OPEN SPACE OPEN HOUSE Renovation plans for center unveiled. Page 11
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Women in business
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2016
Vol. 61, No. 42
See pages 14 to 24
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
2016
75¢
Public meeting with ferry chief, officials set for next Wednesday By ANNELI FOGT Editor
After a rough summer for ferry travel on the triangle route resulting in frustrated commuters, Washington State Ferries officials are holding what they are calling “listening meetings” at each of the triangle route stops with Vashon’s happening next Wednesday night, Oct. 26, at McMurray Middle School. Washington State Ferries (WSF) Chief Lynne Griffith will be in attendance to listen to islanders’ suggestions on how to fix the triangle
route after recent months saw boats leaving half-empty and late with lines extending as far as two miles from the Fauntleroy dock. In a Friday interview, she said WSF knows the route is not working. “We understand the service is not performing the way it needs to. We had a really rough summer, and we own that,” she said. The problem over the summer became so frustrating that numerous islanders shared photos of half-empty boats on social media, at least one islander wrote
a letter to the governor’s office and Vashon’s Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) pushed for what it believed to be a solution to the loading issues at Fauntleroy: a bypass lane for pre-ticketed customers. In May, WSF officials attempted to create that bypass lane, but utilized colored sheets of paper to determine destination — Southworth or Vashon. The plan was abandoned shortly after its beginning as commuters complained the papers were making loading take even longer and boats were still leaving late and not
Courtesy Photo
Washington State Ferries Chief Lynne Griffith completely full. When asked about the problems in August, WSF
officials said that a new schedule would be needed to thoroughly fix the situation: one that allows more “dwell time” between boats, ultimately meaning fewer sailings. WSF Director of Operations, Greg Faust, said in August that the ferry system is gathering information for such a change and will work with the communities involved on details. But on Friday, Griffith said she is not coming into these meetings with her mind made up about a fix. “We need to make sure
the citizens understand we’re not coming in there with any pre-determined solution,” she said. “We’re not going to fix this alone. People in the community need to sit down and help design a solution with the limitations of vessels, terminals and what sailing schedules need to be and agree on a proposal that can be fully vetted.” However, Greg Beardsley, head of Vashon’s FAC, believes WSF does have a pre-determined solution. Last week, he said he feels the meetings are SEE FERRIES, 29
Predicted destructive weekend storm falls flat Multiple island events were cancelled By ANNELI FOGT Editor
Juli Goetz Morser/Staff Photo
Above: Filmmaker Annie O’Neil (left) and islander Phil Volker talk as they walk around the “Camino” Volker built in his backyard.
‘Live vibrantly in the face of adversity’: Short film centers on spirit of islander with cancer Film being considered for Oscar nomination By JULI GOETZ MORSER Staff Writer
One late afternoon last month, while the spun-gold of autumn’s fading light filtered through the madrona trees, a
Los Angeles-based film crew gathered at the home of Phil Volker on Wax Orchard Road. The location, worthy of starring in a film, set the scene for a joyous reunion of the director, crew, cast and friends of the award-winning documentary, “Phil’s Camino,” on the eve of the film’s presentation at the Port Townsend Film Festival. Laughter rose up from fields adjacent
to the house, where Volker showed the crew how to pick ripe corn for the evening’s meal. Like the golden light, a warm glow of camaraderie infused the air. Two years ago, Director Annie O’Neil, Volker and the crew had not yet met nor could have guessed the SEE CAMINO, 10
When weather forecasters last week announced the remnants of Pacific Typhoon Songda would slam into the Pacific Northwest Saturday, bringing excessive rain and wind gusts potentially up to 60 mph, islanders began to prepare for the worst. Thriftway was bustling with activity Thursday, Friday and Saturday, resulting in some empty shelves Thursday where canned vegetables, soups and gallon containers of water once were. In the days leading up to the storm’s forecasted Saturday night landfall, Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR) Interim Assistant Chief Bob Larsen met with VashonBePrepared’s Rick Wallace for storm brief-
ings multiple times a day. The island’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and ham radio group were also notified to be prepared in case of deployment. Some island events were also cancelled ahead of the unfavorable weather predictions. On Friday, Neighborcare Health announced the Saturday open house at Vashon’s new clinic was postponed. A new date for the event has not yet been set. Shortly after that, Vashon Center for the Arts announced that “due to dangerous weather conditions,” Saturday’s concert, “Close To You: The Music of the Carpenters,” was cancelled and rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, 2017. Tickets purchased for this month’s show will be honored at the May show. Refunds are available for those who will not be able to attend. Vashon High SEE STORM, 27