashonBePrepared, Puget Sound Energy, Vashon
Island Fire & Rescue, American Red Cross and more. So,
pull out this section, read it through and take action. Then
keep it handy as a reference during the next storm and for
years to come.
TWO-FOR-ONE BONUS! Preparing for the
inevitable trials of winter also will prepare you for
The Big One, the major earthquake that everyone
knows will hit our region some day.
Special Pull-out
Sponsored by:
for Winter Snow, Ice & Wind?
VASHON ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE
Review your family emergency plan with each member of the household. Make sure everyone has a pocket card with contact phone numbers and a place to meet if separat-ed. Review ways to get emergency information through Voice of Vashon.
Check your non-perishable food supply. We live in a rural community where snow plowing resources are minimal and repair-ing the power grid can take days. Stash 10 days of food for your entire household. It doesn’t have to be fancy; cans of tuna and beans will get you by.
Make sure you have a reliable supply of water. If you are on a well, do you have emergency power for the pump? Your local water system could be down without power, so store ten days worth of water: One gallon per day of drinking and cooking water for each person in the household.
Check anything powered by batteries. Gather your flash-lights and extra batteries. Recharge any rechargeables. Refresh your radio batteries. Charge up all the family cell phones.
Be ready for medical situations. Double check that you have ten days of any prescription medicines and medical supplies such as syringes for all members of your household. Check and refresh your first aid kit supplies. Provide all family members with instructions on calling 9-1-1 (only for emergencies) and your family doctor.
Ensure sources of heat because severe cold can be life threatening. Gas furnaces need electricity for the blowers. A fireplace or woodstove can help if your furnace fails. So can sleeping bags and extra blankets. Top off your household propane or fuel oil tank. Stock up on charcoal and propane for your gas barbecue.
Check that generator. Fuel it. Check the oil. Test start it. Review operating instructions with each adult member of the household. Show everyone how to disconnect household power before starting the generator. You could electrocute a power lineman by reverse energizing the local grid!
Gas up the car ahead of time. Most Island gas stations can’t pump gas when the power is out. Your car can transport a loved one in a medical emergency or even help you recharge cell phones. To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, do not run the car inside a garage.
Get some cash. In a big emergency, such as a long power outage, ATMs and credit card points may not work. Cash will get you emergency supplies when all else fails.
Coordinate with your neighbors. Arrange to check and make sure everyone is okay during the emergency. Can anyone share tools, supplies and maybe even a spare bedroom for shelter? If you are a member of a Neighborhood Emergency Response Organization, a storm is a great time to re-energize the group. (See back page for more information on NEROs.)
Storm Alert Checklist
10
Get Storm Info at 1650AMThe Voice of Vashon 1650AM Alert Team works closely with all the
VashonBePrepared partners to gather emergency information and deliver it to you: Vashon Emergency Operations Center, Vashon Island
Fire & Rescue, Puget Sound Energy, Vashon Island School District, King County Roads, Washington State Ferry System, Metro bus system and more.Listen to the radio at 1650AM. If you can’t quite pick it up on your crank or battery operated radio.
Car radios can often pull in a signal when other radios can’t.
Alerts are also posted on the VashonALL email list and the Voice of Vashon Facebook page. If your high speed connection works,
you can listen on the Web or your smartphone at VoiceOfVashon.org.
On the RoadDriving in Snow & Ice:Tips for Being Car SafeIt’s best to stay safely inside. So, think twice or even three times before driving in snow, sleet or freezing rain. If you must drive, keep a disaster kit in your vehicle.
Generac automatic standby generators provide peace of mind for you and your family.Every Generac Guardian Series generator offers 24/7 power protection, hands-free operation and the easiest installation available. Sales, parts and service.
Vashon True ValueService Center 206-463-4019
Authorized Sales & Servicing DealerOpen Every day 8 – [email protected]
START RIGHT. START HERE.®
VIFR wants YOU!Want to be a Firefi ghter or EMT? Or drive a water
truck to the scene of a fi re? Come volunteer with your
fi re district. If you are over 18 years old, we invite you
to call Jojo Weller at 206.707.4589 or log onto
www.vifr.org for information on requirements
and Volunteer application.
We’ll provide the training – you provide your service.
Page 15
g Caar Sg C Saaar SafCaar SafSafaar Safeg CaCaar SSaafeefe
10
7
When the Storm Hits
Tips for Weathering the StormOnce the storm begins, you and your family and your co-workers are at maximum risk. Here are ten tips to help you weather the storm.
Stay indoors. Your home or place of work will almost always be your safest haven during a bad storm. You’ll be out of the weather, with family or colleagues, and near your cache of emergency supplies. You do have a cache of emergency supplies, right?
Wear protective clothing. If you must go outside, wear protective clothing and closed-toed shoes. Protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia by wearing warm clothing in several layers.
Report power outages. If the power goes out, call Puget Sound Energy (1-888-225-5773) and report it. Even if you think the company already knows about the out-age, call anyway. Your reports to the computerized system help define the outage boundar-ies and speed power restoration.
Don’t touch downed power lines. We can’t say it often enough. If you must go outside during the storm, stay away from loose or dangling power lines. Wait for the professionals and consider all downed lines hot, even if they aren’t sparking. (See box on this page.)
Use your phone smartly. Conserve battery and keep the network clear by using your cell phone only for emergency calls and to stay in touch with family and neigh-bors. Stay calm and do not call 911 unless it is an emergency.
Don’t poison your air and don’t set your home on fire.Carbon monoxide will kill you. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside. Don’t heat with a barbecue or any other type of open flame. Do not bring generators in-doors. Candles and oil lamps increase the danger of fire.
Stay on top of developments. Monitor Voice of Vashon for updates on shifts in the weather, road conditions, power restoration, school closures and more. If you have a National Weather Service radio or your computer connection is working, you can directly monitor official weather forecasts.
Conserve energy. Avoid opening the door of the refrigerator and freezer to retain cold and keep food safe. Conserve fuel by running your generator on a schedule for perhaps an hour at a time, just to keep the refrigerator cold and the house warm.
Don’t be a hero. We all feel like we should be doing something when adversity strikes. But think hard before tackling strenuous or risky tasks. Consider your physical con-dition. Take risks into account, such as ice, wind, and falling branches. Does the work really need to be done during the storm, or can it wait until it’s safer?
