vashon-maury island beachcomber, april 25, 2012

75¢WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012 Vol. 57, No. 17 www.vashonbeachcomber.com

BEACHCOMBERVASHON-MAURY ISLAND

TIMELESS MELODIES

Sondheim revue is a benefit for Drama Dock.

1

PIRATES ON A ROLL

Soccer team wins four games in a row.

Page 16

CRIME | Cross stolen in Catholic church burglary. Page 3EDUCATION| Schools founda-tion is halfway to goal. Page 4COMMENTARY | Immigrant injustice touches home. Page 6

What’s happened to the famed exercise bikes? Islanders want to know

A mystery at Portage

County suspends rumble strip project

By LESLIE BROWNStaff Writer

King County abruptly halted a $75,000 project to install rumble strips along Vashon Highway last week after a group of cyclists — concerned the grooves and ridges will make bike-riding more hazardous — organized a

hasty but spirited protest.County officials said the state-

funded project, which began last week and is about half-way complete, will not resume until they’ve had time to talk to Vashon cyclists and address their concerns. They hope to hold an open house on Vashon in mid-May.

“We want to make sure the com-munity knows what the project entails, why we’re doing it and hear from them,” said Rochelle Ogershok, a spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Transportation. “We’re

making plans to have a conversationwith folks.”

Cyclists quickly rallied last weekas news of the highway project — theinstallation of rumble strips down the center of Vashon Highway and along most of its shoulders — spread through their large but loose-knit community. Emails f lew. Several called top-ranking county officials. And by Friday morning, a handful of cyclists stood on the corner of Vashon

By NATALIE JOHNSONStaff Writer

For years, drivers on Dockton Road, beachgoers at Tramp Harbor and visitors to the Island have been delighted, or at least bemused, by a row of old exercise bikes that were left at Portage.

Across the street from the now-vacant Portage Store, the bikes curiously faced Tramp Harbor, as if beckoning some-one to hop on and take a spin. The so-called Portage Bikes joined the ranks of Vashon’s quirky spots, along with the John Deere Pond, the Jesus Barn and the bike in the tree, and have been immortalized in vacation photos, Vashon-themed greeting cards and even in county Councilmember Joe McDermott’s Facebook cover photo.

But for the first time in recent memory, Portage has been empty of exercise equipment for about a month. And the circumstances surrounding the bikes’ disappearance — be it upset neighbors, a landowner tired of the clutter or scrap metal collectors looking for a few extra bucks — seem to be a mystery.

“I’m very sad,” said Kate Hunter, who has lived near Portage with her husband for more than 20 years. “I think it was the sweetest thing.”

Hunter said she made the Portage Bikes a regular stop whenever friends visited the Island.

“We called it the Tramp Harbor Athletic Club,” she said with a laugh.

Bruce Haulman, a Vashon historian and retired college professor who lives near Ellisport, said he too misses the bikes, which overlooked what he calls Pedal Beach.

“It’s part of the quirkiness of Vashon. I’m sad to see it disappear,” he said.

The eclectic mix of exercise equipment has morphed over the years. Some bicycles came and went, and every now and

Leslie Brown/Staff Photo

Cyclists, from left, Rusty Knowler, Charles Backus and Steve Abel, listen as Sheriff ’s Dep. D.R. Shaw advises them not block the county’s project. In the background is Robert Henry, a foreman for the private contractor on the project.

SEE PROJECT, PAGE 12

Cyclists say grooves will make cycling more dangerous

SEE EXERCISE BIKES, PAGE 19

Rick Wallace Photo

Maria Marcy works with Anne Terry and Conni Clark during a rehearsal.

Lessons from an opera: When singing in Russian, advice from a coach can helpBy GENE CARLSONFor The Beachcomber

Maria Marcy carefully balances a brimming cup of chai on a tipsy round table at Minglement. “Did you know chai in Russian means ‘black tea’?” she says.

No, I did not. To be honest, I know next to noth-ing about the Russian language. Which could be a major problem since I’ve signed up to sing in the chorus of Vashon Opera’s mid-May production of one of Russia’s best-known operas, Tchaikovsky’s

“Eugene Onegin.” To sing, that is, in Russian.It seems like a daunting task for a non-Slavophile.

Fortunately, the enthusiastic and endlessly patientMaria Marcy, is on call. A native Russian speaker and Vashon resident for the past 15 years, Maria has, in addition to singing in the 21-member chorus, agreed to act as Russian tutor for the entire opera cast.

The need for a language coach is obvious from the first choral rehearsal. For starters, the words in Tchaikovsky’s score are written in Cyrillic, the

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By ELIZABETH SHEPHERDStaff Writer

A burglar who broke into St. John Vianney Church Thursday night made off with a large wooden cross used in proces-sionals, a fax machine, the parish’s sound equipment and a surveillance system that was in the process of being installed.

Constance Walker, the church’s pastoral assistant for administration, said the bur-glary was discovered on Friday morning by the church’s facilities supervisor.

The thief or thieves broke a small win-dow in the church’s social hall to enter the building. Walker said that the gates to the parking lot of the church had been closed on Thursday night after a meeting and that the burglar had apparently moved boulders blocking access to the parking lot and dam-aged a large rhododendron bush in order to drive onto the church grounds.

It’s not the first time the church has been burglarized. In 2008, someone stole the church’s safe, which divers later came across on the sea floor just off the Tramp Harbor dock. And an attempted break-in last December prompted a parishioner to purchase the surveillance system that was stolen this time around.

Walker said it appeared the thief had

spent enough time in the building to explore almost every corner of the church.

“He got into every room except the office and the sacristy,” she said, noting that sev-eral doors to rooms in the church had been pried open and damaged, and that file cabi-nets and desks had been rifled through. The burglar unsuccessfully attempted to break into the church’s safe, and a truck belong-ing to the church had also been tampered with, resulting in a broken ignition switch.

Whoever robbed the church was also hungry, she said — leaving behind a half-consumed plate of cookies and cans of soda that had been taken from the church’s refrigerator.

And in a criminal move filled with irony, the thief even attempted to pry open the door to the church’s unlocked confessional.

On Sunday, Rev. Marc Powell, the parish priest, delivered a homily about the bur-glary, saying he hoped that the thief would eventually find his way back to the confes-sional to seek forgiveness for his sins.

Powell singled out the theft of the church’s large cross as potentially helpful in terms of instilling remorse in the guilty party.

“It’s so big, he can’t sell it,” he said. “He’s got to keep it, perhaps in his living space. Slowly but surely, that cross will start to work on him.”

The Vashon Park District has delayed voting on a measure to raise user fees for youth sports groups so that the clubs can meet with the agency and discuss their concerns about the proposal, according to district officials.

The five-member board announced the proposal in March with an eye toward pass-ing the measure at one of its meetings in April. But park district Executive Director Jan Milligan said the board decided to revisit the issue at its May 8 meeting after hearing that some clubs felt the higher fees would place an undue burden on families.

Milligan said she’s seeking more finan-cial information from the clubs as well as a history of the fees they’ve paid over the years. “The commissioners are just wanting me to gather more information so that they can reevaluate this whole thing,” she said.

The park district sets fees for the use of both park and school facilities under an interlocal agreement that places the park district in charge of maintaining fields and collecting fees for extracurricular use of school facilities. Under the proposal, spear-headed by Commissioner David Hackett, teams that use fields and gyms would pay

$15 per player per season — money thatwould go into special accounts to cover “extraordinary maintenance” or “extraor-dinary operational expenses” at the facility their team plays at.

But some leagues have expressed concern about the new fees, noting that they’re already charging their players so as to cover the costs associated with their use of Vashon’s public facilities. Vashon Island Junior Basketball (VIJB), for instance, recently purchased a new scoreboard for the school gym where the club plays, said Pat Call, a member of the VIJB board.

“The program has managed itself OK this way, and we’ve been able to keep the fees pretty constant,” Call said.

Foss Miller, who heads VIJB, agreed, adding that a $15 hike in fees would amount to a 30 percent increase for his club’s mem-bers and prove prohibitive for some ofthem. Like Call, he said he doesn’t know why additional funds are needed.

“What would the money be used for?We’re not getting a good, straight answer,” he said.

— Leslie Brown

Park district postpones vote on fee hike

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Over the last two years, the Vashon Alliance to Reduce Substance Abuse (VARSA) has collected over 350 pounds of prescription and other drugs for disposal from the community. Partnering with Vashon Pharmacy, King County

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By LESLIE BROWNStaff Writer

Debi Richards, who’s helmed the Vashon Island Chamber of Commerce for nearly two years, announced last week that she’s stepping down from the demanding post.

Richards will see the chamber through the Strawberry Festival, the organization’s biggest annual event, drawing as many as 30,000 people. The board, she said, hopes to hire someone in the next couple of months who will be able to work with her as she plans and oversees the festival. She expects to step down in mid-August.

Richards said she was resigning for personal — not professional — rea-sons.

“This has been a fabulous job. And I’ve been very supported and embraced by the businesses and the community and the board,” she said.

Asked to explain her decision, she answered, “I don’t want to get too philosophical or personal. … It’s just something I need to do in my life right now.”

Richards stepped into the executive director’s position at a tricky time for the chamber. Some Islanders were unhappy about plans the chamber had announced to increase tourism on the Island. At the same time, there was tension between the chamber and the Merchants Association — shop own-ers, many of whom were also chamber members, who developed the associa-tion to try to enhance Vashon Town’s retail life.

Natalie Sheard, owner of Cafe Luna

and a member of both the chamber and the Merchants Association, said Richards did much to heal the rift. Indeed, she said, she believed Richards agreed to become the executive direc-tor in large part because she knew she could play a positive role

“She really wanted to mend the gap between the merchants and the cham-ber. And she knew she could mend it,” Sheard said.

Richards, she added, is a good com-municator and a “people person.” What’s more, she said, she made it clear that “she was on the merchants’ side.”

At the same time, Sheard said, she’s not surprised by Richards’ decision. The post is a challenging one, she said,

adding, “She’s a grandma. She wants to slow down in her life. Who can blame her?”

Richards has been at the cham-ber for six years, working first as an assistant in the two-person office before becoming the director. Patti McClements, the chamber’s board chair and the manager of Puget Sound Energy’s community service office on Vashon, said in a news release that Richards has strengthened the orga-nization in her nearly two years as its director.

“Although Debi will be missed, she’s leaving us poised to do great things in the future,” McClements said.

Chamber director to step down this summer

Debi Richards has helped mend fences in Vashon’s business community.

The Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation on Monday had raised $235,000 in pledges toward its goal of $500,000 to help bridge the school district’s budget shortfall.

Zabette Macomber, chair of the foundation’s board, said it looked as if the foun-dation wouldn’t meet its goal of raising $500,000 by the end of April. Nonetheless, she said, she was feeling good about the fundraiser’s prog-ress. The foundation seems to have more pledges than it did at this point in the campaign last year, she said, and the recent Spring Break caused a bit of a lull in giving.

