Page 2 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island BeachcomberW

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463-9148 x206Linda Bianchi

206/ 947-1763

Heather Brynn

206/ 979-4192

Cheryl Dalton

206/ 714-7281

Sue Carette

206/ 351-7772

Connie Cunningham

206/ 853-5517

JR Crawford

206/ 954-9959

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PO Box 1867 - 17233 Vashon Hwy SW

www.WindermereVashon.com

vashon@windermere.com

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call: 206/463-9148

Nancy Davidson

206/ 406-2952

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Inviting 4 bdrm home on private

3.5 sunny acres near northend. Partial views,

beautiful landscape w/pond, sweeping lawns.

MLS#713361 $637,500

Lovely Mt Rainier views from

this beautiful 3+ bdrm home. Chef’s kitchen,

wood floors, beach rights. Move-in ready.

MLS#683709 $494,900

Waterfront Estate on shy 2

acres of manicured ground, 125’ frontage w/

dock, sep guest quarters. Taste the good life.

MLS#615354 $1,840,000

Appealing NW Contemporaryon over 1.26 private acres. 3 bd, 3 bth, vaulted

ceilings, loft space & lower level kitchen

MLS#656909 $469,000

In Town location. 3 bdrm house

with gracious main level spaces, large day-

light basement, outbldg & 2-car garage.

MLS#708446 $339,500

Westside waterfront. Sleek

remodel of 3 bdrm cottage w/boathouse,

davit, waterside decks & 3 level garage.

MLS#626192 $589,000

Historic Dutch Colonial estate on 115’ of sunny, sandy waterfront.

1.68 acres, huge carriage house, stable.

MLS#467862 $1,900,000

Well maintained, one-story 1740 sqft

home with partially finished basement. Shy 2 acres

in convenient mid-island location. $295,000 Heather Brynn hbrynn@windermere.com 206-979-4192

Vacant

Land

For

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Vacant

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For F

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Pt Robinson Mt Rainier

& Sound view lot w/water share

& power. Septic in progress.

#708616 $102,000

SOLDSOLD

Arts & Crafts classic! 1906

Craftsman, built-ins throughout, leaded glass,

wraparound porch, fir floors. Close to beach.

MLS#698267 $750,000

Quartermaster waterfrontRare NW Contemp on Inner Harbor. Architecurally

significant with high-end finishes and amenities.

MLS#659732 $1,475,000

Captivating Sound & Mtn view Gracious 3+ bdrm home with studio view

carriage house. Nearly 7 acres, trail to beach.

MLS#673828 $849,000

375’ of Westside Waterfront

surrounded by nearly 2 private acres off Redding

Beach Loop. A rare and spectacular property.

MLS#688092 $895,000

Sun & Sand! Private 180’ low-bank

wft w/huge views of Mt. Rainier. 2,880 sqft

beach house on 1.56 acre. Boat launch & buoy.

MLS#694505 $1,195,000

Basket Brigadeas et BBBB ga

Thanksgiving

Windermere Vashon’s Annual

Sunday, Nov. 23rd 10-4pm

In Front of Thriftway

Each year Windermere/Vashon provides full Thanksgiving

meals to Island families in need -and you can help! We are collecting donations at Thriftway or at our office.

Each year Windermere/Vashon provides full ThanksgivingEach year Windermere/Vashon provides ffull Thanksgiving

7.22 acre parcel. Close to

Ellisport & KVI beach. Potential

views. Septic feasibility done.

#497807 $160,000

Waterfront. 75’ of med-

bank overlooking Harbor. 2.7

acres, level area for bldg or rec.

#688471 $120,000

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Deborah Teagardin

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bethd@windermere.com Glen Acres Waterfront

Sublime waterfront sanctuary! Architecturally significant home, 279’

bulk head, low-bank, boat launch/ramp, boat house, on nearly 3 acres

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pool. Glorious light & sweeping views of the Cascades,

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This is an exceptionally rare opportunity! MLS #598384

List Price $2,300,000

Kathleen

Rindge

Broker206/250-9050

krindge@windermere.com

Enjoy South facing waterfront w/2 homes.

Main house has commanding views of Mt Rainier & Sound. Walk

down to charming cottage at water’s edge. #527659 $649,000

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Crawford

Certified Residential Specialist

Significant waterfront property with commanding & dimensional

views of Sound & Mt Rainier. Spacious NW home coveniently

located 2 miles from Seattle ferry. #639453 $785,000

SpecialOpportunity!

5 bd, 5 bth

6,552 sqft

150’ Wft

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Katz

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EquestrianEstate

Stunning equestrian estate with 1910 Craftsman, 2 barns, 7 fenced

pastures, riding arena & separate tack room/garage. Stately home

offers casual elegance & many unique features. #699549 $825,000

Heather

Brynn

Broker206/979-4192

hbrynn@windermere.com

Burton Peninsula

Sweet Burton Peninsula home on over 1/2 acre. 3 bdrm, 1150 sqft w/

detached garage, lrg deck & peek views. New cabinets, appliances

& flooring. Property backs up to Burton Acres. #712842 $379,000

Sue

Carette

Managing Broker

206/351-7772www.OurVashon.com

Quiet & secluded west facing, pastoral 2.2 acre shoreline parcel.

Level open, sunny land gently sloping to 200 feet of lagoon

frontage. Septic feasibility & water share included. $335,000

Raab’s Lagoon

200’ on lagoon

2.2 sunny acres

MLS #673317

Vacant Land

New Listing

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Island Center Forest sees record number of registered hunters

About 70 hunters registered at Island Center Forest during last month’s 21-day deer hunt, a record for the pilot hunting program.

Four deer were taken from the forest during that time, according Dave Kimmett, a natural lands manager for the county Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP). Three hunters contacted King County to report their kills, Kimmett said, while a fourth deer was reported by one of those hunters who knew of another person who got a deer.

This is the fourth year King County has allowed hunting in Island Center Forest for three weeks in October as a part of a five-year pilot project. During the hunt, the popular forest was closed to all other uses, while the Gateway and Natural area proper-ties remained open.

Kimmett said he considers this year’s

hunt a success, as there were more reported hunters than ever, four deer taken and no complaints from non-hunters or neighbors of the forest.

“This has been our most successful hunt to date,” Kimmett said.

Last year 58 hunters registered at Island Center Forest and reported taking two deer. The year before, there were just 38 regis-tered hunters, and again four deer taken. But 2011 saw the most deer killed, when about 60 registered hunters reportedly came away with 8 deer.

The 70 recorded hunter visits this year may include multiple visits by the same hunter. Fifteen hunters were from Vashon, and 13 were from other parts of King County. Other hunters came from Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish and Thurston counties.

— Natalie Martin

206-465-5008

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Page 4 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

P ick up your passport at the Chamber of Commerce Offi ce or any participating Vashon store.• Look for this sign• Make a purchase of an item or gift certifi cate to get your passport stamped.• Get your passport stamped by 12 different stores and enter to win cash and prizes.

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Property tax increase expected after 2016 to maintain serviceBy NATALIE MARTINStaff Writer

As King County takes measures to reduce the cost of running its two water taxis, offi-cials say they will still have to raise taxes to sustain the service past 2016.

The county will rely on the water taxis’ robust financial reserve to keep the passen-ger ferries afloat for the next two years and recently approved one fare increase for 2016.

“The financial stability going into the future, it’s not great, but it does get better every time we take a look at it,” said King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who also chairs the King County Ferry District.

When King County took over operation

of the Vashon and West Seattle water taxi routes between 2007 and 2009, it established a special purpose district to manage the fer-ries and levy a property tax of 5.5 cents per $1,000 in assessed value. When the district did not add other passenger routes through-out the Puget Sound as anticipated, the county dropped the tax significantly in2010, to one-third of a cent per $1,000, which also freed up levy funds to support the strug-gling Metro bus service.

“We raked it in for a while, but then we dropped it,” McDermott said. “We’ve been living off financial reserves all this time.”

While the ferry district built a large reserve during its first few years of opera-tion, McDermott said it’s also been expen-sive to operate it as a special purpose dis-trict — a separate government entity that must hire out for its administrative, legal and accounting needs, rather than use the county’s in-house services. The district also employed one person who managed it, a

position that has been vacant for several months.

To save on those redundant costs, King County Council voted last week to fold the ferry district and consolidate it into King County government at the begin-ning of 2015. McDermott said the move is expected to save about $400,000 a year. The ferry service will be a part of the county’s Department of Transportation and will con-tinue to be managed by the Marine Division.

“I think it’s an excellent thing,” McDermott said of the move.

Even with that and other savings achieved through cost cutting and lower fuel prices, the water taxi service is not sustainable, McDermott said, and the county will rely on the current reserve of about $9 million to sustain it for the next two years. King County will spend about $14 million to operate the ferries during the 2014 and 2015 and will pay about $2 million to build two new water taxis that will join the routes next year. About 80 percent of the cost of the new ferries, which are currently being built, is covered by a federal grant.

McDermott said the council also approved one fare increase in the next two years — a 50-cent hike in March of 2016. Councilmembers will decide in the next two years how much they will raise taxes to cover water taxi costs. The county council has the ability to raise property taxes to cover the water taxi up to 7.5 cents per $1,000.

“It’s a delicate balance in that the ferry district serves a limited number of people in the county, and yet I think it’s an impor-tant transit service the county provides,” McDermott said.

Vashon’s water taxi ridership has been on the rise since King County took over the service from the state in 2009. However, ridership has been slightly down this year compared with 2013. There were 157,000 rides on the Vashon route through October of this year, compared with 162,000 by the same time last year.

Paul Brodeur, director of King County’s Marine Division, said the lower ridership could be due to the higher number of can-celled sailings this year, as a backup vessel hasn’t been available as often.

