Vol. 5, #8 April 11, 2008

TheAdventues of

PrinceAchmed

TO INFORM AND AMUSE -- TO PROVOKE THINKING AND ACTIVISM

page 18page 16

In this issue: Deb Andersonsays we were ready to talk onPage 15, the Pottingers invadeThriftway, spring salad recipesand much, much, more!

Poetry OpenMic at Cafe

Luna, see “Yes,Virginia...”

page 5

Islanderteaches EMS

in Bhutan

April is Poetry Month

The Poetry Poles stands in the VillageGreen, photo by Ann Spiers.

April is National Poetry Month and Islanders don’t need to go far tosee and hear great art at work. Poetry wells out from a number of springsin a diffuse network that intertwines with everyday Island life. The PoetryPole stands in the Village Green, inviting passersby to share their best orto stop by for a moment’s inspiration. Hiway Haiku, refusing to beoppressed, continues to sprout back up along the Vashon Highway. Anintergenerational crowd of writers and audience members enjoys readingsevery month at the 8-Word, 8-Day Poetry Open Mic, at Café Luna, andthere’s plenty of opportunity for discussion of those things poetic at thePoetry Salon at Vashon Bookshop. Other groups, like “Mondays atThree,” meet to discuss and share haiku in homes around the Island. Manyof these writers move on from these venues to share their joy for wordswith students in Vashon schools, churches, and centers of spirituality. Ifthere’s a poet waiting to flower in you, check inside this issue of the Loop,and join in with the many Island-grown poetic opportunities.

Vashon Island PTSA sponsorsamazing student exhibits andaccomplishments in science at thisyear’s science fair on Saturday,April 19th from 10am-3pm atMcMurray Middle School. Bringyour family, there’s something forall ages. Explore science throughhands on activities, studentprojects, and demonstrations.

14th AnnualScience Fair

by Donna Gagner

A Shirley Ferris Hiway Haiku still standingalong the highway despite vandalism, photo

by David Steel.

Co-op PreschoolAuction

“Tapas, Tangos and Big Tickets”Saturday, April 19, 6pm

Two- and three-year old students with their“parent-teachers” at VMCP on VashonIsland, photo by Mike Urban..

by Marty Krouse

A decade after its firstfundraising auction, the island’scooperative preschool is stillgoing strong, thanks in large partto the money raised one big nighteach year. To celebrate itscontinued success, the VashonMaury Cooperative Preschoolwill put on a special tenthanniversary auction event

Saturday, April 19th, dubbed“Noche en Españia,” featuringfood, music, and entertainment tocompliment an Iberian theme.

Continued on page 6

Get your tickets now for DramaDock’s production of The Wizardof Oz. Directed by ElizabethAnthony, this fun-filled adaptationpromises a few surprises notfound in the book or the movie.The cast of witches, jitterbugs,munchkins and other illustriousOz favorites includes severalwell-known island thespians aswell as some talented newcomers.The set, which was designed byChris Zinovitch and costumes,created by Kate Guinee, willbrighten the dullest April day.Tickets are available at Books ByThe Way, The Vashon Bookshop& www.brownpapertickets.com.The show runs April 11-27, Fridays& Saturdays at 7:30pm andSundays at 2:00pm at the VashonHigh School Theater.

Student Hunter Mask with his Science Fairexhibit. Photo by Donna Gagner.

Continued on page 8

Wizard of OzStarts Now

Joanna Macy. If that’s a namethat makes you think, “Wow! Aperson of that international calibercoming to speak at Camp BurtonLodge, April 29th on our littleisland! I’ve read her books ondeep ecology, know her work forpeace, her workshops on facinggrief worldwide, but neverthought I’d get a chance toactually hear her, close up.”

Story by Kaj Berry

Continued on page 8

Joanna Macy ComesTo Vashon!

From left to right: Ellie Hughes, TessMueller and Brette Flora get set to practicethe Wizard of Oz. Photo by Shannon Flora.

April 26,2008 Marks the 5th anniverseray for PerrysPhil Threlkeld from Perrys Vashon Burgers had this to say.It’s been really Great having Perrys vashon Burgers on the Island for

the past 5 years. All the people I’ve met and all the conversations, havebeen worth all this time. I would like to Thank my Mom for always

Happy 5th AnniversaryPerrys!!

Continued on page 11

April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 2

Get in The Loop

The Vashon Loop

Writers: Kathy Abascal, DeborahAnderson, Rachel Bard, Sarah Blakemore,Marie Browne, MEarth, Eric Francis, TroyKindred, Melissa McCann, Orca Annie,Kevin Pottinger, Rex Morris, JonathanShipley, Ed Swan, Mary Litchfield Tuel,Marj Watkins, Susan Wolf Original art, comics, cartoons: DeeBee,Ed Frohning, Rick Tuel, Jeff Hawley, AlexSoriano.Ad sales and design:Email: ads@vashonloop.comEditor: Ed Swan, Email:editor@vashonloop.comPublishers: Marie Browne and TroyKindredPO Box 253, Vashon, WA 98070Paid advertisements in The Vashon Loop inno way express the opinions of thepublisher, editor, or staff. We reserve theright to edit or not even print stuff. Dealwith it.Published every two weeksby Paradise Valley Press© April 11, 2008 - Vol. V, #8

Don’t miss an issue!Subscribe to The Loop!

$60 a year gets The Loop delivered toyour mailbox every two weeks. Call (463-9207) or write (PO Box 253, Vashon) oremail editor@vashonloop.com!

Do you have an announcement or Public ServiceAnnouncement? Do you have something to say about aVashon issue or topic affecting the Island? If so, pleaseemail questions or submissions to Ed Swan, editor of theLoop, at editor@vashonloop.com. Photos are welcome asjpeg or pdf attachments.

Submissions to the Loop

Friday, April 11

Loopy sez: Deadline for thenext edition of The Loop is

Boater EducationCertification Class

Two Saturday morning classesthat are Step 1 for getting a BoatersEducation Card—which ismandatory for people age 12 andolder to operate a motorized vesselof 15 horsepower and over inWashington state—are being held 8a.m.-12 p.m. at the Senior Center onBank Road April 19 and 26. Whileboaters born before Jan. 1, 1955 areexempt from this law, they will needa boater’s education card whenmotoring in Canada. Participantsmust attend classes both days, andmail in the course certificate with$10 to receive their boater’seducation card. The course fee is$10, and is open to everyone. DaveRogers is the state-certifiedinstructor. It’s a good way to getready for boating opening day May3!

April at the LibraryAuthor Visit by Biffle French

Sunday, April 13th, 2:00pmAuthor of: Paddling the Waters

of Vashon Island: A Circumnavigation& Some Adventures

Have you ever watched kayakerspaddling along the shore and wishedyou could go along? Climb into thekayak with author Biffle French ashe describes his adventurespaddling around Vashon Island.French’s book includes fascinatinganecdotes about the history of theisland, its festivals, wildlife, andNative Americans. Join us for apleasant Sunday afternoonmeandering around our little island,without ever having to leave youchair. No registration necessary.

Late Night @ the LibrarySaturday, April 19th, 6:00 -

10:00pmGuitar Hero and Dance Dance

Revolution open play will beavailable as usual. Participate in theVashon Library Cyber Café and surfthe web or play a game!Refreshments! Door prizes! Securitywill be provided. Sponsored byFriends of the Vashon Library. Foryouth in grades 6-12.

Opera Previews:I PURITANI by Vincenzo

Bellini Sunday, Apr 27th, 2:00pmBellini (1801-1835) died at 34

and in that short life he composedten operas, three of which havenever gone out of fashion. I Puritaniis Bellini’s final opera and containssome of the most beautiful operamelodies ever composed. The story,set in the time of the English CivilWar between the Puritans and theRoyalists, is often laughable in itssudden plot shifts. The poorheroine, Elvira, has not one but twomad scenes. Believe it or not, theopera has a happy ending. Noregistration required. Sponsored byFriends of Vashon Library.

All About IrrigationThe next program event of the

Vashon Island Fruit Club will be apresentation by Michael Laurie onwater-efficient irrigation methodsand equipment, as well as Dr. BobNorton’s summary of spring seasontasks in the orchard. Thesepresentations will follow the Club’squarterly business meeting, whichbegins at 7:00pm at CourthouseSquare. Doors open at 6:30.

On Saturday, April 26, 1:00 atCourthouse Square, we’ll have apresentation by Dr. Elizabeth Vogton recognizing and controllingharmful insects in your orchard andberries.

For further information on theseprograms, contact Mary Ornsteadat 463-0565.

“Lost Boy of Sudan”Talks at Methodist

ChurchJacob Acier will give a talk about

his flight from Sudan, his life inrefugee camps, and his resettlementin the United States on 4:30 pm,Sunday, April 13, at the VashonMethodist Church. Those attendingare requested to bring a tray ofsnacks to share. The gathering issponsored by the Methodist Churchand Havurat Ee Shalom.

Acier, 24, fled his traditionalSudanese village when he was asmall child, joining a stream ofpeople — many of them young boyslike himself — trying to escape thecivil war that has ripped the fabricof his country. He spent many yearsin refugee camps in Ethiopia andKenya before arriving in the UnitedStates, knowing virtually nothingabout modern-American culture, in2002. Last fall, he moved to Vashon,after getting a job at PacificResearch. Recently, Jacobdiscovered that his mother - whomhe has not seen in 17 years - hadsurvived the war and is currentlyliving in a refugee camp in Uganda.Jacob’s goal is to make a trip toAfrica to help her. Jacob is beingsupported in this effort, and inadjusting to his new life on Vashon,by a group of islanders called Jacob’sLadder.

Donations can be made to theJacob Acier Group at an account setup at the Vashon branch of Bank ofAmerica.

Green PartyBook Club

The Green Party book club meetson Sunday, April 27th, at 2 pm at theVashon Tea Shop. The book thismonth is: “Overthrow: America’scentury of regime change fromHawaii to Iraq” by Stephen Kinzer.You can pick up the book at theVashon book stores, and get adiscount for club members. You donot have to be a member of the GreenParty to participate. All arewelcome. Call Ivy Sacks at 463-9579for more information.

‘Great Decisions’Discussion

“Blacklisting the Enemy”continues the “Great Decisions”current events group at 2 p.m. April14 at Vashon Library. Agreementon how precisely to define‘terrorism’ remains elusive, leavingroom for debate over who belongs—or doesn’t—on the U.S. StateDepartment’s roster of rogues. Whoare you calling a terrorist: Libya?North Korea? Cuba? Syria? Iran?Sudan? Iraq? And there’s a list of42 designated “foreign terroristorganizations” so far. What do youthink? Bring us your experiencesand opinions. A background videoprepared by the Foreign PolicyAssociation starts the program,followed by a discussion lead by BillMassey, facilitator. The program isfree and cosponsored by the SeniorCenter and Friends of the Library—and everyone’s welcome. A bookof background articles prepared bythe FPA is available at the libraryreference desk for reading ahead oftime. Call the Vashon Library at463-2069 for more information.

Fur Ball Heads UpPlans are under way for the

“Most Fantastique Fur Ball™ Ever”.Watch for those shifty animal loversas they make their way throughalleyways and knock over garbagecans looking for handouts. They willstand outside of your business orhouse and howl ‘till you give. Theyhaven’t fed for a year and need allsorts of goods to sustain them. The6th Annual Fur Ball™Auction will beheld on August 2nd, 2008. Todonate, please contact the GrandHairball, Kate Dunagan at 567-5485, or Vashon Island PetProtectors at www.VIPP.org.

Why Ask Why? Dream!www.vashondream.com

The Vashon Loop, p. 3April 11, ‘08

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April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 4

Haiku According to Vashon

Island Students Give it a Tryby Kajira Berry

Haiku poetry is a very short,centuries-old form of Japanesepoetry, usually considered to bebased on three lines of 5, 7. 5syllables, containing a reference toan immediate, current season ornatural event.

Haiku is like a snapshot thatcaptures the essence of what’shappening, often connecting twoseemingly unrelated things. Often,there is a surprise in the third linewhen the haiku writer includes anassociation that expands or flips thefirst observation. Writing haiku canbe a lifetime obsession for those thatget caught in the delight of findingjust the right word for the moment’sinsight.

Opening the window forchildren to write haiku is great fun.Lately, both Harbor School’s gardenprogram and the Puget Sound ZenCenter’s family day introducedhaiku writing to kids from five totwelve years old. One girl said, “I’vealways needed something to holdthe images I have in my mind.”

