On November 15, the Vashon school board voted unanimously to rescind the bond request for $19.5 million slated for 2023. Their decision was somewhat surprising, but in the finest and most refreshing sense, they elected to confront hard realities boiling down to a stew of bad timing. We should take this decision as a solid…
Editorial Page
Loop Upgrade – How You Can Help
Since its inception, The Vashon Loop has been two things: free to all and primarily supported by the Vashon business community. We aim to keep the first and change the second, and we are asking for your help to do this. Our reasoning is simple: The past three years have been extremely challenging for small…
Literary
Rain Music
The melodies of tree rain are magical from the dull, droning Chinese water torture tunes to the scintillating syncopation of penthouse jazz and back street blues to the jaunty Harlem tap dance or the trotting gait of a Gaelic hornpipe The rain dances of the great trees are pure, sublime magic
Editorial Page
Invitation To Divide
The Vashon Loop has a fun series called, “What Brought You to the Island?” Such arrival stories often include surprising and unique details, but there is also a common thread – a desire for community. What is community? Is it the mere presence of other human beings? Is it the roads, mailboxes, parks, and stores?…
Arrival Stories
What Brought Me to the Island
The most obvious method whereby I arrived here is “by boat,” which is, I admit, a dreadful and dreadfully weak attempt at humor, for which I blame a certain recalcitrant eight year-old in my head, who refuses to grow up, and who will not go away, either. I could also blame my father, who, like…
Commentary, Llaughing Llamas
Llaughing Llamas Chronicles
The story I want to share this month is a simple one. Do you remember the man, named Carl, who had hearing aids in both ears? He always told the best Dad Jokes ever. One day, he was at the Senior Center telling jokes around the room. But all you could hear was the punch…
Editorial Page
Code of Ethics – Delegate Carefully
When people talk about “trusting the experts,” what they’re really talking about is delegating decision-making to someone else. Sometimes this makes sense, sometimes it doesn’t, but in all cases … it’s an illusion. Our decisions are always our own, including a decision to follow another person’s lead. Life is challenging. Anyone telling you it isn’t…
Island Resilience
Self-Sufficiency for You and Your Family
Self-Sufficiency is a broad topic that is sometimes misunderstood. Being self-sufficient means being able to provide for one’s needs, current and future, and for emergencies without needing to be reliant upon others for support. In some circles, the topic of self-sufficiency may elicit visions of selfishness and self-centeredness. Self-sufficiency may be perceived this way because…
Health Matters
What Is Causing My Pain?
Pain in the body can be a complex situation. However, if you are able to clear the interference and give your body a chance to heal on its own, pain can be easily reduced. Your body has an amazing innate ability to heal itself if you know the tools to help. Chiropractic care can offer…
Island Voices
Washington State Parents Get a Seat at the Table
I have good news for Washington State parents. On September 30, a text came from my friend who is a Washington school board president. He was in the middle of a virtual meeting for the Washington State School Directors Association general assembly. WSSDA is the association that oversees and governs all 295 state school boards….