vashon-maury island beachcomber, september 19, 2012

BEACHCOMBERVASHON-MAURY ISLAND

NEWS | Dispute over Mukai Farmhouse heads to court [3]COMMUNITY | Meals program enters its second year [13]SPORTS | Cyclists turn out en masse for Passport to Pain [15]

75¢WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012 Vol. 57, No. 38 www.vashonbeachcomber.com

AN AUCTION FOR THE ARTSVAA throws its biggest

annual fundraiser. 0

INGENIOUS ISLANDERSA new tour shines a light

on our best ideas. Page 4

Reclaiming the Beall GreenhousesNatalie Johnson/Staff Photo

Nancy and Chuck Hooper say they’re working to address problems at the Beall Greenhouses, a property they bought 20 years ago.

By LESLIE BROWNStaff Writer

Vashon Park District’s five commissioners might lay off employees or close its popular skate park for the remainder of the year in order to shave $88,864 in projected overruns from its current operating budget.

The latest financial news surfaced during a spir-ited and sometimes rau-cous board meeting last Tuesday night, when several Islanders — some of them unhappy with the board — asked pointed questions about the agency’s fiscal sta-tus, the role the fields proj-ect has played in its budget difficulties and the degree of oversight the board has provided.

A few of the commission-ers, meanwhile, expressed their own frustrations and

disappointment with thesituation.

“I’m a proud man. I’vebeen here 28 years. AndI’m not happy,” said BillAmeling, who chairs theboard and has served asa commissioner since theagency’s inception. “It’sclearly our fault. And it’sclearly our purview to workthings out.”

Earlier in the meeting,David Hackett, anothercommissioner, character-ized the district’s financialsituation in stark terms.“We’re essentially in a boatwith holes in it, and a tor-pedo is headed our way,”he said. The district, headded, “needs to start bail-ing now.”

The meeting came in thewake of several months ofdifficult news about thesmall agency, which hasfaced declining propertytax revenues over the pasttwo years at the same timethat its fields project hasballooned in costs and it

Park district faces new budget woes

SEE PARKS, 19

Commissioners look for ways to trim $88,864

Ref. 74 advocates look to Vashon for supportBy NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

As the November election draws near, many Islanders are speaking up and taking action on a hot-button issue they say is especially personal on Vashon: same-sex marriage.

Rather than lay low in a place already known for beingliberal and gay-friendly, some of Vashon’s gay marriage sup-porters say they can play an important role this November, when voters will decide whether to legalize same-sex mar-riage through Ref. 74.

“This is not an insular community,” said Maureen Burke, who a few months ago organized Vashon Families United for Marriage (VFUM) with her partner Pearce Cobarr. “We have connections across the state. … We see it is an oppor-tunity to take this to the next level.”

By NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

A mile outside bustling Vashon town sits a relic of the past. Dozens of greenhouses, once filled with world-renowned orchids and roses, are now in various stages of disrepair and decay. Beaten by harsh Northwest weather and slowly swallowed by thick undergrowth, the buildings, some of them a century old, seem to be quietly returning to the earth.

But there is also new life at the Beall Greenhouses. In the middle of the decomposing complex now sits a commercial quarter of a dif-ferent kind. Manicured lawns and well-tended gardens butt up against the dilapidated structures. A couple of rustic homes have been remod-

eled and rented out. Several of the complex’s largest buildings have been shored up and reclaimed as uncon-ventional studio spaces for some of the Island’s best-known artists.

Indeed, as King County seeks to designate Center — a more intact piece of Island history — as a historic district, Chuck and Nancy Hooper are working to fight against the forces of time in an effort to realize an ambi-tious dream for what is currently the Island’s only other historic district.

“We could look beyond all the mess that was here and see something in it, a gem in the rough,” Chuck Hooper said last week, sitting in the couple’s home at the property. “We still see it,” he added.

The Hoopers purchased the Beall Greenhouses 20 years ago, and their ownership of the site has been as almost as eventful as its history as a the coun-try’s largest commercial greenhouse complex. After years of what they describe as constant labor to revive the property — all the while battling rumors and criticism by Islanders —

the Hoopers say things are finally starting to look up at the greenhouses on Beall Road. There’s a waiting list of artists eager for space, they say, and with the passage of time the commu-nity, too, seems more receptive.

“We’re actually putting a lot of work back into this place again,” Chuck said. “We can see it’s turning around finally, and we’re getting a great recep-tion from the arts community.”

The Hoopers came to Vashon in the late 1980s looking for a few acres where they could live and perhaps begin a new business leasing small cranes. A real estate agent sent the couple to the Beall Greenhouses, a 25-acre property at the time already falling into disrepair after the Beall family moved its f lower-growing operation to Colombia. When the Hoopers laid eyes on the place, they say, a new dream started to form.

A steal at less than $100,000, they bought the property with hopes of transforming it into a large commercial

Owners of Vashon’s only historic district say they’re working to preserve it

SEE GREENHOUSES, 12 SEE REF. 74, 18

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A dispute over the leadership of Island Landmarks, a Vashon nonprofit that owns the historic Mukai Farmhouse, is slated to go to court next month, where both sides hope a King County Superior Court judge will make a swift decision in their favor.

The newly constituted board, chaired by Islander Glenda Pearson, filed a motion for summary judgment last week, arguing that the new board should be considered the rightful leaders of the nonprofit because it carefully followed Island Landmarks’ own bylaws when it installed a new slate of officers.

But the court could also opt to remove Mary Matthews, who founded Island Landmarks more than a decade ago and contends she is still the legal head of the organization, because of her behavior over the past several years, according to a 23-page brief filed by Vashon lawyer Rex Stratton.

Matthews and her husband J. Nelson Happy have “privatized” the nonprofit, co-mingled the nonprofit’s funds with their own money and “engaged in conduct that was dishonest and damaging to Island Landmarks,” Stratton contends in his brief. “As long as Mary Matthews and her hand-picked board are involved with Island Landmarks, the Mukai property will never be the community asset that was originally envisioned.”

But Matthews and Happy, who now live in Texas, also had their lawyer, Islander Robert Krinsky, file a motion for summary judgment, in their case arguing that the Islanders who have put themselves forward as a new board did so by way of a “secret scheme” and in violation of the organiza-tion’s bylaws.

Only the organization’s treasurer, for

instance, can deposit checks into the Island Landmarks’ bank account, Krinsky says in his brief. Thus, when Islander Ellen Kritzman, a former member of the Island Landmarks’ board, deposited several checks from residents into the Island Landmarks’ bank account, those people did not become members and could not hold a special meeting and vote Matthews and Happy off the board, Krinsky said.

“Those putative ‘members’ lacked the authority to hold a special meeting,” he wrote in his 10-page motion, filed with the court on Aug. 31.

The dueling briefs are the latest in a tug-of-war over the property that will likely be decided in King County Superior Court. The motions are slated to go before Judge Monica Benton on Friday, Oct. 12. The board headed by Pearson issued a one-page update about the legal case, urging inter-ested Islanders to attend the court hearing.

The briefs — and hundreds of pages of supporting documents — add detailsabout the dispute over the property, a long-simmering issue on Vashon. Matthews, for instance, said in a declaration that she and Happy “have personally advanced more than $300,000 to pay the operating expenses of Island Landmarks.”

But Stratton, in his brief, outlined signs of what he called a “dysfunctional” organi-zation. Matthews’ board hasn’t held a regu-lar board or annual membership meetingin the past 10 years, has ignored requestsfrom Islanders to become members andhas let both its federal and state nonprofit status lapse, he wrote.

He also said Matthews and Happy have used the Mukai property for their own personal use, staying there when they visit Vashon, and cannot account for $150,000 in public grant money awarded to Island Landmarks to purchase and restore the historic site.


Lotus’s garden behind the modest home she shares with her partner Barb Smith has a wild, ramshackle feel.

Large, bare branches provide much of the staking for her tomatoes, beans and fruit trees. Weeds are plentiful. A handmade solar drier — made of unpainted pieces of scrap wood — sits next to the driveway, filled with figs and zucchini that the couple will enjoy this winter.

In a few short years, this former commu-nity college professor has transformed her small residential lot — not even a half-acre in size — into a place of bounty.

“I’m pretty close to growing all the food we eat,” Lotus said.

This Saturday, other Islanders can enter Lotus’s slice of paradise and see how she’s coaxed so much life out of her land when she opens up her property as part of Vashon’s first Ingenuity Tour. Her backyard is one of 16 sites on the self-guided tour — a day-long affair that will showcase what some of Vashon’s most resourceful residents have done to save natural resources, reduce pol-lutants, make their soil productive and live a bit more lightly on the Island.

Lotus’s garden captured organizers’ attention because of her labor-intensive but low-cost approach to gardening. Over the course of about five years, she’s beaten back blackberries, planted fruit trees, built a raccoon-proof chicken yard and found creative ways to retain water — all while spending very little money.

The result is a no-till garden that’s cha-

otic but lovely, simple but abundant. A system of weights and pulleys ensures her fences close automatically — a design she created after her 7-year-old granddaughter accidentally let the chickens out of their yard three times in a row. A rain barrel that feeds into four smaller barrels she obtained on the cheap means she doesn’t have to rely heavily on District 19’s expensive water. She copied the solar drier from a design she found in a book.

“I’m learning and doing and growing,” Lotus said, grinning broadly. “And I’m hav-ing a great time.”

Other stops on the tour suggest the breadth and depth of Vashon’s ingenuity, said organizer Susie Kalhorn.

Islanders can visit Michael Laurie’s home, where he’s installed four different irrigation systems, is undertaking native plant restora-tion and has created a pesticide-free zone.

Or they can drop by Duane Dietz and Patricia Kane’s garden and admire Dietz’s 800-gallon, cement sewer vault that he’s transformed into a rainwater collection cistern — undoubtedly the largest on the Island for backyard watering. Even now, at the end of a long summer-time drought, he had some water in it that he was using for his tomatoes, Kalhorn said.

Energy conservation also figures promi-nently on the tour.

Participants can learn about Tag Gornall’s geo-thermal heating system, which paid for itself in eight years of reduced energy costs. They can visit Alex and Irene Tokar’s home and find out how a heat pump helped to make their drafty house warm and toasty in the winter months. Or they can check out

Linda and Gary Peterson’s house, believed to be the site of the oldest functioning pas-sive solar system — a 30-year-old system that is still working and trouble-free.

