By Rich Osborne Many of you know Marj Watkins. Air Force wife, writer, artist, charitable donor, and a dozen other roles in the 102 years of her life. She has a new role. She now has a performance venue for Island Musicians. It started innocently enough. I lead “The Island Rockers” in the “Music Mends…
By Erin Durrett Friday September 18th we on Vashon will have a chance to learn the sacred dance of fire, passion, devotion to the ancestors, the Earth, and all beings – haka, the great dance of the Māori people of Aotearoa, New Zealand. This ancient dance carries powerful symbolism and spiritual power, and is fun…
By Karen Dale Even before I became a Irish fiddler, I was already a fan of Molly’s Revenge, a Celtic and Old Time trad music trio who often played the Bethel Church on Vashon. To see David Brewer dancing about under a set of highland pipes nearly as big as he was, with John Weed…
By Jane Valencia On Summer Solstice Eve, poets and poetry lovers gathered from the Island and across the water to celebrate our new poets laureate, Iris Spring and C. Hunter Davis. The event took place at the Open Space for the Arts & Community, which now shepherds Vashon’s Poet Laureate program. Initiated in 2011, with…
By Rich Osborne Hey, Vashon, it’s summer! Time to relax for a moment and enjoy our victory. To remember all the Coho Salmon we just saved. Not to pretend that we are done, but to smile over a glass of something and look forward to next year. I‘m talking beach tires, of course. In 2025…
For many Islanders, summer means fun on the water! And with summer just around the corner, Vashon Island Rowing Club summer rowing classes may be just what you’re looking for – not only for fun, but fitness as well! With classes and camps for both adults and youth, there is something to fit both your budget and schedule….
By Dr. Jade Keala Agua, Executive Director, Mukai Farm & Garden Our 7th Annual Haiku Festival brought together a vibrant community of poets from near and far. This year, the Festival received 190 submissions representing 9 different countries, with an inspiring 65% of entries from youth poets. Below, is a selection of this year’s haiku….
Vashon-Maury Community Council’s President’s Address By JC Graham Since its inception in 1933, our community council has had its ups and downs. Periods of coherence have been followed by dysfunction, or even disintegration, before – some time later – a new form of Council has taken shape. That’s what happened in 2022, when V-MCC was…
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 Daniel Hooker This article series started off as a local Vashon-Maury Island piece, then I had a thought, wait a minute! We are all doing this – helping others – in many cities, towns, and island communities. I started interviewing food banks around Western Washington about what they offer as vital services for our…