Articles

Living in an unincorporated area, especially with 3 miles of water between us and the governing body, can be seen as both good and bad, depending on the government activity your talking about and who you are talking to. Generally speaking, if it has to do with regulation or oversight of your activities, distance makes for good relations. If it is about getting services or making complaints about things, getting overlooked is a bad thing. I’d like to put forth the premise that we do a lot better when we do for ourselves. Doing for ourselves, though, is not as easy as it seems, so we have been willing to put up with "one size fits all" rules and regulations from the county, even though more elegant solutions might be had if we applied some creative effort to it.

October 3, 2011, 5:13pm, SeaTac Airport. The British Airways jet touches down, Amanda Knox is home and our collective breath is released, but our joy was tempered with thoughts of Meredith Kercher’s family.

Standing on the deck of a ferry, I had the unexpected pleasure of watching that jet fly over Seattle and drop below the treetops as it descended onto the tarmac, later I would learn that Amanda was remarking how "surreal" it was to see home. She’s right. Her plight affected many of my friends and throughout this ordeal we chanted, "When her plane touches down at SeaTac, then it’s over."

He looks like he’s had a hard life. There is no smile and no conversation. He tries to look out the window. I smear the frost with the curtain but it is so cold outside that the glass is instantly iced up again. "Kan bu chu", I say. Can’t see out. "Ah," he says, dimly realizing that I know some Chinese. We are fellow passengers on the blue bus bound to see the Great Golden Buddha of Pu Tuo Shan. They are pilgrims and I am a tourist, the only foreigner.

But Tuesday’s just as bad. The only thing I’ve ever had against Sunday is that it’s followed by Monday, and nothing good has ever happened on Monday, throughout recorded history. I’ve confirmed this through personal research, decades of devout drinking. But eventually the research went into the ditch, like it often does; I was compelled to abandon it entirely.

Chief Deputy Steve Strachan, second in command at the King County Sheriff’s Office will give a presentation and answer written questions related to the staffing of officers on the island at the next Vashon Maury Island Community Council meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. at the McMurray School.

A new General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) club is forming on Vashon Island. The first, "get acquainted" meeting will be held on March 4th, from 2:00-4:00PM in the Ober Park Performance Room. It will be used to educate potential members about the GFWC and begin shaping the Vashon Island Club’s agenda. According to Pam Robbins, who first proposed formation of a club, all women age 18 and older who can volunteer a few hours a month to a community service project are encouraged to attend.

It occurred to me the other day that there are similarities between being a farmer and being an artist.

My father was a farmer, as his father was before him. He raised apples out in Green Valley, just west and north of the Pajaro Valley, near the Monterey Bay. My mother raised my brother and me, kept the house up, and did the book keeping for the farm, and occasionally played the piano.

Traditional winter menus of Rumania rely on root vegetables and such meats as pork and goat. Trust me, goat meat is very good. It can resemble venison or lamb, depending on what the goat has been eating. But today’s main dish recipe features beef, more readily available in our meat departments than goat and less expensive than lamb.

I would like to introduce myself: my name is Micheal Amanyire, and I conceived of the idea for TOCI about 5 years ago. TOCI ("tow-chi") stands for Twerwaheno Orphans Community Initiative, and works to address the needs of children orphaned by HIV/Aids, some who are mentally ill, and the most vulnerable of children in this area who are in need of assistance.

Vashon Opera presents Hansel and Gretel, a charming story with a candy house! Will the brother and sister free more than 30 Vashon Island children from the witch’s clutches? Come find out while hearing beautiful voices and the soaring melodies of a classic opera.

The old 1930’s garage behind Movie Magic is getting a new life with a whole lot of interior refinishing and the advent of Ignition Studios and Gallery. As a creative work space, the historical four-bay garage is now the new studio home of Vashon Vintage, Island Artistry Tile & Stone, and other area artists. The adjoining space, originally the old shop’s auto parts store, houses Ignition’s Gallery. The Studio and Gallery are hosting their Grand Opening First Friday Exhibition, "Spark in the Darkness" on February 3rd from 6-9 p.m. Entertainment will be provided, beginning at 7:30 by the UMO School of Physical Arts; they will demonstrate the art of "Poi"—fire dancing.