“We all knew that May 1 was coming very quickly. … I would be pleasantly sur-prised if we met our goal, but we will just as happily keep taking money ’til the end,” she said.

Macomber said the “drop dead” deadline for fundrais-ing is June 30, the end of the district’s budget year, but the foundation had hoped to raise the full amount by May 1 so that the district could avoid issuing layoff notices to teachers.

“On an emotional level, I just don’t want to do that to our teachers,” she said.

The foundation’s extra outreach to businesses this

year has been successful sofar, Macomber added, andmany of Vashon’s lawyers and medical professionalshave been pledging along with other business owners.

“The business donations are coming along really well,” she said.

The foundation would, however, like to see moreschool district familiesparticipate in the fund-raiser, Macomber said. As of Monday, about 17 per-cent of district families hadpledged to donate, a far cryfrom the foundation’s goal to see all families pledgesome amount.

Macomber said she believes many families areplanning to donate, but haven’t gotten around to ityet.

“People have been soreceptive, it’s great,” she said. “It’s just inertia rightnow that we need to getover. … We need people to take two minutes out of their time to actually do it.”

— Natalie Johnson

To pledge to give to the Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation, see www.vashonschools foundation.org or send a check to P.O. Box 481, Vashon, WA 98070.

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Water taxi riders can breathe a tentative sigh of relief. Washington State Ferries has announced that it won’t prevent passenger-only ferries from docking at Colman Dock in Seattle after the dock’s renovation in 2015, but PO boat operators may have to cover the cost of staying there.

Earlier this year, WSF said that plans to renovate Colman Dock included remov-ing Pier 50, where the King County Water Taxi docks along with the Kingston SoundRunner.

PO boat riders around the region, as well as local legislators and county Councilmember Joe McDermott, expressed their concern about the plan, saying the boats docked in a prime location for passengers.

Ultimately lawmakers included a pro-viso in the state transportation budget that requires any renovation to the Colman Dock to maintain passenger-only ferry access to the terminal.

WSF director David Moseley said in an email that the agency is proposing to modify the project to include in-kind replacement of the PO boat pier. He said that passenger-only ferry operators would be responsible for any additional project costs.

Ferry riders’ pocketbooks will be squeezed a little tighter beginning next Tuesday, when across-the-board fare increases are implemented at the same time as the annual peak-season surcharge.

Beginning Tuesday, May 1, Washington State Ferries will implement a 3 percent fare increase for all tickets, including multi-ride cards, to help cover the ferry system’s oper-ating costs.

The Washington State Transportation Commission approved the increase, the second such fare hike in six months, last August in order to meet the ferry system’s revenue targets.

Also beginning in May, a peak-season surcharge of 25 percent will be applied to full-price vehicle tickets on all routes except the San Juan Islands, where the surcharge will be 35 percent.

The peak-season surcharge will be in place through September and will not apply to passenger and walk-on tickets or multi-ride cards.

A car-and-driver ticket from Fauntleroy to Vashon that was $16.25 in April will cost $20.90 beginning in May and will drop to $16.75 in October.

Drivers of short cars, however, will get a break beginning in May. Tickets for vehicles shorter than 14 feet will cost 20 percent less than standard-sized vehicles.

For one 24-hour period next week, dona-tions made to a number of Vashon organi-zations can go a little further, increased by the Seattle Foundation as part of its annual GiveBIG Day.

Between midnight and midnight on Wednesday, May 2, online donations made to organizations registered with the Seattle Foundation will be increased with money from a “stretch pool.”

Donations will be matched on a percent-age basis. For example, if an organization receives 5 percent of the total donations, it will receive 5 percent of the stretch funds.

About a dozen Vashon nonprofits of vary-ing sizes are participating in GiveBIG Day, including the Vashon Island Public Schools Foundation, Vashon HouseHold and Vashon Community Care.

The amount in the stretch pool this yearhasn’t been disclosed, but last year it was$500,000.

For more information or to donate, see www.seattlefoundation.org.

Beginning in May, an energy expert will be available at Puget Sound Energy’s Vashon office once a month to advise Islanders on how to lower home energy use and save on their utility bills.

Wayne Ballew, a PSE Energy Advisor who has extensive experience in managing energy-efficiency projects and conducting public outreach, will also be available to answer energy-related questions at IslandLumber’s Annual Spring Outdoor Living Event, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5.

For more information or to schedule a free appointment with Ballew, call PSE’sVashon office at 463-3688.

NEWS BRIEFS

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 [email protected].


EDITORIAL

For a moment last week, it looked like some of Vashon’s best and brightest were going to place their cars in front of a pave-ment grinding machine and face off against what they saw as one of the forces of evil.

From a journalistic perspective, it was an auspicious moment. On relatively quiet Vashon Island, a real news story was poised to unfold.

But after a private conversation with a deputy sheriff, Steve Abel thought better of the action, which would have landed him in jail for the day. “I have things I need to get done today,” he noted wryly before heading home. And so the moment passed.

What hasn’t passed, however, is the controversy that touched off his thoughts of civil disobedience.

Many cyclists are outraged by what unfolded last week, when a private road crew hired by King County rolled onto Vashon to begin the work of installing rumble strips the entire length of Vashon Highway.

They have reason to be unhappy. The rumble strips along the highway’s shoulders will lower the quality of cycling on the Island, a regional destination for those who love to bike ride. More to the point, no one asked them what they thought before the grinding machine started rumbling down the highway.

Ironically, only two weeks before, several county officials had visited Vashon to meet with residents and discuss their plans for the Island — the first official gathering of the county’s Community Service Area, a new approach to public engage-ment. Officials from the roads division were among those who attended. No one thought to mention the rumble strip project.

How did this happen?In the county’s defense, those involved with the effort thought

they’d adequately considered the cycling community. They asked the Cascade Bicycle Club how best to approach the proj-ect, and the club gave them some direction — though appar-ently targeted public engagement wasn’t on the list.

And in October 2010, the county sent a news release to The Beachcomber, noting that Vashon Highway was one of six rural roadways that would get rumble strips the following year. (The project was ultimately delayed.) We intended to write a news brief about it — the issue seemed minor to us and deserving of only a paragraph or two. But it was a busy couple of news weeks and the item never made it into the paper. No one from the county called to complain, nor were we sent subsequent announcements.

In the words of many a politician, mistakes were made. How should we now proceed? The county’s plan to visit Vashon and have a full discussion about the project is a good first step. We encourage all sides — including residents who welcome the strips — to listen fully and well and strive to find a solution that makes sense for Vashon and the region as a whole.

It will likely be difficult — and financially prohibitive — to undo what’s been done. But there’s still another half of the proj-ect to be completed. Let’s think hard and creatively before any-more rumble strips are installed.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Right now a longtime Vashon resident and small business owner sits in jail in Tacoma, though he is accused of no crime.

At his family’s request, his name will not be used, but the facts remain. He has been there since September, and during that time he has not seen the sky or smelled fresh air. When he is moved about the facility, he is placed in shackles. His mail and visits are monitored.

Though he is in jail, he has no right to a court-appointed attorney if not able to pay for his defense. He has no right to a jury trial. The person deciding his case is an administrative law judge, because this is just an administrative mat-ter. This jail is called the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center, because people aren’t imprisoned, they are just “detained.” Even those holding him would agree that even though he is being treat-ed like a criminal, he is not one.

What he is accused of is being in this country without proper legal status — commonly referred to in the vernacular as “an ille-gal” but more properly called an undocumented immigrant. This is a civil offense, not even a misde-meanor. More like a traffic ticket.

The consequences, however, are much different. Deportation from the country instead of a fine. Separation from his American citizen wife and children. Loss of his livelihood and the ability to support his family. Being sent to a country from which he was taken when he was too young to remem-ber and where he knows no one.

There are many levels to the situation of this neighbor of ours. As may be obvious, he is the kind

of person something like the Dream Act might be able to help — someone who came into this country through no decision of his

own, who has made the kind of contribution to our country that he and we can be proud of and who really has no way out of the dilemma of not having a proper legal status.

“They should get legal if they want to live here!” Great idea, except that the laws are a laby-rinth with lots of ways out and almost no way in unless you are rich. “Then they should go back to where they came from!” And just how is that supposed to work? “They should just fess up to their criminal ways and self deport.” Exactly how is that supposed to happen when one is brought here as a young child and now has a family, dependents and a produc-tive life? There is just no sensible legal solution for even the most honorable and law-abiding person in this circumstance.

Bad enough, though, many in our country disagree. “Which part of illegal don’t you under-stand?” That, of course, could have been said about runaway slaves before the Civil War or Japanese-Americans who resisted internment during World War II.

But none of us should be com-placent about the situation in the tide flats of Tacoma, where more than 1,500 people are being held at this private prison. It is a place where people can disappear and be held for years, then be dis-charged in the dead of night to

places around the world, suitcase in hand, set down on a corner in a country that may be totally strange to them. It is another toxic plume coming over to us from across the water, though spreading inhumanity rather than arsenic. Both are harmful in long-term subtle ways, tearing at the fabric of our community’s health.

A small group of people has been visiting this facility on a regular basis to vigil, sup-port families and protest. The New Sanctuary Movement of Washington State has been there on the second Saturday of each month for years, and in the last year Unitarians from our Island have joined them. It is about edu-cation, compassion, supporting individuals and moving toward change in our national policies.

Two events are coming up for those who would like to learn more — a screening of the Frontline doc-umentary “Lost in Detention” and a mass vigil at the detention center in a show of anger for the situation our country has created and com-passion for those caught up in it. (See box for details.) I hope many Islanders can join us for one or both of these events.

“We all belong” is the recent Island phrase. I believe it’s true, even when our government tries to tell us otherwise.

— Charles Torrey, a retired physician, is a member of the Vashon Island

Unitarian Fellowship.

A rumble over rumble strips: Let’s learn from this mistake

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OPINIONVashon-Maury

Vashon-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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The documentary “Lost in Detention” will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, at the Land Trust Building. A discussion will follow. The mass vigil will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at the Northwest Detention Center, at 1623 East J Street, Tacoma. For more information or carpooling, email [email protected].

Lost in detention: It’s happening right nowJUSTICEBy CHARLES TORREY

Rumble strips

I was so pleased that rumble strips have been installed on Vashon Highway. As founder of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center,

I am well aware that rumble strips save lives. And two-lane Vashon Highway is the perfect place for them. Yes, the rumble strips will be inconvenient for cyclists, less so when they get used to them.

But civil disobience against a life-saving measure? Nonsense!

— Abe Bergman, MD

A Vashon man’s lack of legal status lands him in a quagmire

VaccinationsPertussis outbreak makes issues clear

The recent outbreak of whooping cough on Vashon showcased just how fast communicable diseases can spread and refuels the debate about low vaccina-tion rates in the community.