Here are some of the results.From Harbor School, 4th -6thgrade children:

Growing in the spring sunshinetrees live a strong peaceful lifestarting as a sproutForrest

I see green around me— a forest to an ant— a garden to meElly

sounds in the gardenit’s soothing and it’s slow—— the smoothness of the soundsJing

A wet rainy dayraccoons step and leave a markwhich is soon cover’d upElizabeth

Green leaves in the sunshining in the air— all so nice with rain dropsPrasad

A stone on the groundamong a million others— a piece of sandElly

From Puget Sound Zen Centerchildren: (note—the syllable countwas not required)

Birds flutter high in the skythe ocean is facing the tall tall sky— spring is beautifulLars

The flowers are bloomingonly one bird flutters slowly in theopen sky— the ocean looks beautifulLars

Crocuses are buddingtrees are budding— not so much night any moreAdri

Flowers are buddingbirds are coming back— it’s still not very warmAdri

It isn’t raining so muchI like it being sunny— nights are getting shorterEleanor

Daffodils come upOh, it’s so nice in the trees— birds singing chirp chirpEleanor

I saw yellow flowers bloomingI saw buds and pink flowersblooming— and moss on the treesLeila

Spring is coming as the bird singsas I feel the mossI climbed a small tree next to a pileof sticks,—then I go insideDanDan

My friend outside the windowspotted the yellow flowers— I wanted to be with herEllie

The beautiful bright treeshining with popcorn pinkblossomswakes us right up— good morningIndigo and Christine

For ten years, thirteen Islandershave met to share haiku. In 2003,they published a collection entitledMondays At Three, Paradise Cove inhonor of Helen Russell who firstgathered the group at her cabin onthe Island’s west side. Here arepoems by the group.

welcome, Marissasleeping your way in, as I,old, sleep my way out... Helen Russell

Morning fog thickensin the alder stand, a poembegins in my boots. Michael Feinstein

Up through foreign pineselders and salmonberriesthat the birds brought in John Browne Jr.

mock orange bouquetin translucent green glass vase let us sip and waltz Karin Brusletten

Birdsong in three noteswakes me from Swedish farmlandsto coffee and chores. Shirley Ferris

steaming green tea old stoneware bowlthese cold cupped hands B. Candy Gamble

Haiku From “Mondays at Three”by Ann Spiers

The fruit fly has drowned in my unerring sorrowI swallow him whole Chris Bollweg

Birdsong in thicket.Though I search the leaves all day,Haiku eludes me. Barbara Chasan

A leaf underfootgathers rainwater enoughto show open sky Jill Andrews

starving Buddhahis hand across the tablethe chair empty Ann Spiers

Two owls in the nightHoot-hoot across the silencethen, again, nothing Jean Ameluxen

Adventure beckons... but oh! how sweet familiar ordinary ways Kajira Wyn Berry

Cut, and in a vase,Snapdragons turn to the sky.April rain falling. Ron Simons

The white cat

sitsin green twilightregarding ——as I foldspring smells andmemoriesinto white sheetsfrom the clotheslineabove new-mown grass

-Kajira Wyn Berry

Earth has need of magic

if dandelionswere notalready wild –we would have had toinvent them

-Kajira Wyn Berry

Half-day Sit

Here comes the morning lightLet the chirping, tweeteringAnd cawing begin

The roar of a distant jetA barking dog

With all the noise,What choice does thisOld fool have,But to danceThe jig

- David Steel

(206) 463-3401$8 Nail trimming with no appointment

17321 Vashon Hwy SW Big Red building w/Animal Stuff on the porch

Hope you enjoyed March's wild ride - April resolution, no moresnow.Hope your pet enjoys spring break - have them try a new chew toy.

Cheryl’s pick of the week:Good bye next week. I'll not be here. Cometell me all about it on April 14th.

Old Issy

I knew an old womanwho lived in gables,who said that the moon risesin the dawn after her dog tells storiesin a language only the peacock says mooin the dawn of two suns, who tells all he knows.This language is yanoodle. And the wolfwho walks, said that tigers grow tiredof playing their stripes, of the tune that flieson the wings of a loon. And, inside the housethe wolf meows into the sun after the tiger.

-cooperative poem by Samantha Vaughan, McMurray Middle School

The Vashon Loop, p. 5April 11, ‘08

Whatever has happened to thewonder of a holiday? You’d thinkno one knew that April is NationalPoetry Month! You know, I stoppedin a couple of our local gift storesthis week, and there was nothing,absolutely nothing on display- nogreeting cards, no decorations forfront doors, no special foods, hats,or napkins. No poets rhyming onstreet corners! Good heavens, it’senough to make you stop believingin bears on Islands, fairy tales, andbook trees!

Of course, here on Vashon wedo celebrate holidays a littledifferently. We take pride in ourunderstatedness, our tasteful streetdecorations and banners….or, not.Here on Vashon, we have smallgatherings of thinking people whomeet to discuss poetry, as they didat the April 2nd Vashon BookshopPoetry Salon (First Wednesdays),where the conversation drifted inand out of poetry and poets, to theWar, National values, andcomparisons between the Seventiesand now. It was meatyconversation and laughter, despitethe obvious lack of carols,refreshments, or holiday party hatsand presents.

Here on Vashon, because of ourobservance of National PoetryMonth, both public and privateschools will be closed between 7and 10 o’clock on the evening ofApril 17th, Ferries will be punctualand extra speedy, the mainintersection stoplight will flash witha special regularity, and there willbe no cover at Café Luna. Allbecause of National Poetry Month.

And, there’s more. They say thatteachers will encourage theirstudents to write poems inrecognition of the holiday, and thatfamilies will gather around kitchentables and living room hearths toread old chestnuts and a new BillyCollins, David Kirby, or Mary

“Yes, Virginia….”by Devon Atkins

Oliver. They say that there will bepoems written with eight specialwords (plus any additional ones),selected especially for the occasion;and, that these eight words are 1)part-time, 2) crime, 3) grime, 4)lime, 5) prime, 6) I’m, 7) climb , and,8) sublime. And, that the youngand the old, and everyone inbetween will meet at Café Luna,Thursday, April 17th at 7 pm toshare these poems, plus some of theirfavorite ones, original and not. Theysay that the evening will be fun, oftenirreverent, filled with children andlaughter, and with a welcomingaudience that is full of appreciativefaces. They say that this event iscalled The 8-Word, 8-Day PoetryOpen Mic, that the first half-houris reserved for the younger set, thatsign-ups start this weekend, andthat the Holiday is alive and wellright here in our hometown. Yes,Virginia, April is National PoetryMonth, and this is how we celebrateit on Vashon. (Hey, and don’t forgetyour secret National Poetry Monthhandshake.)

Devon Atkins coordinates thePoetry Salon at the Vashon Book Shopat 7pm the first Wednesday of everymonth and the Poetry Open Mic atCafé Luna at 7pm on the thirdThursday each month.

Devon’s Vashon Poetry PicksDevon picked out some of the poetry from the Open Mics at Cafe

Luna, Poetry Salons at the Vashon Book Shop, some from students sheworks with and some of her own!

Jim

Jim is a dog, buthis owner is a bird.When Jim went to playhis owner flew away.

-Samantha Vaughan,McMurray MiddleSchool

LISTENING

During a fall of splintered sleetand blight, the slightest soundthrough floorboards tells of winter.

A first frost leaves green,roots settle silence, andfruit left on sills spendsa scent of waiting. Then

when light washes through treesand sun shadows a single leaf,sometimes we stop and listenas if a sound canchange what a heart grows into.

-Devon Atkins

Indefinition

Inscrutable deer, inscrutable doe,once here among the carrot bedseating the new cauliflower like cheese.

How swimmingly they goat ease in the darkness,how easily the usurpour station—too easilyfor cries, for tears.

Or so the boy says,lanky, with big toes,trying to pin the blameon something we can’t see

like a raptor above cloudsor a crow in the night woods

or could it be the birdwho calls out his name:killdeer, killdeer, killdeer, no?

No deers to kill here,nor wings in the air,killtear, killtear, killtoe.

-Thomas Pruiksma, 8-Word,8-Day Poetry Open Mic,October 2007

Ping Pong

It’s nothing, nothingthen, like the earth crushing in my handthe strike hits the table -P-I-N-G, P-O-N-GThe opponent hits a hardone down the left cornerof darkness!

I hit it back.It hitsthe top of the netand, unfortunatelyrolls back down.

The opponent serves,using a slice of top spin.

I slant my paddle,I run it through the air.The opponent looks straightat it.

I don’t think he knowsI put the back spin on it,1- nill. I am the lion,The fears, the great andPowerful.

-Maximo Mandl,VHS freshman

206-463-2664www.vashondream.com

April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 6

By Mary Litchfield Tuel

Spiritual SmartSpiritual SmartSpiritual SmartSpiritual SmartSpiritual SmartAleckAleckAleckAleckAleck

Register online or by phone(206) 296-1633, Toll -Free (800) 396-2584, TTY: (206)296-1024

Be InvolvedBe an official Citizen Councilor

CountywideCommunityForums.org

CountywideCommunity

Forums

Vashon residents, use ORG CODE 070 during registration

Be Heard

Perhaps you recall that after 9/11, we were told that the best thingwe could do to fight terrorism wouldbe to go shopping. Keep thatAmerican economy perking away.That’ll show ‘em.

Now, seven long bloody yearslater, we are being told once againto go shopping. We (those of us whoqualify) will be receiving checks fromthe government this spring. An“economic stimulus” it’s called. Weare not to think overmuch aboutwhere this money is coming from,only that we are to use it to go outand buy something for ourselves.

I’m thinking I’ll use it to paydown my credit card debt, or someother bills. Which is what thegummint is telling us not to do. No,no, no, no, no! Don’t pay off whatyou owe! Buy something new! Thisis meant to be CPR for our moribundeconomy.

Let’s face it, kids, $600 thesedays is chump change, an amount

Buying Things IsFun

coming. I’m not saying no. I’m justsaying that putting the countrydeeper into debt while encouragingus to get deeper into personal debtsounds like a dim strategy.

I’ve read and heard for years thatwe are a consumer society, and thatwe are addicted to spending andoverspending. We keep trying to buyhappiness. You can’t buy happiness.You can, however, purchase a littletemporary mood elevation. As myson says, “Buying things is fun, andthen you get to keep the stuff!”

I’m not talking aboutconsumerism as an outsider. I haveyearned for and bought cars,computers, guitars, clothes, and onehouse; I have spent happy hours onthe internet looking at fantasyhouses and vehicles, among otherthings. So I’m not saying that buyingthings or wanting to buy things isbad.

I will say that I’m up to my neckin crap I bought, inherited,

of money that will evaporate fasterthan a water drop on the woodstove in January. Or April, the wayour weather has been lately. I saythis from the perspective of havinga procedure done at a hospitalrecently and spending one night insaid hospital. $600 would barelymake them notice I’d put anythingon my tab.

I’m not saying it won’t be niceto be handed $600, since it is

accepted, or found. I’ve acquiredenough stuff in my life to havetipped to the evil side ofconsumerism – the point wherehappiness would have a betterchance around here if I got rid ofmost of this stuff.

I keep thinking about the bigpicture here – the one where youcan see the American dollar fallingin value, and the balance of tradebeing wildly off-balance. I’m

thinking about one more action bythis strange administration whichhas done so much to bring thiscountry to its knees and disgrace itin the eyes of the rest of the world,not to mention in the eyes of overhalf its own citizens. Now we’re allbeing handed a quarter to go to thecandy store while theadministration makes out with ourbig sister. The candy may be sweet

in the mouth for a few seconds, butthat won’t keep us from realizinghow much has gone sour.

So enjoy that internet cell phone,or a few minutes’ peace of mindfrom paying down your creditbalance, and get ready: we havework ahead of us as a nation, and itmay involve things other thanshopping.

oooooo

Illustration by Rick Tuel.

Co-op Preschool AuctionContinued from page 1

Notable Northwest entertainersand VMCP alumni Kevin Joyce andMartha Enson of EnJoy Productionsonce again lend their talents to theshow as headliners. Local bandCandelites will also perform.Gourmet food and drinks, includinga tapas buffet, are included withadmission.

As in years past, the list ofauction items up for bidding in bothsilent and live auctions is long andwide-ranging, a testament to thegenerosity of local sponsors andcontributors.

From big ticket items—includinga ski vacation in Big White, acultural weekend in Portland, anda trip to Disneyland—to parties,wine tastings, and entertainment, aswell as everyday goods like toys andclothing, organizer GretchenSpranger says, “There will besomething for everyone’s taste andbudget.”

