Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber, May 15, 2013

BEACHCOMBERVASHON-MAURY ISLAND

NEWS | Suspicious activity reported by Vashon moms. [5]COMMUNITY | Event will focus on healing after tragedy. [4]COMMENTARY | Park board member reflects on service. [6]

75¢WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2013 Vol. 58, No. 20 www.vashonbeachcomber.com

FIELDING VICTORIES Pirate baseball team

heads to state playoffs.4

AUTHOR RETURNSAward-winning reporter to

talk about latest book. Page 10

Business owners respond to spurt of theftBy NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

Several Vashon merchants are taking measures to improve security at their businesses fol-lowing a string of commercial break-ins earlier this month.

Between Thursday, May 2, and Tuesday, May 7, thieves reportedly broke into at least four Vashon businesses, some-times making off with just change and in other cases steal-ing more expensive items. The Blue Heron Art Center was also broken into during that time, but it appeared nothing was stolen, said Sgt. Cindi West, a spokeswoman for the King County Sheriff ’s Office.

Kathy’s Corner, a nursery that has been hit several times over the past year, was broken into twice over the course of the week. The suspect or suspects broke through a fence as they have in the past and took hun-dreds of flowers, trees and other plants, said nursery owner Kathy Wheaton. She said the nursery has now been burglarized eight times in the past nine months.

“It’s not funny anymore,” Wheaton said on Friday as she manned the cash register at the nursery. A sign taped to a pot by the register said she was collect-ing donations to help purchase a

new fence and security cameras. “It’s embarrassing, to be real

honest. I’m not good at accept-ing help,” Wheaton said.

Dig, another nursery near town, was also broken into during the crime spurt. Syvlia

Matlock, who owns the busi-ness with her husband, said she arrived at the nursery on May 7 to find that someone had climbed the fence and used bolt cutters to steal their cash regis-ter, which was locked down.

Matlock said she lost less than $100 in cash but also had to pur-chase a new cash register. She added that she was disheartened by the incident and decided

Natalie Johnson/Staff Photo

Kathy’s Corner owner Kathy Wheaton, right, helps a customer last Friday, before she learned a suspect was arrest-ed for breaking into her nursery. A pot with a hand-written note on it is full of donations for added security.

SEE THEFT, 18

Corporate officials say a new ATM will be installed on the islandBy SUSAN RIEMERStaff Writer

Bank of America’s Vashon branch will close this fall after serving the island for 35 years, the company recently announced.

The reason behind the closure is a decline in transactions at the island facili-ty, according to Britney Sheehan, a spokes-woman for the bank. More and more, she said, instead of going to the bank, people are relying on new technologies, such as mobile and online banking, to deal with their banking needs. The branch is set to close Sept. 20.

Bank of America will send out letters to its Vashon customers later this month, informing them of the decision to close on the island, Sheehan said.

“We will give them ample time to dis-cuss options,” she said.

She noted that Bank of America has branches in West Seattle and Tacoma that may be convenient for some islanders.

Sheehan declined to say how many indi-viduals or businesses bank at the Vashon branch, but according to the Federal

SEE BANK, 20

Bank of Americabranch to close in September

Historic property is now listed as endangered by state organizationBy NATALIE JOHNSONFor The Beachcomber

As Island Landmarks, the nonprofit that owns the Mukai Farm and Garden, finished a weeklong open house at the historic site last week, the organization was dealt another blow by its critics.

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation has added the farmhouse to its list of the most endan-gered historic properties in the state. The site was nominated for the list by the nonprofit Friends of Mukai, a group of islanders who say they’re concerned about the state of the historic farmhouse and Japanese gardens and would like to see them protected and restored.

The Washington Trust, the state’s only nonprofit historic perservation organization, will announce the farmhouse’s listing, along with a half-dozen other additions to its Most Endangered Historic Properties List, tonight at its annual conference in Vancouver, Wash.

“This is validation that the property needs atten-tion,” said Lynn Greiner, a Friends of Mukai board member. “We just think the more visibility this gets, the more people will appreciate that our effort to save it is appropriate.”

However, the head of Island Landmarks, Mary Matthews, expressed surprise and disappointment at the listing, which she learned of last week.

“I don’t think the Mukai Farm and Garden is threat-ened,” Matthews said, standing outside the farm-house on Saturday, the last day of Island Landmarks’

Natalie Johnson/Staff Photo

From left, Mukai caretaker Ken DeFrang, Mary Matthews and Nelson Happy pose outside the farmhouse during their open house.

Mukai opens to public, dispute continues

SEE MUKAI, 19

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By NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

This August voters will decide whether to renew a levy that provides operations and maintenance funds for the King County Parks system, which includes more than a dozen parks and natural areas on Vashon.

The Metropolitan King County Council approved sending the levy, a six-year prop-erty tax levy lid lift of 18.77 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, to voters two weeks ago. The levy would raise parks revenue by 41 percent, providing funds the agency would use to maintain and operate its 200 parks, 175 miles of trails and 26,000 acres of open space. Revenue from the levy would also go to pur-chase new open space and support some local city parks as well as the Woodland Park Zoo.

“Voters now have the opportunity to renew this levy and decide if they want to continue supporting the operation of parks and preservation of open space in King County,” said Joe McDermott, who repre-sents Vashon on the county council, in a press release.

Tom Dean, executive director of the Vashon Maury Island Land Trust, said he hopes Vashon voters will approve the levy, which he called critical to some Vashon parks and natural areas. He also said he will work to make sure islanders understand the levy is for King County Parks, not the Vashon Park District, something he said may cause confusion.

King County Parks maintains more than a dozen parks and natural areas on Vashon, including Island Center Forest, Dockton

Park, the Maury Island Marine Park and the Maury Island Site, a natural area formerly owned by Glacier Northwest.

Dean said that since the first King County Parks levy passed in 2003, parks funds have gone far on Vashon. Aside from funding basic park and trail maintenance, levy rev-enue has helped the county purchase several important properties, Dean said, such as the gateway parcel at Island Center Forest. Levy revenue has also helped fund significant improvements at Island Center Forest, such as the additions of trail signs, kiosks, maps and a new parking lot.

“All that stuff that has made Island Center Forest so much more accessible to people, it is going to do the same thing moving for-ward at the Maury Island Marine Park and the Glacier site,” he said.

Dean added that the land trust plans to work with King County Parks in the future to make several more important aquisitions, including properties around Judd Creek, projects that would be hampered if the levy did not pass.

Two county council members, Kathy Lambert and Reagan Dunn, voted against the levy last month. In a press release, Lambert said she was concerned about how lifting the levy lid may affect other local agencies, since the amount of property tax junior taxing districts can raise combined is limited by the state.

“Voters will have a choice to increase funding for expansion of our parks system or to preserve tax capacity for other services such as roads, transit, fire and public safety,” she said.

King County Parks levy up for renewal

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Top Three Spring 2013I don’t know about you but the weather these last few days feel like

heaven to me and lets me know that summer is just around the corner. Warm days and evenings on the deck, sitting on the beach or sailing away will soon all be here. Here are the Top Three things I am going to be doing around the house to be ready. Maybe you will be too.

My deck: I spend an inordinate amount of time on my deck during the summer

months. I got it mostly cleaned up last Fall, but I always like to check it out before the first big gathering of the season. I look for loose or (heaven forbid) rotted boards. Are the railings still sound and most of all is the deck still well fastened to the house? Deck failures are the topic of much discussion in the trades and the vast majority of them come from poor house to deck connections. If you are in doubt, give me a call. I would be happy to come and check yours out.

My paint: My house is mostly unfinished Cedar. We like it that way and it cer-

tainly keeps the maintenance to a minimum. However, all our door and window trim, not to mention the windows themselves, are painted a dark red color. It is a nightmare keeping up with this so I regularly pick out a few areas to be repainted each year. I kind of like the work and always feel gratified to see a fresh coat on things. If this is not your thing, or you simply don’t have the time, now is the time to round up a painter to take over. They get REAL busy, REAL soon.

My roof:I know I sound like a broken record on this one, but you wouldn’t

believe the number of calls I get around the beginning of October looking for a good roofer. If you are in doubt about your roof, deal with it now. My roofer is already pretty busy, what with construction picking up and all. Also, this is a pretty good time to deal with the moss up there. I know I need to get rid of the green stuff myself so it goes on my list for Spring house repair.

Enjoy your summer. I know I am looking forward to it and with these tasks behind me I can enjoy it all the more. Bob

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Vashon has lost several young people in recent monthsBy NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

Vashon leaders, stunned by the recent death of a 2010 Vashon High School grad-uate, the fourth such tragedy in recent months, have organized an event they hope will help the community heal.

The event, “Gathering as a Community to Heal from Tragedy,” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at Chautauqua Elementary School. It is being put on by Vashon Youth & Family Services and the Vashon Island School District.

“I think we’re in a very tender situation emotionally, and I think there’s a lot of emo-tional fragility here,” said Superintendent Michael Soltman. “I think that this pattern could potentially continue unless we act to do something different. ... That’s why I’m so committed to doing this right away.”

Many islanders were shocked last week to learn of the death of 20-year-old Samantha

Burkart, the fourth highly publicized death of an islander in his or her teens or 20s in a little over six months.

Search and rescue officials discovered Burkart’s body near a trail on the Burton Peninsula last Wednesday, said Sgt. Cindi West, a spokeswoman for the King County Sheriff ’s Office. Burkart was last seen on Thursday, May 2, and reported missing on the following Saturday. Family discov-ered her car parked at Jensen Point last Wednesday, prompting a quick search and rescue operation in the adjacent woods by Vashon’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and King County Search and Rescue.

West said foul play is not suspected in Burkart’s death, which many are calling an apparent suicide. An official cause of death, she said, will not be released until the King County Medical Examiner’s Office com-pletes a toxicology report. A representative of the office said on Friday that the toxicol-ogy report would take up to 10 weeks.

Burkart, the daughter of Timothy Burkart and Rosalie Bonelli, was born and raised on Vashon. On Friday family members released a statement that said the young

woman had many talents and a good sense of humor. She liked to draw, they said, was published in a teen magazine and was an avid Scrabble player.

“Alas, despite her many talents, she suffered from depression and low self-esteem that became more pronounced as she became older,” the statement said. “The family hopes that Sam’s passing will encourage others who suffer from mental illness to seek early treatment.”

The family added that Burkart appar-ently died in a place she loved.

“Finally, Sam loved Vashon Island and she died near the trails that she and her family would often walk when she was a child.”

Soltman said many VHS staff members knew Burkart, and students and staff are also still grieving the recent deaths of high school students Palmerston Burk and Ryan Krug. Burk, a freshman, committed suicide last October, and Krug, a junior, died in a car accident in January.

Last November, another young islander, India Castle, was also found dead after being reported missing for several days. The sheriff ’s office later said Castle, 27 and

a graduate of VHS, died from an accidental drug overdose and exposure.

“In some respect, the high school and the school district is in shock and has been for several months, and that shock lies right under the surface of our school com-munity,” Soltman said. “We create as much normalcy as possible, but I think at the risk of covering up feelings, emotions and concerns that need to be dealt with for us to move forward.”

Soltman said he’d already been working with VYFS officials to put on a community event on grief and healing, and when they learned of Burkart’s death last week, they decided to move quickly.