On Vashon we have the privilege to engage in a hearty discussion about the costs and benefits of child-hood vaccinations. Some choose not to vaccinate because the likelihood that their child will become infected with a disease like measles or whooping cough is limited (though still pos-sible). They reason that even if one becomes infected, they will have access to life-saving medical care. Rarely does anyone worry about children dying due to vac-cine-preventable deaths.

But vaccinations are a privilege that does not extend to every child across the world. For many chil-dren, access to vaccina-tions can be the difference between a healthy life and death. This year, 1.7 mil-lion children worldwide will die from a vaccine- preventable disease. That is one child every 20 seconds. For millions more, early childhood sicknesses from vaccine-preventable diseas-es will cause lifelong health problems. These children

need vaccines to give them the best shot at a healthy and productive life. Many do not have the money for these vaccinations, or access to the medical care necessary to get life-saving treatment if they fall ill with the measles or pneu-monia.

While we debate the pros and cons of vaccinating children, let’s remember that vaccines are one of the most cost-effective ways to save the lives of children in developing countries. For just $20, you can vaccinate a child against measles, pneumonia, diarrhea and polio.

Even if you do not want to vaccinate your children, please support the use of vaccines in the develop-ing world. Contact me at [email protected] or go to [email protected] to learn more about childhood vaccination or to donate — because every child deserves a shot at life.

— Rosie Avolio-Toly

RumorsStory did not help our restaurant

We would like to start by saying that we have never had poor feelings about The Beachcomber. In fact, quite the opposite. We have loved and supported the newspaper for years, by

advertising in it on a regu-lar basis as well as purchas-ing the newspaper weekly.

Two weeks ago, The Beachcomber ran an article about a rumored murder on Vashon and was very clear that it was in fact a rumor. (“Murder on Vashon? Not here, authori-ties say.”) However, La Playa’s name was associ-ated with the rumor. Here is a quote from the article: “According to one rumor, a body turned up in the Dumpster outside of La Playa, a restaurant next to the north-end ferry dock.”

Putting a business name, particularly a restaurant, in the same sentence with the words “murder” or “body turned up in the Dumpster” will without a doubt hurt the business and did. We experienced a dramatic and unexplain-able drop in revenue last week. There are numer-ous businesses that share that Dumpster, and The Beachcomber was expressly asked not to print the res-taurant’s name. Why did the paper choose to print our name despite our clear request not to? We feel that the editor ran this article with a lack of consideration for our business and our customers.

We at La Playa are mak-ing every effort to enhance and improve our busi-ness during these hard economic times. We have re-opened the espresso bar

(now under new manage-ment) and are continuing improvements. Thank you for your support.

— Miguel Flores and Julia

Silberman La Playa

Editor’s note: There was no request made by the owner not to mention La Playa’s name in the news story. Rather, the owner said he did not want to talk to a reporter about the rumors.

Living greenLocal resources offer advantages

I compliment Richard Mintz for his wisdom in choosing Vashon for his home and for his good for-tune in having the means to do so. (“Modular Goes Trendy,” March 21.)

Vashon has wonder-ful natural and human resources that make it a great place to live. But why live here yet spend one’s housing budget in Massachusetts? Is it because the efficiencies and qualities of a factory-built house are so superior that it is worthwhile to

ship it all the way across the continent? I doubt it. Is it because a house so energy efficient and energy generating cannot be built on site here on Vashon? I know this is not true. For there is a house on Vashon that was built here and achieved a five-star Built Green standard, employing both passive solar design and photo-voltaic panels.

This owner also chose Vashon deliberately, pur-chased property, but then hired a neighbor to design the house, hired Island car-penters to build it, worked diligently to achieve Built Green standards, was able to participate in final design changes and worked with Vashon Forest Stewards so that the inte-rior trim, the exposed and clear rafter tails, as well as the posts and beams of the porch structure were all milled by Vashon Forest Stewards from sustainably harvested Vashon Douglas fir. The house cost about the same per square foot as Mr. Mintz’s, and most of that money was spent on the Island.

I have not seen Mr. Mintz’s house, but I would bet that the experience of

living in these two houses is comparable, as are their respective energy efficien-cies. In cost, however, and in impact on the Vashon community, the two houses are vastly different — the advantage being entirely to the Vashon-built house and owner who, in addi-tion to getting a house built in part with Island fir, got Island friends, and the satisfaction of contributing significantly to the Island economy.

— Jack Stewart

Road stakesAre they truly needed at all?

Although I appreciate King County’s willingness to shorten the stakes, we Islanders still have to look at numbers compromising our views.

They could get rid of all of the stakes. Will they now want to put stakes on all our roads? With GPS and technology today, no signs should be needed.

— Patty VanDenBroek

Custer

Amiad & Associates Exclusively Representing Buyers of Vashon Island Homes

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

I am due to close on the sale of my house in a few weeks.

I think that I’ve done everything that the buyers and

agents have asked me to do. Now they are telling me I have

to install carbon monoxide alarms in the house. I have a

100% electric house! I don’t have any gas appliances or anything. So

what’s the big deal?

Beginning April 1st of this year all homes sold will have to have CO, carbon monoxide alarms installed. They are not expensive and everyone should have them in their home anyway. It doesn’t matter that your home is all electric. Use of fossil fuel heating (oil,

natural gas and propane) is common here and should be a priority for this alarm, which notifi es residence that there is a leak of carbon monoxide in the house. It doesn’t smell and you can’t see it so it really is a silent killer.

Sadly, the main reason that even all electric homes have to install the alarm is due to people operating portable heaters in their homes when their power is off. People die every year from CO poisoning mainly from propane or kerosene heat-ers being used inside the house or even gas barbeques! Once again we have to have a new law trying to protect us from our own ignorance.

Over 4,000 people go to emergency rooms every year to be treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. They‘re the lucky ones. 400 per year die. I know it’s an extra expense but it’s worth it. Spending a few dollars to save someone’s life is an investment worth making, don’t you think?

I should add that the smoke alarms have been mandatory in homes for a long time and yet, I still see homes without them. Some of these homes even have small children living there. These are simple things we can all do to protect our families. Congratulations on your sale, by the way.

Q:

A:

Just Ask EmmaCurrent Real Estate Issues

To view this blog & make comments,

visit www.vashonislandrealestate.com/blog.html

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.

Thanks for rememberingOur family wants to thank everyone who sent all the beautiful flowers and sympathy cards for Kay’s memorial. I’m sure she knows and wants me to thank you all too.

Bob Therkelsen and Family

Thank you for helpingMy heartfelt thanks to the many people who have helped me navigate Vashon during the past year. I am grateful to the strangers who have picked me up off the floor and parking lot of Thriftway, and by the highway in front of Full Circle and in other public places, and to the many, many people who have opened doors for me around town and offered to help in other ways. Vashon is truly a caring community.

Myrla Dean

A nurse says thanks.Thank you to the residents of Vashon Island! Forty years ago, those of you who lived on the island worked with University of Washington medical and nursing schools and a federal medical program to open an RN-staffed community clinic. Yes, we had one medical doctor, but acute care and after hours treatment was needed.

To provide local oversight and direction of

the clinic, 12 brave residents formed the citizen board; they held bake sales, and Granny’s Attic supported us with volunteer-ing and financing through their garage sales. This community involvement was a new concept. We were the second RN clinic to open in Washington. Licensed by the state, the registered nurses were trained in advance practice for emergencies and assessment. Back-up doctors at Harborview were on call 24/7. Each patient seen was re-ported; laboratory and Xrays were taken and orders given to the nurses. Records were reviewed by the UW Committee for Quality and Legal Practice. Residents had access to the nurses 24 hours a day; house calls were made. We worked with the volunteer ambulance, although we did not travel with them. They were well trained, and we stayed on the Island for emergency calls.

This, my friends, was the beginning in Washington of the profession now known as Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners-Certified.

Granny’s Attic volunteers (bless them) have continued to provided support to your now full-fledged medical center. The support of our Island residents started the clinic, and now I look at the full medical center staff and smile, because without you there would not have been such full care on this rural Island.

Mary E. Clark, MSN, ARNP


Vashon Maury Island Chamber of Commerce General Mem-bership Mixer Meeting: All are welcome for refreshments and networking. Chamber member-ship is not required. 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Windermere.

Master Gardeners: Stop by with your gardening questions, plant identification questions and infor-mation on simple steps gardeners can take to protect Puget Sound. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside True Value.

Wastemobile Visits: Dispose of hazardous household waste. For more information, including acceptable materials and quantity limits, call the hazardous waste hazards line at 296-4692. Free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Tjomsland Gravel Pit, 17001 107th Ave. S.W.

Spanish Story Time: Little ones are invited for Spanish stories about colors, shapes, animals, opposites and more. Speakers of all languages are welcome. 10:30 a.m. Fridays at the Vashon Library.

Poetry Reading: The Write Sisters, a multi-generational women’s and girls’ writing group facilitated by poet Merna Ann Hecht, will read. Afterward, all ages will be welcome to partici-pate in an open mic in the spirit of National Poetry Month. 6 p.m. at Vashon Bookshop.

Wastemobile Visits: Drop off hazardous waste. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 17001 107th Ave. S.W.

Farmers Market: Several new vendors will be on hand: Richard Thomson with organically raised and USDA-slaughtered beef, pork and lamb from his MidLife Crisis Farm; Cathy Fulton with her garden journals and Anu’s Kitchen with gluten-free snacks. Cliff’s Beer, Vashon’s first microbrewery, will be there, as will Zamorana, offering authentic Mexican fare. Growers will bring greens, leeks, fennel, broccoli rabe, radishes, rhubarb and eggs. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Village Green.

Master Gardeners: Stop by the clinic for ideas on what vegetables to plant. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside True Value.

Medication ‘Take Back’: Bring unwanted medications for safe disposal. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Village Green.

The Poet’s Magic: Celebrate the magic of words in a bilingual performance by poet and magician Thomas H. Pruiksma. The event is for children and families that speak Spanish, English or both. 2 p.m. at the Vashon Library.

Unitarian Fellowship: The group will discuss impressions and feelings that particular Island places evoke in “Spirit Trail-Our Elemental Island, Part II.” 9:30 a.m. at Lewis Hall behind Burton Community Church.

Wastemobile Visits: Drop off hazardous waste. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 17001 107th Ave. S.W.

Edible Wild Plants — Wild Foods from Dirt to Plate: John Kallas, PhD, a trained biologist, nature photographer, writer, researcher and teacher, will show how to identify, harvest and prepare nutritious, delicious and abundant edible wild plants found within walking distance of people’s kitchens. Free. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Vashon Library.

Queen of the Sun — What Are the Bees Telling Us?: This film looks at the disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive and includes the thoughts of beekeepers, scientists and phi-losophers from around the world. A $5 donation is suggested. The film will benefit the Market Bucks program at the Farmers Market. 1:30 p.m. at the Vashon Theatre.