No island auction would becomplete without original works byrenowned artists who call Vashonhome. This year’s VMCP auction isno exception, featuring works byPam Ingalls, Karen Crozier, JohnAnderson, and Karen Dale to namea few.

The annual VMCP auction helpsoffset the cost of preschool tuitionas well as to raise money forscholarships. In addition toproviding a needed childcarealternative for island residents, thepreschool, which is affiliated with

the Home and Family LifeDepartment of the South SeattleCommunity College, providescritical “parent-as-teacher”education by professional stafftrained in Early ChildhoodEducation.

Noche en Españia

What: Tenth annual VMCPfundraising auction, featuringfood, drinks, entertainment, liveand silent auctions. All arewelcome.When: Saturday, April 19th at 6:00p.m.Where: Vashon Island VFW Hall,22100 Vashon HwyHow much: $20, available atBurton Coffee, Books by the Way,Vashon Bookshop and at the door.More information: www.vmcp.orgVashon Maury CooperativePreschoolWhat: A cooperative preschool forjust-walking toddlers to pre-kindergarten five-year-olds,embracing not only thedevelopment of the child, but alsothe education of parents.When: September through May,class times vary by age-groupWhere: VFW Hall, 22100 VashonHwyHow much: Monthly fees vary byage-group (current year: $43 to$173)More information: www.vmcp.org

The Vashon Loop, p. 7April 11, ‘08

Solution on page 17

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1 Melt 5 Talk10 Privet14 Soft15 Peon16 Air (prefix)17 Moderately fast (music term )19 Detail20 Ball holder21 Strangely23 Should26 Sleep disorder28 Cooking tool31 Maturity

32 Tennis player Andre33 Extremely high frequency (abbr.)34 Current regulator37 Strong rope fiber39 Landing40 Look at42 Gone With the Wind's Mr. Butler45 Ancient Indic language49 Possessive pronoun50 Scuffle53 Boxer Muhammad54 Cell stuff55 Painter Richard56 Abundant58 Trash

60 Hubbub61 Type of dressing63 Place for bathing69 Saucy70 Gruesome71 Real72 Dining hall73 Chosen74 Was looked at

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(2 wds.)56 Spots57 Applesauce brand59 Gashes60 Nearly horizontal entrance61 Metronome marking62 Downwind

64 Before (prefix)65 Twitching66 Before, poetically67 Fear68 Japanese money

The Poetry Post, a cedar pole, stands in Vashon town’s Village Green.The post is modeled after Yakima’s Poetry Pole, stewarded by Jim Bodeenof Blue Begonia Press. All are invited to pin poems (their own or others)on the pole. Stewards are always needed to care for the Post for a season.

In 2006, a gathering of forces erected the pole, including Loren SinnerCedar, Vashon Parks and the Village stewards, Bill Ferris’ Raven’s IsleWoodworks, Bill Mann, Island poet Ann Spiers and Zack Krieger. PaulMotoyoshi offered a tea ceremony as a blessing for the Post on the WinterSolstice 2006. The posted poems are periodically collected and archived.

Vashon’s Poetry Postby Ann Spiers

Here’s a sampling of posted poems.

A Perfect OrderCharles P. Ries

The elevator rises as anotherone descends.Bill’s son is ten and learningbasketball.The air smells of Fall says, coolnights and Harvest moons.Mary’s daughter is thirteen andpregnant.I have fallen back in love with Frenchbread and tomatoes.My friend Steve just had hislegs blown off in Iraq.My life at middle age is finding itsbalance.

In an endless galaxyamidst a vast seaI sit in a small boatand try to figure outwhich way the wind is blowing.

Vespers

Calm and clear again tonightagain the evening starround and perfect at the edgeof the crescent moonlights our path, brightensyour form like ocean phosphor.Never mind tomorrow.I will smooth the bed, scatterverbena at the corners,enter into holysilence, wait.

Please stay, we signal. Be with us.Evening lengthens in our hands,reaches us. Takes us. - Carolyn Vespers

Posted during a memorial servicefor Island caregiver and poetCarolyn Vespers. The poemrecounts her taking care of a dyingpatient whose dead friends andfamily gathered in his front yardeach evening to wait with him.

...we standunder our own umbrellawe don’t needpop stars.

Posted, rain washed, and theselines are what remain.

Friday, April 11

Loopy sez: Deadline for thenext edition of The Loop is

Posted by an anonymous SpecialOperative of the internationalGuerilla Poetics Project whichsmuggles small, letter-pressprinted poems into books andother places.

Let me know— the fierce embrace

of glacier winds— the aching splendor

of solitude. Let me stand in the still- white center of snow.

Let me hear—the hymn-high song of cicadas— the boom and seethe

of surf— the crystal laughter of a child.

Let me dance in the soul- true light of stars.

Let me feel— the flower-remembering winds of twilight— the heart’s blue fire touched by love. Let me lie

in the grass- green life of summer.

Let me seek— wisdom caught in a net of words— contentment in the moon-pulled

storms of change. Let me be in the noon- high beauty of now.- Kajira Wyn Berry

With Thanks to Walt Whitman

Where great blue herons standon long reedy legsand gaze with level beaksWhere crows argue over beach tidbitsand strut their arroganceWhere seagulls circle and cry warningsWhere eagles landand find themselves aloneWhere swallows sketch their joyacross the marshWhere Fisher Creek curvesinto Quartermaster HarborThat place is my place.

-Jill Andrews

MEMORIES

Through the years Life hustles us on,With ins and outs, and roundabouts.We should be thankful we did not knowWhat the Winds of Time to us would blow.Now, as we near our final days and years,Cherish each day—put our life in gear.There is so much to do, and so little time—(Or like me, you could start writing rhymes.)

Need some help on what to do?These few things can see you through,Every one you do will lift your spirits,And lighten the load of someone else, too.

Get in touch with a very old friend,Send a funny postcard to one who is ill,Or a gift of food for an invalid—or tellAn amusing story, or give several great big hugs.There are lots of ways to be loving and giving,To add love and laughter to a fellow traveler.As I have learned in my memoirs class:Sharing your past is like giving a part of you.

-- Mary Lou Hillendahl, Vashon Senior Center

April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 8

We’ve Gota Lot ofKids

by Kevin Pottinger

We pull a hard right, easing theminivan into the grocery storeparking space. After the motor isshut off, both side doors suddenlyslide open with a bang. A cluster ofbickering siblings belligerently pushand shove their way into the earlyevening drizzle. After a coupleminutes of negotiation, we all holdhands and scurry across the half-empty parking lot.

Under cover, we find the driestgrocery cart we can, and hog-wrestle our three-year old twinsinto the upper basket, over theirheartfelt howls of protest. It’s bestto confine the twins to the cartrather than let them range freely. Itry to put out of my mind theillustration depicting stick figuresriding dangerously in the cart,conveniently etched into the redplastic seat base.

If my wife Maria and I aregrocery shopping together, we usetwo carts that we heap high withgroceries. It must look like we’reoutfitting an Everest attempt.Strangers eye the two carts, lean ina little and murmur, “Those kidsmust eat a lot, huh?”

When it’s just me and the kidsdoing the grocery shopping, I putthe sulking twins and the cannedgoods in the upper basket of thegrocery cart, and all the biteable,pokeable or squishable food on thebottom rack of the cart. Our twoolder kids, ages five and seven, trotalongside and provide colorcommentary.

Our first stop is the meat section,where almost immediately severalkids advise me of their urgent needto go potty. We make our way to therestroom in the back of the store,through the double doors, past theboxes of bananas, past the timeclock and Employee-of-the-Monthpictures and the deserted breakroom. We all file into the bathroomand the kids take turns on thethrone. Kids that have finished findtheir amusement by washing theirhands, running the cold water, thenthe hot water and pushing the startbutton on the hand drier repeatedlyand putting their hands and faces

under the hot blast. We point the cartback into the store to resumeshopping.

As we round the corner into thelunch meat section, our seven-yearold usually hassles me about Pizza-flavored Lunchables. Apparently anoverwhelming majority of kids inhis class have parents that careenough about their children topurchase the delicious and highlynutritious Pizza-flavoredLunchables for their lunch. For thethird or fourth time this month, Istonily examine the Pizza-flavoredLunchables he’s handed me tothoughtfully consider. Thedeceptively lightweight box hasmanic green and red-orangegraphics, and a list of ingredients fiveinches long in tiny print, with tie-ins to wildly popular toys on thefront and back. Failing to move me,he settles for his favorite choppedham that he’s had in a sandwich forlunch every day since he startedschool this year.

When we check out, I take thetwins out of the upper basket andset them on the floor, and put thepokeable and biteable food from thelower rack in the upper basket to bescanned. Our older kids sprint to thetoy section to study the Bionicles andthe My Little Pony dolls. The twinsare enthralled by the fascinatingthings on the lowest shelves by thecheckout counter: the batteryoperated personal fans, big packs offragrant chewing gum, huge swirlylollipops, glitter sticks and thick barsof gold-wrapped dark chocolate andmarzipan.

Every so often, my wife Maria orI will come home with items neitherMaria nor I put in the cart. A packetof Tom Douglas’s spice rub; a boxof Valentine’s Day candy hearts,imprinted with BE MINE or LET”SGO STEADY; a bar of Kiss My Facesoap. All the kids deny dropping theitems in the cart. But when ithappens the next time, if it’s apackage of, say, delicious Pizza-flavored Lunchables, we’ll havefound our culprit.

“Those Kids MustEat a Lot, Huh?”

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Works shops by Vashon’s scienceguru Barbara Gustafson includekites for kids, building withwindbags, solar bead science,parachutes, rocket launches andmore. Some of the great guestexhibits consist of Don Ehlen’sInsect Safari collection of live andpreserved insects (Talk to Don andbe inspired by his passion forscience.), Vashon AudubonSociety’s awesome Island birdcollection for you to touch andinvestigate and the McMurray TechClub robotics demonstration. Formore information call DonnaGagner 463-4225.

14th AnnualScience Fair

Continued from page 1

Or maybe you’re a person whosays, “Joanna who? Never heard ofher.” In that case, let me tell you alittle about her, her work andwords.

Macy is a leading voice inactivism for peace, justice and a safeenvironment. Her work may helpyou to transform despair andapathy—both personally andglobally—in the face ofoverwhelming social and ecologicalcrisis. She and her husband Franwere active since the Chernobylfiasco and have been leading voicesagainst nuclear proliferation eversince.

Acutely aware of the dangers ofclimate change, not dealt with, shesays, “The most remarkable featureof this historical moment on Earthis not that we are on the way todestroying the world—we’veactually been on the way for quite awhile. It is that we are beginning towake up, as from a millennia-longsleep, to a whole new relationshipto our world, to ourselves and eachother.”

Commenting on the fact that2008, in the Chinese calendar isEarth Rat year, she writes: “Themantra for an Earth Rat year is“Break It Down.” Break down oldhabits and obstacles. Break downproblems into discrete pieces andtasks. The image: a family of glossy-pelted rats is looking at a largewarehouse packed with rice. Theyknow they can take the huge

Joanna Macy Comesto Vashon

Continued from page 1

structure down. Each will focus onher own immediate job, her bit ofthe wood to chew. This is not a timefor multi-tasking, but just workingaway sequentially, consistently, inthe most ordinary fashion—for realchange.

“I just discovered a new saint,and the kind of strength he evokesis similar to Earth Rat’s. I have beenreading about New Orleans and oneof the books acquaints me withSaint Expedeet (also called Espidee).I immediately want him in mypantheon and in my life.

“To tell you his story, I’ll justquote from Voodoo Queen byMartha Ward. “As beloved in thecity as St. Anthony or the VirginMary… this saint, does not belongto the Catholic Church…. It seemsthat a statue of a Roman foot soldierintended to be part of a crucifixiontableau became separated from itscompanions. When the missingpiece turned up on the levee of theMississippi in a box markedEXPEDITE, things began to happenquickly. Word spread of a recentlyarrived saint who could bring thingsto a rapid conclusion. In NewOrleans speedy results are the truemiracles…

“St. Expedeet wears the garb ofa Roman soldier and crushes araven beneath his foot. The birdmanages to croak Cras! Cras!—Tomorrow, tomorrow—wait,procrastinate, do it later, mañana.Espidee, however, points firmly toa sundial inscribed HODIE. Today.Do it now.”

Come to hear her April 29, 6:30pm, at the Burton Lodge. Tickets are$25. $20 for members of PugetSound Zen Center, sponsor of thisevent. You can sign up online atpszen.org, or send a check payableto PSZC, PO Box2644, Vashon, WA98070 to receive a confirmationpacket. Tickets are also available atBooks By The Way.

