By Mike Curtin I’m not an expert on any of this, but 3I/Atlas is the object that’s captured my attention lately. It’s the third interstellar object known to enter our solar system (thus the “3”). The “Atlas” part refers to the telescope that first spotted it. This is an unusual comet. It’s green, for one…
By Mary McFarlin The United States and Washington State are facing a literacy crisis. In 2024 in the U.S., based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 30% of fourth graders and 29% of eighth graders scored as proficient in reading. While our averages in Washington are somewhat higher than nationally, we still have a long…
Do you need a lift? There’s a new option for those living on Vashon. A decade-plus employee of Washington State has recently left his job and moved onto Vashon to help his ailing mother. Meet Jonathan, who’s decided to also start a business providing taxi-type services to Islanders. The cost? On-Island trips are between $15…
By Marc J. Elzenbeck Choices usually involve tough trade-offs, summed up in design as “form follows function.” Sometimes you can get both, but function is primary. Comfort vs. Speed. Reliability vs. Sophistication. Safety vs. Cost. When it comes to owning a vehicle, there is also a trade-off called “Living on Vashon.” Several factors give our…
By Mike Leavitt It took living here for 13 years for me to realize how deeply the arts are embedded at the core of Vashon. Yet somehow, I still don’t understand it. To this day, every day living here, I am in constant awe at how many brilliant talents work their magic amongst our woods. If you…
By Pam “Gates” Johnson As far back as I can remember, I have always believed that we are not alone. To my Mr. Spock mind, it doesn’t make any sense that, in all of the gazillions of planets and solar systems and galaxies, we are the only “intelligent” life form. Granted, I am not an…
By Seán Malone and John Sweetman The West Seattle Bridge was closed to thru traffic going east and west. I had allowed 50 minutes to get from the Fauntleroy dock to my appointment at Swedish Hospital. I called the hospital to cancel and request a new appointment. I had waited three weeks for what I…
By Suzanna Leigh “Hi! Is anyone aboard this boat?” I put down my scrub brush and looked out over the stern to find the source of the words. Wait … is that woman standing on the water? The woman spoke again. “Is this boat for sale? Can I come look at it?” Nope, not standing…
I feel like rambling this month. Not any particular topic, just odds and ends that may or may not tickle your fancy, and maybe start a conversation that we can discuss over coffee or a Colvos beer. Why do we have SO many pizza places on Vashon? We have Rock Island, Vashon Pizza, there was…
By March Twisdale Yes. Yes, we do. Remember that game you played in early elementary school? It’s been called various things. My generation called it “Telephone.” Put 20 kids in a circle, have them whisper a short phrase in their neighbor’s ear, and by the 20th person, the message inevitably changes. The moral of the…