“What we’re doing now is not effective at meeting the needs of kids who are dealing with these tragedies,” Soltman said, adding that he wanted to help both students and adults with their grief and work to prevent youth suicide.

“It’s to open up a dialogue that creates understanding and support between par-ents and students and the community, so we can be closer together and prevent these tragedies in the future,” he said.

Following another tragic death, community event will focus on healing

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The meeting will be facilitated by Michael Meade, an islander who helps communities with similar tragedies through his organization, the Mosaic Multicultural Foundation.

Yvonne-Monique Zick, who heads VYFS’s community and parent educa-tion and is organizing the event, said she felt fortunate that Meade, who travels frequently, could be at the meeting on short notice.

“He’s an expert in healing communi-ties,” she said. “This is his community, and he feels strongly about being able to be of service to us in this way.”

Since Burk’s and Krug’s deaths, coun-selors with VYFS have been present in Vashon schools and have held support groups for students and staff members. The organization has also put on sev-eral educational meetings for parents on youth suicide prevention.

Zick said she thought VYFS has pro-vided a lot of resources and support, but she believes that many are still in pain from recent tragedies and are having trouble returning to “business as usual,” she said. That’s why the focus of tonight’s meeting, she said, will be on healing.

“Every time it seems like we get a Band Aid or that scab starts to heal, we’ve been hit with another tragedy,” she said. “How do we heal? That’s really where we’re all looking, is how do we heal.”

Parents should be both calm and cautious, authorities say By SUSAN RIEMERStaff Writer

In the past week, two incidents involving island children have gotten considerable attention on Facebook and an online com-munity bulletin board; in both instances, family members close to the situations have said they believe there was an intent to harm or abduct a child.

Both incidents occurred outside at the Eernissee Apartments behind Island Home Center and Lumber.

One islander was arrested, booked into jail and then released in connection with the first incident, which took place April 30, according to Heather Vorenkamp, the mother of one of the children involved. Sgt. Cindi West, a spokeswoman with the King County Sheriff ’s office, said that case will be forwarded to the King County Prosecutor’s Office later this week to determine if charg-es will be filed.

West said she had no information about the second case, so she could make no com-ment about it or if it was related in any way to the April 30 incident.

In the first case, a group of children who live at the Eernisse Apartments were playing a game of hide and seek, and Vorenkamp’s

10-year-old daughter ran off to hide near a path that connects the housing complex to the Methodist church and the main high-way, Vorkenkamp said.

There, Vorkenkamp said, her daughter reported that she saw two people, one of whom seemed to be hiding in a bush and appeared to be a man dressed as a woman. The individual approached her with a large stick in hand, asked her name and indi-cated knowing her mom. She grew uneasy, Vorenkamp said, and ran home. When she started to run, the girl reported to her mother that the individual reached for her, but missed, and said to the person nearby, “I should have grabbed her sooner.”

The girl told her mother that the indi-vidual followed her home, though at a considerable distance behind her, and saw where the family lives. Vorenkamp said they reported the incident to the authorities later that evening.

Attempts to reach the mother who wrote an online post about the second of the inci-dents had not been successful at press time. On the Vashon Community Advocates Yahoo group, a woman reported that her 6-year-old son had been outside playing with a water spigot with a friend when a man drove up, got out of his car and approached the boys. The mother said she intervened at that time, causing the man to get back in his car, shut his car door and tell her he had just been wanting the boys to fill up his soda can with water.

The post on the Yahoo group says she called the police immediately with his license plate number, and they told her they have had calls about him and that kind of behavior before.

However, West, with the sheriff ’s office, said that repeated attempts to find informa-tion about that case have come up short.

If the woman has been in touch with the authorities about the incident, West said, she would like to know more about it so she can determine why it does not appear to be in the system. If the mother has not been in touch with the police, she should be, West said.

West added that the sheriff ’s office would prefer that people be cautious and report incidents to the police even if they are not certain doing so is fully warranted. At the same time, she cautioned islanders not to read too much into these events because cases like this often turn out to be not what they at first seemed.

“A lot of times we get to the bottom of these, and find there was no attempt to abduct the child,” she said.

She also stressed the importance of watching children when they are outside and teaching them not to talk to strangers — commending the young Vashon girl who found herself in a very scary situation. And, she added, adults should call 911 if anything is questionable.

“With anything suspicious, we would rather they report it,” she said.

Recent incidents prompt safety concerns for island children

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A memorial service for Samantha Burkart will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 18, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church.

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.

Our e-mail address is [email protected].

WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, May 15, 2013 • The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

EDITORIAL

In February, an editorial in this very spot in the paper reflect-ed on how Vashon had been hard hit by three recent deaths of young people — Palmer Burk, India Castle and Ryan Krug. It’s hard to believe that just three months later, we’re adding another name to that list. While the death of 20-year-old Samantha Burkart is certainly a tragedy in itself, many islanders are noting that it also seems to cap a shocking and inexplicable string of deaths of islanders in their teens or 20s.

Though Samantha, a VHS graduate, was no longer in Vashon schools like Palmer and Ryan, she was a part of our small com-munity, and her death has been felt. And while all of these young people ran in different crowds and were lost under different circumstances, their deaths bind us together in a shared sense of loss.

Leaders in the school district and Vashon Youth & Family Services say they’ve observed that some — in particular young people — are still struggling mightily with the losses of their friends and classmates. And for some, the most recent tragic news hit a spot already sore from grief. It’s appropriate that VYFS is tak-ing steps beyond its support groups and suicide prevention meet-ings to try to address what some are still search for — healing.

Some deaths will never make sense, and some wounds never fully heal, but we hope islanders struggling with any of the recent tragedies, as well as their families, will consider attending tonight’s event with an open mind. Perhaps coming together as a com-munity will help relieve some of the pain that lingers. And who knows, one life reached out to could ultimately be one life saved.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

As I’m nearing the end of my two-plus terms on the Vashon Park District board, I urge good-hearted, intelligent and hard-working islanders to consider running for a seat on one of our elected island boards. The school board, the park board, the fire board and a patchwork of other island districts have positions open for the fall 2013 election. In order to make the election bal-lot, however, you have to sign up by this Friday with King County Elections. These boards offer the only true form of “local” govern-ment on Vashon, where we have the opportunity to manage our own fate.

Having served on the park board since 2005 and armed with a trusty degree in political science, I’d like to think I’ve learned a few things. Vashon sometimes has the reputation of being “ungovern-able,” which earns us a gold star in some circles, but it also makes it really difficult to fill potholes in a timely or efficient manner. In the spirit of George Washington’s farewell address, here are my “sentiments which are the result of much reflection, of no incon-siderable observation, and which appear to me all important to the permanency of [our] felicity as a people.”

First, our passion should be to seek compromise in our local affairs, not to inflame controversy. Let’s face it — compromise is boring. Apologies to Henry Clay,

but no one remembers “The Great Compromiser.” We celebrate the firebrands and the impas-sioned speak-ers. Although a rousing

speech to the cemetery board can enliven an otherwise dead meet-ing, the hard work of local govern-ment is best accomplished by cool heads and rational discussion. An approach to a problem, or a solution that leaves most people reasonably happy, is the one we should celebrate.

Second, we must stop admiring our problems and work toward practical solutions. Like the City of Seattle, Vashon often mistakes process for progress. After more than a decade of debate and hand-wringing, our new high school will offer less than we need for more money than was necessary had we acted sooner. We have too many self-appointed “community activists” who, by force of habit, are well-practiced at opposing or delaying things. What we need are “community leaders” — the type of people who can transform activism into action and posses the vision to get things done.

Third, we should beware of

islanders who claim to be fight-ing special interests because they are most likely furthering their own. There is a fine line between a righteous position and a self- righ-teous one. By sticking to facts and presuming the legitimacy of your opposition, you can avoid cross-ing it.

And finally, we should treat our “elected officials” as friends and neighbors because they are. Our local district officials give up countless hours with their families in order to serve our community. The men and women who hold these positions — often without any compensation — deserve our appreciation. Disagreement should be stated respectfully, not like you are a pundit who is auditioning for Fox News or the Jerry Springer Show.

So with all the clamor, contro-versy and contentiousness that too often accompanies public issues on Vashon, why would anyone want to serve on a district board? The simple reason is because you should. Absent good people will-ing to step forward and manage our public endeavors, we risk slip-ping into the island of the ungov-ernable. The vibrant, cooperative community that drew so many of us to Vashon depends on the determined efforts of the many, and the extraordinary leadership of a few.

— David Hackett is a lawyer and a Vashon Park District commissioner.

Healing as a community

STAFFPUBLISHER: Daralyn Anderson [email protected] COORDINATOR: Patricia Seaman [email protected]: Chris Austin [email protected]

EDITORIALEDITOR: Natalie Johnson [email protected] [email protected]: Susan Riemer [email protected] Elizabeth Shepherd [email protected] [email protected] Sports [email protected]

ADVERTISING/MARKETING/DESIGN PRODUCTIONMARKETING REPRESENTATIVE: Daralyn Anderson [email protected] DESIGNERS: Nance Scott and Linda Henley [email protected]

OPINIONVashon-Maury

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PUBLIC SERVICEBy DAVID HACKETT

Volunteer: Our boards needs talented people

Sea rescueWe are lucky to have these brave men living among us

In the March 27, 2013, Beachcomber, there was an article titled “Two Vashon fisherman honored for heroism.”

After reading the article, I felt uplifted and inspired. Capt. Plancich and his three-man crew (one other crew member is also from Vashon, Dan Hardwick) and two others from off island rescued five seamen from the fishing vessel Heritage off the coast of Kodiak, Alaska.

Early in the morning on Jan 25, 2012, Plancich and his crew of the 119-foot Tuxedni were tied up safely in Kodiak when they heard a Coast Guard radio broadcast: Another fishing boat, the Heritage,

was caught in a fierce storm and taking on water. The Heritage crew’s lives were in peril. They had abandoned ship, five in the life craft and two in the water in specially made suits. The Heritage was going down.

The Tuxedni rescued five men while risking their own safety to assist others in a dangerous situation. The Coast Guard was involved in another emergency but picked up the two men from the water when they could. The Tuxedni’s crew was commended by the Coast Guard for being Good Samaritans and helping their fellow mariners.

I have been looking for letters to the editor and found not a mention of these heroes and what they did since the original article. Well, I will mention them now. We are blessed and proud to have these

SEE NEXT PAGE

On left-leaning Vashon, one would be hard pressed to find a fan of big banks. This is why we suspect this news that Bank of America will close in the fall was met on the island with mixed reactions last week.

Some who do business at Bank of America are no doubt frustrated, maybe even angry, that their bank is leaving them high and dry. And those who dislike the corporation, which has become known in recent years for its high fees and controversial decisions, may be glad to see it leave or for one more branch to close.

Whether angry or pleased, don’t forget one small group of island-ers affected in a big way by this closure — the branch employees.

As islanders worked to bring a credit union to Vashon a couple years ago, some organizers noted that while they had qualms with Vashon’s big banks, they liked many of the people inside them. Many islanders, in fact, have reported good experiences with staff at Bank of America, as well as Chase and U.S. Bank. Even Patte Wagner, the credit union’s well-liked manager, once headed Vashon’s Chase branch.

