vashon-maury island beachcomber, december 14, 2011

By LESLIE BROWNStaff Writer

The number of children eligible to receive free lunches at Vashon’s three public schools has doubled in the last three years, according to statistics compiled by the Vashon Island School District.

In September 2008, 142 students, or 9.6 percent of the district’s enroll-ment, qualified for the federally subsidized program. By this fall, the number had climbed to 281, or 18 percent of the student body.

The number of students receiving partially subsided lunches — called reduced-price lunches — has not climbed quite as rapidly on Vashon, though those numbers have also inched upwards from 71 students in 2008 to 78 in 2011.

When both categories are com-bined, Vashon’s free and reduced-price lunch program has grown from 14 percent of the student body in 2008 to 23 percent this fall. All told, enrollment in the two pro-grams has jumped 40 percent — from 213 students in 2008 to 359 students in 2011.

The numbers on Vashon mirror a statewide trend that underscores the impact of Washington’s linger-ing recession. Statewide, according the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), enroll-

ment for free and reduced-price lunches has gone from 400,760 stu-dents in 2008 to 452,076 students in 2010, an 11 percent increase. (OSPI does not have 2011 numbers.)

As on Vashon, the largest jump

statewide has been in the number of students qualifying for the free-lunch program, where Washington’s enrollment has gone from 295,033

75¢WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2011 Vol. 56, No. 47 www.vashonbeachcomber.com

BEACHCOMBERVASHON-MAURY ISLAND

A HOLIDAY CLASSIC

Thespians put on ‘A Christmas Carol.’

0

REPAIRING A STREAM

Students help restore an ecosystem.

Page 12

The return of the elves: The saga continues

More students qualify for free lunch program

A new ferry, already in need of repairs, is headed to VashonBy NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

In just a few weeks Vashon will get one of the state’s newest ferries, replacing the aging Rhododendron on the Point Defiance-Tahlequah route.

The boat was well received in Port Townsend, where it has served for a year on the Port Townsend-Coupeville run. It was a welcome replacement to the previous, 80-year-old Steel Electric boat and was even named by the com-munity.

But already the 64-car Chetzemoka is garner-ing mixed reviews on the Island, where some are concerned about the repairs the boat has needed during its first year on the water and at least one ferry advocate questions its efficiency. Others,

meanwhile, are simply sad to see the 64-year-old Rhody, which has served the south end for almost 20 years, go.

The Rhody, the oldest boat in state’s fleet, has been scheduled for replacement since 2009, as it no longer meets U.S. Coast Guard safety standards.

Along with having larger engines and space for about 16 more cars, the Chetzemoka will come to Vashon decorated inside with art depicting his-torical Port Townsend, a reminder that the ferry was not originally constructed to serve Vashon. The boat’s name, too, references a famous tribal chief from the Olympic Peninsula.

Tim Caldwell, chair of the Port Townsend/Jefferson County Ferry Advisory Committee, praised the Chetzemoka’s performance and said the Port Townsend community embraced the

ferry as its own.“We were all kind of attached to the artwork,”

he said. “It has a lot of great hometown shots.”The $80.5 million Chetzemoka (pronounced

Chet-za-mocha) began service in late 2010 on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route as the first of three new 64-car ferries purchased by the state. It was joined on the route by the second boat in the class, the Salish. The final boat, the Kennewick, was to replace the Rhododendron.

However, the second two ferries were built with a different propulsion system than the Chetzemoka, and Washington State Ferries (WSF) decided to instead have the identical boats serve Port Townsend together during the peak season, sending the Chetzemoka to Vashon, said

The increase, some say, reflects the impact of a lingering recession

SEE LUNCH, 19

Leslie Brown /Staff Photo

Students line up for lunch at Chautauqua, where a growing number qualify for the subsidized free lunch program.

SEE FERRY, 5


After a media storm that thrust Vashon’s colorfully garbed elves into a regional spotlight, the King County Sheriff ’s Office and the Island’s chamber of com-merce have worked with the traffic-stopping fundraisers to craft a compromise.

The elves will return to the center of town, though drivers will be asked to pull to the side of the road to hand over their bills and loose change rather than stopping in the actual inter-section.

Debi Richards, executive director of the chamber, came up with the plan after she and Sgt. John Hall with the sheriff ’s office met to discuss a solution. Last week, after the two head elves — Tag Gornall and Bernie O’Malley — agreed to the plan, she asked busi-nesses at the four-way stop if they’d willingly sacri-fice some spots in front of their stores to the elves. All said yes, according to Richards.

So now the elves are in the process of creating what they’re calling Candy Cane Lanes, pullouts into the parking strip along the highway and Bank Road where drivers can pull over, donate some money and re-enter the traffic. The pullouts will be marked by colorful, ribbon-bedecked barriers.

Gornall and O’Malley said the new system won’t be nearly as effective as elves standing in the middle

SEE ELVES, 18

BEACHCOMBERVASHON-MAURY ISLAND

BUSINESS | A skilled chef serves Mexican food on wheels. Page 4ENVIRONMENT | New program sends whale alerts. Page 9SPORTS | An indoor baseball training center opens. Page 24

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Vashon is zoned rural, and the island feels a lot like Lopez, as in sparsely populated.

Animals like living on Vashon-Maury. There are fields, forests, miles of shoreline,

several veterinarians, and the Vashon Island Pet Protectors (VIPP). Over the years, I

have had feedback from clients who said their dogs were barkers, biters, suffering

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We are gratefully spared the presence of coyotes, opossums, poisonous snakes, and

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years I have lived here; the bears were relocated to the wild within a few days). A

Vashon pod of orcas patrol the shoreline and too many deer and raccoons abound.

Cats love lurking in the shadows, watching for voles, birds, moles, mice, rats,

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long-standing organizations; horses, sheep, cattle, goats, chickens, pigs, gees

e— a veritable Old MacDonald’s farm (or was it Betty MacDonald’s farm?),

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Two goats were killed last week by a pair of dogs that broke into their fenced pasture near the Vashon Golf & Swim Club on Maury Island, according to the owners, John and Sandra Schubert.

One of the dogs appeared to be a very large malamute/husky mix; the other was a smaller version, possibly a young offspring of the large dog, John Schubert said.

The two goats — Samantha, a 9-year-old boer-angora mix, and Buddy, a 4-year-old white Saanen — were badly mutilated after the ear-ly-morning attack last Wednesday. Their ears were ripped off and Buddy’s juggler vein was punctured, Schubert said. The couple feels sick about the death of the two animals, creatures they considered pets.

“I feel like I lost a dog. These were very close pets,” Schubert said.

Sandra Schubert woke up to the sound of their dogs barking at around 4 a.m., grabbed a flashlight

and went out to their pasture. After she encountered the two dogs, she ran back to the house and woke up her husband, and both returned to the pasture, carrying a rake and a shovel.

Even with the tools in hand, however, the couple couldn’t chase the dogs off their property, John

Schubert said. The animals stood their ground for several minutes, backing off a bit when Sandra began banging her shovel against the fence.

The two dogs finally slipped under the fence; John hopped in his car, hoping to follow them to their home, but the dogs disappeared

into some bushes.The Schuberts have contacted

the King County Sheriff ’s Office, Fair Isle Animal Clinic and Vashon Island Pet Protectors to spread the word about the rogue dogs.

Barbara Drinkwater, who coor-dinates the dog program for VIPP, expressed dismay over the Schuberts’ report, adding that dogs should never be allowed to roam on Vashon.

“If these dogs are on the loose, there’s no reason it won’t happen again,” she added.

But since last week’s attack, the Schuberts have talked to some of the neighbors and believe they may have tracked down the dogs’ owner. It appears they’re owned by a woman who lives elsewhere and occasionally visits the Island, the Schuberts said.

According to a neighbor who knows her, she’ll likely agree to pay the Schuberts for the loss of their goats, John said.

The neighbor, Schubert added, “was devastated” by the news.

Pair of dogs maul, kill two goats in Maury Island pasture

Samantha, left, and Buddy, were owned by John and Sandra Schubert.

A power outage triggered by a single car that hit a util-ity pole Saturday night left more than 1,000 people on the Island in the dark and cold for hours.

The car hit the pole at the intersection of Point Robinson Road and Dock-ton Road around 6 p.m. Saturday, where the impact caused the pole to snap and dangle perilously, break-ing transmission lines that served a large number of customers, according to Abigail Elliott, a spokes-person for Puget Sound Energy. Islanders reported seeing several large flashes of light after the accident.

More than 1,700 people were immediately without power, Elliott said. PSE was able to reroute some of those customers, and by later that night, about 1,200 custom-ers had no power.

Power was restored by 3:40 p.m. Sunday, after PSE crews brought a new pole to the Island and installed it, Elliott said. Wires, a transformer and other equipment also had to be replaced, she said.

The driver did not remain on the scene, according to Patti McClements, who runs PSE’s service center on Vashon. Several car parts were found at the site, and PSE is working with authori-ties to track down the driver.

The outage forced Is-landers to be resourceful,some said. At “The Nut-cracker,” a performance at The Blue Heron, for instance, dancers sang Christmas carols and asked the audience ballet trivia questions while waiting for the power to be restored, said Ellie Hughes, one of the dancers. The show started about 30 minutes late.

“It was crazy. But it was also fun,” she said.

www.vashonbeachcomber.comLate Breaking news 24/7

Food truck owner has also served celebritiesBy NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

A new dining option is turning heads and draw-ing small crowds south of Vashon town.

Last week Jorge Garnica quietly opened Zamorana, a food truck serving authen-tic Mexican fare six days a week in front of Sound Food.

Garnica, a Seattle chef who works at Kurtwood Farms and The Hardware Store Restaurant, said it’s been dream of his to own a business.

“It’s a crazy idea that I had,” Garnica said with a grin last week after a busy day that brought constant

business to the truck and lines at lunchtime.

“It’s been busy,” he said. “Crazy, but good busy.”

Garnica, who is 32 and speaks with a thick Mexican accent, moved from Mexico to the Seattle area 15 years ago with his father and quickly discov-ered a love for cooking. He noted that only women were allowed in the kitchen in his hometown and said he’s never taken a cooking class but grew his craft by working under more expe-rience chefs.

