Vol. 3 #6 March 15, 2006TO INFORM AND AMUSE ~ TO PROVOKE THINKING AND ACTIVISM

IIIIIn n n n n This IThis IThis IThis IThis Issue:ssue:ssue:ssue:ssue:

Page 18page 4

On Saturday, March 18 theVashon Celtic Dance Society willhonor St. Patrick’s Day by hosting acommunity Irish Ceili dance at theGrange Hall with live, traditionalIrish music. The dance will be heldfrom 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., with asuggested donation of $8 ($6 forstudents and seniors). The GrangeHall is located in the north end ferrydock parking lot. Ceili dancing is a“barn dance” style accessible tonearly everyone (and perfect for theold log building of the Grange Hall).No partner or experience is required.Kathleen O’Grady-Graham fromSeattle will teach and call the dancesand music will be provided Vashon’sown Irish dance band, The GoldRing. Don’t miss this St. Patrick’sDay opportunity to experience Irishculture through participatory danceand music. For more informationabout the Vashon Celtic DanceSociety, or to volunteer, call ShannonSeath Meyer at (206) 774-4047 orLori Malczyk at (206) 463-6917.

Soprano Jennifer AyresKrikawa and baritone AndrewKrikawa and will be featuredsoloists in the Vashon IslandChorale’s performance of GabrielFaure’s Requiem on Sunday, April2, at St. John Vianney Church. TheKrikawas recently moved to Vashonfrom New York City with their twosmall children to “lead a simplerlife,” leaving behind professionalcareers that took them to CarnegieHall and New York City Operastages. Both have sung major operaroles and principal parts in musicalmasterworks for regional companiesand orchestras throughout thecountry. Both hold master’s degreesfrom the New EnglandConservatory of Music in Boston.

“Andy and I are impressed withthe musicality, artistry, and vocalability of the singers,” said JenniferKrikawa about their participation inthe Chorale. “David Kappy bringsinspiration and education to thegroup with a wonderfulcombination of humor andcommand. I look forward to everyrehearsal,” she added. “It hasbrought a welcome sense ofcommunity to our lives.”

“We are so fortunate to have theKrikawas in our midst,” said DavidKappy, who directs the VashonChorale. “Anyone who has heardthem sing knows what a treat it isto have them perform with us.”

A 25-piece chamber orchestrawill accompany the choir on theRequiem. Violinist Mary Walker willserve as concertmistress. Theorchestra will include Seattle harpistMary Frank and hornist Kathleen

Andrew and Jennifer Ayres Krikawa

Krikawas PerformFaure Requiem with

Vashon Chorale

St. Patrick’s DayIrish Ceili Dance

Dressed in pink and holdingsigns in Burma Shave style, theVashon-Maury Island Green PartyProgressive Book Club celebratedInternational Women’s Day lastWednesday, March 8. Book clubmembers Ivy Sacks, Maryrose Asher,Kathryn True, Jeanne Ernst, MerileeRunyan, Beverly Naidus, SusanLewis, Claudia Gross-Shader, DebraBlake, Joy Goldstein, Amy Bogaard,and, newcomer to the Island, JadeGrace, prepared pink-colored signswhich graphed the annual federalbudget to show how much of theannual federal budget is allocated tohousing, health care, education,environment, humanitarian foreignaid, human services, and militaryspending.

CodePink: Women of Peace

Susan Lewis

Joy Goldstein passing out cookies

Pink-wrapped cookies werepassed out to drivers at the mainintersection in town. Attached tothe cookies were pink slips of paperwhich said in part: “We are takingpart in a CODEPINK action incelebration of InternationalWomen’s Day…Our goal as Womenof Peace is to end all wars and to endour country’s unrestrained militarybudget...it is time to reset ourpriorities!”

CrossroadsBlues Bandat Bishop’sSaturday

Eco-Tour in Indonesia, BeanieBabies, memories of Luna, theThird World, the Ninth Ward,Beyond Oil, Unsung Heroes,ranunculus, and more!

Shannon and Michael Meyer get a glow onat a recent Ceili

Who are these people? I’m going to go out on a limb and say they are the winners of thecostume competitions at Oscar Night, March 5, at the Vashon Theater. Is there a“chutzpah” award? Photo by Dan Scheuler

Oscar Winners

Continued on page 2

Katha

WrestlingTalesPage 16

School board member Gene Lipitzand his girls getting out the vote!

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 2

Get in The Loop

Adopt-A-Cat Day

Free CERT training starts March 17!Eight Fridays, 6 to 10 pm plus one

Saturday drillFor info contact

Catherine or Michael Cochranecertvashon@yahoo.com or 463-4558

Vashon IslandPet Protectors willhost an Adopt-A-

The Vashon LoopWriters: Kathy Abascal, Deborah Anderson, Rachel

Bard, Becky Bumgarner, Marie Browne, Eric

Francis, Fran Gordon, Jeff Hoyt, Troy Kindred,

Melissa McCann, Orca Annie, Kevin Pottinger, Rex

Morris, Peter Ray, Jonathan Shipley, Ed Swan, Mary

L. Tuel, Marj Watkins

Guest writers this issue: Sarah P. Blakemore,

Weslie Rogers

Photographers: T Kindred, P Ray, Jc Kindred,

Alex Kindred, Mary L. Tuel

Original art, comics, cartoons: Ed Frohning, Rick

Tuel, Jeff Hawley, Jeremy Gregory, Maggie

Bumgarner

Ad sales and design: Troy Kindred and Marie

Browne; Email: ads@vashonloop.com;

(206) 463-9207

Editor: Mary Litchfield Tuel

Email: editor@vashonloop.com; (206) 463-3327

Publishers: Marie Browne and Troy Kindred

PO Box 253, Vashon, WA 98070

Paid advertisements in The Vashon Loop in no way

express the opinions of the publisher, editor, or

staff. We reserve the right to edit or not even print

stuff. Deal with it.

Published every two weeksby Paradise Valley Press

© March 15, 2006 ~ Volume III, Issue 6

The Vashon-Maury Island GreenParty’s Progressive Book Club will meetat the Vashon Tea Shop on Sunday,March 26, from 2 to 4 p.m.

The Book Club is a social eventdesigned for members to get to know eachother while discussing progressive bookselections. This month’s selection is PaulWilliam Roberts’s book, A War AgainstTruth, a national bestseller which is short-listed for the Charles Taylor Prize forliterary non-fiction. Of A War AgainstTruth, Noam Chomsky writes, “Despitethe bitter humor, reading this laceratingchronicle is as painful and as necessaryas opening one’s eyes in the morning forthose who want to perceive the world asit is — and do something about it.”

A War Against Truth is available atVashon bookstores and a discount isoffered to book club participants. For moreinformation, call Maryrose Asher at 567-0593 or e-mail dmasher@comcast.net.

Garden artists are being sought forthe first Garden Art Show sponsored byOld & Funqui. The show will be titledMothers and Their Gardens, and will be onSaturday, May 13, the day beforeMother’s Day, outside the store at 17311Vashon Highway.

This is a great time for people to getout and work in their yards, and whatbetter way to finish your garden creationthan by adding a beautiful sculpture orother piece of garden art?

Fee for vendors is $40 and partialproceeds will go to the Vashon FoodBank. Those interested in being in theMay show should call Old & Funqui at206-463-0895. Spaces will be allotted ona first come first serve basis.

Progressive Book Club

Garden Artists,Vendors Sought

Join the discussion at the VashonLibrary meeting room on Thursday,March 16, at 2:30 p.m. All meetings areopen to the public and the Vashon Leagueis looking for new members. The topic thismonth is “Neutralizing Nuclear Terror.”For more information, please contactEllen Kritzman at 567-4837.

Please join the Vashon-MauryIsland Community Council on Monday,March 20, at 7:30 p.m., as we talk abouthow Vashon measures on 45benchmarks that define our ruralcharacter. We are just beginning tocompile Island information oneconomics, the environment, affordablehousing, land use and transportation.Also on the agenda: Do ferry policieshave economic effects? The State maybe asking that question soon. Councilmeeting is at Courthouse Square. AllIslanders welcome.

The Vashon Maury IslandCommunity Council currently has anopen position for a member of the Board.Applications for the position will beaccepted until March 27.

The VMICC Board consists of ninemembers elected bi-annually in theNovember general election in evennumbered years. The current vacantposition will be up for re-election inNovember of 2006. The VMICC Boardmeets the first Monday of each month.

Applications for the Board positionmust be submitted by Monday, March27 to Jim English, President. Send e-mailto jim_english@amerifresh.com or mailto P.O. Box 281, Vashon WA 98070.

Who Are We and WhereAre We Headed?

Community Council SeeksNew Board Member

League of WomenVoters Invites You

Farner, a Professor of Music atPacific Lutheran University whorecently moved to Vashon.

The program will also featureMorten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna,which has risen to the top of everychoral director’s list since it wascomposed 10 years ago. CraigHanson will provide organaccompaniment for this piece.

“The two compositions have thesame Latin vocabulary,” saidKappy, “though they are cut froma very different cloth. Both have atranscendent quality and are simplymagnificent.”

Performances are at 5 p.m. and7 p.m. Tickets are available at Booksby the Way or at the door, ifavailable.

Continued from page 1Vashon Chorale

The Vashon-Maury Island GreenParty is sponsoring an event on Sunday,March 26, titled, Tikkun Olam: Repairingthe World Through Social Action.Perspectives on the Middle East and Outreachto Faith Communities on Vashon.

There will be a potluck dinner at 5p.m. followed by a speaker at 6 p.m.

The invited speaker is Bert Sacks, co-founder of Interfaith Network of Concernfor the People of Iraq (INOC) and Citizensfor Responsible Journalism.

The event is open to the public andfree of charge. Please join us at HavuratEe Shalom, 15401 Westside Hwy SW,north of Cove Road. There will be apotluck dinner at 5:00 p.m., followed bythe presentation at 6:00 p.m. For moreinformation, please contact Dan orMaryrose Asher at 567-0593 ordmasher@comcast.net.

Tikkun Olam:

Green PartyHosts Bert Sacks

On Inauguration Day 2005, DirectorChris Hume’s film crew began a 6000-mile journey across middle America. Heinterviewed hundreds of everydaycitizens at work, play, and worship in aquest to learn what they felt aboutAmerica and the results of the 2004election. The result is Red State Road Trip,a one-hour documentary film.(www.redstateroadtrip.com)

Red State Road Trip will be shown onSaturday, March 18, at the Land TrustBuilding. Come at 7 p.m. for the film orarrive by 6 p.m. to share in our regularpotluck.

The Vashon Democratic Club invitesyou to view this film and to learn aboutour programs and activities in thiselection year. Suggested donation for thefilm is $2.00–5.00. For more information,contact Roger Fulton at 463-5652.

Democrats ShowRed State Road Trip

Save the date! Celebrate summer andVashon Allied Arts’ 40th Anniversary atthe 16th annual Vashon Island GardenTour, which will take place this year onSaturday June 10 and Sunday, June 11,from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is the secondlargest fundraiser of the year for VashonAllied Arts. The Garden Tour reflectseach owner’s style and creativity.Discover fresh ideas, hear live music andmost of all have fun supporting VashonAllied Arts and education programs.Tickets will be available April 15 at BlueHeron Art Center, Heron’s Nest and DIG.Purchase before May 15 for 20% discount.

Annual Garden Tour

Bailey

Banjo & Bingo

Cat day Saturday, March 25, from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, March 26,from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at Pandora’s Box.Please stop by or call VIPP at 206-389-1085. Here are three adoptees!

Fine food and warmth areoffered for senior citizens, theirfriends and families this Sunday,March 19, 2 to 4 p.m. at the SeniorCenter potluck. Please bring a dishto share, and get out of the cold.Monthly potlucks are hosted by theSC program committee, headed byEllen Trout.

Senior CenterPotluck Sunday

VIPP Garage SaleThis Weekend

The VIPP Spring Garage Sale isthis Saturday and Sunday, March18 and 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. onSaturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. onSunday. The sale will be at theFirefighter’s Association Building onBank Road, and donations will begratefully accepted there on Fridayfrom 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Is it possible or healthy to continue arelationship with someone who has diedand if so, how? At the monthly IONSgathering at the Vashon library onThursday, March 23, writer andcounselor Rondi Lightmark, M.A., willshare her thoughts and research on theprovocative topic of life after death. Partof her presentation will include a videoexcerpt from the 2000 HBO show titledLife Afterlife. Call 463-0831 to confirm timeand location. Rondi is a freelance writerand counselor whose counseling practiceoffers her own unique approach tohealing from loss (www.healgrief.com).

Curious About LifeAfter Death?

I’ve had enough of gardening-- I’m just about ready to throwin the trowel.

March 15, 06 The Vashon Loop, p. 3

Troy and Marie Talk Capital Gains

We do passport photos

Troy: Marie, since it’s just one short month until Income Tax D-Day, Ithought our readers might appreciate some information abouthow capital gains taxes are calculated when they sell their homes.

Marie: Is there some sort of sound distortion in here? I could havesworn I just heard you express an interest in talking about taxes.Are you my same husband who claims he’d rather have a rootcanal than sit through a meeting with an accountant?

Troy: Well, yes. But I am willing to suffer through this for the benefit ofour clients.

Marie: Great! There is hope! As the National Association of Realtorsexplained it in a recent article, the capital gains tax that you haveto pay when you sell your home is based on the differencebetween the price you sell it for and its so-called “cost basis.”

Troy: The cost basis is more than just the price you originally paid forthe house, right?

Marie: That’s right. To calculate the cost basis, you take the purchaseprice of the house when you bought it, and add in any costs ofthe purchase – like transfer fees, inspections, and attorney costs.

Troy: Then you add in what it cost you to sell the house. This wouldinclude your commission expense and any money you spent tofix up the house before putting it on the market.

To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, the only two things in life that are certainare death and taxes. Off the tops of our heads, we can’t think of a goodconnection between real estate and death, but certainly there is one betweenreal estate and taxes. Rest assured than when you sell your home, Uncle Samis waiting with his hand out. You may not have to give him more than a highfive, though. Read on…

Marie: You can also add in any costs you’ve spent over the years toimprove the property, like adding a deck or a new room.

