By Jane Valencia Roller derby practice is tonight. After a full day as a mom, Alice Watson drops off her three-year-old son Sorrel with her co-parent Caelan at the tail end of his work day. Then she rushes off to the ferry with a drive to north Seattle on the other side, a 1½ hour…
By Josh Thorn I’m thrilled to introduce you to a program that’s been making waves right here on Vashon Island. It’s not just about fitness, it’s about nurturing strong bonds among women as they navigate life’s changes. Let’s shine a spotlight on VashonStrong’s “Barbell Betties” program, affectionately known as “Fire & Iron” among its members….
By Andy Valencia It’s hardly worth printing as news: college is horrendously expensive. Over the span of my life, its price has doubled several times. When making financial decisions, there’s the useful concept of cost versus benefit. You spend a certain amount of, say, money. And in return you receive something of a certain value….
Naughty Or Nice… Join the Vashon Senior Center for another fabulous fundraiser on Saturday, December 2nd. Holiday Rainbow BLINGO takes place at beautiful Camp Burton Lodge, with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. and Bingo at 7:00 p.m. Lovely hostess and chanteuse Louvel returns, along with jello shots, a delicious dessert auction, all-cash prizes, and a chance to show…
By Mickey Fontaine College is a big decision, and it can have big consequences. Although it can create new opportunities, it can also close off doors later in life. It is very expensive, and debt can have a huge impact on your long-term financial stability, making it very hard to change the course of your…
By March Twisdale Nowadays, you can walk into almost any business, whip out your preferred form of plastic, and buy what you want. If you’re over 50 years old (like I am), you remember when this was anything but normal. But, here we are, and the question is: “Do we want to stay here?” If…
By Jane Valencia The holiday season approaches, and with it, choosing gifts. If you’re like me, you often send gift cards to your teen and young adult loved ones, so they can purchase just what they want. But if you’ve been reading the “Cash On Vashon” articles these past months (see vashonloop.com), and striving to…
Above photo by Dawn Stief By Seán Malone and John Sweetman We all have distinct memories of our early school days, and some memories stand out long after the “bell.” Seán had an unusual opportunity to “go back” to the third grade. Thankfully, he did not have to pass his mathematics exam again, but was…
By Michael Shook In 1972, when I graduated high school, there were about 3.4 million residents in the entire state of Washington. In 2022, there were 4.5 million residents of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties alone. The state is now home to roughly 7.8 million people, with another million estimated to arrive during the next…
By Lauren Garaventa From the Editors: It’s the season when many of us cook at home more often, and a great time to learn more about new ingredients and kitchen staples. With this in mind, The Loop’s Caitlin Rothermel interviewed Lauren Garaventa (proprietor of The Ruby Brink) to find out more about the dos and…