“When you add back in those lost rid-ers, we are pretty much flat over last year,” Brodeur said in an email.

He added that anecdotally, the county believes some are discouraged from riding the water taxi due to a perception that it often fills up. With a current capacity of 172, the Vashon water taxi does sometimes fill, he said, particularly the busy 5:30 p.m. sailing from Seattle. Brodeur believes the problem will be solved when the new boat, with 78 more seats, comes on in April of next year.

“We are confident our 2015 ridership numbers will reflect well as a result,” he said.

www.VYFS.org206 463-5511

Connect. Nurture. Thrive.

Contact Dalinda Vivero at dvivero@vyfs.org or call 930-2592

Vashon Kids Scholarships

Vashon Kids annual scholarship fundraising campaign is now. Vashon Kids is THE place for kids to be when they are not in school. In 2014, Vashon Kids:• Took care of and enriched a total of 114 kids, 96 families. • Distributed over $17,000 in scholarships to over 40% of our families.Help our community’s children access high quality, affordable care bysponsoring a child. Please visit our website or mail your tax deductable donation to Vashon Kids, PO Box 237, Vashon 98070

File Photo

Ridership on the Vashon to downtown Seattle water taxi route peaked last year, when there were nearly 188,000 rides. Ridership is down slightly this year.

King County considers water taxis’ unsustainable future

Thrift store will move to IGA building this winterBy SUSAN RIEMERStaff Writer

Seven months after Granny’s Attic members voted to move the store into town, a lease has been signed and plans are in place for the thrift shop to relocate to the Vashon Market IGA building.

The move, set for January, will provide additional and improved space for the store and make it more accessible for those who do not drive or have difficulty navigating its current cramped quarters. Also important, supporters of the move say, is that it will enable Granny’s Attic to focus its funds on providing grants for community health needs instead of on capital improvements at Sunrise Ridge, where it was located for nearly 40 years. While the rent will be higher in town, Granny’s business manager Tim Johnson said he believes Granny’s will benefit financially and be able to provide more funds for health-related projects and programs on the island.

“We want to grow into the future and continue to supply grants to all the agencies that we can,” he said. “The more we raise, the more we can donate.”

Both Johnson and Susan Chun, the president of the Granny’s board, say one of the aspects they are most look-ing forward to is having more storage space so Granny’s can hold donations, such as winter coats and holiday-related items, until people are mostly likely to buy them — instead of throwing items away as they sometimes have.

“I think we will end up with more product,” Chun said. “That will mean more sales and more money we can give out.”

Granny’s now provides about $200,000 a year in grants, Johnson said, and members hope to increase that by a few thousand dollars each year to keep up with inflation.

Over the long-term, Johnson said he hopes that the extra storage space will help the store keep its prices down and sales up. There are no plans to raise prices at the new loca-tion, he added.

Overall, the move will give Granny’s 3,500 additional

square feet of covered space. The store will move into the space Island Variety left when it closed in 2008, while the space that the Vashon Library had been in temporarily will be the new staff, sorting and dock area. An area in the back, which had housed batting cages, will serve as the new ware-house space. Some light renovation will take place before Granny’s moves in, Johnson said, including improvements to help make it accessible to those with disabilities.

Granny’s is run by a small staff and many volunteers, and Chun said she hopes more volunteers will step forward once Granny’s is in town.

“We’re all feeling being in the downtown core will attract more volunteers, which we desperately need,” she said.

Currently, Granny’s Attic is thriving, Johnson said. Last Saturday, the store surpassed all of last year’s sales, and Johnson attributed this year’s success to several factors. The economic climate overall has improved; the hot sum-mer seemed to bring people out to the island often, and the housing market has picked up — with increased buying and selling, Granny’s sees more donations and more purchases. Granny’s also now takes debit and credit cards and is more intentional about its organization and the merchandise it puts on the floor to sell.

“It is not so much a treasure hunt now, “ Johnson said. “We try to make the basic necessities available.”

For his part, Shawn Hoffman, who owns the shop-ping center and now operates the Vashon Market, said he believes having Granny’s there will be good for his business.

“I think we will get more traffic in this side of town, get more people to come over this way and try us out,” he said.

He had been looking for the right anchor tenant for a while now, he said, and had turned down some offers, but believes Granny’s is the right fit.

“We want to keep them strong and keep them going so they can support more and more causes on the island,” Hoffman said.

While the move may mean a revitalization to the west-ern edge of town, it also has implications at Sunrise Ridge, where Granny’s will vacate three buildings. The store’s long history there caused some on the Granny’s board to vote against the move, and its moving announcement came as a surprise to the Sunrise Ridge board last spring.

Now, Sunrise Ridge board president Greg Martin said his board members are looking ahead optimistically.

“I think the board feels we are going to land on our feet, and everyone is going to be better off,” he said.

Sunrise Ridge is now exploring what islanders might want and need at the property, Martin said. The board has received several suggestions, ranging from installing several solar power arrays to creating low-income housing.

“We are going to test the winds,” he said. They are not in a rush, he added, as Granny’s Attic’s lease

goes through June. While they are evaluating what comes next, the board will undertake several projects, including partially dismantling one building and bringing it up to code, making major improvements to the helicopter pad on the property and beginning work on a rain garden, which will save money in King County fees.

Looking to the near future, Chun noted that Granny’s larg-est sale of the year is coming up the day after Thanksgiving. In just three hours, Granny’s members hope to surpass the $11,000 they brought in during the sale last year. Special items have been set aside specifically for the sale.

“Wear comfortable shoes, and bring your elbows because you are going to need them,” Chun said.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 5

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17601 VASHON HIGHWAY SW • VASHON, WA 98070

Holly DazeHolly DazeHolly DazeChristmas BazaarSaturday, November 22, 10 - 4

McMurray Middle School(9329 SW Cemetery Road)

Over 50 tables of crafts, gifts, bake sale, music and refreshments!

Come and join in this festive community event!

Mon-Fri 9:30-6 • Sat 9:30-5 • Sun 12-417321 Vashon Hwy SW

463-2200

QUALITY PET PRODUCTS

Cheryl’s annual canned turkey sale next Mon-Weds!

Nancy Sipple, GRI

206-465-2361

NancySipple.JohnLScott.com

Real Estate is a Big Deal.Buying or selling real estate is a life-

changing event - complicated, lots of money on the line - and the spirit of

the process is just as important as the paperwork. I’ve been making sure the

experience works for everyone for almost two decades.

Granny’s Attic signs lease, finalizing decision to move to town

Write to us: The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber welcomes community comment. Please submit letters — e-mail is preferred — by noon Friday for consideration in the following week’s paper. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Only one letter from a writer per month, please.

All letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and libel considerations. We try to print all letters but make no promises. Letters attacking individuals, as well as anonymous letters, will not be published.

Our e-mail address is editor@vashonbeachcomber.com.

Page 6 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

EDITORIAL

Health care on Vashon has always been tricky, as it is in any small town. Basic care has been easy to find, but islanders have found themselves going to Seattle or Tacoma to see specialists, for urgent care or even for some-thing as simple as an ultrasound. In recent years, however, the health care picture here has worsened. Several provid-ers have discontinued their practices or cut their hours — often citing the demands of being on call and growing

insurance requirements — and for the most part they are not being replaced with new faces. It’s now harder to find a doctor or other provider, particularly one who accepts Medicare. Several clinics say recruiting is

difficult, and it’s becoming more and more apparent that Vashon is not an attractive place for health care providers to hang a shingle.

What will happen when there simply aren’t enough pro-viders to serve Vashon’s population? Are we already at or nearing that place? Inadequate health care on the island could have ripple effects on our population. The issue has been a growing topic of conversation, and now one group of people has determined not to sit idly by. A group of well-respected islanders is taking a close look at this situa-tion and surveying providers on their challenges. They’re trying to see what it would take to keep the island’s doc-tors, nurses and naturopaths in business, and to attract new ones.

It’s hard to imagine how private citizens could have much influence on the local health care scene. But leave it to Vashon Islanders to take that up as a cause. One early idea they have is to form a nonprofit that would help pro-viders with the tasks they find most time consuming — insurance paperwork or billing — and offer services that they would find at larger clinics. That kind of aid, group members believe, just might keep their doors open or make Vashon a more appealing place.

This model for health care services isn’t a common one, and there are many unanswered questions. Chief among them is where the funding would come from. But this group is in its early stages; there are smart people on board, and they know the difficult task ahead. Simply quantifying the challenges Vashon providers face and framing the issue will be a positive step forward. We’re eager to see where they go from there.

Group sees that our health care hangs in the balance

Simply quantifying the challenges Vashon providers face and framing the issue will be a positive step forward.

OPINIONVashon-Maury

STAFFPUBLISHER: Daralyn Anderson publisher@vashonbeachcomber.comADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR: Patricia Seaman admin@vashonbeachcomber.comCIRCULATION: Chris Austin circulation@vashonbeachcomber.com

EDITORIALEDITOR: Natalie Martin editor@vashonbeachcomber.com nmartin@vashonbeachcomber.comREPORTERS: Susan Riemer sriemer@vashonbeachcomber.com Sarah Low slow@vashonbeachcomber.com Juli Goetz Morser jgoetzmorser@vashonbeachcomber.com arts@vashonbeachcomber.com

ADVERTISING/MARKETING/DESIGN PRODUCTIONMARKETING REPRESENTATIVE: Deborah Brown dbrown@vashonbeachcomber.com ads@vashonbeachcomber.comMARKETING DESIGNERS: Nance Scott production@vashonbeachcomber.com

IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT & SUBSCRIPTION RATESVashon-Maury Island Beachcomber, 17141 Vashon Hwy SW, Suite B, Vashon, WA 98070; (USPS N0. 657-060) is published every Wednesday by Sound Publishing Inc.; Corporate Headquarters: 19351 8th Avenue NE, Suite 106, Poulsbo, WA 98370-8710. (Please do not send press releases to this address.)

