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 March Twisdale Dear Vashon Island Visitor, Tourist, and Summer People, Roughly one year ago, I began a series of articles about “Bank Taxes.” This is what I call the predatory and increasingly ubiquitous money extraction technology also known as “transaction fees.” Wherever you live, these are impacting you negatively and directly, but even worse,…
By March Twisdale Authors Note: Written in collaboration with Jane Valencia, Island queer community residents, business owners, and others impacted by recent events. No matter how you slice it, a pitchfork mob is to be avoided. Lately, we seem to be forgetting this. Most are familiar with the story of “Beauty and the Beast.” In…
By March Twisdale In 2014, there was a high profile coyote attack at Misty Isle Farms. Three Willamette Valley ewes, brought in for the Vashon Sheepdog Classic, were killed overnight. The next night, government-sanctioned hunters shot and killed two coyotes as the pack returned twice, moving confidently toward the flock, passing many tents and dogs…
By March Twisdale If you’re a consumer, this article will offer new information regarding the growing push back against “Bank Taxes” designed to skim the cream off the top of local economies everywhere. If you’re a business owner, this article will point you in the right direction, should you wish to submit a claim. This…
By March Twisdale After a year of talking with Island businesses about the significant negative impacts of point-of-service (POS) transaction fees (Bank Taxes), I came up with an idea. How about passing these fees back to customers paying with plastic, just like the grocery stores charge customers who show up without a bag? The only…
By March Twisdale Prior to moving to Vashon, my family helped develop a Cohousing Community in West Seattle. We lived there for four years. During that time, I fell in love with our Community Work Parties. Twice a year, all 23 families would set aside a weekend to work together to improve, beautify, and maintain…
By March Twisdale As we hit the midpoint of the Vashon Trash Can Trial, it’s the perfect time for Islander feedback, but who do we contact? That question is a moving target, but The Loop has dug deep and we have answers! Before we dive down the nearest trash chute (a la Leia, Luke, and…
By March Twisdale As we step into 2024, I think we can agree on one thing. Our interconnected lives are directly impacted by individual choices, including our habits and decisions as consumers. Everyone can agree that options are good for customers, and what’s good for customers is good for business. This includes payment options. Indeed,…
By March Twisdale Some tend to wax negative about shopping during the holiday season, expressing concerns over thoughtless consumption of resources or over-commercialization. In truth, there’s nothing wrong with shopping. We do it all year round, and for good reason. It’s human productivity expressed and shared. And during the winter, traditions focused on love, kindness,…