PTSA Auction May 3

Emmanuel Pereyda-Antunez and JoseSahagun, both in Elizabeth Golen-Johnson’s pre-school class, create abotanical monotype collage with artistMary Margaret Briggs as a highly coveteditems up for bid during the Vashon PTSAAuctionon May 3 (more at ptsa.org).

The Vashon Loop, p. 9April 11, ‘08

Madame Toujours

Garden TheWorld

By MEarth

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My back people had a uniqueway of looking at water. Celts sawwater as an interface between ourworld and the otherworld, theboundary between Earth and Sky,and of the same sacred nature as thespecial times of day – dawn anddusk, noon and midnight. Wells andsprings were seen as gateways anddoorways to the world of spirit,honored and tended by sacredwomen.

As the new Church came in andsuch practices were stamped out,sacred wells, which had always beenplaces of oracle and divination, ofseeking and finding, became‘wishing wells.’ Often, the mostsacred of these springs had churchesbuilt right over them and theycontinued to flow within theinnermost sanctuaries and wereeven used for baptisms.

I have long felt that water was asacred being, a doctor, a healer, amagical being that has danced withthe earth and the air on this planetsince long before we were ever evenan embryonic thought.

When I first moved to this place,this island in Puget Sound, I wasprofoundly confounded by the factthat fresh water gushed from holesin the ground in some of the canyonshere. I can still scarcely believe itand, yet, it is true – here, in a placesurrounded by salt water, it gushes.On one of my first pilgrimages here,I was taken down into the canyonwhere West Side Water gets itswater. I thought it was one of themost sacred places I had ever been.When I had to take someone out for

oooooo

Sacred Water

an excursion into the sacred, thatwas one of the places we went andit did not disappoint.

Water its living strength first shows,When obstacles its course oppose.—Goethe

Water seems the softest ofelements, yet its power isundeniable. I’ve seen it wash housesright off this island.

We live, surrounded by it. It isthe defining element of this region.Its moods define our life. Is itraining? snowing? flooding? Itaffects us all continuously. Wesquabble over it, litigate over it,argue about it, use it, misuse it andabuse it. We all love it and want ituntil we have too much and then wehate it. It powers the green of thetrees and the green of the mildew.

Lately, I have been reading TheMiracle of Water by Masaru Emoto,a Japanese man who hasphotographed thousands of watercrystals throughout his years ofresearch on the impact of words andthoughts on water. He is convinced– as am I – that water is sacred, aliveand responsive to human thoughts,actions and words.

I believe water – and all elements– hear and understand humanspeech and prayer.

Emoto seems to show clearlythat water responds strongly tosubtle differences like ‘can’ and

‘must,’ ‘let’s do it’ and ‘do it.’He uses his crystalphotography to show us thatwe should always think andspeak kindly to water – thewater in our glass, the waterin the sky and on the ground,and especially to the water ineach other. We are, as hereminds us, 70% water.

Emoto tells us we shouldtell each other we arebeautiful, that we tried hardand did well and the waterwithin will respond. I like theidea. It cannot hurt to be kindto one another, to always seekthe positive in every situationand to speak the positive in

every conversation. One of the mostbeautiful crystals formed withthoughts of ‘love and gratitude.’That rings right to me. Those havealways seemed the most importantattitudes to take with both thehuman and the sacred in thisuniverse.

We are blessed here with anabundance of water. I love it and amso very grateful for its power, beautyand magic in this region, in our livesand in our very selves. Love andgratitude to you, my readers. Love,ME.

Photo by Masuru Emoto

Dear Madame Toujours,I have been married to my wife

Cherise for three years. We haveone little girl, Thomasina, and abrand new baby boy named RalphJr. Cherise and I agreed that sheshould stay home with the kids untilRalphie is in the first grade, thenshe’ll go back to work part-time.Meanwhile, she keeps busy sewingbaby clothes and selling them onEbay. She has a degree in fashiondesign. Last month, she madeenough money to buy me a big-screen TV for the family-room.

The thing is, lately, she has beenacting resentful. Okay, maybe Ishouldn’t have said anything abouthow lucky she is to be able to stayhome and pursue her hobbies, butdarn it, I had a long day at the shop,and I was tired, and she wanted meto get up and hand Ralphie Jr. hisbinky-bear. The kid didn’t need hisbinky-bear; he would have stoppedscreaming for it eventually.Anyway, it came out that shedoesn’t think my job is moreimportant than what she does. Howcan she say that? Without my job,we’d be on the street. Is this somekind of post-partum craziness? Doesshe need medication?

Sincerely,Head of the Household

Cher M. Head,Ahem, it is appearing to me that

you are laboring under the commonmisconception which is afflicting thewestern civilizations for many of themillennia. Let me explain: manythousands of the years ago, thehuman persons were noticing thatthe specializations of the labors werebeing very efficient, so one dayeverybody decided that Trog, thefellow who was being extremelygood at making the stonespearheads, should stay at home andmake spearheads while the fellowswho couldn’t make a spearheadwithout knocking themselves

unconscious should go out and huntthe mastodons. The other fellowsweren’t really any better at huntingthe mastodons than Trog, but at leastthey were having the many excellentspearheads. Soon, Trog came to feelthat his job making spearheads wasexceedingly important—mostlybecause he was doing it.

The same thing was happeningwith the women and thechildrearings. Mme. Trog noticedthat when M. Trog was being left totend l’enfant, he was mostly justleaving it behind a large rock—possibly supposing that thenurturing female wolf would comealong and take it back to her caveand raise it in the jungle like Mowgli.This was seeming to Trog like theexcellent idea. He wished he couldhave been raised by wolves in thejungle like Mowgli. Trog was quiteastonished to come back to the rockand find that l’enfant had been eatenby Sher-Kahn, the saber-tooth tiger.Why had the nurturing female wolfnot protected it? He felt resentful thatMme. Trog blamed him. He had beenvery busy with his extremelyimportant job making spearheads.

Pretty soon, Mme. Trog learnedthat she had better look after le petiteTrog Jr. herself. This was not becauseM. Trog Sr. was being so very goodat making the important spearheadsbut rather that he was so extremelybad at raising the childrens.

Bon Chance, M. Head, and beforeyou are considering too much theadvantages of staying home with thechildrens, consider that it is nowbeing prosecuted as the abuse whenyou are leaving le petite Ralphie Jr.behind the rock. There is no use toexplain that he was taken by thewolves, because many of the judgesand lawyers and jury persons are thefemale types who are notunderstanding why anybody wouldwant to go live in the jungle likeMowgli. oooooo

We do passport photos -- apply for passports at theCourthouse on Tuesdays, Noon-3:30 pm; 4-7 p.m.

April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 10

! LoOp Op Ed

! LoOp Letters

A guest speaker at a Vashonschool explains the water cycle, andwhat “sole source aquifer” means.(The only water on this Island comesfrom the rain and from second-handwater from irrigation, septicsystems, etc.) Then she asks thisquestion: “Here on the Island, howmany times during your life willyou drink or use the very samewater?” Silence in the room. Thena couple of high-pitched “Iccck”’s.

It’s a question we should allponder for a moment.

Then take a second look at thatorange and white flyer that justcame in the mail - HouseholdHazardous Wastemobile at the K2parking lot this coming weekend(Friday April 11 through Sun April13 — 10 am to 5 pm).

This is a rare opportunity togather up the old pesticides,cleaners, oil-based paints, oil,antifreeze, and other substances inour houses, garages, sheds andbarns and dispose of them. For free.

The Island has taken good careof its aquifer. But as the years goby, what slowly gets into the groundwill become an increasingly difficultproblem for our children andgrandchildren.

Thanks for your efforts,Frank Jackson

Here’s a questionworth pondering.

Could the town of Vashon workbetter for Islanders’ well being thanit does now? That’s another way tophrase the question the new TownPlan sub committee of theCommunity Council is examining.There are many stories of difficultiesfacing Island business: oo A small shoe store was onceprofitable on the Island, but thesavvy young owner couldn’t findaffordable room to expand, got abetter offer of much more moneyin a salary with no risk of wronginventory, and took his growingfamily to the Eastside. oo We used to be able to buymajor appliances here. But theowners couldn’t expand and theirsupplier cut off small outlets.Ironically, later on a Sears officialvisited the Island trying to findspace and an operator for asuitably sized store. He couldn’t. oo I talked once with the owner ofa growing business who hademployees working in a tentalongside his home. He neededmore space. He pondered movingto Kent. I heard he finally foundan Island barn. Anyway, the tentis gone.

A survey of Island businessproperty owners in the plan area isbeing considered to find out theirneeds. The earlier plan volunteerssurveyed also. That helped themdecide to set up the plan and zoningas it is now.

The list of problem areashampering better service toIslanders hasn’t changed muchsince the present town land useplan was established more than adecade ago. Here are some of theproblems/opportunities:1. Water “shortage” precludesgetting permits;2. Traffic patterns and volumeslead to cruising for handy parking;3. Retail “leakage” (buying off-Island);4. Transportation to and from theIsland seems to be deterioratingagain as half the paychecks comefrom off the Island;5. Fuel and electricity prices risefaster than general inflation;6. Affordable housing lacking formodest income households leads todramatic commuting;7. United business promotionefforts to bring people to townlanguish;8. Home occupation expansioncontinues without support;9. Small lot single family detachedhome development is almostnonexistent;10. Globalization and Internetuser needs and effects areunknown;11. Permitting process dragsowners to despair;12. Population trends and needsare not widely understood;

Hindrances to a Thriving Townby Jay Becker

Part II of two articles looking at some of the planning issues facingVashon

13. And other problems/opportunities overlooked orforgotten by this writer for themoment are likely to come up.Probably, committee members willbe asking Islanders again what wewant the town to be like in thenext 10 or 20 years.So why haven’t even more localbusinesses started here or existingones expanded? That’s anotherquestion for the committee.Existing ones have expanded.Sawbones Worldwide did. K2expanded so much that movingproduction jobs to China andKorea made economic sense.Island Lumber certainly expanded.LS Cedar sells all over the PugetSound area. One customer jewelersays he couldn’t make it withouthis California customers. A longtime Islander builds computerservers all over the region.Another is a vice president of afirm serving Internet customersnationwide. His office is hiscomputer. Food processors find amarket via the internet. The listgoes on.Our county executive recentlyreported that the overallcomprehensive plan for rural areassucceeded in keeping rural landopen for the past 14 years.Population growth in rural areasholds steady at four to five percenta year, he says. This contrasts with12 percent yearly growth beforethe state’s Growth ManagementAct triggered all this planning andzoning. At a four percent a yearour present population mightgrow to some 15,000 in a decade.That’s unlikely. But we alreadylook a lot like the sprawl east ofBellevue before it started to fill in.We have a lot to figure out…butyou already knew that.In retirement Jay Becker remains alifelong observer of small townsworldwide, former editor-publisher ofthe Beachcomber, and formerchairman of the Small TownsInstitute.

Friday, April 11

Loopy sez: Deadline for thenext edition of The Loop is

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The Vashon Loop, p. 11April 11, ‘08

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The American people have no oneleading the charge for the restorationof the Constitution and the rule oflaw.

My point is not that fewAmericans are engaged and energizedin doing good things, but simply thatthere is no individual who isleading… no one with whom you anda great many others are willing standand fight in order to defend yourcountry and your heritage.

Vying for political leadership arethe two principal nominees hoping tobe the Democratic candidate forPresident of the United States. Andthere’s also the Presidential candidatefor the Republicans. But none of thesecandidates have made the ongoingperpetration of crimes — against ourConstitution and the American people— an issue or a cause worth fightingfor.

I’m not going to recount here allthe ways that the Constitution and therule of law have been trampled uponin recent years. A Google search on“Bush crimes” might be time wellspent for anyone who needs a review.

Apparently most citizens havebeen talked out of their patriotism bythe mainstream media, the two mainpolitical parties, and our electedofficials — those traitors whoconveniently forgot their oath ofoffice while the Constitution wasbeing so denigrated.

One issue in the upcoming electionunder discussion is the ending of thewar in Iraq. But on close inspectionwe see that that, in and of itself,would be a bogus issue. The real issueis whether we are going to recognizethe illegitimacy of the war, the crimesthat were committed to instigate thewar, and the ongoing crimes againstthe Constitution and innocent peoplein the administration of the war. Thewar itself was a direct attack on theConstitution and the Americanpeople... and of course on the peopleof Iraq and Afghanistan.