For the last dozen years Garnica has been a herds-man and cook at Kurtwood Farms, owned by well-known chef and author Kurt Timmermeister, and for the past several years he has also cooked part-time at The Hardware Store Restaurant.

Under Timmermeister, Garnica has prepared gourmet meals and even served stars such as Dave Matthews, Martha Stewart and Michael Pollan, a well-known local food advo-cate and author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.”

Though he said he was excited to meet and have his photo taken with Stewart, Garnica was humble about having cooked for celebri-ties.

“I don’t really look for big stars,” he said. “I just do my thing.”

Timmermeister him-self was first in line when Zamorana opened on Monday and had nothing but praise for the food.

“It was outstanding. … There’s an authen-ticity to it, which I like,” Timmermeister said.

Kim Cantrell, who knows Garnica and has had his food at The Hardware Store, agreed. She came to the truck for steak tacos one day and returned the next day to try something else.

“They were very authen-tic and very good,” she said.

Unlike some Mexican restaurants, which serve what Garnica calls Tex-Mex, or Americanized Mexican food, he will offer tacos, tortas and burritos similar

to those that are made in his hometown of Zamorana — the inspiration for the business’s name.

And though Vashon has seen several restaurants close their doors in recent years, Timmermesiter believes Zamorana offers something different than other Vashon restaurants and will be successful.

“I’ve had about 300 burri-tos at Thriftway,” he added with a laugh. “I’m ready for

a new burrito.”Garnica, who is keeping

his other part-time jobs, says it’s too soon to tell if Zamorana will continue to draw enough business to stay open. But he has high hopes for the endeavor, and he plans to eventually cater events and may bring the truck into town at times, perhaps for First Fridays.

“I’m doing my crazy dream right now,” he said. “I call it my crazy dream.”

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www.vashonheritage.org

A skilled chef rolls into town with authentic Mexican fare to go

Zamarona has been drawing crowds from its home in the parking lot of Sound Food. The new food truck is owned by a Hardware Store Restaurant chef and will be open six days a week.

WSF spokesperson Laura Johnson in an email. The approach, she said, allows for “operational consistency, … as crews on that route often switch between vessels.”

Marta Coursey, another spokesperson for WSF, said the Chetzemoka was built with a different propulsion system because the state needed to get the boat on the water quick-ly. It went with a propulsion system just like the one on the Massachusetts ferry the Island Home — the boat all three boats were modeled after — saving valuable design time.

However, the propellers may be to blame for some dis-pleasure surrounding the new ferry. Rumors have circu-lated among south-end commuters that the new boat is already having mechanical problems; it has even earned a crude nickname.

Indeed, the Chetzemoka, which has been dry-docked in Eagle Harbor since the Port Townsend route went to one-boat service in October, is already in need of a major repair. Hairline cracks were discovered in its propellers last month during scheduled maintenance. Johnson said the propellers were repaired and new ones are currently being fabricated. The new propellers will cost about $140,000, and the state has filed a claim against the boat’s builder, Vigor Industrial.

A vibration issue with the propulsion system delayed the Chetzemoka’s inaugural sailing last year, and the ferry was also dry-docked for a few days in August to replace a leaky

keel cooler, a part that is located in the hull and prevents systems from overheating.

Johnson said that despite the repairs, WSF has been pleased with how the Chetzemoka served Port Townsend. She said the challenging route puts wear and tear on any vessel, and the Chetzemoka has had only nine mechanical-related cancellations in more than 6,000 trips.

“Considering the fact that the Kwa-di Tabil class vessels are the first ferries to be built in more than 12 years, and that they were immediately placed into service on one of the

most challenging routes in the ferry system, their perfor-mance has been and continues to be remarkable,” she said.

Greg Beardsley, chair of Vashon’s Ferry Advisory Committee, is wary of the Chetzemoka’s move to Vashon. He agrees it makes sense to have identical ferries on the Port Townsend run but also believes the Chetzemoka’s pro-pulsion system makes it more difficult to navigate than the Salish or Kennewick.

Indeed, the former captain of the Chetzemoka, Curt Larson, told the Port Townsend Leader in October that because of its different propulsion system the Chetzemoka doesn’t stop as well as the other two boats in its class.

Another worker on the Chetzemoka said the boat is more susceptible to winds because it lacks the large holes in the deck that other ferries have. Beardsley believes the ferry may have trouble on the south end of Vashon, where winds and currents can be strong during the winter months.

“It’s a very big, tall vessel that has lots of windage. … It’s not like the Rhody, which is very low-profile,” Beardsley said.

Johnson, with WSF, believes the boat will perform fine and said it was even tested at Tahlequah in fall of 2010. “The currents there are similar to those in Coupeville and the vessel performed well,” she said

Beardsley also criticized the design of all three 64-car boats, which he says are not cost efficient — troubling, he noted, in light of the ferry system’s financial difficulties.

According to WSF statistics, the 64-car Chetzemoka burns 75 gallons of fuel per hour, while the 48-car Rhododendron burns 30 gallons per hour. It also requires a crew of seven workers compared with the Rhody’s crew of six.

Coursey, with WSF, said it’s impossible to compare oper-ating costs between the Chetzemoka and Rhododendron because they have served two different routes and are from different classes of vessels.

State Sen. Sharon Nelson, who lives on Maury and often commutes off the south end, said she hadn’t heard anything about the fuel efficiency or crew size of the Chetzemoka but believes it is much needed at Tahlequah and is pleased Vashon is poised to receive a nearly brand-new boat.

“We’ve got a year-old boat to replace a 60-year-old vessel, an aged vessel,” she said.

When asked whether she was concerned with the Chetzemoka’s design or recent repairs, Nelson said she had heard some qualms from constituents, but hasn’t found data to back their complaints. “My understanding is she’s performed very well up there,” she said.

Bob Sargent, an Islander who commutes on the Point Defiance-Tahlequah route, said he too has heard rumors about the new boat, but like many, he doesn’t know what’s true and what isn’t.

“People are talking, and people are wary,” he said. “On the other hand, I’ve heard from some people that are con-cerned about the safety of the Rhody in the long run.”

Sargent added that he and others are sad to see the Rhododendron, which he called “a treasure,” go. Many rid-ers and crew have grown to love the boat, praising its upper-deck layout, polished wood benches and brass railings. There has even been talk of a goodbye party for the vessel.

“Both the public and the crew really adore that boat,” Sargent said. “It will be a sad day when it goes away.”

Did YouKnow... For information or help, call Vashon Youth & Family Services.

463-5511ext 224or go to www.vyfs.org

Vashon Youth & Family Services offers a wide variety of counseling services for youth, adults, couples, and families.

We recognize that the holidays can be a

Holidays can be a time of celebration and a time to get in touch with what stirs your heart; a time of reconnecting with family and old memories.

If you need help coping with these emotions and the stress of the season, call VYFS.

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CONTINUED FROM 1

The 64-car Chetzemoka has served the Port Townsend-Coupeville route for a year, and will begin service on the Point Defiance-Tahlequah route next month.

By WILL NORTHFor The Beachcomber

It was straight out of one of those black and white movies typically set in prohibition-era Chicago: In the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, Dec. 3 (which at this winter latitude is about 10 a.m.), unmarked, window-blackened police cars descended upon the main intersection in Vashon town, tires screeching as they rounded the corners and slid to a stop. Doors flew open and scores of G-men—with their long coats, gray Fedora hats tilted just-so over one eye, and their submachine guns at the ready — poured out onto the street.

Within moments, they’d apprehended four elves dressed in red, green and white costumes, along with two pedestri-ans who, as fate would have it, were wearing the same holi-day colors that day. Into the back of the Black Maria police van they went, and before anyone at the intersection could figure out who should proceed next, the paddywagon was gone, and Vashon was once again crime-free.

OK, OK, so maybe it didn’t go down quite like that. I don’t know; I wasn’t there. I’m usually trading insults with my friend Bad Michael at the Burton Coffee Stand on Saturday morning. But the plain fact was that “uptown,” the elves were … gone!

Intrepid recovering journalist that I am, I immediately began investigating, though not too hard. According to the coppers, “da elves was actin’ in contravention of da law, to wit: RCW section 46.61.255(4).” (Not a direct quote.)

Frankly, I couldn’t believe my ears. I mean, I can barely remember my own address; how’d these knuckle-draggers remember all those numbers? And what’s an RCW, any-way? A bit more digging (albeit shallow) revealed that this bit of legalese says, “No person shall stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting employment or business from the occupant of any vehicle.” And I’m thinking, you know, “Hey, these are elves, not ‘ladies of the night!’” Plus, let’s face it, most of these elves are retired folks; they’re not seeking employment, they’re avoiding it like the plague. Which also means they’re smart. Smart enough to know that if you have a business and are looking for customers, a website is way more effective than standing around in the street in a funny outfit. You following me here?

Then there’s the obvious: The elves are accepting — not soliciting, mind you, just accepting — donations for causes like Vashon Youth & Family Services or the food bank. You can smile and drive right past them, giving nothing, because they almost never climb in through your car window and demand payment at knife-point. Also, it is useful to remem-ber that businesses exist to make money; these organizations exist to give it away, in the form of much-needed food and health services.

Of course the coppers have an explanation; heck, they have an entire legal department to make one up! Apparently, they received — brace yourself for this — “at least one com-plaint” about the elves. At least one? What is that, just under two? Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not seeing that as exactly a tsunami of public indignation. One? Don’t these coppers have anything better to do?

In answer to this question, chief elf Bernie O’Malley says

the officers who bundled them off to the clink (I say this metaphorically) were “polite and apologetic.” We’ll of course O’Malley would say that: Even if he isn’t behind bars, there’s always the threat of a speeding ticket for going, say, 27 in a 25 mph zone, or for failing to yield the right of way at the main intersection in town where “right of way” is an appar-ently incomprehensible notion.

And then there is this: Christmas is nearly here. The elves have only just so much free time for volunteer work before Santa hauls them back up to the sweat shop at the North Pole. Their time for good works is limited.

Finally, I ask you: “At least one” complaint? Was that from the Grinch?