Opera Preview, ‘Madama

Butterfly’: Norm Hollingshead, opera aficionado, will offer an introduction to this famous opera by Giacomo Puccini. 2 p.m. at the Vashon Library.

National Day of Prayer: Island-ers of all faiths are welcome to pray for the community and na-tion. Noon at the Vashon Theatre and 7:30 p.m. at the Land Trust Building. The latter event will be put on by youth for youth. Both are Thursday, May 3.

‘Lost in Detention’: This Front-line film shows how undocu-mented immigrants get caught up in the bureaucracy and end up in for-profit detention centers. 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, at the Land Trust Building. (For more information, see page 6.)Vashon Legal Clinic: The clinic offers free legal advice the first Thursday of each month. People wishing to schedule an appoint-ment to meet with a lawyer should call the King County Bar Association at 267-7070. 6 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at the Vashon Senior Center.

Storefront Studio: University of Washington students will pres-ent ideas for visually revitalizing Vashon, including ways to alter the blank wall at the old Island Lumber store, a new performance stage at Ober Park and the addi-tion of a porch to the proposed VAA arts center that may make it slightly more compatible with the two historic buildings across the intersection. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 4, and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at Movie Magic.

Sacred Science: In a lecture and workshop, Leslie Emery, PhD, will address how complexity science has restored mystery to the mod-ern notion of reality and the ways myth, art and spiritual imagina-tion make that scientific mystery tangible. For more information email [email protected]. The lecture, “How Science Became Spiritual and How that Can Change your Sense of Reality,” will be at 7 p.m. Friday, May 4. The

workshop, “Seeing Through the Veil — Rediscovering Sacred Real-ity Through Science and Myth,” will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 5, both at the Land Trust Building.

Telling Stories Speaker Series: Edie Ulatoski will talk about what it is was like to raise a family be-hind the Iron Curtain while living in the American Embassy in Mos-cow during the Cold War. Ticket sales are by donation and are available at Vashon Bookshop and Vashon Community Care. 4 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at the Blue Heron.

CLASSES

Estate Planning Workshop: Information on changes in Medi-care, the affordability of long-term care, how to protect retirement assets and differences between wills and trusts will be presented. 12:30 p.m. today, April 25, at the Vashon Senior Center.

Forest stewardship: King County and WSU Forestry Extension will teach a 10-session forest steward-ship course designed to help forest landowners develop their forest stewardship plans with guidance from natural resource profession-als. The cost is $185. For more information, contact Kevin Zobrist, at [email protected] or (425) 357-6017. 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, April 25 to June 6, at the Land Trust Building.

An Introduction to Zen — Prin-ciples and Practice: The class will include instruction on zazen (sit-ting meditation), a discussion of who the Buddha was and what he taught, a historical sketch of Zen Buddhism and the Rinzai tradi-tion and a discussion of the basic principles of Zen. The cost is $25 or $10 for members. To register, call 463-4332 or see www.pszen.org. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Puget Sound Zen Center.

Capturing Garden Inspiration with Technology: Participants will learn how to find sources of inspiration to improve their garden design, including what to look for when visiting other gardens and how they can use technology as a tool to incorporate those ideas into their gardens. Cindy Stockett will teach the class. Free. Pre-registration is appriciated; call Dig at 463-5096. 1 p.m. Sunday, April 29, at Dig Floral & Garden.

Pig Slaughter and Butchery: Farmstead Meatsmith will offer both classes. Students of the slaughter class will observe a pig harvest in which all parts of the animal are preserved. In the butchery classes, students will butcher pigs with close instruc-tion. The slaughter class is $100; the butchery class is $150. To reg-ister, email farmstead [email protected]. Slaughter classes are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tues-day and Wednesday, May 1 and 2, and butchery classes are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 3 and 4, at Vashon farms.

Afro-Brazilian Dance: Choreog-raphy for this year’s Strawberry

Festival parade will be introduced; parade participation is encouraged but not required. The cost for the five-week session is $79, $18 to drop-in, and the first time is free. No dance experience is required. 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, begin-ning May 3, at Havurat Ee Shalom.

Yoga For Healthy Neck and Shoulders: Students will learn about the neck and shoulders and practice yoga postures that release tension in this area. This is a gentle class, and students will take home a guide to continue their practice. To register drop a check at the studio by May 1. The cost is $63. For more information, email [email protected]. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, May 3 and 10, at Island Yoga Center.

Imagination in Action: Students will play theater games, sing songs and use creative movement, yoga

and art to explore story-drama. For ages 4 to 6. Complete class schedule, registration and scholar-ship information is available at www.VashonAlliedArts.org. 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays, May 5 to June 2, at the Blue Heron.

Zydeco: Spend a day learning the high-energy dance that has its roots in Louisiana. No dance experience or partner is necessary. The cost is $45. Contact instructor Lilli Ann Carey to register at [email protected] or at 718-1858. 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at Havurat Ee Shalom.

Kabbalah 101: Rabbi Alyjah Navy will lead the group. Participants will receive Kabbalah insights and techniques for spiritual healing, enhanced intimacy, abundance, inner joy and purpose in life. The cost is $40. 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at Vashon Intuitive Arts.

The Vashon Maury Island Garden club will host its annual plant sale beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in the old Napa Store near Vashon Market. Members have been dividing and cultivating perennials, shrubs and grasses all year long; fuchsias and geraniums from Kay White’s garden will be for sale as will a multitude of veg-etables.Vashon gardeners can stock up on a medley of toma-toes, including Siberia, Early Girl and Siletz, which are excel-lent for slicing, and Oregon Spring, another early variety good for the Northwest climate. Sun Gold cherry tomatoes will be available, and tomatillos for salsa will be there, too. Yard art and collectibles will be for sale, and treats from a bake sale will provide nourishment.Proceeds will be used for Vashon Island School District ben-efits, educational programs and scholarships and community projects for the Vashon Senior Center, Vashon Community Care and community garden awards. Shoppers are encouraged to get there early, as the plants typi-cally sell out by noon.

CALENDARVashon-Maury

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.

VASHON THEATRE

Ends April 26

Ends April 26

Plays April 27 to May 3

1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 29. (See full entry below.)

Vashon Island School District School Board: 7 p.m. Thursday, April 26, at McMurray Middle School.

Vashon Commons Committee: 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 30, at McMur-ray Middle School.

VOV-TV is found on Comcast Channel 21. Most VoV-TV shows are produced by Islanders. If you’ve created a video program of any kind, drop it off at either of VoV’s drop boxes at Café Luna or Vashon Print and Design, making sure to leave your name and contact information, or email [email protected].

Get in on RockFlicks, the short-film contest for all ages, open to all Islanders or those attending Vashon schools. For details see www. voiceofvashon.org. Submission deadline is May 4. The cash prize of $100 will go to the top two winners.

This week’s highlights:

Grethe Cammermeyer, Col. Ret. U.S Army, talks about her service as an Army nurse in Vietnam, which won her a Bronze Star for Meri-torious Service; her subsequent discharge when she came out as a lesbian; the book “Serving In Silence,” which she wrote about her experiences; the subsequent legal battle and her ultimate triumph over bureaucratic bigotry, which resulted in re-instatement to her full rank and grade pay.

Get the Facts

VashonCenterForTheArts.org

Saturday appointments will be available again in mid-June after umpiring season ends

Call today for an appointment! 17321 Vashon Hwy SW

Yes,

we do

cats too!206-463-2200

Professionally Trained Certified Groomer

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Pandora’s Box

It’s the Merry Olde month of May!On Saturdays Tom will be off to play!

Appleyard Farm & Nursery

ANNUAL PLANTSALE

Rhododendrons, Maples, Conifers and more!May 5th & 6th 9am - 5pm

10014 SW 260th

Tutoring & Academic CoachingFourth Grade – College

Teaching Anyone How To Be A Better Student

Devon Atkins 353-9227Confidence Organization

Work Ethic Attention

www.devonatkins.com

SCENE & HEARD:

Vashon teens turned out in force to attend the fourth Sharing the Stage concert, put on by Vashon Productions, LLC, a small, Island-based enterprise that pairs professional musicians with youth openers. About 300 people, including several adults, attended the Sunday night con-cert, which featured the Blue Scholars, a popular hip-hop duo known for their fast-paced and often politically astute lyrics. The concert was held at the Open Space for Arts & Community.Organizers Harris Levinson, Rob Bordner and Fred Strong said the event was a success. Not only did it give several youth a chance to perform, but it also has led to ongoing relationships between Island youth and adult mentors in everything from music to poster production.“It was a great party, and the Blue Scholars put on a great show. Our student musicians killed it from start to finish. And we are thrilled that mentorships and passions continue to be strengthened,” Strong said in an email to The Beachcomber.Above, Blueberry Frousting, one of the opening acts, fills the stage with their nine-member band. Left, Pete Evans dances a step while rapping. Right, Geologic of the Blue Scholars listens for an audience response during one of his raps.

The Sportsmen’s Club hosted its second annual Pinewood Derby on Saturday, which drew around 75 people to the lively event.It was a smaller crowd this year, said organizer Paul Engels, who attributed lower turnout to the indoor event to the good weather. “It was still fun,” he said.Youth winners of the event, above, display their cars and trophies. From left are Lane Eastly, third place, Taylor Eastly, champion, Izaya Brenner, second, and Bryan Burgess, fourth place. Clay Eastly won first place in the adult division, followed by Eddie Protzeller, Robyn Hoffman and Randy Thomas. Other winners were, at left, Barbie Salerno, who won the award for Most Creative Car and Tommy Craven, whose creation won Best Paint.


HOW AN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM HELPED CREATE A MODEL FOR

THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN BREMERTON.

To learn more about what we’re doing to help strengthen the local economy, visit bankofamerica.com/Seattle

When the owners of Rice Fergus Miller, an architectural, interiors and planning fi rm, outgrew their location, they decided to convert an abandoned building in downtown Bremerton into their new offi ce and studio. So they turned to Bank of America for land and construction loans to help realize their vision of designing the most energy-effi cient offi ce building in the Pacifi c Northwest. The building was awarded LEED Platinum certifi cation and helped spark the city’s redevelopment. The area is now home to new parks, shops and offi ces — many of which Rice Fergus Miller designed.

Rice Fergus Miller is another example of how we’re working to help locally based businesses grow and hire in Bremerton — and across the country. In 2011, we provided $222.5 million in new credit

to small businesses in Washington — an increase of 28% from 2010.

© 2012 Bank of America Corporation. Member FDIC. AR32X274

By ELIZABETH SHEPHERDArts Editor

Aficionados of musical theater, rejoice — there will be two perfor-

mances of the revue “Side by Side by Sondheim” this week-end.

The show, a compendium of some of the best-loved songs by Broadway’s most celebrated living composer and lyricist, had a Tony-nominated run on Broadway in the late 1970s and has subsequently been produced by theater companies all over the world.