Troy: But you can’t add costs for repair and maintenance for thingsthat were already there. For example, you would not be able toadd the cost of replacing a roof.

Marie: That’s true. A new roof might be an improvement and add to themarket value of your home, but the IRS would not consider itpart of your cost basis.

Troy: Those guys are just no fun.

Marie: That’s for sure. Anyway, your capital gain on the sale is thedifference between your selling price and the cost basis of thehouse. Obviously, the higher your cost basis, the lower yourcapital gain, and the lower your tax bill.

Troy: Also, we should mention that people can exclude part of thecapital gain – up to $250,000 for a single person or $500,000 fora married couple. There are some further requirements in thefine print that go along with this generous exclusion. Anyonewho is considering selling their home should consult with a taxaccountant to fully understand the tax implications.

Your Home Team Realty (206) 463-LIST (5478)

This retro chic house calls for clambakes, cocktails, and cabin cruisers!It’s 3200 square feet of living space on 80 feet of low bank inner

Quartermaster Harbor waterfront. It’s picture windows from the floor to thehigh ceiling to take full advantage of the light and the view of the busy harbor.It’s a home for entertaining guests and family, with two large decks practicallyover the water, plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, and a separate guest cabin.$1,049,000.

22908 Vashon Hwy SW

Clambakes and Cocktails!

Check out the virtual tours of these properties at

www.kwvashon.com

6320 SW Luana Beach Road

Every day is a vacation day in this beautiful, quality built Lindal Cedarhome on a shy two acres of gorgeous rolling land with an incredible panoramicview of the Puget Sound shipping lanes, the Seattle skyline, the ferries, theCascades, and Whidbey Island. On a clear day you can even see MountBaker! Three bedrooms, two baths, fenced pasture, landscaped gardens, asauna, an atrium with a hot tub, outbuildings – it’s the Island Dream come true.$599,000.

Acreage With a View!

SoldSold

If you have suggestions for topics to cover in Tips For Homeowners, or if you want to receive your copy viaemail, please write marie@kwvashon.com. And if you need real estate services, please give us a call at(206) 463-LIST.We would love to work for you.

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 4Letters to the Editor:editor@vashonloop.comHave mercy: keep it to 300or fewer words. Thanks.

Not all breast cancereverywhere is treated the same. Ianalogize this bit of (obvious?) truthto the food we eat, by saying thatjust as we usually eat what we arehanded, we usually treat with whatwe are surrounded! This article willtouch on cultural differences amongfive major countries, ending withglobal suggestions. The largeimportance about this truth would(obviously!) be in the outcome ofvarying cancer treatment plans, i.e.,the mortality rate. I have not founda definite answer to the longingquestion, “Is the treatment ofcancer in any one country the mosteffective?” Lynn Payer, a medicaljournalist, has written in Medicineand Culture: Varieties of Treatment inthe United States, England, WestGermany and France, “A very fewstudies accurately assess thedifference in outcomes among thesefive nations [Japan makes the fifth]for specific cancers. In general, thereis no known difference between theefficacy of one national medicineand another.” This book waswritten 1988, and I could not findit in the library, but this reference,and most of the followinginformation, I found in Choices inHealing, p. 44 and forward.

The problems in looking at themortality rate alone as indicatorsthat one treatment plan is better, orthat one country is more successfulthan another lies in thenumbers…statistics count deaths atage 75 after treatment along withdeaths at 5 years after treatment!And lung cancer deaths tend toinfluence mortality rates becausethey are deaths that could mostlybe prevented (“Time for NewTactics Against Cancer,” HarvardMagazine, July-Aug. 1986). Also,because cancers are being detectedand treated earlier and moresuccessfully, the incidence rate hasincreased, making the mortalityrate look better!

I was vaguely aware of othercountry’s differing approaches inmy fledging weeks of breast cancer,but because of the traveling involvedand the potential increased cost ingoing elsewhere, considering theseoptions waned. In forming my owntreatment plan given America’smost aggressive options — moreabout this follows — in thebeginning I only knew what I wouldnot do, i.e. a mastectomy. And since,I have discovered that my plan

BBBBBreast Cancer: AGlobal Perspective

contained some of each of the otherfour countries’ medical culture.

America is considered to be themost aggressive toward treatmentof cancer, (and not only breastcancer). The “super-radical”mastectomy was pioneered here, byWilliam Halsted of John HopkinsUniversity in the 1880’s, whichbegan with an incision at theshoulder, removing the breast andchest wall muscles, lymph nodesand all the fat under the skin. WhileCanada and Europe were switchingto more conservative procedures,America followed slowly. Theseradical mastectomies fell from51,000 to only 46,000 between 1965and 1974, with numbers (finally!)down to 5,000 in 1983 (BreastCancer: Society Shapes and Epidemic,by Susan J Ferguson, PhD). So, whilenot knowing of this history, inchoosing by not choosing, Isomewhat intuited thisaggressiveness.

My final choice of a lumpectomyvs. mastectomy, as I later found inLynn Payer’s writings (see above),leaned more towards the Frenchtendency towards disease treatment.They are deeply concerned with theterrain of the body, its core andaesthetics. The French consideredlumpectomy and partialmastectomy long before Americans,and they are more likely to treatprostate cancer with radiation andchemotherapy instead ofprostatectomies and castration, as inAmerica. In being more concernedabout the terrain of the body, it isless important to fight the disease,and more important to strengthenthe body. That penchant too Iembraced, with the support of an u t r i t i o n i s t / n a t u r o p a t h ,acupuncturist, body talkpractitioner, and qigong teacher.

I also found some British bent tomy applications. The English tend todo less of everything; if surgery isnecessary, it will most likely be lessextensive. Lynn Payer writes, “Themost striking characteristic of Britishmedicine is its economy. The Britishdo less of nearly everything…” Ichose surgery — lumpectomy only,with no lymph node dissection orlarge marginal excisions around thetumor. But the English don’t regardthe terrain of the body, relying lesson vitamins, tonics, cures at spas,etc. than the French. There is someskepticism about medicaltreatment’s ability to prolong life,(Britain is 10-15 years ahead of theU.S. in geriatric medicine and it washere that hospice treatment for the

By Weslie Rogers

Continued on page 13

Editor, The Loop:Regarding the ongoing concerns

surrounding the prioritization ofcomputers/games at our locallibrary, some things have gotten abit confused. So, here is an attemptto clarify the issue.

Q: Why a petition? A: Our locallibrarians are not empowered tomake these decisions on their own,and so Vashon citizens must takethe issue directly to the decision-making level of administrationwithin the KCLS.

Q: What is the problem? Is itnoise? A: No. Noise is NOT theproblem. The computers areVISUALLY dominant/unavoidableand this distracts from awareness/enjoyment of the books. When noone is using the computers they stilldistract children!

Q: Is this a clear right or wrongsituation? A: Not really. It is a valuejudgment that computers/gamesshould NOT be prioritized overbooks. The key is allowing forpeople from both perspectives to gettheir needs met at our local library!

Q: Can we wait for the newlibrary? A: That date seems to be

!Loop Letters

getting farther and farther off. Inthe meantime we need to at least seea substantial temporary solution.

Q: But, what about families thatwant computer access for theirchildren? A: The argument that“computer skills are important andthese computers need to remainavailable” is somewhat moot for thisissue. We do support thesecomputers remaining easilyaccessible and readily available...ina different location.

Q: What are concerned familieslooking for? A: In general, we’d likeour library to remain a place of quietrelaxation, literacy promotion, andpublic access to certain resources.Relocating the computers allows usto support both computer educationand instill a strong affinity forreading books. We’reVashonites...we can come togetheron this. Let us offer computers tofamilies that want them whilepreserving the traditional libraryexperience with a children’s spacethat fosters a true love of books!

Sincerely,March Twisdale

On March 26, the newly formedBeyond Oil Coalition: a VashonCommunity Project, kicks off anevent series designed to sparkcommunity action around creativesolutions to the complex challengesaccompanying the anticipatedglobal decline of “cheap” oil.

The first event will be anafternoon of film and action-oriented discussion at the VashonTheater, Sunday, March 26, from 1to 3:30 p.m. The End of Suburbia: OilDepletion and the Collapse of theAmerican Dream will be followed bya facilitated discussion of potentialcommunity responses to the kinds ofcascading social, political, economic,agricultural, and technologicalchanges that are predicted in thefilm as a result of worldwide oilshortages.

People who generate proposalsfor action plans can applyimmediately for small seed grantsthrough Sustainable Vashon’s GreenSeed Grants Program(www.sustainablevashon.org). Fivegrants of up to $500 each may beawarded at this event.

For the March 26th event adonation of your choice is requestedto defray expenses. For informationabout peak oil and related regionalevents, visit the Post CarbonInstitute at (www.postcarbon.org).For information on the Beyond OilCoalition and its events, contactMerrilee Runyan atm b r u n y a n @ e a r t h l i n k . n e t(preferred) or at 463.6647.

The Beyond Oil Coalition focuseson engaging community members indialogue in the context of reduced globalfossil fuel supplies. Founding membersof the Coalition include SustainableVashon, VIGA (Vashon IslandGrowers Association), IERE (Institutefor Environmental Research andEducation), the Citizen’s Group toExplore a Vashon PUD,BuildingCircles Organization, andconcerned Vashon-Maury residents.The Coalition welcomes otherorganizations’ and individuals’participation in its meetings.

Beyond Oil CoalitionHosts Film, Discussion

By Laura Worth

We note with great sadness the passing ofKathleen Marie Reilly — Katha. She was amom, an artist, a poet, a gardener, a cook, awoman of a thousand hats and moods, and ohso much more. She had a large heart in a smallbody. We love her for all she was. She passedin a house fire on Ash Wednesday, overcomeby smoke. She leaves her three daughters,Coriel, Kaleena, and Christa; two grandchildren, Tyler and Kali; extended family; andmany friends. Services were held lastweekend. We will miss her phone calls, herideas, her love, we will miss her, so much.

Katha ReillyJune 1, 1950 – March 1, 2006

Katha

The reason grandparentsand grandchildren get along sowell is that they have acommon enemy.

-- Sam Levenson

March 15, 06 The Vashon Loop, p. 5

Lynann Politte: Parents arelooking at educational options fornext fall. Why have you enrolledyour child at Madrona?

WS: I’ve done a lot of researchon private, alternative schools andfound Madrona to be academicallycomparative with some verychallenging facilities. But academicsaren’t the only education a childreceives in school. Children are alsoeducated socially, emotionally, andculturally, and that educationaffects and informs the adults theywill become.

At Madrona, social/emotionaleducation is taught daily in real-time, as challenges and conflictsarise. One day my daughter Gabicame home concerned about aclassmate and said “So and so hasbeen doing things the rest of usreally don’t like. We were worriedabout what might be going on in herlife so we talked to her about it tosee how we can support her.” Idon’t know many adults with thatkind of perspective.

LP: Do you see a tie-in betweenthe social/emotional education shegets at Madrona and her academicabilities?

WS: Absolutely. As well as beingrequired to communicatecompassionately, the children arerespectfully supported in takingdirect responsibility for theireducation by creating agreementsas to how they will challengethemselves.

While Madrona does assess tothe EALR’s (Essential AcademicLearning Requirements) so bothparents and teachers have astructured means of monitoringacademic progress, as the studentsget older they participate more intheir own assessment. There are nocomparisons to other students, justself-comparisons.

From my perspective, the degreeof academic instruction doesn’tmatter if a child is unable to absorband utilize the information. And Ithink the capacity to absorb and

The Madrona School– Another Option on Vashon Island

An Interview with WintrySheehan, Chairperson for TheMadrona School

By Lynann Politte

utilize information is directly tied toa student’s belief in his/her abilities.

LP: What about culturalexposure?

WS: Exposure to cultural issuesis carefully monitored. This is notabout protecting our students fromthe big, bad world outside Madrona.It’s about instruction in criticalthinking by reinforcing thechildren’s belief in their self-worthand teaching them how to analyzeand decide what they themselvesfeel is culturally healthy so thatultimately they will not depend ontheir parents or peers or the mediato determine what they need andwho they should be, but onthemselves.

To me, Madrona is about giftingthe world with humans who believein their inherent value, acceptresponsibility for speaking andlistening compassionately, and havethe courage to find non-violentmeans of conflict resolution. I feelevery graduating class at Madronacreates more hope in the world.

When you couple that with first-rate academics, I think that’s anoutstanding education.

The Madrona School12130 SW Wesleyan Way

(206) 463-7899Next school year:

Sept. 5, 2006 --June 14, 2007Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Monday – ThursdayTransportation: Carpool.

My son is currently serving in Mosul, Iraq, and tells me Beanie Babiesare a big hit with the impoverished children there. The soldiers toss beaniesfrom the Stryker tanks while in convoys to the children who line thestreets in hopes of getting a trinket. They are easily caught by small hands,and the results are big smiles. At this time however, they have depletedthe supply of Beanies they had.

I would like to know if there is anyone who would be interested indonating their Beanie Babies to this effort? Recently a Craig’s lister sentme 60 from her collection and they are currently enroute to Iraq. If youare interested in donating your collection or a part of it, contact TerrieKipp at (206) 463-2437. Thank you for supporting our troops!

Project Beanie Baby

The American Board of Family Medicine announced in January, 2006, thatDr. C. Weispfenning of Vashon Island successfully completed its RecertificationExamination.

Board certification confers a standard of excellence inknowledge and practice to physicians who not only certify viathe examination process but also work diligently on themaintenance of skills during the seven-year cycle betweenexaminations. To achieve a recertification by the ABFM, a familyphysician must verify the completion of 300 hours of acceptablecontinuing medical education over the past six years; possessa full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the UnitedStates; and successfully complete a one day written examinationof cognitive knowledge and problem-solving abilities. Theexamination covers the disciplines of the specialty including

but not limited to: adult medicine; care of newborns, infants, children, andadolescents; maternity and gynecological care; community medicine; care of theolder patient; human behavior and mental health; and care of the surgical patient.

