By Richard Odell Identifying points of origin is like picking up ice cream with one’s fingers. One never gets all of it. It might be said, however, the Farmers’ Market we have today began with some now forgotten young man selling oranges by the drop-off box at the post office. This marketing genius was soon…
By Anthony Latora As I prepared to move to New Mexico in June of 2016, I searched for an herbal book about the local plants I might encounter. After a bit of digging, I settled on “Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West” by Michael Moore. Little did I know that moving to New Mexico and…
By Steven Nourse If you’re reading this someday, it means I’ve finally joined that club I once thought only belonged to grandparents. Funny how life sneaks up on you. One minute you’re young and invincible, and next you’re standing on your porch at 78, realizing that a 50-year roof warranty is more of a joke…
By Jane Valencia One late afternoon, I showed up to dance. I’d been working all day, and felt I had two left feet. I had never contra danced before, yet I was willing to stumble my way through. Three musicians opened the session with a sweet waltz. I put on a lei to designate that…
By Stephen Buller “Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, barter is the money of peasants, but debt is the money of slaves.” ~ Norm Franz You and I use debt as money. “Like everyone else, you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see…
By Lyndsey Braun-Palmer There’s something grounding and reverent about the process of cleaning skulls – carefully removing the layer of tissue to study the animal’s bone structure. Each skull has its own anatomy, subtle differences that make every one unique. It becomes a quiet moment of respect, curiosity, and reflection. This one is my blacktail buck from…
By Lyndsey Braun-Palmer Moss at my side, foraging along forest paths, the smell of damp PNW air filling my lungs – this is what settles my soul, ties me to the land, and brings me back to myself.
By Stephen Buller Washington Governor Ferguson is championing a new “millionaire tax” as a way to address budget shortfalls and income inequality. Both of these are real and serious issues, but will yet another tax solve the problem? Let’s talk about this tax specifically and use it as a springboard to critique our overall tax…
By Stephen Buller ‘Tis the season to give thanks. I have many things to be thankful for; some I often take for granted, like a roof over my head and food on my table. Some that fill me with gratitude every day, like my wife and children, and some I feel lucky for, like being…
Vashon-Maury Community Council’s President’s Address By JC Graham Since its inception in 1933, our community council has had its ups and downs. Periods of coherence have been followed by dysfunction, or even disintegration, before – some time later – a new form of Council has taken shape. That’s what happened in 2022, when V-MCC was…