If you bank at Bank of America and have appreciated the local staff — including manager Barbara Rice, who has been with the branch for 22 years — take time to say a word to them.

And as for Bank of America officials, who have been some-what tight-lipped about the closure, we hope they’ll work hard to relocate any Vashon employees willing to commute off-island to keep their jobs.

Big bank on a small island

The prospect of a Vashon Health Center controlled by Franciscan Health System calls to mind the significance of the Reformation and the Enlightenment in freeing indi-viduals from religious tyranny. The Reformation claimed the right of peo-ple to read and interpret scripture for themselves; the Enlightenment estab-lished our freedom to reject religious authority and to base our conduct on our own moral reasoning, rather than the dictates of a central authority.

The Constitution and government of the United States are founded on these ideas: that individuals can choose their own religious paths while respecting the freedom of oth-ers to do that same and participate in democratic society with people of many faiths and values.

Today the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs) offer a set of moral prescriptions from a central author-ity, which health care providers in the Franciscan Health System must obey. A system in which our only acces-sible health center is controlled by the Roman Catholic Church creates a situation where all of us — regardless of our personal beliefs — are com-pelled to abide by its teachings and attitudes.

The require-ment to obey a single religious authority in the conduct of our per-sonal lives is reminiscent of authoritarian regimes where

self-determination holds little value. Such hierarchies fit poorly with a diverse and democratic society such as ours. Religious control over health care systems can produce tragic out-comes for individuals. I suspect that the unwillingness of female physi-cians to apply for jobs at the Vashon Health Center today reflects the like-lihood that under the ERDs they will not be able to offer appropriate care to their patients, especially reproduc-tive health and end-of-life care.

Our constitution is founded on the idea that each of us determines her own faith and code of personal conduct, as long as we don’t interfere with the liberty of others. Requiring health care providers and patients in our community to adhere to

the dictates of the ERDs defies the Constitution and overturns the free-doms claimed by the Reformation and the Enlightenment several cen-turies ago. Why would anyone want a health care system run by an authori-tarian church — unless he or she was a member of that church and adhered to its principles? Who wants someone else’s “infallible” authority to control

our most personal choices?We need a real alternative to the

health care offered by Franciscan Health Services — health care con-trolled by our community, in align-ment with our values, where the dig-nity and conscience of each person is respected.

I hope we can put our heads to-gether and create one.

— Margot Boyer writes, teaches and works in a family-owned small business.


Dental Care of VashonAdvanced family & cosmetic dentistry

brave men living on the island and in Washington state as our neighbors and friends. What a great example for our youth and for us adults. We certainly need more examples of this kind reported, especially in today’s news reports of horrible and sickening events.

Thanks to you and way to go, Tuxedni.

— Phyllis Smith

Schools foundationWe all have a stake in helping the next generation get off to a good start

I encourage all islanders to go online today and make a pledge or donation to Vashon’s public schools through the Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation (vashonschools-foundation.com). Our local schools need your financial support now, as they rely on these donations to balance their budget, now that state and local tax funding has so dramatically decreased. With your help, they can continue to provide the high quality of education that we all have come to expect.

When I ask my friends what makes island living spe-cial, they say it’s because we take care of each other here. I wholeheartedly agree and would add that it’s also because we have a vibrant, diverse community that celebrates chil-dren and learning.

Even if you don’t have school-age children or your kids have already finished school or your kids attend other schools, you can still help. We all have a stake in helping the next generation get the best start possible.

Thanks for donating.

— Priscilla Atwood

Vashon health services should align with our valuesHEALTH CAREBy MARGOT BOYER

www.vashonbeachcomber.com24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK

Our constitution is founded on the idea that each of us determines her own faith and code of personal conduct, as long as we don’t interfere with the liberty of others.


WEDNESDAY • 15

GiveBIG: The Seattle Foundation’s large philanthropic event is today and provides an opportunity to support island nonprofits. See www. seattlefoundation.org.

Open Bridge: All levels of players are welcome. 9:30 a.m. to noon, or take lessons from Daphne Purpus from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays at the Vashon Senior Center.

DSHS Van Visits: People can stop by the van and apply for cash, basic food and medical assistance and drug and alcohol and child care services. People can also drop off paperwork or complete a review. 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Vashon Community Food Bank and 3 to 5 p.m. in front of the Vashon Market, 17639 100th Ave. S.W.

Vashon Maury Cooperative Preschool Open House: Guests are welcome at the monthly par-ent education meeting led by the school’s parent instructors. Guests may tour the school before the meeting begins and meet the teacher. 7 p.m. school tours and 7:30 p.m. meeting at the PlaySpace.

Gather to Heal from Tragedy: Michael Meade will lead this gath-ering to help the island cope with the considerable loss in recent months. 7 to 9 p.m. at Chautauqua Elementary School. (For more information, see page 4.)

THURSDAY • 16

Chamber of Commerce Mem-bership Meeting: Speakers will include Shelby Edwards from Our Daily Toast, who will describe

taking disaster preparedness on Vashon to the next level. 8:30 to 10 a.m. at the Penny Farcy Building.

Vashon Vespers: This 35-minute service is meditative and musical, a chance for stillness and ground-ing. Rooted in the Christian con-templative tradition, Vashon Ves-pers is open to all. Child care will be provided. This will be the last Vespers service until fall. 7 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Spirit. (Note: the date was listed incorrectly in last week’s Beachcomber.)

FRIDAY •17

Master Gardeners: Stop by to learn about the many gardening websites available. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside True Value.

Vashon Opera Opening: The island’s opera company still has tickets left for this weekend’s show, two one-act operas from Giacomo Puccini, “Il Tabarro and Gianni Schicchi.” Shows will be Friday through Sunday. (For more information, see page 10.)

SATURDAY • 18

Shaggy Horse Show: Spectators are encouraged at this annnual event of the Olympus Pony Club. Entry forms for riders are avail-able at VI Horse Supply, Island Home Center & Lumber and on the Vashon Island Riders Facebook page. 9 a.m. at Paradise Ridge.

Farmers Market: Farmers will be on hand with spring produce and starts; artisans will offer their work, and The Magpies will provide folk, Celtic and bluegrass music. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Village Green.

Master Gardeners: Stop by for information on attracting earth-worms to your garden. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside True Value.

Vashon Watersports Opens: Try paddling for one hour for free. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Jensen Point. (For more information, see the next page.)Adopt-a-Cat Day: Vashon Island Pet Protectors hosts a cat adop-tion day each Saturday. For more information, see www.vipp.org. 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 12200 S.W. 243rd St.

Time of Remembrance: Provi-

dence Hospice is offering a Time of Remembrance for those who have lost a loved one in this last year. Those who have experienced the loss of a loved one are invited to attend and may bring a pho-tograph to place on a memorial table. RSVP to 749-7704 if plan-ning to attend. 1 p.m. at the Land Trust Building.

Cribbage: Play nine games of cribbage; win cash prizes and earn national rating points. The cost is $8 for visitors and $10 for mem-bers. 1 to 4 p.m. at the Vashon Eagles.

SUNDAY • 19

Unitarian Fellowship: A mini-service will be followed by the fel-lowship’s annual meeting, where members will vote on the budget for 2012-2013 and on the Board of Trustees slate. 9:30 a.m. at Lewis Hall, 23905 Vashon Hwy. S.W.

Spring Tea and Style Show: This year’s theme is “Oh, Those Calendar Girls.” Twelve seniors will model outfits from Granny’s, Wen-dy’s and Luna Bella’s. Tickets are $8 for this fundraiser and are avail-able at the Vashon Senior Center. For more information, contact Lois Yunker at [email protected]. 1 to 3 p.m. at the senior center.

Cancer Survivor’s Tea: Relay for Life is hosting this event. Cancer survivors and family members or caregivers are welcome. For more information, email Margaret Bickel at [email protected]. 1 to 3 p.m. at the Vashon Eagles.

Fishing Derby for Island Kids: Kids 12 and under are invited to fish for free. They should bring their own pole and bait. There will be music, prizes and $1 hot dogs. Noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Sport-men’s Club pond on Singer Road.

MONDAY • 20

Vashon Maury Island Com-munity Council: A representa-tive from the King County Roads Department will discuss upcoming projects, including new guardrails. There will also be a presentation/discussion by Craft 3, the orga-nization that will be providing

low-interest loans for failing septic systems on the island within the Marine Recovery Areas. See www.vmicc.org for more information. 7 p.m. at McMurray Middle School.

TUESDAY • 21

Vashon Quilt Guild: On the agenda will be the showing of both the Challenge and Block of the Month quilt projects. Jacquie Gering, who lives in Chicago and is the founder of the Kansas Modern Quilt Guild, will be the guest speaker. Visitors are welcome. 10 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church.

Percussion Ensemble Concert: The acclaimed Vashon High School Percussion Ensemble will perform its popular annual community concert. Tickets will be $5 at the-door. 7 p.m. at the Vashon High School.

UPCOMING

Support Sound Action: Cel-ebrate and support the transfor-mation of Preserve Our Islands into Sound Action. Sound Action is a watchdog group dedicated to pro-tecting Puget Sound’s near shore, the inland sea’s productive bread-basket. Meet board members, and play “Puget Sound in Jeopadry.” 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at the Hardware Store Restaurant.

Kite Day: Fly kites, enjoy the park and beach, have a picnic and listen to music by Geordie’s Byre at this free annual event. Tours of the lighthouse will be held by Captain Joe, and the Ship’s Store will be open to purchase kites for those who don’t already have one. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at Point Robinson.

SUV Summer Kick Off Party: Join the Zumba demonstration by Sara Van Fleet and enjoy contests, prizes and Love Yourself Challenge Teams awards. A light dinner will be served. The event is free for SUV members, Challenge Team mem-bers and children accompanied by adults. A $10 entry fee from others includes an SUV membership. See www. shapeupvashon. org for more information. 6 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Chautauqua Elementary School.

Father-Daughter Dance: The annual tradition continues this year with the theme Singing in the Rain. An optional dinner will meet at 5:30 p.m., and the dance begins at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at the Vashon Golf and Swim Club. Tickets are $20 per person for the dance and $15 per person for the dinner; they are available at The Blue Heron or the Heron’s Nest.

CLASSES

Pet Partners/Delta Society: Learn how you and your dog can become a certified Pet Partner team. Contact Kathy Farner at [email protected] for more information. 5 p.m. Mondays at Vashon High School.

Yoga and Strength Training: This class is ongoing, and new members are welcome. The cost is $15 per class with a class card. 3 p.m. Mondays at Core Centric in the Vashon Village.

Kundalini Yoga: Patti Kiriazis teaches the class. Bring a friend, and both of your classes will be free. Noon to 1:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Ober Park.

English as a Second Language: Free classes meet weekly. 6 p.m. Thursdays at the Vashon Library.

Nourishing Nature Workshops for Girls: Girls ages 11 to 14 will practice the arts of wilderness cooking, wild edible feasting and herbal medicine making as a gateway to learning more about the natural world. The cost is $350 and includes one overnight. Schol-arships are available. Register at www.vashonwildernessprogram.org. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at Camp Sealth.