Be a good neighbor. Help people who require special assistance: elderly people living alone, people with disabilities and children. Share supplies with your neigh-bors and the members of your Neighborhood Emergency Response Organization. (See NERO box on back page.).
Be prepared for break downs and getting stuck. Build or purchase an emergency kit for your car includ-ing blankets or a sleeping bag, windshield scraper, sack of sand for wheel traction, tire chains, water and visibility aids such as a red cloth or flashing light in case you end up in a snow bank.
Follow hazardous driving guidelines. It’s safer to travel in daylight than at night when visibility is poor. Take a person with you in case of trouble on the road. Give friends or family your destination, route and expected time of arrival in case a search is required. Stay on main roads.
Clean windows, tail lights and headlights before pulling out. Removing snow and ice before driv-ing improves visibility. Plus, snow and ice accumulate more easily on areas already coated with snow.
Keep the car full of gas and top up de-icing windshield washer fluid. A full tank of gas will help keep you safe and warm if you are stranded. And the extra weight will improve the car’s grip in the snow. De-icing windshield fluid helps keep the windshield clear for best visibility.
Drive slowly and smoothly when driving in snow, ice or sleet. Excessive speed causes more accidents than anything else during bad weather. A “safe” speed in snow is half the posted speed limit in most cases. Avoid sudden accelerations or stops that can throw you into a skid. Look way down the road to anticipate the action.
If you get stuck... Twist your wheels side to side to push snow away or rock the vehicle to find new traction. A light touch on the gas will keep from breaking traction so you don’t spin your wheels and dig in deeper. Pour sand or other grit in front of the wheels to improve traction.
If you are really badly stuck... Walking around in a snowstorm in the cold and bad visibility can be dangerous. So, it’s better to stay in your vehicle and wait for help if you can’t get out of a snow drift. Run the engine and heater ten minutes an hour to keep warm yet conserve fuel. Make your car visible with a bright ribbon or flashing light to prevent someone from hitting you.
10 Provide storm shelter for your pets and livestock. Like humans, it’s generally safest for animals inside a house or barn... not out in the wind and snow and ice.
Keep at least ten days of food for each animal. And store at least ten days of water for each animal. Figure a gallon a day for an animal the size of a large dog.
Keep an extra supply of medicines your pet takes on a regular basis, including instructions in case another person will be providing care for your animals.
Gather an animal first aid kit, based on your veterinar-ian’s advice. Include a pet first aid reference book.
Animals can panic and run away under stress. Make sure your pet has a leash, collar, rabies tag and identification tag to help re-unite you.
Consider micro-chipping, a very effective way to re-unite pets and their humans. Also, keep a photo of you and your pet together to help prove ownership if you are separated.
Include in your family emergency communications and contact plan all the info for your pets and livestock, including info on your veterinarian.
Keep a crate or other suitable animal transport handy in case you need to move your critters to a safer location.
Take sanitation into account. Include in your pet care kit whatever’s needed, such as cat litter and a litter box.
Put treats or special bedding or even favorite toys in your animal emergency kit. These items can help reduce stress for your pet.
Pets: They’re Family Too! Storm Prep Tips for Pets & LivestockThese storm ready tips for
pets and livestock – your
extended family members
– look pretty similar to
the ones for humans, with
some special needs
tacked on. You’ll need
food, water, medicine for
your animals and a
way to keep them warm.
Downed Power LineStay Clear and Stay Safe: It’s ALWAYS a Live Wire
Carbon Monoxide Kills! The national Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, says more than 400 Americans die every year from carbon
monoxide poisoning. Just a bit of care will keep you and your family safe from this threat.
Never use a generator, grill, camp stove or other gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal-burning device inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace or any partially enclosed area. Carbon monoxide can build up in the enclosed space and kill.If you use these devices outside, locate them away from doors, windows and vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors.Install carbon monoxide alarms in central locations on every level of your home and around sleeping areas to provide early warning of accumulating carbon monoxide.If the carbon monoxide alarm sounds, move quickly to a fresh air location outdoors or open a window or door. Call for help from your fresh air location and remain there until emergency personnel arrive to assist you.It’s fine to use your fire place or woodstove for heat if they are in good repair.
arbon
.......and badstay in t out
en
IT’S RAINING CARS & DOGS!Are you ready for anything?
Living on an island during a disaster could mean being cut off from help and supplies for some time.
Make sure you have a plan to keep your family and home safe.
Gutter Cleaning Tree & Shrub Pruning Drainage Concerns Split & Stack Yard Clean Up Firewood
... and so much more
463-9416
Is your yard ready for winter?
Talk to us about Winter Preparation We are happy to do a walk through
and make it winter and storm ready today!
When the next storm huffs and puffs–give us a call to clean it up!
Thriftway now has a storewide generator and will be fully functioning.
Warm up with hot food from our deli and your favorite espresso
drinks from our espresso stand.
Get the Island news from your friends and neighbors while shopping
for all the items that we offerevery day of the year.
3
Get ReadyNow!Act Now:
Crucial Steps Will Get You ReadyIf you act now, while the sun still shines and before the
snow flies, you’ll be way ahead of the game. Do these three
basic and essential things now and you will be able to say
“Yes!” to the question: “Are You Ready?”
Build an emergency stash for your home. Include ten days of non- perishable food, ten days worth of water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. VashonBePrepared has complete lists to help you put together your emergency stash: http://goo.gl/HtlWh
Gather an emergency kit for your vehicle. In winter weather or a major earthquake, you may need to survive by using your car or a nearby structure as a shelter. Folks in Wisconsin really know what it takes to face winter so here’s their excellent car “go kit” checklist: http://goo.gl/qEYfV
Make a family emergency plan. Your family may not be together when a storm or other disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency. Here’s a step-by-step guide for making your plan: http://goo.gl/e56bS
Get the RED CROSS App!The American Red Cross has an app for that. Their
earthquake app has emergency kit checklists,
family finder links, cheat sheets for dealing with
disaster and more:
http://goo.gl/VPXlC
Much of the information for earthquakes will also help you be prepared for winter. Like we said, being prepared for any big emergency will make you much better equipped for almost any other emergency scenario. It’s a Two-for- One Deal!
