By Rich Osborne, Owner, ALL THINGS RICH at the Waterfront Market @ Ruston Fifteen years ago, I started taking credit cards. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I engaged a local processor. I bought a card reader to plug into my cell phone, and away I went. Within weeks I started having…
August 2026, Island Businesses
A Series of Piratical Events
By Marc J. Elzenbeck How do you become a pirate ship? One suspects it’s always been a tricky process, what with obtaining pesky letters of marque, patiently hiding in keys to ambush passing merchant ships, and the risks of your crew swinging by their necks from a yardarm. Paul Freeman of the good ship Sara…
Island Businesses, May 2026
Qigong on Vashon
By Caitlin Rothermel For a practice built around slow breathing and gentle movement, qigong has had a surprisingly turbulent history. Originating in China and thought to date back more than 2,000 years, qigong has moved into favor, out of favor, and eventually back into favor again. During the “qigong fever” of the 1980s and 1990s,…
Island Businesses, May 2026, Nature
Meet Nadja Vol Ochs, Vashon Wilderness Program’s New Executive Director, Part 2
By Jane Valencia Nadja Vol Ochs. Photo by Dawn Stief In Part 1, printed in our March issue, we heard the story of how Nadja Vol Ochs came into nature connection work and onto the Island. In Part 2, we learn about her role as new executive director for the Vashon Wilderness Program (VWP). Stacey…
February 2026, Health Matters, Island Businesses
At Stillpoint
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…
Announcements, Island Businesses, November 2025
A New Taxi-Type Service on Vashon
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…
Island Businesses, Island Resilience, October 2025
Cash is Queen
By Rich Osborne My name is Rich Osborne. My company is All Things Rich. I sell olive oil, vinegars, sauces, spices, salts, rubs, and local raw honeys. Also dragons. I was a vendor at the Vashon Farmers Market on Saturdays for five years. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, my retail sales opportunities were closed down….
Island Businesses, Island Voices, September 2025
Sew Against the Machine
By Kavi Rana It feels impossible to create or run a business or just survive when the world is crumbling around us. I know everyone is going through it right now. Our paths and future are as uncertain as ever. I am grasping on to hope for humanity and for our planet as we navigate…
August 2025, Island Businesses
Mr. Twisdale’s Strawberry Soda: Bringing Back Island-Grown Strawberries
By Jane Valencia Vashon was once known for its strawberry farms, and our Strawberry Festival was named in celebration of these berries. But, as has been the case for several decades, strawberries – much less Island-grown – are a rare and precious occurrence. Off-Island attendees of the Festival often find themselves bewildered: “Where are the…
Entertainment, Island Businesses, June 2025
Pinball on Vashon: Den of Pin
By Andy Valencia What happens when a place to digitally detox meets a museum? That would be a great description of the Den of Pin, the latest Vashon hangout. Pay a small cover charge, then step away from the relentless world of 5G, AI, and social media. In their place, enjoy playing vintage pinball machines….