Yoga: With an emphasis on core strength and lengthening through the upper spine, the class, taught by Linda Moore, will practice a progression of back bends for all levels of experience. The cost of the four-week class is $56. To register, send a check payable to Island Yoga Center to P.O. Box 2062, or drop it off in the mailbox by the front door. For more infor-mation, email [email protected]. Drop-ins are welcome on a space- available basis. 8 p.m. Thursdays beginning May 23 at Island Yoga Center.

Cooking and Tasting Class: Chef Chris Lueck will demonstrate three gluten-free dishes to sample and try at home. The cost is $15 for SUV members, $25 for non-members. To reserve a space, send a check to Shape Up Vashon, P.O. Box 13527, Burton, 98013 by May 23. 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, at the Mileta Creek Restaurant at Vashon Island Golf & Swim Club.

Kathleen Webster Photo

Dancers from the Vashon Dance Academy will perform their version of Cinderella this weekend. Shows will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Vashon High School theater.Tickets, $13 for adults and $11 for students, are on sale now at the Vashon Bookshop. They typically sell out, so purchasing them early is suggested. Above, young children of the court gaze at Cinderella. Dancers left to right are Aiden Rees, Charlotte Schoen, Phoebe Wilke and Marina Gill.For more information about the show, see page 10.

CALENDARVashon-Maury

SUBMISSIONS

Send items to [email protected] 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.

CINDERELLA GOES TO THE BALL

VASHON THEATRE

Iron Man 3: Ends May 23

Place Beyond the Pines: Begins May 17

Sixty Second Film Festival: 1 p.m. May 19, free

Monsters vs. Aliens: 6 p.m. May 21, free

See www.vashontheatre.com for show times or call

463-3232.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Vashon Sewer District Board of Commissioners: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at the Vashon Senior Center.

King County Airport District #1: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at Courthouse Square.

Vashon Maury Island Community Council: 7 p.m. Monday, May 20, at McMurray Middle School.

Vashon Island School District: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at Chautauqua Elementary School.

FREE COMMUNITY MEALSVolunteers serve free meals seven days a week on Vashon. All people are welcome at the meals, which are served at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Sat-urday and at 1 p.m. Sunday at the following locations. For more information about the meals program, contact Harmon Arroyo at 351-1441 or at [email protected].

Monday, Methodist church

Tuesday, Presbyterian church

Wednesday, Church of the Holy Spirit

Thursday, Presbyterian church

Friday, Lutheran church

Saturday, Methodist church

Sunday, Methodist church


on May 15 and watch your money multiply! Seattle

total received that day!

Between midnight and midnight on May 15th, go to www.seattlefoundation.org/givebig and search for VYFS to donate. Thank you for helping Island families thrive.

www.vyfs.org

Give BIGGER on May15th

Connect, Nurture, Thrive.

Red BicycleBistro & Sushiin Downtown Vashon

WEEKLY LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

206.463.595917618 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon

Saturday, May 18th,doors at 8pm

Lt. Robert Bennedsen Memorial Scholarship

Benefi t ConcertWITH One More Mile

$10 suggested donation All-ages ‘til 11pm, 21+ after that

This Thursday’sVashon Rotary

email: [email protected]

Service above Self Since 1985

Thursday, May 16th, 7:00amThe Senior Center

Johanna GuevinNew manager of

The Farmers’ MarketGrowing Together

Adrienne Selvy MildonAlex Van AmburgAlexis RobinsonAll Around UpgradesAllison Narver Amanda McConnellAmber & Jon TjemslandAmber MatuskyAmy BaldingerAmy BroomhallAmy KremenAndra BattistiAndrea Braganza Andy James & Dana NessAnnie RobertsAnthony ColemanArtisan Electric, Inc.Baldinger Piano ServiceBandstand MusicBarb Rhoads-WeaverBob & Renee BurlingameBrigid WalshBurton Coffee StandCaleb JohnsCami LundeenCamp SealthCarol and Chuck DawsonChaco Canyon Organic CafeCheryl BrockwayChris BallewChris LueckChristi CollinsChristine JuarezCliff’s BeerConnie KapioskiDarlyn SullivanDayna RogersDayna RogersDeborah d’ArtellDebra HeeschDiamond Parking ServicesDJ Top DogDoug SnyderDougher FamilyElizabeth FreemanEmily BurnsEmily PruiksmaErik LundeenEssentials 4FinchHavenFlying B RanchFoss MillerGary GonterGlenn RukwidGluten Free Girl and the Chef -

Shauna James Ahern and Danny Ahern

H. ReimnitzHita von MendeIlse ReimnitzIshan DillonIsland Spring Organics

Island Yoga CenterJamie LopezJan Staehli Garden DesignJeep BrockwayJeffery & Allison ReidJennifer SutherlandJeromy SanderJesse JohnsonJessica BoldingJesus Barn Farm and FriendsJim & Corlean Payne-HassellJohn L. ScottJohnny JoyceJon WhalenJonathan KuzmaJorgeJude SpaithKaren BiondoKaren EliasenKathleen FitchKathy KushKatie UnderwoodKen C. JuddKen KatzKevin JoyceKim-Marie HeuerKittaya NamhongKristin ThompsonLa Biondo Wood Fired PizzaLandseer Glen LandscapingLeslie ShattuckLinda Sferra LintzillaLisa McCleodLiz LewisLori MeansMaria GlanzMarie LoebMarla Smith PhotographyMarshall MurrayMartha OrmsethMary MarinMaury Island WineryMay Kitchen + BarMcIntyre Construction

Services, Inc.Megan HastingsMelana TaitchMelanie SalonenMelissa HoveyMichael O’DonnellMIchael WhitmoreMinglement & The Vashon

Island Coffee RoasterieMolly WilsonNicole Donahue PsychotherapyNicole Grey YogaNikki AmesNirvana Modern CuisineOpen Space for Arts

& Community

P.B. Walker & AssociatesPacific ResearchPaco JoycePaco RollinsPalouse WineryPatty CakesPatty FreebournPaul and Elizabeth TurnerPeggy and Pat FuelPop Cap GamesPRAHMRaechel EhlersRaena JoyceRebecca & Damon LanphearRock Island Pub and PizzaRod and Tammy VetschRoger LehetRolit SharmaRosieBones Inc.Roxy HathawayRusty WilloughbySaucy Sisters PizzaSea Breeze FarmsSea Change Tattoo ParlorSeattle Distilling CompanySeattle Repertory TheaterSnapdragon Bakery and CafeStraight on Strength Susan Lofland, RealtorSustainable Law PLLCSutherland FamilySutherland Home InspectionsTami Brockway JoyceTara McBennettTessa FrancisThe Actors GroupThe Hardware Store RestaurantThe Washington State FairiesTina ShattuckTony LieboTory HayesTres Fabu!Tricia ThompsonTrue Value RentalUnforgettable Fire LLCVain SalonVashon Allied ArtsVashon EaglesVashon EventsVashon Golf & Swim ClubVashon Island MusicVashon TheatreVashon ThriftwayVashon Youth & Family ServicesVirginia SagerWest Seattle ThriftwayWorking Mothers RevolutionWovan CellarsZamoranaZOMBiEZ

And all the VMCP Families!

We thank the many sponsors, donors and volunteers who helped make our

auction an enormous success!

Vashon Watersports, the island’s new purveyor of kayaks, canoes and paddle-boards, is set to open for the season this weekend.

Owners Doug and Erin Kieper will open Saturday and are offering one hour of free paddling to all who stop by the boathouse at Jensen Point.

After buying the kayak business from the Vashon Park District earlier this year, they have expanded their fleet to include 27 kayaks, including some high perfor-mance boats; two canoes and five stand-up paddleboards.

The couple are looking forward to open-ing day, Doug Kieper said.

“It’s really exciting,” he said. “For us, it’s a pursuit of passion.”

Through a variety of discounts, classes and tours they plan to offer throughout the summer, Kieper said they hope to make the water sports they offer as accessible as possible.

“Our goal is to put this in striking dis-tance of more families,” he said.

Among the possibilities for the months ahead, Kieper said, are moonlight tours at KVI, low-tide tours, history tours of Quatermaster Harbor and trips to Blake Island.

Also planned is a $100 pass good for 10 hours of paddling on any craft they have — a considerable discount for kayaks. One of the passes will be raffled off on opening day and all the proceeds given to the Vashon Maury Island Land Trust.

Additionally, Kieper said, they are con-sidering offering weeknight specials, noting that he would like to see parents come home

after a rough day at work in the city and head out with their kids to spend the evening on the water — for not a lot of money.

“Our whole vision is to get people out in touch with their environment in eco-friendly ways,” he said.

— Susan Riemer

Burton’s water sports center set to open

Vashon Watersports will open Saturday, May 18, at the Jensen Point boathouse. Through July 14, hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. From July 19 to Sept. 22, hours will expand to include Fridays. Reservations for additional days are also available. For more information, see www.vashonwatersports.com, and also, see Vashon Watersports on Facebook.

Courtesy Photo

Erin and Doug Kieper, avid kayakers, hope to make kayaking and other water sports more affordable on Vashon.


ARTS&LEISUREVashon-Maury YUMMY ART: An exhibit of ar t by Seattle painter Jessie Higgins Murray will grace the

walls of Blooms & Things throughout May. The show, titled “Desser t,” is f i l led with small canvasses depicting chocolates, cake, cupcakes and other delectable treats. Stop by the shop to take a look.

Dancers stage ‘Cinderella’It’s time for another lively, inventive production from DanceVashon and the nimble ballerinas and modern dancers of Vashon Dance Academy.

Dozens of dancers will take the stage in the company’s version of the classic fairy tale “Cinderella” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, at the Vashon High School the-ater. Tickets to the show, $13 for adults and $11 for students, are on sale at the Vashon Bookshop.

The production will star Rachael Thomas and Charlotte Schoen, sharing the title role of the under-loved and overworked heroine of the tale. Other dancers will play characters including Ego, Midnight, Hope and Cinders, as well as the more whimsical roles of bubbles, pumpkin babies and fireflies. Three male dancers from a Port Orchard dance studio have also been recruited to appear in the show.

The show has been developed by the young dance students, who have worked with their teachers, Dane Academy artistic director Cheryl Krown and ballet teacher Julie Gibson, to create original choreography to tell the story.

“We always choose the show based on which story and characters will most suit our most advanced dancers for that year ... what roles we think will challenge and inspire them. Then we build the show and the other characters for each class from there,” said Krown.

Vashon Opera does PucciniSome tickets are still available for Vashon Opera’s presentation of two Puccini one-act operas, “Il Tabarro” and “Gianni Schicchi.” Shows are set for 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, at Bethel Church. Tickets, $32, can be purchased at www.vashonopera.org and Vashon Bookshop.

The productions boast a roster of region-al opera stars bolstered by an ensemble of local singers, as well as an orchestra of acclaimed players from the region.

DON’T MISS

Kathleen Webster Photo

Myra Butler, Charlotte Schoen and Isabel Forest (left to right) perform a scene in “Cinderella.”

By ELIZABETH SHEPHERDArts Editor

Islanders can cele-brate a monumental environmental vic-

tory that is also, quite literally, a fish story, at a reading next week.