Additional information regarding the American Board of Family Medicinemay be obtained from its website at www.theabfm.org.

Weispfenning Recertified

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 6

Spiritual SmartSpiritual SmartSpiritual SmartSpiritual SmartSpiritual SmartAleckAleckAleckAleckAleck

by Mary Litchfield Tuel

Gift Certificates Available

We do passport photos

Getting a newspaper put togetherand ready to print is a compulsive-obsessive’s dream job, which mayexplain why I am so happy doing it.

When you are putting together anewspaper, I’ve learned, you cantweak it and tweak it forever, and youwill, unless you have a time by whichyou must be done and you must stop.That time, for me, is the Sundayevening before publication.

Up until then I am pasting things,moving things, and making teeny tinylittle changes which no one will noticeif I do them right. The aim isperfection: perfect reporting, perfectwriting, perfect spelling, perfectpunctuation, perfect accuracy, andperfect layout.

Alas, I am human, and not perfect.Worse than that, I have actually putmistakes into pieces that didn’t haveany, like the time I changed a Stellersea lion (correct) into a Stellar sea lion(incorrect).

If you want to hear from a writerreally really fast, print something they

wrote with a mistake in it that theydidn’t make. This is where I have tohave humility, and prepare to acquiremore humility.

Fortunately, I have been shootingmy mouth off and committingunforgivable social errors for so manyyears (Niki and Dan: I’m still sorry weforgot to go to your wedding) I’ve had tolearn and practice the art of apology.

It begins like this: “I what? Ohno! Oh, I am so sorry!” Repeat untilthe injured party realizes you reallyare sorry and wants you to shut up

For lone self-recrimination I prefersitting with my head in my hands,moaning, “Oh, God, oh, God,” andit’s really a prayer, the rest of whichis, “Help me!”

The difference between making amistake as, say, a secretary or ahardware store cashier, and makinga mistake as an editor is that now I

screw up in front of thousands ofpeople at once. Being a singer wasgreat training for that.

I knew before I took this job howit would be. I expected to do a“falling on my face” style job as editor.I know I make mistakes, no matterhow hard I try not to, and I do tryhard, but I find myself, for example,saying people will perform on datesthat they definitely will not, or I losewhole stories and illustrations on thecomputer in obscure folders I can’tfind again because I didn’t pay enoughattention to where I saved it when Ihit save (Sorry, hand bell choir), or I takesome perfectly good word that awriter has used correctly and Imisspell it because I think I knowbetter, and I am wrong.

The phone calls, the emails, thehowls of pain and outrage, come rightin, and I don’t blame them.

The Loop is blessed with a lot ofgood writers, and they work hard tomake sure their copy is clean. UsuallyI don’t mess it up, so I can be gratefulfor that.

I realizethat everywriter knowsthat what theywrote is thesingle mosti m p o r t a n tthing in thepaper, nomatter what itis, and theywant itprinted theway theywrote it. I trynot to messw i t hp e r f e c t i o n ,unless it isover 800words ofp e r f e c t i o nand then Is t a r t

becoming grieved by the cuts I’mgoing to have to make.

The paper is 20 pages long thesedays, and laying out all the stories andphotos and drawings and jokes andsmart aleck remarks is like solving atwenty-page jigsaw puzzle that won’thave a solution until all the pieces areput together. There is no finishedpicture to check to see how I’m doing.I just keep at it until the pages are fulland I run out of copy, photos, andillustrations, then I tweak it until Ihave to let go of it.

I’m grateful to be doing work Ienjoy at this time of life. That is agreat gift, and one I did not expect.

OK, back to tweaking. Blessings,all.

Checking In with theEditor Plenipotentiary

oooooo

Email The Loop:editor@vashonloop.com

March 15, 06 The Vashon Loop, p. 7

Don’t Forget the BirdsDon’t Forget the BirdsDon’t Forget the BirdsDon’t Forget the BirdsDon’t Forget the BirdsBy Ed Swan

Solution on Page 17 ggggg

oooooo

1. Father5. Nerd9. Burn14. Direct15. Persia16. Tryout17. Inlets18. Decent19. Ore shafts20. Card game21. Artist ofillusion23. Sold at adiscount24. Pudding26. Good grief!28. Licensed practical nurse29. Beano31. Farm creditadministration (abbr.)34. Largest Chinese country37. Meted39. Other __40. Stray41. Bare scalp42. “Gone With the Wind”actress44. Infant

Across 47. Transportation48. Ca. University50. Aurora51. Headed52. Kept the fire going56. Enclosed sectionof window59. Blots (2 wds.)63. Hearing part64. Active66. Oven67. Nativity scene piece68. Beeper69. Marsh plant70. Island71. Ashy72. Totals73. Desire

Down1. Picture book2. Lotto3. Swamp4. Spots5. Energy herb6. Little Mermaid’s love7. Every8. Leg joint9. Short-term memory

10. People of Ireland11. One of Columbus’ships12. People of Ireland13. Otherwise21. Sports channel22. Bolt25. Informal English27. Supernatural being29. Destiny30. The Emerald Isle31. Open tart-like pastry32. People of Ireland33. Adorn34. Popular stadium35. Head covering36. End of a loaf38. Heavy-set39. What a nurse gives43. Tint45. Rebates46. Ascend (2 wds.)49. Disks51. Embankment53. Hire54. National emblem55. Cured56. Male parent57. Alack’s partner

58. At hand60. Vegetable61. Motley

62. Sledge65. Sea eagle67. Least amount

Spring is here and with winteralmost over, plants and animals arereacting by budding or arrivingearly as the case may be. The thirdand fourth weeks of March arewhen several swallow species returnto the islands for the breedingseason. Violet-green Swallowsarrive first followed by Tree andNorthern Rough-winged Swallows.

Violet-green Swallows becomevery commonaround theIslands duringthe summer, ascommon as thel a t e - a r r i v i n gBarn Swallow.They chatternoisily and canbe seena n y w h e r earound theIslands. Violet-greens haveproved muchmore adaptablethan their nearrelative the TreeSwallow andhave expanded their population byusing artificial nest sites such asbuildings. Violet-greens are holenesters and use a variety of sitesfrom holes in snags, to nest boxes tocrannies in buildings or cliffs. DanWillsie organized a nest box projectthat placed many boxes around theIslands that they now use. Theyhave also used several of the boxesput up in hope of attractingmigrating Western Bluebirds backto breeding here again. Violet-greens nest in both upland and near-water sites around the island, withthose near a pond and or othershore given preference. Largegroups might be seen over the fieldsalong Wax Orchard Road orParadise Valley and also over Tramp

and Quartermaster Harbors. Theyare common in any open area andalong the edges of the forest stands.

Violet-green Swallows may betold from their near relative the TreeSwallow by the white patch thatcomes up along side their head andwhite ring around their rump.Female Tree Swallows have greenbacks, similar to the Violet-greenSwallows, which is one reason they

are hard to tell apart, especially asthey both fly speedily along. Themale Tree Swallow is a beautiful,deep turquoise blue but also can behard to tell from the Violet-greenunless the sun hits right to reflectthe colors properly. Another wayto tell the two species apart is thatthe Tree Swallow has a true song, alively, bubbly series of notes heardwhile flying or perched.

While common in the PugetSound area, the Tree Swallow issomewhat rare around the Islands.Where Violet-green Swallows mightbe found just about anywhere on theIslands, Tree Swallows are onlyfound in localized situations nearwater. They are hole-nesters like thePurple Martin and have faced some

of the same pressure from starlings.The Tree Swallow population wasalso likely affected by the logging ofthe Islands, especially later loggingpractices that cut down even thesnags and other dead trees that havethe holes necessary for theseswallows to nest. Tree Swallowswill nest in nest boxes built to specialdimensions just as do martins. RichSiegrist sometimes finds them usinghis martin boxes and also boxes hehas placed in a wet field near hishouse. They have also been seenusing a nest box at Fisher’s Pond.

Few islanders likely notice theNorthern Rough-winged Swallowbecause they only have a lowscratchy call note and theirpropensity to only be around theshorelines. A few of these darkbrown swallows nest in the claycliffs and banks at Pt. Robinson andRaab’s Lagoon. They prefersaltwater shorelines, river or streamsides and ponds with banks fornesting. Rough-wings often showup even before the Violet-green andTree Swallows, which for somereason come to the islands later thanelsewhere in the Puget Soundregion. Even though they don’t nestthere, they might be found first at

Time to Watch for Swallows

Tree Swallows

Fisher’s Pond and then later at theirbreeding locations around theisland.

It’s spring, so all of the birdshave started to sing: Hutton’sVireos, Brown Creepers, robins,juncos, and the finches. Little elsenew is happening at the momentuntil the swallows mentioned herecome back. Orange-crownedWarblers should return soonheralded by their trilling calls, asshould the White-crowned Sparrow.Interesting reports in the last twoweeks are topped by a NorthernHarrier migrating through at JoyNelsen’s house near Pt. Robinsonand two Snow Buntings seen alongQuartermaster Harbor by EllieFriars. If you have a question aboutbirds or have an interesting sighting,call me at 463-7976 or e-mail atedswan@centurytel.net.

Steve Caldwell’s Birding By Earclass starts Tuesday, March 21 at 7p.m. (call Steve at 463-5778 to signup). Identification of birds byvocalization is not only enjoyablebut often the only way to know forsure what bird you’re seeing, soSteve’s class is great for thebeginning or experienced birdwatcher.

Photos by Jim Rosso

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 8

Horus’ Pick of the Week:

Text & photos by Peter Ray

g

Island LifeIsland LifeIsland LifeIsland LifeIsland Life

oooooo

Black DogBlack DogBlack DogBlack DogBlack DogPlantsPlantsPlantsPlantsPlants

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With the string of cooler weatherwe’ve been having lately, the hopefulmarch toward Spring has hit a bit ofa sticky spot, and it’s not just the mudcausing the problem. This is okay,although there are a few things thatseem to be stalled because of it. Thatnoise from the swamps, otherwiseknown as the Springtime matingchorus of the Western Tree Frog, hasbeen somewhat stymied by the cold.Normally starting around Valentine’sDay, I believe it was almost a fullthree weeks beyond that date thisyear when I heard the first feebleattempts at collective croaking. Theweird thing is, it didn’t start in itsusual place this year. In the past, thechorusing has always commencedfrom the south side of the propertywhere there isan open fieldthat getswarmed by thesun before therest of thes u r r o u n d i n garea heats up, ina relative sense.The group frogsing that breaksthe night silenceis coming firstfrom the norththis year, whichhas mewondering ifthere is somenatural sign inall of this towhich we should be paying someattention.

While it is not much fun to workout in it, the cold is extending the lifeof any blooms that may have workedtheir way out of hibernation. Theflowering plums have been doingtheir thing for a while now, but theircolors of pink and white seem to lookout of time and place on a cold andcloudy day. Our native Indian plumhas been holding its blooms a bitlonger than usual as well. While Idon’t believe it ever was a part of thegenus Prunus, even with its namechange from Osmaronia to Oemleria,the Indian plum still shares roots —so to speak — with the floweringplums with a common ancestry in therose family. Over in the olive familyit is the Forsythia that is currentlyshowing off its yellow blooms, whilethe holly-like, broadleaf evergreen,that used to be an Osmarea and is nowpart of the Osmanthus gang (namechanging sure keeps those botanistsin business), is just about to burstforth with its small white clusters offlowers that pack a great fragrance.

These are the more blatantlyobvious signs that Spring is on itsway, there are also those floralactivities going on down at groundlevel that tend to grab a hold of myattention right now. Once again, aswith the snowdrops the last time

around, it is the image of the avidBritish gardener on hands and kneesthat comes to mind. This time,however, even though the plants aresmall, the need to grovel in the dirtto enjoy what they have to offer isnot quite so mandatory since theboldness of both their foliage andflower color and form can be seenquite clearly from an upright position.What I’m referring to here is a numberof selected varieties of a Britishwildflower known as the lessercelandine or Ranunculus ficaria. I wasfirst introduced to this plant byIslander and plantsman Jerry Flintoff.Not long after that I received in themail numerous film canisters filledwith miniature, dormant tubers fromBritish garden writer Graham Rice.

This was my jump start into yetanother subset of the obsessive plantworld. It was a fairly comprehensivesampling of the nearly 150 varietieslisted in the RHS Plant Finder. We willrepeat our belief that, as with thebillions of varieties of daylilies andhostas and miscanthus, a few trulydistinctive forms of this plant shouldbe enough to keep one’s designpalette satisfied. But I will admit thateven without seeing them, the likesof names such as Broadleas Black andQuantock Brown and Undercurrent(with a ‘v’ next to it indicatingvariegation), the collection still couldundergo some expansion.

I did try to get a number of thesegoing a few years back, but ran intoan assortment of obstacles along theway. The first had to do with a soilmix screw-up by my supplier. Havingpotted up multiple groups ofhundreds of plants of differentvarieties, we noted about mid-February of that year that the plantsin the greenhouses were behind theplants in the ground outside in the sizeof the leaf rosettes they were forming.Even after repeated fertilizing theyshowed no signs of getting any biggerand in some cases the foliage beganto get contorted and diseasedlooking. We gave up on the crops andwent on to other things, and didn’tlearn until June that it had been an

“accidental” double dose of boronduring the soil mixing that hadstunted and freaked out the plants.Five years later, some are stillstruggling to come back.

Another roadblock on thehighway to celandine stardom is thefact that in some places they canbecome noxious weeds. This is notthe case in this area, although somedo reseed — but not crazily. Becauseall the forms that are of interest hereare selected varieties and not the true

species, they tendnot to be asp r o l i f i cr e p r o d u c e r s .They do,however, in somecases resembleone of thoseother noxiousweeds — thedandelion —with their brightand early yellow flowers. But somecelandine flowers can be a shade oforange or even white, with foliagethat sports silver and brown on topof varying shades of green. Probablythe boldest of the celandines, aptlynamed by the late Christopher Lloydof Great Dixter, is Brazen Hussy withits bright, clear yellow flowers whichpoke out brightly in contrast over itsheart-shaped, mahogany leaves. Oneneeds to remember that this is a lateWinter and early Springtime show,and that the wither-and-die thing theygo through as the temperatures warmis not an indication that you have justkilled your new purchase, but is justthe plant doing its normal dormancything. Next year it will be back biggerand better — just be sure you markthe spot so that you know where toavoid later in the season.