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $30 on Island motor route delivery, one year; $57 two years; Off Island, continental U.S., $57 a year and $30 for 6 months. Periodical postage paid at Vashon, Washington. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to Beachcomber P.O. Box 447, Vashon Island, WA 98070.

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Published each Wednesday.17141 Vashon Hwy SW, Suite B

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By now many people know about the historic agreement last week between the United States and China to lower greenhouse gas emissions. This agreement is a positive step forward and will hopefully pave the way for a global fight against climate change.

The agreement says that by 2025, the U.S. will reduce its emis-sions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels. But China agreed to three things: to have its emissions peak around 2030, to work to reach that goal sooner and that also by 2030, non-fossil fuels will be 20 percent of their total energy use. The agreement is non-binding, and it is stated that it is only what they will try to do. One of the main reasons for that unrestrictive language is because a U.S. treaty with a foreign country would take a two-thirds majority of the U.S. Senate to be approved. That’s not possible with the current Republican oppo-sition to climate change regula-tions.

The goals for each country are not equal because the U.S. is respon-sible for 29 per-cent of the total global cumulative emissions from human sources, and China’s contribution is just over 7 percent. We caused a big-ger part of the problem, so we need to reduce more. China will be allowed to develop to a level where more people have access to food, water, health, shelter and security, so its greenhouse gas emissions will have to rise for at least a decade, even if they rapidly transition to a more efficient use of energy and renewable energy.

Meeting these goals will require the U.S. to reduce its greenhouse gas output by 1 to 3 percent a year for the next 11 years. It will require China to install renewable energy systems equal in output to their 620 coal plants, which will then allow them to increase the rate at which they are shutting down those coal plants.

This agree-ment is a big deal. Many countries have argued that it made no sense for them to address cli-mate change if China and

the U.S. were not going to address it. Well, now they have. This encourages other nations and cre-ates models for them. The United Nations climate change meet-ing in Paris next year now has a chance of reaching a substantive agreement for the first time ever.

Over 95 percent of the scientists who have been studying climate change for many years agree it

is mostly due to human caused emissions. If we continue on the current track of increasing global emissions, we are in danger of increasing world temperatures several degrees. Experts say that such an increase

is likely to lead in many areas to a reduced water supply, more destructive storms, reduction in cropland, greater spread of disease and other threats to our economy, health and national security. The U.S. has been reducing its emis-sions a modest amount. If new regulations on power plants are approved, the U.S. will be closer to doing its part to keep the increase in world temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, the international goal. But many scientists argue we need to do much more, much more quickly.

Some will likely oppose this new agreement because they worry it will lead to higher energy bills in the U.S., loss of jobs and loss of U.S. competitiveness. Some also believe it will be too expensive or just not practical to

decrease our country’s emissions. But many homes and businesses have an opportunity to lower their energy bills by install-ing energy-saving or renewable energy equipment that has the added benefit of reducing climate change. Studies have shown that per dollar invested, more jobs are created by energy efficiency and renewable energy than by fossil fuels. A growing number of com-panies are already putting their money into lower carbon output options because they see it as one of the best ways to make money and a necessity for staying com-petitive.

What is already too expensive is the growing number of climate change-related weather disasters, shrinking water supplies, reduced food production, climate refugees and greater threats to national security. Those costs are part of fossil fuel business as usual. Our current financial system does not make the greatest greenhouse gas emitters pay for these costs, so we pay for them now. There are many practical solutions at the local, regional, state and national level that are working well and making for a more prosperous economy and society. For example, by 2016 solar power-generated electricity will be as cheap or cheaper than electricity from the conventional grid in every state except three.

For us on Vashon, some of the solutions that can save the most include making sure your home is well insulated and air sealed and installing efficient lighting, an efficient heating system and solar panels. For an extra $10 to $12 per month, you can select completely renewable electricity from Puget Sound Energy. Visit their website at pse.com/saving-sandenergycenter to learn more about their green power program and the many ways you can save money, save energy and help reduce climate change, which will make life easier for your kids and grandkids.

— Michael Laurie is a sustainability consultant.

ENVIRONMENTBy MICHAEL LAURIE

Many countries have argued that it made no sense for them to address climate change if China and the U.S. were not going to address it. Well, now they have.

Historic deal with China paves the way for a global fight against climate change

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 7

Letters accepted must be no more than 150 words and include a daytime phone number. Deadline for this section is noon on Friday. Letters in this section will run as submitted except in the cases of libel or profanity.

I would like to off er a Bouquet for the Eagles raising over $350 for the VHS Drama Dept and hosting nearly 70 children for the Hallow’s Eve Spook House. The Eagles also provided a tractor for the new Vashon Children’s Center hay ride. Vashon Eagles is a friendly, hometown community oriented club that supports many diff erent charities. - Connie Sorensen

Halloween Fun

for Young& Oldat the

VashonEagles

Amiad & Associates Exclusively Representing Buyers of Vashon Island Homes

206-463-4060 or 1-800-209-4168

SOME QUICK TIPS TO GET READY FOR WINTER!

I’m always asked to repeat this list from year to year to help you get ready for winter:

1. Clean the gutters! Water can penetrate under your crawl space and even into your walls and roofi ng and cause serious mold problems.

2. If you haven’t done it already, call the heating and cooling contractors and have your furnace serviced and cleaned for the year. This is critical if you use a fuel like oil, propane or natural gas. This makes your furnace safer, but also saves you big bucks by running more effi ciently.

3. Be sure you’re ready for power outages. A generator is fi ne, especially for pump-ing your well and running the refrigerator but frankly, a few days without the TV is good for you! Use battery or propane lamps, a battery powered radio for weather news and be sure you’ve stored plenty of food and water.

4. Clean decks and walkways so the moss build-up won’t be too slippery. Consider putting non-skid strips or outdoor carpet on slick stairs.

5. Look around your yard for objects that can get lost under a few inches of snow. You don’t want to lose the dog’s favorite ball and you sure don’t want to step on a rake you forgot was there!

6. Have your car serviced and checked out for winter driving. Have ice scraping tools in the car as well as jackets and a warm blanket in the trunk in case you get stranded.

7. Try not to use portable heaters in the house, but if you must, then unplug them when you leave home. They are a major cause of fi res.

8. Clean dryer vents and range vents which are also fi re hazards.9. Have the chimney cleaned if you have a wood stove or fi replaces. They are another

source of house fi res.10. Go to VashonBePrepared.org online and print out their emergency readiness

brochure with check lists for everything you need to know about weather related and other emergencies.

Last but not least: stock up on hot chocolate!

Just Ask EmmaCurrent Real Estate Issues

To view this blog & make comments,

visit www.vashonislandrealestate.com/blog.html

vashondrycleaning.com

Drop Point @

The Country Store ...an energy management team

Cozy by the fire? Call us for a new

gas fireplace!

463-1777 www.VashonHeating.com

WA Lic #VASHOHC8917F and #VASHOHC891PF

Climate changeArt based on geology reminds us the earth is warming

Julie Speidel’s erratics are haunting 3-D images of massive stones once supported and transported here by ice (“Local sculp-tor draws on geology as her works dot the country,” Nov. 12). Those objects and her metallic visions of them are now rest-ing on warm ground that is becoming

warmer. The ice has receded, slowly at first, over

thousands of years, then in recent decades at a pace unprecedented in geologic history.

Let’s hope her creations become widely accepted and installed, and that we all get the message in time. If not, well, at least the erratics, hers and the originals, will be here — just underwater.

— Mike Sasnett

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

We are your island dental care partners. Our compassionate staff offers a wide range of services.

JIM CUNNINGTON, DDS 19001 Vashon Highway SW, Suite 100 (Courthouse Square)463.9115www.dentalcareofvashon.com

• Crowns, fi llings, bridges, dentures & dental implants• Sedation dentistry• Root canals• Oral surgery with IV sedation• Snoring & sleep disorders

GENERAL & SPECIALIZED CARE:

Save the Date!

Holiday Open HouseSaturday, Nov. 29th• 5-8 pm

Music • Prizes • Community Tree lightingDrop off Open House

Coupons!

Watch for coupons in the 11/19 and 11/26 issues of The Beachcomber!

Page 8 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

WEDNESDAY • 19

DSHS Mobile Office: The state DSHS mobile community service office will be on Vashon to do ap-plication interviews for food, cash and childcare programs, as well as yearly reviews and to answer any questions on active cases or about any other services. 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Vashon Maury Commu-nity Food Bank and 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Vashon Market IGA.

Health Insurance Sign Up and Renewal Help: Representatives from King County will be on the island to help with renewing or signing up for health insurance un-der the Affordable Care Act. 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank, and 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Vashon Library.

`Life Afterlife’: There will be a free screening and discussion of this HBO documentary on the sub-ject of life after death, facilitated by Rondi Lightmark. Lightmark has interviewed the producer/director of the film and has re-searched, written and lectured on the subject herself since the death of her husband in 1993. For more information, contact Lightmark at 463-0831. 7 to 9 p.m. at Vashon Intuitive Arts.

THURSDAY • 20

Lecture/Discussion Series: This 18-week series sponsored by the Burton Community Church focuses on the subjects of philosophy and religion. Each week’s lectures are designed to stand alone and will include two topics. This week’s lectures will address the ques-

tions: Why is evil a problem, and why should evil be taken seriously? The lectures are free, and all are welcome to attend. This will be the last discussion before the holidays, with the series set to resume on Jan. 8, 2015. For more information, call Herb Reinelt at 408-7360. 4 to 6 p.m. in Lewis Hall behind Burton Community Church.