Kalhorn stumbled upon the idea of an Ingenuity Tour sort of by accident. She was working with other Islanders on a home and garden tour focused on water conservation when she ran into Terry Sullivan, active in Transition Vashon, in the Thriftway park-ing lot. He, too, it turned out, was think-ing of a tour, focused on other kinds of resource conservation projects.

They joined forces, secured seed money from Sustainable Vashon and other Island organizations and created a tour that Kalhorn hopes will be an inspiration in

what she sees as a time of economic need and environmental concern.

How will she know if the day is success-ful? If lots of substantive conversations take place, she said.

“We’re not looking for huge numbers. We’re really interested in the landowners’ ability to share what they’ve learned from their experimentation over the years,” she said.

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Ingenuity Tour showcases some of Vashon’s most resourceful residents

Lotus checks out her cherry tomatoes, which climb up a trellis she made out of old branches.

The Ingenuity Tour takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Pick up maps for the self-guided tour on Saturday at the Farmers Market. Or download them by visiting www.islandgreentech.org.

By SUSAN RIEMERStaff Writer

Vashon’s meals program, which offers a free meal each day, is gearing up for its second full year — with a new coordinator at the helm and a vision to eventually create a central place for daily meal delivery.

The Vashon Social Services Network (VSSN) launched the effort Oct. 1 last year with support from Island churches after a community survey showed a large need for free meals on the Island.

Now, volunteers plan meals, shop, cook and serve hot meals daily at downtown Island churches, according to Emma Amiad of the Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness (IFCH) and one of the orga-nizers of the program. Between 15 and 50 people attend each day, she said, with numbers climbing throughout the month and in the winter, when heating expenses run high.

“We’re really pleased with how well it is going,” Amiad said.

Looking to the future, VSSN hopes to create a central place where everyone who wants a meal can go each day to get one, Amiad said. Those who have the means to pay would do so, and those who could not would not. This model exists in many communities, she noted, but creating such a place here would require the right facility and funding to go with it.

Soon, she said, program organizers will turn to some of the program’s volunteers to see if they would study just how this vision might come to be on Vashon.

“I think it will take a year or two to get all the pieces to fit together,” she said.

For now, she notes, the program, which rotates among the Methodist, Presbyterian,

Episcopal and Lutheran churches, is pro-viding a much-needed service for many. It assures that people will have one hot meal a day and allows people with limited incomes to use their funds for expenses other than food. It also provides a sense of fellowship and camaraderie, according to Harmon Arroyo, an IFCH board member who stepped in as the program coordinator last month.

There is a sense of “conviviality,” he said, and likened the scene to a neighborhood restaurant.

“People sit and talk around the tables just like they do at The Hardware Store,” he said.

Those who attend are encouraged to eat their fill, he noted, and it is common for volunteers to serve twice as many helpings of food as people in attendance.

“We want them to leave full, satisfied and happy,” he said. “To a large extent, that happens.”

Those who attend are a diverse lot, he noted, including families with young chil-dren, skilled laborers working their way back from hard times and musicians who perform but do not earn enough to make ends meet.

“There are people who live in their cars,” he said. “It’s awfully hard to cook in your car.”

Mostly, those who come for a meal are Vashon residents, he said. “They live here and love it here.”

Many who attend are employed, Amiad added.

“With what people earn on Vashon, it’s not enough, especially with a family,” she said.

Arroyo, who has held his new position less than two months, said he’s impressed

by the level of volunteer support. Through the end of the year, the volunteer roster is fairly full and includes church groups, book clubs and high school students earn-ing their community service hours to fulfill their graduation requirements.

“I’m so grateful,” he said. “I try not to get complacent about making it as easy for people as possible.”

Still, more volunteers are welcome, he said. Typically, volunteers work in groups of three to six, often sign up together and typically commit to one meal per month.

In addition to volunteers, the program needs financial support, Amiad said.

“We have not done fundraising,” she said. “We’re looking for donations.”

Funds would support the program in a variety of ways, Amiad said, including purchasing supplies, supporting the food coordinator’s salary and covering some of the participating church’s expenses.

At the meals, sometimes additional sup-port is available for those who attend, Amiad said. A nurse may come by to address medical needs; someone might provide information on the dental van, and information on public benefits and the

food bank is also provided. But the meal is critical.

“The most important thing is that people get fed,” Amiad said.

For Arroyo, who attends three meals each week, the scene is always a remark-able one, with bountiful good food and conversation.

“It’s a crucial service,” he said. “Breaking bread, sharing food with our neighbors who need and appreciate it.”

He calls it “sublime humanity.” “You can come and see it in action,” he

said.

WITH YOUR HELP.Aging isn’t something we want to think about...but we ARE all growing older. Availability of quality housing and services for our aging population is more critical than ever. VCC needs community support now to assure its future. Please help by donating today.

Please send your donation to Vashon Community Care15333 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon WA 98070 or go to www.vashoncommunitycare.org to donate by credit card.

Dental Care of VashonAdvanced family & cosmetic dentistry

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Meals are served at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Here are the locations:Monday, Methodist ChurchTuesday, Presbyterian ChurchWednesday, Church of the Holy SpiritThursday, Presbyterian ChurchSaturday, Methodist ChurchSunday, Methodist ChurchTo volunteer or donate to the program, contact Emma Amiad at 463-4060.

Meals program readies itself for another year of weeklong service

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].


I am blessed to have been born into a large, traditional and extended Italian family filled with deep respect, love and care for all, especially for the elder generation.

My grandmother was the oldest of 10 children, all of whom grew up and then settled in Rainier Valley. My fondest childhood memories include the many fam-ily gatherings filled with laughter, joy and much affection and where I often listened to my elder rela-tives sharing their wisdom about facing adversity and nurturing hope for the family’s future. The love and respect I feel for my fam-ily was my inspiration to serve on Vashon Community Care’s board of directors.

VCC has deep roots in the com-munity, going back to the 1930s. In 1995, the old Island Nursing Home was about to close, forc-ing residents off Island. Thirty members of the community banded together to save elder care on Vashon by pledging $10,000 each to create a new non-profit organization that became Vashon Community Care.

The first challenge to the new VCC was replacing the old decrep-it and inadequate building with a new facility. To do so, a mortgage was taken out at the prevailing interest rate of 7.68 percent. Over the years, VCC has successfully — albeit stressfully — operated on a budget that included monthly mortgage payments of over $55,000 while delivering the high-est quality care to every resident

who called VCC home. In addition, VCC has always provided that same level of high quality care to residents who deplete their finan-

cial resources and must rely on Medicaid.

Now there are new challenges. In 2011, 68 percent of skilled nursing and 31 percent of assisted living residents were covered by Medicaid, which paid only 79 percent (skilled nursing) and 49 percent (assisted living) of the cost of their care. At the same time, expenses have gone up and up. There have been extreme and unexpected reductions in federal and state funding for elder care.

And the downturn in the cost of housing has forced some who might otherwise move to VCC to stay in their homes — resulting in several years of low occupancy rates.

Over the past year, VCC has taken a number of steps to assure its long-term sustainability. New revenue generating services have been added, cost of operations has been reviewed and reduced, and a concerted effort to improve our occupancy rate has resulted

in a waiting list for assisted living spaces. But more needs to be done.

A major initiative has been undertaken to dramatically reduce overhead by refinancing our 7.68 percent mortgage. By taking advantage of current interest rates, VCC can save over $20,000 each month or over $240,000 each year. But to do so, we need your help.

To refinance, VCC has to raise $350,000 by the end of the year to cover the costs. Because the oppor-tunity to refinance at the current low interest rate is so urgent, we are asking you to donate to this effort to help assure a financially stable future for VCC.

VCC has touched many lives on Vashon – elders in need of hous-ing and services, families who need assistance caring for their loved one, the hundreds of volun-teers who have helped bring joy into so many lives. Perhaps, you or your family are among them. If not, keep in mind that, like it or not, we’re all aging and that some day we might rely on VCC to help us through our later years. You see, we’re not here to serve just a few today, but to serve future gen-erations as well.

While I’m fortunate to be part of a large and nurturing family, VCC is often that caring fam-ily for many in our community. Please, I urge you to dig deep and contribute to VCC at a time when it’s most needed.

— Linda Bianchi, a real estate agent on Vashon, serves on Vashon

Community Care’s board.

EDITORIAL

At last month’s Democratic National Convention, former President Bill Clinton offered up a keen insight into the budget process. When people asked him how he managed four budget surpluses in a row, he said, “I always give a one-word answer: Arithmetic.”

The commissioners who oversee the Vashon Park District should borrow a page from his book. Indeed, as the district struggles to make sense of its own shaky budget, one fact clearly emerges: Over the last couple of years, expenses have gone up while property tax revenues have gone down. In other words, it appears there’s been an ongoing math problem.

Specifically, income from tax revenues fell from a high of $1.3 million in 2010 to $1.125 million this year, according to the King County Assessor’s Office. Meanwhile, the district’s budget grew from $1.54 million in 2010 to a current spending plan of $1.7 million.

Another pattern also emerges: Previous budgets show an operating reserve of around $100,000. This year, no such reserve is documented on the district’s budget sheet. Instead, there’s a raft of new costs — such as the $140,000 or so that the district is now paying in principal and interest for two non-voter-approved bonds, the largest of which covers a $400,000 debt the park board took on to help build its fields project north of town.

The park board has often drawn people who are champions of one project or another — people who are passionate about one or two outdoor activities in particular. That’s understand-able. They’re volunteers, pouring countless hours into what is often a thankless job. But commissioners have another, more fundamental role to play: to hire an executive director who inspires their confidence and to keep a steely eye on the budget. By both of those measures, this board has missed the mark.

As Chairman Bill Ameling pointed out last week, however, it’s easy to play Monday morning quarterback. What’s not so easy is to figure out the best path forward.

To that end, the commissioners seem to be on the right track: They’ve put a hold on the fields project; they’re taking a hard look at the budget; and they’ve begun a search for a new execu-tive director, asking members of the public to step in and play an active role.

The task before them is not fun. What’s more, it’s likely going to get harder. Last year, property values tumbled again on Vashon, meaning that next year, when those lower property values provide the basis for tax collections, the park district will again see its revenue fall.

Clinton delivered up another zinger in his memorable speech last month. “Democracy does not have to be a bloodsport. It can be an honest enterprise.”

As the commissioners work to address the district’s shortfall, they’re engaged in an honest enterprise — the nitty-gritty stuff of public boards. We hope members of the public will put aside their differences, whatever they may be, and support the com-missioners in moving forward. These are our parks, our pro-grams, our pool, our fields. We all have a stake in the outcome.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORMotorcycles

Once again, on Sept. 9th, rules of the road were thrown out the window for the pleasure of a few to be able to break speed limits, pass in no passing zones and endanger anyone or any animal on or near a road.