Now, it’s time for Islanders to sit back and soak up Stephen Sondheim’s intricate melodies and wickedly witty lyrics.

“Side by Side” includes songs from “West Side Story,” “Gypsy,” “Follies,” Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods,” “Company,” “A Little Night Music,” “Merrily We Roll Along” and several other shows from the Sondheim canon.

Elizabeth Ripley, Drama Dock’s artistic director, is excited to raise the curtain on the show, in part because she believes that too few Islanders are aware of Sondheim’s genius and legacy.

“In musical theater, Stephen Sondheim has a nickame: God,” she said with a laugh. “He is a god in man’s form on the planet writ-ing musical theater.”

Ripley noted that few of the composer’s musicals have been produced on Vashon, and all of those were youth shows, includ-ing high school productions of “West Side Story” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” and last year’s Drama Dock-produced teen production of “Into the Woods.”

But, with “Side by Side by Sondheim,” adult Island singers will take center stage.

The show’s cast includes such Drama Dock stalwarts as Ripley, Marshall Murray, Stephanie Murray, Louie Mangione, Marita Ericksen, J.R. Crawford, Max Lopuszynski, Gretchen Neffenger, Elizabeth Schoen, Arlette Moody, Phil Dunn, Stephen Floyd, Earthsong, Shannon Flora, Lauri Hennessey, Elizabeth Anthony and Richard Montague.

The show will also feature a choir of kids from Drama Dock’s Youth Theatre Initiative, sing-ing the poignant song, “Children Will Listen.”

The show, scheduled for two performances only, is being staged for a good cause — to raise much-needed funds for the Island’s beloved community the-ater company, Drama Dock.

Drama Dock, now in its 36th year as part of the fabric of Vashon’s cultural life, has pro-duced shows ranging from huge musicals such as “The Sound of Music” and “Annie,” to edgier fare including last year’s “Rocky Horror Show.”

But Ripley said that Drama

Dock needs the community’s ongoing support to continue to present such eclectic work.

“Doing theater is a money-los-ing proposition, and theaters are closing left and right,” she said. “We are funded entirely by ticket sales, membership and volunteers, and we only charge between $7.50

and $20 for tickets.” She hopes that Islanders will

turn out in droves for “Side by Side,” and revel in the talents of both Sondheim and local per-formers.

“This will be a grand gathering of talent not to be missed,” she said.

ARTS&LEISUREVashon-Maury AN IRISH TROUBADOUR ARRIVES ON OUR ISLE: Maur ice Dickson, a

renowned singer/songwr iter from Nor thern Ireland with nine albums and countless per-formances to his credit, will play a show at the Grange near the nor th- end ferr y parking lot at 8 p.m . Saturday, May 5. Tickets, $15, can be purchased at Vashon Bookshop.

Art will be bursting out all over during the spring Vashon Island Art Studio Tour, slated for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 5, 6, 12 and 13. More than 20 artists’ studios — featuring painting, pottery, jewelry, tile, glass, candles, textiles and other art forms — are participating in this free, self-guided tour. A notable thing about this tour is that it will be last to include Barnworks, one of the art tour’s founding studios. For more information about all the studios, visit www.vashonislandart studiotour.com or pick up a tour map.

A double bill of Fendershine and Joe Panzetta will play a free show at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Red Bicycle Bistro. Fendershine is a new local band that plays a mix of original songs and rarely covered rock and roll. Band members include Rick Vanselow and Eric Frith, Steve Meyer and Kim Thal. Joe Panzetta is an Island-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer. He performs original songs on guitar, banjo and harmonium. He has a long and eclectic musical resume that includes many col-laborations and recordings.

Vashon Allied Arts’ youth musical theater production of “Fiddler on the Roof, Jr.,” under Marita Ericksen’s direction, will explode on stage next weekend with 35 singers, actors and musicians, ages 7 to 17. The show is being staged at Vashon Methodist Church — the Blue Heron stage is too small to accommodate so many thespians. Actors will also double up on many of the parts, with some per-forming one show time and others the next. Performances take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 3, 4 and 5, and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5.

The Thursday show is a benefit for the food bank — bring a donation. Call 463-5131 for tickets to the other perfor-mances.

ARTS BRIEFS Drama Dock offers up a feast of Sondheim songsIsland singers will interpret the music of a Broadway master

Island singers — from left, Elizabeth Ripley, Richard Montague, StephanieMurray and Marshall Murray — will perform in “Side by Side by Sondheim.”

“Side by Side by Sondheim” will be presented at 7:30 Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, at Vashon High School. Tickets, $10 to $20, are on sale at Vashon Bookshop and at the door.

Famed singer to ‘roccupy’ VashonGrammy

Award win-ner Michelle Shocked will return to Vashon with her 2012 “Roccupy” tour at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Open Space for Arts & Community.

It’s the third time Shocked has played a show on Vashon.

The famed singer and song-writer first had a gig on the Island in 2006, and returned the next year to play a sold-out ben-efit concert for Vashon Youth & Family Services and Rotary. She also played on the Island in 2006.

The concert on Saturday, part

of a national tour, is inspired by the broad-based Occupy move-ment and Shocked’s involvement in the group Occupy Fights Foreclosures.

This tour introduces Jimmy Cabeza deVaca, an Angeleno who plays nylon-string guitar, accordion, banjo, electric guitar and piano. He will open the show with Shocked’s “Folkaoke” con-cept, accompanying volunteers from the audience who have a choice of singing “Blowing in the Wind,” “Deportee,” “Do-Re-Mi” or “This Land Is Your Land.”

For her part, Shocked will mix audience favorites spanning her two-decade-long career and also treat the audience to new mate-rial.

Tickets, $23 and $28, are on sale at Vashon Bookshop and www.brownpapertickets.com.

Blue Heron brings on bluegrassSan Francisco-

based roots singer Nell Robinson will bring her bluegrass All Star Band to Vashon for a show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Blue Heron.

Organizers of the concert pegged Robinson’s music as “Alabama soul music with a Bay Area twist,” and com-pared the singer to Emmylou Harris and political activist and singer Hazel Dickens.

Her band’s instrumentation includes mandolin, slide steel, gui-tar, banjo, fiddle and string bass.

She has released two critically acclaimed albums, and her band has five separate albums to its credit.

Take a listen at www.nell robinson.com to get a preview.

Tickets, $14 to $17, are available at VAA, Heron’s Nest, Vashon Bookshop and www.brown papertickets.com. Special student discount tickets, $10, are available at the door.

Michelle Shocked

Nell Robinson and her All Star Band

Detail of “Raven,” by Gunter Reimnitz (studio 13 on the tour).

Ian De Graaf and Isaac Hughes as Tevye, Maria Gilmour and Lilly Robinthal as Golda, in “Fiddler.”


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Highway and 204th Avenue S.W., where workers were about to resume their day’s work and Islanders were ready to engage in civil disobedience to block it.

“I’m prepared to park my car in front of them,” said Steve Abel, a high-profile Islander and avid cyclist, nodding toward his red Volvo. “We want to gain enough time for the politicians to realize what a screw-up this is.”

The cyclists said they had no objection to rumble strips down the center of the high-way. But such strips along the sides of the road cut into the shoulders where cyclists ride, compromising the quality of their experience, forcing some cyclists to ride in traffic and making bike-riding on Vashon more dangerous, they said.

“It’s just totally impossible to ride on it,” said Rusty Knowler, who stood at the corner with his bike and who had just attempt-ed navigating the indentations. “If there’s debris or a car parked in the way, you have to cross those strips.”

“They’re seriously damaging the best cycling in all of King County,” said Abel.

As the cyclists were contemplating their next moves, however, two King County Sheriff ’s deputies showed up and told Abel and the other men that it was illegal to block the project. Sounding frustrated, Abel told the officers the project had to be stopped before more work was undertaken.

“The damage is being done to the roads today,” he said. “I rode yesterday, and it just about knocked me off my bike.”

But when the officers made it clear that blocking the project would result in arrests, Abel, who joked that he hadn’t been

involved in civil disobedience since 1969, decided to instead head home and continue his telephone and email campaign. A few minutes later, a worker driving the large machine that grinds the pavement, creating the rumble strips, returned it to the corner. Asked what was going on, one worker said they had been told to stop the project for the day.

Abel, reached later at his home, said he had emailed County Executive Dow Constantine — whom he knows — Thursday night about the project. Shortly after he returned home Friday morning, he got a one-word email from the executive: “Suspended.”

“I feel good,” Abel said. “I feel it gives us a chance to talk about what is appropriate for Vashon Island.”

The county has been planning the proj-ect since 2010, when it received a $300,000 “high-risk rural road” grant from the state to install rumble strips along six separate spans of rural roads. Henry Perrin, a safe-ty management engineer with the county roads division and a Vashon resident, said the county was able to get the funds after submitting a grant that showed the six county roadways had a high incident rate of what are called run-off-road collisions.

Between 2003 and 2008, for instance, Vashon Highway had about 15 run-off-road collisions a year, or 1.35 collisions per mile per year, he said.

Rumble strips have become an important tool in road safety, Perrin added. “They’re very effective and very inexpensive,” he said.

Perrin, himself a cyclist, said he and others contacted the region-wide Cascade Bicycle Club in advance of the project to discuss potential concerns. They learned

from the club to install the rumble strips only along stretches of road where the shoulders are at least four feet wide, he said.

“If you’re on a four-foot-wide swath … and you’ve got this rumble strip, … I think that would make it quite a bit safer for cyclists,” Perrin said.

Some cyclists, however, disagree. The rumble strip cuts into the shoulder, forc-ing them to ride closer to the outer side of

the road, where debris — branches, garbage and glass — tends to accumulate. Serious cyclists, they said, have learned to ride as close to the traffic lane as possible, where the

pavement is generally clear of debris. What’s more, they said, most accidents

don’t occur from a cyclist getting hit from behind but from a driver pulling out of a road or driveway. Riders who hug the farthest edge of the road, meanwhile, are harder for drivers pulling out of roads or driveways to see.

Cyclists also note that federal and state standards suggest that rumble strips should be installed only on roads with speed lim-its of 45 mph or higher; most of Vashon Highway is 40 mph or less. They also said the county is failing to meet its own require-ments for the project: Along at least 100 feet or so on the north end, rumble strips carved into the shoulder have resulted in a swath narrower than four feet.

The issue seems to have galvanized Vashon’s cycling community. By Friday, they had created a Facebook page, BikeVashon, with more than 70 people “liking” the page within two days. They now have a website, as well, called bikevashon.org, organized, the website said, to “fight a project to grind down

our bike lanes this spring.”A handful of cyclists held a meeting

Saturday afternoon where they discussed their concerns and how to address them.The consensus, said Peter Ray, the group’s unofficial spokesman, is to push the coun-ty to regrade those stretches of highway that now have rumble strips along the shoulder.