Lynda Mapes, an award-winning journalist and author, will appear at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at the Land Trust Building, to read from her new book, “Elwha: A River Reborn” — a much-heralded account of the recent dismantling of two massive dams on the Olympic Peninsula’s Elwha River and the sub-sequent return of chinook and steelhead salmon to that waterway.

The book, co-published by The Mountaineers and The Seattle Times, is based on extensive inter-views, field work, histori-cal research and rare peri-od images. The book also contains 125 color pho-tographs by Mapes’ col-laborator, Seattle Times photojournalist Steve Ringman. Slides of many of those photographs will be shown during Mapes’ presentation on Vashon.

For Mapes, a Seattle Times reporter, telling the complex tale of the river’s restoration on both the pages of her newspaper and in her book has been the chance of a lifetime.

“The story had every-thing — it had characters, setting, history, politics, and it had unanswered questions,” Mapes said in a phone interview. “And

then it also turned out to be a story against type, of a place that has renewal and hope and something positive.”

The dams — one of them 108 feet tall and the other 210 feet tall, and both within the boundaries of the Olympic National Park — were built and became operational in the years between 1910 and 1927. In the 1980s, members of the Lower Elwha Kallam tribe and envi-ronmentalists petitioned for their remov-al, setting the stage for a three-decades-long strug-gle among policy and law makers, tribal leaders, conserva-tionists, industrialists and lawyers as to how to best accomplish the job of free-ing the river.

In the end, Mapes said, it was everyday people who brought the dams down.

“It was very clear to me how many times this almost didn’t happen,” she said. “But the tribe and ordinary citizens just insisted that this be done.”

To cover the Elwha story, Mapes spent years traveling the back country of the Olympics, immers-ing herself in the history and culture of the region, as well as gaining deep knowledge of the science of the river itself. From the start, she said, The

Seattle Times was com-mitted to fully covering the story of the destruc-tion of the dams — sup-port she was grateful for throughout her years of reporting on the subject.

Mapes’ beat as a reporter includes Native American tribes, nature and environmental top-ics, and she has received national and regional awards for her work. Along with her team-mates on the Elwha coverage at The Seattle Times, she shared the 2012 award for online journalism from the American Association for the Advancement

of Science. She is also the author of two other books, “Washington: The Spirit of the Land” and “Breaking Ground.” And earlier this month, she was named as a Knight Science Journalism Fellow — part of an elite class of 12 international jour-nalists who will study science, health, environ-ment and technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the next academic year.

Joseph Bogaard, presi-dent of the Vashon Maury Island Land Trust and deputy director of the Northwest organization Save Our Wild Salmon,

said he is excited to wel-come Mapes back to the island — a place she lived from 1992 to 2002 — to share her book. The land trust is co-sponsoring the author event with Vashon Bookshop, where copies of Mapes’ book are available.

“This is a story that will be told from various angles for a long time,” Bogaard said. “This is happening in our backyard, and we’ve never taken out dams this big on the planet, and the river’s headwaters are deep in a national park that is in pristine condition. It’s a very historic event with lots of historic implica-tions.”

The Elwha will never again be the Eden it was, and it’s no longer an unmapped wilderness ... what could it mean to restore a river ecosystem, all the way from the mountains to the sea? How did a

region synonymous with hydropower become the world’s biggest dambusting pioneer? How would this place, with its human and natural history so intimately

connected, be transformed as it was taken apart and put back together?

— Lynda Mapes, Elwha: “A River Reborn.”

An author shares the tale of a mighty river

A benefit show will honor the memory of a hometown heroA concert to raise funds for the 1st Lt.

Robert Bennedsen Memorial Scholarship will take place on Saturday night at Red Bicycle Bistro.

The Vashon blues band One More Mile will play the concert — the first music event of its kind to raise money for the scholarship, which is given out annually by the Vashon High School class of 2004. Funds are admin-istered through the Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation.

Robert Bennedsen, a well-known and

much-loved islander, was killed by a roadside bomb on July 2010, near Qalat, Afganistan, while serving in the U.S. Army. He was 25 years old at the time of his death.

The show on Saturday night will start at 8:30 p.m. and there is a suggested donation of $10 to attend. There will also be a 50/50 raffle taking place during the event, with the winner taking home half the pot of money collected for the raffle. The winning ticket will be drawn at 11 p.m. and the winner must be present to claim the prize.

Donations to the scholarship fund can also be made at Vashon’s U.S. Bank — checks should be made payable to 1st Lt. Robert Bennedsen Memorial Project. Donations can also be made by contacting the designated donations team at [email protected].

To find out more about Robert Bennedsen and his life, visit www.iraqwarheroes.org/bennedsen.htm

— Elizabeth Shepherd


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Primitives

Jugglers, magicians and musicians galore will perform

Michelle Bates Photo

The multi-talented members of the New Old Time Chautauqua ensemble will bring their educational vaudeville circus to Vashon this weekend for a performance at Open Space for Arts & Community.

A performance ensemble that has been spreading merriment for more than 30 years will stage a show on Vashon on Sunday.

The New Old Time Chautauqua, founded in 1981 by the famous jug-gling group The Flying Karamazov Brothers and physician/activist/clown Patch Adams, is a non-profit organi-zation that brings live shows and free circus and educational workshops to schools, prisons, retirement homes and communities up and down the West Coast.

The group’s performance on Vashon is a benefit to raise funds for its annu-al summer tour, and organizers have promised a vaudeville extravagan-

za featuring a full program of acts designed to wow and amuse.

The Flying Karamazov Brothers — fresh off an extended off-Broadway run, and with years of performing on such shows as Seinfeld, The Late Show with David Letterman and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood behind them — will bring their juggling and com-edy prowess to the stage.

Also appearing will be poet Kevin Murphy, Christian Swenson, whose hard-to-pigeonhole performance style is called Human Jazz, Port Townsend comic and magician Joey Pipia, and Godfrey Davis, a huge puppet created by Randy Minkler. The whole show will be backed by a band called The Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Chamber Band/Orchestra, complete with plenty of brass instruments.

Islanders will also see familiar faces on the stage.

Vashon’s Circus Finelli will bring its blend of comedy and accordion playing to the stage, and Open Space founders Janet McAlpin and David Godsey will

also perform. Fans of Godsey’s charac-ter, The Reverend Hunter Davis, will be glad to know Godsey is bringing the preacher back into his repertoire, with a new name, The Rev, during Sunday’s show.

Former islander Michelle Bates will also play in the band during the show.

Bates, a photographer, said she “got sucked in” to the ensemble after docu-menting the group’s work in Mississippi and New Orleans, where the New Old Time Chautauqua traveled for a series of post-Hurricane Katrina shows.

Soon thereafter, though, she found herself itching to join the group’s band, and picked up a clarinet and started to learn how to play it. The band — which she said was “very for-giving,” allowed her to join after only six months. She now travels with the group each summer.

“It’s a great group for trying and learning new things for people of all ages,” said Bates.


The New Old Time Chautaqua’s show is at 4 p.m. Sunday at Open Space for Arts & Community. Tickets, $12 for adults and $8 for kids, are on sale at the Vashon Bookshop and also at www.brown-papertickets.com. For more infor-mation, visit www.chautauqua.org.

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Two Northwest-based musicians — Scott Cossu and Baby Gramps — will team up for what might seem like an unlikely double bill at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Vashon Allied Arts’ Blue Heron building.

In fact, Baby Gramps, who has been called the Salvador Dali of folk music, and genre-hopping pianist Cossu have played together many times and have great respect for each other. They’ve even teamed up before on Vashon.

“We actually played the Blue Heron together many years ago, and it was a very good turnout,” said Cossu. “We each do our set and then play a few pieces togeth-er. It’s a very comfortable billing.”

Cossu plays everything from jazz to honky-tonk and was called “jazz lumi-nary of the future” by Billboard Magazine. John Croarkin will join him on flutes, harmonica and saxophone, as he per-forms selections from his new jazz and blues CD and new pieces from the his upcoming “Lullaby” recording.

Baby Gramps, a Seattle music icon, sings his own arrangements of rags, jazz

and blues songs from the 1920s and 30s, as well as folk songs and many original tunes.

His performances mix wordplay, humor and throat singing, and he always brings along his acoustic antique resona-tor National Steel guitars.

Well known throughout the Northwest,

Baby Gramps is credited with bringing forgotten vintage blues and novelty songs back into circulation.

Tickets, $12 and $15, are available at Vashon Allied Arts, the Heron’s Nest, www.vashonalliedarts.org or by phone at 463-5131.

—Elizabeth Shepherd

Two performers bring an eclectic mix to a lively concert

Courtesy Photos

Baby Gramps (left) and pianist Scott Cossu will play together in an upcoming concert.

The Sixty Second Film Festival, organized by islander Matt Lawrence, will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Vashon Theatre.

Lawrence has assembled more than 50 films from all over the world, all less than one minute long, for the festival — a celebration of succinct storytelling and quick filmmaking on the fly in a digital age.

Seven of the films are from Vashon, while oth-ers come from cities and towns throughout the United States, Israel, Germany, Italy and Serbia.

“It’s really been fun building this from the ground up,” said Lawrence. “The community sup-port is what keeps this thing going.”

The films in the festival, Lawrence said, were made by both professional and amateur filmmak-ers, and are, for the most part, family friendly.

Admission to the festival is free, of charge, and Lawrence is promising that special beverages, chocolates and other treats will also be available for audience members.

There is an after-party when it is all done — filmmakers and film-goers alike can mingle at Snapdragon Café, next door to the movie theater, and toast what happens when the language of cin-ema meets the pithiness of the age of Twitter.


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A brother-sister act is backSingers, songwriters and gui-

tarists Daryl and Renee Redeker will play a concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at Havurat Ee Shalom, 15401 Westside Hwy. S.W. Tickets to the show are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Many Islanders are famil-iar with Daryl’s music. He is perhaps Vashon’s best-known guitar teacher and has a slew of performance and recording credits dating back to the 1970s, when he opened for acts that included Jose Feliciano, Phoebe Snow, Kenny Rankin and John Denver.

In those heady early days of his musical career, he also toured extensively with Renee, and the duo released nine albums together.

More recently, Daryl has performed on the Island and beyond, both by himself and with violinist Sarah Perlman in the duo RedPerl.

Renee also frequently plays in the Seattle area, solo and with the Black Lab Trio.

But last year, after a decades-long hiatus, the brother-sister act came back together again, and this marks the duo’s second concert on Vashon in the past year.

This time around, their concert will opened by two of Daryl’s star guitar students — Kate Atwell and Mallory Breen. Breen and Atwell performed at Vashon’s most recent Sharing the Stage concert, headlined by the Physics and Kublakai.

See a film for a great causeThe Pixar family film “Monsters vs. Aliens” will be shown at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Vashon Theatre as a benefit to raise money and awareness for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a global organization focused on Type 1 diabetes.

The benefit is being organized by island Holly Bailey and the team Super Milo — a group that participates in Nordstrom’s an-nual Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes walk and run each year.

Bailey’s 6-year-old son Milo was diagnosed on his first birthday with Type 1 diabetes — a disease that strikes both children and adults at any age. Unrelated to diet or lifestyle, the condition creates lifelong dependence on injected or pumped insulin and carries the constant threat of devastat-

ing complications.