In the “what’s that smell?”department, the fragrant violas are

currently starting to do their thing.The ones that have my attention at themoment were grown here from seedof the form Viola odorata QueenCharlotte. While the seed catalog saidthat the flowers were supposed to beblue, they all are more of a uniformlavender-violet. One can easily ignorethis discrepancy — unless of courseone is trying to adhere to a specificcolor theme — because the realdrawing point here is the fragrance.The two words that come to mind are

sweet and old-fashioned — Iguess that’s three.But the intensity ofthe aroma varieswith the ambienttemperature. On asunny day, agreenhouse withsome of theseplants in it willgush fragrance

from all its doors and windows. Evenwith the cool of late, there is always ahint of fragrance around this viola.Once again, it is one of the Springtime-only performers, although the foliagemats that slowly spread will remainin evidence throughout nearly theentire year. Since the sun is stilllighting up the scene outside mywindow, I’d better stop and see whatelse is going on out there.

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I would like to say that The Matrixstarted all this, but you just can’t besure about these things. I don’t knowhow you reacted to it, but I walkedout of that film at the end completelystunned and in a fog for days. Itwasn’t that the graphics were soamazing or that Keanu Reeves actedor that Carrie-Anne Moss looked sohot in vinyl — well, maybe a littlethere. It was an idea that shook me tothe core here, and that idea was thatit took a blue pill to wake Neo upfrom the contented slumber of anelectronically induced unawareness.He thought he was living a good life,but the blue pill — and the rebels whogave it to him — revealed theunsavory truth. The “life” he had beenliving before was a simulated realitypumped electronically into his brain,while in actuality he, and thousandslike him, was just a somnolent andblissfully ignorant energy source forthe machines that controlled theplanet. This idea really bothered me,mostly because it gave new andurgent meaning to that crazy questionfrom the sixties: “What is Reality?” Itseemed to be quite plausible given thevirtual reality capabilities of our times,and it seemed to be an apt metaphorfor our so-called modern lives.

Ever since the release of The Matrixin 1999, we have been bombarded byblue pills in the form of importantdocumentaries that have flown in theface of what we have been toldotherwise by the popular mediaoutlets — we will not address thefallacies of the “liberal” media debatehere. We should probably also give anod at this point to the 1997 film WagThe Dog, which seems to be both aninspiration and a template along withOrwell’s 1984, for the BushAdministration’s information creationand control department. I believe itwas Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 911that had me, and others I’ve talkedwith, digging into the recent memoryvaults when the footage ran of theprotests in D.C. before Bush’s firstinauguration. Finding nothing storedthere I wondered, “Why didn’t wehear anything about that?” Morerecently, it was Deborah KoonsGarcia’s documentary, The Future ofFood, which explores the problems anddangers to world food productionbeing posed by genetic engineeringand designer pesticides, which hadme similarly shocked and stunned —and angry — at this different realityfrom the one more commonlyavailable at your network store.

It is not that I have been obliviousto most of these problems. From myresidency in Plant Land, I have known

about killer genes and pesticideresistant plants for a while, just as Ihave continued to be skeptical ofBushisms, wary of the omnivorousnature of Wal-Mart and disgusted bythe nutritional wasteland of the fastfood nation. What these films havedone for me is to enhance myawareness of the problems and toincrease the urgency of the need forsome kind of active response on mypart. It seems that part of the missionof these new documentaries is to notonly inform, but to inspire to actionas well. In this vein, a new group hasbeen formed on the Island that iscalled the Beyond Oil Coalition: aVashon Community Project. At leastpart of the inspiration for this groupcame from the 2004 Canadiandocumentary The End of Suburbia, OilDepletion and The Collapse of theAmerican Dream. Through a mix ofarchival footage, narration andcontemporary interviews, the idea ofpeak oil is discussed and related towhere its implications and realitiesseem to be taking the Americaneconomy.

The concept of peak oil has beenaround since the late 1940’s when arespected geophysicist named M.King Hubbert ran some numbers andposed some theories around oilproduction. He was scoffed at whenhe predicted in the mid-‘50’s that theUnited States’ production of oil wouldpeak in 1970. Oil production in generalcan be plotted graphically in whatcomes out looking like a bell curve.As it turns out, Hubbert was right,and although we have beencontinually told otherwise, we are onthe down slope of that productioncurve in the U.S., and have been for awhile now. The End of Suburbia,through interviews with a number ofexperts on the subject, churns througha number of scenarios and alternativesas to where the slippery, butincreasingly less lubricated, slope willtake us.

For me, the most fascinatingobservations and revelations camefrom what I would normally haveconsidered an unlikely source.Matthew Simmons was on the CheneyEnergy Commission. He is thefounder of Simmons and CompanyInternational- Investment Bankers tothe Energy Industry (their websitetitle, not mine). What he had to saywas kind of astounding which was,yes, we are running out of oil andsince pretty much every part of oureconomy runs on it, we’d better dosomething. I Googled his name andfound a listing of the speeches he hasgiven recently. What I read in the 47-

page Powerpoint from a talk he gavein Kansas to some energy people wasbasically an outline from The End ofSuburbia. He said that when oil demandfar exceeds the supply, what we willsee first is that bullies get “first inline”. The five points he gave forbeginning to deal with a decreasingoil supply are: 1.) the end of truckingwith a greater emphasis on trains andboats; 2.) the end of the 9-5 workday;3.) pay by productivity; 4.) grow foodlocally (!) and 5.) the reversal ofglobalization. All of this coming fromsomeone who includes in his list ofclients such entities as the World Bank,Kerr-McGee and Halliburton.

There will be a screening of TheEnd of Suburbia at the Vashon Theatreon Sunday, March 26 at 1pm.Admission will be by donation, andan action-oriented discussion of thefilm and its implications will followthe showing, led by members of theBeyond Oil Coalition. Come learnwhat you may not know and discusswhat some of our options may be. Inthe words of the late Dr. Hubbert:“Our ignorance is not so vast as ourfailure to use what we know.” Forfurther information contact MerrileeRunyan at: mbrunyan@earthlink.net.

Life as We, uh, Know It?

oooooo

A huge willow tree in frontof the Noyes house inLitchfield, Connecticut, grewfrom a riding stick stuck intothe ground by ColonelBenjamin Talmadge ofWashington’s staff during theRevolution.

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 10

Serving Vashonand West Seattle

The Dorsal Spin:The Dorsal Spin:The Dorsal Spin:The Dorsal Spin:The Dorsal Spin:by Orca Annie Stateler

oooooo

Greetings From Belize!For those of you who have read

of my travels before, you know thatI spent six months traveling aroundWest and South Africa. I am again ina place where modes oftransportation border on ridiculous,bananas and fried plantains are soldat every market stall and chickens runloose in the streets. I am in the ThirdWorld.

I spent last week in New Orleansfor the gluttonous party that is MardiGras. I saw people from all walks oflife drinking to excess, puking in thestreet, fighting and I even saw astabbing. In short, it was one fetidmess of urine, vomit and Dionysianindulgence.

As a contrast I am now here inBelize where resources are scarce andthe decadent feast that is Mardi Graswould never, ever take place.

I have two words for this: ThankGod.

It’s nice to be back. My attitudeprobably borders on First Worldcondescension, but I love the ThirdWorld. People have nothing to shapetheir identity but themselves and theirculture. The price of their sneakersand the brand of their jewelry doesnot make up who they are and for thisI am grateful. I am sure that given thechoice they might want to definethemselves by such materialstandards but they don’t have thatoption.

Belize is not the challenge thatAfrica was for me. The poverty is notas desperate here; most people seemwell fed, the kids look reasonablyhealthy and the roads are paved. InAfrica I saw so many childrencrippled from war, malnutrition ordisease. They would lie on mats onthe street and beg for something,“Small small.” Here, while no oneappears to be well off by Americanstandards, they all seem to haveenough of the basics to keep themhappy and off the streets.

That being said, we had to take afour-hour bus ride to make a journeythat should have taken around anhour and a half. True to Third Worldstyle, someone brought a mangy dog

on the bus with us. Unlike Africathough, the bus was an old school bus,one that I would have taken tokindergarten on Vashon. It was, mostnotably, not held together by ducttape and particle board.

I chuckled remembering my rulesfor travel in the Third World: 1. Theshorter the distance, the longer it willtake to get there; 2. The closer youare to a given place, the less peoplewill know about it; and 3. In the faceof this lack of knowledge someonewill give you a wildly fabricatedanswer rather than be so rude as todisappoint you.

But of course, things are not sohard here. The houses are small butmostly made of brightly paintedcement, not grass huts. The sewersare covered and there seems to be avague understanding of health codes.

The only thing that colors myhappiness is the lingering memory ofmy trip to the Lower Ninth Ward inNew Orleans. I went there severaldays before I left for Belize. It was asection of town that I had never beento and I am embarrassed to saysneered about when it was spoken ofin conversation. It was desperatelypoor and violent, and frankly, filledwith people that I didn’t care toassociate with for any reason. As Iwalked through the twisted heap thatwas a neighborhood I found myselfmoved to tears several times. I lookedat rotting piles of people’s things,thought of the misery they must havegone through and the fact that thiswas a group of people whom we as anation primarily ignored.

I am not sure how I feel about theLower Ninth Ward. But I will say this:while in Africa I visited the El MinaCastle, the epicenter of the slavetrade. I stood in the room of no returnand could feel the pain dripping downthe walls from years of human misery.

The Lower Ninth Ward, in itscurrent state, feels the same way.

Belize does not have the samedesperate pain of either the LowerNinth Ward or Africa. I find this veryrestful and still disturbing. I do notwish to ever become complacentwhen faced with poverty.

My internet time is up. Hope allis well. Until next time, hugs, Sarah.

Loop Travel: Belize and The Ninth WardBy Sarah P. Blakemore, akaThe Reigning Queen of Everything

Tsu’xiit/Luna the killer whale left hisearth travels for the spirit world on March10. He was six and a half years old andhad been living in Nootka Sound, B.C.since July 2001. Tsu’xiit is survived byhis Mowachaht/Muchalaht relativesand his L Pod family. Whaleconservationists, First Nations, andmany other devotees of this extraordinaryorca soul mourn his tragic loss.

Tsu’xiit had a lethal encounter withthe propeller of a 104-foot tug on themorning of March 10. He was swimmingunder the idling boat and got too close tothe prop. In a deeply disturbing accountin the Seattle P-I, Lara Sloan of Canada’sDepartment ofFisheries andOceans (DFO) saidthat Luna was“mauled so badlyby the vessel’spropeller that hecan’t be identifiedby sight.” Truly,words to hurt theeyes and the heart.Luna’s body sankand efforts toretrieve it were initiated. Scientists wantto learn all they can from studying theremains.

Luna (L98) was not an orphan, buthe got separated somehow from hismother, Splash (L67), and the rest of hisnatal pod five years ago. Local legend hasit that he entered Nootka Sound with his25-year-old uncle Orcan (L39), who soondied.

Kakawin is the Nuu-Chah-Nulthword for killer whale. The Mowachaht/Muchalaht Band first saw Luna inNootka Sound at the time of ChiefAmbrose Maquinna’s death. Shortlybefore he died, the Chief declared hewould come as a kakawin to guide hissuccessor and protect Nootka Sound fromthe ravages of logging and fish farms. TheBand gave Luna the name Tsu’xiit tohonor the deceased Chief.

Tsu’xiit held immense spiritualsignificance for the Mowachaht/Muchalaht people. They grieve for a lostrelative, again. Despite DFO fundingcuts, the Band maintained a limitedstewardship program in Nootka Soundto monitor Tsu’xiit and discourageboaters from interacting with him.

Television news sound bites about“reincarnation” are inaccurate. Theimplication that the Band was wrong tointervene in an attempted hard captureof Luna in 2004 is ethnocentric. Manynon-Native whale activists also objectedto the risky capture and relocation plan.Besides, Tsu’xiit repeatedly swam out of

the net. He was a smart killer whale andhe made his choice.

Luna was lonely, and lacking otherorcas to socialize with, he sought contactwith boats and humans. Over the years,he sustained a number of propeller gashesthat always healed. He seemed fairly boatsavvy. He was no match, however, for theprop of the huge tug that slashed him onMarch 10. Perhaps he succumbed toyouthful indiscretion or overconfidence.His death was a horrible accident.

Ironically, our ACS/PS speaker forMarch 15 at 7:30 p.m. is author MikeParfit, whose talk is called “SavingLuna.” Mike observed Luna in Nootka

Sound for morethan a year and iswriting a bookabout him. As ofLoop deadline, hestill planned tocome. The freetalk will be at thePhinney RidgeNeighborhoodCenter, 6532Phinney Ave.North, Seattle.

Check www.acspugetsound.org or call206-734-4737 for updates.

Please support the work of theVashon Hydrophone Project (VHP) byreporting local whale sightings ASAP to463-9041. The heartbreaking news ofTsu’xiit’s death compelled me to modifythis Dorsal Spin at the last minute. Iintended to write about how more thanthirty of Luna’s relatives in K and L Podssurprised us on March 4 when theyappeared unannounced at the VHP site.They were uncharacteristically quiet.Since 1976, no March sighting of L Podhas been documented in Puget Sound.

More on the unusual visit from K’sand L’s, and more perspective onTsu’xiit’s death next time. May our dearkakawin friend have a safer journey inspirit than he did in this troubled realm.

Tsu’xiit (Luna), BelovedKakawin, 1999—2006

Luna

The Tompotika ConservationAlliance recently formed to pursue Island(Vashon) to Island (Sulawesi, Indonesia)conservation work at the invitation of thepeople of the Mount Tompotika area.

Vashon Islander Marcy Summers, abiologist who has worked in this area andspeaks Indonesian, will be leading a tourto Sulawesi from July 25 to August 7, 2006(15 days). There are ten spaces availablethat will be filled on a first come, firstserved, basis. A $500 deposit will secureyour place; total cost of the trip is $3200.