I personally had my Sunday disrupted by loud, obnoxious motorcycles going 60 to 70 mph past my house (which is a 25 mph zone).

Why do people complain about the hydros every Fourth of July and not the annual invasion of the Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts (VME)? The hydro noise lasts five to 10 minutes as opposed to the VME, which lasts all day long. A hydro can’t hit your child riding a bike or your cat crossing the road.

I am tired of this group’s arrogance and mob men-tality. Are you?

— David Mish

VCC

After reading The Beachcomber, I realize what an extraordinary community I live in. We have so many good things to offer, and every once in a while we hit some snags. With all the angst concerning the Vashon Park District, buildings that fit or don’t fit our historical sense, rumble strips that help or deter, I was happy to see the article and editorial regarding

The park district’s budget woes: Let’s work together

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

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

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OPINIONVashon-Maury

IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT & SUBSCRIPTION RATESVashon-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.)

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(206) 463-9195FAX (206) 463 6122

PHILANTHROPYBy LINDA BIANCHI

VCC: A stable financial future is in reach

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, com-mitted citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

This oft-quoted call to arms — words made famous by Margaret Mead — has never been truer as those of us fighting on the frontlines of Puget Sound recovery strive to turn the tides. In fact, an absence of citizen involvement in this work could be the death knell for the Salish Sea.

Current evaluations doc-ument a critically imperiled waterway, with vast eelgrass loss, closed shellfish beds and precipitous declines in herring, salmon and orca populations. Add dozens of species listed as endangered or threatened, and the out-look is sobering.

This jeopardized sta-tus comes after decades with government agencies tasked as environmental protectors. And, while issues like climate change present new questions, the biggest ecosystem threat is already known. Impact from shoreline develop-ment destroys vital habitat with every bulkhead, dock and stormwater outfall built. As recovery planning rightfully evaluates how to restore lost nearshore func-tions, a simple yet essential pathway is certain. Stop allowing habitat loss.

Thanks to the work of environmental organiza-tions and progressive leg-islators, there are already good laws that prohibit environmentally damaging proposals and direct how to perform any allowed work to ensure fish protection. Unfortunately, these laws are ignored by regulatory

agencies each and every day, with each and every permit.

Last year, Preserve

Our Islands (POI) began working to establish much-needed regulatory reform. With this new mission, we set our sights on the shoreline permits under the jurisdiction of the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). Called an HPA, they are a require-ment of all nearshore development proposals.

We had hoped directives from Puget Sound recovery planning had changed the way agencies approached nearshore permits and that basic environmental laws were now being applied. However, after performing permit reviews, we found just the opposite. Using a highlighter to mark the spreadsheet when projects didn’t include proper regu-lations, we were sadly left with a bright warning bea-con of solid yellow paper after our audits.

Last week, we learned more alarming news. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife has recently initiated an over-haul to the rules governing these shoreline permits, convening a stakeholder group as an advisory panel.

Although this could have been an opportunity to use ecosystem experts

to strengthen regulations, the non-agency members of the stakeholder group were primarily the mining, timber and development interests subject to the regulations themselves. While we’re relieved that tribal representation and at least one environmental group are at the table, the approach of using regu-lated parties as regulatory advisors is incredibly trou-bling. Not surprisingly, the early draft of the proposed changes finds a weakened permit program prevailing.

In upcoming months, WDFW will hold more behind-the-scenes meet-ings, ultimately releasing the final draft proposal for public comment. With that, POI will now be knocking on those meet-ing doors, stepping inside and tenaciously working to make sure these laws are not gutted.

Similarly, we will con-tinue to boldly go where no other environmental group has gone before by act-ing as a watchdog group, reviewing each nearshore permit being considered by WDFW, then fiercely advocating for the applica-tion of mandated environ-mental protections.

We’ve spent time careful-ly preparing for this work by expanding the board of directors and creating a thoughtful strategic plan based on concrete, achiev-able actions. But we can’t do this alone and now more than ever, we are urgently asking you to join us.

Last week People for Puget Sound, one of the largest grassroots environ-mental organizations in the region and a stalwart

ally in the fight for Maury Island, announced it was disbanding. With this, there is now a danger-ous chink in the armor currently defending the Sound.

Which brings us back to the opening statement. With all that is at stake, and with People for Puget Sound’s guiding light now dimmed, it is time for every one of us to step up and put a shoulder to the stone. And, although we have options on how to take action — making a donation, writing letters, volunteering or electing strong leaders — we don’t have the option of taking no action when it comes to protecting Puget Sound.

It is up to all of us to pick up the baton and be not just people for Puget Sound, but people fighting for Puget Sound. If this seems like a David and Goliath battle, remember we have a pretty good track record there and that change truly does come from groups of thoughtful committed citizens work-ing together.

— Amy Carey heads Preserve Our Islands. Learn

more by visiting its website, www.preserveourislands.org.

Profi le yourself or your business

in ouraward-winning…

Vashon’s Women inBusiness




Letters accepted must be no more than 150 words and include a daytime phone number. Deadline for this section is noon on Friday. Letters in this section will run as submitted except in the cases of libel or profanity.

To the person who took my jewelry and coin collectionTo you, it was just some quick cash

To me, it was tokens, icons, reminders of memories, stories & tales that began before I was born, which I often visited as I unpacked the boxes...

even the boxes had histories

I looked forward to sharing the stories with my granddaughter as we picked up each item in turn

you know how children love a good story

you stole this from me

Ah, but when you took my stuff~

surprise! you got something more:

my hopes and prayers

that whatever wound in your spirit

making you do this will be healed

and replaced with loveDebbie Butler

A Successful Salmon DerbyThe Vashon Island Picnic and Salmon Derby on Aug. 25, a benefit for the Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness, was a huge suc-cess.

Organizers send a big thank you to Sandra Oellien, Harmon McKendrie Arroyo, Susan White, Hilary Emmer and Jan, Rissa and Geno Kuhns for their assistance.

Next year’s derby and picnic should be even better, with larger prizes, more sponsors and a lot more fish caught. Mark your calendars for the third Saturday in August, 2013.

Gene Kuhns

Vashon Community Care. This is one organiza-

tion that continues to give to our Island and those in need. I think VCC has been and will continue to be an organization that we can support and be proud of. Their board is responsive and responsible, caring and fiscally astute. Their budget is lean, yet they continue to take care of all who need their help. Our community has come to their aid in the past, and I encourage all to do so now.

Please support them in their refinancing effort by sending them a check, no matter how big or how small. The community will be the beneficiary.

— Carol Ireland-McLean

Park district

The people who care about the Vashon Park District were at its last meeting to find out how bad the financial situation is and how the park district found itself in that situa-tion. A straightforward, honest answer to our ques-

tions may have been, “We saw a need for more fields and got a $500,000 grant from the state, got excited and took on the project assuming matching grants would be found.”

Instead, we were insulted and told we didn’t know how to do math. We were also told there are “thou-sands” of people that use the fields. I believe it. Where were you? The base-ball and soccer associations and other field users were missing from the meeting. Well, we need your help.

First we need to raise $88,000 to keep the park district afloat for the rest of the year. Then we need you to take over the fundrais-ing for your fields because the majority (but not all) of the park district’s financial problems are due to the fields project. Then we can go back to the old policy of the park district providing seed money and grant-writing support and the groups raising the money before the project breaks ground.

We non-athletes will even help if we are asked without the insults, because we do care about our great park district that supports all of our endeavors.

— Kristin Pesman

Protecting the Sound is more urgent than everPUGET SOUNDBy AMY CAREY

CONTINUED FROM A6


Baby Story Times: Babies ages 3 to 21 months with an adult are welcome. 10 a.m. Wednesdays this month at the Vashon Library.

Vashon Heritage Museum Tour: A guided look at the new exhibit, “The Ever-Changing Face of Vashon Highway” takes place. 12:30 p.m. beginning at the Vashon Senior Center.

Chamber of Commerce General Membership Meeting: Charlotte Tiencken will speak about Vashon Vacations, a business she owns Susan McCabe. Other items will include a membership update, upcoming events and time for questions. 8:30 a.m. at the Penny Farcy Building.

Sceptics and Believers: This DVD lecture and conversation series will continue with two subjects: Descartes and Modern Philosophy and Enlightenment and Religion. 4 to 6 p.m. in Lewis Hall Behind Burton Community Church.

Community Forum on Health Care Reform: A panel of ex-perts will provide information and answer questions. Panelists will include Rick Skillman, an Islander and former CEO of several hospitals and medical groups; Terry Cumpton, the Regional Rural Health Coordinator in the regional office of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; David Loud, a community liaison for Rep. Jim McDermott, and Amber Lewis, the director of Government Relations for Providence Health & Services. 7 p.m. at McMurray Middle School.

Island Ingenuity Tour: The tour will feature Islanders who are experimenting with good ideas to save money on energy, food and water bills. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (For more information, see page 4.)Farmers Market: Stop by for the early autumn harvest and a variety of crafts. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Village Green.

Adopt-a-Cat Day: Vashon Island Pet Protectors (VIPP) hosts an Adopt-a-Cat Day every week. See www.vipp.org for directions or call VIPP at 389-1085. 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at its adoption center at 12200 S.W. 243rd St.

Classic Cars and Sailors: The Keepers of Point Robinson and the Cascade Classic Rally and Tour will host a collection of classic cars at one stop of the cars’ tour. There will also be a group of sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan, who will be working with the Keepers of Point Robinson on grounds and building cleaning and maintenance. There will be opportunities to visit with car owners and the sailors. Noon to 1 p.m. at Point Robinson.

Cribbage: Play nine friendly games of cribbage against nine different players. Win cash prizes. The cost is $8 for visitors and $10 for members. For more informa-tion, contact Mike Sudduth at [email protected]. 6 to 9 p.m. at the Vashon Eagles.

Unitarian Fellowship: The topic will be “at-one-ment” and celebrat-ing community. Scripture professor Erica Martin will explore the mean-ing of the Jewish high holidays. Rev. Carmen McDowell will co-lead the service. 9:30 a.m. Lewis Hall at Burton Community Church.

Continuing Conversations: Economist Doug Ostrom will lead the discussion on econom-ics in these political times at this month’s gathering. For more information, call host Dorothy Hall-Bauer at 463-5664. 4 p.m. at Hall-Bauer’s Burton home.

