By Caitlin Rothermel This spring’s 2025-2026 session of the Washington state legislature has pushed the envelope in terms of how much state government should spend and how little the public needs to be involved in the process. The final 1,366-page 2025-2027 proposed operating budget totals $77.9 billion and was released with barely a day to…
Saturn Transits By Melanie Farmer Ayurveda, known as the “science of life,” is an ancient medical system that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. It employs a holistic approach to health and wellness, focusing on harmonizing the body, mind, and spirit by balancing internal and external energies, represented by the five elements: air, space,…
By Marc J. Elzenbeck For decades I thought mayo was the province of professionals and was too intimidated to try my hand. But looking at store shelves full of white stuff made with industrial oils at $10 a jar provided the final oomph. (What is a canola? Where does it grow?) Turns out, mayonnaise is…
By Jane Valencia In Catholic faith tradition, flowers have a treasured place in devotions to Our Blessed Mother Mary. Since the earliest centuries of the faith, flowers (and other plants and trees) have served as nature’s “icons” – expressing the virtues, character, and mysteries of Our Lady, as well as other spiritual truths and tales….
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced a long-term goal to convert its ferry system, the world’s largest,* from antiquated diesel propulsion to an all-electric carbon-negative fleet by 2034. The announcement comes in the wake of a U.S. carmaker’s pending acquisition of Danish manufacturer Traekke-Benet A/S, dubbed “the Tesla of ferries” by the British…
By Andy Valencia It’s been 25 years since sisters Tina and Leslie first opened Cafe Luna. Turtle Island Restaurant, which had shuttered for the final time a year before, provided the location. The ladies asked various Island old-timers about the possibility of an “internet cafe” and, having been assured it would never work, went ahead…
By the Vashon Loop Editorial Board Try as we may to deny it, there is a problem, and we know it. Vashon has an oxygen (O2) crisis, and our situation may actually signal an unrecognized issue for the entire region. The world first took notice of greenhouse-gas-induced climate change in the 1970s. We were asked to…
By Travis Holman Did you know that Vashon Island is currently working toward setting a world record? This attempt is something that may bring out the inner child in you, because the mission is to collect and assemble the longest Hot Wheels track in history! If you need a refresh, Hot Wheels are those little,…
By Pam (aka Gates) Johnson If you’ve read a few of my columns, you probably guessed that I like to cook. Nothing much pleases me more than to prepare a meal for friends and family. Back in my school-working days, I would make meals for the entire McMurray staff, 30 people or so. It was…