In Indonesia our group will be joinedby several scientists and conservationists,some local to the Tompotika area.

Sulawesi has incredible biodiversity;about 1200 vertebrate species, roughly

half of which are found nowhere else inthe world, many of them endangered.Initial efforts include: a grassrootsawareness campaign; protection of themaleo, a culturally significant butendangered bird; offshore reef protectionof the highest coral diversity in the world;and eco-service tourism to support all ofthe above.

Join us on our first trip to Sulawesi.For more information: Call Marcy

Summers at 463-7720, or Rayna Holtz at463-3153

Vashon to Sulawesi: Eco-Tour This July

I never give them hell. I justtell the truth and they think it’shell. -- Harry S Truman

March 15, 06 The Vashon Loop, p. 11

oooooo

Happy Birthday Pisces!For a Pisces, it’s often a challenge tomaintain your objectivity, since everythingabout the world feels so intensely personal.But developments and events this yearpromise to give you a measure of freedomfrom attachment in emotional situationsthat allows you to assess people andcircumstances for what they really are. Thiswill have the benefit of making your optionsclear. What you need to remember all thetime is that no door will close withoutanother one unlocking. You may be the onewho needs to swing it open and cross thethreshold, but you may be surprised todiscover you’re free to do just that.

Aries (March 20-April 19): From the look ofyour charts, you seem poised to make adecision that’s been long in the coming, butabout which you’re finally getting clear. Infact, it appears you’re ready to do whateverit takes to get the job done. However, Isuggest you slow down. Your life at themoment is a setup for hasty action based onincomplete or inaccurate information. Byearly next week, the fog will have clearedand if you still have the motivation to makeyour decision, you’ll still have the option. Ifyou act later rather than sooner, you’lleliminate a regret factor that seems to bestacked into the deck at the moment.Taurus (April 19-May 20): It may seem thatcertain individuals refuse to understandyou, or to reveal the slightest trace of anyunderstanding they may possess. Yet lookedat another way, this is a time in your lifewhen you’re pushing yourself for a kind ofabsolute authority over what is importantto you and for making decisions based onthat information. And at such times, youcannot always expect people to understandwhat’s motivating you, much less agree withthe choices you make. You might say yourcurrent situation is an exercise in standingon your own, and daring to venture intonew territory without asking anyone’spermission.Gemini (May 20-June 21): It would seem thatthe push the world needs most is for you topush yourself. You’re also in the position ofbeing your own inspiration, your own bestexample, and the only person who can seethrough your doubts. Remember that at themoment, while your situation is not exactlydelicate, timing is indeed critical. And so,too, is the particular way you direct yourenergy. You are working with forces sopotent that you need to apply them inprecise measure in their most appropriatemoment. This will not be as difficult as itsounds. You just need to pay attention, andremember your own strength.

Cancer (June 21-July 22): Remember thatwhat you are pushing free from is mostly afeeling, so there’s actually very littlepushing necessary. And in this particularcase, there is nothing to negotiate; you haveyour sense of emotional reality and whoeverelse may be involved in your life has yours.I would dare to say that at the moment,nobody else’s reality matters as much asyours does right now; or, looked at anotherway, you are putting some very large,significant pieces together within yourself,and you would be wise to prevent anybodyelse’s opinion getting in the way of youronce-in-a-lifetime achievement. Anyway,you’ll like the results of integrity.Leo (July 22-Aug. 23): Your charts suggestthat conservation and efficiency are themesof your relationships: say what needs to besaid, and no more — but surely no less. Youhave some deep subject matter on yourmind, and partners, friends or loved onesseem to as well, but these are very differentbranches of personal reality. What is notdifferent is how crucial you feel yourrespective issues are for each of you. If youstart the discussion honoring thatdistinction and working your way towardthe center, rather than going in the otherdirection, you might find the discussion is alot more productive.Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): You may notunderstand the scope and depth of thechanges you’re going through now, butthat’s probably for the better. Better to gofrom experience to experience, from waveto wave, without considering the size of theentire ocean, or all the world’s seas, or thevast cosmos within which it’s all set. Yourimmediate moment contains all you needto know about the whole process of growthand change you are undergoing, which youare fully aware is something you’ve neverexperienced before. While the outcome ofthis whole journey will have a similarproperty, the miracle of an unfamiliar worldis something you can carry with you everyday.Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23): The weight andpower of a certain restriction, public moraltaboo or show of bravado by somebody whothinks they are powerful will inspire you todo some of your best creative work in a longtime. I recognize that not everyone thinksof themselves as creative, yet what I meanis bringing something daring into the world,that is highly individual and involvesventuring into new social and psychologicalterritory for you. A personal risk isinvolved. Part of what you risk is judgment,and part seems to be exceeding a limit onwho you thought you were. But in fact thatlimit was exceeded long ago. But I dosuggest you keep going.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22): One of thebrilliant aspects of your life right now ishow deeply personal your professionalactivities are, and how personallymeaningful. This is the source of yourstrength as a leader and also as theemotional rock on which so many peoplearound you are standing. There is a theoryin astrology that Scorpios like to be incontrol. I have another theory, which is thatthose born under your sign need to be theones in whom the ethos of community isvested. Now is one of those moments when,coming from your heart, you really get toshine.Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22): Slowly,gradually, doors are opening for you. Butwhat feels like a sudden provocation orchallenge to your security base over the nextfew days will spark a shift of levels and anacceleration of your problem-solvingfunction. I suggest you work forconsolidating problems and solutions;group the situations you need to work outwith the available resources, and you willsee that there’s a much more efficient wayof going about things than ploddingthrough each of them separately.Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20): As I have saidin other editions of this column, your corevalues are far more radical than most peoplewould suggest. You are not someone whosuffers injustice or inequity lightly, and atthe moment you seem to be aware of justhow much there is in the world. Be awarethat you are having a significant influenceon others who are themselves in a positionto make a difference. This kind of indirectapplication of your power will in fact proveto be quite effective at holding open the doorfor truth and justice. For you, at the core is asense of compassion and refusing to allowthings to get past a certain point.Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19): Think of youremotional and sexual experiences as a formof nourishment. I’m not sure how mostpeople consider the human gratificationthey are bestowed, or bestow on others. Itseems to take many forms, ranging from acommodity to something that is “scary” or“threatening.” The truth of your life is, youneed what you need; and whether or notthat need can be fulfilled, it deserves a voicewithin your own mind and a space in yourheart. The human race suffers from a form

of self-clinging that often prevents anyauthentic expression of feeling, sentimentor surrender to the flow of moment-to-moment reality. This need not be.Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): I cannot imaginea time in your life when you had a greaterability in your hands to break free of yourinsecurities, indeed, to live as if they didnot exist. Have you ever felt more firmly atthe center of your own life? This time inyour history is all about freedom, whichfor you is another way of saying freedomfrom the tyranny of your fears. If you havethe inclination to throw your ideas aboutsecurity to the four winds, or to make choicesbased on what you want rather than onaverting some perceived or anticipatedfuture problems, the rewards will comesooner rather than later. Go past perception.Go past anticipation. The time is now.Eric Francis has more of your astrology foryou at PlanetWaves.net.

Albert Einstein and Otto Hahn, both born on March 14, 1879, bothwon the Nobel Prize in physics.

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 12

LIVING WELL WITH PLANTSText and drawings by Kathy Abascal (AHG)

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Dear Jayne (AKA Organic Goddess Lady),Once again I am writing to express mygratitude for your awesome food. Theavocados last week were gorgeous, and thestrawberries two weeks ago were a great tasteof spring - unlike those monster red on theoutside white on the insde no flavor thingsthey call strawberries now. Thank you!

Come in and warm up withCome in and warm up withCome in and warm up withCome in and warm up withCome in and warm up witha bowl of homemade soupa bowl of homemade soupa bowl of homemade soupa bowl of homemade soupa bowl of homemade soup

and bread!and bread!and bread!and bread!and bread!

NEW WINTER HOURS!Mon to Fri 8:00 am to 2:30 pm

Sat and Sun - 7:00 am to 3:00 pm

oooooo

Kathy Abascal is aprofessional member of theAmerican Herbalists Guild and iscertified by Michael Moore of theSouthwest School of BotanicalMedicine. She co-authored thebook Clinical Botanical Medicine.

You can email her atAnemopsis@yahoo.com if youhave questions about herbs, callher to schedule a privateconsultation (463-9211) or stop byThe Roasterie to purchase hertinctures.

"

Rooibos is an herbal tea fromSouth Africa that is taking theworld by storm. If you have not yettasted one of the many rooibosblends, you really owe it to yourselfto give it a try. Rooibos is beautifuland tasty, and will easily become avery healthful herbal addition toyour life.

Rooibos comes from SouthAfrica and its name means “redbush” because it brews a lovely redtea. The plant itself is actually notred. It is a green, shrubby legumewith lovely yellow flowers typical ofthat plant family. Rooibos likesnutrient-poor, acidic soil and placeswith hot drysummers. It has along tap root — upto 6 feet long — thatallows it to survivesummer droughts.Hundreds of yearsago, the Khoi peoplelearned to cut thestems, bruise themwith woodenhammers, and thenferment them in aheap before dryingthe leaves in the sun.This fermentation process gives thetea its red color and increases thesweet, fruity taste of the plant.

Today, the tea is made in twodifferent ways. In one, the plant isquickly dried. This creates greenrooibos which makes a goldenbeverage that tastes a bit like greentea but without any astringency. Inthe other, the tea is pretty muchmade the traditional way whichmeans it is bruised and fermentedbefore being sun dried. To ensurethat it is free of bacteria, it is alsosteam pasteurized right beforepackaging. The red rooibos has asmooth, pleasant taste whetherserved hot or cold.

The greater bulk of rooibos isproduced by a cooperative of smalland large farmers in South Africa.As demand for rooibos has grown,a nonprofit (Agribusiness inSustainable Natural African PlantProducts) also stepped in to helpteach small farmers sustainableways to cultivate the plant so theycould share in the rooibos profits.Overall, rooibos production is quite

sustainable, especially if you buy thecertified organic varieties.

Rooibos is very high inantioxidants and is probably a verybeneficial plant but there is as of yetonly a small body of research on itsbenefits. Antioxidants generallyneutralize free radicals, unstablechemicals that can cause cancer,heart attack and stroke. Becauserooibos is high in antioxidants calledpolyphenols, it is often compared togreen tea. Green tea, however, doeshave more of these particularcompounds on a per cup basis.Moreover, rooibos does not containepigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), anantioxidant that has made green teafamous. On the other hand, rooiboshas some very unique polyphenolsnot found in other plants, and it hasthe added benefit of being caffeine-and tannin-free. (Tannins areastringent and can upset thestomach).

Even though rooibos is not aproven equivalent of green tea,animal studies strongly suggest thatit provides many health benefits. Forinstance, rooibos tea had a strongability to suppress the growth ofaberrant cells that might becancerous. It also reducedcancerous changes in animalsexposed to radiation, somethinggreen tea was unable to do.Moreover, rats who were allowed todrink as much rooibos as they

w i s h e dshowed lessage-relatedchanges intheir brainscompared tor a t sd r i n k i n gonly water.None of thishas beenstudied inhumans yet.But considerthat rooibos

is an entirely safe, zero calorie drinkthat tastes good, and may protectagainst cancer and aging. In myopinion, those are good reasons tomake a habit of drinking rooibos.

Sometimes claims are made forhistorical uses of rooibos as amedicine. Ethnobotanists who havestudied this say that there are norecorded traditional medicinal usesfor the tea. In the 1960s, however,a South African woman diddiscover that the tea eased infant

colic and allergies. It works wellenough that South Africanphysicians today recommendrooibos for infant colic. People whouse the tea report that it calms thestomach and helps promote sleep inadults as well. Rooibos also has astrong reputation as a topicaltreatment for skin rashes, includingdiaper rash, and eczema. I knowherbalists who have worked withthe tea for topical conditions andwarmly recommend its use.

Its flavor works well with otherherbs and there are many differentrooibos blends to try. I like adding abit of rooibos to my other favoriteherbal teas, and find that it enhancesboth the taste and the effect of herbslike chamomile and peppermint.Green rooibos has strongerantioxidant properties than redrooibos because fermentationchanges some of the plant’s

Rooibos — A SouthAfrican Herbal Tea

characteristics. It, however, is notthe traditional beverage — althoughI’d wager that people drank it greenbefore they discovered how toferment it into a fruitier tasting tea.I enjoy drinking both types althoughtrue red bush tea remains myfavorite.

March 15, 06 The Vashon Loop, p. 13

by Rachel Bard

Book ReviewBook ReviewBook ReviewBook ReviewBook Review

oooooo

dying arose, not in America), andso the emphasis on complementarymedicine, spiritual healing, andsocial tolerance towards alternativeapproaches to cancer.

German cancer patients have awider choice of therapies than inany of these major countries. LynnPayer has found that Germany is,“one of the great innovators in thefield of alternative and adjunctiveapproaches to cancer…” And whileFrance is obsessed with the body’sterrain, Germans consider the heart,physically and spiritually, as the“key to the world ( poet Novalis).”Germans use six times as manyheart drugs per capita as the Frenchand English, but the use of spas andplant healing powers is also higher.

German romanticism is also seen inthe emphasis of nature’sbeneficence, including long walks inthe forest, (I wish I lived on theBurton loop!), baths, and herbalmedicine.

The Japanese approach todisease treatment is found to take amiddle ground between the French/German considerations of the body,and the English’s tendency tominimize concern. They may focuson inner vitality while believingillnesses are influenced byimbalances created by weather orseasons, or exposure to foodtemperatures. The inner cause ofillness is seen to be dependent on theconstitution which one was bornwith (taishitsu). The increaseddegree in which the patient’sindividuality is honored, speaks wellabout the benefits of “taking

Continued from page 4BBBBBreast Cancer

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To Bring Perfect FunctioningBy Ray Shahan

Human was a hunter/gatherer for 3.5 million years in 100+ person groups.Life was very simple, no need for possessions because everything shared. Wasa wild animal in direct contact with the Source that brought about the Universesand all Life, which provides perfect functioning with anything alive. So couldnot stay lost or hungry, warned of any coming disasters.