Drama Dock Annual Meeting: A slate of candidates for the board will be presented, and nomina-tions will be taken from the floor. The new season will be previewed.

There will also be a look back at the 2011-2012 season. 4 p.m. potluck dinner and a business meeting at 5 p.m. at the Vashon High School theater.

Mom2mom: The subject will be “Gifting Encouragement.” Amy Devries, a life coach, will speak. The group, open to all mothers, meets the second and fourth Tues-day of the month. Contact Amber Crandall for more information at 399-9997. 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the downstairs of Vashon Island Community Church.

Family Story Times: Newborns to kids age 6 with a caregiver can stop by for stories, finger plays, movement and music. 11:30 a.m. at the Vashon Library.

Yom Kippur: Rabbi Fern will lead the traditional singing of Kol Nidre to mark the start of Yom Kippur. This most solemn day in the Jewish year will be observed with traditional song and prayer over the next 24 hours. 6:20 p.m. at Havurat Ee Sha-lom, 15401 Westside Hwy. S.W.

Yom Kippur: Yom Kippur services will run all morning beginning at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, and include the Yizkor Memorial Service in the afternoon. A break-the-fast potluck for the com-munity will begin after sundown, around 8 p.m.

Medicare Information Meet-ing: Learn how and where to apply for benefits and about Medicare supplement plans, Medicare prescription drug plans, Medicare Advantage plans and more. Contact Shirley Van Nos-trand at [email protected] or 612-5463 for more information. 10 a.m. at the Vashon Eagles, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Landmarks Commission Public Hearing: King County Landmarks

Commission will hold a public meeting to consider a landmark nomination for the Center Historic District. 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, at the Penny Farcy Training Center at 10119 S.W. Bank Road.

Dispose of Unwanted Medica-tions: VARSA will host its annual fall Take Back Your Prescriptions event. Drop off unwanted over-the-counter and prescription medications. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Farmers Market on the Village Green.

Vashon Playspace Day: There will be a bounce house, balloons, snacks and a fire truck on hand to tour. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Vashon Playspace.

Opera Preview: Norm Hol-lingshead will preview “Fidelio” by Beethoven. 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Vashon Library.

Biggest Weed and Zucchini Contest: All Islanders are invited to participate and should keep an eye out for entries. Al Watts will judge. 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Heritage Museum.

SAVE THE DATE

Veterans of Foreign Wars Es-say Contest: Students in grades three through 12 are invited to participate. The Island’s public schools and The Harbor School will provide information about contest details, or students can find the information online a www.vfw.org; click on the community tab, and at www.vfwwa.org. For more information, contact Olde John Croan at 463-2852 or [email protected]. Essays are due Nov. 1. Writers of top essays will earn cash prizes.

Holly Daze Bazaar: All craft-ers and vendors are invited to participate. The registration fee is $30; sellers keep their proceeds. Call Kris Cushing at 962-0691 for information and registration forms. Tables are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at McMurray Middle School.

CLASSES

Intermediate Bridge: Daphne Purpus gives lessons to players with some experience. 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Vashon Senior Center.

Vashon Allied Arts: Older stu-dents are sought to play adult roles in the musical theatre class’s performance of the “Best Christ-mas Pageant Ever.” Classes for grades one to five meet from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. Grades six to 12 meet from 2:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mon-days and Wednesdays through Dec. 12. For more information, see www.VashonAlliedArts.org or call 463-5131.

Raw food and Green Juicing: Students will learn some of the ba-sics as well as some of the science of green juicing and raw food. The cost is $85. Contact Jessica Bold-

ling at 463-9066 to register. 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 19 to Oct. 3, at PRAHM.

Swingset Music and Move-ment: Kim Thal and Gabriele Burgess lead this class for kids ages 9 months to 4 years. The cost of the session is $130 with a 20 percent discount for Playspace members. To register, email [email protected]. 10 to 10:45 a.m. Thursdays beginning Sept. 20, at the PlaySpace.

Quilting: Katie Pederson, author of “Quilting Modern,” will teach Seeing Value, a color workshop, The cost is $85. To register, call Island Quilter at 713-6000. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23.

Delta Dogs: Learn how to be part of a therapeutic pet partner team. Contact Kathleen Farner for more information at [email protected]. 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, at Vashon High School.

Incredible Years Parenting Class: This class is for parents of children ages 2 to 10 and is designed to promote social com-petence and prevent, reduce and treat aggression and related con-duct problems in toddlers, young children and school-aged children. Classes run for 12 weeks. The cost is $15 to $100 on a sliding scale. For more information, contact Daniel Macca at [email protected] or 463-5502, or see www.vyfs.org. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, begin-ning Sept. 25, at the Playspace.

English as a Second Language: Learn how to speak, read and write in English. Free. Tutoring is available for students of ESL fami-

lies. 6 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Sept. 25 at the Vashon Library.

Fall Cleanse Class: Detoxify with a home cleanse from the Ayurvedic tradition. The program includes diet guidelines, herbs, yoga, breathing practices and education on a balanced diet post-cleanse. The cost is $135 or $235 with herbal supplements. Ronly Blau, certified Ayurvedic practi-tioner and massage therapist, will lead the class. Register at [email protected]. 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 27 to Oct. 18, at Island Yoga Center.

Guiding Good Choices: This program, a science-based preven-tion program, aims to help parents reduce or prevent substance abuse and other common problem be-haviors in their children. Yvonne-Monique Zick will teach the class, which is designed for parents of children ages 10 to 14. For more information, contact her at [email protected] or 463-5502. 6:45 to 8:45 Mondays Oct. 1 to 29, at McMurray Middle School.

Master Gardeners: Classes are held at the Center for Urban Horti-culture on the University of Wash-ington campus through Wash-ington State University Extension. The application deadline is Friday, Oct. 5. Students will study botany, geology and soil composition, water quality and more. Applica-tions are available a www.king.wsu.edu/gardening/becomeamg.htm. For more information, call Olivia Graffe at 567-5132. Training will be held on 12 Tuesdays, begin-ning on Jan. 8.

Seattle’s acclaimed Total Experience Gospel Choir will perform on Vashon in a fundraiser for the Bailey-Boushay House, which provides care for people with HIV, AIDS and other terminal illnesses. Islander Larry Flynn brings the group to the Island each year and gives a talk about teenage abstinence before each show.Donations are taken at the door. The show will be at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Vashon Island Community Church.Above, choir leader Pat Wright performs.

CALENDARVashon-Maury

Deadline is noon Thursday for Wednesday publication. The calendar is intended for commu-nity activities, cultural events and nonprofit groups; notices are free and printed as space permits.

The Beachcomber also has a user-generated online calendar. To post an event there, see www.VashonBeachcomber.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the prompts.

VASHON THEATRE

Streamed live from the San Francisco Opera. 7 p.m. Sept. 20.

Plays Sept. 21 to 27.

Sept. 21 to 24.

6 p.m. Sept. 25. Free. (For more information, see page 10.)

Sept. 28 to Oct. 4

Vashon Sewer District Board: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Vashon Senior Center.

King County Airport District #1: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, at Courthouse Square.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, at Station 55.

Vashon Park District: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, at Ober Park.

Vashon Island School District: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, at McMurray Middle School.

Viewers on Vashon will find VoV-TV on Comcast Cable Channel 21. Most VoV-TV shows are produced by Islanders.

and 10 p.m. Song and Legend, the 2010 Song and Legend concert event at Lisabuela Park.

and 11 a.m. Engels Car Show and Rally, a look at the clas-sics (auto and human) who attended the Aug. 19 event.

Your Hidden Gem in the Emerald City! SEPTEMBER EVENTS

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

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www.DaystarSeattle.comIt’s so good to be home!

Daystar, a gem of a retirement community, sparkles in the heart of West Seattle! Like a precious gem, Daystar is rare in its ability to consistently offer residents a senior lifestyle surrounded by natural beauty and a warm, caring staff.

We invite you to join us for one of our fun and informative events and to learn more about the living options we offer and how you can call Daystar your home!

Check our website for even more fun events!

MOHAI ADULT EDUCATION SERIESThese one-hour lectures include a photo slide show and the chance

to see museum artifacts. All presentations start at 2:30 p.m.– Historic Seattle Icons

– Century 21:Seattle’s second World’s Fair

– New Land North of the Columbia

NATIONAL ASSISTED LIVING WEEK

Join us throughout the week as we celebrate “Art for the Ages.” Call for more info or check our

website for event dates and times.

DEBBIE DIMITRE: STORYTELLER

A portrayal of Catherine Blaine, Seattle Missionary and first official schoolteacher.

LUNCH & LEARN: HEALTHY AGING

Join us for a light lunch and learn about healthy aging presented by Ed Carr, RN.

WORLD’S FAIR FASHION SHOW

Century 21: It Happened at the World’s Fair Fashion Show. Daystar’s contribution will benefit Children’s Hospital.

Vashon Island, WAEST. 1964

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Friday, Oct 5th

Please have your insurance information when you call and bring a picture ID and Insurance/Medicare/Medicaid cards to the appointment. Thank you for partnering with us in the fight against breast cancer.

17637 100th Ave SW, Vashon, Washington 98070

Vashon Market (IGA) Gift Certificates will be

given to patients

(Additional appts possible Sat. 10/6)

East Side of Vashon Plaza - Parallel to 100th Ave. SW - Mobile Coach - Assured Imaging Women’s Wellness of WA

QUALITY PET PRODUCTS

Apparently Cheryl went shopping for

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The Vashon Sheepdog Trials, held last weekend at Misty Isle Farms, drew about 3,000 people, according to organizer Maggi McClure. Proceeds will go to Partners in Education (PIE), which sup-ports programs and activities at the public schools. This year’s proceeds had not been counted at press time, but McClure said she expects the event raised enough to provide funds for other nonprofits that support the health and education of Vashon youth, as well as PIE. Part of the event, The Smart Dogs for Smart Kids campaign, drew 44 sponsors and garnered $4,400 for PIE, according to board member Terry Collelo. McClure said she is happy with the weekend’s events. “The sheep were wonderful. The competition was tough but fair, and the community turnout was amazing.”

SCENE & HEARD: A DAY FOR THE DOGS


ARTS&LEISUREVashon-Maury UMO JUMPS THE POND: UMO, Vashon’s per form ing ar ts ensemble, is debuting a

new show in Seattle. “Maldoror,” based on the 19th centur y wr iter le Comte de Lautré, has been called “dark, giddy and hallucinator y.” Per formances take place Sept. 20 to 23 and 27 to 30, at West of Lenin in Fremont. For t imes and tickets, visit w w w.brownpaper tickets.com .