We’re all about Neighbors Helping Neighbors. On your street or around your block, join or form one of Vashon’s many Neighborhood Emergency Response Organizations. We call them NEROs for short. Ring NERO Coordinator Joe Ulatoski to get more info at 463-1321.
You can be a hands-on helper by volunteering for one of our partner organizations:
CERT, sheltering, Medical Reserve Corps, Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Vashon Emergency Operations Center, or Vashon Island Fire & Rescue. To find out more, call Jojo Weller at 463-2405.
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Page 17
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You are not alone.
into the flooded street in front of his drive-way. His 8-year-old son Alec watched from the side of the road.
“This is the worst we’ve seen it,” said Pottinger, whose family has lived there about a decade.
While the Pottingers sometimes brave the king tide waters in their minivan, this morning, he said, they couldn’t make it out of the driveway, and their children missed the first part of school.
“This is the first time we’ve not been able to go anywhere” because of a high tide, he said.
“It’s amazing what Mother Nature can do,” he added.
On Maury Island, Governor’s Lane was a similar sight to behold. The high tide and crashing waves left the small road and its bordering yards full of driftwood and debris — so much so that the King County Roads Division quickly sent a bulldozer to clear the lane.
“It’s quite a mess,” said Will North, who lives on the road. He and some friends spent a couple of hours that morning clear-ing driftwood from around his home.
North said the water was “without a doubt” the highest he’d ever seen. The storm even sent seawater into his home’s foundation.
“It really stank during the middle of the day of seawater; the smell came up through
the floorboards,” he said with a chuckle.On the other side of the Island, won-
der over the storm turned into dismay as residents of Sylvan Beach, a walk-in com-munity, were trapped for a time by a high tide and waves that crashed over the board-walk that runs in front of their homes. To make matters worse, a water main along the boardwalk broke, leaving the neigh-borhood without water until it could be repaired.
As the tides waned, Sylvan residents Sue Weston and John Montecucco emerged from their homes to asses the storm’s damage.
The boardwalk, which tops a long concrete bulk-head, was in shambles with boards washed out every few yards. Several docks had fallen victim to the waves, and a few dinghies were also miss-ing in action.
“It’s a total wreck,” said Weston, who has lived at the beach for decades and couldn’t remember another storm this bad.
As the pair came to Montecucco’s home, the boardwalk was barely passable — con-crete lay in crumbles, boards were mostly gone, and utility lines were exposed under-neath. Montecucco, who has lived there half-a-dozen years, said he’d gotten up at 3 a.m. to secure his small boat. As for the bulkhead, he said, it would be up to the homeowners to repair.
“We’ll figure it out,” he said with a sigh.Meanwhile, Rod Hearne and his son,
who have a family home at Sylvan, came by searching for their lost dinghy. With Montecucco’s help, the pair found their boat submerged under a dock farther down the beach and pulled it onto the bulkhead. It bore a new hole in its hull.
“This is the worst it’s been in my life-time,” said the elder Hearne. He added that he couldn’t help but wonder if cli-mate change is a factor in the record high
waters.“It’s an act of nature,”
he said with wide eyes.Though king tides
seldom do the kind of damage seen on Monday, local experts believe the extreme high tides are an indicator of what is to come, suggesting the new
height waterlines might regularly reach as ocean levels rise due to climate change.
“It gives folks a glimpse of how, if sea water rises, it might affect the coast and marine regions all over,” said Curt Hart, a spokesman for the state Department of Ecology.
Along that vein, the state is asking those on the shore during king tides to snap photos and submit them online. The pic-tures are being used to track what tides are doing around Puget Sound and along the Washington coast and could help inform the state’s public outreach around climate change and its potential effects.
“That gives people a tangible thing to compare. Looking at these super-high tides, that could be the new normal,” Hart said.
Since the Washington King Tide Photo Initiative began in 2010, the state has col-lected hundreds of photos of extreme-high tides, though none from Vashon. Experts warn that Vashon, along with communities all over the Puget Sound region, should start thinking about the possibility of ris-ing waters.
According to a recent climate change study by the National Academy of Sciences’ Division of Earth & Life Studies, global sea levels are expect to rise 3 to 9 inches by 2030, as much as 19 inches by 2050 and as much as 4-and-a-half feet by 2100.
Ellen Call, who lives with her husband on a beach near Cedarhurst Road, said she sometimes wonders about the effect climate change may have on Vashon. Five years ago, Call said, a wintertime king tide flooded the couple’s basement. Workers spent about an hour removing the water, and ever since she gets nervous during storms.
This Monday, the water was higher than Call had ever seen it.
“It looks like it’s a new mark, and maybe a new era,” she said.
CONTINUED FROM 1
Photos of king tides can be submitted to the Washington King Tides Photo Initiative Flickr group at www.flickr.com/groups/1611274@N22/. Note the date, time and location of the photo. Ideal photos are ones where water levels can be gauged against familiar landmarks.
Page 18 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM
GIVE TODAY AT
www.vashondoveproject.org P.O. Box 237 Vashon, WA 98070
Ending Domes c Violence
Your assistance helps The DoVE Project strengthen the island community, while you take a charitable tax-deduction!
DONATE BEFORE DECEMBER 31st BECAUSE…..
Your contribution helps build the system of support available to survivors through our: Support Group 24-hr Hotline Legal Aid Community Outreach Program
During the holidays, those struggling with domestic violence need YOUR help more than ever! Your gift will allow us to end the year strong and
build upon our successes in 2013!
Happy Holidays from the Beachcomber Staff
Sandy Blake and Anne Theiss plan to close their shop, Wings Birdseed, this month. They’ll offer holiday items until Christmas.
Anne Theiss and Sandy Blake announced last week that after more than two years on the Vashon business scene, Wings Birdseed Company would shutter its doors.
The shop owners, in an interview last week, said they were disappointed but trying to stay positive as they made plans to mark down items in the store and close it shortly before Christmas. They emphasized that they wanted to thank the customers who have supported the small shop since 2010.
“Our client base has been wonderful,” Theiss said. “The birding community is a wonderful community.”