Vashon Vespers: Now in its third year, this monthly service is medi-tative, musical, rooted in Christian contemplative tradition and open to all. Childcare will be provided. 7 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Spirit.

FRIDAY • 21

`The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimers’: This 90-minute, Emmy award-winning documentary, based on the novel by David Shenk, looks at the history and biology of the disease, as well as the real-world experiences of Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers and the race to find a cure. 1 p.m. at the Vashon Senior Center on Bank Road.

SATURDAY • 22

Holly Daze Bazaar: This annual one-day holiday marketplace will feature more than 57 island vendors where shoppers can find a variety of foodstuffs, personal and home decor items, pet and host-ess gifts, jewelry, yarn, antiques, handmade soaps, garden art and more. Gift-wrapping service will be available. The event is sponsored by the St. John Vian-ney Church women’s group, and all proceeds go to the individual vendors. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mc-Murray Middle School.

SUNDAY • 23

Unitarian Service: Rev. Heather Christensen will speak about unleashing courage as an overview of the Brene Brown book, “Daring Greatly.” Music will be provided by Leslie McMichael. Programs for children and youth are also available. 9:45 a.m. in Lewis Hall behind Burton Community Church.

Bolshoi Ballet’s ̀ The Pharoah’s Daughter’: As part of its Stage to Screen series, the Vashon Theatre will show the Bolshoi Ballet’s

production of “The Pharoah’s

Daughter,” a story loosely based

on Théophile Gauthier’s novel “Le

Roman de la Momie.” This exotic,

19th-century Orientalist fantasy is

billed as one of the most remark-

able productions in the Bolshoi

repetoire. Tickets cost $15 for

general admission, $14 for seniors

and students, $12 for children

and $11 for advance purchase for

groups of 20 or more. Tickets can

be purchased at the box office or

at vashontheatre.com. 1 p.m. at

the theater.

Free Range Folk Choir: The

group will perform a concert

featuring songs by local compos-

ers and a cappella choral music

from around the world. The event

is free, but donations will be ac-

cepted. 7 p.m. at the Burton Com-

munity Church.

TUESDAY • 25

`Evolution of a Criminal’: Com-

munity Cinema Vashon, along with

Voice of Vashon, Island GreenTech

and the Vashon Theatre, present

this free, advanced screening of

a film that looks to answer the

question: How does a 16-year-

old honors student turn into a

bank robber? In the film, award-

winning filmmaker Darius Clark

Monroe confronts his own past by

dissecting the circumstances that

led him to commit an armed bank

robbery and examines his journey

of reflection and forgiveness. Time

will be given for discussion follow-

ing the film. 6 p.m. at the Vashon

Theatre.

VIFR Budget Hearing: The

organization will hold a hearing

regarding its budget for 2015. The

meeting is open to the public and

comments are welcome. 6:30 p.m.

at Station 55.

Interfaith Thanksgiving Ser-vice: This annual celebration of gratitude will feature stories, art, poetry, sharing and a performance by the Free Range Folk Choir. 7 p.m. at the Vashon United Meth-odist Church.

UPCOMING

Seattle International Comedy Competition: This will be the 35th year for this annual month-long competition, featuring 33 comedians from the U.S., Canada, U.K., Europe, Australia and Africa. The Vashon show will be down to the top five finalists. Tickets cost $17 for general admission, $15 for seniors and students (material may not be suitable for children) and can be purchased at the box office or at vashontheatre.com. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, at the Vashon Theatre.

Yoga Behind Bars Fundraiser: Deborah King will teach an all levels yoga class to raise awareness and dollars for Yoga Behind Bars, a nonprofit organization that shares the practice of yoga and meditation with youth and adults in prison. Cost is by a suggested donation of $25, with all proceeds going to Yoga Behind Bars. To register, email islandyogacenter.com and drop a check made payable to Island Yoga Center in the red mailbox by the front door. 10 a.m. to noon, Friday, Nov. 28, at Island Yoga Center.

VIPP Holiday Wreath and Swag Sale: VIPP’s volunteers have crafted these holiday staples out of fresh fir, cedar, holly and lots of extras, and each is topped off with a bow. Wreaths and swags start at

$25 and items may be pre-ordered by calling 503-730-5571. The sale will take place over three days. Donations for the annual pet food drive will also be accepted at the sale site. Noon to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Satur-day, Nov. 29, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30, at the Land Trust Building.

Vashon’s Winterfest Weekend: Kick off the holiday season with Winterfest on Vashon. The fes-tivities begin on Friday with the Gingerbread House Tour, featuring unique creations at various island businesses and Black Friday spe-cials offered by several merchants in the evening. Saturday will bring the traditional merchant open house and coupon drop-off, holi-day parade and tree lighting with Santa. Friday, Nov. 28 to Sunday, Nov. 30, at various locations in town.

Temporary Library Closure: The Vashon Library will be closed until 2 p.m. for staff training on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Health Insurance Sign-Up and Renewal Help: County-trained Vashon volunteers will be avail-

able to help with health insurance renewal or sign-up under the Af-fordable Care Act. 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Vashon Library.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

Introspective Writing Work-shop: T. Thomas Elliot will lead this workshop for women and girls and will share her creative method for clarifying and under-standing the most spontaneous thoughts and feelings. Cost is $20 and scholarships are available. For more information and to register, go to hestiaretreat.org/events/upcoming-events. 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22.

Medicare Open Enrollment Workshops: LeeAnn Brown will discuss Premera Blue Cross Medi-care Advantage plans for those interested in making changes to their coverage during the open enrollment period, which began on Oct. 15. The workshop is free. Call Brown at 567-4600 for more information or to RSVP. 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at the Vashon Eagles.

Mark Sears Photo

Anne “Orca Annie” Stateler and Odin Lonning of the Vashon Hydrophone Project will debut a new program at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Land Trust Building.“The Sacred Whale: Requiem for Ruffles (J1)” is both a loving tribute and an exploration of cultural and social dynamics in the Puget Sound’s resident killer whale communities. Ruffles (J1), named for his distinctive wavy dorsal fin (pictured above), was the longest lived male orca of the J, K and L pods. He died four years ago after fathering a number of southern resident offspring. In observance of Native American Heritage Month, “The Sacred Whale” will highlight the spiritual significance of killer whales and salmon in coastal Native cultures. Tickets are available by a suggested donation of $8 general admission or $6 for seniors and students, and can be obtained at the Vashon Bookshop or by calling 463-9041. Proceeds will benefit the Hydrophone Project’s marine mammal stranding response program.

CALENDARVashon-Maury

SUBMISSIONS

Send items to slow@vashonbeachcomber.com.Deadline is noon Thursday for Wednesday publication. The calendar is intended for commu-nity activities, cultural events and nonprofit groups; notices are free and printed as space permits.

The Beachcomber also has a user-generated online calendar. To post an event there, see www.VashonBeachcomber.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the prompts.

REQUIEM FOR RUFFLES

VASHON THEATRE

Big Hero 6: Ends Nov. 20.

Hunger Games Marathon and Mockingjay Part I: Nov. 20.

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I: Plays Nov. 20 through Dec. 11.

Children’s Film Festival: Nov. 22.

Bolshoi Ballet (The Pharoah’s Daughter): Nov. 23.

Evolution of a Criminal (Com-munity Cinema): Nov. 25.

Seattle International Com-edy Competition: Nov. 26.

See www.vashontheatre.com for show times or call

463-3232.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Vashon Sewer District: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Vashon Senior Center.

King County Airport District: 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at Courthouse Square.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, at Station 55.

Vashon Park District: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 25, at Ober Park.

FREE COMMUNITY MEALSVolunteers serve free meals seven days a week on Vashon. All people are welcome at the meals, which are served at 5:30 p.m. Monday through Sat-urday and at 1 p.m. Sunday at the following locations. For more information about the meals program, contact Harmon Arroyo at 351-1441 or at luckyharmon2010@gmail.com.

Monday, Methodist church

Tuesday, Presbyterian church

Wednesday, Church of the Holy Spirit

Thursday, Presbyterian church

Friday, Lutheran church

Saturday, Methodist church

Sunday, Methodist church

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 9

It’s so Good to be Home!

My job has added benefits – working to make the residents happy and satisfied makes me happy and satisfied. You can’t ask for more than that from a job, and I’m 100% committed to Daystar.

2615 SW Barton St., Seattle, WA 98126 206.937.6122 www.DaystarSeattle.com

When you love what you do, it shows. Each and every member of our team looks forward to making a difference in your day, every day. At Daystar, we go the extra step, make the extra effort that transforms our senior lifestyle community into a home. Call today to schedule a complimentary lunch and tour of Daystar Retirement Village. Come experience the difference that a caring, committed staff makes.

Who will make a difference in your day?

Kemberli Greco, Daystar Chef

Friday, Dec 5th

• Supported by Island Physicians• Expert Interpretation• Courteous, female Technologists• Accredited by FDA• State of the art equipment• Most insurance plans accepted• Group Health patients accepted

Please have your insurance information when you call and bring a picture ID and Insurance/Medicare/Medicaid cards to the appointment. Thank you for partnering with us in the fi ght against breast cancer.

Located at the Fire Station,10020 Bank Road, Vashon, Washington 98070

Monthly Drawing for Vashon Market (IGA)

$25 Gift Card

(Additional appts possible Sat. 12/6)

$25GiftCard

Red BicycleBistro & Sushiin Downtown Vashon

WEEKLY LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

206.463.5959www.redbicyclebistro.com • 17618 Vashon Hwy SW, Vashon

Friday, November 21st, 8pm

Vashon Events PresentsThe Singer/Songwriter Showcase

All-ages ‘til 11pm, 21+ after that.