Expect southern old-time music, served up with instrumental prowess, intricate har-monies and a strong dose of comic timing, when The Brainstormers take the stage for a free show at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Red Bicycle Bistro.

The trio is made up of Tom Sauber, Patrick Sauber and Mark Graham, musicians who have long been inspired by such iconic American musicians as Uncle Dave Macon, Dock Boggs and Red Parham. The show is for all ages until 11 p.m., and 21 and older after that.

Watermark, a local folk-rock group that plays original songs and obscure covers of lesser-known tunes by famous artists, will play a free, all-ages show at 7 p.m. Friday at the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie. The band consists of Roger Taylor, Kevin Almeida and Larry Lawson. The evening will also feature wine tasting starting at 6:30 p.m., hosted by Vashon Winery owner Ron Irvine. He’ll offer four wines, served at a casual pace. Wine will also be available by the glass. For more information about the tasting, visit www.vashonwineclub.org.

Nirvana is hosting a free, all-ages concert by local singer/songwriter Cami Lundeen at 7 p.m on Saturday. Lundeen serves up folk and pop music, ranging from soft and intimate songs to more raucous numbers. She plays the acoustic guitar and is often accompanied by a cajon drummer. The cajon, a flamenco box drum, adds flare to her acoustic sound.

A rollicking musical described by organiz-ers as the perfect date-night comedy will come to the stage as a benefit for Drama Dock, Vashon’s community theater group. “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” stars local thespians Louie Mangione, Marshall Murray, Stephanie Murray and Elizabeth Ripley. The show is back by popular demand, after being staged last year by the same performers.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at Vashon High School. Tickets are on sale now at Vashon Bookshop and www.brownpaper-tickets.com.

Tickets are for sale for “Masters of Color,” a series of five Tuesday morning art history talks by Rebecca Albiani, part of Vashon Allied Arts’ Arts & Humanities lecture series. The series starts at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Blue Heron, when Albiani will discuss the works of Paolo Veronese. Find out more at www.vashon alliedarts.org.

ARTS BRIEFS

By ELIZABETH SHEPHERDArts Editor

Giant tent ordered and ready to be erected? Check.

Festive food, libations and enter-tainment lined up? Check.

More than 150 artworks and dozens of other high-end items ready to be auctioned off? You betcha.

It’s that time again, when dozens of vol-unteers join the staff and board of Vashon Allied Arts in preparing for the organiza-tion’s annual two-night art auction, a gala slated for this Friday and Saturday night.

Organizers hope the event brings more than $100,000 to the local arts institution’s coffers.

But even though VAA is currently in the midst of an ambitious capital campaign aimed at building a new facility, funds brought in from the auction won’t be used for that purpose. Instead, roughly half of the money will go toward providing scholarships to students who take VAA classes; the rest is earmarked for artist commissions, instructor fees and VAA’s day-to-day operational needs.

Molly Reed, VAA’s executive director, said the need for scholarships has increased expo-nentially since she was hired by the organiza-tion in 2006 and has become one of the pri-mary reasons for holding the annual auction.

Her first year, VAA handed out $15,000 in scholarships. “It has gone up every single year,” she said.

Last year, VAA auction-goers donated $45,000 to the scholarship fund. This year, Reed said, she hopes they’ll dig deeper and provide $50,000.

Given the emphasis on scholarships, attendees can no doubt expect some heartfelt testimonials about the power of art to change lives. But plenty of silly grown-up hijinks are also planned for the two-night auction.

VAA is calling this year’s shindig “Bond with the Arts” — a nod to the 50th anniversa-ry of the James Bond spy franchise. Auction-goers are encouraged to attend the event decked out in their most stylish 1960s garb, for a “shaken, not stirred” evening of fun.

One staff member will show up decked out

as a “golden lady,” in homage to the Bond film, “Goldfinger.” And a merry band of local performers — Steffon Moody, David Godsey and Martha Enson — has been tapped to roll out secret agent-themed entertainment.

Island impresario Kevin Joyce will serve as auctioneer on Friday night, and David Silverman will wield the gavel on Saturday, presiding over what Reed called “a banner year” for showcasing the talent of local artists.

“I know we say this every year, but this year’s art is truly mind-blowing,” she said.

In keeping with auction tradition, six artists have been commissioned to create special pieces for the event. This year’s group includes painters Olivia Pendergast and Jayne Quig, fine-art woodworker Brad Davis, book artist Don Glaister, jeweler Larry Muir and Tlingit carver and artist Israel Shotridge.

High-end experiences — including VIP passes for 16 to an upcoming Neil Young

concert at Key Arena and a wine-tasting trip for six to Italy — will also be on the block.

A spread of food will be catered by Mileta Creek Restaurant on Friday night and The Hardware Store Restaurant on Saturday.

What’s left to make “Bond with the Arts” a success? According to Reed, filling the tents with eager bidders is the last piece of the puzzle; she’s hoping both nights sell out.

“Every year at this time, I’m going crazy, bugging people to buy their tables,” she said, adding that tickets are, in fact, already selling well. “This never gets easier. It’s a huge under-taking, but every year brings fresh ideas, and we figure out things to improve upon.”

BOND WITH ARTVAA’s annual gala will raise funds for scholarships, artists and more

Among the works that will be auctioned at VAA’s annual gala are a silver bracelet by Israel Shotridge and a pastel painting by Jayne Quig.

Tickets to VAA’s Friday night event are $45/general and $25/contributing artists; for Saturday, tickets are $120. Purchase by call-ing 463-5131.

Community Cinema begins its second season on Vashon next week with a 45-minute premier that follows actress Olivia Wilde to Kenya, where she explores issues of women’s economic empower-ment. Called “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” the film is a preview of a four-hour mini-series that will air on PBS Oct. 1 and 2.

The free screening will be shown at Vashon Theatre at 6 p.m. Tuesday and marks the ongo-ing evolution of this cinema program on the Island. It started last year after Islander Jane Berg attended Welcome Vashon and felt inspired to bring the nationwide program to Vashon as a way to build community and explore issues.

Following the film will be a discussion featuring

Priscilla Schleigh, owner of Giraffe, Anne Atwell with the Maasai Children’s Initiative and Heidi Breeze Harris, director of One by One, which is attempting to end fistula.

Last year, the films were shown at Ober Park. This year, the series — slated for the last Tuesday of each month — will be shown at Vashon Theatre, part of owner Eileen Wolcott’s pledge to let nonprofits use the theater in return for the community’s purchase of new digital equipment for the movie house.

Other movies this fall include “As Goes Janesville” on Oct. 30, a look at the closing of a GM plant in Wisconsin, and “Solar Mamas” on Nov. 27, featuring women in India working to make their communities sustainable and self-reliant.

By ELIZABETH SHEPHERDArts Editor

A small but world-class exhibit of outsider art is currently on display at VALISE, a gallery run by a local artists’ collective.

It’s the perfect spot for the show, expanding on the gal-lery’s curatorial embrace of the idea that the best art can sometimes be a populist enterprise. This is, after all, the venue that has given us three non-juried “all-Island” art shows — exhibits that were open to anyone who simply showed up at the gallery with a piece of work.

“Come one, come all,” the organizers of the shows seemed to say. “There’s an artist inside each one of you.”

VALISE’s current show — “Eccentric Visions: Outsider Art from the Collection of Mia Gallery” — goes even further with that notion, making a powerful case that the creation of art is a deep and universal human impulse.

It is curated by VALISE’s newest member, Mia McEldowney, who moved to Vashon in 2004 after a high-flying career as one of Seattle’s most respected art dealers. She has selected a gorgeous array of art for the show.

All the works are by self-taught artists, many of whom lived and created large bodies of work in obscurity before being discovered late in life by the art world establishment. None of the artists in the show is still alive.

The best known artist on display is Howard Finster, a Baptist minister who preached the fiery word of God through thousands of works he displayed in a rambling art park of his own creation in backwoods Georgia. Finster’s paintings are as full of words as they are images, and many viewers might recognize the work — the Talking Heads and R.E.M. used his paintings as album covers.

R.E.M. also helped bring fame to another artist in the

show, Georgia artist R.A. Miller, whose garden of home-made whirligigs was shown in several of the band’s music videos.

Also on display are works by a lesser-known artist, Professor Eddie Williams, who created text collages filled with urgent religious messages. Executed in the style of an a kidnapper’s ransom demand — with words and letters cut from magazines in a mad swirl of fonts and flourishes — the works demand a viewer’s immediate attention.

McEldowney has also included several paintings by Jon Serl, a prolific and reclusive genius who decided, at the age of 55, to start painting. His vibrant, colorful paintings depict larger-than-life creatures — sometimes human, sometimes not — in tableaus that seem ripped from the fabric of dreams.

Work by visionary sculptor Bessie Harvey is also repre-sented. Harvey, who grew up in extreme poverty in rural Tennessee, captured and liberated spirits she felt lurked inside natural objects. Spirits also haunt the work of Simon Sparrow, a Chicago-area artist whose assemblages project power and meaning through a chaotic confusion of found objects.

Rounding out the show are strong pieces by three other outsiders — the farmer James H. Jennings, the poet andastrologer Fatisha, and Jahan Maka, a Lithuanian immi-grant to Canada.

McEldowney will give a talk about the artists on Saturday,with an emphasis on describing the environments in which they and other outsiders created their work. She’ll also share her journey as a collector and art dealer with the audience.

“It was because of the stories the work told, and theirauthenticity,” she said, when asked what sparked her pas-sion for outsider art. “It was such authentic work.”

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‘Eccentric Visions’ come to VALISE

VALISE’s latest show includes several works by Howard Finster, an artist whose arresting images illustrate his religious beliefs.

VALISE Gallery, at 17633 Vashon Hwy. S.W., is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and at other times by appoint-ment; call 567-4595. Curator Mia McEldowney will give a talk about “Eccentric Visions: Outsider Art from the col-lection of Mia Gallery,” at 4 p.m. Saturday, at VALISE. The show is on view through Sept. 29.

ART REVIEW

complex with low-rent spaces for budding businesses. Chuck, an award-winning con-tractor with a history of renovating historic buildings, said revitalizing the greenhouses was right up his alley.

“We were amazed with the immensity of it all and the possibility of it all,” he said.

The Beall Greenhouses, however, turned out to be unlike any project the Hoopers had taken on. Many of the buildings were in a state of ruin, Chuck said. Blackberries, brambles and even trees had taken over many of the greenhouses, and in recent years the site had been used as a garbage dump of sorts — old appliances, cars, boats and other trash were ditched on several acres.