All proceeds from ticket sales, which will be set at regular Vashon Theatre prices, will go the Foundation. Purchase them in advance at the box office or at www.vashontheatre.com.

Islanders muscle into SIFF Heading over to the Seattle International Film Festival? If so, check out two films that will be shown in the huge film event.

Hunter Holcombe, a young filmmaker who grew up on the island, will show “Exit Wound,” a 26-minute documentary that follows the rehabilitation of a young soldier from Washington who was seriously wounded in Iraq. The film — scheduled to be shown at SIFF at 1 p.m. Friday, May 24, at SIFF Cinema Uptown — just won the Best Documentary prize and the Bricker Humani-tarian Award of the 34th College Television Awards, also known as the Student Emmy Awards.

“Big Joy,” a feature-length documentary about the life of poet, underground film-maker, gay man and artist James Brough-ton, produced by islander Stephen Silha, will have a screening at 6 p.m. Friday, May 31, at SIFF Cinema Uptown, and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at AMC Pacific Place 11. The film has already played at several top-tier festivals in the U.S. and beyond.

Great music at the Grange Get tickets now for a concert by Lache Cercel and his Roma Swing Ensemble, to be pre-sented by the local group Lolo Diklo, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 24, at the Vashon Grange Hall on the north end. A local Romani Gypsy band, The Entertainers, will open the show.

Lache Cercel is a world-renowned violinist and bandleader whose music is is firmly rooted in the Romani Gypsy tradition and held together with jazz improvisation. For more information visit www.lachecercel.com.

SAVE THE DATE

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RUN THE ULTRAMARATHON: Sign up now for the Vashon Island Ultramarathon and Trail run, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 8, and fil l ing up fast. This year ’s 50k and 10-mile runs have a new route that begins and ends at the Open Space and has runners spend more time in Island Ceter Forest. For more information or to register, see w w w.vashonultra.com.

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Landon SummersVHS Senior, Track and FieldSenior sprinter/hurdler Landon Summers is the Track and Field Pirate of the Week. Chosen as a co-captain by his teammates, Landon constantly leads by example through his work ethic and constant striving for improvement. His leadership and sense of humor have been bright spots on this year’s team. Landon

currently leads the Nisqually League in the 110 meter hurdles and the 300 meter hurdles, is sixth in the 200 meters and fi fth in the 100 meters. He will be competing in the Nisqually League Championships; look for him to move on to the State Championships.

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Vashon baseball team hits the mark, advances to StateBy RITA ALLMANFor The Beachcomber

The Vashon baseball team opened post-season play on May 9 at home against highly ranked Friday Harbor in a loser-out game and prevailed 3-0 in a well played pitchers duel.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Vashon pushed two unearned runs across to take a 2-0 lead. The Pirates scored the runs with two outs and without the benefit of a hit, due to two walks and two Friday Harbor errors. They added one more in the sixth to complete scoring.

Standout Josh Myer pitched a complete game shutout, allowing the opposition just three hits. He had five strikeouts and four walks. Vashon was only able to put up three hits as well. Ben Reoux had two of them with two singles. He also scored two runs and had a stolen base. Sam Schoenberg had the other Pirate hit, along with an RBI.

Vashon batters struck out nine times, but by being patient at the plate, they were able to work Friday Harbor pitching for five walks.

Line score: Vashon 3 runs, 3 hits, 2 errors, Friday Harbor 0 runs, 3 hits, 3 errors.

The win advanced the Pirates to the next round of play in the Tri-District Tournament with a doubleheader in Bellingham, where they needed to win one of the two games to advance to State.

On May 11, Vashon traveled to Sehome High School to take on the Meridian Trojans in Tri-District play. The first score of the game came in the top of the fifth, when the Pirates put up a five spot to take the lead.

Vashon was able to bunch five of their seven hits during the inning. Meridian scored single runs in the sixth and seventh to narrow the score to 5-2, but that was as close as they would get.

Two athletes qualify for the Tri-District tournament

Six golfers from the Vashon High School boys golf team competed at the sub-district tourna-ment last week, with two of them advancing to the Tri-District tournament.

Seniors Cole Devereau, Parker Scott and Aaron Bomber, junior Shane Armstrong, sophomore Collin Sahnow and freshman Ron Krieger all took to the green last Thursday at Gold Mountain Golf Course in Bremerton.

All six players made the first cut at the tourna-ment, shooting below 60 on the front nine holes.

“I was very proud to have all six advance to the back 9,” said coach Andy Sears. “Most of our team is new to the game, and this was a goal we

had set.”Devereau and Scott were in the top 32 players

of 55 at the tournament and advanced to the Tri-District Tournament, which took place again at Gold Mountain on Tuesday after press deadline. Cole finished tied for second place with a 6 over par for a final score of 79, and Parker finished in 26th place with a 22 over par for a final score of 94.

Devereau and Scott, both seniors, have been on the golf team all four years of high school.

“I was very pleased to see them advance,” Sears said. “They both gained valuable experi-ence on the course they will be playing on for Tri-Districts, and I’m very hopeful they will both qualify for State.”

— Natalie Johnson

Courtesy Photo

Coach Andy Sears, left, poses with Ron Krieger, Shane Armstrong, Aaron Bomber, Parker Scott, Cole Devereau and Colin Sahnow, who competed at the sub-district tournament.

High school golfers find success on the green

Jim Whitney Photo

Coach Steve Hall and Pirate players celebrate after their 3-0 win over Friday Harbor.SEE BASEBALL, NEXT PAGE

www.vashonbeachcomber.com * 24/7 on the web


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Kelly Sullivan started on the hill for Vashon and pitched the first six innings. He gave up two runs on just four hits. Sullivan struck out five and walked five. Ezra Lacina pitched the final shutout inning allowing one hit and striking out two.

Offensively, Vashon was led by Sam Schoenberg, who was 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. The Pirate defense was solid again with just one error.

Line score: Vashon 5 runs, 7 hits, 1 error, Meridian 2 runs, 5 hits, 2 errors.

The victory secured a spot for the team in the state playoffs.

In the night cap of a double-header on May 11 in Bellingham, Vashon met up with a familiar opponent, Cascade Christian. The teams split their season series during Nisqually League play. This day the teams played for third and fourth seeding at the Tri-District tournament.

Lacina, Logan Hawkins and Sam Yates shared the pitching duties for the Pirates, each throwing two innings. Lacina allowed three runs on three hits. He struck out one and had four base on balls. Hawkins gave up two runs on five hits with no strikeouts and one walk. Yates surrendered no runs on just one hit and had two strikeouts. The Vashon offense mustered five hits.

Myer, Reoux, Clyde Pruett and Hawkins all had singles, and Lacina chipped in with a double. The Vashon defense was splendid again, committing just one error.

Line score: Vashon 0 runs, 5 hits, 1 error, Cascade 5 runs, 9 hits, 3 errors.

Vashon is now one of the 16 teams in the 1A State Tournament, a single-game elimi-nation contest.

Coach Steve Hall was pleased with the results and had praise for all the members of the team.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the boys, and I mean all 24 boys, not just the 15 that have suited up at the end of the year,” he said. “This has been an incredible year as well as a very fun year, and none of the suc-cess would have happened without every single player contributing on a daily basis for the last several months to the building of our program.”

Hall added that to top off the success, the baseball team was named the 1A State Academic Champions, an award based on the group’s overall GPA.

First up for the Pirates in the state tour-nament is Woodland High School, who they will face on May 18 at Castle Rock High School. Game time is 1 p.m., and there will be a second game at 4 p.m. if the team advances.

— Rita Allman does web and team support for the Pirates.

BASEBALLCONTINUED FROM 15

Several will go on to the Tri-District meetBy KEVIN ROSSFor The Beachcomber

Last week two Pirate track and field athletes were crowned the 2013 Nisqually League champions in their events. The two-day league championship meet was held Wednesday and Friday at Eatonville High School.

Senior Landon Summers took first place in the boys 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 15.75. After a rough start, Summers came through with a very strong finish.

Summers found the top step of the podium again in the 300-meter hurdles, win-ning with a time of 42.30. “This was everything that I wanted it to be,” Summers said after the competition. Both his times in the hurdle events moved him to third all-time best VHS athlete in those events.

Junior Garrett Starr also

stood at the top of the podi-um at the league contest, with a victory in the triple jump with a total distance of 40 feet, 1 inch. Starr is also moving on with a third place in the long jump event with a leap of 20 feet, 2 inches.

The boys 4-by-400 meter relay team comprised of Summers, Starr, Giacomo Paganoni and Olin Nespor placed third overall at the meet with a time of 3:40.2.

Freshman Annika Hille took home several top honors, placing fourth in the long jump, fifth in the 100-meter dash, sixth in the 200-meter dash and third in the triple jump. Samantha Clements placed fifth in both the long jump and triple jump.

All listed athletes quali-fied and will to move on to the 1A Tri-District meet to be held at King’s High School this Thursday and Saturday. There, the top six athletes in each event will qualify into the state track meet at Eastern Washington University.

Other outstanding per-

formances from athletes that did not qualify for Tri-Districts included Olin Nespor, who finished sixth in the boys 800 meters with a personal best of 2:09. Philip VanDevanter placed seventh in the javelin event with a best throw of 130 feet, 5 inches.

Maddi Groen placed 11th in the girls 1,600 meters, an event with a very competi-tive field.

The girls team placed seventh overall out of nine teams, with 27 points. The boys placed fifth overall with 55 team points. Cedar Park Christian won the Nisqually League title for the girls, and Eatonville took the title for the boys.

Abigal Kim, who lives on Vashon but competes for Seattle Christian, took the league title in three events. She won the 100-meter dash in 12.62, the 200-meter dash in 26.06 and the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 1 inch.

— Kevin Ross is a track and field coach at Vashon High

School.

Track athletes run and jump their way the top of the podium

www.vashonbeachcomber.com * 24/7 on the webGet a senior survey at the Vashon High School office, The Beachcomber office, or by emailing:

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Benefi t Dinner for Terri Weed

Owner of Relaxation Station Massage & Day Spa

Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction

at Vashon EaglesSaturday, June 1st, 4pm

$10.00/plate

Help Terri fi ght Non-Hodgkin’s Follicular Lymphoma!

For donations: a “Friends of Terri Weed”

account has been set up at Chase Bank or email Rebecca Mehringer at [email protected]

206.463.5477

Friday

Taco Tuesdays, 5-7pmHard $1.50 Soft $3.00

Taco Salads $5.00

Burger WednesdaysTake the “Eagle Burger” Challenge!

1/2 lb. of premium beef burger with your choice of fries or onion rings

VASHON EAGLES

Sunday Breakfast Cooked to order

Prime Rib

DINING IS ALWAYS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, The Beachcomber office will be closed on May 27th!

AT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICE To place an ad in the Service Directory, contact Daralyn

at 463-9195. Deadline for ad placement is Friday at 1pm.

H E A T I N G & C O O L I N G...an energy management team

We repairheat pump

systems too!

463-1777 www.VashonHeating.com

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“No job too big or small!”Mowing & Weed Whacking

Gardening & WeedingSpraying

Gravel & BarkPruning & Trimming

PlantingClean-up

www.ricksdiagnostic.com

Diagnostic & Repair Service, Inc.Auto & Truck Repair

Towing463-9277

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service in this space for only

$20.75Call Matthew or Daralyn

for more information463-9195

wk


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to install a professional security system at the nursery.“When I first opened my business, we didn’t even have

a fence. That was 17 years ago,” she said. “The reality is now we have to put a system in. It’s kind of like living in the city.”

