TEENS IN THE FIELD Young people tend a plot, turn a profit. Page 4
NEWS | Quartermaster closes for shellfish harvesting. [3] COMMENTARY | Local health care changes are concerning. [6] COMMUNITY | Engels car show will feature boats and more. [4]
ROWING TO WIN Islander earns third medal at world competition. Page 14
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2014 Vol. 59, No. 33
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
Frequent ferry delays are expected to continue By NATALIE MARTIN Staff Writer
Vashon’s north-end ferry route, which has been plagued by delays, had nearly 500 late sailings last month, more than twice the delays it had in July two years ago. Ferry officials say the frequent delays and resulting long lines will likely continue until this fall, when traffic slows and the route gets a new schedule and a different boat. But even then, they say, there will still be regular delays until the state can fund improvements at the Fauntleroy dock. “We think that’s a key element,” said George Capacci, interim director of Washington State Ferries (WSF). Last month ferries on the Fauntleroy-VashonSouthworth route, often
called the triangle route, left more than 10 minutes late 485 times, or 14 percent of the time, according to data released last week by WSF. In July of 2013, ferries on the route left late 296 times, and in July of 2012 there were just 195 late sailings. Data for June shows a similar picture, with 243 sailings leaving late this June compared with 145 in June of 2012. However, more ferries were late in June of 2013, which had 349 late sailings. Capacci explained on Monday that several factors have contributed to the frequent delays this summer on the triangle route. The route is tightly scheduled, and for some time the state’s aging ferries have had trouble
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Islander keeps the art of herding alive Susan McCabe Photos
Christie True practices herding with her border collie Shep and a herd of sheep she shares with others at her Maury Island home.
More than 100 teams will compete next week at the Vashon Sheepdog Classic By SUSAN McCABE For The Beachcomber
“For him, it’s like his best ever bowl of ice cream; he never gets tired of it. For me, the best part is the relationship with my dog.” Christie True’s blue eyes sparkle from her sun-brightened face as she describes the thrill she gets from working with her border collie, Shep. Shep and True will compete in the Vashon Sheepdog Classic next week at Misty Isle
SEE FERRIES, 18
Farms, joining over 100 other dogand-handler teams from around the country. As True describes it, though, the line between handler and dog can blur when it comes to knowing how to move sheep. Border collies, the most common breed used for sheep herding, are born to the job. “Breeding determines each dog’s level of motivation to herd,” True said last week at her Maury Island SEE HERDING, 20
Program to rent tools gets off the ground Start-up is modeled after successful tool libraries across the country By SARAH LOW Staff Writer
Natalie Martin/Staff Photo
Steve Graham holds a drill that will be available to borrow from the Vashon Tool Library.
In an effort to bolster Vashon’s community self-sufficiency, a group of volunteers has created a tool-lending library where islanders can go to borrow tools for any project. “It just seemed like the perfect idea for Vashon,” said Steve Graham, who is leading the effort under the auspices of the nonprofit Sustainable Vashon. “It fits right in with the current wave of eco-consumers. Sharing hardware and cooperating means fewer resources are used.” Tool-lending libraries are not a new idea. Dating back to the 1970s, there are currently over
50 tool libraries operating in cities and towns across the U.S. The idea is simple — for people to be able to borrow tools the same way they would borrow books from a library. Instead of purchasing the tools needed for one project or that would be used infrequently, members can borrow and then return tools, reducing costs and waste at the same time. The city of Seattle is home to three such libraries, including one of the oldest and most successful in the country, the Phinney Neighborhood Association Tool Library, which was established in 1978. The city of Portland, however, tops the list in its embrace of the idea with six tool libraries, two of which are specialized — one is for nonprofit groups only, and another is specific to kitchen tools and implements. In 2011, Popular Mechanics magazine included the creator of SEE TOOLS, 19