Landscape Craftsmenwww.vashonlandscaping.com

Landscape Design and Installation

Custom Masonry &Outdoor Kitchens

Call Collin Medeiros206 • 463 • 0817

License #LANDSC*933BT

This Thursday ’s Vashon Rotary

Evening Meeting November 20th.Vashon Methodist Church, Main Social Hall

6:00 - 7:30 Lawrence Parks & Dr. Holly MooreSouth Seattle Community College

Culinary Arts & Wine Making Program www.vashonrotary.org

Service above Self Since 1985

Public Welcome

Granny’s Atticat Vashon Health Center

463-3161Open: Tues, Thurs, and Sat, 10 to 5

Donations: 7 days a week 8am-4pm

10010 SW 210th St. – Sunrise Ridge

GRANNY’S

GREENFRIDAYEVENT WILL HAPPEN NOV 28TH, 11AM-2PM

Both stores will be packed

with great gifts for the

entire family!

JOIN US FOR SOME HOLIDAY FUN!

www.vashonbeachcomber.com * 24/7 on the webSCENE & HEARD: FUR BALL SPARKLES

Courtesy Photo

Earlier this month VIPP’s annual fundraiser, the Fur Ball, drew a crowd of 280 guests, which was 40 more than anticipated, and many more were left on a waiting list. At the gala, billed as the “sparkliest fur ball ever,” attendees celebrated VIPP’s 30th year of work on the island with fashion flair, and early reports are that the event brought the organization about $100,000, which is $20,000 more than last year. The Volunteer of the Year award was renamed the Barbara Drinkwater for her service as founder and her 30 years of active volunteering. VIPP’s future plans include researching the possibility of providing and supporting an island dog park. For more information, including animals to adopt, see www.vipp.org.

Page 10 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Auction Committee

Event Volunteers

Donors

Special Auction Support

VIPP Board

The animals at VIPP and those whose lives they touch thank you for your continued support!

Thank You All for Making this

A Shining Star on Vashon for 30 Years!

Put Your Paws Together for our

Sponsors!

You now can follow the

lastest Vashon news updates on facebook®

and twitter™!We’ve made it easy.

Go to The Beachcomber

website and click on the

links in the upper right

corner to start following

us today!

www.vashonbeachcomber.com

Late-breaking news on the go, whenever you want it!

Save th

e Date

!

OPENHOUSE

COUPONS

Look for your

Come join the kick off for the holidays at the Vashon Island

Holiday Open House Celebration!

Saturday, Nov. 29thJoin the Parade leaving Vashon Market at 5:30pm to the Village Green for the

Tree Lighting and Community Celebration! (NOT AT OBER PARK THIS YEAR!)

ThanksgivingThursday, Nov. 27th& Friday, Nov. 28th

Our office will be closed for

The Beachcomber

“This is just the early warning,” said Rick Wallace, also with VashonBePrepared.

About 6,500 homes and business on Vashon lost power during last Tuesday’s windstorm, when winds reaching 60 mph ripped through the region. Some homes were dark until Thursday afternoon, according to Puget Sound Energy (PSE). A similar windstorm two weeks earlier knocked out power to 3,000.

“Now we’ve had two periods where almost everyone on the island at one time or another lost power,” Wallace said. “This is your alarm clock going off, saying, ‘Winter is hap-pening. I need to get ready.’”

Experts say it’s not yet clear what winter has in store for the Pacific Northwest, but more storms are possible. Forecasters have been predicting an El Niño winter, bring-ing weather that’s warmer and drier than average to the region. But Johnny Burg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Seattle office, said that the El Niño weather pattern could be a weak one. The latest forecasts call for a 58 percent chance of El Niño in the next three months.

“Things are looking like it could occur, but anything could happen,” Burg said, adding that an El Niño wouldn’t necessarily preclude a major storm.

“We have had storms during El Niño years,” he said.When storms hit the region, many believe Vashon

is especially vulnerable. The trees that cover the island become hazards in the wind, falling over roads and onto power lines. PSE employs two repairmen who live on Vashon, but when damage requires more help, it relies on off-island crews, which can take time to get to the island.

And when wintery weather brings snow or ice, only the island’s main highway and most-used sideroads see plowing and ice removal, leaving many stranded down unplowed roads or long driveways.

To that end, Wallace and other local volunteers are not only urging preparedness, but trying to make it easier for islanders to handle storms.

Wintertime is when a troupe of volunteers with Voice of Vashon (VoV) are busier than ever, trying to reach Vashon residents with real-time information about power outages, road conditions and ferry delays. The emergency alerts began broadcasting seven years ago on 1650 AM and are now put out on social media, the VoV website and the VashonAll, an email listserv with 1,600 subscribers. The 1650 AM station can now also be accessed on the KVSH app for smartphones and tablets, and Voice of Vashon is working to get alerts bannered on the app and its website and broadcast on KVSH — the new FM station — as well.

“We’re still in our infancy stage technology-wise and still pushing forward to try to reach more of the community,” said Luke McQuillin, who heads VoV’s alert team.

McQuillin said there are currently seven volunteers who take turns being on duty a week at a time for the alerts, which they record from home. They are typically on stand-by from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to disseminate information and are ready to work around the clock in a major emergency.

“There is a level of excitement about it. ... It’s sort of a thrill to feel like I can really help, and it’s important,” he said.

Still, McQuillin said, the alerts require a significant commitment, and the team has had trouble keeping vol-unteers. He said he’d like to enter the winter storm season with at least 10 people on board.

“If we had more people, it would help get some of the loose ends tightened up a little bit,” he said.

Puget Sound Energy is also devising new ways to com-municate this winter. The PSE website has a new outage map that marks all known outages, lists how many are affected and in some instances gives an estimated time for restoration.

Patti McClements, PSE’s community services manager for Vashon, said the power company is also about to announce a new smartphone app that will give similar information.

“Of course, the old fashioned way of calling us still works,” she said.

VashonBePrepared is also stressing an old-fashioned notion this winter — getting to know your neighbors. The nonprofit is beginning another push for island neigh-borhoods to start or revive NEROs, or Neighborhood Emergency Response Organizations.

In past years, about 120 NEROs have formed on Vashon, according to Vicky DeMonterey Richoux, a VashonBePrepared board member who recently took over the NERO program from Joe Ulatoski. She said NEROs typically include five to 15 households that meet at least once a year to get to know each other and determine how they might check on one another and work together during a large storm, earthquake or other emergency. They also designate one or more people who will be responsible for reporting to emergency responders on the status of their neighborhood during a major disaster.

“We’re trying to make a big push this year to get them comfortable with the reporting up part,” she said.

Islanders at Spring Beach recently combined their new NERO with a new block watch effort. Richards, who lives at Spring Beach, said many there have been concerned about suspected drug activity at the south-end neighborhood and wanted to be “proactive instead of reactive.”

As winter is approaching, it seemed natural for a block watch program to go hand-in-hand with an emergency pre-paredness program. Recent meetings have included brief-ings from deputies about crime in the area and what to do if they see suspicious activity, as well as talks about creating emergency kits and treating contaminated drinking water.

“By combining them, we get them thinking about the total package of having a safe neighborhood and watching out for each other,” Richards said, adding that crime is a top concern for many islanders and can bring people to a meeting that they might not otherwise attend. Before ;ast

Friday’s meeting, she said she expected about three-quar-ters of her neighborhood would attend that night.

“The interesting thing is when you talk about crime, everyone is very interested,” she said. “When you talk about being prepared for a natural disaster or some kind of emergency, people tend to say ‘I’ll deal with that later.’”

Not dealing with it later has been the mantra for VashonBePrepared, which routinely urges islanders to con-sider what they will do should a storm or other emergency hit the island.

Wallace said the VashonBePrepared board is currently determining what its public awareness approach will be this winter, but he frequently advises islanders do three things to prepare: have 10 days of food, water and medica-tion on hand, know how to get emergency information and keep an emergency kit in the car.

“If you don’t want to be really uncomfortable, don’t hit the snooze alarm,” he said. “Listen to the wake-up call.”

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 11

Call me for all your insurance needs.

Terry Gangon

4727 44th Ave SW

Suite #101

Seattle, WA 98116

206 935-9955

7901 35th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98126 206-938-8685

EXPERT CARE FOR YOURVOLVO, SAAB, SUBARU OR MINI

FREE shuttle to/from ferry (and loaner cars)

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$2075a month!

Call 206-463-9195

Shop West Seattle

for Fall Savings! We’re just a short ferry ride away!

Call The Beachcomber to place your ad 206-463-9195 or ads@vashonbeachcomber.com

PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET FOR 2015

Meeting date: Tuesday, November 25, 2014

6:30 p.m.Place: 10020 SW Bank Rd,

in the EOC room off the main lobby

PREPAREDNESSCONTINUED FROM 1

For more information on VoV’s emergency alert team, email luke.mcquillin@voiceofvashon.org.To see PSE’s new outage map, visit www.pse.com and click Power Outages.For more information about preparing for storms and other emergencies, see www.vashonbeprepared.org.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 15

CHRISTKINDLMARKT28th-30th

BAVARIAN ICEFEST17th-19th

November

January

December

CHRISTMAS LIGHTING FESTIVAL6th-7th, 13th-14thand 20th-21st

“IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE” 6th-7th, 12th-14thand 19th-21st

BRONN AND KATHERINE JOURNEY CONCERTS 2nd-4th, 8th-10th

CHRISTMAS IN THE MOUNTAINS 5th, 11th and 14th

MARLIN HANDBELL RINGERS1st, 7th-8th

leavenworth.org | 509.548.5807

Everyday I’m Yodelin’You’ll come for a taste of a Bavarian holiday. You’ll leave with so much more. From the village of lights to the holiday concerts and plays, it’s the perfect escape from the everyday.