West, with the sheriff ’s office, said she wasn’t aware of a significant increase in theft on Vashon, but authorities sometimes see the rates of crime go up for a time in the spring or summer when the weather improves.

“Typically, it’s people being outside more,” she said.Around the same time as the incident at Dig, Pandora’s

Box and Zuzu’s Ice Cream at the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie were each broken into by suspects who crawled in through windows and made off with any cash or change they could find.

Sue Kelly, who owns Zuzu’s, lost about $50 in all, but still felt “stupid,” she said.

“This was a wakeup call to me,” she added, saying she would begin removing all cash and change from the store at night and is seriously considering some added security

measures.Cheryl Pruett, who owns Pandora’s Box, said she, too,

is beefing up security after her recent break-in, install-ing security cameras around the large pet store. Whoever broke into her shop, she said, smashed donation jars for Vashon Island Pet Protectors and Ferret Shelter Northwest, making off with probably $20 or less.

“It’s disturbing,” she said. “It makes you feel kind of dirty and irritated.”

West said that police responded to all of the recent break-ins on Vashon, but often nighttime burglaries are difficult to solve. There are usually no witnesses to the crime or photos or video of the suspect, she said, and good fingerprints can be hard to find.

“A lot of burglaries go unsolved,” she said.

The sheriff ’s office recommends sur-veillance cameras as a deterrent to theft, West said, but they’re not a guarantee of safety.

“It’s another thing that can be stolen, too,” she said.Despite her installation of a new camera system at

Pandora’s Box, Pruett said she wouldn’t be quick to assume there’s a trend of increased crime on Vashon. Rather, she,

too, said she’s noticed there’s sometimes a spurt of com-mercial break-ins in during this time of year.

“It has always seemed to have gone in spells, and it’s almost always in the spring,” she said. “Merchants will get hit three, four, five nights in a row, and then you don’t have anything for a long time.”

However, Wheaton, at Kathy’s Corner, said burglars can’t seem to leave her business alone lately — in the last nine months, she’s lost about $48,000 in plants. After the nursery was hit half a dozen times, customers started asking how they could help, and Wheaton has now raised about $6,000 to replace the nursery’s fence and install security cameras.

Wheaton claims she’s not alone in being a victim. Almost all islanders she tells of her experiences have said that they have either had property stolen as well or know someone who has, she said.

“People now have to lock their doors, where they didn’t six months ago. That makes me sick,” she said.

In a turn of events that Wheaton called surprising, authorities on Friday arrested a Vashon man they believe was involved in the most recent break-ins at the nursery.

West said a 31-year-old Vashon man was arrested in con-nection with the burglaries after a Vashon deputy noticed some plants being put in at a home on Wax Orchard Road. The deputy investigated a little further, found they were plants that had been stolen from Kathy’s Corner and traced them back to the suspect, who was then booked into jail.

“I am shocked, to be real honest, and relieved and excit-ed,” Wheaton said last week after the arrest.

West said it was too early to know if the suspect was involved in other burglaries at Kathy’s Corner or other recent business break-ins.

Wheaton, meanwhile, said she was thankful for island-ers’ support of her nursery, which she feared might be forced to shut down if plants were to continue disappear-ing. She said she was preparing to have security cameras installed and feeling hopeful that authorities would track down any others involved in the string of thefts.

“I don’t know how one individual could do it all,” she said. “I’m cautiously optimistic that they’ll find the rest.”

All-Merciful SaviourOrthodox Monastery

9933 SW 268th St. (south of Dockton)SUNDAYS: DIVINE LITURGY 9:00 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

www.burtonchurch.org

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

Pastor: Rev. Marc Powell16100 115th Avenue SW,

Vashon WA 98070

office 567-4149 rectory 567-5736www.stjohnvianneyvashon.com

Vashon Island Unitarian Fellowship

Community, Diversity, Freedom of Belief,Enrichment of Spirit

Sunday Services at 9:45 am (Sept–June)Religious Exploration for toddlers–8th Grade

Lewis Hall (Behind Burton Community Church)

23905 Vashon Hwy SW

Info: www.vashonuu.org 463-4775

Vashon Friends Worship Group

(Quakers)

10 am Meeting for Silent Worshipin members’ homes.

Call for Location567-5279 463-9552

Havurat Ee ShalomServing the spiritual, social and

intellectual needs of Vashon’s Jewish Community

9:30 am Saturday Services

15401 Westside Hwy SWPO Box 89, Vashon, WA 98070

463-1399www.vashonhavurah.org

Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit

The Rev. Canon Carla Valentine PryneThe Rev. Ann Saunderson, Priest Assoc.

Sundays – 7:45 am & 10:15 amChurch School & Religious Exploration 9:00am

Child CareMid-week Eucharist, Wednesday–12:30pm

15420 Vashon Hwy SW 567-4488www.holyspiritvashon.org

Vashon Lutheran Church18623 Vashon Hwy. SW (1/2 mile south of Vashon)

Children’s Hour 10:30 am (Sept.- June)

Holy Communion Worship 10:30 am

Pastors: Rev. Bjoern E. MeinhardtRev. Jeff Larson, Ph.D., vm: 206-463-6359

www.vashonluthernchurch.org/JeffLarson/JeffLarson.htm

463-2655e-mail: [email protected]

Vashon United Methodist Church17928 Vashon Hwy SW

(one block south of downtown)

Pastor: Rev. Dr. Kathryn MorseSunday Service & Sunday School

10:00 a.m.Weekly Gluten-Free Communion

Offi ce open Mon.–Thurs. 9 a.m. – 12 noon 463-9804

www.vashonmethodist.orgoffi [email protected]

Calvary Full Gospel Church at Lisabeula

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

THEFTCONTINUED FROM 1

“It has always seemed to have gone in spells, and it’s almost always in the spring. ... Merchants will get hit three, four, five nights in a row, and then you don’t have anything for a long time.”

Cheryl Pruett,owner, Panodra’s Box


ORG

.

TACOMA FAULT LINE

Samanth a Margare t Burkart

Samantha Margaret Burkart, age 20, died on May 3, 2013. Born on June 24, 1992, in Seattle, Sam was a life-long resident of Vashon Island. She graduated from Vashon High School in 2010. Sam loved to draw and had some of her work published in Teen Voice Magazine. Sam had a good sense of humor and often repeated funny lines from movies and com-edy shows. She also enjoyed play-ing Scrabble. She is survived by her mother, Rosalie Bonelli; father, Timo-thy Burkart; brother, Colin Burkart; stepmother, Darcy LaBelle; and stepsisters, Renée LaBelle and Nicole LaBelle. Sam loved Vashon Island. Funeral to be held at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Vashon Island, on May 18 at 11 AM. In lieu of fl owers, please make a donation to Vashon Youth and Family Services.

In Loving Memory

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open house.During the eight-day open house,

Matthews and Nelson Happy, Matthews’ husband and an Island Landmarks board member, welcomed more than 80 people to the property just outside town on 107th Avenue.

Matthews said that although the house itself wasn’t open, she gave some visitors tours of the property and others showed themselves around and looked at the approximately 15 historical photos placed around the site that showed the property as it looked in the 1920s and 30s, when a large strawberry farm and fruit barreling plant were operated there.

“People were really nice and very inter-ested,” she said.

On Thursday, when Matthews and Happy learned that the farmhouse would be added to the Washington Trust’s list of endangered properties, they quickly took action. They each drafted letters to the organization, arguing that the farmhouse was not endangered or at risk because Island Landmarks has been a good stew-ard of the site, maintaining it, opening it to the public periodically and by appoint-ment and working to find a qualified orga-nization that could take it on and eventu-ally restore the house and gardens.

“No one knows as much about this won-derful site, or cares for its preservation, as I do,” Matthews wrote in her letter. “I hope that you and your organization will per-haps think more charitably on our efforts now that you know the facts.”

Chris Moore, field director for the Washington Trust, said he presented the organization’s board with Island Landmarks’ request to reconsider the list-ing, but the board decided to keep the site on the list.

“It’s clear that there is uncertainty about the future of the resource,” Moore said in an interview. “That has kind of come front and center above all else.”

For years, the historic farmhouse and garden, purchased more than a decade ago by Island Landmarks, has been at the center of a heated dispute, with critics say-ing, among other things, that the property has fallen into disrepair and hasn’t been accessible to the public.

Last fall, a group of concerned island-ers who would later form the Friends of Mukai attempted to wrest control of Island Landmarks by following the orga-nization’s own bylaws to oust Matthews and other board members and install their own elected board. However, a judge ruled in November that the takeover was not done legally, a decision the group is now appealing.

And earlier this year, Allyson Brooks, a top official from the state Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation,

voiced concern about the status of the house and what she called Island Landmarks’ apparent failure to live up to the terms of a state grant that helped purchase it.

“The State of Washington is considering its legal options to prevent further per-sonal use of the property and further dete-rioration of the historic character,” Brooks wrote in a letter to Island Landmarks.

Matthews and Happy, however, insist they’ve been misrepresented and that they’re doing all they can, including loan-ing their own money to Island Landmarks, to maintain the property and keep it accessible to the public until a large, tax-supported agency can take it on.

“That’s what we have always want-ed, and we have worked toward that,” Matthews said. “It’s difficult for people to understand that.”

Moore said the Washington Trust didn’t intend to take sides in adding the farm-house to its endangered list, but to bring more statewide awareness to a turbulent situation around the house and what he called the property’s uncertain future. The trust, he said, would like to see Mukai have a clear stewardship plan in place, as well as a group that has the resources to provide longterm stewardship. He said the trust was willing to work with any of the stakeholders involved to see that happen.

“It’s not so much to say from our stand-point that somewhere along the line people are in the wrong, but that we have a situa-tion right now that’s unfortunate, and we

want to see it move forward,” Moore said.In light of this week’s listing, the Friends

of Mukai are organizing a June 1 event that they hope will draw even more attention to the property. The event, which the group is calling This Place Matters, will take place on the road outside the farmhouse at 1 p.m. and will include speakers, music and a group photo of all who attend. The event is co-sponsored by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, King County 4Culture and the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association. Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon Sen. Sharon Nelson and King County Executive Dow Constantine have all been invited to attend.

“The ultimate goal is to get the prop-erty revitalized,” Greiner said. “Friends of Mukai has a number of strategies to accomplish that, and this is just one. … We hope it will be a fun event but at the same time about a topic that we take seri-ously.”

Matthews, meanwhile, called the endan-gered listing upsetting but said she would continue to move forward on plans to maintain the property until an adequate agency could take it on. She’s also planning an open house for the second weekend in June, when the house will be opened for tours and information on the site’s history will be on display from noon to 6 p.m. June 7, 8 and 9.

“We keep saying this certainly isn’t for us, it’s for the people,” she said.

MUKAICONTINUED FROM 1

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Deposit and Insurance Corporation, as of June 30, 2012, the three island banks held nearly equal shares of the banking market, with Bank of America and Chase showing roughly $41 million on deposit — approxi-mately 33 percent of the island’s banking market shares — and US Bank holding 34 percent.