It’s also a small community, the women noted, and the specialized shop — selling high-quality birdseed, tools for birding and nature-related art — has had trouble attracting enough customers to stay ahead.
“There just weren’t enough of them,” Blake said.The shop also served espresso, hosted artists for Vashon’s
monthly gallery cruise and supported the fourth-grade
birding program. The women had hoped to stick it out lon-ger, working to build on their small but loyal customer base, but when Blake recently announced she would move off the Island, Theiss knew she couldn’t go it alone.
Randy Smith of the Vashon-Maury Island Audubon Society said Vashon’s birding community would be sad to see the shop close. He’s even toyed with the idea of trying to help the shop stay open. On Saturday he put an email out to Audobon club members asking if anyone might consider working at the shop on a volunteer basis. On Monday he said he was still waiting to see if he got any responses.
“It’s the only nature store of its type,” he said. “We all have appreciated having Wings ... and a number people I’ve talked to have said ‘Gee, it’s a shame Anne and Sandy have had to step aside.’”
— Natalie Johnson
In the years since, emergency preparedness has come a long way on Vashon, and those who have toiled in the trenches believe they’ve made significant strides.
Were a disaster to hit tomorrow, a fully staffed Emergency Operations Center (EOC) — headed by Fire Chief Hank Lipe — would spring into action at the fire station. Community Emergency Response Teams — some 40 peo-ple on Vashon who are trained in first-sid, search and res-cue, communications and more — would report to duty. A new generator would power Thriftway, ensuring the entire store was fully operational; Williams Heating could pump gas thanks to its new generator; Fair Isle Veterinarian Clinic is also equipped to keep its doors open.
If needed, a shelter — filled with 550 cots — would be set up at one of the public schools. Ham radio operators would take to their stations, ensuring some degree of communication among emergency responders. Voice of Vashon, equipped with enough radio towers to cover nearly the entire Island, would issue dispatches via its emergency broadcast band.
Vashon still has work to do on its isolation plan, “Operation Lifeline,” a detailed blueprint for a response to the kind of regionwide emergency that would leave Vashon on its own for several days. Those in the field of emergency preparedness say such an eventuality is not only their big-gest challenge, but a likely scenario one of these days.
“That’s what gives us a sense of urgency — that we’re an island. … In any regional disaster, Vashon stands alone,” said Joe Ulatoski, a retired brigadier general who founded the organization that ultimately became VashonBePrepared, the volunteer organization that now leads Vashon’s readiness effort.
“When the feds come in, they’re going to say, ‘Where can we do the most good?’ … They’re going to look at critical infrastructure first — hospitals, electricity. … We don’t have critical infrastructure, so they’re not going to be focused on us,” he said.
Gripped by this sense of urgency, readiness experts say they’ve worked hard over the years, and they’re pleased by how far they’ve come in the past six years, since that dev-astating winter storm. “On the official level, things have
progressed very well,” Ulatoski said. Still, the Island is not fully prepared, experts say. And the
biggest cause for concern is the lack of individual readiness — families, couples and individuals who haven’t taken the time or seen the need to get themselves equipped for the worst.
VashonBePrepared undertook a survey in 2009, gar-nering responses from 20 percent of the Island’s 10,000 residents. Of those, 90 percent said they had enough food and water to last three days, while only 30 percent said they could manage for seven days, said Rick Wallace, who heads VashonBePrepared.
“That’s our challenge,” he said. “It’s incredibly difficult to motivate people about a ‘maybe.’”
The need, however, is great, Wallace and Ulatoski said. In a serious emergency, responders will need to focus on attending to those who are injured, addressing infrastruc-ture problems, establishing a connection between the Island and the mainland — life and death matters they’re training to address and practicing in regular drills.
But if people aren’t prepared, situations that might not be life-threatening suddenly take on a new magnitude, Ulatoski and Wallace said, and responders could easily find themselves overwhelmed by Islanders’ many needs.
“Every person who makes himself resilient and sustain-able takes somebody off the list of somebody we have to care for,” Wallace said.
Ulatoski has been at the forefront of an effort to address the problem of individual readiness, spearheading the establish-ment of Neighborhood Emergency Response Organizations, or NEROs, on Vashon. Islanders who organize a NERO are expected to develop an informal plan to assess damage and ensure everyone in their neighborhood is checked on in the aftermath of a disaster, reporting that information to the EOC; they also encourage individual readiness.
Over the last few years, Ulatoski said, Islanders in 115 neighborhoods have contacted him, expressing interest in organizing a NERO. It’s an impressive number, he said, except that some never got off the ground and others fell apart over time.
He recently attended an organizing meeting for a new NERO at Sylvan Beach, to have only one person — the woman who contacted him — show up. He ran into anoth-er woman who attempted to organize a NERO. When he asked her how it was going, she replied, “Oh, I’ve given up on that. … I’m involved in other things,” Ulatoski said.
Even those Islanders who take readiness seriously could
find themselves ill-prepared in the event of an emergency, Ulatoski added, since preparedness requires ongoing atten-tion. Stored water needs to be replenished. Food needs to be restocked. Emergency kits sometimes get raided over time for other household needs.
Bob Smueles, who’s working with VashonBePrepared in trying to get the word out to Islanders, notes that even he is not as prepared as he could be. “I could easily withstand a power outage for a week. But could I withstand my house crumbling? I don’t know,” he said. “It’s all relative.”
But even at that, he knows many Islanders haven’t under taken basic readiness steps— emergency plans that they’ve discussed with their children, stored food, water and bat-teries, the identification of a back-up source of heat.
“The concept of getting your household prepared … usually involves having to do something outside of your normal daily routine. And that’s hard to do,” he said.
Smueles has been working with Erin Durrett, Rich Farner and Jeromy Sander on an outreach campaign over the past several months; their “are you ready” posters have popped up all over the Island. But asked if it’s working, he shrugged.
“It’s really hard to tell. … The whole thing is an experi-ment,” he said. “We really don’t know what will motivate people.”
Ulatoski, who has poured countless hours into Vashon’s readiness efforts, said he believes most Islanders could with-stand the discomfort and inconvenience of a bad storm. But he continues to worry about what he calls a true disaster — an earthquake that cuts us off from the mainland for days.
“Unfortunately,” he said, “people just don’t take it seri-ously.”