The real issue is whether we are anation of laws… i.e., do we believein the rule of law… or have wesimply given up on the AmericanExperiment and the Constitutionitself. If we acknowledge that the warwas illegal — that egregious crimeswere committed in its execution —then it will follow that we must end

No One is Leadingby Mark A. Goldman

the war. But what follows is muchmore than that.

Just talking about ending the warand bringing our troops home,without addressing the shredding ofthe Constitution, is a betrayal of everyAmerican and every soldier who everfought in this war or any other. Arewe going to reclaim ourselves as aConstitutional republic or have wegiven up trying to be the America thatwas originally conceived into being bythe Framers?

Beyond the war and its illegality,are the following travesties that needto be addressed: the illegitimateelections that fraudulently putcriminals in charge of ourgovernment and kept them there; theongoing destruction of governmentitself by the purposeful eviscerationof nearly every oversight function ofgovernment. Lies permeategovernment offices everywhere.That’s why the economy is failing,why we have no energy policy, whyour educational system is behind therest of the developed world, why allcitizens do not have access toaffordable health care, why our foodsupply is at risk, why our children areat risk even when they play withtoys, why our infrastructure is in astate of decay, why inflation isstealing from every paycheck, why theover-bloated military industrialcomplex is bankrupting our country,why Congress no longer works as abody representing real people… andthe list goes on and on; when and howare we going to recognize and takeresponsibility for the crimes we havecommitted against other members ofour human family?

If we refuse to acknowledge thecrimes, and if we refuse to find andstand with a leader who is willing andable to honorably seek justice in theirresolution, we will be surrenderingour rights, our freedoms, and ourheritage to the true enemies of ourrepublic — we will be surrenderingto ignorance, arrogance, cowardice,and greed. I invite you to review thefollowing links as you consider yourresponse: http://www.gpln.com/howiseeit.htm, http://www.gpln.com/citizen.htm, http://www.gpln.com/oneissue.htm,,http://www.gpln.com/resolution.htm.

supporting me. Without her support I wouldn’t have been here. Thanksto my family helen, Chaleh, Perry and of course my new best pal IanWade...you guys have been the back bone of this business and It’s beenhard at times but we got through it together. I look forward to manymore years of making The Best Burger In Town!

Ian is going to be leaving us to go to the Marines so I wanted to givea little appreciation....

To Ian Wade...you made it through some tough training and I havea lot of respect for you sticking in there! I know you’ll be great in anythingto do. Thanks for all the laughs!

p.s we are across the street from the Theater, Come in and eat orwe’ll both Starve

Happy 5th Anniversary Perrys!!Continued from page 1

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PresentsPresentsPresentsPresentsPresents

April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 12

by Kathy Abascal

Kathy Abascal is a professionalmember of the American HerbalistsGuild and is certified by Michael Mooreof the Southwest School of BotanicalMedicine. She has written two bookson medicinal plants: Clinical BotanicalMedicine and Herbs & Influenza – howherbs used in the 1918 flu pandemic can beeffective today.

She is now available for healthconsultations at the Full CircleWellness Center. These consultationswill help you choose herbs and

supplements as wellas make dietarychanges that willsupport your health.An evaluation ofhow these changesmight affectp r e s c r i p t i o nmedicines you maybe taking is includedin the consultation.She teaches on-going ConsciousEating for Health &

Weight Loss classes at the Roasterie andwill be adding classes onperimenopause, nervines, and basicherbalism later this fall. For moreinformation, contact Kathy at 463-9211or at anemopsis@yahoo.com.

A 3-weeks series for those whohave taken the Anti-inflammatoryDiet series. This class is for thosewho are eating well but would likea bit more inspiration and supportfor your efforts. It is also designedfor those who would some helpgetting back on track. This classseries is based on my ownexperience recovering fromholiday excesses which I foundvery difficult to do on my own.

Two committed weeksallows you to get back on track andre-experience how good it feels toeat well. Most importantly, 2weeks is short enough to make itdoable. The Back on Track serieswill be on Mondays April 21, April28 and May 5 at 6:30 PM at theRoasterie. Cost $30. Sign up atthe Roasterie or contact me (463-9211 or anemopsis@yahoo.com).

New Class Starting:By Kathy Abascal

Back On Track.

In order to see, the lens of youreye needs to be as clear andtranslucent as possible. If cloudyareas develop, you have cataractsthat left untreated lead to blindness.Cataracts are common in the US andabout half of those over 65 havethem. Nearly everyone over 75 hascataracts. When the cataracts reacha point where they substantiallyinterfere with vision, they aretreated surgically. In this operation,the clouded lens is removed andreplaced with a single-focus lens.This lens cannot change its shape tobring objects at different distancesinto focus, so the person usuallyneeds to use glasses for near visionafter the surgery.

Obviously, it would be better toprevent cataracts from developingand there are good indications thatwe can do that. Smokers, peoplewith diabetes or exposed to heavymetal poisoning or who have beenusing steroids for long periods tendto develop cataracts. This meansthat cataracts are not anunavoidable disease of old age butinstead are caused by accumulatedoxidative stress.

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Plants To WardOff Cataracts

There is much we can do toprevent oxidative stress fromcausing cataracts: Quit smoking, ifyou do. Eat a diet that will not leadto diabetes and eat more mindfullyif you are diabetic. If you usesteroids to treat conditions likeasthma or arthritis, explore the useof herbal anti-inflammatories.These herbs can allow you to “save”steroids for more serious flare-upsand greatly reduce the amount ofsteroids you need. Finally, eat ananti-inflammatory diet so that on adaily basis you get enoughantioxidants to minimize thedamage caused by the oxidativestress you simply cannot avoid.

Some antioxidants seemparticularly good at preventingcataracts. Bilberry and other darkberries get their color fromantioxidants calledanthocyanosides. In one study, amixture of bilberry anthocyanosidescombined with vitamin E halted theprogression of lens clouding in 97%of people with early stage cataracts.A good extract should contain 25%

anthocyanosides (sometimes listedas anthocyanidins) and a dose of 80-160 mg three times a day isrecommended. Other useful berriesinclude blueberries, cranberries,huckleberries, blackberries,raspberries, grapes, and wildcherries. The ideal would be to eata cup of berries a day but it mightbe wiser simply to eat as manyberries as you can and supplementwith a good extract.

Another way to ward offcataracts is to make a tea of 2-4tablespoons of crushed blueberriesto which you add a teaspoon ofdried catnip. Catnip is high in manycompounds that prevent cataractsin animals. Jim Duke (author of thebook The Green Pharmacy)recommends two cups of catnip teaa day to prevent cataracts — withor without the blueberries. Catnip,hot or iced, is tasty and is rich inmany compounds that preventcataracts in animals. It has otherbenefits as well. Catnip calms thestomach, prevents flatulence, and isa mild sedative so you will feelmellower and probably sleep betterif you drink it regularly.

Cataracts are also associatedwith a deficiency in selenium. Thelenses of people with cataracts oftenhave only about 15% of the normalamount of this mineral. A tasty way

to ensure that you getenough selenium is to eata brazil nut a day. A lesstasty way to ensureenough selenium is totake a multi-vitamin.Note though that studiesincreasingly show thatgetting yourantioxidants, vitamins,and minerals from food isfar superior to takingsupplements.

The old adage thatcarrots are good forvision holds true when itcomes to cataracts as well.Carrots containcarotenoids andcarotenoids also preventcataracts. In fact, all of

your yellow to orange-coloredvegetables and fruits haveantioxidants that protect the eyes.So, work on eating carrots, pumpkinand other winter squashes, andsweet potatoes as well as thosedelicious apricots, and mangos. Theyellow spice turmeric is rich ininteresting compounds andprevented diabetic cataracts in mice.So eating curries is another way toward off cataracts.

Finally, taking ginkgo leaf mightbe a good idea. Ginkgo reduced theincidence of cataracts in radiatedmice. It also has many other effectsthat are useful as we age: Itimproves the flow of blood to thebrain, slows the onset of dementiasymptoms, and has compounds thatstrengthen blood vessels and preventclotting. It is a safe herb but if youare taking blood thinners or otherprescription drugs you may want toget some knowledgeable advicebefore taking it.

In summary: Avoid oxidativestress, particularly from steroids andsmoking. Eat a healthy, anti-oxidantrich diet with an emphasis onyellow and orange fruits andvegetables. Eat even wilder, darkberries and take a good bilberrysupplement when you are not eatinga ton of berries and cherries. Eat abrazil nut and drink a couple of

cranberries

cups of catnip tea each day. And, ifyou are over 50, consider takingginkgo leaf. oooooo

The Vashon Loop, p. 13April 11, ‘08

Aries (March 20-April 19)Gradually, and I do mean gradually,Mars is picking up speed in Cancer,where it has been for months. This isa difficult position for Mars, andparticularly so for an Aries, but thereis a deep and meaningful experiencehere. Mars as we are trained toexperience it today is not taught toask itself questions. This is less aproperty of Mars and more a propertyof how we treat aggression or self-assertion in our current context. Thepast several months have turned thisaround entirely; they have been acrucible of inner activity, questionsabout your personal security andmost of all, a conscious confrontationwith fear. It is not over yet. But basedon what you have learned this pastwinter, where your insecurities areconcerned, you’re in a lot betterposition than you’ve been in for muchof your life. Eric Francis has more tosay at PlanetWaves.net.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) Youhave been put through a series of teststhe past week or so, most of whichinvolve learning the art of sendingone clear message to the world. Youstill have some odd ideas about whoand what is powerful, and about yourown power or lack thereof. Youwould do well to question wherethose ideas come from, and challengethem on the basis of their source,rather than based on their seemingcontent. Generally, ideas aboutauthority are designed to make surethat you’re the one who doesn’t haveit. This contradicts an obviousnecessity that someone as seeminglyindependent as yourself might haveto be the person with some actualauthority over your life, and I meanon the most intimate emotional levelsof your being. Eric Francis has moreto say at PlanetWaves.net.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) It is fairto say that you have a plan, and thatit’s an original one. Will it work? Youmight want to scale it down, and testit in miniature for a while. How longis a while? Until it works. You get todefine works, but you now need toget from innovative theory to practicalreality, and that will be a leap.Fortunately, it’s not a leap over theGrand Canyon, but rather somethingthat can be done in a series of logicalsteps, with equal emphasis on bothelements — logical, and steps. You arenormally a pretty conscientiousthinker. You are currently running therisk, at least temporarily, of throwingthat to the wind. That is not aguarantee of failure. It’s certainly nota guarantee of success. However, youdon’t need guarantees — you need tokeep your eyes open and your mindalert to a quickly changingenvironment. Eric Francis has more tosay at PlanetWaves.net.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Planetsare now accumulating on your careerangle, and this is a caution not tounderestimate the respect that peoplehave for you or for the work that youdo. You might be inclined to presumethat people don’t give you your dueonly because you’re so accustomed toit. It takes a lot of awareness to changea deeply seated thought in your mind.I suggest you proceed precisely withthat, and put into motion anystrategies you have been brewingover the past six months. There arekey elements of your plan that willwork if you work them. There maybe other aspects that are not worth alarge investment of your energy or

resources. You need to sort out whichis which, and make your moves whilethe season is young. Eric Francis hasmore to say at PlanetWaves.net.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) You are ina great position to think for the longrun and the largest possible picture.You can project your thoughts as longas your imagination will extend. Theideas you have now may seem likethey exist more on the level of hopesor theories than anything tangible.They may seem to disappear after afew weeks time, but they still count.One question the astrology presentsis what to do with the opportunitiesyou have now. The Sun is stronglyaligned in such a way that things thatmight otherwise have no substancehave, for a brief period of time, bothsubstance and energy. You have theability to shift your view on both oneparticular relationship, and also onyour whole concept of relationships.A longstanding debate over “the real”versus “the ideal” may finally findsome resolution. Eric Francis has moreto say at PlanetWaves.net.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) You arenot accustomed to being aggressive;you spend so much time attemptingto figure out the true nature of reality— or making up your own version —that you could hardly have muchenergy left to assert your will on thephysical world. You are in a differentmode at the moment. The worldseems to be calling you to take action,but here is a clue. You need Plan Aand Plan B. While you’re at it, sketchout Plan C. In truth, the world is morelike a Chinese menu than it is like avoting booth. In other words, the finalresult of any situation involvingplanning is usually a combination ofideas from many different solutions.Plan carefully, apply discipline lightly,and keep your mind flexible. EricFrancis has more to say atPlanetWaves.net.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) If afriendship starts to clash with a careeror professional situation, take thechance to back off from thedevelopment. What you have is a rareexample of a test case — a scenariowhere you can play out somethingpresumably less important for thesake of learning a lesson whensomething more important comes up.What differs between the first go-round and the second is that thesecond time, your feelings will be atstake in a deeper way, and so willthose of someone you care about. Atthe moment, the conversation can bedismissed, chalked up to a lesson ortaken in an abstract way. When asimilar situation goes deeper,probably with someone else, you willprobably not have that luxury. EricFrancis has more to say atPlanetWaves.net.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) We maywonder at this late stage of historywhy it is so difficult for people tochange, even something so flexible asone’s mind. You can ask yourself thesame question. You have had differentreasons at different times of history.If you ask yourself now, rememberthat you have some leverage in thematter: the reasons of the past don’thold the kind of water they used to afew years ago, or even one year ago.The bottom line is that people tendto make their moves in quantumleaps, going from one point toanother point seemingly withoutcrossing the space in between. Yes,people have all kinds of talents. Your

