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 Paul S As a year round bicycle commuter on Vashon, I found Dave B’s opinion piece (Bicycles Rule! Really? – August 7) a little disturbing. His stated concern for bicyclists reads more like annoyance with having to share the road with us. Although most drivers on Vashon are courteous and respectful of bicyclists, there…
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…
… Or, resistance is futile. By Michael Shook When cell phones first arrived, I thought they were swell. Here was a handy thing to have, especially since I worked in construction. I could call our driver and tell him to pick up some more 2×6’s, or to swing by the shop for the table saw,…
By Seán C. Malone and John Sweetman The origin of this story was probably about six years ago, when Seán and I were reviving a couple of old Motorola hand-held radios from his firefighting days. “Looks like we need batteries!” And Seán said, “Look in the freezer because I have several boxes of double A’s.”…
By Pam (aka Gates) Johnson When you think about it, sleep is kind of a weird thing. It is an altered state that can creep up on you at any time, day or night. When you are in it, you don’t know what is going on around you. Sometimes it is deep and unconscious. Sometimes…
By Dave B. Please, no more Audis? The Subaru PNW Outbacks are bad enough. I love all of you on Vashon, but when people come to the Island or move here and try to fit in, think about where you are? You are not in Seattle; Newport Beach; Boulder, Colorado; or anyplace else where it…
By Suzanna Leigh June 24th I was in La Conner scrubbing dark gray lichen off the boat hatch when I got the text. It was from R. “Hi Love, I just heard our friend Wesley passed away last weekend. Her memorial is 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 29th. Can you come?” Of course I will…
By Melanie Farmer Eclipses influence both political events and personal growth, with their effects rolling out over about six months. It’s rare to have consecutive eclipses impact the U.S., as we experienced in 2023 and 2024, and even over the past 10 years. Astrologers refer to these periods as “eclipse season” or “operating in the shadow of the…