Page 19
206 567-4421www.vashoncommunitycare.org
VCC Rehab Services is conveniently located on Vashon for easy access to services.
Physical, occupational and speech rehab for adults on an inpatient (hospital stay needed to qualify) and outpatient basis.
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VCC’s skilled rehab therapists are focused on your fitness and well being.
We’re here to help you return to optimal health and mobility,
and get back home as quickly as possible. Call us at 206 567-4421for more information and a personal tour.
For rehab services, think VCC.
*If you have other insurance, VCC will contact your insurance provider to arrange coverage for your stay. (Liquor service is available to members and their guests) WAC 314-52-115(1)
GET READY FOR A WINTER FUN RUN: The Vashon Running Club will hold its free December fun run, The Jingle Jangle Jingle Bell Fun Run/Walk, at 9 a.m . on Saturday, Dec. 22. The course will be centered around town, and runners should meet at Vashon Island Bic ycles to gear up with bells for their running shoes. Refreshments and a raffle will follow, and donations will be accepted for Vashon Youth & Fam i ly Ser vices.
Serving Vashon Island Since 1929 463-9134
WILLIAMS HEATING Proudly Sponsors…
Kate Atwell Freshman, Girls BasketballKate is a 5’8” freshman basketball post player. Kate is a pleasure to coach, she has worked extremely hard this year and worked her way into the starting varsity lineup as a freshman. Kate has a great smile and positive personality that aff ects everyone on the team. We look forward to having Kate around for the next few years to watch her grow as a player and a person.
The Beachcomber offi ce will be closed Monday & Tuesday,
December 24th and 25thEditorial & Advertising deadline for the 12/26 issue is
Wednesday, Dec. 19th at 1:00 pm
Due to the holiday we go to press 3 days earlier than usual.
Vashon club turned a disappointing forfeit into a fun opportunity
Last week after a Vashon club soccer opponent was disqualified, the Vashon Island Soccer Club threw together a fun game that may well turn into a club tradition.
On Sunday, Dec. 9, Vashon’s Under-18 boys team, The Pilots, was scheduled to play its last game as a team against a tough squad from South Tacoma. However District III commissioners announced on Thursday that the Tacoma team had been sanctioned and forced to forfeit the game for significant misconduct over the course of the
season.The Pilots didn’t like earn-
ing points from a forfeit; they want-ed to play. The close team, which had been together since their U-11 days and has held together for seven years, under the guidance of Joe Silagi since 2006, had been looking forward to their last-ever game as a team.
So it was quickly arranged for the Pilots to instead play the Flounders, a men’s team started by Vashon players some 20 years ago. A trophy was secured, and the first Vashon Cup tournament was arranged for that Sunday.
The Flounders are normally an Over-40 team, but some young-er players and top Island talent were recruited to fill in for the event, making for a wide range of players on the field and fun all
around.The young team scored early in
the game on a nice crossing shot. There was an own goal caused by the Flounders’ Greg Martin, for which which proper penalty was paid to his teammates later at the Red Bike. A third breakaway goal was scored by the Pilots before the half.
An early Flounder goal was called back for offsides, but late in the second half the Flounders scored twice. And another goal was called back for offsides.
The Pilots suffered the Flounders in front of their goal most of the second half, but the outstanding goalkeeping of Brooks Benner, who was the obvi-
ous “man of the match” held the day, and the Pilots will put their name on the first Vashon Cup this year, winning 3-2.
Goals for the Pilots were scored by Sean O’Neil on an assist by Caz Mozeleski and by Mozeleski on an assist by Rowan Stewart. For the Flounders the scoring was by Mike Ryan and Boston Nyer.
Vashon basketball takes down top-ranked Cascade ChristianBig win was the Pirates’ first league victoryBy EZRA LACINAFor The Beachcomber
This week the Pirate boys basketball team, after dropping two league games in a row, turned the season around when it took down the Cascade Christian Cougars, 57-44. The Friday win was a significant one for the Pirates, as the Cougars were ranked number one in class 1A in the latest Tacoma News Tribune poll.
The first quarter was intense, and the Pirates played tough defense with double coverage on Cascade’s 6-foot-10 senior
Shawn Spencer. On the other end of the court, the Pirate offense was explosive, scoring points quickly and often.
Sophomore forward Jesse Norton scored 10 of his 22 points in the first quarter. As the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the quarter, the score read 17-10 with Vashon in the lead.
The second quarter was a little slower, but the Pirates maintained dominance throughout, not allowing Cascade to take the lead.
Sophomore guard Ian Stewart was flying around, stealing the ball, scoring and doing a great job running the point. Frustrations grew for the Cascade Cougars as they strug-gled to score against a solid Pirate defense.
In the final seconds of the first half,
Norton hit a monster buzzer beater that gave the Pirates momentum going into halftime. With half of the game in the books, the Pirates led 30-19.
As play resumed, the attitude of the Pirates got more intense as they came closer to victory. The energy in the build-ing was incredible, as the Green Tide had come out in full strength and cheered at a near-deafening level. On several occasions a school official had to tell the student sec-tion to quiet down.
Cascade pulled closer during the fourth quarter, but every time the Cougars got within 10 points, the Pirates pulled away again.
With 17 seconds left in the game, the crowd began singing a victory song, and as
the final buzzer rang, the score was 57-44, signaling a Vashon win.
Senior Ben Whitaker had a solid game, scoring 13 points for the night, and Ian Stewart set a career high with 14 points.
“We had two great days of practice that allowed us to be successful on Friday,” said Coach Andy Sears. “Our guys pulled out a really scrappy win.”
With this game in the books, the Pirates had their first league victory and momen-tum going into the following week. On Tuesday after press deadline the team played Life Christian. Their next game is Friday at Bellevue Christian.
— Ezra Lacina is a student at Vashon High School.
Tight club soccer team hopes its last game spurs lasting tradition
The U-18 Pilots have been together since they were young players. For their last game ever they took on the club’s Over-40 team in the first ever Vashon Cup.
Page 21
DECEMBER EVENTS
Please RSVP Three Days in Advance Seating is limited, and reservations are required for all events.
206.937.6122 2615 SW Barton St., Seattle, WA 98126
www.DaystarSeattle.comIt’s so good to be home!
