By Andy Valencia Vashon is awake and very, very interested in what the upcoming zoning changes for our Island will mean. One of our leading citizens helped the Vashon Loop highlight some important questions in our previous issue, and follows that with more commentary in this issue. Our Community Council has also spoken clearly to…
Commentary, Editorial Page, September 2024
Rather Than Lose the Argument
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…
Editorial Page, Island Voices
Growth Edge: V-MCC’s August Meeting Calls On Islanders To Develop Our Community Engagement Skills
By Jane Valencia Editor’s Note: For more about The Vashon-Maury Community Council, read our article, “The V-MCC: Get More Involved in Your Chosen Community,” available at vashonloop.com It’s no secret that we have issues of heated concern on Vashon, and few spaces where we can address their complexities to achieve intelligent solutions. Fewer yet, it…
August 2024, Commentary, Editorial Page
Using Evil to Win Arguments
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…
August 2024, Editorial Page
What’s the Way to Talk to the VHCD?
If you have input for Vashon Health Care District, here’s how to share it By Caitlin Rothermel In this issue of The Vashon Loop, Islander Steven Nourse gives his opinion on the Vashon Health Care District’s new budgetary priorities. This article is an extended version of Steve’s comments that were presented to the Vashon-Maury Community Council on…
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…
Announcements, Editorial Page, July 2024
Being a Reader and Writer for The Loop
Two years ago, in a garden, a wish arose to provide a print space for community conversation and the sharing of ideas. “The Vashon Loop” lay fallow. Perhaps we could relaunch it? Long story short, the rebooted Loop is nearing its two-year anniversary. We thank our readers, writers, advertisers, and financial supporters for making these…
Editorial Page, Island Resilience, July 2024
The V-MCC: Get More Involved in Your Chosen Community
By Caitlin Rothermel On June 20th, I listened in to the Vashon-Maury Community Council meeting. It completely grabbed my attention. Topics included the electric undergrounding proposal being presented to Puget Sound Energy, the planned Thunderbird drug rehabilitation facility, and the status of the Vashon Health Care District. If you didn’t attend, and are interested in…
Editorial Page, June 2024
Hypernovelty
There’s a joke going around that, in 2004, you had to be a computer wizard to find what you wanted on the internet. In 2014, anybody could do it. In 2024, we’re back to only computer wizards finding what they want. What happened? My list of culprits would include click farms, search engine rigging, and…
Editorial Page, May 2024
Vashon Community Care Center
By Andy Valencia Way too many people are dying from their addictions. The latest United States annual report on drug overdose deaths puts the count above 111,000, but that is only a small portion of the misery present throughout our society. The federal budget allocates more than $42 billion dollars for drug programs. But how…