current option for change feels morelike growth: a conscious integrationof what you learned in the past, whatyou are experiencing now and whatyou want in the future — all in equalmeasure. Eric Francis has more to sayat PlanetWaves.net.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)Over the next week or two, you mayfind that your values about oneparticular relationship, or your rolein that relationship, begin totransform themselves radically. Attimes, it may seem like you’re lettinggo of everything. At other times, itmay seem like you’re working withina safe boundary and on a predictablepath of progress. Is it possible forboth to be true at once? At this pointin history, yes. The thing to rememberis that relationships are dynamic.They change as the world changes, tryas we may to keep them wedged intoone particular corner. This is thecorner you need to stay out of now:keep the lines of communication clear,express disagreements when they aresmall rather than waiting, and if youhave to make any importantdecisions, come from your authenticvalues. Eric Francis has more to sayat PlanetWaves.net.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) Youare finally in a position to talk aboutthings that typically defy language.But here is a clue: you’ll need to usewhat are called I statements. In otherwords, you will need to talk aboutyourself, in some detail, includingyour plans, expectations and needs.Your chart, for what it’s worth, istelling me that you’re in a reasonablyfriendly environment to do this. Thatmay not help your prevailing sensethat you need to keep your feelingsto yourself, that someone won’tunderstand, or worse, that they won’tcare. These are self-trivializing values.If you open up, you will make adiscovery about the companionshipthat surrounds you. In any other

state, it will be difficult or impossibleto let anyone’s love into your heart.Eric Francis has more to say atPlanetWaves.net.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Youremain in a position, in fact or in fear,where your ideas clash with those ofsomeone you perceive as having somepower over you. Here, I can give youtwo suggestions — it’s important tochallenge those people who seem tohold something over your head. It’sjust as important to do sointelligently, and you are running therisk of having a smart plan turn intoa not-so-smart expression of that plan.Focus on follow-through and makesure that you understand all of thedynamics of the situation. When youdo, you’ll see that you have far morepower than you thought: on manylevels, not just theoretical. That is, ifyou keep your cool. Highlyrecommended. Eric Francis has moreto say at PlanetWaves.net.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Don’tfall for any kind of self-esteem crisis.Planets are gathering in your 2ndhouse, which is about resources andhow we feel about ourselves. This isAries in your chart. The problem withtoo many Aries planets is that far frombestowing confidence, they can createa crisis of confidence. It’s like the firegets too hot, and you run the risk ofgetting burned; or the sense ofpotential gets higher and higher, andthen you discover that it’s all anillusion. Well, it’s not an illusion, andyou are hot at the moment, thoughyou need to measure your strokes.You need to dispense that energycarefully and you need, above all, towarm your own bones by that fire.And as I mentioned recently, if onepath of contact to humanity seemsblocked, try another one. There is away in — of this I assure you. EricFrancis has more to say atPlanetWaves.net.

oooooo

April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 14

Island Epicure

By Marj Watkins

I thought back to the night Italked to cops about getting mydaughter back and how powerless Ifelt that I could do nothing but file areport calling her a runaway. To thisday, I love this daughter so much, Ikeep her pictures everywhere,because she told me when she hadher mid life crisis she would comefind me. I love who she is and whatshe would have become andwatched people ruin her life and gether addicted to all kinds of stuff andtrash her life. I watched helplesslybecause the culture of Vashon said,“Hey…no problemo.”

Then the second multo blastosometaphor of 2 April 2008 happenedas we walked the baby out to thecar.

A friend, who had testified thatnight, came up beside me and,because someone else was helpingme carry my burden of love out tothe car, I was free to chat with her.I was free to chat about how I hadbecome gradually more and moresilent over the years. She sharedhow she too had learned not to talkto other parents about it. Weswapped examples of ourexperiences. We laughed and bothsaid, “Not anymore. No moresilence”

I wanted more from the meeting,of course, because I‘ve beenobserving this since 1992. Fifteenyears grows a desire for alleducational fundraisers to be dry.Ok …can’t handle forever? Howabout until our statistics dropradically below the norm and we areknown for having a low recreationaldrug and alcohol rate?

That’s what I want. No alcoholat the PTSA auction, the PreschoolAuction or the Scholarship SpellingBee. No educational related eventwith alcohol. Show the kids how toparty, and donate, stone cold sober.Show them donations go UP!! Showthem it’s MORE fun not less, to havea dry event.

Tell them “I’ll Walk With You”.And if you have a history of abuse,tell them how important sober is.

For now, the miracle of themeeting when they said to theelephant, “You will put on acostume and dance. We are incharge”, is enough. I’ll wait for therest, the dry auctions. Fifteen yearsisn’t so long a wait. The year 2022will come quickly now that we allhave company.

And to my children Isaac andChrisMarie (who are now,incredibly enough, only twelve yearsyounger than I was when we movedhere) and Caity (who was so terriblyhurt at the age of four by thisproblem) whose names I rarelymention in this column, I say whatI’ve said for fifteen years. “I’m sorry.That’s what I meant when I said Iwas sorry, Chris. If I’d known, Inever would have moved here. Inever would have exposed you tothis culture without being prepared.We lived in a bubble and I’m proudof all three of you for the way younegotiated yourselves out of theprevailing culture of abuse”.

“But kids ……it’s getting better.I’m not afraid for you to have grandchildren on the Island anymore.They’re beginning to know what weknew/know at our house. There’s adifferent way to live.”Vashon…there’s a different way tolive. I can’t even begin to tell youhow happy my heart is to be able tosay that! I bought note cards todayto write thank you notes to somewonderful people!

LoveDeborah

“Ready to DANCE!!—The Rest of the Story”

Continued from page 15

May the sun shine on SaturdayMarket and the vendors bring usradishes, lettuces, baby spinach,other fresh vegetables, and artisancheeses, plus flowers to cheer ourtables.

I’m looking forward to amemorable, delicious, nutrition-packed salad similar to the firsttabbouli I ever tasted. It was broughtto a Presbyterian Church picnic bythe young man who directed ournewly begun Vashon Food Bank.One shelf held the donated foods forthe five families we then served eachweek.

The bulgur and lentils togetherpresent a complete protein. Theparsley gives you healingchlorophyll and Vitamin A, thelentils’ Vitamin E developed as theysprouted. Kelp provides a dash ofeach of 97 vitamins and mineralsincluding iodine, necessary forhealthy thyroids.

Don’t let the long list ofingredients intimidate you. Thissalad is quick and easy to puttogether when you sprout the lentilsin advance (see directions below).

MARJ’S TABBOULIServes 4

½ cup bulgur2 cups boiling water8 green onions, tops included1 to2 teaspoons salt, divided¼ teaspoon black pepper¼ teaspoon garum masala (mixed

spices, see below)5 cups very finely minced parsley¼ cup minced fresh mintor 2 teaspoons dried mint flakes¼ cup lemon juice¼ cup virgin olive oil1 cup sprouted lentilsGarnish:2 red-ripe tomatoes, chopped,or ½ box cherry or grape tomatoes,

halved

Put the bulgur in a 1-quart bowl.Pour boiling water over it. Let itstand 20 minutes. Drain andsqueeze out all the water you can.Mix with ½ teaspoon salt, thepepper, and the mixed spices. Chillat least 1 hour.

Combine onions and parsley ina large salad bowl.

Combine the lemon juice,remaining salt, and olive oil in asmall jar.

Just before serving, combine allthe ingredients. Garnish with a ringof chopped tomatoes, or halvedcherry or grape tomatoes.

Mixed spices: find ready-mixedin bulk herb section or mix your oooooo

Salads of Spring

own: Dash each of powdered cloves,cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

To sprout lentils:Wash lentils. In a 1-quart bowl,

combine with enough water to covergenerously. Let soak overnight.Drain. Let breathe for a few hours.Give them a bath and drain again.

Repeat until little white shootsappear. Don’t let them get longerthan ¼ inch or they will turn bitter.In warm weather they’ll sprout in18 hours.

When you haven’t sproutedlentils, you can still have a tabboulithat contains complete protein, andis safe for gluten sensitive eaters.

Islander Vanessa Burgess’s newbook, The Gluten Free Pantry,available at Vashon bookstores,includes a tabbouli recipe that usesquinoa for the grain. Besides itscomplete protein, quinoa gives youmore calcium, magnesium, andpotassium than any other grain, plus16 milligrams of iron per cupful.

VANESSA’S QUINOA TABBOULI2 cups cooked quinoa1 to 2 Tablespoons freshly

squeezed lemon juice (totaste)

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil1 Tablespoon salt (to taste)1 cup fresh chopped parsley and/

or mint leaves1 cucumber chopped1 tomato choppedfreshly ground pepper (to taste)

Mix quinoa and parsley/minttogether. Add rest of vegetables.Add lemon and olive oil. Seasonwith salt and pepper.

Storage note: If the dressing hasnot been mixed in, leftover salad canbe kept for two or three days. Bestto store in glass or ceramic.

About plastic containers: Avoidplastics with number 7 on thebottom. Especially, don’t heat foodin those plastic containers; whenheated they leach more toxicity intothe food. Number 7 plasticsprobably, but not always, containbisphenol A (BPA), a suspect inincreased rates of cancer, especiallybreast and prostate cancer, and inearly puberty, type 2 diabetes,obesity, attention deficithyperactivity in children, and inbirth defects because BPA mimicsestrogen.

The toxic plastic ingredient BPAalso occurs in can linings of severalbrands of food: Progresso, Goya,Starkist, and Coco Cola. Best plasticsare those with numbers 1 or 2 on thebottom. They can be recycled, butnot plastics plastic containers withnumber 7 on the bottom. Okay forstorage (at least for now), but notrecyclable, are plastics numbered 3,4, and 5.

For safety and for better flavorand nutrient content, stick withfresh or frozen foods. But bear inmind that frozen vegetables havebeen scalded in salt water whichleaches out valuable enzymes andvitamins. Fresh is best. And washedraw vegetables are superbantioxidant sources, essential to buffup our immune systems and help uscombat all sorts of unpleasant germsand virus caused illnesses, includingcancer. oooooo

The Vashon Loop, p. 15April 11, ‘08

PPPPPooooositively Ssitively Ssitively Ssitively Ssitively Spepepepepeakingakingakingakingaking

by Deborah H. Anderson

Tom Wallace

FarrierLicensed Massage TherapistPracticing on both humans and equines

Because there was a crooked rider who rode a crooked horse

www.vashonfarrier.com | Tel: 206.463.9689

And as the ranch owner says in“City Slickers” to Billy Crystal andhis two cohorts after they bring inthe cattle in the driving rain againstall odds, “Great Gobs of Goose(pucky)!!”

Remember last column; alcoholand drug abuse, the elephant in ourIsland living room that doesn’t speakEnglish?

The Elephant was just made toput on a pretty costume folks andDANCE!! That’s the good news. Ameeting happened and lots ofpeople showed up and by golly, theyoffered a third option to feed it ormake it go away. They said, let’s bein charge of it, dress it up and makeit DANCE!!

As I’ve said so many timesbefore, as a naturally sober personwho can take it or leave, all thanksto God, may I say, again, that soberis not about not drinking or tokingor snuffing or shooting or ( orgambling or eating or shopping forthat matter). Sober is a lifestyle ofstaying connected with presenttense and knowing it won’t kill ya!

Wednesday night, 2 April 2008,there was some excellent presenttense goin’ on in the high schoollibrary. For me it answered a lot ofquestions, provided some momentsof healing and letting go ofbitterness, and introduced me to awhole new crowd of people actuallydealing with the problem. It meansI don’t have to be silent anymore.