— Will North, holiday traditionalist, candy-cane hater and elf fan, lives on the Island.

Dear Ebenezer,Greetings from beyond the grave. I trust this finds you well, although the recent news troubles me greatly. Can it possibly be true that you asked the local constabulary to stop kindly elves from raising money for families and kids? Put another way, Scrooge, YOU CALLED THE COPS??? I thought the visit from the spirits helped you learn about the true meaning of Christmas. But apparently the Great Recession has caused you to relapse into your former unpleasant self.You should now prepare for another visit from the ghostly ones because they’re gravely unsettled with you. Remedial work is not something they enjoy. If you were scared 168 years ago, you’ll definitely have a sleepless night this time around.It’s not too late to change this outcome.First, go buy a ticket to Drama Dock’s presentation of “A Christmas Carol.” You clearly need a refresher of what Christmas is all about, and they’ll do a nice job.Second, part with some of your gold farthings and give gener-ously to Vashon Youth & Family Services. It will be as reward-ing as when you helped Tiny Tim and his family.Look in the mirror, Ebenezer. Remember how wonderful it is to be thoughtful and generous. Then get out there and help the elves. In the middle of the road.Merry Christmas, my old friend,— Jacob Marley (as conveyed to Jon Flora of Vashon Island)

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].


EDITORIAL

The column, letter and cartoon on this page were all created prior to the latest development in the Vashon elves’ headline-grabbing situation — news that they’ll soon return, as if by magic, to the four-corner intersection in the heart of town.

But of course, it isn’t magic that is bringing the elves back. It’s a combination of embarrassment (the King County Sheriff’s Office looked terribly Grinch- or Scrooge-like — take your pick — as a result of their decision to shut them down), media scrutiny (from conservative talk show host John Carlson to The Beachcomber) and the sheer determination of a handful of people.

Let’s start with Debi Richards. Still somewhat new to the post, Richards has already demon-strated that she’s a can-do director of Vashon’s Chamber of Commerce. She’s energetic, hard working and resourceful.

She also has a heart. Richards felt sick that a fantastic source of revenue had suddenly been turned off a few weeks before Christmas and at a time when news abut Vashon’s degree of need keeps pouring in. She started thinking and hatched a plan — one that required some sup-port among the merchant community, a group of people with whom she’s cultivated much goodwill.

Then there was the sheriff’s office — and in particular Sgt. John Hall, who seems to have a sincere interest in Vashon, was also troubled by the way the situation played out and was keen on finding a solution.

And finally, of course, we have the elves them-selves — led by a pair of retired men who have played their roles in this drama with an appro-priate degree of understated charm.

Bernie O’Malley — Central Casting couldn’t have come up with a better elf name — has taken the situation seriously, expressing concern about the time they’ve lost. Tag Gornall, a retired marine mammal vet, seems a bit more whimsi-cal, uttering occasional droll comments about the true nature of elves. Both men have kept their wits about them, even as KOMO’s news cameras appeared on Island to cover the drama.

So yes, the elves are back. Vashon, once again, captured the region’s attention as a quirky place. And magic — in the form of oversized elves in red noses and striped stockings — will again grace our Island. Drive carefully, and carry a few extra bucks.

The elves’ return took more than magic

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OPINIONVashon-Maury

Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber, 17141 Vashon Hwy SW, Suite B, Vashon, WA 98070; (USPS N0. 657-060) is published every Wednesday by Sound Publishing Inc.; Corporate Headquarters: 19351 8th Avenue NE, Suite 106, Poulsbo, WA 98370-8710. (Please do not send press releases to this address.)SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $30 on Island motor route delivery, one year; $57 two years; Off Island, continental U.S., $57 a year and $30 for 6 months. Periodical postage paid at Vashon, Washington. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to Beachcomber P.O. Box 447, Vashon Island, WA 98070.

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G-Men nab elves selling illegal, um, nothing

Editor’s Note: Several people expressed their feelings about the “elf situation.” Here’s a sampling — a cartoon, a column and a letter from the great beyond.

VASHONOLOGY BY BILL JARCHO

I have read with interest the letters and articles in The Beachcomber by my fellow Islanders and friends about the proposed Vashon Center for the Arts. I feel a need to respond to these views, not by a point-counter-point methodology but by addressing a few of the many reasons I think the center is a really good idea. In so doing, I will respond to some of the con-cerns expressed.

Art is important. Art is not optional. To my mind, there is not a choice between, say, schools and art or land conservation and art. The promotion of arts educa-tion and the support of artists go hand in hand with a healthy community. I believe that art and the qualities that make an art-ist are the keys to our ability to innovate and make a meaningful future for ourselves as a culture. I also think that those who argue that by supporting one cause we are somehow withdrawing sup-port from other areas of our com-

munity are not seeing the whole picture: It is not a zero sum game. We all do what we believe is in the best

interest of our Island, whether giving of our time and money to one entity or many, and each act of generosity affects the whole. The Vashon Center for the Arts will serve as a center for ideas, education, performance and dis-play of art.

We are crowded. Island per-formers and artists need more space than that provided by our historic Blue Heron building and the churches and Vashon High School. Ask any group on the Island about the difficulty of finding suitable space in which to rehearse and perform, especially for dance and acoustically sensi-tive pieces. The new center will contain three rooms in addition to the auditorium that can be

used as classrooms, as rehearsal rooms and for meetings. The gallery and most of the admin-istrative offices will move to the new building so the Blue Heron will be able to house the dance program and classrooms. The Heron and the new building will together make up an arts cam-pus in a cen-trally located place, on the bus line and within walking distance of all three schools.

Vashon High School needs its space for its students. Although VHS has priority in its scheduling, for years it has shared its auditorium with vari-ous community productions and has had to restrict its use as an academically oriented facility. There is no doubt that the VHS space will still be available for some of our Island events, but it should be reserved primarily as an assembly hall, lecture hall and teaching facility for the high school and allow for spontane-

ity of scheduling by the school instead of locking in a year’s worth of use in advance, which is currently the case.

The Vashon Center for the Arts will be a strong community asset. The new building, while admittedly larger than the other

buildings at Center, the his-toric crossroads where it will be situated, will be welcoming and warm, a place that celebrates the arts on the Island. The auditorium will be acoustically excellent for theatrical pro-ductions as well as symphonic,

folk, rock, chorale, chamber music and operatic performances. The stage is designed for maxi-mum flexibility. It can spotlight a single speaker on the fore-stage with the curtain creating an inti-mate feel or fit the 100- member chorale on risers with a 25-mem-ber orchestra in front. The seat-ing space will not feel vast. By comparison, the auditorium has 25 more seats than the VHS the-

ater.The center is intended to be

sustainable, both ecologically and financially. The building design is currently at LEED Silver rating and is a zero water use facility. Water will be collected from the roof and stored in cisterns to provide water to flush the toilets all year round. It is also designed with highly efficient heating and cooling systems. The proceeds from the generous trust that Kay White donated in 2008 will not be used for construction beyond pre-construction expenses. Instead, trust proceeds will be held to cover the future expenses of the facility and will enable VAA to ensure affordable ticket prices and tuition fees, assist in providing scholarships and keep usage rates low for Vashon groups.

These are some of the reasons that I think the Vashon Center for the Arts is a very good idea. I hope we can come together to make this project happen.

— Susan Helsell Kutscher is on the board of Vashon Allied Arts and serves on its Building, Construction, Communication and Program com-

mittees. She previously worked as a professional stage manager.

Who are you?Now’s your chance to tell the Island. Call Matthew or Daralyn for ad rates & sizes.

Ad Deadline: Jan. 5, 2012Publishes: January 18, 2012

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Many reasons exist to support the proposed Vashon Center for the ArtsTHE ARTSBy SUSAN KUTSCHER

The new venue would provide much needed space

Meet the Author — Thor Hanson: Local author and con-servation biologist Thor Hanson, PhD, will discuss his newest book, “Feathers,” which is a sweeping natural history of feathers as used to fly, protect, attract and adorn through time and place. 7 to 8 p.m. at the Vashon Library.

Vashon Computer Club: Hot drinks and refreshments will ac-company a presentation about the “Kindle Fire,” the latest reading device from Amazon. Anyone

may attend free of charge, but membership has benefits, and is inexpensive. 8 p.m. at the Vashon Senior Center on Bank Road.

A Christmas Carol: Drama Dock will present this holiday classic. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 to 17, 22, 23 and 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, at the Blue Heron. (For more informa-tion, see page 10.)

Senior Center Birthday Table: People with birthdays this month will be honored at the center’s lunch celebration; the suggested donation is $3.50. 11:45 a.m. at the center on Bank Road.

VFW Esssay Awards Ceremony: Students who participated in the VFW essay contest and their fami-lies are invited to the ceremony conducted by the Veterans of For-eign Wars and school administra-tors. Students who wrote winning

essays will receive cash awards, and all students who participated will be recognized. 10 to 11 a.m. at McMurray Middle School.

Senior Center Movies and Popcorn: George C. Scott plays the penny-pinching miser in Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas story. Free. 12:30 p.m. at the Vashon Senior Center on Bank Road.

Baseball Facility Open House: There will be a coaches’ meeting at 10 a.m. followed by an open house for the new training gym from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the old Napa store in Vashon Plaza. (For more information, see page 15.)Winter Planting at Maury Island Marine Park: Plant trees at the park, where the shoreline needs help re-establishing a na-tive plant community. Bring a water bottle, lunch and your own work gloves. Additional gloves, tools, snacks and water will be provided. RSVP to Ruchi Bhutani at People For Puget Sound, 382-7007, ext. 182. 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park.

Free Gift Wrapping: Islanders are invited for refreshments, fel-lowship and free gift wrapping. All gifts, up to five per person, must be pre-boxed. The church intends for the wrapping to be a blessing for those who attend. For more information, call the church at 463-3940. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the lower level of Vashon Island Community Church, 9318 S.W. Cemetery Rd.

Adopt-a -Cat Day: Vashon Island Pet Protectors hosts an adopt-a-cat day each week. Bring a new feline friend home for the holidays. To see cats available for adoption, see www.vipp.org. 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 12200 S.W. 243rd St.