~ 12,000 years ago became place bound, raising crops and herding animals.Life soon became very difficult, complex because everyone was on their own,no longer protected by the 100+ family. We became the noisiest of all animals,no longer able to receive one’s guidance birthright. Instead brain, designed toonly deal with objects, had to deal with Life! We developed hundreds ofprograms to try to deal with Life. Became the most insecure, meanest animal.

To end this mess, 1. Ask a question or issue which is a need, not a want. 2.Set aside the brain’s programs masking this issue and 3. Reach sufficient quietudethat the answer is received. Newton, Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci did that.Einstein, in his own words saying used these for his 4 great breakthroughs in1905, completely changing the Physics of our time. Christ saying the same:“Be Still and find God, I do nothing the Father does everything (Still: ‘quiet andno motion’ per dictionary).” We too noisy to receive, so prevents this. Wildanimals and birds depend on this for survival when food covered by snow fortoo many days, or at the recent tsunami when almost all of them survived,having 5 minutes warning to go seaward or to high ground. Only a very fewhumans received the warning, survived.

Implementing the three requirements: 1. NEEDS – always ask the question:“Is this necessary?” If not, is a want! Wastes energy, must be stopped. Wehave many more wants than needs. Many needs are actually wants. So greatenergy savings are available. 2. PROGRAMS – “What we know or think weknow,” used by brain to seek solutions to technical problems or problems withLife. Temporarily, at least, set them aside, permitting something new to bereceived. 3. QUIETNESS — Researchers held the question, “What bringssufficient quietness level.” Just save energy!

The Discovery Research Foundation provides all research findings andpersonal assistance to anyone serious, at no cost. Headquarters on Vashonwith branches in Canada and Costa Rica. #2 of a series. Call 463-5796.

If you were told that this is theautobiography of a tortoise calledTimothy you’d be forgiven forassuming it’s a children’s book,possibly Disney fodder. Well, maybeHollywood could twist and distortthe story to create a predictably patanimated movie. But let’s hope thatdoesn’t happen.

If any book was ever meant to beread, savored and reread this is it. Itcould become a classic in the traditionof Richard Adams’s Watership Down.Readers will delight in the author’soriginality and imagination. They’lladmire Timothy’s powers ofobservation, her sardonic judgmentsand her sense of the order in thenatural world (Late in the book it’srevealed that Timothy is really a she).

Her story is a poignant one, as isthat of any wild creature snatchedfrom its untrammeled existence tolanguish in captivity, whether in a zooor in a curate’s garden in England.That was Timothy’s final home, afterbeing stolen by a sailor from hercontented solitude in the sunny ruinsof an ancient Mediterranean city. Thesailor sold her for half a crown to avicar in Sussex; on the latter’s deathshe was inherited by the vicar’snephew, Mr. Gilbert White, curate ofSelborne.

Klinkenborg spins his narrative ofTimothy’s life by drawing on thejournal that Gilbert White kept formost of his adult life, published as TheNatural History and Antiquities ofSelborne in1789. White kept meticulousnotes of the weather, the harvests, thefestivals, the farmers’ woes andsuccesses. Klinkenborg hasthoughtfully included a glossary tohelp with the two-century-old termsunfamiliar to us. A palmer-worm is acaterpillar. A fern-owl is a whip-poor-will. A chiffchaff is a small warbler.

Timothy, along with many otherdomesticated and wild creatures,pops up frequently in the journal—literally. As each season’s hibernationends, White notes the date: “Timothythe Tortoise heaves up the sod underwhich he is buried.” “Timothy thetortoise roused himself from hiswinter-slumbers and came forth.”And so on.

Klinkenborg’s genius is his abilityto let us see everything, includingGilbert White, from Timothy’s pointof view. Wise, acerbic, cynical,resigned, all-seeing, the tortoisemakes mock of humans’ foibles andnatures. Think of how we must lookto a tortoise: “It took me many monthsamong them to trust that humanscould keep from falling over. Theirpaces, forward and backward, stillseem little more than fallingforestalled one foot at a time…Notnearly as solid on their feet as a henscratching after crumbs in the street.Tottering, two-legged, stilt-gaitedbeasts…Proportions all wrong to atortoise’s eye. Torso too squat. Toolittle neck. Vastly too muchleg…Reason in place of a good nose.Logic instead of a tail. Faith insteadof the certain knowledge of instinct.Superstition instead of a shell. Posturestiffens as age sets in. Yet even theancient ones fling their arms in alldirections.”

Like the curate, Timothy noteswhat’s going on in the village:droughts, freezing spells, heat waves;fattening and butchering of hogs;acorn gathering; ladies who come fora garden stroll and “enjoy shudderingat the thought of me…worry that Iwill rush at their ankles.”

After 44 years of enclosure,Timothy notices one day that thegarden gate is open and escapes—maybe dreaming of a return to thewarm, deserted tiles and mosaics ofher long-lost Mediterranean shore.But freedom lasts only eight days.Discovered in a nearby bean-field,she’s snatched up and borne back.“My week gone in two-score of theirstrides. Through the meadow. Past thealcove and down the brick-walk.Wicket-gate clicks shut behind me.Thomas sets me down beside theasparagus, the edge of myumbrageous forest.”

Timothy outlives Gilbert White bynine years. We bid her farewell

Timothy; or, Notes of an AbjectReptile, by Verlyn Klinkenborg.Knopf, 2006, $16.95.

Not Just AnotherTurtle Story

during her last preparations forwinter.

“I dig and dig. Settle the dirt onmy shell. As deep as I can go. Into thewarmth of earth. Carefully overlaidwith autumn’s debris. Anchored.Immured. Landlocked. Becalmed andbuoyed in the doldrums of Selborne.”

Verlyn Klinkenborg’s occasional“Editorial Observer” columns for TheNew York Times and his previousbooks deal thoughtfully with countrylife and his farm in upstate New York.If anybody can capture the mindsetof a tortoise, he’s the man. The joy ofthis book is how much understandingand empathy he brings to the task. Thesorrow is that it isn’t longer.

charge.” The hospitalized patientwears his own clothes, family helpswith his/her care, cooks thepatient’s meal, all are involved withhis/her healing. Hospital stays arelonger and considered a form ofvacation. All this certainly decreaseslevels of anxiety about an illness,which can be nothing but beneficial!

After exploring the culturaldifferences among breast cancertreatments, the desperateness of thisdisease is softened and more of acamaraderie envelopes one’sthoughts, i.e. “If they can do it, socan I!” This internationalperspective helps one evaluateoptions, and not be intimidated by“one way, and one way only.”Again, the current truism holds:Think globally, act locally!

Love, Weslie (463-5566, a localnumber!)

Great Books Discussion GroupMonday, April 3, 7:00 p.m.The Great Books Discussion Group

has been meeting at the Vashon Libraryfor 30yrs! The idea of small groupsmeeting to discuss great literature wasstarted by the University of Chicago, andgroups now meet in hundreds of citiesaround the country. Our book groupmeets on the first Monday of each monthand our discussions include all types ofgreat literature, from ancient to moderntimes. Please join us for some verystimulating conversations. Co-sponsoredby King County Library System.Registration not required.

Talk TimeTuesday April 4, 11, 18, 25, 7:00 p.m.Practice speaking English in a

relaxed setting. All nationalities and skilllevels are welcome. Free! No registrationrequired.

Toddler Story TimeTuesdays, April 4, 11, 18, 2510:40 a.m.Ages 21 months to 3 years with an

adult. A 20-minute program of storiesand songs just right for toddlers. Noregistration required.

Sing Into ReadingPresented by Nancy StewartWednesday, April 5, 11 a.m.Songs are one of the most effective

ways for children to learn the six pre-reading skills. Parents are invited tobring their children to sing and play withwords together while receiving importantinformation about Early Literacy.

Please call to register beginningMarch 22. (206) 463-2069.

Vashon Library EarlyApril 2006 Programs

The tragedy of life is notthat it ends so soon, but that wewait so long to begin it.

—W. M. Lewis

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 14

Island Epicure by Marj Watkins

Madame Toujours

Call 463-3232 or checkwww.vashontheater.com

for times

oooooo oooooo

Sure, I believe in Leprechauns, the Little People of Ireland way back inonce-upon-a-time. I see them as fun-loving, height-challenged humanswho lived there before the big, brawling current race of inhabitants landed.

Did St. Patrick preach to Little People as well as to the slave raiderswho had captured him in 4th century Britain as a youth? We know hecame back to Eire as a Christian bishop determined to drive the snakes(read old religion) from the green isle.

And did some of his flock invite him to Sunday dinner? If they did, itmight have been a picnic and community bath. A young man namedRhuari showed us such a place a few years ago. He said you first dig yourcooking pit cum bathtub. He showed us a pool about 14 feet long by 10feet wide by 2 feet deep and lined with rocks at one end.

“You first dig your pit and put water in it,” he said. Groundwaterthere was only about eighteen inches below the surface.

The Celts or Kelts of 3,000 years ago wrapped chunks of venison, or ofthe meat of their rust-colored sheep, in sweet grasses, wild onions, andother flavorful plants. They heated the rocks by building fires on them,probably early in the day. Then while St. Pat preached a two-or three-hour sermon, the meat cooked in the coals and ashes.

The hot rocks warmed the water and the ashes combined with fatfrom the meat provided soap. I’d guess the old-time occupants of Eirekept a few pigs to provide fat. Neither the deer nor the sheep carried anyfat on their bodies.

Food in present-day Ireland is simple, too. A descendant of thoseLeprechauns or Celts may dine on Coddle accompanied by a barley farl.

Lunching with Leprechauns

Dublin Coddle — 4 servings1 pound best sausages½ pound Canadian bacon1 cup stock, or 1 bouillon cubeand 1 cup water4 to 6 potatoes2 yellow onionsSalt and pepper to tasteCut the bacon in 1-inch squares.

Bring the stock to a boil in a medium-size saucepan that owns a tight lid.

Add the sausages and bacon.Simmer about 5 minutes. Removethem. Save the stock. Cut eachsausage into several pieces.

Peel the potatoes thinly. Cutthem in thick slices.

Skin and slice the onions.Put a layer of potatoes in the

saucepan, then a layer of onions,then half the sausages and bacon.Repeat. Finish with a layer ofpotatoes.

Pour the saved stock over all.Season lightly.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat,cover, and simmer about 1 hour.Adjust seasoning and serve hot.

Barley Farl — Makes 1 large loafor 2 small loavesPreheat oven to 450 degrees4 cups barley flour1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking soda1 Tablespoon sugar or Splenda®or honey1 1/3 cups buttermilk or souredmilk*Sift dry ingredients into mixing

bowl. Scoop up handfuls and dropthem back into the bowl to aeratethe mix. Quickly, because the sodaand buttermilk instantly startreacting, knead into a round loaf, orloaves. Beware: too much handlingwill make a tough, flat bread.

Form your round loaf about asthick as your fist. Place it on a lightlyfloured baking sheet or cake pan.With a floured sharp knife, cut across in the top.

Bake 30 to 45 minutes, until theloaf sounds hollow when rappedwith your knuckles.

Wrap at once in a clean teatowel to keep the crust fromhardening too much.

*To sour milk add 4 teaspoonslemon juice or vinegar

Dear Madame Toujours,I am feeling terribly stressed

these last few weeks. A few yearsago, I had to be hospitalized forthree weeks with a life-threatening case of stress-inducedhives when my son Blaine starteddating a very nice young stockanalyst named Sylvester. We hadalways wondered a little bitabout Blaine, but we thought wecould relax when he was draftedto play professional football.Such a manly sport, you know.

Anyway, I got used toSylvester. He’s a charming,young man, a gourmet cook, andsuch a nice dresser. I’ve neverlooked better since Sylvester andI started having our monthlyshopping and lunch dates, andBlaine is starting to enjoy operaand pay more attention to hisappearance, too, which is so nicefor a mother to see. I always kindof wished Blaine was a little morerefined in his tastes.

Now, though, those itchy, redbumps are starting to pop up allover my arms again; Blaine andSylvester have decided to adopta little handicapped Venezuelanboy, and they have some idea theyought to go through some kindof formal commitment ceremony.

What am I going to do? Whatwill the neighbors think? Am Ifinally going to have to give upmy dreams of a daughter-in-law?

Sincerely,Mother of the GroomChere Mme. Groom,What are you going to be

doing? But of course, you aregoing with M. Sylvester to shopfor the fetching dress for theceremony — for yourself, ofcourse. I am supposing thatMssrs. Blaine and Sylvester arethe tasteful, sensible persons whoare both wearing the trousers forthe family. Les hommes, they areneeding to be consulting you forthe tasteful themes, the perfectlocations, the best places for thecakes and the flowers, the bestplaces for buying the adorable,little outfits and teeny, little boy-sized footballs for the youngfellow who is soon to be calling

you “Nanna.” Bien sur, this is thehuge responsibilities. Les hommes,they cannot be doing it withoutyou, so you are seeing that thehives, they are the perfectlysensible reaction.

As for the neighboringpersons, if you are choosing thefriends well, then they will not benoticing that both of the marryingpersons are the masculine types,and everybody is congratulatingyou on the handsome son-in-lawand the new grandson.

Of course, everybody else isbeing extremely scornful that youare the terrible mother who ismaking the son to be the bighomosexual. In the formalcircumstances, it is preferable tosmile condescendingly at suchpersons. At the informalgatherings such as the picnics anddiscothèques, it is acceptable to beexpressing your superiority withthe scornful and slightly vulgarnoises.

