By Bernie O’Malley, Vashon Mayor 2016 Rural Vashon Town has great charm in its own unique Island way. Yes, rain, shine, chilly, or all of those, just see the hundreds of “visitors” on ordinary Fall and Winter weekends. Five thousand people in September to see Stupid Bikes, 2,500 for October’s CiderFest, 3,000 to see Santa…
Gardening, November 2024
Enjoying Your Garden This Fall
Color, Mulch, Cut Back, or Not By Kim Cantrell, Little Bird Gardens I hope you’ve been soaking in the rich hues of autumn! I mean, how could you miss them! Fall has arrived in full force this year, showcasing the most spectacular display of deep reds and brilliant golds, blended with rich oranges. I was…
Commentary, November 2024
How the Blues Brothers Invented AI
By Marc J. Elzenbeck Hard to believe at this remove, but blues music was once considered a fringe, largely forgotten art form. It was also commercially dead. Then the comedy duo of John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd formed “The Blues Brothers” in 1978, and their album “Briefcase Full of Blues” is credited with almost single-handedly…
Book Review, Health Matters, November 2024
Book Review – The Indoctrinated Brain
Many of us have lived with loved ones who suffered from Alzheimers or other types of senile dementia. More recently, we’ve also seen complaints of “mental fog” coincident with the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus. One medical researcher, Dr. Michael Nehls, believes he’s found a common mechanism for all of these afflictions. Dr. Nehls…
Letters to the Editor, November 2024
Letter to the Editor
By Mark A. Goldman Dear Friends, If someone were to ask me today, what is the greatest threat to humanity and life on this planet, I would have to say that it is the people and the so-called government of the United States who act in collusion with many billionaires or trillionaires living in other…
Announcements, November 2024
Clothing Drive Update
By Jane Valencia Under the effort and direction of Daniel Hooker, the Clothing Drive has been running for ten years, for the past 2½ years at the Food Bank. Distribution takes place on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. As mentioned in last month’s issue, Daniel is retiring from running this program. Thank you…
Island Voices, November 2024
No Man Is an Island: The Power of Community
By Seán C. Malone and John Sweetman “And let’s try a wee dram of Laphroaig,” I said to Seán. A rare bottle of this peaty, rare single-malt came about as the result of a trade between us. The trade details are obscure but somehow involved a battery for his vintage Ford for a bottle of whisky…
Island Voices, November 2024
At the (Old) Movies
By Michael Shook Though I fancy myself a modern-enough person – apart from my animus toward cell phones, which has nothing to do with modernity and more to do with a desire to be nominally present, at least, to what is going on around me – I have nonetheless always felt drawn to other ages,…
Island Voices, November 2024
Up the Mast
By Suzanna Leigh July 15, Sunday Terns were diving for fish as we passed the red nun buoy at the mouth of Quartermaster Harbor. We motored into the teeth of the wind, hoping to get through the Narrows before the current was so strong against us we wouldn’t be able to make headway. We raised…