Celtic Christmas Cantata: The cantata, called “Tapestry of Light,” will be performed by 27 singers from a variety of Island churches, a seven-piece Celtic orchestra and narrators. Marita Ericksen and Dinah Helgeson will conduct. 7 p.m. at the Methodist Church. (For more information, see page 11.)

Late ‘Movie’ Night at the Library: Youth in grades 6 to 12 are invited to watch Tim Burton’s, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and enjoy refreshments. Call the library at 463-2069 to save a seat. 6 p.m. at the Vashon Library.

Unitarian Fellowship: An intergenerational cast presents a humorous holiday pageant of a journey of personal discovery made lighter by the belief of an unlikely companion. 9:30 a.m. at Lewis Hall behind Burton Commu-nity Church.

Photos with Santa: Santa will be in his cottage, and photographer Michael Sage will be there to take photos. Noon to 3 p.m. at his cot-tage in the Village Green.

Senior Center Potluck: Family and friends join together for a come-as-you-are feast. 2 p.m. at the Vashon Senior Center on Bank Road.

Celtic Christmas Cantata: The cantata, called “Tapestry of Light,” will be performed by 27 singers from a variety of Island churches a seven-piece Celtic orchestra and narrators. Marita Ericksen and Dinah Helgeson will conduct. 5 p.m. at the Lutheran Church.

UPCOMING

The Grinch Sets the Record Straight: Steffon Moody and the classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” will entertain. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, at the Vashon Theatre. (For more infor-mation, see page 11.)Chanukah Stories: Storyteller Merna Ann Hecht will offer Stories for the last night of Chanukah for ages 7 and up. For more in-formation, call 463-2616. 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, at Vashon Bookshop.

CLASSES

Shape Up Vashon: Organizers of the group, with the goal of helping Islanders get healthier, will hold three meetings. The free introductory class will meet from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, and 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, at the Vashon Senior Center. A third class on medical numbers — blood pressure, cho-lesterol and glucose — will meet from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Courthouse Square. Ar-rive at 6:15 p.m. to get your blood pressure checked, do a three- minute fitness test or weigh in. There will also be information on important cancer screenings, a holiday check-in, exercise sugges-tions and more. The class is free for Shape Up Vashon members, $5 for non-members.

Aikido: Watch or join a special class of Vashon Commu-nity Kokikai Aikido. Members of Vashon’s sister dojo in Seattle will be joining the group for an eve-

ning of nonviolent self-defense. Free. Call Alex Tokar 850-9403 for details. 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, in the high school wrestling room.

Ceramics with Steve Roache: Make tiles and small items, which will be fired at Roache’s studio, ready to take home about a week later. Free. 9:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 16, at the Vashon Senior Center on Bank Road.

Navigating the Holidays: While the holidays are a magical time of year, they can also bring up increased stress, disappointment and loneliness. Life coach Amy Kessel will offer a free workshop for people to learn self-care techniques to ground and fortify themselves in the coming weeks. 11 a.m. to noon Friday, Dec. 16, at Full Circle Wellness Center.

Make Origami Angels: Weslie Rogers will teach the way to fold foil or paper into a standing angel; $1 for materials. 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, at the Senior Center on Bank Road.

Yoga with Linda Moore: The group will work through these cold months with a mindful asana practice to keep their inner fires stoked. All levels of experience are welcome. The suggested dona-tion is $7 to 12, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Students should bring a mat. Class times align with the Metro bus schedule. For mre information, see moorepeacefulwithyoga.blogspot.com/2011/11/yoga-class-on-vashon.html. 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, at Hanna Barn Studio, 7712 Point Robinson Road.

Courtesy Photo

This month’s selection in the Communty Film series is “Taking Root,” which looks at Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangaari Maathai and her work encouraging the planting of trees in Kenya. Her work turned into a global movement.The Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust is co-sponsoring the film. Islander and forest ecologist Derek Churchill will moder-ate. The film is free and will be shown from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Ober Park performance room.

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.

COMMUNITY FILM: ‘TAKING ROOT’

VASHON THEATER

J. Edgar: Ends Dec. 15

Tower Heist: Plays Dec. 16 to 22

It’s a Wonderful Life: Free. 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18

Community Singalong: 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19

The Grinch Sets the Record Straight: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22

See www.vashontheatre.com for show times or call

PUBLIC MEETINGS

King County Cemetery District #1: The 2012 budget will be approved at this meeting. 3 p.m. Wednesday, at the Vashon Cemetery.

VMICC Land Use and Natural Resources Committee: For more infor-mation, contact Robert Keeler at 679-7279. 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Land Trust Building.

Vashon School Board: The board will elect a new chair, discuss annual goals and vote on a technology and capital projects levy to be put before voters Feb. 14. 7 p.m. Thursday at McMurray Middle School.

King County Airport District #1 Commissioners: 7 p.m. Friday at Courthouse Square.

Vashon-Maury Island Community Council: This month’s general meeting will be short and at a differerent locale. There will not be a formal agenda, but new business or motions can be submitted. Topics or other issues to be dealt with in January or at future meetings can be submitted to [email protected]. 5:30 to 5:50 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19, at the Vashon Theatre, just in time for everyone to join in the annual singalong there.

VoV TV is Comcast channel 21.Wednesday and Monday, 5 p.m. Island producer/videographer Penny Kimmel interviews a few of Vashon’s most creative characters.

Wednesday and Friday, 7 p.m. Producer Penny Kimmel does it again with a Ken Burns-style history of Seattle’s Japanese Garden on its 50th anniversary.

The complete VoV TV schedule is available at www.voiceofvashon.org.


SCENE & HEARD

John Sage/FinchHaven Photo

Chautauqua hosts its annual Turkey Trot each November. The fourth- and fifth-grade students chase a “turkey,” this year Peri Roberts and Ryan Krug, pictured in the rear, from the Vashon High School bleachers to Chautauqua. The fourth-grade winners were Jeremiah Bogaard, seated fourth from right, and Kristi Walker, seated fourth from left. The fifth-grade winners were Finley Oswald, standing fourth from right and, Berline Kilpatrick, standing fourth from left. For their fleet feet, they each received a frozen turkey.

Leslie Brown/Staff Photo

Students in Nancy Herrington’s first-grade class made gingerbread houses as a fundraiser for the Lunch Club at Chautauqua. Diane Brenno runs the popular program, which provides an alternative venue for kids who do not want to go outside at breaks. The kids created six houses, which raised $230.

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DECEMBER EVENTS“When is it Normal Memory Loss?”Thursday, December 8th, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Join us for a presentation by the Alzheimer’s Association to get answers to questions you may have on memory loss.

Holiday Open HouseSunday, December 18th, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Come feel the warmth of Daystar at this good old fashioned Holiday gathering! Bring the kids and grandkids to visit with

Santa, listen to carolers and enjoy delicious holiday treats!ZOOLIGHTS

Wednesday, December 21st, 3:00 p.m.Join us for a trip to Point Defiance Zoo and see it come

aglow with more than a half-million lights! Sip hot cocoa while you explore dazzling lights and breathtaking displays!

Cost is $20 for admission and includes a light dinner.New Year’s Eve “Eve”

Friday, December 30th, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.Celebrate the New Year early! Put on your special outfit and your dancing shoes, and step out for a traditional New Year’s

Eve celebration! Enjoy gourmet desserts and dancing music by local favorite, the Hanky Panky Band.

Please RSVP Three Days in Advance Seating is limited, and reservations are required for all events.

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Orca alerts will help Islanders see whalesBy NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

Preserve Our Islands, a Vashon nonprofit that was instrumental in prevent-ing Glacier Northwest from expanding its mining opera-tion on Maury Island, wants to help Vashon residents see what they and others work to protect. The organiza-tion recently announced the launch of its “Pod Blasts.”

For a $15 annual fee, Islanders can be alerted by text message or email when orcas or other whales approach Vashon and then receive frequent updates on the whales’ locations and where and when they can best be viewed.

Amy Carey, director of Preserve our Islands (POI), said she and those she knows make many frantic phone calls when whales come to Vashon, and she has been asked for years to set up a more formal system.

“We were hearing so many people say, ‘Please, please, please, find a way to do that,’” Carey said.

The Pod Blast program will be a pilot this year, she said, as POI wants to assure the alerts don’t result in peo-ple watching whales from boats, which she said can be harmful for the animals.

“At the same time, I don’t anticipate that being an issue,” Carey said. “It doesn’t reflect Vashon’s values.”

Educators can sign up for free alerts, Carey said, and anyone who can’t afford the

$15 fee, which she said cov-ers the cost of the program, can still participate.

“Financial status shouldn’t be a barrier,” she said.

Orcas pass by Vashon mostly during the late fall and winter months, Carey said, though transient orcas as well as gray whales and humpbacks have been known to come down during all times of the year. Large orca pods have traveled by the

Island at least twice this year, and in late October they put on a spectacular show off of Point Robinson.

Carey hopes the new Pod Blasts will not only get more people watching whales from the shore but increase awareness of the animals and encourage people to think about how they can protect marine habitat.

“Yes, seeing whales is fun,” Carey said. “But it’s a pretty profound experience ... and we consider it a tool in preservation and protec-tion work, because having that interaction and experi-ence of what we’re working to protect only strengthens our work and this commu-nity’s work.”

Richard Rogers lets children look through his telescope when a large group gathered at Lisabeula Park to watch orcas recently.

To sign up for Pod Blasts, go to www.preserveourislands.com and click the Pod Blasts link, or send contact information, including a phone num-ber or email address, and a $15 check to Preserve Our Islands, PO Box 845, Vashon, WA 98070.

BREAKINGNEWS!www.vashonbeachcomber.com24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEKBEACHCOMBER

VASHON-MAURY ISLAND


ARTS&LEISUREVashon-Maury GET READY TO LAUGH: A baker ’s dozen of Island funnymen and women will take the

stage for “Holiday Comedy Shor ts” at 8 p.m . Fr iday, Dec. 23, at Red Bic ycle Bistro. The eve-ning’s enter tainment will include contr ibutions from a comedy juggler, a m ime, a ventr i lo-quist and some traditional stand-up comedians. A $5 cover charge lets you in on the fun.