Help Support John L. Scott’sTOY DRIVE

Our Island Kids need your help!PLEASE DONATE: Games • Toys • Sporting Goods

School Art Supplies • New Clothes (all sizes)Drop off these items at the following locations:

THRIFTWAY • ISLAND LUMBER • VASHON PHARMACY HARBOR MERCANTILE • VASHON MARKET/ IGA

TRUE VALUE • SAWBONES Make your cash donation payable to: VYFS

and mail to John L. Scott VashonPO Box 2009, Vashon, WA 98070

Info: Joyce Smith 206.372.5030

Your Island Mortgage Consultant Since 1999Give me a call or apply on-line

Mike EnglandMortgage Consultant

WA-MLO-55142 NMLS #3274Call me on my cell phone

206-271-3219www.MikeOEngland.com I won’t drop the ball!

25th Holly Daze will offer gifts and moreThis weekend a long holiday tradition on

Vashon will continue when the Holly Daze Bazaar takes over the McMurray Middle School cafeteria.

This year’s bazaar will feature more than 57 local vendors who will have holiday gifts, crafts, decorations and food for sale. Handmade items for purchase will include jewelry, soaps, pet toys, garden decora-tions, reclaimed art, alpaca scarves and carved wood items. Hot dogs will be on hand for those who come hungry, and gift-wrapping service will be provided.

Holly Daze organizers call the bazaar a one-stop shop for all things holiday.

“Buy something for someone special, and take advantage of the gift wrapping service,” said Molly Malone in a press

release, “all in a festively decorated hall, with background holiday music.”

Holly Daze is not a fundraiser; vendor pay a modest fee for their tables, but retains all their profits.

Malone said Holly Daze was first put on in 1990 by the Vashon Soroptomists as a way to give the island’s creative peo-ple an opportunity to sell their handi-crafts and earn some extra holiday cash. The Soroptomists continued to sponsor the event until 2010, when the St. John Vianney Catholic Church’s women’s group took over producing the annual bazaar.

Holly Daze will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the McMurray Middle School cafeteria.

PSE to give customers one-time credit from multi-million-dollar sale in 2010

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is giving all its costumers a one-time payout from the 2010 sale of its infrastructure in Jefferson County. Homes on Vashon will see, on average, a $40 credit on their power bills in December and January.

PSE sold its Jefferson County power grid Jefferson Public Utility District 1 for $103 million. In October, the state Utilities and Transportation Commission approved PSE’s request to distribute of $5.27 million from the sale, plus interest that has accrued, to PSE customers in a one-time payout. PSE chose to give out

the credit during the wintertime, when electricity bills are typically higher.

Every PSE customer — residential and commercial — will see credit from the sale based on their electricity use dur-ing the month of December. The average residential customers will see a credit of about $40, and larger users could see more.

The credit will appear automatically on billing statements. Most customers will see a portion of the credit on their December statement, and the remainder on their January bill.

been targeted,” Johns said. Of specific concern to Johns and his ven-

dors are are the fees for the farmers market recurring coordinator permit and the two types of temporary food vendor permits.

The coordinator permit, which is required to hold a farmers market, is slated to increase from $502 for the market’s sea-son to $1,162 — an increase of more than 130 percent.

Johns said that while the Vashon Island Growers Association, which is responsible for the market, hopes not to pass any extra financial burden to its vendors, he also isn’t sure how the organization, which already has a thin budget, would manage the dif-ference.

“Our vendors are going to be challenged enough as it is,” he said. “We’ll find some way to cover it.”

The challenge for about a quarter of the market’s vendors will come in the form of a 42 percent increase for a regular temporary food vendor permit, from $281 to $400, and a staggering 264 percent increase for a limited temporary food vendor permit, from $55 to $200. The difference between the two permits is based on several factors, including preparation details, temperature control and packaging.

“It wouldn’t be so bad if we didn’t have to get re-permitted for every venue we want to sell at,” said Richard Thompson, who owns Midlife Crisis Farms.

Thompson normally sells meat and sau-sages at the Vashon Farmers Market, as well as the Strawberry Festival and the sheepdog trials, and needs both the regular and limited permits.

“Between the three venues and both per-mits for each, I’m in to the county for a lot of money,” he said.

Patty Freebourn, who sells her tamales at the Vashon and Tacoma farmers markets, would also be affected by the increased fees. She and Thompson both said the proposed increases could force them to cut back on their business by reducing the number of venues they work.

“It’s too much. It will absolutely affect what I bring home. It’s like a double wham-

my for the food vendors,” Freebourn said, since they have to pay fees to the market as well as fees for permits. “We are small businesses, and maybe it doesn’t sound like much, but this will add enough to the over-head that we’ll work really hard and come out with less.”

The vendors that require the temporary food vendor permits are primarily those that sell prepared or processed food, leav-ing produce and egg farmers mostly unaf-fected by this proposal.

Joe Yarkin, co-owner of Sun Island Farm and a fixture at the Vashon Farmers Market, is primarily a fresh produce vendor but usually sells a small crop of lamb meat in the spring, which does require a tempo-rary food vendor permit. Should that fee increase, he said, it likely wouldn’t be worth it to continue selling the lamb.

“When we’re only talking about two or three lambs, the profit would be lost,” he

said.Yarkin went on to say that he doesn’t

want to see the fees raised, even though it wouldn’t affect his business as much as others.

“This will really hurt the smallest pro-ducers the most, because it will affect their whole business plan,” he said. “The pro-posed fees are just so disproportional.”

The county has been taking public com-ment on the proposal since August and has heard concerns from markets across King County, Elias said. Johns said that VIGA and many of its farmers market vendors have submitted their own comments.

The response to the new fee schedule has been so significant that a decision on the proposal has been pushed back, Elias said, and several more meetings were added this month for stakeholders in those per-mit categories. Elias explained that while there have been misconceptions about the

proposal, EHS has received so much feed-back that the department is now working on alternatives to present to the Board of Health in December.

“We’ve received a lot of good comments and suggestions,” she said. “We are trying our best to come up with mitigation strate-gies now.”

While it was never the county’s intent to target farmers markets or their vendors, Elias said, a recent analysis of EHS’s fees found that the county had been underes-timating the time these particular permits require of its staff. The last analysis was done in 2008.

“We found that for whatever reasons, the time estimates from that 2008 study were just way too low for these particular permits,” Elias said.

EHS is a 100 percent cost recovery pro-gram, which means that fees must cover all of its operating costs, and the division has not raised its fees since 2012. Higher oper-ating costs due to the addition of staff as well as a jump in permit demand, coupled with the need to reconcile the time esti-mates, have all contributed to the large fee increases.

King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who chairs the Board of Health, said he is aware of the concern among the county’s farmers markets and indicated it may be possible for the county to lower the proposed fees.

“While we want to maintain full cost recovery, I know the subcommittee is tak-ing another look at what the rate is and what the fees are to see if there are better ways to align the work that the department is doing and in any way lower the proposed fee increases,” he said.

On Dec. 18, the Board of Health will hold a public meeting to hear from EHS regarding the feedback it’s received and any possible changes or alternatives. At the meeting the board will also take public comments for a final time before voting on the fee schedule. A final decision is not expected until after the new year.

“I really don’t know how this is going to play out,” Elias said. “The board might approve it as is, or they might request that we restructure things. ... In the meantime, we’re doing our best to come up with solutions according to the feedback we’ve received.”

Page 18 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Serving Vashon Island Since 1929 463-9134

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Holiday Open HouseSaturday, Nov. 29th• 5-8 pm

Music • Prizes • Community Tree lightingDrop off Open House

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Patty Freebourn is worried that if the county raises its permit fees, she may not be able to continue to sell her tamales at both the Vashon and Tacoma farmers markets. The county is currently reconsidering the fee proposal.

MARKETCONTINUED FROM 1

AT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICE

To place an ad in the Service Directory, contact Daralyn at 463-9195. Deadline for ad placement is Friday at 1pm.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 19

Advertiseyour business in

this space for only $32.25 a week!Call 463-9195

Island Yoga

Located in the Thriftwayshopping center

463-2058Islandyogacenter.com

Professional & Caring StaffServing Vashon Since 2003

K’s Cleaning ServiceLet Our Professional Friendly Team

Help you with:Move Outs

ClosingsPrep for Listings

Rentals/Vacation Rentals

Karilyn Hoffmannkspunkyhoff@aol.com

Gift Certifi cates Available 206-463-9587 or 206-498-9401

One Time Cleans now available!

(waiting list full for regular clients)

RUSS HUBERCONSTRUCTIONRemodeling Specialist

Fine FinishworkOver 25 years in local construction

206-463-3118 Small projects welcomeMany island referencesLicensed–Bonded–Insured

RUSSHC*044QA

206-793-7749 • 206-618-9352

BrothersLandscaping

General Yard MaintenanceCall any time for an appointment

Alberto

Remodel, Deck, Siding, Concrete, Landscaping

Ignacio Ordoñez GarciaGeneral ContractorTEL: 206.463.0306 | CELL: 206.769.3077FAX: 206.463.0357ordonezconstruction@yahoo.com

Lic # ORDONCL874QEInsured & BondedORDOÑEZ

CONSTRUCTION LLC

Loving Care for Animals, Plants & Homes

Serving Vashon Island since 1996

567-0560 228-4841joannawgardiner@hotmail.com

D&De l e c t r i c

Vashon Island ContractorCommercial & Residential

Electrical Installation & Repair

206-463-3977cell 206-409-1822

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VashonCompassionate Pet Care

Judy Pells206.949.6318

Providing peace of mind when travel takes you away from home.