To top it off, years of use as a greenhouse complex when environmental regulations were scant left the property tainted with pesticides, oil and asbestos. It was eventu-ally designated a hazardous site by the state Department of Ecology, a designation that still holds.

Sitting in their home, a nicely remod-eled space on the top floor of a barn at the greenhouses, the Hoopers described how they didn’t feel welcome on Vashon for years — despite the work and money they put into reviving the property. Hard feel-ings lingered over the jobs lost when the greenhouse operation folded, they said, and many seemed to resent that the Bealls, a beloved Island family, no longer had the place. Some even claimed the property became worse under the Hoopers’ owner-ship, Nancy said.

“Unfortunately we inherited a lot of the ire or anger about that,” she said. “That was frus-trating for us. We didn’t have anything to do with that. It was a mess when we got it.”

The Hoopers made a go at growing roses in some of the last intact greenhouses. They grew basil for a time as well. Like the Bealls, however, they found the crops didn’t pencil out.

In 1994, when King County approached the couple about designating the site as a historic district, the Hoopers agreed, hop-ing the designation would lead to money for renovation. The funds never material-ized, they said; according to the county, that’s because the Hoopers never applied.

Ultimately, as accusations that they were sitting on the likes of a Superfund site added to the couple’s stress, they hit a tip-ping point and in 2003 sold the property to another Island couple, Scarlett and Nancy Foster-Moss.

“I guess we were frustrated,” Chuck said. “There was burnout. We were tired of working so hard.”

The Hoopers returned to Vashon with mixed feelings two years ago, when, according to the couple, the Foster-Mosses could no longer make payments on the real estate contract that the Hoopers carried and the Hoopers reclaimed the property. They spoke candidly about their return to the greenhouses, saying the Foster-Mosses — arts-minded and high-profile — had a compelling vision for the site but ultimately left it in worse shape.

Artists who set up shop at the green-houses when Nancy and Scarlett Foster-Moss owned the property also said the couple’s vision was compelling. The two women allowed artists to refurbish their own studio spaces, said Mike Magrath, a sculptor who has been at the greenhouses for four years, often exchanging labor for rent reductions.

“Everyone started putting a lot more energy into the spaces. It was like once energy was thrown back into it … the art-ists themselves, at that point, led a bit of a

revival,” he said.At the same time, he said, the Hoopers

are now maintaining the place better. “Nancy and Scarlett weren’t necessarily building maintenance people,” he said.

Neither Scarlett nor Nancy Foster-Moss returned telephone calls. Scarlett Foster-Moss, in a brief email, said the couple did not want to comment about their owner-ship of the historic site.

Tom Beall, reached by phone at his home on Beall Road, said he hasn’t visited the greenhouses in years. “The memories are just too hard,” he said.

Beall, whose grandfather helped found the greenhouses, recounted his family’s difficult decision to move the operation, once the largest employer on the Island, to Colombia. As was the case with farming operations across the country, he said, the rising cost of gas and competition from Canada — a place rich with natural gas — put them out of business.

“We tried to keep it going. We put a lot of our money into it,” he said. “We began to realize we were fighting a losing battle.”

Beall, who recently retired from a long career at Sawbones, said he has no qualms with how the Hoopers have managed the property. He knows firsthand what they’re up against.

“I was hoping they or any new owner would be able to turn it around and make a go, but it’s a difficult challenge,” he said.

Walking the property one sunny day last week, the Hoopers said they feel more wel-come on Vashon now than ever. Coming to a row of greenhouses close to the front entrance — skeleton structures bursting with blackberry vines — they spoke of a dream to see at least a few of the green-houses rebuilt and put to use again. Nancy said she would especially love to see them serve Vashon, perhaps as a community garden or a greenhouse for the elderly to work in during the winter.

“We didn’t get this to make money,” she said. “It would help the community. It really would.”

The couple still has their hands in other business ventures as well, though. Most recently, they renovated a historic apart-ment building in Tacoma. They’ve yet to take steps to rebuild any greenhouses, something they said would take com-munity support or grant funding. And they haven’t attempted to clean polluted soil at the site either. They say they don’t know the current extent of the pollution, and they believe that vegetation is slowly cleaning the soil naturally.

“We have the resources to do a lot (of

renovation), but we’re also careful with our resources,” Nancy said. “We need to keep some cash for us.”

Julie Koler, who heads the county’s his-toric preservation program, said her office hasn’t heard from the Hoopers in years. Scarlett and Nancy Foster-Moss presented a plan to revitalize the entire site, some-thing that never took shape, she said.

“We would love to see the Hoopers comeforward and work with us on adaptive reuses, to maintain the spirit of its his-tory while making it functional for today’s uses,” she said.

For the time being, the Hoopers said,they simply wish Islanders would knowabout the hard work they’ve put in at the greenhouses. Some people don’t even know the place is privately owned, she said.

It’s not uncommon for people to drive onto the property and show themselves around or even take items from the green-houses, Chuck said. Recently they were shocked to learn that two Island artistscreated an entire exhibit of photographs and paintings of the greenhouses, called “Abandoned Concentrations,” a projectfunded by a county grant, without theHoopers’ knowledge or permission.

“We didn’t abandon this place. We worked out butts off for a very long time,” Chuck said. “That stuff really hurts.”

Magrath said the Beall Greenhouses were one of the reasons he moved toVashon. He’s always had a love for old buildings, he said, and was in awe when he first saw the decaying greenhouses.

“It had that kind of beautiful ruin feelto it,” he said.

Magrath, who is now working with another artist to begin a co-op foundry at the site, said that at least once a year heventures into the most overgrown parts of the property to see how it has changed.

“It’s kind of interesting to watch nature take something back like this. ... You kind of throw your shoulder at this decay andyou can hold it at bay. To me, it’s all you can do,” he said.

While some greenhouses molder and collapse, Magrath said, he’s also seen the Hoopers make huge strides in the heart ofthe property, transforming it into a new artists’ haven of sorts. About a dozen art-ists now hang their shingles at the BeallGreenhouses, including tile artist Nadine Edelstein, puppet-maker Bill Jarcho andmembers of Quartmaster Press, a co-op printmaking studio that recently renewed its lease on a refurbished building there.

“I think they have what it takes to saveit,” Magrath said of the Hoopers. “If it can be saved, they’re the ones to do it.”


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Chuck Hooper stands outside an unremodeled portion of the flower grading building, which has been partially renovated to hold artists’ studios.

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Ladies Night 20128th Annual Ladies Night

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GET FIT: Vashon Park Distr ic t offers a var iety of exercise classes for adults, including free drop-in programs such as co- ed weightlifting, table tennis, volleyball, men’s basketball, ultimate Fr isbee, co- ed soccer, c ycling and Dance Ecstatica. For more information, see w w w.vashonparkdistict.org.

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By BRIAN BRENNOFor The Beachcomber

The Vashon Pirates played Cascade Christian on Saturday, Sept. 15, at Sunset Stadium in Sumner, and lost to them in a lopsided game, 63-15.

Cascade received the opening kickoff and scored the first touch-down several plays later to lead 7-0.

The Pirates got the ball, but Cascade intercepted then scored, going ahead 14-0.

The Pirates got the kickoff and their drive ended on a failed fourth down try.

Cascade got the ball back with great field position and scored again to pull ahead 21-0.

On the next possession, the Pirates were forced to punt on fourth down. Cascade was able to drive to the 15-yard line, where they scored to lead 28-0.

The Pirates played a strong, grit-ty second quarter. After kickoff an interception gave Cascade the ball, leading to their fourth touchdown, going ahead 35-0.

The Pirates then had a sus-tained drive featuring runs by Nick Amundsen, two catches for first down by Garrett Starr, and a catch at the 3-yard line by Peter Evans. After a personal foul by Cascade, the ball was moved half the distance to the goal line, but instead of an automatic first down, the Pirates faced third and goal. After an incomplete pass and a tackle for loss, Cascade got the ball but was forced to punt.

The Pirates got the ball and Cascade intercepted, only to fumble a few plays later with Owen Brenno recovering. Again the Pirates threw an interception and again Cascade fumbled with Evans recovering. On third and eight, Ezra Lacina caught a first down pass, and on third and

goal, a touchdown run by Amundsen made the halftime score 35-7.

In the third quarter, quarter-back Amundsen was injured in the lower back and left the game. Freshman Sam Schoenburg replaced Amundsen. Cascade intercepted a deflected pass, then drove for another score to stretch the lead to 42-7.

The Pirates got the ball but were intercepted again, leading to another Cascade score to make it 49-7. Another fruitless drive for the Pirates led to a punt, and another Cascade score stretched the lead to 56-7.

Cascade Christian is by all accounts one of the elite 1A football teams in the state. The team has a roster more than twice the size of the Pirates, and is known for relent-lessly grinding on opponents. After scoring their ninth touchdown and ballooning the score to 63–7, they did not seem to substantially substi-tute for first string players until the fourth quarter.

With Cascade starters out, Vashon was able to sustain a drive with Schoenburg running for a first down and Nathan Lawsen capping the night with a 5-yard touchdown run and then a two-point conversion to end the scoring at 63-15. With .59 seconds left in the game, instead of taking the knee to end the game, Cascade ran and threw as if trying to score again as time ran out.

— Brian Brenno is the president of the Bounty Club.

Cascade Christian beats Pirates

By KEVIN ROSS For The Beachcomber

The Pirate cross country team saw plenty of action last week. Athletes were able to run under sunny skies both Thursday and Saturday at two meets at at Fort Steilacoom, which has a course that is well liked by the team.

Vashon’s boys team placed third of four teams at Thursday’s meet. Charles Wright took a perfect score of 15 points when it swept the first five places.

The girls team had just four runners who were eligible to compete. To place and score as

a team in cross country, teams must have a minimum of five runners.

Individually, senior Maddi Groen placed third overall as she covered the 3.1-mile course in 23:28. Two of Vashon’s fresh-men girls placed in the top 10. Natalie Vandevanter placed sixth, and Audry Benner fin-ished 10th overall for the girls.

At the Fort Steilacoom invi-tational on Saturday, nearly 60 schools attended, representing all classifications. Maddi Groen placed fourth overall out of 153 runners in the girls junior var-sity race.

In the 2k youth race,Jeffrey Parrish, representing McMurray Middle School, took second overall with a time of7:24.