It’s an expensive proposition, he said. According to one website, the installation of rumble strips costs $500 to $3,000 per mile, while removing them costs around $13,000 a mile. Even so, he said, many cyclists would like to see the strips removed.

“This (project) has destroyed some prettygood bike lanes,” he said.

County Councilman Joe McDermott, meanwhile, said he’s troubled by the lack of outreach county officials undertook before embarking on the project. They sent out a brief news release about it 18 months ago and consulted with the Cascade Bicycle Club, but McDermott said no announce-ment was issued in recent weeks about the impending project, which proved disrup-tive to drivers as well.

“I’m concerned that the roads division of King County didn’t communicate with people on the Island before it did it. That’s clearly an omission on our part,” he said.

McDermott said he’s not made up hismind about the details of the project andthe installation of rumble strips along the shoulder.

“I’m not saying the project is dead. Butit’s important that we come out and listen to Islanders’ concerns … before we potentially go forward,” he said.

Asked if the remainder of the project could change as a result of conversationswith Islanders, he answered, “Absolutely.Otherwise, it’s a pretty meaningless con-versation.”

PROJECTCONTINUED FROM 1

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SPORTSVashon-Maury

OPENING DAY: The Opening Day celebration for Vashon Youth Baseball and Softball, a beloved annual event, will take place from 9 a.m . to noon on Saturday at the Vashon High School stadium . Most young players will play their f irst games, and there will be a parade of teams and team photos. Spectators can enjoy free refreshments, shir t sales, raffles, a hot- dog stand and more.

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By RITA ALLMANFor The Beachcomber

The Vashon High School baseball team won its first game this season last week against Seattle Christian, but also took losses to Cascade Christian and Charles Wright.

Vashon hosted Cascade Christian on Tuesday, April 17, and the visitors came away with a six-inning victory, 15-3.

Josh Myer started on the hill for the Pirates and pitched three innings, allow-ing eight hits and five earned runs. Ben Reoux relieved Myer in the fourth and surrendered four hits, five earned runs and four base on balls. Michael Bernheisel came on in the sixth and got the final two outs.

The Vashon hitting attack was held to four singles. Defensively, the Pirates committed five errors, leading to five unearned runs.

The line score: Cascade Christian 15 runs, 12 hits, 0 errors, Vashon 3 runs, 4 hits, 5 errors.

On Friday the Pirates defeated the Seattle Christian Warriors, 9-7, earning their first victory of the season.

Kelly Sullivan took the mound for Vashon and held the opposition to four earned runs and a single hit over six innings. Erik Powelson and Michael Bernheisel closed out the game.

On the hitting side, the Pirates lashed out 12 hits. The Warriors held a 4-1 lead going into the fifth inning, when Vashon struck for four runs. They would add another four in the sixth to take charge of the game.

The attack was led by Powelson, Zack Drape, Joe Wald and Reoux. Ezra Lacina, Ryan Bernheisel and Myer all added singles, and Sullivan chipped in with a double. Defensively, Vashon had only one error.

Coach Steve Hall said he liked what he saw on the field that day.

“It was the first game we put it all together and it gives us something to build on.” Hall said.

The line score: Vashon 9 runs, 12 hits, 1 error, Seattle Christian 7 runs, 2 hits, 2 errors.

Due to multiple rainouts earlier in the season, Vashon played a rare Saturday league game against the Charles Wright Tarriers at home. The Pirates lost 15-0, and Tarrier pitcher Sam Gaume threw a five-inning perfect game against the home team.

Starting on the mound for the Pirates was Wald, who was relieved by Michael Bernheisel in the fourth, and Reoux pitched the final inning. The combined trio allowed 10 hits, eight walks and seven

earned runs. The remaining runs were the result of seven Pirate errors. Vashon falls to 1-5 in the Nisqually League and 1-7 overall.

The line score: Charles Wright 15 runs, 10 hits, 0 errors, Vashon 0 runs, 0 hits, 7 errors.

Hall said he had to tip his hat to Charles Wright’s Guame, who he said pitched a beautiful game.

“We hit a lot of first pitches and didn’t really make him work too much,” he said, “Joe Wald pitched a great game, but unfortunately the defense didn’t show up to play with six errors.”

— Rita Allman does web and team support for the Pirates. See vhsbaseball.blogspot.com.

Pirate baseball team finds its way to a win

Josh Myer delivers a pitch in the first inning as the Pirates battle Cascade Christian on rain-soaked Jim Martin Field at Vashon High School last Tuesday.

By CHARLEY ROSENBERRYFor The Beachcomber

The Vashon Lacrosse Club’s boys high school team finished the week with two consecutive wins over Highline and Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School to remain solidly in the hunt for a berth in the state playoffs.

In a Wednesday, April 18, game against Highline, Vashon bolted to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, with three goals each from Dan Lofland and Caz Mozeleski.

Vashon’s offensive intensity tapered off in the second and third quarters, but led by goalie Aaron Bomber and defender Nick Amundsen,the defense stood solid to thwart any Highline offensive surge. In the fourth quarter, Vashon’s offense awakened with a flurry of four goals to seal the win, 13-4. Mozeleski finished with his best performance of the season with five goals and an assist.

On Saturday Vashon faced off against Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School, which has a record of seven wins and two losses.

Vashon started sluggishly, but led by Luke Hembree with a goal and two assists, Vashon stayed close up to halftime, trailing 5-4.

Led by Goalie Bomber, Vashon stayed closethrough the third quarter before Vashon’s offense took charge.

Starting the fourth quarter, Nathan Hale held a 7-6 lead, but Vashon held true to its vision to “find a way to win” and scored three consecutivegoals to take and never relinquish the lead.

With four minutes to play, Lofland, Mozeleski and Hembree led the charge to secure the win.

Nathan Hale cut Vashon’s lead to one with less than two minutes to play. Vashon responded with a whistling goal from Lofland assisted by Griff Jennings.

Vashon’s win put it over 500 with a 5 and 4 record. The team’s next game is Saturday against Ballard at 2 p.m. at home.

— Charley Rosenberry is the coach of the high school boys lacrosse team.

Back-to-back victories for boys lacrosse team

Daystar seniors are always

on the move!Besides enjoying a beautiful apartment to call home, our residents enjoy the warmth that surrounds them in our community. As part of day-to-day choices, residents can choose to do as much or as little as they want. There is always something going on: walking clubs, senior health and fitness events, motivational speakers, field trips, educational classes and more!

MAY EVENTS

Please RSVP Three Days in Advance Seating is limited, and reservations are required for all events.

206.937.6122 2615 SW Barton St., Seattle, WA 98126

www.DaystarSeattle.comIt’s so good to be home!

SENIORS ON THE MOVE!Tuesday, May 10th, 11:30 a.m.See how easy a move to Daystar can be!

Learn what to do with the house and stuff in it! Let our experts guide you through the obstacles

standing in your way!LUNCH & LEARN –

SENIOR HEALTH & FITNESSThursday, May 24th, 11:30 a.m.

Enjoy a light lunch and a presentation on health and fitness for seniors, brought to you

by Anetta Townsend LPN. “DID I DO ENOUGH?”

Monday, May 28th, 2:30 p.m.Join us as Colonel Elwin B. Hart USMC (Ret.) discusses his book, “Did I do Enough?” which

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By KEVIN ROSSFor The Beachcomber

After a week off for Spring Break, members of the Vashon track and field team did not miss a step as they hit their stride and enjoyed a fair amount of success at a meet at Orting on Thursday.

Despite the soggy conditions, the Pirates provided some very bright moments for the few die-hard specta-tors that showed at the meet.

Senior Taylor Hernandez took first in the girls 100-meter hurdles. Hernandez said she was pumped up and excited to score points for the team in this event, along with the 100 meters, long jump and 300-meter hurdles.

“I feel a sense of accomplishment from today,” she said.

Junior Elan Peterson took first in the boys 110-meter high hurdles and in the boys long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 5 inches.

Sophomore Maddi Groen also saw the podium twice, finishing first in the girls 800 meters with a finish time of 2:47 and first in the 1,600 meters with a time of 6:12.

Senior Peri Roberts claimed her first victory of the season in the girls 3,200 meters with a time of 13:39.

Tomorrow the Pirates will travel to a meet hosted by Life Christian at Charles Wright Academy. Since Vashon can no longer host track meets at the high school, Life Christian has allowed the Pirates to have their senior night at the meet.

The track and field team’s nine seniors, along with their parents, will be recognized prior to the start of the meet, at 3 p.m.

— Kevin Ross is a coach of the Vashon High School track and field team.

By MARY KAY RAUMAFor The Beachcomber

The Vashon Valkyries girls high school lacrosse team earned back-to-back wins last week, taking down teams from Kennedy High School and Klahowya.

The Valkyries played their first home game on Tuesday, April 17, against Kennedy High School.

Vashon dominated from the first draw, setting the tone for the entire game. Zina Carroll anchored the defense with several inter-ceptions and controlled ground balls, soundly feeding them to an athletic force of midfielders led by Sarah Raymond.

The Valkyries led 13-1 at the half, a margin that Kennedy couldn’t shake. The game ended with a 18-1 victory for Vashon.

Genevieve Rauma and Anneke Steneker led the scoring with five goals and one assist each, followed by Ellen Chappelka, who drove in four.

On Wednesday, April 18, the Valkyries trav-eled to Silverdale to play Klahowya. The well-matched teams battled goal for goal, going into the half tied at 4-4.

In the second half, the Valkyrie defense locked down its game and did not allow a single goal, proving how games are won with great defense.

Goalie Anna Berti was at the heart of the defensive effort with 20 saves, while defender Samantha Philiphustled the ball out of the danger zone into offensive territory.

Rauma led the scoring with three goals, followed by Steneker with two. Midfielder Grace DeGraaf landed a powerful rope shot in the upper right hand pocket, and Chappelka showed her stick skills with one down low. The Valkyries won with a final score of 7-4.

— Mary Kay Rauma is the assistant coach of the

Vashon Valkyries.

Girls lacrosse continues to winVashon athletes take top spots at track meet

Pirate senior Taylor Hernandez holds a good lead as she goes over the final hurdle in the 100-meter race at Orting on Thursday.


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By JACKIE MERRILLFor The Beachcomber

After having several games cancelled due to inclem-ent weather earlier this season, the Vashon fastpitchsoftball team played two games last week and lost toboth Cascade Christian and Seattle Christian.

The Pirates played their fourth game of the season athome on Tuesday, April 17, against Cascade Christian.

As the teams arrived to play, the clouds opened up and soaked the field, the fans and the players. With theumpire’s approval, both teams agreed to play in wet andsloppy conditions.

In the first inning, Cascade Christian managed six runs and Vashon just one run from an RBI hit by Paige Browne.