House Calls or Home Stays.Now booking for 2015!

Bonded and Insured

You now can follow the lastest Vashon news updates on

facebook® & twitter™!We’ve made it easy.

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on the links in the upper right corner to start

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Late-breaking news on the go,

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AT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICE To place an ad in the Service Directory, contact Daralyn at 463-9195. Deadline for ad placement is Friday at 1pm.

Island Mechanical ServicesHeating and Cooling

Specializing in Service and Repair of Gas Fireplaces and Parlor Stoves

Shawn DuFresne206-567-4848

islandmechanicalservices48@yahoo.com8017 SW Dilworth Rd., Vashon WA 98070

Reg: CC ISLANMS8690E

To place an ad in the Service Directory, contact Daralyn at 463-9195. Deadline for ad placement is Friday at 1pm.

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BIG RETURNSThis size ad in the Service Directory for only $32.25 wk. Call 463-9195

Follow us on Facebook!Look for Country Store and Farm

Shipping room hours: M-F 9:30am to 4:30pmPackage drop-off Sat. & Sun. to be shipped on Mon.

Authorized U-HAUL® Dealer

Trucks, Trailers, Moving Accessories,

Supplies & Boxes

An Island Business with Island Employees

www.ro-enterprises.com | jim@roentinc.com | 206.818.8371Lic# ROENTEI924RS

RO Remodeling & Construction

cks & SidingKitch nsBathrooms

Additions

Awarded Best of Houzz 2014

206-935-1575Michael KennicottIsland Resident

WA 98108

CONT.LIC# BETTERC052DT

Bob Webster

handyman service

(206) 455-4245

bobwebsterhms@gmail.com

Licensed, Bonded & Insured LIC# BOBWEWH9290E

ACCEPTED

Monday-Friday 8–6pmwww.ricksdiagnostic.com 463-9277

Diagnostic & Repair Service, Inc.

Auto & Truck Repair • Towing For your convenience,

now open on Saturdays 9-5!

Thinking about remodeling?

Lidunn Ø Cain

Vashon Island • (206) 422-4519 • www.rethinkdesign.net

Save time and money.Start smart!Explore your options.

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HOME WIZARDS, LLCWe Specialize In Helping You Prepare Your Home For $ale!

• Interior/Exterior Remodel

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• Excellent References

• No project too small• Kitchen & Bath Face Lifts• Drywall & Painting• Landscaping-All Facets• Electrical

Charlie Helsby & Everett WittmanLicensed, Bonded & Insured General Contractors

Lic# HOMEWWL875C5

Time toWinterize... Call the Wiz!

...an energy management team

We service gas & electric

heating systems

463-1777 www.VashonHeating.comWA Lic #VASHOHC8917F and #VASHOHC891PF

206-465-5008

CUSTOMSLIPCOVERS

by Karen Bean

www.slipcoversbykarenbean.comnow featuring my new on-line shop

Page 20 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

BRUCE HAULMAN and TERRY DONNELLYFor The Beachcomber

The Matsuda Farm at Center, just behind the K2 facility, along with the Otsuka Farm just north of Vashon town, were the last large-scale commercial strawberry farms on Vashon. At its largest the Matsuda Farm was nearly 50 acres and sold strawberries throughout the Puget Sound region. The Vashon Maury Island Land Trust is in the process of purchasing 12 acres of this piece of Vashon’s agricultural history to assure that the farm passes from one farmer to the next, that it continues agricultural production into the future and that it provides possibilities to develop trail con-nections with Island Center Forest and Vashon town.

During the 1920s and 1930s, strawberries were the largest single crop produced on Vashon, and by the 1930s many of the strawberry farms on Vashon were owned or farmed by Japanese immigrants and their families. The Matsuda fam-ily is a good example of how the Japanese came to Vashon, became a part of the community, were imprisoned during World War II, returned to the island after the war and then experienced the collapse of Vashon agriculture as outside forces made commercial farming no longer viable on the island.

Heisuke and Mitsuno Matsuda, along with their American-born children Yoneichi (1923) and Mary (1925), came to Vashon in 1927 and began farming on leased land at Shawnee. In 1930, for $2,000, they purchased 10 acres at Center, built a four-bedroom house and a barn and began to develop the Matsuda Farm. Because Japanese immigrants were not allowed to become American citizens, because the anti-Japanese land laws prevented non-citizen Japanese from owning land and because Yoneichi was not yet of legal age, the Matsuda’s purchased the land in the name of Daiichi Umani, the adult, American-born son of their good friends and former employers in Fife.

During World War II, Executive Order 9066 declared the West Coast an Exclusion Zone for those of Japanese descent and directed their mass evacuation. On May 16, 1942, the Japanese on Vashon were evacuated. The Matsudas were removed and imprisoned, first at Pinedale Assembly Center, then at Tule Lake, Heart Mountain, and finally Minidoka Internment Camps. During their imprisonment, Mary joined the Cadet Nurse Corps and trained as a nurse in Clinton, Iowa. Yoneichi joined the famous all-Japanese 442nd Regimental Combat Team and fought in Italy and France, winning a bronze star for bravery under fire.

Following the war, the Matsudas returned to their Vashon farm in September 1945 and resumed growing strawberries and loganberries as their primary crops. Yoneichi joined his parents after his father was injured in an accident in May 1946 and took over management of the farm. Mary retuned to Vashon in mid-1947 and then moved to Seattle to begin her nursing career with Providence Hospital and

later Group Health Coopeartive. Yoneichi successfully ran the farm while also teaching at Ingraham High School in Seattle. Yonechi was named 1957 Conservation Farmer of the Year by the King County Soil Conservation Service for his innovative work in developing storm water retention ponds. He married Marjorie in 1958 and they had four daughters. Marjorie died in 1973, and in 1977 he married Miyoko. Yoneichi and Miyoko planted their last strawberry crop in about 1981, and in 1985, after retiring from teaching and harvesting the strawberries, Yonechi suffered a heart attack and died. Miyoko continued to run the farm but did not replant strawberries. She is the last of the Matsudas liv-ing on Vashon. Mary, her children and Yoneichi’s children all live off-island.

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald has recounted her family’s experiences in her books “Looking Like the Enemy” and “Becoming Mama San,” and islander Tom Spring has devel-oped a fine summary history of the Matsuda farm available at the land trust. The Matsuda Farm is a good example of the changes Vashon has experienced from being agricul-tural based economy in the early-to-mid 20th century to a commuter/service based economy in the early 21st century. From a time when land was primarily used for agriculture, to today when land is primarily used for housing and for recreation.

— Bruce Haulman is an island historian, and Terry Donnelly is an island photographer.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 21

TIME&AGAINVashon-Maury PANAMA HOTEL JAZZ: Steve Griggs and his ensemble will play a show inspired by the novel

“Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” this weekend. The hotel became a safe haven for personal items of many Japanese Americans while they were imprisoned during World War II. The show will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Heron.

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ISLANDSECURITYSELF STORAGE

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WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS

Japanese family farm reflects a troubled time in our history

Matsuda family photo, top and Terry Donnelly photo, bottom

Yoneichi, Heisuke, Mary and Mitsuno Matsuda stand in front of the Matsuda farmhouse in 1931 (top), and Miyoko Matsuda visits the 1930 farmhouse in 2014.

Page 22 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

All-Merciful SaviourOrthodox Monastery

9933 SW 268th St. (south of Dockton)SUNDAYS: DIVINE LITURGY 9:00 am

Followed by PotluckCelebrating 2000 years of Orthodox Christianity Call for a schedule weekday and Holy Day services.

463-5918www.vashonmonks.com

Burton Community ChurchALL ARE WELCOME

INSPIRATION not Indoctrination!Worship 11 amMaggie Laird

Pianist/Choir Director463-9977

www.burtonchurch.org

Bethel Church14736 Bethel Lane SW(Corner of SW 148th St.

and 119th Ave. SW)9am Sunday Bible School

10am WorshipFollowed by coffee fellowship

AWANA Thurs 6:00pm Sept-May

Offi ce phone 567-4255

Vashon Island Community Church

Worship Service 10:00 am (Children’s Church for preschool–5th graders)

Offi ce Phone 463-3940Pastors:

Mike Ivaska and Frank Davis9318 SW Cemetery Road

www.VICC4Life.com

Men’s Bible StudyFellowship (BSF)Pan-Denominational

Tuesdays from6:45 pm to 8:30 pm

Vashon Island Community Church(VICC) Across from McMurray

Any Questions? (206) 335-2009

Catholic ChurchSt. John Vianney

Mass–Saturdays at 5:00 pmSundays 8:00am and 10:30am

Pastor: Rev. Marc Powell16100 115th Avenue SW,

Vashon WA 98070

office 567-4149 rectory 567-5736www.stjohnvianneyvashon.com

Vashon Island Unitarian Fellowship

Community, Diversity, Freedom of Belief,Enrichment of Spirit

Sunday at 9:45 amReligious Exploration for toddlers – 8th Grade

Lewis Hall (Behind Burton Community Church)

23905 Vashon Hwy SW

Info: www.vashonuu.org • 463-4775

Vashon Friends Worship Group

(Quakers)

10 am Meeting for Silent Worshipin members’ homes.

Call for Location567-5279 463-9552

Havurat Ee ShalomServing the spiritual, social and

intellectual needs of Vashon’s Jewish Community

9:30 am Saturday Services

15401 Westside Hwy SWPO Box 89, Vashon, WA 98070

463-1399www.vashonhavurah.org

Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit

The Rev. Canon Carla Valentine PryneThe Rev. Ann Saunderson, Priest Assoc.

