In Sycamore Park A narrow path overseen by a few metal benches leads to the massive wonder this place is named for, limbs the size of trunks, and a plaque that dates it back to 1650. Today, beneath that great latticework of shade, my friends discuss what is known about the communal network of roots. Even a stump, otherwise dead, still shares what it…
Advertisers, April 2024
From the Roasterie – April
By Eva DeLoach The beans we cherish most come from older varietals grown in high mountain altitudes, where they thrive without the use of pesticides. Here, the coffee plants are allowed to adapt naturally to their environment, resulting in beans infused with deep, complex flavors. But it’s not just the growing conditions that contribute to…
Entertainment, Island Businesses, News
Aliens on Vashon
Update 3/14/2024 5:00PM… turns out this is the creation of local artist Matt Beursken, whose previous fame was that troll costume you saw last Halloween. He doesn’t really want to sell the saucer and alien, but he has some expenses coming up. The UFO started out as a satellite dish, and had been partially converted…
Island Resilience, March 2024
Looking for a Good Neighbaaa
By Marc J. Elzenbeck Call me stupid. My auto and home insurance stayed nearly unchanged for the most part of a decade, with only minor upticks reflecting an occasional policy adjustment. Towing coverage was added on a couple vehicles, plus a separate umbrella covering teenager mishap, malfeasance, or vandalism. Starting in January 2022, both basics…
Island Resilience, March 2024
Gold, Bitcoin, Money, and Currency
By Stephen Buller “Gold is money. Everything else is credit.” – John Pierpont Morgan Regarding money, it would be wise to listen to the words of the founder of the largest bank on the planet, but I doubt he could imagine the world we live in today. Did Mr. Morgan simply lack the perspective to…
Commentary, Editorial Page
Feckless
Feckless: Lacking initiative or strength of character; weak or ineffective. In a whirlwind of public policy, which you may have missed, Redmond was the sudden recipient of a new homeless center; by the time most citizens knew of the project, it was already an accomplished fact. The center was originally intended for Kenmore, but the…
Legends of Vashon, March 2024
Legends of Vashon Wild Boars of Vashon
As recounted to Tripper Harrison If there aren’t any wild boars running the trails on Vashon right now, there used to be. Hogs have gone feral a lot more recently than you would guess, and they are much the same thing. One of them was named Piglet B, and he was mine. Piglet B got…
March 2024, Recipes
Island Epicure – Interview at 99
By Marjorie Watkins and Suzanna Leigh Suzanna: Marjorie, you are almost 100 years old! Marjorie: This is true. A few months away from 100. Suzanna: And you are healthy, too. You say you never have a headache or the flu. How is that? Marjorie: Magic potion. It is a very tasty solution. It is cloves…
Book Review, Children, March 2024
Book Review – “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Series
By Emily Kiefer “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan is considered by many to be a modern classic. It is the premiere novel in a five-book series that weaves together a spectacular adventure involving modern-day Greek mythology and a coming-of-age hero’s journey. With a new television adaption of the series…
Health Matters, March 2024
Myocarditis by the Numbers, Part 1
By Caitlin Rothermel In May 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention drafted, but did not publicly share, a national alert describing a link between COVID-19 vaccines and a heart disease called myocarditis. We know about this now because of documents obtained from a Freedom of Information Act request. Described by the American Heart…