Jason Lollar, an Island music icon who is known worldwide for his own brand of pickups for elec-tric, bass and steel guitars, will take the stage with his band, One More Mile, at 9 p.m. Saturday, at the Red Bike. The show is free and for all ages until 11 p.m. and 21 and older after that. The band includes Tommy Bean, who has played in a long line of blues bands, and Mike Nichols, known on the Island and beyond for his blister-ing harmonica. The band’s rhythm section is made up of younger musicians — David Solonen on bass and Sammy Veatch on drums.

Schuyler Karr and Chaz Bommarito will bring a mix of acoustic bass and drums to a free show at 7 p.m. Friday, at Café Luna. The duo, known as Farouche, improvises music that incorporates elements of classical, jazz and hip hop. Karr cur-rently performs with the San Francisco Youth Symphony Orchestra and freelances with two folk groups, The Black Hats, playing Balkan and Russian folk music, and the Sour Mash Hug Band, playing Dixieland and Gypsy jazz. He is also a main producer of the hip hop group Brothers From Another. Bommarito, a talented drummer, is currently on leave from U.C. Berkeley.

Mark Graham and WB Reid will play a free show at 7 p.m. Saturday at Café Luna. Both players are revered for their mastery of traditional music and membership in countless bands. Some years ago, they discovered a mutual joy in playing jazz tunes from the 1920s and 1930s, with Graham on clarinet and Reid on the six-string banjo. Graham is known for his old-time harmonica and clarinet playing and clever original songs. Throughout his long career, Graham has played on stages with many great musicians. Reid has spent four decades playing blues, ragtime, old-time, swing and world music. At Café Luna, the pair will play swinging instrumentals, Tin Pan Alley tunes, Graham’s originals and maybe even a couple of old-time fi ddle and harmonica duets.

Bethel Church will host a rousing Christmas Celtic concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, with the group Molly’s Revenge, soloist Christa Burch and the Rosemary Turco Irish dancers.

Molly’s Revenge, a well-known acoustic band, has performed at many top folk festivals and toured internationally. Band members David Brewer, John Weed, Pete Haworth and Stuart Mason are all accomplished. Brewer, on Highland bagpipes, whistles and bodhran, studied in Scotland under the tutelage of some of the best pipers in the world and has composed 200 tradi-tional style tunes, many of which have appeared on recordings, fi lms and television. Weed is a classically trained violinist who changed to Irish fi ddle about 15 years ago. He hones his skills by annually attending the Frankie Kennedy Winter School in Ireland. Haworth, on bouzouki and lead vocals, grew up in Lancashire County, England. Mason, on guitar and mandola, has performed music on stages from Ireland to China.

Tickets, $10 and $15, are on sale at Vashon Book-shop, Bethel’s offi ce, and by calling 567-4255 or visiting www.brownpapertickets.com.

ARTS BRIEFS Actors unwrap a sweet seasonal treatBy ELIZABETH SHEPHERDArts Editor

An ensemble of 30 Island thespi-ans is busy right now, polishing a beloved holiday chestnut to

roll out on Thursday.Drama Dock’s show, “A Christmas Carol:

Scrooge and Marley,” is an adaptation of Dickens’ tale, told from the point of view of Jacob Marley, the ghostly apparition who first warns Ebenezer Scrooge that he is hell-bound if he doesn’t change his ways.

Marley, played by Drama Dock veteran Gordon Millar, appears not only as a moan-ing, chain-dragging ghost in a midnight scene with Scrooge, but he also takes a lighter turn as the narrator of the play, escorting audiences through a travelogue of Ebenezer’s life and times.

“It’s a good role, and a meaningful piece about redemption,” Millar said. “People can relate to it, especially to the character of Scrooge. You come away saying, ‘maybe I should get my own act together.’”

Another well-known Drama Docker, Chaim Rosemarin, is cast as Scrooge.

For Rosemarin, a self-proclaimed “Jewish kid from Brookyn,” it’s a thrill to play the iconic role.

“It’s one of those parts that every actor of a certain age would love to tackle,” he said. “The problem is there are already so many who have already done it and done so well at it. Trying to find something new is the challenge.”

Rosemarin said that although he’s worked hard to keep his character true to Dickens’ vision, he’s also explored some ways to freshen up the character.

“Some people will say, ‘gee, that was a new take on Scrooge,’ and there will be oth-ers who walk away saying ‘bah, humbug,’”

he joked. The show’s artistic team includes director

Chris Ott and Drama Dock artistic director Elizabeth Ripley.

The show also boasts the talents of a bevy of young Islanders, playing parts that include young Scrooge, his sister Fan,

his true love Belle, the Fezziwig girls, the Cratchit kids, and of course, the biggest small part in the play — Tiny Tim, played by Calvin DeGraaf.

The kids in the show also act as a roving children’s chorus, adding Christmas carols to the dramatic mix.

A troupe of 20 graceful Island girls and six boys will dance in an all-new show, “Holiday Ornaments,” this weekend.

The dance concert, presented by Vashon Island Community Ballet (VICB), is spon-sored by the Vashon Park District.

The show will include excerpts from “The Nutcracker” as well as several new dances choreographed by Kim Gallo, who teaches the dancers under the banner of Island Dance Theater.

Gallo’s class provides a low-cost opportu-nity for Island kids to perform on Vashon. Dancers meet on Saturdays throughout the fall to rehearse for the show, paying only a $25 registration fee.

The park district program has been an important part of the lives of many young Vashon dancers and their families. Two of the dancers in this year’s show, Vashon High School senior Kaydi Rosser and Student Link senior Keanu Roush, have danced with the group for several years, while other tiny tots

in the show are just beginning to explore the world of dance.

Founded by Betsy Frazee as Vashon Junior Civic Ballet, the program has under-gone several changes this year — the result of a leadership dispute that put this season’s performance in jeopardy. A new board, however, was elected a few weeks ago, and the park district, as a result, agreed to sponsor the winter show.

Kamela Trujillo, who chairs VICB’s newly elected board, said she hopes a lot of Islanders will turn out for the show to applaud the dancers. To that end, she’s given away passes to St. Vincent de Paul, the Vashon Senior Center and the food bank.

For those who will be buying tickets, prices have been kept low. A family pass to the show is $23 for two adults and up to three kids, with additional tickets for kids in family groups costing only $2 per per-son. Individual tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The show will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Vashon High School.

—Elizabeth Shepherd

Chaim Rosemarin, left, is Scrooge, and Gordon Millar plays Jacob Marley.

Drama Dock’s “A Christmas Carol” can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16, 17, 22, 23 and 26, and 2 p.m. 18 and 24, at the Blue Heron. Buy tickets, $15/$10, at the Blue Heron, Heron’s Nest, Vashon Bookshop and www.brownpapertickets.com. A special show on Thursday, Dec. 15, will support the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank. Audience members should bring canned food donations or purchase a ticket at the door.

‘Holiday Ornaments’ includes excerpts from ‘The Nutcracker’ plus several new dances

Kaydi Rosser will perform in “Holiday Ornaments.”

In what is becoming a holiday tra-dition, performer Steffon Moody will perform “The Grinch Sets the Record Straight” for Islanders next week.

The free show, which will include a screening of the Boris Karloff-narrated classic carton, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” is being presented by the Vashon Park District and the Vashon Theatre.

It’s the second year in a row Moody has performed the show on Vashon. Last year, he played the Grinch to a sold-out crowd at the Ober Park per-formance space.

This year, he’s expanded the show to make it fit in the much-larger Vashon Theatre, where he’ll be backed by a supporting cast of

Grinchettes, played by his wife and daughter, Arlette and Louisa Moody.

“This is different from last year, when it was just me entering and dia-loguing with the audience, reading to them and getting audience members up on stage,” Moody said.

Moody will still improvise much of the story, which retells the Dr. Seuss tale with a twist — Moody’s character remains unrepentant about stealing Christmas, and says he’d do it again.

It’s a take on the character that earns hisses and boos from the audi-ence, Moody said.

“The kids love to hate me,” he said. One of the best parts of doing the

show for Moody is the chance to liter-ally climb inside the Grinch’s skin.

“I think my costume is even better than the one Jim Carrey wore in the movie version of the story,” Moody said. “It has prosthetics and these real-ly great hands and long feet. It takes me an hour and a half to get into the costume — it’s a total body mask.”

Moody said he’s performed the character not only on Vashon, but also

at corporate parties, and the appear-ance of the Grinch is always a hit.

“People really groove with him and are just tickled by him,” Moody said.

—Elizabeth Shepherd

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“The Grinch Sets the Record Straight” will play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22, at the Vashon Theatre. Donations to the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank are welcome. The show is for all ages, though some small children might find a live Grinch to be too intense.

Steffon Moody as the Grinch.

The joy and hope of Christmas will be celebrated in a Celtic-styled cantata filled with carols and candlelight, narration and sparkling orchestration this weekend.

Traditional melodies form the foundation of this fes-tival of lights, bringing a holiday presentation by sing-ers and instrumentalists from five Vashon churches. An orchestra comprised of Sarah Church, Karin Choo, Mary Walker, George Heidorn, Laura Cerven, Barry Cooper and Tina Parrish will accompany 27 singers, featuring soloists Gary Koch, Marita Ericksen, Matt Eggleston and Sandra Cooper. Narrators will be Rev. Kathy Morse and Steve Church on Saturday and Rev. Bjoern Meinhardt and June Langland on Sunday. Marita Ericksen and Dinah Helgeson will conduct.

Songs will include “Carols of Hope and Light,” “Longing for the Light,” “The Holy Child of Mary,” “A Celtic Noel,” “O Wondrous Night” and “Carols of Celebration.”

Performances will be at 7 p.m. Saturday at Vashon United Methodist Church and at 5 p.m. Sunday at Vashon Lutheran Church.

Island musicians, singers perform a Celtic-style cantata

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Mounds of blackberries have been replaced by hundreds of native trees and shrubs along the banks of a small stream near the Westside Highway, thanks to the effort of several children and a little-known program offered by the King Conservation District.

Indeed, several of the kids, students at The Homestead School and The Harbor School, paused from their work during a recent daylong planting party and marveled at what they were helping to accomplish.