Sundays – 7:45 am & 10:15 amChurch School & Religious Exploration 9:00am

Child CareMid-week Eucharist, Wednesday–12:30pm

15420 Vashon Hwy SW 567-4488www.holyspiritvashon.org

Vashon Lutheran Church18623 Vashon Hwy. SW (1/2 mile south of Vashon)

Children’s Hour 10:30 am (Sept.- June)

Holy Communion Worship 10:30 amRev. Tim Wolbrecht

Rev. Jeff Larson, Ph.D.vm: 206-463-6359

www.vashonluthernchurch.org/JeffLarson/JeffLarson.htm

463-2655

Vashon United Methodist Church17928 Vashon Hwy SW

(one block south of downtown)

Pastor: Rev. Dr. Kathryn MorseSunday Service & Sunday School

10:00 a.m.Childcare Available at All Services.

Offi ce open Mon.–Thurs. 9 a.m. – 12 noon 463-9804

www.vashonmethodist.orgoffi ce@vashonmethodist.org

Calvary Full Gospel Church at Lisabeula

Worship 10:30 am & 7:00 pmThursday Bible Study 7:00 pm

Call for locationSaturday Prayer 7:30 pm

Pastor Stephen R. Sears463-2567

Our VashonIsland Community

warmly invitesyou and your family to

worship with them.

Pla ces of Wors hipon our Island

(Liquor service is available to members and their guests) WAC 314-52-115(1)

VASHON EAGLES

Anyone can attend at no charge.Potluck side dishes or desserts gladly

accepted but not required.

Everyone is invited toVashon Eagles Aerie #3144!

Thursday, November 27th, 2014

3:30 – 6:30 pm

ThanksgivingDinner

Tuesday,November 257 p.m.

happy an interfaithevening of

gratitude

A gathering of gratitude featuring:

We will collect donations and food for the Vashon-Maury Community Food Bank.

COMMUNITY

Chautauqua holiday food drive

Students at Chautauqua Elementary School and the public can donate canned and boxed goods for the school’s annual food drive between Monday, Dec. 1, and Monday, Dec. 15.

All donated food will be given to the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank. Public donations are wel-come and can be dropped

in the boxes provided in the school’s main entrance.

Donations from students can be put in the main entrance of the school or in the classroom and will be counted in a daily count. All food will be gathered daily by Mrs. Smith’s class and brought to the gym hallway for display.

HONOR

Seattle Distilling Company

Vashon’s Seat t le Distilling company recent-ly brought home two more honors. The busi-ness was named Western Washington’s Best Spirits/

Distillery by King 5 Evening Magazine. The awards are based on votes from local area experts, and Seattle Distilling Company was chosen for as the best among 23 distilleries in Western Washington.

Last week the distillery also won gold for its Seattle Distilling Coffee Liqueur at The Great American Distillers Festival in Portland.

Beachcomber holiday deadlines

The Beachcomber will have early dead-lines this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Arts news should be sub-mitted to the arts editor at

arts@vashonbeachcomber.com by noon today.

Calendar listings are due by 5 p.m. today. Email cal-endar@vashonbeachcomb-ear.com.

Display advertising and letters to the editor are due by noon on Thursday.

Sports news should be submitted by noon on Friday.

Obituaries are due by 9 a.m. on Friday, and classi-fied ads should be called in to 1-800-388-2527 by 3 p.m. on Friday.

For questions about edi-torial content, contact edi-tor@vashonbeachcomber.com. For information about advertising, contact publisher@vashonbeach-comber.com.

FYIVashon-Maury Early Deadlines

for next week’s paperWednesday Noon

Wednesday 5pm

Thursday Noon

Friday NoonFriday 9amFriday 3pm

Arts News

News stories Calendar listings Community & Club NewsLetters to the Editor Display advertising

Sports news

Obituaries

Classified line ads, called in to 1-800-388-2527

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 23

Emma Amiad, Realtor

I’m giving to the VCC Foundation to help secure the future of VCC and senior care on Vashon.You can help too. For as little as $5 each month, you can become a sustaining member of VCCF like me.

It’s easy. Just go to www.vashoncommunitycare.org to learn how.

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION FORTODAY AND FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

ORG

.

TACOMA FAULT LINE

a nonprofit organization that would offer support services to island providers. Such a step is important to assist and retain the providers who are here, they say, as well as draw new ones to the island.

In recent years, several of the island’s longtime health professionals left their jobs, with many attributing their depar-tures to an unsustainable lifestyle in part because of the after-hours call burden. Chad Magnuson, the most recent doctor to leave, attributed his decision to an increas-ing load of non-medical tasks: billing, working with insurance providers, par-ticipating in audits and keeping records to comply with state and federal regulations.

Several of Vashon’s current providers express the same frustrations as those who left, according to Gornall and John Jenkel, an attorney and the group’s secretary and treasurer. After considerable research, the men say that members of their coalition believe creating a nonprofit that develops in stages according to need and possibly grows into a clinic or other medical facility is likely the best option to achieve the col-laborative’s goal: to create an island-owned or directed system that is not beholden to any larger entity.

“Our vision is not entirely clear, but is evolving,” Jenkel said.

Such an organization would serve several providers, taking advantage of the benefits that come with economies of scale, and could include diverse offerings: insurance billing services, assistance with on-call ser-vice and coordination, recruitment help and the ordering of medical and clinic supplies.

By taking up these aspects of medical care, the organization would lessen some of the issues that “eat away” at providers,

Gornall said, allowing them to focus on patient care.

“If we do not take care of our providers … they cannot provide,” he added.

Katie Konrad, a popular nurse practi-tioner who began working at the Vashon Women’s Health Center this month and pre-viously worked at Fulton Family Medicine, recently joined the collaborative because she believes it has the potential to improve medical care on the island. From her own experience, she is familiar with the island’s demands of providing clinical care, which caused her to take a several-month sabbati-cal earlier this year and then return to work just one day a week after wondering if she could return to work on the island at all.

“I think we need innovative solutions,” she said.

Konrad, like some others on Vashon, noted that there is a shortage of primary care practitioners on Vashon, and in par-ticular, a shortage of those who will accept Medicare. Gornall added this is particularly troubling given the island’s demographics: 17 percent of the island’s population is over 65, compared to 12 percent in the rest of King County.

The Franciscan clinic sees patients with Medicare, but Fulton Family Medicine is closed to new Medicare patients for now, according to clinic manager Kathy Henke, and the Vashon Women’s Health Center — which only sees women — requires that Medicare recipients also have a supplemen-tal policy, Konrad said.

Naturopathic physicians are not eligible to be covered through Medicare, but Kelly Wright, owner of Vashon Natural Medicine, said that the medical doctors who work at her office, Kim Farrell — who left the Vashon Health Center two years ago because of the prolonged heavy workload — and Carolyn Brinkley, do not accept it either, as reimbursement rates are too low.

Naturopath Nicole Maxwell said she is feeling the Medicare crush at her clinic, as she has several patients who are getting close to Medicare age, and she feels that options are limited for where to send them.

It is a situation Gornall and other mem-bers of the group take seriously.

“Everyday one of us on the island is get-ting over 65, and we need to address this,” he said.

In looking for ways a nonprofit organiza-tion might support the delivery of local med-ical services, the collaborative is also explor-ing creating a lab, which local providers could rely on instead of sending their blood work off-island. Having such a lab would provide a level of health security, supporters say, for example, if tests are needed in the middle of the night or in case of disaster.

Now, with the survey distributed to 15 providers, collaborative members are hop-ing to get responses back by Friday and evaluate the results. With this information in hand, Gornall said they will know better how to proceed.

“What does the audience really want?” he said. “What (services) would be used or not used up front, or is there sufficient interest at all?”

For her part, Maxwell, who is not a mem-ber of the collaborative but has attended some of the meetings and completed the survey, said she would like to see indepen-dent providers sharing large resources, such an an X-ray machine. Her clinic does not have one, she noted, and her patients must travel off-island to get an X-ray. The situ-ation arises about twice a month, she said, and can be burdensome.

At Fulton Family Medicine, Henke said that clinic’s largest need is staff. It has been a difficult year there, she said, as the clinic has routinely been short staffed, and they have found it difficult to find people who want to work on Vashon. A clinic may have 5,000

patient charts, but if there is not enough staff to treat them, some people will not have access to timely care, she added.

“I think the crisis is personnel,” she said.Gornall and Jenkel say they are well aware

of staffing concerns on Vashon, and have heard about it from many quarters, includ-ing real estate agents.

“The fact is you have people moving off the island because they cannot get the care they want, and some people do not want to move here because the lack of services,” Gornall said.

But before the collaborative would try to bring new providers in, they say they believe they need to fix the system and alleviate some of the challenges of practicing here.

In the coming weeks, with the survey information in hand, group members will look closely at the financial component of what they are attempting to do. Providers would pay to take part in any new program, but it would likely require a community contribution as well. They will also con-tinue talking with health care providers and meet with political officials at the county, state and federal levels. They would like to have a business model in place by the end of January, Gornall said, and come to the community with more information by the end of February.

“Every day that goes by, the needs get greater,” he added.

The men noted that they are not con-ferring with providers at the Franciscan-owned health center because that clinic is part of a large entity and gets support from it. Their focus is the independent providers, a group that is becoming increasingly rare as consolidation in the health care industry is now the norm.

“Does that mean every community should just give up?” Gornall asked. “We are going upstream against a trend. If not here, where?”

HEALTH CARECONTINUED FROM 1

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