By Marc J. Elzenbeck North America was raised on Sheriffs standing up for the rights of their constituents, for modest pay plus risk to life and limb. Hollywood regaled us with their tales, often in Western movies. As the highest law enforcement officer in a county, Sheriffs had a tough job. Sometimes they had to…
By Caitlin Rothermel There is something we can probably all agree on. Even right now. It’s something you may or may not think about. You want to take care of your nervous system. You want to be able to calm it down. You don’t want it running on high all the time. You may be…
By Seán C. Malone and John Sweetman I suppose Seán’s story of the “Turtle Rock” might have begun years ago when we both lived in the obscure eastern Washington town of Republic. I had been the mill manager of the Day Mines for a time. It had been one of the only gold mines…
By John Bean In “House of the Dead,” Fyodor Dostoevsky reveals his conviction that the quality of a civilization can be judged by how it treats its prisoners. If you believe in a strongman society ruled by force, then prisons might look like El Salvador’s notorious CECOT – a site for Kristi Noem’s appalling photo-op in front…
By Pam (“Gates”) Johnson Almost seven weeks in of staring at the four walls of my front room. My back surgery went well, but I came out of it looking at a couple of months of recuperation. When getting discharged, I was given the option of going to a rehab place or going home. Since…
Tropical Interpretation By Melanie Farmer Neptune’s Transition: From Pisces to Aries As Neptune exits Pisces, a significant shift occurs in the collective consciousness. This transition signals the cessation of the victim mentality – there are no rescuers on the horizon and no cavalry arriving to save the day. Empowerment in Aries With both Neptune and Saturn entering Aries, a…
By Monica Schley I was listening to Ada Limon, our nation’s former poet laureate, being interviewed on NPR’s Fresh Air. My ear caught a phrase she said, “sing back into the places you love.” By chance, I have been reading her book, You Are Here, which is a culmination of a larger project, a collection…
By Dave B. What does it take to be a Vashon Island restaurant? I have noticed many things over the years here on Vashon and one is the number of restaurants that have opened and closed. What I find interesting is that, as diverse a population as there is in the Pacific Northwest, we on…
By Cynthia Sadurni It’s during the winter months when we all need something warm to keep us going. As the cold weather settles in, and frost is on the ground, a nutritious and comforting drink is just what we want. Champurrado may just be the thing to do the trick! But wait, what is champurrado…
By March Twisdale I recently got a new job. During the hiring process, I filled out government forms warning me of severe consequences should I answer the questions dishonestly. Falsifying my identity is (and should be) a serious crime. Even my new boss could get in trouble! As I signed my name, feeling the weight…