I didn’t go to the meeting alone.Work ran late for one of my littleclient’s moms. So there I am puttingto sleep, a beautiful cheerful ninemonth old - in the middle of peoplesharing about all manner of drugand alcohol related issues thatheretofore have not been talkedabout in public before. It wasn’t thepublic officials putting a spin onhow they have a grasp of things andit really isn’t all that bad. THATwe’ve heard in public before. It wasmoms and recovering users andabusers and professionals whoencourage recovery and thedissemination of information aboutthe legal issues.

I would have been able to sit inmy bitterness and sadness muchmore if I hadn’t been carrying thatbaby. My ears would hear while myeyes were literally staring into theface of hope. People at the center ofthe issues had finally gatheredstrength in numbers, thanks to somenew people on the Island who arevery real and who said, “Not on mywatch!” I had to see the effort. I hadto see that it was real in that room.Sleeping peaceful babies who havestruggled to go to sleep because theyhate transition is the same as abrutally honest human being youngor old, pouring their hearts out.

“Ready to DANCE!!—The Rest of the Story”

A lot of my ‘why’ questions wereanswered as people shared. I knownow why one parent hung up on metwelve years ago when I apologizedto her about not knowing there wasdrinking at an unsupervised party.I had given her son a ride with myown son who left the party and toldme he’d left because there wasdrinking. Now I know she hung upbecause she was overwhelmed bythe situation. For all these years, Ithought she didn’t believe me andwas hating me for “stirring uptrouble”…again. Now that I knowthe truth, I can forgive that; I canforgive being overwhelmed.

Back then, I was Deb Andersonwho says there’s this big drug andalcohol problem on the Island whenthere really isn’t and she’s blowingit all out of proportion. I actuallyhad a teacher say, “Well you knowDebby (back when I was Debby)doesn’t always know what she sees.

Yes, I do Ma’am. I knowEXACTLY what I see. And thankGod on Wednesday 2 April 2008 (thedate needs to be stated every timelike the 4th of July, IndependenceDay), I saw, and heard, somethingdifferent.

I should have remembered basicchange theory. Change theorydelineates fifteen years as the timeperiod necessary to get used tosomething. Fifteen years later,people on Vashon Island are use tothe phrase, “We have a problem.”

If ever there was a month whenI needed to feel encouraged therewould be cultural change on thisIsland, it was this month. Parentswho use and encourage use of drugsand alcohol in your children, ormodel it, be on alert. There’s aremnant. They are gathering to saystrongly to others, “we find thissituation unacceptable”.

Apparently it’s going to startwith parents who believe drug andalcohol use in teenagers isinappropriate. That’s a good start.It will continue with some peoplewho are in recovery risking the lossof anonymity to boost things along.That’s good, because as one womansaid in the meeting, there isn’t anyshame in this.

Shame and pretentiousness arethe same thing. One lives inside thehouse, the other lives outside inpublic. They are, hopefully, going tolive somewhere besides VashonIsland. Ditch the shame and find theother option. It’s the way to freedomand health.

Fifteen years ago, the schoolcounselor called me to tell me myoldest daughter had been screenedfor drug use. My daughter hadalready told me the two things shelearned first on this Island. “Mom,you never told me drugs would

make me feel better” (I alreadyshared that with you). And then shetold me “Mom, I could run fromhouse to house to house here and noone would ever make me go home”.And she was right. The woman sheran to called me a bitch and told me‘Teenagers don’t need rules. Theyjust need to find themselves.”

Wow! The school counselor saidto me, who had lived on the Islandso short a time, “You have to go gether.” How?! The law wasn’t behindme. The community wasn’t behindme. The foster/adoptive systemwasn’t behind me. And those drugaddicts were plumb chemicallycrazy out of their minds.

There was only one way I couldhave gotten her and I didn’t havethe money to have her kidnappedand sent to an out of stateintervention/rehab program.

That was fifteen years ago.Today, if it had happened today,there would have been a group ofparents, a lawyer and a psychologistwho could have helped me developthe strategy and figure out theresources to go get her so ten yearsof her life could have been filledwith watercolor lessons and singingand nursing school and dance andproms and senior graduation night.

After the meeting, waiting forsleeping babe’s mom to come, I stillhad to endure the end of somepeople’s noses who, obviously, hadread the last column. That’s OK.They don’t understand the strengthof the pain of losing a child to thedrug culture on this Island. Theyhave no idea what it was like it theold days. They didn’t have to live

through the time of cultural lying.It’s also OK because I knew Godwouldn’t leave it like that. Godalways redeems a situation.Remember? I have that faith thinggoing on?

Sure enough, as I sat there afterthe meeting, three other people, thenewbies, stopped to chat and asked,“What brings you here tonight”And I told them parts of it. Thewhole story is too horrific; like somemafia story of cover ups and pay offsand all kinds of yucky stuff,businesses run by alcoholics anddrug addicts and even a schoolsuperintendent no longer on theIsland covering everything up so wecould be the pretty Island with noproblems that would look good ona resume.

These newbies did somethingthat was so symbolic, such anenormous metaphor; it brings tearsto my eyes as I write this. They said,“We’ll help you carry the baby outto the car.”

Later I would find out mom’scell phone died and she couldn’tmake the connection. But thesestrangers who had helped lead themeeting filled with boldness andcourage, compassion and concernlifted the baby up, carried the diaperbag and proceeded to walk helpingme carry my burden. My arms wereexhausted from holding him allnight after a long day of two babiesplaying. My emotions were deepand intense listening to all I hadheard, remembering all I’d beenthrough. And they carriedhim…and his stuff.

Continued on page 14

April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 16

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Zoom on in today and try some

When Geographic Expeditionswanted their Bhutan guides trainedin emergency medicine, they askedthe Wilderness Medicine Institutefor instructors. Marjorie Mazie, aVashon Island resident and anEMT, answered the call. Aftertraveling to Tokyo, Bangkok andBangladesh, she and her partnerarrived in Bhutan, which is locatednext to India and Tibet, to teachthat country’s first emergencymedicine course. Mazie teachesWilderness EMS all over the US andworks with troubled youth inWilderness programs.

Their first impression is that itwas clearly COLD. With noinsulation in the stone buildings, atrestaurants or hotels they foundeveryone hovering around the onespace heater. Since there was nohot water for showers, withbathing just a quick sponge bath,except for the hotel in Paro.

It is now a historical time forBhutan. In April, a new king (theirfifth) will be coronated. The fourthking ruled for 37 years and was

beloved. In the capital Thimphu,people are building crazy for thiscoronation. All the massiveconstruction is done by hand; menand women in beautiful, colorfuldress are chiseling stone and usingbamboo for scaffolding. It is hardto imagine the things they areattempting will be done in little overa month, but they are good naturedabout it and working very hard.

The second event is Bhutan’s firstfree election. The new king is himselfpushing democracy on the peopleand is developing a parliament.Posters were everywhere

e n c o u r a g i n gpeople to vote,saying it is asacred rite. Thepeople seemambivalent aboutthis, because theylike the king verymuch. None ofour friends haveany real opinionabout eithercandidate orparty - they likethem all. Anotherneat thing here:the candidates

don’t argue; they compliment eachother and sing each others praises.Even the debates are good natured.Basically, everybody seems happywith the way things are and alsohappy that there will be this newsystem, though they don’t havemuch opinion about it.

Archery is the national sport andpeople take itvery, verys e r i o u s l y .Tournaments area big deal. It isvery spectacularto watch becausehalf of each teamis on opposingsides of a verylong field. Everytime someoneshoots, their teammembers comeout the side wherethe arrow hit andperform an

elaborate dance and song,demonstrating what type of hit itwas and encouraging or teasing thearcher. This goes on for hours and

Islander Teaches EmergencyMedicine in Bhutan

by Susan Wolf

sometimes days with an elaboratescoring system. The dancing isjoyful - there is no other word todescribe it. The people here areincredibly sweet with each other.

You can see people prostratingthemselves, crawling from temple totemple. Mazie saw three men inpranam (kneel to child’s pose) thenflat on belly, then pull back in topranam, stand and repeat for milesand miles through day and night.

Mazie taught about 16 - 18 tourguides. The guides all came to thehotel and had dinner with Mazieand her companion. They werealmost never alone. No one will eatuntil the instructors got their foodfirst. Mazie impressed the guides byliking the hot chilies, which are ineverything.

There was some difficulty inbasic medical vocabulary. Theguides laugh all the time and arevery enthusiastic – especially aboutthe fake blood and equipment. Thepretend patients (other students) liketo improvise; but forget to have theright symptoms, so it all getsconfused. When the students reporta case, they say things like “patientfound unconscious” when it wasjust a wrist injury and no one wassupposed to be unconscious. Onetime the students were foundstarting CPR on a broken leg patient!Despite these mix-ups, the studentsactually improved and got somevery basic skills.

One of their students helped awoman in a bar. He sent her to thehospital, wrote up medical notesand presented them to the class. Hewas very proud about knowing howto assess the situation and calm thewoman. The dearness of thesepeople is most prominent, alongwith their very good sense of humor.They help each other out a lot, andlaugh openly at their mistakes.

Mazie was interviewed andphotographed on the BhutanBroadcasting Service TV station oneday. The Department of Tourism isquite proud of Bhutan offering thislevel of training for its guides. AndVashon is very proud of her citizenswho travel the world to improve thecondition of our global neighbors.

Alfred Gator

The Vashon Loop, p. 17April 11, ‘08

Loopy Laffs

Solution to puzzle on page 7

More VIPS at: http://vashonislandpeoples.blogspot.com/

One LinersConstant change is here to stay.Adults are just kids who owe money. Life is full of uncertainties...but I might be wrong about that.I have this nagging fear that everyone is out to make me paranoid.No matter how much data you add to your laptop, it will not get heavier.I am becoming increasingly worried that there isn’t enough anxiety in my life.

Genius without education is likesilver in the mine. —BenjaminFranklin

What’s right is right no matterhow few people do it.What’s wrong is wrong no matterhow many people do it.

Q. Which is worth more...an old ten dollar bill or a new

one? A. An old ten dollar bill isalways worth more than a new

ONE. Q. What’s brown andsticky?? A. A stick.

My son Earl is a constructionforeman. One day he tumbledfrom a scaffold, managing tobreak his fall by grabbing on toparts of the scaffold on the waydown. He received only minorscratches.Embarrassed by the fall, heclimbed back up to continueworking. Then he noticed his co-workers holding up hastily madesigns reading, 9.6, 9.8, and 9.4.

Income Tax: Capital punishment.

Two silkworms were in a race. Theyended up in a tie.

Stupidity is like nuclear power, it canbe used for good or evil but you don’twant to get any on you.

Why does the bachelor leaveempty milk cartons in the fridge?In case someone wants blackcoffee.

Q: How did the pig with laryngitisfeel?A: Dis-gruntled.

A lady was picking through thefrozen turkeys at the grocery store,but couldn’t find one big enough forher family.She asked a stock boy, “Do theseturkeys get any bigger?”The stock boy replied, “No ma’am,they’re dead.”

I was in an exam room at thehealth center the other day whena doctor started yelling, “Typhoid!Tetanus! Measles!”I asked the nurse what was goingon.She told me that one of the newdoctors liked to call the shots.

A motorist was mailed a picture of hiscar speeding through a stop light inSeattle. A $40 speeding ticket wasincluded. Being cute, he sent the policedepartment a picture of $40. Thepolice responded with another mailedphoto of handcuffs.

A young woman was pulled over forspeeding. An Illinois StateTrooper walked to her car windowand flipped open his ticket book. Shesaid, ‘I bet you are going to sell me aticket to the State Troopers Ball.’He replied, ‘Illinois State Troopersdon’t have balls.’ There was a momentof silence while she smiled, and herealized what he’d just said. He thenclosed his book, got back in his patrolcar and left. She was laughingtoo hard to start her car.

April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 18

Loop Arts

4/25 - 5/01

Or, for show times and info, checkwww.vashontheater.com

Our 60th Year!

Miss Pettigrew Livesfor a Day

4/11 - 4/1710,000 BC

Charlie Bartlett4/18 - 4/24

Order your Garden Tour ticketsnow (discounted until May 31) andput it on your top ten things to dothis summer! An event forgardeners and non-gardeners alike,Garden Tour is a wonderfulopportunity to see some of the mostbeautiful private locations on theIsland, get inspired and support the

arts. So mark your calendar for June20-22 and come out for VashonAllied Arts’ 18th annual GardenTour. This year’s Tour is sponsoredby John L. Scott and Puget SoundEnergy with additional funding byThriftway, JR Crawford, DIG andThe Little House.