FINNISH CHORAL SOCIETY OF SEATTLEMonday, December 3rd, 7:30 p.m.
Enjoy an evening concert of beautiful Finnish Christmas music!HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, December 9th, 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.There’s nothing like a good ‘ol fashioned Holiday gathering! Come feel the warmth of Daystar and its residents and join in the fun!
DEBBIE DIMITRE PRESENTS: PATCHWORK OF FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TALESTuesday, December 11th, 2:30 p.m.
Debbie’s dramatic storytelling brings characters to life before your eyes!
HANUKKAH PRESENTATIONThursday, December 13th, 2:30 p.m.
Learn about the history and traditions of the celebration of Hanukkah presented by Candace Rosovsky while
enjoying special treats.NEW YEAR’S EVE “EVE”
Sunday, December 30th, 7:00 to 9:00p.m.Celebrate the New Year early! Enjoy appetizers and treats and
music by local favorite, the Hanky Panky Band.
Get in the Holiday Spirit at Daystar Retirement Village! Daystar Retirement Village wishes everyone a blessed Holiday Season and all the best for a healthy and happy New Year! Give yourself or a loved one the gift of a great senior lifestyle by visiting today!
We invite you to attend one of our events in December and learn more about how living at Daystar can provide you with a senior lifestyle full of warmth,
comfort and care!
Don’t miss our Holiday Open House!
We currently have a few apartments with special pricing. Join us for one of our events and learn more about becoming part of the Daystar family!
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Select grapplers take on athletes from around the NorthwestBy CHERYL PRUETTFor The Beachcomber
Coming off a dominant performance in Port Townsend, the Pirate wrestling team enjoyed a slower pace last week while gearing up for major competition this week.
On Saturday seven of the top Pirate grap-plers traveled to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to compete in the prestigious Tri-State Tournament. More than 60 teams from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana were invited to participate and could bring no more than seven wrestlers. Representing Vashon at the competition were freshmen Chase Wickman and Logan Nelson, sopho-more Joe Coller, juniors Shane Armstrong, Preston Morris and Louis Jovanovich and senior A.J. Sawyer.
Wickman made it to the quarter-finals at the competition, but lost to the eventual champion in his weight category and finished one match away from the top eight.
Nelson won one match by pin, coming from behind after trailing by 6 in the early rounds. Armstrong, Morris and Sawyer each won a
match, while Coller and Jovanovich scrapped against tough competition and showed prom-ise for the rest of the season.
Coaches Anders and Per Lars Blomgren said they were pleased with the team’s overall performance, noting that this tournament is an exciting opportunity for the wrestlers to compete against an exceptionally high level of competition.
Yesterday after press deadline, Vashon hosted a fun double dual meet featur-ing three exceptional teams from the area. Lake Stevens, the perennial 4A powerhouse, was in action along with teams from Yelm and Decatur. On Friday, the team will trav-el to Roseburg, Ore., for the annual battle of the border, where they will again face against some tough competition.
The next home action for the Pirates will be on Friday, Dec. 28, at the annual Rock Tournament. There will be lots of fantas-tic action as wrestlers from 10 diverse high schools compete for the coveted gilded rocks. Matches that day will begin at 9 a.m., and finals begin at 5 p.m.
By GARY MEANSFor The Beachcomber
The Vashon girls bas-ketball team dropped a home game against the state number-four ranked Cascade Christian Cougars on Friday.
While the Pirates reli-ably broke the Cougar full-court press, they only man-aged 8 points in the game, struggling to consistently implement their half-court offense.
The departure of junior guard Anya Quig in the first minute of the game was one key development that slowed a youthful Vashon squad, which fea-tures three freshmen play-ing key roles.
Freshman Siena Jannetty has been averaging 9 points per game while her class-mates Kate Atwell and Annika Hille have split
starting roles to this point of the season.
A spirited defensive effort and two buckets from junior post Taegen Lynch allowed the youthful Pirates to keep the game within reach early as the first quarter ended with Vashon yielding to only 12 points, down 12-4.
Unfortunately, the Pirates would score only 4 more points in the game, which ended in a lopsided 50-8 loss.
After surrendering 18 points in the third quar-ter, the Pirates finished the game with an all-freshman lineup in the fourth quarter, which featured Ally Clevenger, Natalie VanDevanter, Lilly Hennessey, Atwell and Hille.
“The result of the game was disappointing, but I
was really encouraged by the effort,” Coach Henry Porter said after the game. He specifically pointed to the five players who played out the fourth quarter.
“They never quit; they never gave up, and this is one key to our continued improvement that is com-pletely in our control,” he added.
Vashon scoring was paced by Lynch’s 4 points, while Clevenger and VanDevanter added two points each.
The Pirates continued Nisqually League play with a game against Life Christian on Tuesday prior to press deadline. They will play at Bellevue Christian on Friday.
— Gary Means is the assis-tant coach of the VHS girls
basketball team.
Cougars overwhelm in girls basketball
McMurray girls on top in middle school soccerWith almost 50 girls turning out to
play soccer at McMurray Middle School this season, the Mustang girls are field-ing two very strong teams and are unde-feated so far in league play.
The team traveled to North Mason on Dec. 6 to take on the Hawkins Huskies in their first game. The varsity team battled in their game and came away with a 1-0 win, and the JV team also won.
In their first home games, the varsity girls won with a 2-0 score, while the JV tean had it a little bit easier time win-ning 11-1 over Annie Wright.
On Dec. 13, the Mustangs traveled to take on a league rival, the North Lake Tapps Bulldogs. The varsity bat-tled for a 1-1 draw in their game. The JV team fought hard to come away with a 2-1 win, with the game ending on a missed penalty kick by the Bulldogs with no time on the clock.
The Mustang girls will play one more home game before going on break for the holidays. They will come back to finish their season in January, with games on Jan. 8, 10 and 17.
— Bret Owensby
AT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICE
To place an ad in the Service Directory, contact Daralyn or Matthew at 463-9195. Deadline for ad placement is Friday at 1pm.
Page 22 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM
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Construction and Landscape In General
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note that part of the problem is a lack of adequate housing for extremely low-income people. Indeed, Nancy Vanderpool, a volunteer with the Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness, said she has worked with her own organization and others to try to find hous-ing for some of the people living at the camp.