Cascade had several memorable hits to the gap inthe outfield and ran the score up to 21 by the top of the fifth. Vashon had a rally with eight players up to batand three scoring runs in the bottom of the fifth. Pirate pitcher Sophie Baker managed five strikeouts, and the team only had three errors in the game. The final scorewas Cascade Christian 21, Vashon 4.

On Friday Vashon travelled to play Seattle Christian in an away game. Vashon lost with a final score of 11-1.

The Pirates struggled through the first two innings, allowing Seattle Christian seven runs. By the third inning the Pirates awoke to hold the score and get a point.

Corrine Pruett is credited for an RBI to get Browne in to score.

At the bottom of the fifth inning, Seattle scored four runs and as rules go for softball, if the home team is upby 10 runs in the fifth, the game is over.

Weather permitting, the team will play at Ortingtoday and at home against Life Christian on Monday, April 30.

— Jackie Merrill is the VHS fastpitch softball coach.

By KAREN O’NEILFor The Beachcomber

Overwhelming victories were the claim of the Pirates over the past week as the boys soccer team beat all four teams it took on.

Coach Paul Beytebiere said the spate of victories rein-forced the overall strength of the team’s talent and strategy this season.

“The leadership from the seniors and juniors has been exceptional. ... The team has been gelling really well, and the play has been fun to watch,” he said.

With home-field advan-tage and to the delight of spirited fans, the Pirates racked up four goals in each game against Charles Wright and Cascade Christian, who both came up empty-handed last Thursday and Friday.

During Thursday’s game Against Charles Wright, goals came quickly to the Pirates as midfielder Shane Bedard drove one into the net in the first two minutes of play. The next two goals, not long after, were by for-ward Victor Moreira, also

assisted by Bedard. With confidence, the

Pirates were able to contin-ue a defensive game, aided by the ever-present glove of goalie Philip Vandevanter. A final goal scored by Van Ralston in the 68th minute of the second half sealed the 4-0 win.

Friday’s performance against Cascade Christian (4-0) was again dominated by the Pirates, who led off with a goal three minutes in by forward Ezra Koenig, fed up the pitch by Ralston.

Additional goals came to fruition in the second half when chemistry and strategy between Victor Moreira and midfielder Nick Gass allowed each to both score and assist each other’s goals. Prior to the final whistle, Koenig net-ted the last goal.

On Tuesday at an away game against Cascade Christian, Vashon led with a 7-3 win.

Moreira, a Brazilian exchange student, completed a three-goal hat trick — a significant contribution to the win that day. Peter Amick and Jacob Gateman

also added to the tally. Overall passing and the

forcefully defensive back of Jesse Hazzard, Jessie Turner and Matt Swope kept their opponents with fewer advan-tages.

Monday night, in the fourth game of the Pirates’ winning streak, VHS dominated a short-handed Chimacum squad, 7-0, with Moreira scoring five goals.

Contributing to the stellar week were the junior varsity team’s wins against the first three opponents, including a two-game shutout with goal-ie Ben Stemmer at the net.

The Pirates will play Orting today in an away game and take on Life Christian at 6 p.m. Friday at home.

— Karen O’Neil is a long-time VHS soccer volunteer.

Fastpitch softball fumbles in the mud, takes two losses

Brazilian exchange student Victor Moreira (left) scored three of seven goals Vashon earned in Tuesday’s game against Cascade Christian. Behind him is Van Ralston.

VHS soccer dominates at home and away

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then an elliptical or rowing machine appeared. Some past photos show just a handful of bikes at the spot, while one snapshot shows as many as 16.

But those who drive past Portage often say they began to notice more significant changes about the bikes sev-eral months ago. The dumping increased, and the spot became crowded with junkier bicycles and other exercise equipment. Other trash appeared too, and someone even dropped off a couch.

“For a while there were so many, it kind of became a dumping grounds,” said Maria Pottinger, who lives nearby.

Then the trend seemed to reverse, some say, and the bikes and other equipment began to disappear. For a while there were a couple treadmills left, and then nothing.

Nadine Edelstein, a tile artist who lives at Portage, said she and some neighbors periodically cleared out the equip-ment when it began to pile up, always leaving the classic bikes with the thin, metal bars that the spot is best known for.

“We would get together and cull them out to keep it look-ing a little more tidy,” she said.

However, Edelstein said she’s not responsible for the total disappearance of the bikes. She thinks that perhaps the per-son who rented the apartment attached to the Portage Store for a time or a road crew working in the area mistakenly took the bikes, thinking they were doing the community a favor.

“It cold be just a very easy misunderstanding,” she said.

Jim Didricksen, a county roads supervisor based on Vashon, said Vashon’s road workers are familiar with the Island and he doesn’t think they would touch the bikes.

“It could have been a crew that came over (from off-Island) and did it, but it’s highly unlikely,” Didricksen said.

Other neighbors suspect the bikes were hauled off by someone collecting scrap metal.

“The price of scrap is up now more than usual,” said Lou Engels, who lives nearby and owns Engels Repair & Towing.

However, the most widely spread rumor is that the owner of the Portage Store building, which has been vacant since 2001, finally got tired of the bikes and cleared them out.

Pottinger, whose children sometimes played on the bikes while waiting for the school bus, called the rumor “com-pletely hearsay,” but added that she wouldn’t blame the owner if it were true.

“My thought is if the person at the Portage Store owns that property, he can do what he wants with it,” she said.

According to the King County Department of Assessments, the strip of land where the bikes once sat is part of the parcel that includes the Portage Store building and is owned, along with the building, by a man named Brian Gordon.

The county lists Gordon’s address as a P.O. Box in Steamboat Springs, Colo., but neighbors say they believe he currently lives in Seattle, visits the Island now and then and could have tossed the bikes.

However, one man who was outside the Portage Store last week said he knows Gordon and doesn’t think he was the one who got rid of the bikes.

The man, who doesn’t live on Vashon and declined to give his name, said he recently bought a boat from Gordon.

He said Gordon was a nice person and he doubted he would take the beloved bikes.

“I’m a pretty good judge of character,” he said.The Beachcomber’s attempts to contact Gordon were

unsuccessful. Maggi McClure, who lives on Maury Island and heads

the Vashon Sheepdog Classic, may hold one clue in the bikes’ disappearance. In mid-April, McClure said, she was driving on Dockton Road and saw a group of men load the last remaining treadmill into the back of a truck filled with scrap metal.

“It looked like people collecting scrap,” she said. McClure, along with many others, says she hopes more

bikes will eventually be dropped off at Portage. But she worries that the charm of the original, old-style bicyclesmay be lost forever.

“Exercise equipment has changed. Those great old basic exercise bikes don’t exist anymore,” she said. “Maybe they’re gone, unless someone has some hiding in a base-ment somewhere.”

Edelstein said she, too, would like to see the iconic bikes return, and is even holding on to one she could put there.

“I’m not putting it out there if somebody’s going to toss it,” she said. “I’m kind of waiting for things to come back to normal.”

RUSSELL JAMES JOHNSON11-24-1912 to 4-19-2012

Russell James Johnson passed away peacefully on April 19th, 2012 after a brief illness at the Washington Veterans Home in Retsil, Washington.Russell was born on November 24, 1912 in Manfred, ND to Malena and John Johnson. He attended

school and farmed in Manfred prior to enlisting in the US Army in 1934. He served in the 59th Coast Artillery in the Philippines. In 1941 he reenlisted to serve in the Medical Corps where he would spend time in Australia and again in the Philippines. Between periods of service he married his former wife, Mary and built his family, including their four sons. He raised his family in the Seattle area and became a long time resident and friend to many on Vashon Island.Russell enjoyed nothing more than long conversations with his friends and family. He had many tales to share about his army days, his work in a Seattle sawmill or the Bremerton shipyards, his farming and hunting experiences, world travels, romances and many other adventures over the years. He also greatly enjoyed corresponding with his far flung nieces, nephews and friends via his trusty manual type writer and those who knew him well knew that he was a prodigious letter writer. He was very much a self-taught man; learning through a lifelong love of reading that continued until his death. In this and many other ways he was a great inspiration to those around him.He will be remembered for his direct and frank outlook on life, his overflowing humor and goodwill, but most of all he will be remembered with love.Russell is preceded in death by his parents and 6siblings. He is survived by his four sons: John, Russell (wife Judy), Terry and Chuck (wife Diane), 8 grandchildren, two great-granddaughters and very many beloved nieces, nephews and friends. A brief service will take place on May 4th at 1:00 p.m. at the Tahoma National Cemetery at 18600 SE 240th Street, Kent, WA 98042. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Manfred History and Preservation, Inc. (MHP) at PO Box 321, Harvey, North Dakota 58341

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The exercise bikes have long been a Vashon icon and legend, as well as a favorite subject for artful photographs.

Langley Fine Gardens in Dockton experienced a spate of burglaries earlier this month, prompting the owners of the small, family-owned business to shutter their popular, street-side farm stand.

Leda Langley, who owns the business with her hus-band Matt, said someone took several flats of flower and vegetable starts over the course of three weeks, with each of the burglaries occurring during the day, while the Langleys worked not far — but out of sight — from the stand.

“They were very savvy. They went through and picked out choice stuff,” Langley said, adding that heirloom f lowers, native columbine and fragrant sweet peas were among the items stolen.

The crime spree began with $150 in starts missing in early April, and Langley

thought someone had sim-ply forgotten to pay. The fol-lowing week, $350 in starts were stolen. When they lost $650 in starts last week, thecouple decided to shut down their farm stand.

Langley’s troubled by the incidents but added, “We’re not freaking out. And we don’t want others to freak out. We’re OK.”


Friday, May 4th

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 fight against breast cancer.

17637 100th Ave SW, Vashon, Washington 98070

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HONORS

Michael Monteleone, a Vashon filmmaker, videog-rapher and one of the edi-tors of the Church of Great Rain videos, was awarded the American Documentary Film Fund Grand Prize at the recent American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs, Calif.

Monteleone shares the $5,000 prize with the film’s producer Roger Tessier.

Their film, “Dead Man Rockin,” is about the life and music of their former band-mate, Dr. John Harrelson. The prize will go toward the completion of the film. To view the trailer and learn about the film, see www.deadmanrockin.com.

Former Islander Moria Robinson was award-ed a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship this spring. Robinson is a 2007 graduate of Vashon High School and a 2011 graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont.

The fellowship program seeks to ensure vitality and innovation within science,

technology, mathematics and engineering by sup-porting graduate students in research-based masters and doctoral degrees. Robinson will begin her PhD program this fall at the University of California, Davis, in the Population Biology program.

Robinson, the daughter of Holly and Tim Robinson, grew up fascinated by the ecosystem on Vashon and credits many influential fig-ures on the Island with her ongoing path in the natu-ral sciences. She would like to thank Islanders Rayna Holtz, Ray Pfortner, Tom DeVries and John Rees for their encouragement throughout her earliest years and recognize Vashon for being such a supportive and stimulating community.

