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…
Commentary, July 2024
Goodspaceguy: A Perennial Candidate
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…
Commentary, Editorial Page, July 2024
Controlling Your Mind
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…
Commentary, Editorial Page
Feckless
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…
Commentary, February 2024
Vashon Trash Can Trial Hits Midpoint
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…
Commentary, Editorial Page, January 2024
Making a Living Without a Degree
By Andy Valencia My last article provided a strongly negative take on college. It wasn’t fair or balanced, because pretty much everything else you’ll read concerning college will tell you that, unless you buy a college degree, you’ll die disfigured and alone in a gutter somewhere. Before you reach your mid-twenties, most likely. Read anything…
Commentary, Editorial Page, November 2023
Does College Still Make Sense?
By Andy Valencia It’s hardly worth printing as news: college is horrendously expensive. Over the span of my life, its price has doubled several times. When making financial decisions, there’s the useful concept of cost versus benefit. You spend a certain amount of, say, money. And in return you receive something of a certain value….
Commentary, Island Voices, October 2023
Please Don’t Search?
By Andy Valencia Over the years of my life, the US has been shedding ability at a pretty decent pace. We sent manufacturing overseas, and now we have almost nobody who knows how to design for manufacturing, how to set up injection molding, how to use a mill and lathe to fabricate custom parts. We’ve…