The next cross country meet for the Pirates will be a home meet on Thursday, Sept. 27. This will be a five-school meet with Cascade Christian, Seattle Christian, Life Christian and Eatonville. The meet will also include a middle school race.

Saturday, Sept. 29, will be the annual ferry dock to ferry dockcommunity run.

— Kevin Ross is a cross country coach at Vashon High School.

Vashon junior Maddi Groen passes a Foster runner nearing the 1-mile mark to take the early lead in her flightat the Fort Steilacoom Invitational on Saturday. The Foster runner regained the lead to win the race while Groen finished fourth.

Cross country competes at Fort Steilacoom

Vashon’s next game will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, at home against old-time rival Eatonville, at that is is back in the Nisqually League this year.

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Islander Jerry Williams isn’t in too much pain during a flatterstretch on Burma Road. He completed the entire course.A few riders make their way up Gold Beach Drive, one of 27 hills on the 78-mile Passport to Pain course.

Cyclists complete ultimate test: Vashon’s hillsThe second annual Passport to Pain (P2P) bike ride

exploded in popularity this year, drawing nearly three times as many cyclists than participated last year and raising thousands of dollars for the Vashon Island Rowing Club.

On Saturday morning, 124 riders set out on Passport to Pain’s unique course, which strings together 27 of the Island’s steepest hills for a total of 78 miles and 10,000 feet of elevation gain. In the end, 80 cyclists completed the ride and earned back their $100 registration fee, said event organizer Bruce Morser. Half of riders, he said, donated their fee to the club anyway.

Morser said that this year P2P drew cyclists from

Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and New York. Organizers them-selves were a bit surprised at the large response, he said, but credit the ride’s poularity to its unique challenge as the toughest ride in Puget Sound and the touch of humor presented in promotional materials.

“A bunch of us have done a lot of riding over the years, and I think what makes this unique is that this ride has an attitude about it that people like,” he said.

Several more sponsors participated in the event as well this year, Morser said, and the club brought in more than $9,000.

— Natalie Johnson

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It’s a battle that has played out in many other states in recent years, gay marriage advoacates note, and one that is now divid-ing Washington and spur-ring passionate campaigns from both sides. If Ref. 74 passes, Washington would be the first state to legalize same-sex marriage by vote.

Burke said that when gay marriage opponents earlier this year gathered enough signatures to put a refer-endum on the ballot, she and Cobarr, who also have three young children, felt they had to take action.

“We knew this is our

moment,” she said. “This is our moment in Washington. We have to drop every-thing.”

They’re not alone. Already this month, two private fundraisers organized by a handful of Vashon fami-lies and informally tied to VFUM have raised thou-sands for Washington United for Marriage, the main organization cam-paigning for Ref. 74. Several more families are planning to hold their own fundrais-ers, Burke said, and owners of a couple of restaurants have said they’ll donate food or a space for events as well. In a similar vein, several leaders of Vashon churches and faith commu-nities have agreed to take part in an interfaith event

surrounding marriage equality next month at the Vashon Theatre.

“It’s going to be a big day for Washington and a big day for Vashon,” said Burke, who also serves on Washington United for Marriage’s finance com-mittee. “It’s time for people to get off the sidelines and get into this game.”

Vashon Families United for Marriage made its debut at the Strawberry Festival when a small conglomera-tion of Islanders marched in the grand parade with rain-bow balloons, signs reading “Approve Ref. 74,” and two women dressed as brides. Burke said parade-goers, not surprisingly, erupted into cheers and applause for the group.

“It was an incredible feel-ing,” she said.

Later during the festival, visitors to VFUM’s booth were overwhelmingly in favor of gay marriage, Burke said. Many unsolic-ited donations came in that weekend.

“That was never our goal,” she said. “People just gave us money.”

Indeed, campaigning for marriage equality on left-leaning Vashon Island can seem a bit redundant.

According to 2010 U.S. Census data, 5.5 percent of Vashon households are headed by same-sex cou-ples — the highest in the state. The statistic also puts Vashon’s gay popula-tion just ahead of Seattle, where 5.4 percent of homes

are headed by same-sex couples. Burke said she herself moved to Vashon because she and her part-ner knew the community was welcoming of same-sex couples.

“When we think about marriage equality on Vashon, we are talking about your neighbors, friends, shopkeepers, cus-tomers, clients, service pro-viders, your family,” Burke said.

Chuck Weinstock, a banker who, with a few other couples, recently put on a private fundraiser for Washington United for Marriage, said the orga-nizers encouraged those in attendance to share their experiences on Vashon and their support of gay mar-riage with as many people as they could.

“It’s an issue people are reluctant to talk about like we talk about rumble strips on the highway ... but it’s important for people who are not gay and lesbian to talk to other folks, to know this is an issue they are standing up on, even on Vashon,” he said.

Katy Jo Steward, a lawyer who held the event at her home, agreed.

“If there are 100 people here, and they each (talk to) 10 people, that’s 1,000 people,” she said.

Steward said VFUM is also reaching out to gay marriage supporters to make sure they understand the referendum process, some-thing there has been wide-spread confusion about.

In February the state Legislature passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage and Gov. Chris Gregoire signed it into law. Before the law could go into effect, however, gay marriage opponents gathered enough signatures to put the issue to a public vote.

VFUM volunteers say that at the Strawberry Festival many who stopped at their booth thought that since gay marriage oppo-nents put the issue on the ballot, they should vote “no.” However, since the ballot item is a referendum, a “no” vote actually repeals the law and “yes” vote sus-tains it.

Fundraisers on Vashon also agree that money will play a huge role in the elec-tion. Several who put on an event noted that gay marriage opponents have poured huge amounts of money into advertising in other states where the issue has been on the ballot. And of the 32 states to vote on gay marriage, all have voted it down.

“The people have to get good information

about the legal and eco-nomic and social impacts of this,” Weinstock said. “The unfortunate reality isyou’ve got to have money to do that.”

Burke said that at two fundraisers in early September, organizersasked for donations from each family, and together they pulled in about $6,500.Snapdragon provided appe-tizers at one, and at the other — an event aimed at families — peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were served.

“We had a ton of kidscome to that one” Burke said.

As private fundrais-ers continue around the Island, the Vashon Island Unitarian Fellowship hopes a large contingent of people will come together around the issue at a public eventnext month.

Harmon Arroyo, a member of the Unitarian Fellowship, has enlisted seven leaders of Vashon churches or faith com-munities to help plan in an interfaith event at the Vashon Theatre that he is calling Shelter the Flame.

The event, slated for Oct. 21, will be an evening of prayer, testimonials by Vashon ministers and other Islanders and performanc-es by musicians, includ-ing Paul Colwell, Jasper Forrester, Mark Wells and John Dally. A candlelight vigil will end the night.

There may be a donation box at the event, Arroyo said, but Shelter the Flame isn’t about fundraising, or even Ref. 74 specifically.

“It’s not an over-the-top political kind of thing, but more an emotionally sup-portive thing, an Island kind of thing,” he said.

Burke said that although she knows there are Islanders who opposegay marriage, she hasn’t encountered them much, and so far there’s been no organized opposition to Ref. 74 on the Island.

Through her efforts, she said, she’s been touched to realize how personal the issue of gay marriage is to many, both gay and straight, on Vashon. At one fund-raiser, she said, a young, straight woman spoke about being raised by two mothersand another straight man said he hoped to one day walk his lesbian sister-in-law down the aisle.

“It was real amazing that this touches people on so many levels,” she said, “and it’s not just the people who will directly benefit from this law being sustained, butjust our whole community.”


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Burton Community ChurchALL ARE WELCOME

INSPIRATION not Indoctrination!Worship 11 am

Rev. Bruce Chittick, PastorMaggie Laird

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

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Catholic ChurchSt. John Vianney

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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

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Call for Location567-5279 463-9552

Havurat Ee ShalomServing the spiritual, social and

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15401 Westside Hwy SWPO Box 89, Vashon, WA 98070

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Episcopal Churchof the Holy Spirit

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

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

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

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

Holy Communion Worship 10:30 am

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

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

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www.vashonmethodist.orgoffi [email protected]

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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

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Our Vashon Island

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REF. 74CONTINUED FROM 1

took on ownership of a swimming pool King County could no longer afford to run.

Last month, the board fired Jan Milligan, the agency’s executive director of less than a year and who came into the agency prom-ising to raise money for the fields project from private sources. That project is cur-rently on hold due to a lack of funds.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the commission-ers agreed to surplus some equipment, including a bucket truck that the agency bought for $20,000 a few years ago and seldom uses, a small motorboat and a land-scaping trailer.

“I am hoping we can do more. These are opportunities to bring in cash,” said Susan McCabe, the park district’s interim execu-tive director.

But none of the commissioners, either Tuesday night or in interviews afterwards, could say exactly why the district is facing a cash-crunch or identify programs, proj-ects or other line items in the 2012 spend-ing plan that went over-budget and led to the current situation. The commissioners passed the district’s $1.7 million budget in January.

During the meeting, a few Islanders openly expressed frustration by the com-missioners’ apparent lack of information and some of their oblique comments. After Ameling tried to explain the situation — discussing various accounting systems, including one that government agencies are expected to use — Capt. Joe Wubbold, who attends nearly every park board meet-ing, raised his hand.

“I’m just a simple sea captain,” he told Ameling. “But I can tell a fog bank when I see one coming.”

Hackett, a few moments later, concurred

with Wubbold’s assessment. “I’m concerned about fog banks, too. I think the board of commissioners has been in a fog bank a long time,” he said.

In an interview after the meeting, Hackett said the agency’s budget crunch doesn’t make sense, since three of the park district’s highest paid employees have left this year. “We should be $100,000 ahead. Instead, we’re way in the hole,” he said.

“I wonder if we should spend money we don’t have to do a forensic accounting,” he added.

But Ameling, a former CPA, said during an interview after Tuesday’s meeting that it would be wrong to put too much focus on the document handed out Tuesday night, which identified the $88,864 hole and was labeled “2012 cash flow projection.”

The document, he said, “is kind of like a tally sheet. We’re adding up our plusses and minuses.” By Dec. 31, he added, “The number is going to be zero.”

Michael DeBlasi, the board’s treasurer, noted that the budget the commissioners passed in January “is always a projection.” He, too, couldn’t put his finger on what shifted over the course of the year, saying, only, “It was a series of small things.”

But the situation, while challenging, is manageable, he said. “We’re trying not to blow this out of proportion.”