Chautauqua Elementary School will add a second Spanish-immersion kinder-garten class to be offered next fall in response to the large amount of inter-est in the program. There are spots left for eight more students to enroll in the program. Enrollment will be first come, first served. For more information or to enroll, call Chautauqua’s main office at 463-2882.

April 11: A stolen gas card was used to purchase $475

of gasoline at the Williams Heating gas station on Vashon Highway.

April 12: A man pulled over for speeding near the intersection of Vashon Highway and Bank Road was found to be driving under the influence.

A vehicle traveling on the 24800 block of Dockton Road was hit by an object, possibly a pellet from a pel-let gun.

Fallen trees were stolen from an empty lot near the intersection of Ridge Road and Klahanie Road. It was the second time trees were stolen there.

April 13: Suspicious cir-cumstances were report-ed at the Vashon United Methodist Church parking lot. Someone was shouting

and banging on the door ofa trailer parked there.

April 14: An individualstole a vehicle on Vashon and wrecked it in on the 9000 block of Beall Road.

April 16: Theft wasreported at a home on 94th Ave. A man stole his live-in girlfriend’s property and sold it to a pawn shop.

April 17: A possibleprowler was reported at a home on the 15600 block of 115th Avenue.

Vandalism occurred at ahome on the 10000 block of Cove Road. The victim’s ex-boyfriend stomped on and spray-painted the victim’s laptop.

April 18: A purse was sto-len from an unlocked vehi-cle parked outside Bethel Church.

FYIVashon-Maury

All-Merciful SaviourOrthodox Monastery

9933 SW 268th St. (south of Dockton)SUNDAYS: DIVINE LITURGY 10:00 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 am

Rev. Bruce Chittick, PastorMaggie Laird

Pianist/Choir Director463-9977

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:

Frank Davis and Mike Ivaska9318 SW Cemetery Road

www.VICC4Life.com

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 Services at 9:45 am (Sept–June)Religious Exploration for toddlers–8th Grade

Lewis Hall (Behind Burton Community Church)

23905 Vashon Hwy SW

Info: www.vashonuu.org 463-4775

Puget Sound Zen CenterAbove KVI Beach

in the Mann Studio.

Sitting Meditation: Mon. – Fri. 6:30 – 7:30am,

Wed. 7:00 – 8:30pm.

All Welcome!

463-4332www.pszen.org

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 Churchof the Holy Spirit

The Rev Canon Carla Valentine PryneSundays – 7:45 am & 10:15 am

Church School & Religious Exploration9:00am

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 am

Pastors: Rev. Bjoern E. MeinhardtRev. Jeff Larson, Ph.D., vm: 206-463-6359

www.vashonluthernchurch.org/JeffLarson/JeffLarson.htm

463-2655e-mail: [email protected]

Vashon United Methodist Church17928 Vashon Hwy SW

(one block south of downtown)

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

10:00 a.m.Youth Class 11:30 a.m.

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

www.vashonmethodist.orgoffi [email protected]

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

Vashon Presbyterian Church

Worship 10am17708 Vashon Hwy (center of town)

Pastor Dan HoustonChurch Offi ce Hours

Monday– Thursday 10 am - 2 pm

463-2010

Our Vashon Island Community warmly invites

you and your family toworship with them.

Wors hip on our Island

Centro Familiar CristianoPastor: Edwin Alvarado

Ubicados En Bethel Church14726 Bethel Lane SW

206-371-0213Hora De Services: Sabados 7:30pm

Todos Son Bienvidos, El Lugar Ideal Para Toda La Familia

Dios Les Bendiga

The Langleys’ farm stand was popular in the Dockton area.

Real Estate ResourcesTitle CompaniesFirst American TitleAmber Wharton (206) 387-9402

Insurance AgenciesTrigg Insurance AgencyTom Trigg (206) 463-7411Escrow CompaniesIsland EscrowPat Cunningham (206) 463-3137

Connie Sorensen Managing Broker 206-819-7669

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33-letter Russian alphabet. “Letters that look like English letters sound completely different,” Maria notes. “Also, there are Russian sounds that Americans aren’t used to.” To prove the point, she grits her teeth together and makes a nasal wheeze.

“On top of this, Tchaikovsky (she pro-nounces the composer’s name with the proper Russian flair: chay-KOFF-ski) used 18th century Old Slavonic folk music for the chorus. Some of the words are no longer even used in everyday Russian,” she adds, cheerfully.

While the choral part of “Eugene Onegin” is blessedly brief relative to the whole opera, a portion of it is sung lickety-split. A CD with Maria carefully enunciating every syl-lable was handed to every chorus member to help with memorization.

“Skoree noh zhenkee, zappa ho dushkee” she intones on the disc in slow, flawless Russian. “Bay lee roo zhenkee, sara po dushkee.”

A few rehearsals later, Maria is encour-aged. “I know it’s hard, but I was impressed when we put the words and music together. It sounds really good.”

That’s personally important to Maria because the story of Eugene Onegin, from a work by Russia’s greatest poet, Aleksandr Pushkin, is known and beloved by nearly every Russian.

“It’s a story of all the timeless things in our lives — marriage, temptations, loyalty and friendship,” she says.

“I had to learn Pushkin by heart in high school,” she adds. “I had a wonderful lit-erature teacher who made me memorize Tatiana’s entire letter scene.” In the opera, the famous “Letter Aria” runs more than 10 min-utes, uninterrupted. It’s a tour de force for any soprano and is sung in Vashon Opera’s production by the company’s artistic director, Jennifer Krikawa.

Maria was raised 1,000 miles east of Moscow in the gritty industrial city of Nizhniy Tagil in the Ural Mountains. Her parents were origi-nally from Siberia — her father an electrician and her mother a microbiologist.

She won a highly competitive admission to the foreign language department of the

local university where she studied English and French. During her fourth year, one of her professors invited a visiting American employee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who was working on a local air and water quality cleanup project, to address her class. It was Vashon Islander Ken Marcy.

“There were 14 girls in the class, but he asked me for a date,” Maria recalls, smiling. “He was there for nine months. At the end, he invited me to Vashon. He was renting a cabin off Pohl Road on the south end with a gorgeous view of Mount Rainier and the Tahlequah ferry. He proposed and I said, ‘yes.’”

That was 1997. The couple now has a 10-year-old son, Dmitry. Thankfully for her language-challenged American friends, Maria took her husband’s last name, Marcy, leaving her full maiden name — Maria Anatolyevna Bezhentseva — to family history.

These days, Maria maintains her Old Country ties by representing several Russian artists from the Ural Mountain region through her company, Shambala Studio. Islanders can see a sample of this work in a collection of contemporary icons on display

at Kronos in downtown Vashon. Some of her imported art will find its way

into the opera set, designed to create the ambiance of Pushkin’s era. “It’s going to be like being in Russia in the late 1800s. We’re going to have a fabulous Russian show.”

And there’s family pride: Husband Ken and son Dmitry will also be on stage in the production.

Sipping the last of her Minglemint chai, she adds: “I started working in Russia as an English tutor for Russian students. Now I’ma Russian tutor for Vashon Opera. You never know what surprises life will bring.”

— Gene Carlson is a writer and a member of the Vashon Opera.

Norm Hollingshead will hold a free pre-view lecture on “Eugene Onegin” at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at the Vashon Library.

The opera will take place at 8 p.m. Friday, May 18, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 20, at Bethel Church. Tickets, $32 each, are available at vashonopera.org or at Vashon Bookshop. A dress rehearsal performance will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, at Bethel; tickets are $15.

CONTINUED FROM 1

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LeslieFerriel

206/235-3731

FABULOUS VIEWS!

3 bdrm2 bath

CristGranum206/419-3661

WESTSIDE WATERFRONT

2+ bdrm2 bath

EVERYTHING YOU WANT!

3 bdrm2 baths

EQUESTRIAN PARADISE

3 bdrm3 bath

CRAFTSMAN BEAUTY

3 bdrm31/4 bath

PhilMcClure206/696-1800

DON’T MISS THIS!

4 bdrm2 bath

CLASSIC ISLAND CHARM

3+ bdrm11/2 bath

HAND-BUILT CUSTOM HOME5.15 acres of privacy and sunshine

Stunning forest, hydronic heat, luxury master, media room,expansive garage, custom shop. MLS #246490 $575,000

Gated property in a prized Northend settingBeautifully updated home, peek views and pastoral 1.17acres close to Seattle ferries! MLS #328572 $349,000

This office independently owned and operated JOHN L SCOTT VSHThis office independently owned and operated JOHN L SCOTT VSH

LenWolff

206/300-7594

SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL

2 bdrm1540 SFNATIONWIDE

OPEN HOUSEWEEKEND

SUNDAYAPRIL 29TH1:00 - 4:00

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JeanBosch

206/919-5223

HARBOR WATERFRONT

3 bdrm2 bath

DebCain

206/930-5650

NancySipple

206/465-2361

PICTURE PERFECT!

2 bdrm13/4 bath

SusanLofland

206/999-6470

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DianeStoffer

206/650-6210

ValSeath

206/790-8779

BREATHTAKING VIEW!

3 bdrm13/4 bath

Start living your dream at Gold BeachCommunity beach & pool, marine park just a block away -this is bliss! Sun room & deck. MLS #139862 $352,000

KenZaglin

206/940-42443 bdrm21/4 bath

Burton

Open House #1 - 8011 SW Hawthorne LaneCommunity beach, fully remodeled contemporary, 3-cargarage/shop. NEW PRICE! MLS #306224 $399,500

Open House #2 - 11726 SW Cove RoadCustom finishes, charming outbuildings, immaculate &

easy care. JUST LISTED! MLS #343835 $299,000

Open House #3 - 16809 - 137th Avenue SWSun-drenched 148’ wft, darling bungalow right on the

beach is a newly updated gem! Offered at $475,000

Open House #4 - 9716 SW 212th StreetPristine country home, 2.08 acres, barn with tack room,shop with loft studio, sunny garden! #328024 $299,000

Open House #5 - 22522 Dockton Road SWDarling home on 6.6 acres, big front porch, outbuildings todie for! Huge garages, studio, shop. #336100 $440,000

Open House #6 - 13814 SW Reddings Bch RdSun-filled pastures, towering evergreens, 8.88 acres,

spacious 3000+ sq. ft. home! #328134 $485,000

Open House #7 - 24179 Vashon Hwy SWStandout renovations,high-end finishes, huge deck,

sun-dappled yard. 50’ beach! MLS #309005 $399,000

Open House #8 - 12280 SW 253rd StreetGorgeous 10+ acres & a pristine country home! Russian

fireplace, wood floors, garage w/studio. #315310 $749,000

Open House #9 - 10134 SW 280th StreetBig farmhouse & 9.89 acres - a little finishing equals big

savings! NEW PRICE! MLS #276872 $329,500

APRIL 28-29, 2012REALTOR®

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vashon-maury island beachcomber, april 25, 2012

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