By Jane Valencia
Farewell, December
Snow, merriment, ice, and winds
Old year shuts the door
We’re excited to ring in a new year with The Vashon Loop. First and foremost, whether you are a reader, advertiser, or contributor, we are so very grateful for your enthusiasm and support. This newspaper exists because of you!
Our first four months have been a grand adventure! From learning the ropes regarding layout and production, to developing a sustainable timeline for various aspects of content-gathering, to conversing with contributors, engaging in editing and copy-editing, and figuring out the finances of this labor-of-love venture – we’ve experienced a steep learning curve, to say the least. Again, ten-thousand thank you’s to Steve Allen, owner-editor of The Vashon Loop for many years, for his absolutely essential mentorship.
As we enter 2023, we look forward to further collaborations with our Vashon-Maury Island community. We are committed to sharing myriad aspects of Island life and concerns, highlighting unique voices and perspectives, and cultivating a space for listening to one another with curious minds and open hearts.
As we curate Islander stories, concerns, and dreams for a beautiful and inclusive future, we invite you to circle back around to archived issues of The Vashon Loop – especially if you feel you’ve jumped into the middle of the conversation. We intend that The Vashon Loop encourage our collective critical thinking and imaginative skills, and even our playfulness. Only together, with all voices at the table, and musings that reach to the moon and back, can we co-create with and strengthen one another and the generous Island we are blessed to call home.
We thank you for your kindness and support in the many forms in which they come. We wish you the best in your visions for the new year, and look forward to where their flowering or fruition intersects with these pages.
May 2023 be brighter, lighter, and wiser than past years, and open a welcoming door.
