MAKING SOME NOISE ‘New’ foghorn sounds off at Point Robinson event. Page 5
SPORTS| Rowing club celebrates quarter century. [15] COMMENTARY | Live longer by going ‘Blue.’ [6] ARTS | Musician returns to Vashon after wild ride. [11]
UNIQUE GETAWAY Lodges on Vashon open for business. Page 14
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2015
Vol. 60, No. 31
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
75¢
CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY AT NORTH END DOCK Longtime Vashon deputy fired for sleeping on the job
Report says recent incidents were part of a pattern of behavior By SARAH LOW Staff Writer
Sarah Low/Staff Photos
Washington State Ferries has begun work to replace the timber trestle and terminal at the north end ferry dock as part of a necessary, seismic code upgrade. Changes to note: 103rd is now a one-way street for Southworth staging, and off- and on-loading traffic will now use the former Seattle and Southworth staging lanes. Medical priority and ADA passengers should allow extra time and are asked to check-in with the flagger at the street end of the dock. For more information, see wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr160/vashontrestle/
King County Sheriff’s deputy Joel Anderson, assigned to Vashon for the past 10 years, has been fired by Sheriff John Urquhart for transgressions of conduct and performance, which include sleeping while on duty and leaving the island before the end of his shift. In a termination letter to Anderson dated July 21, 2015, that was first posted online by KING 5 TV and then available through the Sheriff’s office late last week, Urquhart stated that Anderson had irretrievably damaged the trust and confidence necessary to remain an effective member of the department. “Not working even as you are being paid, whether it’s sleeping or staying at home while on the clock, is the equivalent of stealing,” Urquhart said. “Putting the lives of your patrol partners at risk, not to mention not sharing the workload… calls into question your moral values and your ability to be a good partner and effective police officer.” Anderson, a 14-year veteran of the department who was featured in an episode of Fox TV’s “Cops” in 2009, was investigated after he was found sleeping in his patrol car by a sergeant while on duty on Jan. 16, 2015, and it was reported that on Dec. 23, 2014, he left his assigned post early and without supervisory approval. And while the news came as a surprise to some on the island, the investigation detailed in the letter revealed that Anderson’s problematic behavior dates back a decade. In 2005, Anderson was seen sleeping in his patrol car three times, and in 2007 was disciplined with five days off without pay for the same offense. During the most recent investigation, Anderson’s patrol partner Deputy SEE DEPUTY, 19
Island resident one of few to choose death with dignity By SUSAN McCABE For The Beachcomber
Courtesy photo
Greg Smith
These days it’s common to openly discuss topics that past generations would have considered rude, such as sex, money, politics and religion. Death on the other hand, particularly one’s own, often remains a conversational taboo for many, though it’s probably one of the most important discussions to be had with those closest to us. In this state, some people are taking that final topical frontier out of the humidor with death cafes and advanced directives. Some also are taking action with Compassion & Choices, the organization now working with residents in Washington, Vermont and Oregon who choose physician assisted suicide (PAS) when they are diagnosed
with fewer than six months to live and no reprieve in sight. Former Washington Gov. Booth Gardner led the voter initiative that legalized PAS in this state in 2008, as he faced his own demise from Parkinson’s disease. Only a small number of people in Washington have taken advantage of the law since its passage. One of them, islander Greg Smith, followed through on his choice on July 27, peacefully surrounded by loved ones. Smith was a long-time advocate of death with dignity and, in an effort to enlighten others, he recorded a conversation with his friend, Lin Noah, on a Voice of Vashon episode of Island Crossroads about two weeks before his final going away party. SEE DEATH, 18