Additionally, Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union (PSCCU) has about 2,500 members and $25 million on deposit, accord-ing to Branch Manager Patte Wagner.

Sheehan, with Bank of America, said she did not know if the Vashon branch had lost customers in recent years, contributing to the falling number of transactions. Bank of America officials had not looked at the Vashon situation in that “granular” of a way, she said.

At PSCCU, however, Wagner noted that when the credit union opened in the spring of 2011, many who had been banking elsewhere moved their money.

“We drew customers from all the large banks,” she said.

While it is not clear what effect the credit union may have had on Bank of America’s decision, the closing of its Vashon branch is part a nationwide trend. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, in the United States last year, banks and thrifts closed more than 2,200 branches, and more are set to follow. Within the next decade, the number of banks is expected to shrink to 2000 levels.

The same Wall State Journal article report-ed that in 2012, Bank of America closed nearly 200 branches — in line with its goal of eliminating 12 percent of branches over the next few years.

On Vashon, five employees currently work at the bank, according to Branch Manager Barbara Rice, who referred all questions to Sheehan. Rice noted that she has worked at the bank for 22 years.

To continue to serve islanders, Sheehan said, a full-service Bank of America ATM will be installed on Vashon, with details about its features and location following at a later date.


Run for Vashon Island’s

Unoffi cialMayor

Here is your chance to become the Offi cial Unoffi cial Mayor of Vashon Island AND support your favorite Island non-profi t organization at the same time!

Toss your hatin the ring!

The Unoffi cial Mayor Race has been known to raise up to $15,000 to benefi t Island causes.1. Pick your Platform i.e. select the Island Charity you will fundraise for.2. Submit a letter of endorsement from the Charity giving you permission to fundraise for them.3. Declare your Candidacy to the Chamber of Commerce, the newspaper and anyone

else who will listen.4. Campaign by putting up to 12 “ballot boxes” throughout locations on the Island.5. Get out the Vote: 1 Vote = $1 Dollar, your supporters can vote as many times as they want.6. WIN! The candidate with the most money raised for their charity wins (But everyone one wins

when people support local charities). Money is collected and counted by the Chamber of Commerce for verifying and the winner is announced on Saturday evening at the Beer Garden. The Winner gets a special spot in the Sunday Car Parade. Unoffi cial Mayor is an awesome position, you will be invited to participate in other events throughout the year, such as the Ribbon Untying Ceremonies and Chamber Events but what you do is totally up to you! (Just a word of caution, the Unoffi cial Mayor has as much power as they have budget for this position!)

Contact the Vashon Chamber of Commerce at206-463-6217

or email us at [email protected] www.vashonvacations.com

Sign up now through June 1st for “Water & Wine (Spirits too)”

A weekend fun package of kayaking or paddleboarding in the AM

and wine and spirits tasting in the afternoon… right here at Vashon

Watersports, Palouse Winery, Vashon Winery and Seattle Distilling Co.

Event dates are June 15 & 16. Save your place online now; enrollment is limited.

It’s time for your Heat Pump maintenance! What does this include?

206-463-1777WA Lic #VASHOHC8917F & #VASHOHC891PF

General License Electrical License

Ask about Carbon

Monoxide Alarms & May

Specials!

By SUSAN RIEMERStaff Writer

With the Northwest’s dry season approaching, the Vashon Park District has applied for a permit for a water right at the Vashon Fields Project, and a public com-ment period on that permit request is set to begin soon.

By law in Washington, entities such as the park district can irrigate fields a half-acre or less without a water right; the fields project is 5 acres.

News that the district did not have a water right first became public late last summer, when a tip to The Beachcomber prompted a call to the State Department of Ecology, which issues the permits.

After that inquiry, Doug Wood, a hydrol-ogist and permit manager with the depart-ment, said he began working with the dis-trict to bring it into compliance. In a recent interview, he noted that he expected the permit request in March of this year, and that while it did not come until early this month, he saw no evidence of park district officials trying to circumvent the law.

“They have been very accessible,” he said.

Last week Wood said he believes the water right will be issued within six months and that a temporary permit will be issued in the end of June, after the park dis-trict publicizes its permitting request and a 30-day public comment period ensues.

With the newly planted sports fields at the complex thinning and turning brown, Mike Mattingly, the fields’ site supervisor, said he wanted to begin watering and fer-tilizing and, in fact, began watering when park district commissioner David Hackett sent the application to the state last week. Fertilizing was planned for this week.

Recently, Hilary Emmer, a member of the park district’s Oversight Committee, said that earlier this spring, the committee’s chair, Janet Quimby, assigned her to look into the water right issue when it became clear a permit had not yet been obtained. Emmer contacted Wood in late April, she said, and he sent her the permit application, which she then forwarded to park com-missioner David Hackett, who completed the task.

Emmer noted her frustration that it was well into spring before the commissioners acted and that until they receive a tempo-rary permit, watering will be done outside of the legal water code.

“Once again, we’re playing catch-up because we have no planning, and we are in a crisis and are watering illegally,” she said, “Yes, the state is looking the other way, but that does not make it legal.”

When asked about these watering con-cerns, Wood said the state’s stance is that it wants the park district to be in compli-ance, which would mean not watering until a temporary permit is in hand. But he tempered that stance by saying he expects there is plenty of water at the site and given the usual weather this time of year, he does not expect the district to use much water between now and when the temporary permit is issued. He also said he would not like to see project lose its grass fields now for lack of water.

“We do not want to compound the mis-takes that have been made with a hasty decision,” he said.

Some people closely following the park district have also expressed concern that the delay in securing a water right has been a costly mistake for the district.

This is not the case, Wood said. The dis-trict is seeking to secure its permit through a Cost Reimbursement process, which relies on outside consultants, instead of state employees, to do the necessary field work for a water right. The process will likely cost around $10,000, though it could be less or more, Wood said. Some government information about this option sounds as though it is only for people who need their water right quickly — and then pay for it accordingly. However, Wood said, since at least 2007, except in Island County, all applicants for new water rights — such as the Vashon Park District — have had to use the more expensive Cost Reimbursement process rather than an inexpensive state process.

At the fields, one of the other hurdles to watering, permit or not, is the lack of power, according to commissioner Hackett. The site has a generator, but it can only be used 12 hours a day, Mattingly said. Bringing power to the fields is costly, but he noted last week that he has been working to lower the cost and hopes to have power to the fields soon.

Last week Hacket expressed optimism that the necessary pieces of the project will come together soon.

“I am hoping too see a lusher field of grass by the time soccer season opens,” he said.

Park district files for fields water permitBANKCONTINUED FROM 1

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BUDDY is a 9 year-old Pomeranian and as you can see from his picture, has the cuteness factor! He is as sweet as he is cute. He does not require a full time lap but loves affection and treats. He also gets along extremely well with other small dogs and cats. Not recommended for households with young children. VIPP requires a $125.00 adoption fee.

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More animals and info at www.vipp.org Give a Pet a Home!

Born 2002, GRACIE is looking for a new home. She belonged to one family who gave her to another family and then Gracie moved in with another lady who was going to be away and could no longer care for her. After three homes, Gracie is looking for her forever home. Gracie is a sweet girl who likes to sit on the couch and look out the window. She is used to being in a quiet home where she can settle in with regular servings of Fancy Feast and a nice soft bed.

VIPP long-time resident, Foster, born about 2010 Deserves A Home! Foster was found hanging around Dockton and he did not seem to have an owner. He was brought to VIPP and no one has claimed this boy. Foster is a little shy at fi rst but he loves his snacks and when you greet him with food, he is right there with you. He would do best in a quiet home with adults. He came to VIPP 11/14/11.

For the most current animals available–Please visit VIPP.ORG

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New Hire BONUS for more information call

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Become a part of Sunflower Community Land Trust

Call Chris Szala at 463-6454

or visit VashonHouseHold.org

If you make$35,000 Per year You can OWN

a home!Beautiful 3 to 5 bedroom homes with average cost of $180,000. Subsidized

mortgages available.

Connie Sorensen Managing Broker

206-819-7669

Find your Home atwww.ConnieSorensen.com

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Open Sunday 1-470’ of low bank sandywaterfront with glorious Mt. Rainer view! Turn key 1,690 sq. ft. home with drive up access and two car garage, 3 bedrooms & 1.75 baths. Large

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Call 389-1085

Found Cats

Cat #1: Short hair dilute torti/tabby older female with lame front paw and a very sweet personality found 5/7/13 at 103rd and 116th on the North end. Call or email VIPP.

Cat #2: Black cat appeared on Friday, May 10th, 2013, in the Wesleyan area, south of Burton, near Inspiration Point. Black cat with small white mark on chest, fl uffy tail and green eyes. Seems to be a young adult and appears to be well-cared for. Call or email VIPP.

877-818-0783

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WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, May 15, 2013 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber24

VashonHomes.comVashonHomes.com206-567-1600206-567-1600

TRULY EXCEPTIONAL!

19+ AC4 bdrm

KenZaglin

Des.Broker

JUST

LISTED!

11514 - 104th Place SWNORTH ENDNORTH END

JUST

LISTED!

10121 SW 112th Street

Commercial 1228 SF 3 bdrm 2 bath .3.65 AC

Susan Lofland (206) 999-6470David Knight (206) 388-9670Phil McClure (206) 696-1800

Val Seath (206) 790-8779Nancy Sipple (206) 465-2361Diane Stoffer (206) 650-6210

Ken Zaglin (206) 940-4244Len Wolff (206) 300-7594

Jean Bosch (206) 919-5223

Deb Cain (206) 930-5650Leslie Ferriel (206) 235-3731Crist Granum (206) 419-3661

JOHN L SCOTT VSH

Susan Lofland (206) 999-6470David Knight (206) 388-9670Phil McClure (206) 696-1800

Val Seath (206) 790-8779Nancy Sipple (206) 465-2361Diane Stoffer (206) 650-6210

Ken Zaglin (206) 940-4244Len Wolff (206) 300-7594

Jean Bosch (206) 919-5223

Deb Cain (206) 930-5650Leslie Ferriel (206) 235-3731Crist Granum (206) 419-3661

JOHN L SCOTT VSHThis office independently owned & operatedThis office independently owned & operated 13401 Vashon Hwy SW Vashon, WA13401 Vashon Hwy SW Vashon, WA

NORTH END BEACH!

2 bdrm75’ WF

SusanLoflandASP, GRI

LeslieFerriel

NORTH END10331 SW 110th Street

KenZaglin

DavidKnight

10009 SW Northilla RoadSOUTH MAURYBURTON BEACH

24179 Vashon Hwy SWMID ISLAND

9424 SW 204th Street

LenWolff

JeanBosch

OPEN SUNDAY! MAY 19th 1:00 - 4:00OPEN SUNDAY! MAY 19th 1:00 - 4:00

JUST

LISTED!

NancySipple

2 bdrm 2.75 bath View

NEWPRICE!

3 bdrm 2 bath .21 AC

2 bdrm 1 bath Condo 2 bdrm home shop garage

NEWPRICE!

Land For SaleLand For SaleWestside

8.79 AcresMaury

4.26 Acres

Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber, May 15, 2013

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Transcript of Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber, May 15, 2013