“I think efforts are being made. It’s just not a quick or easy fix,” she said.
The situation is diffi-cult on Vashon, she added, where issues of homeless-ness and mounting concern about drug activity often get mixed together.
“Get out of the forest. Get out of the bogs. Get out of the park. Get out of the Village Green,” she said, noting that’s been the com-munity message over the last several months. “People keep pushing, pushing, pushing these people. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all get together and find them a place to stay?”
The property is owned by John Sherman, who pur-chased the nearly one-acre lot on S.W. 180th Street 25 years ago. A camp cropped up a year ago, he said; his son Roger Sherman was able to force the squatters off the property and clean it up, he said.
The camp got start-ed again this fall after Sherman agreed to let an acquaintance who had lost his home store some of his belongings there, including a boat and some lumber.
“It turned into a mess,” Sherman said.
Now, the small lot is some-thing of a junk yard. Vehicles, including two moldering trailers with broken-out windows, sit on the property. A tent with a mattress inside it is located behind a berm. A container from a truck, with boards and a sheet acting as
a makeshift door, is home to at least two people.
Junk and debris are strewn about — old chairs, plastic buckets, plywood, applianc-es, ice chests, a jogging baby stroller.
One man who identi-fied himself as Mike said that not all of the debris on the lot is junk. “Those boat motors still run,” he said, nodding toward an outboard motor.
But he added that the site has gotten out of control. “It’s starting to be a prob-lem,” he said.
Neighbors, meanwhile, are particularly concerned by the lack of sanitation at the site and the eyesore it has become. They also worry that it’s a magnet for criminal activity.
The southern edge of Eernisse Apartments, an affordable housing complex owned and managed by Vashon HouseHold, abuts 180th Street not far from the camp. Barbara Brown, the manager at Eernisse, said she’s called John Sherman to express her concerns about the site.
“There’s no water to the property. I don’t know how these people are subsisting,” she said.
Teressa Montez, who rents a house on the eastern edge of the camp, said she, too, is troubled. At night, she said, she sometimes hears arguments and bad language coming from the camp. During the day, she said, she has seen teenagers on bikes riding into it, mak-
ing her fear that it could be a place for drug dealing. There’s also a lot of traf-fic at night, she added, and often she doesn’t feel safe.
“It’s just too close to home,” she said.
Sherman, the owner, said he, too, is frustrated by the situation and is attempt-ing to address it. In fact, he said, the man whom he initially let store some of his belongings there prom-ised that the truck con-tainer would be hauled off over this past weekend. On Monday, it was still there.
“Those characters don’t tell you the whole truth,” Sherman said, sounding exasperated.
Next spring, he added, he plans to clear the prop-erty of the blackberries and other shrubs and trees, hop-ing that will keep people off the site. “They like a place to hide,” he said.
Vanderpool, meanwhile, urged Islanders to respond compassionately. To her, the site — “an eyesore,” she acknowledged — under-scores the need for more treatment facilities, mental health support and very low-cost housing, such as a boarding house with rooms to rent.
“The need is evident,” she said. “The solutions are just not popping up imme-diately.”
Page 23
Oda Kristine Sorensen, born March 20, 1922, passed away on Tuesday,
December 11, 2012. Oda is survived by her children, Paul (Connie), Gayle and Jon (Cheryl); her grandchildren Brian (Betsy), Jack, Steve (Tasha), Marcus (Cristina), Christy (Isaac) and Sara (Ryan); and her great grandchildren Anique and Marcus Jr.
Oda was one of eight children born to Adolf and Kristine Jensen. She grew up on a dairy farm in Askov, Minnesota, attended college in Des Moines, Iowa and married Richard Sorensen in 1942. She and Richard moved to Seattle, Washington in 1962 after Richard answered a call to be the pastor at St. John Lutheran Church. Th ey moved to Vashon Community Care in 2003.
Oda was loved by many for her graciousness and her playfulness. She loved music, Danish culture, and all things sweet (especially lemon drops). She loved to read and to explore new ideas. But more than anything, Oda was defi ned by her strong religious faith. For her, God was ever present and ever helpful. Her joyful spirit will be missed.
Th e family would like to thank all the staff at Vashon Community Care for their loving care. A very, very special thanks goes out to Ralph Eister who was her dear friend and her helpmate throughout the last few years of her life. He watched out for her with compassion and with love.
Friends are invited to gather and share their memories of Oda at Vashon Community Care at 3:00pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012.
•
Oda Kristine Sore nsen
The Christmas Season at Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit
Sunday, December 23rd, 11:30 am – Greening of the church. Bring greens and holly, if you have them, but most of all, bring yourself! No experience necessary. The more, the merrier. Deck the halls for Christmas.
Monday, December 24th: Christmas Eve. 7 pm – Family Pageant with Eucharist; 10 pm, traditional Eucharist.
Tuesday, December 25th: Christmas Day. 10:15 am – Holy Eucharist.
Sunday, December 30th: Lessons, Carols and Holy Eucharist at 9:00 am
Monday, December 31st: New Year’s Eve Labyrinth Walk, 5-7 pm north of the church (come and go during these hours).
Sunday, January 6th: Epiphany: Holy Eucharist at 7:45 and 10:15 with degreening of the church, festive potluck snacks (including a Three Kings Cake), and burning of greens following the later service.
Mary Elizabeth LoeweckeSeptember 2, 1940 to December 11, 2012
Mary Elizabeth Loewecke, a loving mother, caring sister, and generous friend passed away on December 11, 2012 after a long battle with cancer. Born to Mose Ramsell and Ellen Toucey, Mary grew up in Colorado Springs, CO and married Robert Loewecke on July 16, 1961. They moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where they had a son Robert Loewecke, II. In 1972, Mary and her son moved to Seattle to be closer to family. Among her many fulfilling career experiences, Mary worked and was much loved at the Washington State Ferry System. She retired in 2002 to care for her grandson and his family, to spend time and humor with her friends, and to share her very special spirit and laugh to all those around her. After her retirement she worked in the annex at Granny’s Attic.