Start the weekend with a specialGarden Connoisseurs event, Friday,1 to 2:30 pm or 3 to 4:30 pm, June20, when author/designer TerryHershey (Soul Gardening: Cultivatingthe Good Life) will lead intimategroups through his extensivegarden. Registration is limited tooffer participants ample time forquestions. Light refreshments areincluded. Tickets are $40 perperson/$55 with Tour ticket.

Celebrate summer solsticeFriday evening, 6 pm ‘til moonlightat the Sunset Garden Gala, a lavishgarden dinner party where guestswill enjoy a sumptuous feast andcocktails, catered by MelindaSontgerath, with live music andColvos Passage views. Limitedtickets available. Please call463.5131.

Plan now for Garden Tour!by Janice Randall

Even though gardens are still in winter/early spring mode,design and structure anticipate summer bounty (photo byKaren Biondo).

Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to5 pm, visit five diverse Islandgardens. Three offer spectacularviews; two feature ponds; severalemploy striking hard landscaping;and all demonstrate strong design,interesting plants and thepersonality of their owners. Tourattendees will also find music, art

and poetry in thegardens. Tour tickets(valid both days) are$25/per person or$20 through May 31.

Artists in thegarden will include:Dean Hanmer,mosaic sculpture;Clare Dohna,handmade glazed tilemosaics; BrianBrenno, blown glassand mosaic glassgarden flowers;Benjamin Grossman,fused glass garden art;Mike Urban, recycled

glass and steel flowers; DeanPaulson, stone birdbaths andfountains; Hans Nelson, gardenbenches; Steve Zartman, steelgarden sculptures; Jane Howard,wood and metal found object fishmobile sculptures; Nancy Fiala,painted glass garden objects;Barbara Wells, cast glass with stoneand bronze sculptures.

Don’t miss out on free seminarsincluded in your Garden Tour ticketoffered by: landscape architectMichael Lee, owner of Colvos CreekNursery, the use and care of nativesin the garden; artist and landscapedesigner Jack Strubbe, Asianinfluence in Northwest gardens;plus amateur naturalists and birdersAlan Huggins and Sara Van Fleet,who will talk about attractingfeathered visitors.

Sponsored by The Little House,bid on a Little House for birds!Sixteen artists have embellishedIsland-made birdhouses, availableby auction during Tour weekend.Also new this year, a public plantsale will take place in one of thefeatured gardens, thanks to gardenenthusiasts, Bill Deaton and AnitaHalstead. All proceeds benefitVashon Allied Arts.

Special thanks to gardeners:Linda Rhodes and father, BillDeaton, Shirley Bonney and DougShaw; Steve Abel and MarieStanislaw; Mia McEldowney andBill Mitchell; and Janet and TracyBishop and Garden Tour’s generousevent sponsors.

More information about GardenTour is available by calling VAA,463.5131, or check the website:vashonalliedarts.org. Discounttickets will be available until May31. If interested in volunteering forGarden Tour, please call 463.5131.

UMO performs New Works orwhimsy at Blue Heron Art CenterSaturday, May 3, 7:30 pm and SundayMay 4, 2 pm. Tickets available now!Photo by Larry Montgomery.

Seattle musical duo Miles andKarina (David Keenan and NovaDevonie) will perform their newmusical score for the 1926 silent filmclassic, The Adventures of PrinceAchmed, on Sunday, April 20, 7 pm,at Vashon Theatre, 17723 VashonHighway SW, Vashon. The film andmusical performance, co-presentedby Vashon Film Society, VashonIsland Music and Vashon Theatre,is recommended for all ages.

Miles and Karina’s score, playedon guitar,banjo, viola,accordion, andglockenspiel,arrives onV a s h o nf o l l o w i n gc r i t i c a l l ya c c l a i m e dperformancesearlier thisyear in Seattleat NorthwestFilm Forum.

The Adventures of Prince Achmedis a vital part of film history (with arunning time of just over one hour,it is the oldest extant feature-lengthanimated film) and a breathtaking,kaleidoscopic work of art. Createdin 1926 by a 23-year old Germanteacher named Lotte Reiniger, usingsilhouette-animation techniques, thefilm is a mélange of stories from TheArabian Nights, including the tale ofan Arabian prince, an evil sorcerer,a flying horse and a capturedprincess. The film is made of nearly300,000 camera shots, a meticuloustriumph of imagination andanimation. Jean Renoir proclaimedthe film “a masterpiece,” addingthat Lotte Reiniger was “born withmagic hands.”

Nova Devonie and DavidKeenan are uniquely qualified to

create a new score for the film. Theyhave performed as the musical duoMiles and Karina for the past 11years. Both are accomplishedmusicians and songwriters, withtwo CDs to their credit, QuirkishDelights (2000) and Wherego (2006).Both albums contain a majority oforiginal compositions. Their soundhas been described as cinematic,sometimes sparse, often lush, bothbeautiful and playful, with muchattention paid to melody and high

production values.David and Nova

toured togetherwith the band“Ranch Romance”for five years,releasing threealbums with SugarHill Records alongthe way. They thenformed the duoMiles and Karina asan outlet for theirm a n y - f a c e t e d

musical ideas. This has led them toa diverse range of experiences andperformances in a wide array ofvenues, from intimate bistros tolarge music festivals. They regularlycollaborate with Monkey WrenchPuppet Lab, providing live musicduring performances and originalmusic for the ensemble’s productionof “Halfpenny Opera.” They bothcontinue to play and record withseveral Seattle groups, including JoMiller and Her Burly Roughnecks,Downtown Mountain Boys, theRolling Blackouts, and KarinaMusette Trio.

Tickets (adults $12/Childrenand seniors $8.00) can be purchasedat the door or in advance at VashonTheatre and Vashon Island Music.

The Adventures of Prince Achmedby Liz Shepherd

A scene from The Adventures of PrinceAchmed, courtesy photo.

Church MusicDirector WantedThe Episcopal Church of the HolySpirit, Vashon Island, isaccepting applications for theposition of Music Director.Qualified individuals shouldpossess music degree orequivalent experience, haveproven musical leadershipqualities and knowledge oftheology and liturgy. Position ispart-time, salaried, and canaccommodate flexible hours.Position is open beginning mid-June of this year. If interested inlearning more about this (joyful)position, please contact EdgarLee, via the church office, (206)567-4488; or email the church,office@holyspiritvashon.org.View our website for informationon our location and activities,and to see a photo and history ofthe historic, eleven-rank trackerorgan: http://www.holyspiritvashon.org/index.htm

www.vashondream.com

The Vashon Loop, p. 19April 11, ‘08

Support Volunteers WantedSupport volunteers may drive, fill air bottles or assist with staging,

etc. Deadline is May 9, 2008. Medical exam, background check anddriver’s record check required; physical agility test is not required. Torequest an application or to ask for more information, please call SusanWolf at 463-4466 or visit our website at www.vifr.org.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue10020 SW Bank Road

Vashon, WA 98070

As a drama therapist in the stateof Washington, I feel as though I amliving out on the far frontier,bringing tools and ideas to my villagethat no one has ever heard of before.“You do what?” people say.“Drama therapy?” They scrunch uptheir eyes and stare at me.

Drama therapy is the use oftheatre and dramatic arts andprocesses to achieve therapeuticgoals. It is one of several creativearts therapies used in the field ofmental health, although dramaincorporates all of the arts, and isused with all populations.

“So you do some funky artsystuff for yuppies with too much timeon their hands, is that it?” (This is aloose translation of a conversation Ihad with one friend a few yearsago.) No. I have worked withviolent patients at a forensic statehospital in order to help them learnto identify their emotions andcontrol their behavior. One patientwent from having 30 violentoutbreaks in a 30 day period, to 9violent outbreaks in a 30 day period,after starting the drama therapyprogram. I also worked with womenin prison, using drama to help themre-assess their own skills andabilities. This led, unexpectedly, tothem doing some forgiveness work.But sure, if it came to it, I would behappy to work with yuppies. Noproblem.

Drama therapy is the best kindof therapy there is, because it worksfast. It incorporates movement,sound, and dialogue, so it is akinesthetic learning modality, aswell as being visual, auditory, andintuitive. It can include story-telling,pantomime, character development,theatre games, writing, music,artwork, or many other activities. Itis used in drug and alcoholtreatment programs, convalescentand group homes, prisons, schools,hospitals, shelters, corporations,churches, synagogues, and theatres.

The National Association forDrama Therapy (NADT) started in1979, in order “to establish anduphold rigorous standards ofprofessional competence for dramatherapists.” Since there are onlythree drama therapy programs inthe US, (New York, California, and

Drama Therapy on the Far Frontierby Deb Pierce

Kansas), NADT created anAlternative Training program.Students in the program must holda master’s degree in either theatreor psychology, and must work witha Board Certified Trainer to meet theeducational requirements andprofessional competencies set forthby NADT. As a Board CertifiedTrainer, I am currently working withtwo students in the AlternativeTraining program, and I hope todevelop an internship programthrough Lighthouse Theatre. Thiswould be the first program of its kindhere in the Pacific Northwest.

In 2004 I started LighthouseTheatre here on Vashon, in order toestablish a foothold for dramatherapy and therapeutic theatrehere in the Pacific Northwest. Forthree years we toured my show, Ruleof Thumb, in western Washington.Rule of Thumb, a one act play aboutdomestic violence, grew out of mywork with survivors. The play wasused as a training and outreach toolfor survivors, advocates, and mentalhealth professionals. We gave 22performances in 9 counties. As anexample of therapeutic theatre, Ruleof Thumb was presented in an “opencircle” format in which the actorsmade direct eye contact with theaudience during the performances.This helped the audience to relateand “connect” to the true stories,and often to recognize elements oftheir own experiences. A discussionwith the audience was held directlyafter each performance, facilitatedby a trained advocate, and resourcematerials, phone numbers, andwebsites were provided in theprograms. That’s therapeutictheatre.

This year Lighthouse Theatre isbringing playback theatre toVashon, in a series of four publicand private performances byPlayback Theatre Northwest.Playback theatre uses animprovisational format, movement,imagery, and sound effects, to “playback” true stories solicited from theaudience. We used playback theatrewith psychiatric patients at thehospital to help them to rememberor to reframe their personal histories.Bringing a story to life for a client isincredibly powerful, regardless ofwhether the story is a drama or acomedy.

Lighthouse Theatre’s internshipprogram will allow drama therapystudents to work directly with clientsin local social service agencies, andcould also involve special theatreprojects. We will also be offering an“Introduction to Drama Therapy”class in the Seattle/Vashon area inthe next few months. If you areinterested in attending, please emailme at deb@lighthousetheatre.org.

Deb Pierce is a Registered DramaTherapist and Board Certified Trainerwith the National Association forDrama Therapy. She is the founderand artistic director for LighthouseTheatre, a non-profit theatre based ondrama therapy principles. For moreinformation, seewww.lighthousetheatre.org.

Resonance, the name given to anew musical ensemble will debut atCafé Luna on Saturday April 19that 7:30 PM. Resonance is made upof multi-talented islanders thatinclude, Ken Jacobsen on guitar andcello; Chip Lamason on mandolin,mando-cello, and violin; Bill Moyeron percussion; and Jason Everett onbasses.

“The music is nearly all original,instrumental, and very eclectic,”said Jacobsen. “We started playingtogether last December after animpromptu performance where wehad a great time and decided to keepit going.”

Moyer, who many people knowfor his political work leading theBackbone Campaign, has a longhistory of making music. “TheBackbone Campaign and my family

Resonance Debuts at Café Lunaby Jason Everett

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Resonance, photo by Chip Lamason

have been the dominant factors inmy life for awhile. It is reallyrefreshing to be playing music againand with such a great group.”

“Resonance is a perfect name forthis ensemble,” stated Everett.“Sound is simply resonation inspace; however there is a spiritualconnotation as well. Music is formany of us a spiritual practice.”

Lamason, who isfairly new to theisland, is a musicianand non-profitattorney. He used tolive in New Orleansand was displaced byHurricane Katrina.“It has been a realhome-coming to findVashon. The arts arevibrant here, thepeople are wonderful,and the scenery isbeautiful.”

The music ofResonance is inspiredby the diversebackgrounds and

musical interests of the musiciansand include the world rhythms andtonalities from Indian, Asian,Middle Eastern, and EasternEuropean styles, as well as classical,funk, jazz, and Appalachian folkmusic.

After the April 19thperformance, Resonance will beginwork on a CD and more originalmusic for an upcoming performancein June at the Blue Heron ArtCenter.

April 11, ‘08The Vashon Loop, p. 20

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