“At first the stream was all blackberries. You could hardly see it,” said Mabel Moses, 10. “Now, look! It’s fun to see it.”

Lucca Shattuck, 9, said he hopes to return in 20 years, when the short, spindly trees he planted will tower over the stream. “I’ll be able to say, ‘Hey, I planted that tree.’”

It wasn’t long ago that this deeply channeled stream that flows from the steep slopes of Vashon’s west side into Colvos Passage was barely discernible. Thick brambles enveloped it, said Dana Schuerholz-Wright, who runs the Homestead School, situated on a seven-acre property she owns with her partner Sarah Wright.

Last fall, Schuerholz-Wright and the kids at the Homestead School started removing the invasive blackberries, ivy and holly; she used the work parties as an opportunity to talk to the students about the stream, its ecology and its impor-tance to Puget Sound’s overall health.

But it was slow-going and arduous, until Schuerholz-Wright discovered that a program offered by the King Conservation District (KCD) would help to cover the costs of a restoration effort. She applied for the grant — an amaz-ingly simple process, she said. And now, the conservation district is covering 90 percent of the project’s hard costs — from hundreds of trees to dozens of yards of mulch — as well as some of the people power to make it happen.

“It was a huge boost,” she said of the conservation dis-trict’s support.

All told, the project will cost about $6,000; Schuerholz-Wright expects to pay $600 out of her own pocket. A resto-

ration team has also begun working with her and the kids, pouring in hours of technical and hands-on support that a year ago she thought she’d have to do on her own.

The funds and support, she said, “make it possible to take on something like this. … It’s a way to get something done that’s out of the scope of most landowners.”

The King Conservation District has been around more than 60 years, created — with hundreds of other conser-vation districts across the country — in response to the short-sighted land-management practices that led to the

devastating Dust Bowl in the 1930s. Today, it works with a variety of landowners on how best to manage their natural resources, financed by way of a $10 assessment tacked onto every property owner’s tax bill.

Landowners within its boundaries are entitled to tech-nical assistance on a range of natural resource issues — including water quality protection, farm management, soil and slope stability and wildlife enhancement.

KCD is mostly known for working with farmers to develop farm management plans that protect natural resources — a program that often includes cost-share grants to landown-ers to implement some of the practices they come up with in the course of the process, said Jay Mirro, a resource spe-cialist for KCD. Called the Landowner Incentive Program, or LIP, it covers the cost of fencing, manure bins, pasture planning and several other so-called best practices, with KCD paying 50 to 75 percent of the hard costs. Also on the list are aquatic buffer plantings, covered to the tune of 90 percent, as Schuerholz-Wright discovered.

Since 2008, when the landowner incentive program was started, KCD has provided nearly $40,000 in cost-share grants covering 16 projects on Vashon, said Annmarie Magnochi, interim coordinator of the land incentive program.

The projects make sense ecologically, said Adam Jackson, a resource specialist who was at Homestead’s property dur-ing the recent work party. “When it rains, water comes downhill. These buffers help to slow it down and take up the excess nutrients,” he said.

There are hundreds of such streams on Vashon’s west side, all of them flowing into Puget Sound, he added. “If we can get more folks on board, we can really begin to make a difference,” he said.

Schuerholz-Wright, who has long been concerned about the Sound’s environmental health, has already begun spreading the word about the program.

“If enough of these streams get healthy, the result, at some point, will be exponential,” she said.

The perennial stream on her property doesn’t have a name, but the kids in her small school will soon name it, she said. They’ll also watch the processes unfold over time — including, Schuerholz-Wright hopes, the return of migratory songbirds, butterflies and other insects and the slow, steady return of a healthy stream.

“This project fulfills a strong desire in children to make a difference,” she added. “They’re proud of their work.”


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SPORTSVashon-Maury SKI AND SNOWBOARD SCHOOL: Once again the Vashon Park Distr ic t is hooking Islanders up

with ski buses to Snoqualm ie Pass, discount l ift tickets and ski and snowboard lessons with the masters. Register now through Dec. 31 for the program , which runs Saturdays from Jan. 7 to Feb. 25. For more information or to register, visit the park distr ic t offices, go to w w w.vashonparkdistr ic t.org or call 463-9602.

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Mariya MunseySenior, Girls Basketball, Point-GuardWhat the coach says: “Mariya has come to practice this season and worked hard. She has been a great leader both on and off the court. She is an outstand-ing student, and along with the other seniors, is a great mentor for our underclassmen. Not only does Mariya work extremely hard at practice and in games, she is also incredibly supportive of her team-mates and coaching staff . Mariya make everyones life easier with her teamwork and enthusiasm.”

PIRATE

By NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

Beginning this weekend, Vashon baseball and softball players will be able to prac-tice hitting and pitching no matter what the weather. On Saturday Vashon Youth Baseball & Softball (VYBS) will unveil its new indoor training facility.

Located in a 3,000-square-foot space in the back of what was once Napa Auto Parts, the facility at Vashon Plaza will have two batting cages, a training mound and open space to practice other skills.

The VYBS volunteers behind the endeav-or hope the training center will not only help players improve their abilities on the field but also make Vashon teams of all ages more competitive and draw more kids to the sport.

Coaches as well as VYBS board members say the new facility is a pipe dream they’ve had for years.

“I call it a game changer,” said Jay Hammond, a youth softball coach who helped build the facility.

He and other VYBS board members and parents, as well as a couple high school players, have spent around 500 hours trans-forming the space, which had been littered with trash and old car parts. They laid down carpet, painted walls, hung nets and built an additional wall.

VYBS invested about $1,500 in remodel-ing the large room, said board member Joe Wald, and has a month-to-month lease for the space, which until now had been empty for several years. They hope membership fees — $45 a month, or less when multiple months are purchased — will cover at least most of the $1,000 a month rent.

“If we lose $200 a month on this, we consider it a good $2,400 investment for the season,” Wald said.

Wald believes the center is affordable and accessible, especially considering that some parents take their children to off-Island training facilities — which often charge higher rates and cost families ferry fares.

“That can get expensive,” Wald said. At the Vashon facility, coaches will be

available for free help during times sched-uled for specific age groups. Other times will be open for all ages, and the high school baseball team is already planning to use the center, Wald said.

“There’s a very vibrant, adult slow-pitch league on Vashon,” he added. “That could be a money maker.”

Jim Whitney, a VYBS board member who was one of the driving forces behind the new facility, said that children’s partici-pation in baseball and softball on Vashon tapered off about a decade ago, with many kids choosing soccer or lacrosse instead.

“My thought is we weren’t providing enough in the baseball arena to keep them interested for a long time,” he said.

He is thrilled to see that Island kids and teens will finally have a place to practice

year-round. “It seems like just when we’re getting the

kids to hit their stride with all the things we’ve taught them, the season is over for nine months or so,” he said.

What’s more, Whitney said, the training center gives kids and teens another option on Vashon, a place some feel is lacking in activities for youth.

“It’s a place kids can go that’s safe, it’s monitored, and they’re getting something from it,” he said.

By CHERYL PRUETTFor The Beachcomber

The Vashon High School grapplers trav-eled to Port Townsend on Saturday to compete head-to-head against four other wrestling teams. Vashon split the day, beat-ing both Port Townsend and Tenino, but losing to Omak and Montesano.

The coaches, brothers Anders and PerLars Blomgren, established the Hat Trick Challenge this year, offering a prize to any Pirate wrestler who was able to win three matches during the day.

Winners of the inaugural event were Shane Armstrong and Preston Morris, who each won three matches, as well as Elliott Ellingsen and Kevin Thomas, who each won four matches.

Vashon’s team is heavy with young and new wrestlers this season. Getting their first career victories (all by pin) were Max Fredericksen, Sam Fredericksen and Jason Kruly.

Also competing and winning matches by pin were Eugene Bergman, Joey DiFabio, Trevor Figgins, Louie Jovanovich, Christian Seymour and Codi Williams. Jovanovich had the fastest pin for Vashon in 19 sec-onds.

Cole Devereau and A.J. Sawyer also com-peted and added valuable team points.

Representing the VHS girls wrestling team were Rachael Thomas, Julie Wilson and Anneke Steneker, who all wrestled well, contributing team points and get-ting some extra mat time with exhibition matches.

The Pirates wrestled at home in a dual meet against Decatur on Tuesday after press deadline. This weekend the team will travel to the prestigious tri-state tourna-ment in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The next home meet is the day-long Rock Island Tournament, where 14 teams from around the state will compete for the coveted gilded rock on Dec. 28.

Pirate grapplers split meet in Pt. Townsend

Volunteers create gym for year-round ball practice

There will be an open house at the VYBS training center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Players can learn more about the gym and try it for free. There will be a coaches meeting at 10 a.m. Memberships can be purchased at the Vashon Park District, at www.vashonparkdistrict.org or at the training center.

VYBS board members Joe Wald (center) and Scott Hitchcock (right) discuss plans for completing the training facility, while coach Jay Hammond (left) lays down the final pieces of carpet.


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By BRIAN BRENNOFor The Beachcomber

The Pirate boys bas-ketball team played three games last week and came away with two wins.

On Tuesday, Dec. 6, the Pirates played at Evergreen Christian and came away with a close victory, 49-46.

The boys played tough defense in the low-scoring first quarter, then Dan Lofland got it going with a couple strong drives for lay-ups. Jessie Norton hit a three pointer at the buzzer and Vashon led at the half, 27-19.

The Pirates then widened their lead by 15 points in the third quarter, but Evergreen went on an eight-point run, capitalizing on turn-overs and Pirate mistakes and coming to within three points of the Pirates.

With possession of the ball and seconds left, Evergreen was unable to score before the final buzzer sounded. Lofland led scoring with 15, Norton scored 11 and Owen Brenno led rebounding with 11.

In a home game against Seattle Christian on Friday the Pirates lost 51-43.

Seattle Christian went ahead by eight in the first quarter and never gave up their lead. The Pirates played some good defense, but had trouble stopping Seattle

Christian’s hot shooters, who answered back with points every time Vashon scored or turned the ball over.