Surviving are her son Robert Loewecke and his spouse, her grandchildren Quinton and Elizabeth Loewecke, her brother Charles Ramsell and his wife, Christine, and their children. The memorial for Mary Loewecke will take place at 1 p.m. on January 6, 2013 at Eagles Club Vashon Island.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Providence Hospice of Seattle Foundation.
In Loving Memory
Maxine Joy Anderson
Passed away December 15, 2012. Memorial Service Friday, December 28, 2012, 11am.
Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, Vashon. Full obituary to follow.
Please visit our online guest book at www.islandfuneral.com
CONTINUED FROM 1
A moldering trailer surrounded by junk and debris recently appeared at a vacant lot south of town.
Page 24 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM
Visit our website for high quality prints and digital
downloads of local sports stars in action.
www.Riksimages.com
Bethel Church6:30 p.m. family-friendly candlelight service
Burton Community Church10 p.m. Christmas Eve service11 a.m. Christmas Day service
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 23 service
Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit
7 p.m. Christmas Eve Family Pageant with Eucharist 10 p.m. service with tra-ditional Eucharist10:15 a.m. Christmas day service with Eucharist
St. John Vianney Catholic Church
7 p.m. Christmas Eve vigil10 a.m. Christmas Day Mass
Vashon Island Community Church
7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, candlelight Christmas service
Vashon Lutheran Church5 p.m. Christmas Eve family candlelight ser-vice 11 p.m. candlelight
service with holy com-munion
Vashon Presbyterian Church
7 p.m. Christmas Eve candlelight service of lessons and carols 10 a.m. Christmas Day worship service at Vashon Community Care, with plenty of carols
Vashon United Methodist Church
7 and 11 p.m. Christmas Eve candlelight services
Islander Nicholas Rutsch-man recently returned from serving in Afghanistan, and his family will throw him a welcome home party at 4
p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, at the Vashon Eagles.
Rutschman, a 2007 graduate of Vashon High School, has been serving in the military since July of 2008. Everyone who knows Rutschman is welcome at the party. Dinner will be available.
HONORS
Rainier Haugen recently received his Eagle Scout ranking, a rank that only 5 percent of Boy Scouts achieve.
Haugen is Troop 294’s 79th Eagle Scout and one of about 10 high schoolers to become Eagle Scouts this
year, a record for the Vashon troop.
For his Eagle Scout proj-ect, Haugen partnered with other scouts in Troop 294, the Vashon Park District and the Vashon Alliance to Reduce Substance Abuse to create a family-friendly, 200-foot trail with signage through the woods behind Ober Park. The area has been of concern to the Vashon community, and the wide trail, which took 200 hours to create, will help make it a safer place.
The trail entrances are marked with two commem-orative vertical aluminum sign posts.
All-Merciful SaviourOrthodox Monastery
9933 SW 268th St. (south of Dockton)SUNDAYS: DIVINE LITURGY 10:00 am
Followed by PotluckCelebrating 2000 years of Orthodox Christianity Call for a schedule weekday and Holy Day services.
463-5918www.vashonmonks.com
Burton Community ChurchALL ARE WELCOME
INSPIRATION not Indoctrination!Worship 11 am
Rev. Bruce Chittick, PastorMaggie Laird
Pianist/Choir Director463-9977
Bethel Church14736 Bethel Lane SW(Corner of SW 148th St.
and 119th Ave. SW)9am Sunday Bible School
10am WorshipFollowed by coffee fellowship
AWANA Thurs 6:00pm Sept-May
Offi ce phone 567-4255
Vashon Island Community Church
Worship Service 10:00 am (Children’s Church for preschool–5th graders)
Offi ce Phone 463-3940Pastors:
Frank Davis and Mike Ivaska9318 SW Cemetery Road
www.VICC4Life.com
Catholic ChurchSt. John Vianney
Mass–Saturdays at 5:00 pmSundays 8:00am and 10:30am
Worship 10:30 am & 7:00 pmThursday Bible Study 7:00 pm
Call for locationSaturday Prayer 7:30 pm
Pastor Stephen R. Sears463-2567
Vashon Presbyterian Church
Worship 10am17708 Vashon Hwy (center of town)
Pastor Dan HoustonChurch Offi ce Hours
Monday– Thursday 10 am - 2 pm
463-2010
Our Vashon Island
Community warmly invites
you and your family to worship with them.
Pla ces of Wors hipon our Island
Centro Familiar CristianoPastor: Edwin Alvarado
Ubicados En Bethel Church14726 Bethel Lane SW
206-371-0213Hora De Services: Sabados 7:30pm
Todos Son Bienvidos, El Lugar Ideal Para Toda La Familia
Dios Les Bendiga
License# PASCAPC972CE
SERVICE & QUALITYREMODELS – ADDITIONS – REPAIRS
WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS
FYIVashon-Maury
Vashon Island Fire & Rescue recently received another clean audit from the Washington State Auditor’s Office.
At an audit exit confer-ence last Tuesday attended by VIFR officials and four of five board members, state officials said that the audit of the district’s 2011 finances produced no find-ings — meaning the district appeared to have complied with state laws and shep-herded its resources respon-sibly in in 2011.
“I’m happy we had another successful year,” said Chief Hank Lipe after the meet-ing, adding that he didn’t expect the state would find any issues.
During VIFR’s 2007 audit, the state produced three findings, something that Lipe said he wanted to fix when he came on in 2008. Since then, the district has been audited every year, and all audits have been clean.
At the Tuesday’s audit exit conference, commis-sioners praised Lipe for his work, with Chair Candy McCullough saying he is doing a “superb job.”
— Natalie Johnson
re
Rainier Haugen
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BATMAN. Buckle your seat belts,
and get ready to meet the “Dynamic
Duo”! These two not only complete
each other, they also complement each
other’s personalities, giving their human
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each other and would LOVE to go to a home
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and children but would prefer to be the only
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can be a bit of a bully when it comes to
other kitty counterparts!
Looking for an active canine family
member? Come meet Teddy Bear.
He is a 7 year old Australian Shepherd
who is ready for business. He does
well with cats and older kids. He is a
large, strong dog and needs a slow
introduction to new dogs. Teddy Bear is
loving and looking for his new home!
Celebrating28 Years
of Service!
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Please visit VIPP.ORG for the most current animals available
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