By Mary McFarlin The United States and Washington State are facing a literacy crisis. In 2024 in the U.S., based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 30% of fourth graders and 29% of eighth graders scored as proficient in reading. While our averages in Washington are somewhat higher than nationally, we still have a long…
By Stephen Buller I was chatting at a party the other day and, as often happens, found myself talking about our monetary system. I used the term “fiat currency,” and someone asked what that was. I know it’s annoying when people talk about their field in foreign terms and acronyms, as if everyone should know…
By Daniel Hooker I watch our Island community batten down the hatches, preparing for the ongoing storm that is a bipartisan multi-billion dollar cluster bomb of a budget. It’s dropped on the most impoverished portion of our population. I take pride in the people of Vashon-Maury Island and our determination and organized efforts to keep…
By Daniel Hooker You’re new. If you really want to be part of the community, get involved. You’ll feel better about being involved, and your body will feel better. For me, many years ago, saving myself from pancreatic cancer and heart disease (68% blocked descending aorta) involved coming to peace with myself and finding salvation…
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….
By Julia Carlson On a small Island like Vashon, it’s easy to believe we’re insulated from the turbulence of the outside world. But lately, even here, you can feel the weight pressing down on America. Conversations at the grocery store, whispers on the ferry, posts in local groups, it’s clear that the past few weeks…
By Stephen Buller I travelled to Thailand in 2014, and – in addition to the delicious food, exotic sights, and incredible scuba diving – a conversation with my friend’s father stuck with me. He and his wife were expats from the U.S. and were building a home in Thailand. However, they were unable to own…
By Mabel Moses Vashon-born and raised, Mabel Moses spent a semester on Haida Gwaii, an archipelago in BC briefly called the Queen Charlotte Islands on colonial maps. Upon graduating from the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Forestry, Mabel chose to live on Haida Gwaii. Here in Part 3, we hear directly from Mabel. Enjoy!…
By Stephen Buller Since COVID, the cost of living has been increasing at rates not seen for decades. Depending on your circumstances, this could be catastrophic, no big deal, or even beneficial to your overall wealth. For the average person, there is no better time to get serious about a personal budget. Before we get…
By Daniel Hooker In addition to the Vashon-Maury Island Food Bank, we have other sources of help on the Island. One alternative is “Farm Bucks,” which you can acquire at Vashon Library on Friday and Saturday mornings. This is for our local organic and organic-practice farms. Food stamps and EBT cards can be used to…