Commissioners put much of the blame on the way the books were kept by the pre-vious administration — Wendy Braicks, the former executive director, and Cynthia Capifoni, the budget manager, who resigned earlier this year. Milligan, during her brief tenure, was also critical of the previous accounting system and brought in Marie Browne, the former vice president of opera-tions at K2, as a part-time consultant to try to straighten out a system that she said no longer made sense. The new system, com-missioners have said, is an improvement but has made tracking expenses between

last year and this difficult because of the mid-year change.

“It’s very hard to compare,” DeBlasi said.

Ameling concurred, saying that the way the books used to be kept obscured the situation. “The people doing the reporting to us did not understand what they were doing. … We didn’t get numbers reported to us that would alert us to a problem.”

But Lu-Ann Branch, another commis-sioner, said in an interview last week that Milligan made it clear the district was on shaky financial ground. “She had predicted that … unless we got additional funding we would have a cash flow problem,” said Branch, the only one of the five commis-sioners who did not vote for Milligan’s termination, choosing instead to abstain. “We’ve known for a while that finances were incredibly tight.”

In fact, Milligan expressed concern about the district’s finances last December, two months after she took the job, telling The Beachcomber that the district was strug-gling to meet its payroll and that the agency no longer had a cash reserve to handle the ebbs and flows of its budget. At the follow-ing board meeting, Ameling said that wasn’t true and that the reserve still existed.

Hackett said Ameling’s statements throughout the year gave him the impres-sion the district’s financial situation was under control.

“Bill’s word on budget issues has carried a lot of weight over time,” Hackett said. “When my CPA board president says we haven’t spent our reserve funds and that Jan (Milligan) just doesn’t understand the accounting, that sounds pretty good.”

Ameling, who is out of town on vacation, could not be reached for a response.

Milligan said this year’s budget problems stemmed in large part from the number of 2011 bills that didn’t get paid last year — “none of which I knew about when I put together this budget,” she added. She guessed there was close to $150,000 in 2011 bills that had to be paid this year.

Other unexpected costs tripped them up, she added, such as covering the monthly costs of the generator to keep the freshly seeded fields north of town watered. “We didn’t budget one penny for the fields proj-

ect,” she said.Milligan, meanwhile, came under fire

from commissioners for handing out pay raises to five employees in June, at the same time that she was worried about the dis-trict’s financial situation. And at Tuesday’s meeting, Hackett, calling her actions illegal and contrary to district policy, put forward a motion to immediately suspend the pay raises. But Ameling said it could not be voted on that night unless it was considered an emergency motion. When Hackett thenoffered it up as an emergency motion, no one seconded it.

Also before the commissioners Tuesday night were three scenarios for how to address the $88,864 shortfall — all of whichcalled for varying degrees of staff reduc-tions, including furloughing full-time staff to 32 hours a week and closing the park district’s skate park on Oct. 1.

Faced with a boisterous group of Islanders, many of whom had questions or wanted toexpress their frustrations, the commission-ers ended their meeting without discussing any of the three scenarios. They’re expected to take up the issue at their next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m.

But since the commissioners’ meeting last week, the staffing picture at the small agen-cy has changed yet again. Wendy Paridon, who has worked at the district for 10 years, announced her resignation on Monday. With her departure, the number of office staff has fallen considerably, said McCabe. Earlier this year, the agency had six full-time office people; now it’s down to three.

McCabe said the financial shortfall and the potential for more layoffs has been hard on staff.

“As one might expect, morale is feeble,” she said. “All of this affects staff more than anyone else — more than the community, more than commissioners. They’re under-standably deeply concerned and waiting to see what happens.”

At the same time, she added, “Employees have risen to the occasion. ... Everyone is pulling their weight.”

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CONTINUED FROM1

The park district’s commissioners will hold their next meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the district’s Ober Park office.

The King County Assessor’s Office released its latest figures for the region’s combined property values, numbers that suggest the Vashon Park District will see another decline in revenue next year.According to the latest numbers, Vashon’s taxable value — the assessed worth of all of the Island’s houses, businesses and land — fell 11.8 percent last year, a number that will lead to less revenue for the park district next year, when taxes are levied against that value.Other taxing districts on Vashon won’t nec-essarily see a decline in revenue because of the decline in taxable value. The Vashon

Island School District, for instance, does not have a fixed levy rate, so the tax rate will be raised or lowered to assure a set amount of revenue comes in. But the park district, because it’s consid-ered a “junior taxing district,” has a set levy rate; it can’t go above 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, even if that means less revenue. As a result, said Hazel Gantz, a levy specialist with the county, the park district “is going to get less money.” The lower values are con-sistent throughout the county, she added. Only a the wealthiest pockets of the region did not see a decline in value, she said.


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Bird-loving Islanders have recently banded together and signed a petition to let King County officials know that they want the barn swallows at the recycling center to be able to return to their longtime nesting sites next year.

The fate of the recycling center’s swallows first came to the attention of Islander Kathy Abascal one morn-ing last summer, when she arrived and saw a large net keeping two sets of swallows away from their nests on light fixtures at the building.

Abascal, upset about the net and the effect it had on the birds, com-plained to the transfer station per-sonnel and worked her way up the chain of command. By 1 p.m. that afternoon, Abascal said, the contrac-tor who had put the net up at the request of King County personnel had returned and taken it down, also at their request. She has watched the swallows at the recycling center for a decade, she said, and increased her trips when there were young birds in the nests.

“It was one of the things that made

recycling fun, watching their birds hatch,” she said.

Abascal noted that the birds are beneficial and eat insects, including mosquitoes, which sometimes carry disease.

In August, after hearing that next year King County might prohibit the swallows from nesting on the lights and attempt to get them to nest in a different location, Abascal drafted a petition, asking that the county leave the birds alone. Islander Harsi Parker joined Abascal in the effort. Paper petitions are in several Island busi-nesses, and another is online. In all, roughly 400 people have signed.

At King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP), spokesperson Logan Harris said there was never any intent to disrupt the birds and that the net was put up initially in response to several Islanders’ complaints about bird droppings.

“As soon as we realized there were unintended consequences, we removed the nets,” Harris said.

County personnel have discussed

different options for the next nest-ing season, ranging from leaving the swallows alone to establishing a nest-ing box at the property, and Harris said he knows feelings about this issue are running high.

“It does feel that there is speculationabout what we’re doing that is just not accurate,” he said.

DNRP staff have requested input from public health officials aboutwhether or not swallows and their droppings pose any health hazards, Harris said. So far, they have not heard back, and as of now, they have no plans to intervene with the swal-lows next summer.

For Abascal, who said she believes swallows do not carry disease, that is good news.

“Our hope is that what they decide to do is make no plans and leave it alone,” she said. “The majority of people and the birds are happy.”

Abascal said she will close the peti-tions within a few days and deliver thesignatures to a county representative.

— Susan Riemer

The state Department of Ecology (DOE) will be at Dockton Park this week as part of anther round of park cleanups to remove arsenic- and lead-contaminated soils from play areas.

Dockton is one of seven parks in the King and Pierce county area that the state has targeted for cleanup. Park neighbors can expect construction noise and some truck traffic during normal work hours. Contractors will use dust control measures to minimize contaminated soil escaping the site, according to a news release.

Soil sampling in 2010 confirmed the presence of arsenic and lead contamination from the former Asarco smelter in Tacoma. Money from a settlement with Asarco allowed the agency to expand its existing soil safety pro-gram to include parks, camps and public multi-family housing. The program, created through 2005 legislation, initially covered only school and childcare play areas.

A separate residential cleanup program is also under way as a result of the Asarco settlement.

Although contamination levels in the parks are not high enough to cause immediate concern, the long-term health risk for children has made the cleanups a priority for the state, according to the release.

Work is scheduled for a narrow window of time between the busy summer season and the onset of heavy rains. “We have a very tight timeline,” said DOE’s cleanup coordina-tor, John Zinza, who will oversee the contractors.

Some contamination may still remain outside of des-ignated play areas, especially in wooded areas.

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WELCOME HOME!13814 SW Reddings Beach RdWhether you love gardening, farming,

horses, or relaxing in sunny privacy, this isthe place! 3+ bdrm, 3 baths, on 8.88

acres. MLS #328134 $485,000

10009 SW Northilla RoadGreat beach cabin & pristine

privacy! Magnificent views, steppedpath to beach; bonus room, woodstove

& big deck. MLS #402115 $319,000

WATERFRONT GETAWAY

SusanLoflandASP, GRI206/999-6470

LenWolffGRI206/300-7594

KenZaglinDs.Broker206/940-4244

25822 Bates Walk SWOriginal finishes & a large deck make this1 bdrm beach classic a place you’ll love

to be! West side, easy level walk-inaccess. MLS #391091 $325,000

LeslieFerrielBroker206/235-3731

ENCHANTING BEACH

NEWPRICE!

Burton

Hosted by:Hosted by:

NEWPRICE!

JUSTLISTED!

NancySippleGRI206/465-2361

Rolling lawns, gardens & forestFabulous sun all day! Immaculate twobdrm home, THREE 2-car garages,

shop & studio on 6.6 acres. Peek harborviews! MLS #336100 $419,000

ROOM FOR EVERYTHING!WESTSIDE CLASSICSunny Sound views!

This 1 bdrm cottage is in a quietcommunity near the beach. Big deck,

lots of potential to be your perfectIsland retreat! MLS #359737 $179,000

DavidKnightDavidKnight

We are pleased tocongratulateWe are pleased tocongratulate

For becoming aCertifiedShortSaleNegotiator

For becoming aCertifiedShortSaleNegotiator

Stunning gardens & lovely viewTerrific spot above Tramp Harbor not far

from the beach! Bright & spacious, 4bdrms. 3.5 baths, multiple decks, quiet

& private. MLS #368677 $479,000

DianeStofferMg Broker206/650-6210

STYLE AND LIGHT

JeanBoschBroker206/919-5223

Gracious country homeSunny 4.52 acres with garage, barns,

& studio! Beautiful finishes, terrific kitchen,4 bedrooms, 2.25 baths. Subject to

inspection. MLS #398556 $699,000

WEST SIDE VIEWS

CristGranumCRS206/419-3661DISTINCTIVE NW DESIGNImpressive views and propertySweeping Sound/Mt. Rainier views on5+ acres of stunning grounds! Grandentry, 4 bdrms, 4.5 baths, high-endfinishes. MLS #399196 $1,475,000

206/[email protected]

vashon-maury island beachcomber, september 19, 2012

Documents

sex marriage

marriage vfum

bustling vashon town

budget difficulties

pasttwo years

raucous board meeting

new budget woessee parks

current operating budget