By Marc J. Elzenbeck Choices usually involve tough trade-offs, summed up in design as “form follows function.” Sometimes you can get both, but function is primary. Comfort vs. Speed. Reliability vs. Sophistication. Safety vs. Cost. When it comes to owning a vehicle, there is also a trade-off called “Living on Vashon.” Several factors give our…
Letters to the Editor, November 2025
Art is Under Attack on Vashon
By Mike Leavitt It took living here for 13 years for me to realize how deeply the arts are embedded at the core of Vashon. Yet somehow, I still don’t understand it. To this day, every day living here, I am in constant awe at how many brilliant talents work their magic amongst our woods. If you…
Island Voices, November 2025
I Believe We Are Not Alone
By Pam “Gates” Johnson As far back as I can remember, I have always believed that we are not alone. To my Mr. Spock mind, it doesn’t make any sense that, in all of the gazillions of planets and solar systems and galaxies, we are the only “intelligent” life form. Granted, I am not an…
Island Voices, November 2025
The Vagaries of Commuting
By Seán Malone and John Sweetman The West Seattle Bridge was closed to thru traffic going east and west. I had allowed 50 minutes to get from the Fauntleroy dock to my appointment at Swedish Hospital. I called the hospital to cancel and request a new appointment. I had waited three weeks for what I…
Island Voices, November 2025
She Came on a Paddle Board
By Suzanna Leigh “Hi! Is anyone aboard this boat?” I put down my scrub brush and looked out over the stern to find the source of the words. Wait … is that woman standing on the water? The woman spoke again. “Is this boat for sale? Can I come look at it?” Nope, not standing…
Island Voices, November 2025
I Have Questions
I feel like rambling this month. Not any particular topic, just odds and ends that may or may not tickle your fancy, and maybe start a conversation that we can discuss over coffee or a Colvos beer. Why do we have SO many pizza places on Vashon? We have Rock Island, Vashon Pizza, there was…
Island Voices, November 2025
Do We Have an Obligation to Think Twice Before Hitting Send?
By March Twisdale Yes. Yes, we do. Remember that game you played in early elementary school? It’s been called various things. My generation called it “Telephone.” Put 20 kids in a circle, have them whisper a short phrase in their neighbor’s ear, and by the 20th person, the message inevitably changes. The moral of the…
Island Resilience, November 2025
My Precious
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…
Nature, November 2025
Who’s Come Visiting Now?
By Anthony Latora Sometimes my days are shifted due to unexpected visitors. The strange part is – you only know they were there because of what’s left behind: a small impression, remnants of a meal, stems left shortened by someone browsing. So many clues – some subtle, some obvious. One track in the sand and…
Letters to the Editor, November 2025
Call For Support! With SNAP Cuts, IFCH Steps Up With Food Support
Dear Vashon Residents, Starting November 1st, 2025, people who usually get Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which I call Food Stamps as an old folk, will only be getting 50% of their November benefits. Vashon Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness (IFCH) wants to help our Vashon residents who will be affected by these cuts. We…