At halftime the Pirates came within five points and continued to stay in the game. Four Vashon players — Lofland, Norton, Dylan Busurto and Ben Whitaker — all scored three-point shots in the game.

With 2:37 left to play, the Pirates were down by three points and were unable to overcome Seattle Christian’s offense in the final seconds.

On Saturday the team traveled to Crosspoint Aca-demy in Bremerton and left with a 68-21 victory.

Outgunned and sti-fled by the Pirate defense, Crosspoint was held virtu-ally scoreless in the first quarter. The Pirate defense pressed and harassed Cross-point and capitalized on turnovers to open a big lead. With the large lead, the Pirates were able to get some solid minutes from the bench and never gave up their lead.

The Pirates played at Auburn Adventist Academy on Monday after press dead-line. They will play a home game against Life Christian a 7 p.m. Friday.

— Brian Brenno is the father of a Pirate basketball

player.

By GARY MEANSFor The Beachcomber

After going through the pre-game plans with this year’s Pirates just prior to Friday’s league opener against perennial power Seattle Christian, coach Henry Porter drew an irregular line that trended resolutely upward on the whiteboard.

Vashon had previously split two non-league games. The girls won the season opener over Washington High School on Dec. 2. However, the next night they dropped a game to Port Townsend, which was decided in the end with free throws with 4.5 seconds remaining.

Porter used the illustra-tion to remind the players of the importance of weather-ing the adverse moments — celebrating the games that go well and pushing toward goals that include earning a spot in the postseason play-offs.

On a night where the evening was about much more than a game, weather-ing adversity was a theme. Coaches and crowd mem-bers wore pink shirts to the game to demonstrate sup-port for Seattle Christian player Katie Collier and her family.

Announcer Russ Brazil gave a moving address to the crowd, talking about league MVP Collier’s recent battle with leukemia and her family’s struggles over the last few years with her mother’s breast cancer.

Earlier that morning the Seattle Times reported that Collier would in fact play her first game of the sea-son against Vashon. Collier not only played, but con-

trolled the game offensively and defensively, helping the Warriors to a 43-27 victory over the Pirates.

The game started well for the Pirates as they scraped their way to the end of the first quarter down by a basket, 13-11. The loss of the defensive presence of Vashon’s 6-foot, 5-inch post Charlotte Kehoe due to foul trouble was one key to a Warriors run that saw their

lead extended to 29-14 by halftime.

The Pirates rallied in the second half, holding the visitors to just 14 points and cutting the lead to as little as 10 points, but could not find the offense to make up the difference, and the game ended in favor of Seattle Christian.

“We struggled in the sec-ond quarter, but otherwise I thought the girls played pretty well,” said Porter after the game. “We just need to have more shots drop and be more aggres-sive rebounding or when going after loose balls.”

The Pirate offense was led by the high-energy play of wing Rachel Hoffman, whose 10 points paced the Pirate scoring. The remain-der of Vashon’s points were distributed amongst Jasmine Acosta and Anya Quig, who added 5 points each, while Kehoe (4), Anna Osborne (2) and Taegan Lynch (1) rounded out the offensive effort.

The Pirates played Auburn Adventist Academy prior to press deadline. They will play a second league game at home against Life Christian at 5:15 p.m. Friday.

— Gary Means is the assistant coach of the Vashon

girls basketball team.

Pirate hoopsters see success Girls basketball wins opener but drops two

Charlotte Kehoe puts up a critical two points late in the Pirate girls’ 41-40 victory over Washington on Dec. 2.

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Chainsaws, a cordless drill and several other tools were stolen from the barn at Fisher Pond last week, costing the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust — which owned the equipment — more than $1,000 in insur-ance fees and other costs.

Abel Eckhardt, the land trust’s steward, discovered the break-in last Tuesday morning when he noticed a chainsaw missing, accord-ing to Beth Bordner, the organization’s operations manager. He began looking around and soon discovered that several other tools were gone as well, including lop-pers, handsaws, hand prun-ers and machetes. He also could see that the door had been pried open, she said.

All told, she said, $3,000 in tools were stolen from the cavernous barn. The land trust’s deductible is $1,000. The tools are a loss for the land trust, which uses them to do its restoration work, Bordner added.

“The fact is, we use all that stuff. We’ll have to replace all those tools,” she said.

Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call the land trust at 463-2644.

Kyle Cruver, a former member of the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council board, has rejoined the panel in a move that he says could help to heal the fractured body.

Cruver, a graphic design-er and community activ-ist, was one of the board members who resigned en

masse last year after Tom Bangasser, a real estate developer and business-man, sought records from the nine-member council.

He rejoined last week, he said, after some of the cur-rent board members urged him to — an invitation on their part that he said he saw as “a kind of peace offering.”

“They’d like to mend some fences with King County and the community and thought I’d be a good person to have — because of my past history with the board,” he said.

Cruver added that he’s glad to be rejoining the board because of the exten-sive work he feels needs to be done. “We’ve got real problems,” he said.

Now helmed by Tim Johnson, the board, Cruver added, seems solid. “The board I met with seemed to be made up of level-head-ed individuals with good intentions,” he said.

of the street flagging down drivers, as they have for a few years now.

“It will be more difficult to get people’s attention,” O’Malley said.

But the two men, whose operation was unexpectedly shut down last week by a sheriff ’s deputy, said they’re open to it. “We have to try it,” O’Malley said.

The elves’ unexpected eviction from Vashon’s busiest intersection grabbed attention in the region when a KOMO news reporter came to the Island to cover the story and conservative talk show host John Carlson railed against the sheriff ’s decision on his KOMO radio talk show. The stories caught Sgt. Cindi West, a spokesperson for the county’s sheriff ’s office, by surprise. She was driving home when she heard Carlson berating her office and returned to work the next day wondering about a solution.

Richards, meanwhile, was also think-ing about the issue, concerned because of the importance of the fundraising effort on Vashon. The donations are slated for Vashon Youth & Family Services, which has

had to dip into its reserves to meet the many requests for financial help it has received over the course of the region’s long-lasting recession.

In the last few years, the elves — whose ranks have grown over time — have raised as much as $20,000 during the Christmas season.

“I felt so bad,” Richards said of the sheriff office’s decision to end the elves’ operation. “I just thought there had to be a way. And I knew if we took them off the road, it would never work. The reason they can raise so much money is because it’s an impulse donation. They’ve got to be on the street.”

Richards is pleased everyone — espe-cially the businesses that might be affected — agreed to the plan. She’s optimistic it will work.

“We’re hoping it’s a solution. The first day out, there will be a little confusion about how this works,” she said.

O’Malley and Gornall, meanwhile, are concerned about the time they’ve lost due to the kerfuffle. “We’re behind on collections,” O’Malley said.

But Gornall, the more philosophical of the two, said he believes time will ultimate-ly be on the elves’ side, and they’ll simply have to work harder.

“Elves are immortal,” he noted.

ELVESCONTINUED FROM 1

BRIEFS

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Dr. Wilbur

Chinn, DO, MD

Wilbur Chinn was born March 22, 1924 in Portland, OR and died on Nov. 22, 2011 at his home in Seattle, surrounded by his family.

He attended Broadway High School in Seattle, gradu-ating in 1942. He married the love of his life, Sarah Jean Alkana, in 1948.

He attended Central Washington State College and became a high school teacher. He taught school in Portland, OR for five years before enrolling in osteopathic school. He graduated from Des Moines Osteopathic School of Medicine and Surgery in 1958

and worked in solo medical practice from 1959 until he retired in 2009. Dr. Chinn always lived by the golden rule. He always treated people the way he himself

wished to be treated. This was especially true in his medical practice, where he treated his patients the way he would wish to be treated if he were a patient.

Dr. Chinn was a very gentle soul and very kind. As much as he loved to eat fish, it was difficult for him to kill the fish that he caught and he always apologized to them before administering a sharp rap with the fish club.

Dad always looked forward to his trips to Las Vegas. He loved the shows, showgirls and the craps tables.

Dad had a great sense of humor and a large repertoire of jokes. He was always the life of the party, and will be greatly missed, not only by his family, but by his patients as well.

Dr. Chinn truly cared for his patients and was very proud of the fact that he delivered sev-eral generations of babies in some families. He kept pictures on his office walls of every baby he delivered, adding new pictures as the babies grew into young adults. One of his greatest joys was having a reunion dinner with all of the babies that he delivered.

Many of his patients were surprised to find out that he was quite the basketball player in high school and in the Seattle All Chinese League.

Dr. Chinn’s family is very grateful for the wonderful support and help that they received from both Hospice and their many friends during Wilbur’s final days.

Dr. Wilbur Chinn is survived by his wife of 64 years, Sarah Jean, son Lauren Lee Chinn, DC (Pamela Anne Chinn, RN) and the apple of his eye, his granddaughter, Margeaux Anne Chinn, a fourth year nursing student.

Th ere sa Anne MalmangerTheresa Malmanger passed away on

November 22 after a 10 year battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband, John Malmanger of Poulsbo, WA, her son William Mol III, his wife Melissa and two grandchildren, Will and Parker of Dana Point, CA., her brother Michael Egan of Ft. Collins, CO, sister Kathy Premo, her husband John & family of Santa Paula, CA, sister Celeste Egan of Santa Fe, NM, and brother Brian Egan and his wife Louise McEvoy of Aliso Viejo, CA. Theresa was an avid gardener and horticulturalist, worked and volunteered in the fi eld for many years, and was well known, respected, and loved by many in the Northwest horticultural community. She was loved dearly and cher-ished by her husband, family, and friends and will be greatly missed by all.

Memorial Service for

Brem Audi no-Schere r is Sunday December 18, 2011

at 2:00 pm. Vashon LDS Church.

For additional information, contact Island Funeral Service.

in 2008 to 373,049 in 2010, a 21 percent increase.

Vashon’s enrollment in the federal pro-gram is still quite low when compared to other districts. Forty-two percent of the students in the Seattle School District, for instance, receive free or reduced-price lunches. But the rate of increase appears to be greater on the Island. Seattle, for instance, saw its numbers climb 2 percent between 2008 and 2010. Bainbridge Island School District had a similar climb, with enrollment going from 5 percent of its stu-dent body in 2008 to 7 percent in 2010.