Bon Chance, Mme. Groom, andremember, if you are feelingunusually small and petty aboutthe silly, unenlightened persons,you can even be saying, “I amfeeling extremely sorry for you.”This is the excruciatingly cuttingremark, but it is betraying thelittle lack of the maturities, so youare wishing to use it sparingly.Food is an important part of a

balanced diet. -- Fran Leibowitz

Curious GeorgeThe New World

Eight Below

The PinkPanther

March 15-16

March 17-23

Advertise inThe Loop

ads@vashonloop.com

March 15, 06 The Vashon Loop, p. 15

oooooo

Garden theGarden theGarden theGarden theGarden theWorldWorldWorldWorldWorld

By MEarth

A recent issue of Utne Reader,one of the worthwhile mags, reportsthat the Stockholm InternationalPeace Research Institute, the WorldPolicy Forum, and the World GameInstitute have developed a budgetfor human versus military needs.

What were their findings?They found that the amount it

would take to provide shelter foreveryone on Earth is $21 billion ayear. To eliminate starvation andmalnutrition, $19 billion a year. Toprovide clean, safe water, $10billion; eliminate nuclear weapons,$7 billion; eliminate land mines, $4billion; eliminate illiteracy, $5 billion;provide refugee relief, $5 billion;stabilize population, $10.5 billion;prevent soil erosion, $24 billion.

Their estimated total annualbudget for human needs is $105.5billion.

The Seattle Times also reportsthat it has been calculated that 2005will show the worst financial lossesfor weather-related naturaldisasters in human history. TheMunich Re Foundation, aworldwide reinsurance firm, saysthat economic losses in 2005 willexceed $200 billion.

Hurricane Katrina alone caused$125 billion in damages.

Incidentally, the previous recordyear was (drum roll, please) 2004,with global losses of $145 billion.

At the same time, the totalannual global military spendingequals about $1 trillion a year.

It seems obvious to me that wecannot afford war any more. It isnot a necessity, it is not even aluxury, it is a lead weight aroundour collective necks at a time in ourhistory that we will need every ergof our energy just to keep swimmingand, hopefully, our head abovewater. We will be needing thatmoney and those resources for moreimportant things.

There will always be those whowill say that such times call for more

military spending but that path is adead end—at least for humanbeings. The hope for humankind isto realize that we are all in the sameboat and that our sole chance forsurvival and even success is co-operation, the pooling of resourcesand broad inclusionary policies—simply sharing, sympathy andempathy.

Don’t let the generals andpoliticians convince you differently.

Here is a quote from one of thebetter books from 2005, UrgentMessage From Mother:

HELP WANTED: Homekeepersfor Earth. Must keep premises safefor all. Have concern for children’sneeds and development; ability tomanage resources, workcollaboratively, ask questions,listen, learn from the experience ofothers, be empathetic and act withcompassion for the benefit of all—including generations to come.

We must Garden this World,cultivate within it the things humanbeings most need. We must learn toavoid ancient temptations andpitfalls. This is an unprecedentedtime and the above are scarcelyrefutable numbers. We know whatpeople need and we have the moneyand resources to provide it. Anyfailure to act responsibily in thiscircumstance is something humanbeings will be held accountable forin the long, long run.

Accountable, as in, “You do themath.”

You Do The Math

oooo

The decision to actually light theodd number of candles on top of thepiano, the oil lamp, the Pfaltzgraffhurricane lamp, as well some tapersfrom the bag of candles kept in thelaundry shelf area, was one of mybest decisions this year. Since “they”had warned us this powerful stormwas coming through, I was ready.As the inevitable happened, withthe obligatory lights off, lights on fora minute, and then off again forhours, I reveled in the quiet of it all.

Sometimes I think I remain onVashon because of the delightfulpower outages. For me, the minutethe refrigerator stops humming andthat incredible silence descends, I amable to let life stop as well. With allthe candles carefully lit, the cats thatwould jump on them intentionallyplaced on the front porch, the fire inthe woodstove toasting my toes, asmile creeps on my face. This iscontentment.

For some reason this time, mymind drifted to the crew workerswho probably only enjoy the tripletime and half or whatever sum ofmoney they earn. While I sat rockingaway with my book, I knew theywere scurrying around trying torestore sound and light to my worldas quickly as they could.

If I could have that night, Iwould have texted them: “Fixeveryone else first. Have eaten andam enjoying the silence and relativedark.”

I thought of them hanging intheir cherry buckets in the gustyvigilance of downed lines. I thoughtof the training they took; thecompetency it takes not to fryyourself inadvertently while comingto the aid of others.

“Be safe,” I would text them next.I thought back to the first storm

I survived on Vashon, on January20th, 1993. Remember theinauguration day storm?

I thought about the ten days wespent out of our home in BeulahPark when the bad snowstormcame. Remember the day afterChristmas snowstorm. A neighbortook us in for ten days that time. Wewere well beyond the, “visitors arelike fish; after three days they stink.”Somethingorother had broken offthe house. It was the part that tookthe electric line into the house.Coupled with all the other housesthat needed help, it took weeksbefore we were connected toeverything properly. I rememberwhen the county called to say itwould be another week because apermit was needed. Mercy wasextended when exasperation anddespair crept into my tone of voice.Suddenly the permit was not aproblem.

When we lived over town, ournext door neighbor was an electriccrew guy. The wind would kick upand Cory could be heard closing thefront door behind him. When wefirst moved to Vashon, the stormswere a bit of an inconvenience. Iwould try to figure out how to keeplife going.

Now, I just think of all those menand women out there helping in thedark of night, while I light a fire andgrab a book. It’s the time to stop andlet someone else take care of things.To absorb the silence and the peace.To rest.

To those of you who worked toreturn our power, thank you. I hopesomeone thanks you in person.

PPPPPooooositively Ssitively Ssitively Ssitively Ssitively SpepepepepeakingakingakingakingakingBy Deborah Anderson

To the Unsung Heroes

If your car gets rear-endedOr you’re in a wreckCome to Dr. BasileAnd he’ll fix your neck

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 16

Loop ~ Sports

Updoggs team leader, Kaj Marting, takes abreak on the couch, contemplating theVashon Pirates Basketball teams’ (guysand girls) trip to the state tournament inYakima.

On Monday, March 27, from4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Tuesday,March 27, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., theVashon Aquatic Club invites thecommunity to our annual“Splashdown” event at the VashonAthletic Club pool. This free event isopen to families who have childreninterested in improving theirswimming skills, learning aboutcompetitive swimming, and havingfun in the water. Members of theteam will demonstrate stroketechniques and competitiveswimming skills. VAC Coaches willalso be on deck to answer questionsabout placement within the VACtraining program and to evaluate theskill level of interested swimmers.VAC provides instruction andcoaching to youth of all abilities,including beginner and competitionswimmers. Our swimmers typicallyrange in age from 6 to 18. There isno registration required for thisevent.

Swimmers who want to registercan do so up to three weeks beforethe summer session, and can registeras late as the first two days ofpractice. VAC’s spring session runsfrom March 27 to June 9.Registration forms will be availableat the Vashon Athletic Club andOber Park beginning March 10. Final

registration cutoff date is March28th.

The practice schedule is designedfor swimmers of all skill levels.Beginner swimmers swim one hourtwo days a week, Tuesday andThursday, from 4 to 6 p.m.Intermediate swimmers swim onehour three days a week, on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday, from either4:30 to 5:30 p.m., or 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.Advanced swimmers swim twohours three days a week, Monday,Wednesday, and Friday, from 4:30to 6:30 p.m.

VAC provides a structuredenvironment geared towardpersonal growth, teamwork andfun. Vashon Aquatic Club is amember of the Pacific NorthwestSwimming league, governed by USASwimming, the nationalorganization overseeing competitiveswimming throughout America.VAC provides instruction andcoaching to youth of all abilities,including beginner and competitionswimmers. Practice times vary fromtwo to five afternoons a weekdepending on ability. We providetraining year-round at the VashonAthletic Club (fall through spring)and at the King County Pool in thesummer.

For more information pleasecontact Jill Bulow at 463-6297.

Aquatic Club OpenHouse and Registration

Hello Ernie:News Bulletin: A few days ago

I came back from tropical SiouxCity, Iowa, where I watched somereally good wrestling — the NAIANational Championships, to beexact. As soon as I got into the arena,I immediately saw the two Vashonwrestling alumni: Ryan Mattinglyand Mikhail Abdul Latif. How did Isee them, you ask?

Two reasons: they were the onlytwo wearing green and gold tie-dye;and, more importantly, they werethe two most fanatical warmer-uppers, if that’s a word. They werejumping around all crazy-like, as ifthey were excited, and not nervous,for the tournament. Well, to cut tothe chase: Ryan placed a veryrespectable 5th, beating numerouskids who were ranked ahead of him.

A Steamboat stuck in a cage!

Mik Abdul Latif on the awards stand.Abdul Latif pinned his opponent in thefinals in the 1st Period.

Left to right, Ryan Mattingly (NorthernMontana State) and Mik Abdul-Latif(Simon Fraser University) proudly displaytheir NAIA All American plaques. R.Mattingly placed 5th in the nation andAbdul-Latif won the NAIA national title.They become Vashon’s 5th Collegiate AllAmerican and 2nd Collegiate NationalChampion!

Mik with Simon Fraser Coach JustinAbdou, a former 4X National Championand Olympian. And he looks good in blue,don’t he, eh?

He did this with guts anddetermination, as wellas the luck that Vashonwrestlers have gotten ina habit of making forthemselves. “Make yourluck,” a wise man oncesaid to me. Ryan’s bestmatch was a fiveovertime doozy, where,after eleven minutes,Ryan finally pulled itout because not onlywas he tougher and inbetter shape, butbecause he was betterlooking. Abdul Latif, on the otherhand, did not have one close match,dominating everyone.

Every one of his opponentsmight as well have been namedChopped Liver, because that’s whatMikhail did to each and every oneof them, slicing and dicing withease. He pinned his guy in the finalsin the first round, capping animpressive tournament. They wouldboth like to thank the generous (andfunny as hell) wrestling communityfor all of their support, as well as Mr.Levinson, who taught both of themthat it’s okay to laugh at your ownjokes.

Hey Ernie,I was thinking recently while

taking a day hike up Morgan Hillthat maybe you should take a week

off. Relax. Let the photographertake over. His pictures are brilliant;

maybe he has a newscanner or something.Often his captions areentertaining, too. -- JoeD.

J.D.,No worries. I’ll

pass the option on toScratchy Lens. Thenmaybe I’ll chillax for awhile. -- Ernest

Ernest,I’m too busy,

maybe you can send insome pictures. Some

cute ones of siamese cats or lil’ petbulldogs. -- Scratchy Lens

Okay, you all asked for it, heregoes. The theme is Hardware,Booty, Champion Ships, Medals,Bounty or What Have You!

March 15, 06 The Vashon Loop, p. 17

Loopy LaffsONE LINERSI don’t get even, I get odder.I am having an out of money experience.Who stopped payment on my reality check?Give me ambiguity or give me something else.My inferiority complex is not as good as yours.Work is for people who don’t know how to fish.Impotence: Nature’s way of saying—no hard feelings.I can’t remember if I’m the good twin or the evil one.Nothing is so good that somebody, somewhere will not hate it.I have kleptomania, but when it gets bad, I take something for it.Money won’t buy happiness but it will pay for a large staff to study the problem.

More ExcusesI’d love to, but:...my patent is pending....I’m sandblasting my oven....none of my socks match....I’m having all my plants neutered....I changed the lock on my door and now I can’t get out.

Six retired Irishmen were playing poker in O’Leary’s apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutcheshis chest and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen brother, the other five continue playing standing up.Michael O’Conner looks around and asks, “Oh, me boys, someone got’s to tell Paddy’s wife. Who will it be?”

They draw straws. Liam Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet be gentle, don’t make a bad situation anyworse. “Discreet??? I’m the most discreet Irishmen you’ll ever meet. Discretion is my middle name. Leave it to me!”

Gallagher goes over to Murphy’s house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers and asks what he wants. Gallagherdeclares: “Your husband just lost $500 and is afraid to come home.”

“Tell him to drop dead!” says Murphy’s wife.“I’ll go tell him.” says Gallagher.

Irish PokerWorried about an IRS audit?

Avoid what’s called a red flag.That’s something the IRS alwayslooks for. For example, sayyou have some money left inyour bank account after payingyour taxes. That’s a red flag.—Jay Leno

Defintionately:COMPROMISE: An amiable arrangement between husband and wife whereby they

agree to let her have her own way.SITCOMs: What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops

working to stay home with the kids. Stands for: Single Income, Two Children, OppressiveMortgage.

OHNO-SECOND - That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you’ve justmade a BIG mistake.

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Too bad that all the people whoToo bad that all the people whoToo bad that all the people whoToo bad that all the people whoToo bad that all the people whoknow how to run the country are busyknow how to run the country are busyknow how to run the country are busyknow how to run the country are busyknow how to run the country are busydriving taxicabs and cutting hair. --driving taxicabs and cutting hair. --driving taxicabs and cutting hair. --driving taxicabs and cutting hair. --driving taxicabs and cutting hair. --George BurnsGeorge BurnsGeorge BurnsGeorge BurnsGeorge Burns

God is subtle, but he is not malicious. —Einstein

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Time and Children Can Be Unkind: A young boy was looking through the family album and asked hismother, “Who’s this guy on the beach with you with all the muscles and curly hair?” “That’s your father.”“Then who’s that old bald-headed fat man who lives with us now?”

Once, duringprohibition, I wasforced to live fordays on nothing butfood and water.

—W. C. Fields

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 18

Loop Arts

Seattle singer-songwriterCharlie Spring will perform atVashon’s own Café Luna on Fridaynight, March 31.

Charlie has released two CD’s:A Grateful Man (a collection of hisown songs) and These Songs AreYour Songs (featuring folk songsfrom the public domain). His livelyrepertoire includes a broad range offolk, blues, country and oldfavorites…songs for everyone!

He performs at many ofWestern Washington’s live musicvenues as well as fairs, festivals(including NW Folklife 2004–2005),farmers markets, hayrides,hoedowns, house concerts, schools,

Seattle’s Crossroads Blues Band comes out to rock Bishop’s this Friday,March 18.

These guys know how to get it started and keep it going all night long,in the best blues tradition.

“They play blues that force you to sit up and take notice. This is agreat band to see whether you’re in the mood to dance, or just want to sitand listen to some fantastic playing,” says Chuck Cox of the WashingtonBlues Society.

