By Bernie O’Malley Vashon Mayor, 2016 Neighborhoods across Vashon and the rest of unincorporated King County will look very different if the King County Council approves proposed changes to Housing and Zoning Laws when it votes in December. WAIT WAIT WAIT. STOP RIGHT THERE, MY NEIGHBORS. Put down the torches and pitchforks! This conversation is…
Editor’s note: Even before coming to Vashon, a calf named Minnie showed off her early escape skills, thereafter aided by her bullock brother Chuck. Minnie’s original owner has written this story to fill in the many blanks in Minnie’s life before she became Leslie the Cowzilla. By Pam (aka Gates) Johnson A bunch of years…
By Andy Valencia Imagine you’re in an argument – you, your opponent, and some people listening. Your audience is nodding their heads when your opponent speaks; they’re expressionless when it’s your turn, and you’ve already used all of your best material. The honorable person will graciously acknowledge their defeat. What do the other kind of…
An Expert Interview About the Thunderbird Treatment Center By Caitlin Rothermel Dr Marli Parobek is a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner, board certified in family practice and psychiatry. Starting in 2018, she developed and managed a voluntary inpatient medical rehab/detox center (American Society of Addiction Medicine [ASAM] level 4.0 and 3.5) and an involuntary inpatient psychiatric unit…
By March Twisdale By now, you may have heard that “new zoning laws” are being proposed for unincorporated King County (KC). This includes three rural towns: Fall City, Skyway, and Vashon. I have no idea what is best for the residents of Fall City or Skyway. But, like you, I have some ideas about what…
By Suzanna Leigh Don’t get me wrong; I love my husband very much. Rich has enriched my life and makes me quite happy. It’s just that … sometimes, sometimes, I miss my late husband Bob so much I could curl up and cry. It was a beautiful day for sailing, my first sail of the…
By Michael Shook The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is perhaps most famous among the general public for his statement “God is dead.” He also wrote, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” In contrast, the author Kurt Vonnegut once remarked, “Music is to me proof of the existence of God.” I think Vonnegut would agree with…
By Seán Malone and John Sweetman In our explorations of Vashon history, John and I came upon the original survey of Vashon, an 1841 map by Captain Wilkes and the “Ex. Ex.” or “Exploration Expedition,” which resulted in our Island’s exploration. His crew did not like Captain Charles Wilkes. Because of his “obstinate and overbearing nature,”…
By Tripper Harrison We’re pretty safe from Bigfoot sightings here. Some Islanders have reported experiences around Western Washington, but I don’t know of an example on Vashon. If anybody saw a Bigfoot here, one of the first comments would be, “Did it take the North End or South End ferry? You know they can cut…