VoV Receives $15,000 Grant from PSE Foundation
Voice of Vashon received a major grant this week from Puget Sound Energy Foundation. The $15,000 grant will fund the final phase of development of the Island’s emergency broadcasting system on 1650AM. At the presentation ceremony, held Wednesday at the Voice of Vashon studios at Paradise Ridge, Foundation President Andy Wapler presented the check to Voice of Vashon Board President Jeanne Dougherty as emergency broadcast system volunteers Jeff Hoyt and Susan McCabe looked on. Vashon’s own Puget Sound Energy Service Center Manager Patti McClements was there for the celebration. She works closely with Voice of Vashon volunteers during power outage emergencies. The system also provides information on ferry disruptions, road closures and -- during major storms and other emergencies -- provides comprehensive round-the-clock emergency information to Island residents for their safety and comfort.
The grant will allow VoV to install Signs to alert people when to tune to 1650AM. Several thousand dollars has already been invested in an AM radio service available at 1650 AM that covers Vashon-Maury Island.
Money will also be used to upgrade and improve the overall system. One Sign has already been installed at the North end of Vashon Island.
Voice of Vashon partnered with Vashon Park District to construct the first part of the emergency alert system. The installation of first of three small am transmitters working synchronously to cover Vashon-Maury Island was installed in 2007. The final transmitter was installed in Dockton in 2009.
"Voice of Vashon has been working on finishing this emergency broadcasting system for several years now. It’s so perfect to have Puget Sound Energy provide the climactic funding in that they’re such an important piece of our growing network of critical information providers on Vashon."
We’ll definitely put up flashers on the fire danger signs in front of the Country Store, by Engels, and down at the Y (solar powered), and if there’s enough in the budget, a sign at Bank and the Highway would be on the list as well (if a spot for it could be figured out). "With flashing signs at strategic locations around the island, VoV will finally be able to catch the attention of most travelers who are in their cars and very possibly unaware of a situation that could affect them." Voice of Vashon Standing by coordinator, Jeff Hoyt.
The Puget Sound Energy Foundation felt the partnership between Voice of Vashon and Vashon Park District, to establish The radio service at 1650AM meet the requirements for the Grant.
When the small community of Vashon Island faces trouble – loss of power, a major storm, or isolation because of a ferry disruption – the residents urgently need local information. The Voice of Vashon emergency-alert system is designed to provide that important information.
Voice of Vashon was first established in 1999 and started webcasting in 2000. Operation of a public access channel on Comcast cable channel 21 started in 2006. Voice of Vashon can be found at
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