The members of the band areSteve Bailey, vocals, harp, andguitar; Dennis Ellis, sax and flute;Dan Newton, guitar, keyboard, andvocals; John Lee, bass and vocals;and John Rockwell, drums. All areveterans of Northwest blues.

Come on down to Bishop’s andswing with the Crossroads BluesBand this Friday!

Acoustic Rock singer/songwriterScott Walter will be performing atCafé Luna on Saturday March 18at 7:30 p.m. Scott blends an acousticfolk sound with melody driven popand rock styles to create songs thatare crafted and catchy — sometimeshumorous, sometimes melancholy— in a major key.

Fingerstyle guitarist Erin Aaswill open.

Scott Walter PlaysLuna This Saturday

Spring Is Coming!Charlie Spring, to

Café Luna

Crossroads Blues Band at Bishop’s This Friday

benefits for good causes, privateparties, art galleries, and specialevents.

Says Charlie, “I’ve beenprivileged to play for some greataudiences over the years, as well asshare bills and play with many finelocal songwriters and musicians(and a few famous ones, too).”

His band, the 31st Street BluesBand, backed up John Lee Hooker,Albert Collins and others duringtheir Seattle appearances in the latesixties and early seventies, andopened for the Buddy Miles Expressin 1972. They performed at thelegendary Sky River Rock Festival in1971, going on after Santana at 3a.m.

At Café Luna you can getanything you want: tea, coffee, soup,pastry, panini, wine, beer, music,wi-fi, fun!

No cover charge, but it’scustomary to fill up the musicians’tip jar.

Please Pardon My Mush, a showof Gershwin love songs performedby Maggie Laird, plays thisweekend, March 17 and 18, andnext weekend, March 24 and 25,at the Crepe de Paris, in theRainier Bank Building at 1333 –5th Avenue in Seattle. Allperformances begin at 8 p.m.

“If a three-course dinner seemsoverwhelming,” says Laird, “keepin mind that you can order a littlefruit plate, a glass of wine, or adessert. The food’s tres bien,though, and the Crepe has a nicecabaret atmosphere.”

Laird is singing at the piano,joined by Todd Zimberg on drumsand Todd Gowers on upright bass.

Call the Crepe de Paris forreservations: 206-623-4111.

Maggie LairdThis Weekend and Next

at Crepe de Paris

Photo by ZZCoyote

Steve Bailey Photo by ZZCoyote

Vashon Allied Arts’ New WorksSeries will open with two talentedapplicants whose work the selectionpanel felt would be complimentary.Island singer/songwriter/pianistMaren Metke will bring passion andsoul to her original compositionsalong with an all-star musicalensemble for this gig. Island poet,Devon Atkins and four other poetswill converse on stage using onlytheir original poetry to respondimpromptu to one another in PoetsTalk Back.

“Music is a language that speaksto my feelings better than words. It’snot something I can stop doing. It’spart of my soul,” says Metke. Fromfolk music to the Beatles, jazz tourban dance music and classical topunk rock, she loves it all. “It’s alljust different languages. As long asit speaks to me, I listen to it. Everymusician I’ve ever listened to hasbeen my teacher.”

Metke’s other driving passion liesin her commitment to MadronaSchool, a non-profit K-3 privateIsland school she helped found.Metke will be joined by fellow Islandmusicians Fletcher Andrews,percussion; Steve Meyer, uprightbass; Kim Thal, fiddle; KenJacobson, cello.

Poets Talk Back: Conversations inPoetry is the brainchild of Island

Vashon Allied Arts Presents:Vashon Allied Arts Presents:Vashon Allied Arts Presents:Vashon Allied Arts Presents:Vashon Allied Arts Presents:

Music and PoetryLaunch VAA NewWorks ’06 SeriesBy Janice Randall

writer, Devon Atkins. Fellow poets,Harris Levinson, Julian Park, MernaHecht, and Michael Hood will joinAtkins on stage to create a dialoguewith poetry. Each poet arrivesprepared with a notebook of 20original poems, chosen without theknowledge of the other poets. In aprescribed order that changes eachtime a sequence is begun, and, onceagain, unknown to the poets, onepoet will read a poem from theircollection. The next poet willrespond to that poem by choosingone of their own on the spot andperforming it. The end result willchallenge the poets, and create anentertaining, active listeningexperience for the audience.

The VAA New Works Series isgenerously supported by Boeing andVashon Thriftway.

VAA New Works SeriesMaren Metke, MusicPoets Talk Back:Conversations in PoetrySaturday, April 1, 8 p.m.Blue Heron Art CenterTickets $10/$13

Maren Metke

Holding on to anger is likegrasping a hot coal with theintent of throwing it atsomeone else; you are the onewho gets burned.—Buddha

Musical acts/performers hopingto perform at the 2006 VashonIsland Strawberry Festival mustsubmit their promotional materials(including a CD) to Vashon MusicChairman Bill Brown by March 20.

Due to the high number ofapplicants, only groups that havebeen together for at least one year,with several performances to theircredit, will be considered.

Strawberry Festival Calls for MusiciansBrown and Co-chair Jim Ferrari

will announce the final list ofperformers on (or around) April 1.

This year promises to showcasethe best musical talent ever!

Submit materials to: Bill BrownC/O The Brown Agency at theVashon Village, 17205 VashonHighway S.W., No. C-2, Vashon,WA, 98070.

Early Alerts:Truck Stop SouvenirApril 1 at Cafe LunaGraham, Johnson, & RoehmApril 7 at Vashon Bookshop

March 15, 06 The Vashon Loop, p. 19

Blackberry Bearand the

Adventures ofHuckleberry Hollow

©Becky and Maggie Bumgarner© Illustrations by Maggie Bumgarner

Can a Bear Love a Frog?The rehearsals were every afternoon

and that gave Blackberry every opportunityto get better acquainted with Aloetta. Heknew he was a charming bear, but this timehe would have to be a charming frog.

Each day he would meet Aloetta andget her some Earl Grey Tea and someHuckleberry scones fresh from the HollowBakery. Then he would sit next to her andhave her put her feet up on a soft stool andhe would gently rub them and get themready to go into her ballet shoes. Theywould then practice dancing.

Blackberry loved this part of it. Hewould twirl her about and hold her gently.They would glide along to the music.

After a while Aloetta began to forgetthat Cal was a Frog and just accepted himas Cal. It didn’t seem at all odd anymore.She started looking forward to rehearsals.It wasn’t at all as her friends had said. Shewoke up a few mornings laterand gazinginto the mirror,she realizedthe truth. She’dgone and fallenin love with aFrog.

“He’s socharming, it’sjust, justalarming. I think

that I’m falling in love. I’m in love with a frog thatlives in a bog. Oh Heavens could it be true? Whatever shall I do?”

It was finally the night for the Frog PrinceBallet to be performed. All in the Hollowbought tickets.

The Stage Manager could be heardannouncing backstage, “Places, placeseveryone,” and then to the audience,“Welcome to the Frog Prince Ballet. Once upon

a time the Prince of Bears couldn’t sleep sohe went down to the Castle kitchen to getsome cocoa to drink. Just before this theWitch of the Woodlands had snuck into thekitchen to make her chocolate Frog PrincePortion. When she heard the Prince coming,she dashed to a closet and hid.”

Blackberry Bear entered the stage andbegan his part as the Prince of Bears. “Iwonder what I can find to help me sleep?Oh look! Someone has left the rest of thiswarm cocoa out. I’ll just finish it off.”

POOF!“Pretty funny cocoa. I’ve just turned

green and feel like a swim. I think I’ll go fora walk outside. Gee I’m talking funny. Ah,here is the pond and there’s LadyWoolmaker. Hello my lady.”

“I don’t speak to Frogs,”Lucy Llamaremarked curtly, playing her part as LadyWoolmaker.

“But I am not a Frog, I am the Prince!”“A likely story. Just look at your

reflection in the pond. Who do you seethere?”

“Huh? Gulp! How shall I dance at thePalace Ball tonight?”

“I wouldn’t worry, just leap through thewindow. Haha!”

And, of course there’s alwayssomething happening at theBookshop. This month, theBookshop plays host to its adultbook group, and a celebration of oneof humanity’s greatestaccomplishments. Wow.

The Bookshop’s Book Group hasbecome a Third Thursdayinstitution. The conversation issmart and fun; this group has itsregulars, but seems to attract newfaces, too. This month’s selection isthe compelling Purple Hibiscus byChimamanda Noozo Adichi, anovel that many have called the bestbook to come out of Africa in years.The New York Times Book Reviewsaid, “The author’s straightforwardprose captures the tragic riddle of aman who has made anunquestionably positive contributionto the lives of strangers whileabandoning the needs of those whoare closest to him.” The Bookshop’sBook Group meets Thursday,March 16 at 7:30 p.m. Drop-Ins arealways welcome. (Call theBookshop, 463-2616, for moreinformation.)

And then, Saturday, March 18,11 a.m. to 4 p.m., marks acelebration of the Spring Equinoxand the art of Letterpress.Letterpress you say? Yes,Letterpress. Vashon Bookshop,along with Catherine Michaelis,owner of Vashon’s May Day Press,

What’s Happening At The Bookshop?and her friend and colleague, JessicaSpring of Springtide Press inTacoma, will entertain and educateus to the beauty of Letterpress,which is used by many artists as analternative to offset printing.

Catherine says that she beganwith writing and paper-making,and through her writing, learnedthat what she really loved wasletterpress printing and the designof books. Her studio is filled withmetal type and custom engravedplates, along with the 1800-poundPrice Platen Press. Letterpress canprint on any sort of paper, and thecombination of letterpress andcustom paper can be glorious.Catherine and Jessica operate smallpresses where they create note cardsand broadsides, and the mostimaginative and beautiful booksyou’ve ever seen. Saturday the 18thwill be a perfect opportunity forIsland folks to peruse theirLetterpress wares, paperconstructions, and to make asouvenir of their own to take home.(For more information, callCatherine, at 463-4004.)

Meanwhile, I know you are alljust holding your breath withexcitement about April’s coming,because as we all know, April isNational Poetry Month.

Which only goes to prove, onceagain, that there’s more to VashonBookshop than just books!

To Be Continued...To Be Continued...To Be Continued...To Be Continued...To Be Continued...

Two moms, talking in the ProduceDepartment:

“My son and I had the best time at the newkids’ book group!”“I heard that it’s fabulous and after work!”

Call 463-2616 for more information!

By Devon Atkins

oooooo

Join sixteen of Vashon Allied Arts’dedicated thespians for Mozart’s finaloperatic work, The Magic Flute. Steepedin ideals of Freemasonry (harmony,happiness and freedom of thinking)mixed with a hefty dose of pure, child-like fantasy and slathered with Mozart’sfinely orchestrated (recorded) music, thisdramatized children’s version willentertain all ages. Patricia Kelly willdirect. Special thanks to VashonThriftway for co-sponsoring VAA familyperformances.

Fast-moving and full of action, comesee the prince rescue the princess and livehappily ever after, but not withoutextensive trial and hardship. Thanks tothe generosity of forest spirits and thehandy magic flute, the prince managesto escape serious travails and rescue the

The Magic Flute Brings Fantasy to StageBy Janice Randall

Photo by Jenn Reidel

This is amateur communitytheater, right? These arechildren, right?

You could say that, and if youdid, you’d be right, but theseparticular children in thisparticular amateur communitytheater production are going toknock your socks off. They sing,they dance, and they act like pros.

Many of them have come upthrough the Vashon Youth Chorus

The Making of a MusicalAnnie

By Mary Litchfield TuelPhotos by Hawk Jones

Orphans

and/or one of the Island’s danceschools or youth theater groups. Thatexperience coupled with the finedirectorial style of Libbie Anthonycreates a whole that is more than thesum of the parts.

Right now they are showing up forrehearsals almost daily and workinghard on every song, word, andmovement. That means that parents,guardians, and other siblings areadjusting their lives and schedules tothese budding actors.

The result of the months of hardwork will be seen in April. Staytuned. They’ll knock your socks off.

Vashon IslandVashon IslandVashon IslandVashon IslandVashon IslandYouth ChorusYouth ChorusYouth ChorusYouth ChorusYouth ChorusDirectorDirectorDirectorDirectorDirectorVoice/Piano/Voice/Piano/Voice/Piano/Voice/Piano/Voice/Piano/P e r f o r m a n c e /P e r f o r m a n c e /P e r f o r m a n c e /P e r f o r m a n c e /P e r f o r m a n c e /InstructionInstructionInstructionInstructionInstruction

Now accepting studentsNow accepting studentsNow accepting studentsNow accepting studentsNow accepting studentsPhone: (425) 357-6813Phone: (425) 357-6813Phone: (425) 357-6813Phone: (425) 357-6813Phone: (425) 357-6813Cell: (206) 715-7126Cell: (206) 715-7126Cell: (206) 715-7126Cell: (206) 715-7126Cell: (206) 715-7126Email: meric13147@aol.comEmail: meric13147@aol.comEmail: meric13147@aol.comEmail: meric13147@aol.comEmail: meric13147@aol.com

Marita EricksenMarita EricksenMarita EricksenMarita EricksenMarita Ericksen

Read The Loop onlinewww.vashonloop.com

Email:editor@vashonloop.comads@vashonloop.com

The Magic FluteBlue Heron Youth TheaterFriday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m.Sunday, 2 p.m.Tickets: $7 VAA members,seniors students/$10 generaladmission

fair damsel, but as always it’s all aboutthe journey and life’s comedic mishapsalong the way.

Gordon Millar designed and built theset, Linda Higginbothan serves aswardrobe mistress and actors are: RobertEaston, Cory Fox, Maya Jane Krah,Gianna Andrews, Ella McConnell, JackSummers, Lucian Brillant, HallaMcManus, Katelyn Davies, MalaikaCaldwell, Yusuf Griffen, Peri Roberts,Annelise Bogue, Hanna Higginbothan,Iris Spring and Isaiah Mosser Rohe.

Orphans at work

Orphans learning to fear Miss Hannigan

oooooo

March 15, 06The Vashon Loop, p. 20

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