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…
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…
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 Dr. Steven Nourse As Bob Dylan said, “Everybody has to serve someone.” Regarding the Vashon Health Care District, it has to effectively serve both the healthcare clients it provides funding to and the taxpayers that pay its bills. Several years ago, when healthcare on Vashon was in crisis, I was approached by two now-former…
By Andy Valencia In college, a friend of mine periodically ran a game called “Assassin.” None of the players knew each other, and all were paired up: one target, one assassin. You were “assassinated” with a chalk mark, and the target could defend with chalk-filled small cloth bags. The rules favored the target once they…
By Katy BallardThere are many concerning zoning changes that Islanders should be paying attention to. Let’s start with the proposed zoning for drug rehab and psychiatric hospitals. Whether you’re for or against the proposed Thunderbird Drug Treatment Center at the former Vashon Community Care (VCC) building, can we all agree that the truth matters? It is…
By Andy Valencia f you’ve been a voter in Washington for more than a few years, you have seen a candidate calling himself “Goodspaceguy.” In fact, if you’ve lived here 10 years, or 20, or 30, or even 40 – you’ve been seeing him on your ballot. Since 1980, he’s run for public office 21…
By Andy Valencia What would you guess your political view is worth? What would it cost to change it? The 2020 election could have gone differently if just the right 100,000 voters had voted differently. Given that our federal government prints $1 trillion dollars every three months or so, you could easily justify spending $10…
Feckless: Lacking initiative or strength of character; weak or ineffective. In a whirlwind of public policy, which you may have missed, Redmond was the sudden recipient of a new homeless center; by the time most citizens knew of the project, it was already an accomplished fact. The center was originally intended for Kenmore, but the…
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…