Those paying attention to Vashon’s eco-nomic situation say they don’t know why Vashon has seen a more rapid climb than other districts. At the same time, several said, they’re not at all surprised by the escalation in the use of the program, a decades-old safety net administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“I’ve seen a steady increase in the number of families who qualify for free lunch,” said Sally Adam, the district’s family advocate. “I’m not at all surprised. So many people are out of work. This recession is not over by a long shot.”

Bob Hennessey, a member of Vashon’s school board, concurred.

“If anyone had any doubt, we have real

poverty in this community,” he said. “We just don’t see it.”

Ken Maaz, the executive director of Vashon Youth & Family Services, was also not surprised. Demands for the agency’s services are at an all-time high, he said, with more families seeking reduced fees for parenting classes and after-school care and more requests for grants to help cover the costs of ferry tick-ets, gasoline, utility bills and car repairs.

“We’re seeing drastic changes,” he said. “It’s not been just a gradual shift in people’s income. We’ve seen a lot of fami-lies where one or both parents have lost their job.”

The agency has had to dig into its reserves to cover the Island’s escalating need for the second year in a row, Maaz added. VYFS is now down from a three-month to a two-month operating reserve, lower than he likes.

At the same time, Maaz added, “We’ve done it because we don’t want to turn peo-ple away. This is not the time to be turning people away.”

The National School Lunch Program is one of the nation’s oldest safety-net pro-grams, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946. According to the New York Times, demand for the program is growing nationwide, with a 17 percent

increase in the number of students enrolled in the program between 2006-7 and this past academic year.

While most say the increase is due largely to the economy, some note that other factors could also be driving Vashon’s higher num-bers. The school district’s lunch program underwent a wholesale change two years ago — and also increased slightly in price

— when Superintendent Michael Soltman con-tracted with an off-Island chef who remade the pro-gram into one offering much healthier fare. As a result, Soltman said, he and others began peddling the school lunch program more aggressively — and with it, the fact that some families could qualify for

the subsidized meal program.What’s more, according to Donna

Donnelly, who works for Soltman and is a bit of an evangelist for the subsidized pro-gram, there seems to be less stigma about receiving free and reduced-price lunches. “That’s my personal opinion,” she added. “I think there’s more talk about free and reduced-price lunches and about healthy food and the importance of eating breakfast and lunch.”

Income standards also changed in the state in 2008, when Washington — in an effort to take full advantage of the federally subsidized food stamps program — raised

the income levels. Previously, only those at 130 percent of the poverty level — which is set very low — could enroll, according to John Camp, administrator for food assis-tance programs for the state Department of Social and Health Services. After 2008, the state raised the income limit, allowing those at 200 percent of the poverty guide-line to receive food stamps.

Camp said that has brought many more residents into the food stamp program and by extension the subsidized lunch program, since recipients of food stamps are auto-matically enrolled in the school lunch pro-grams. That alone, he said, doesn’t explain the upsurge in those receiving subsidized lunches, however. According to analyses by the U.S. Census Bureau, he said, “There are a lot more people in poverty than in previ-ous years.”

Hennessey, meanwhile, said the increase in Vashon’s subsidized lunch program will only strengthen his resolve to push harder for scholarship programs that can offset the costs of various programs at the three public schools. Scholarships are needed to help cover the costs of Camp Waskowitz at Chautauqua Elementary School, for instance, and Exploratory Week at McMurray Middle School.

“We have to make sure we adequately fund scholarships,” he said.

“We have a lot of wealthy people on this Island,” he added. “And we have a lot of poor people.”

CONTINUED FROM 1


HONORS

The Vashon-Maury Island Garden Club held its annual Garden Awards Banquet at the Burton Lodge last month.

The following Islanders were presented with this year’s garden awards: Miriam and Chris Cressman, Heidi and Kim Richards, Al and Muriel Watts, and Kathy and James Webster.

REPORTS

Nov. 13: Items were stolen from a hangar at the Vashon Municipal Airport. The suspect entered the hangar by removing screws from a wall.

Nov. 15: A car parked on the 11200 block of Vashon Highway was vandalized.

Nov. 16: A burglary occurred at the Vashon Skatepark. The suspect cut through a fence to gain entry.

Nov. 17: A woman was assaulted by her daughter at the north end ferry ter-minal.

Gas was siphoned from a car parked at the north end

ferry parking lot. Nov. 18: A female woke

up having intercourse in a bedroom in a drunken state.

Nov. 21: A GPS unit was stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked in a drive-way on the 8200 block of Hawthorne Lane.

A man forced a victim to touch his genitalia in a vehicle on the 13000 block of Vashon Highway.

Nov. 22: Suspicious cir-cumstances were reported at a home on the 25700 block of 78th Court.

Nov. 23: A burglary occurred at a home on the 23700 block of 99th Avenue. The suspect entered an unlocked door while the resident was sleeping.

Nov. 24: A suspicious

incident involving two local drug addicts was reported at Granny’s Attic.

Nov. 25: An individual on the 10900 block of Palisades Avenue reported receiving obscene phone calls.

A mailbox was stolen from the 16300 block of Vashon Highway.

An 80-foot roll of copper cable was stolen from out-side a garage on the 29700 block of 128th Avenue.

Nov. 25: Suspicious cir-cumstances were reported at a home on the 23700 block of Old Mill Road.

Nov. 27: A car was keyed because of a love triangle during a party held at a home on the 9500 block of Quartermaster Drive.

Nov. 28: An individual reported a traffic complaint

at Chautauqua Elementary School, saying drivers speed over the posted 20 miles per hour, mostly on weekday mornings and afternoons.

An individual at McMurray Middle School reported suspicions of child abuse.

Nov. 29: An employ-ee of Guiseppe’s Italian Restaurant embezzled mo-ney and stole a credit card.

Nov. 30: A customer of Dave & Zane’s Auto took her car without paying her bill of $3,473. The business put a lien on the vehicle.

A gas can full of gaso-line was stolen from a shed on the 11200 block of 98th Avenue.

A bag of marijuana was found in a computer room at Vashon High School. The principal turned it over to the sheriff ’s office.

Dec. 2: Vashon High School students were found smoking marijuana on the school campus.

A vehicle listed stolen in Iowa was found parked on the 17300 block of 96th Place.

Dec. 5: Individuals were found smoking marijuana in a parking lot at Vashon High School.

A metal sign was stolen

from the side of the road on the 16200 block of Westside Highway.

An individual who works on the 28400 block of Vashon Highway report-ed email threats from an unknown sender.

Dec. 7: A wood stove and saws were stolen from a rental house on the 10500 block of 140th Street.

A man drove under the inf luence and crashed a truck with two passen-gers on the 23300 block of Vashon Highway.

Dec. 8: An individual liv-ing on the 23000 block of Kingsbury Road reported a traffic complaint. He or she said that for the past year and a half a neighbor has sped at up to 60 miles per hour on the road.

Dec. 9: A washer was sto-len from the driveway of a home on the 16700 block of Vashon Highway.

Dec. 11: A young man vandalized his mother’s home on the 18300 block of Vashon Highway and was booked for malicious mis-chief.

Liquor violations oc-curred at a home on the 4400 block of Luana Beach Road, where about 30 teens attended a drinking party.

All-Merciful SaviourOrthodox Monastery

9933 SW 268th St. (south of Dockton)SUNDAYS: DIVINE LITURGY 10:00 am

Followed by PotluckCelebrating 2000 years of Orthodox Christianity Call for a schedule weekday and Holy Day services.

463-5918www.vashonmonks.com

Burton Community ChurchALL ARE WELCOME

INSPIRATION not Indoctrination!Worship 11 am

Maggie LairdPianist/Choir Director

463-9977

Bethel Church14736 Bethel Lane SW(Corner of SW 148th St.

and 119th Ave. SW)9am Sunday Bible School

10am WorshipFollowed by coffee fellowship

AWANA Thurs 6:00pm Sept-May

Offi ce phone 567-4255

Vashon Island Community Church

Worship Service 10:00 am (Children’s Church for preschool–5th graders)

Offi ce Phone 463-3940Pastors:

Frank Davis and Mike Ivaska9318 SW Cemetery Road

www.VICC4Life.com

Catholic ChurchSt. John Vianney

Mass–Saturdays at 5:00 pmSundays 8:00am and 10:30am

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

Puget Sound Zen CenterAbove KVI Beach

in the Mann Studio.

Sitting Meditation: Mon. – Fri. 6:30 – 7:30am,

Wed. 7:00 – 8:30pm.

All Welcome!

463-4332www.pszen.org

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

567-1608www.vashonhavurah.org

Episcopal Churchof the Holy Spirit

The Rev Canon Carla Valentine PryneSundays – 7:45 am & 10:15 am

Church School & Religious Exploration9:00am

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)childcare available

Holy Communion Worship 10:30 amPastors: Rev. Bjoern E. Meinhardt

Rev. 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.Youth Class 11:30 a.m.

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 toworship with them.

Wors hip on 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 BendigaGoing once... Going twice...

206.463.9195

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Business

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stuff

The opportunity to make a difference is right in front of you.Recycle this paper.

Building Materials

& Supplies

Farm Fencing

& Equipment

Firewood, Fuel

& Stoves

Green or Seasoned 16” or 24” Split.Visa/MC accepted

Rick Middling 206-463-3889

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

Emmy is quite the looker in

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home. She in not fond of sharing

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will do best in a home with adults

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and put up with her occasional

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Adorable Luna is a most

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everywhere should be terrifi ed.

When everybody else settles down

to sleep, Luna goes exploring! Great

personality and super cute.

Rosie is a precious 11 month old Brittany

Spaniel mix who is just coming out of her shell

and is on her way to being a happy, playful

and wonderful puppy. Just a few weeks out

of a hoarding situation, she needs a family to

continue building her self-confi dence and keep

her safe. She is going to make a wonderful

buddy and family member. If you would like to

meet Rosie, please contact Vashon Island Pet

Protectors at 206-567-5222. There is a $125

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Celebrating27 Years

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vashon-maury island beachcomber, december 14, 2011

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