A STAR JOINS THE OPERA A New York diva embodies the sultry lead in ‘Carmen.’ Page 10
DANCING IN THE STREET A new event will help Islanders usher in fall. Page 16
FALL SPORTS KICK OFF Vashon football takes on Chelan in season opener. Page 19
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
Vol. 55, No. 35
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
The farmers market: A growing affair As Allison Bockus steps down, the market’s numbers show it is thriving
Center forest may close for 17-day deer hunt season By NATALIE JOHNSON
By LESLIE BROWN
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
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slanders and tourists turned out in droves for Saturday’s Farmers Market, buying fresh greens, ripe tomatoes, carrots and caramels as the sound of music wafted through the air. Some lined up for La Playa’s tacos and tamales. Others sat at picnic tables, chatting with friends under a warm September sun.
It was a typical day at the market, except that this one was particularly special to those who organize the weekly event: The market’s vendors sold $12,902 worth of produce and goods, a new milestone for the bustling market. “It was our best day ever in market history,” said a clearly pleased Allison Bockus, the market’s manager. “Labor Day weekend is usually a good weekend. But this one sets a new record.” Like farmers markets everywhere, Vashon’s has felt the impact of a lingering recession. But now, as Bockus turns over the reins to Rebecca Wittman, hired
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Leslie Brown/Staff Photo
Farmers market manager Allison Bockus talks to Rebecca Wittman, who will replace Bockus this winter.. as the new manager by the Vashon Island Growers Association board late last month, Vashon’s farmers market seems to have fully turned a corner. And these days, it’s again packed with people and lined with well-stocked tables week after week. Bockus stepped in at a difficult period a year and a half ago, taking on the position after the Vashon Island Growers Association, a nonprofit that oversees the market, decided not to renew then-market manager
Ivan Weiss’s contract, a move that divided some of the vendors. But Bockus, a tall, energetic woman whose 11-year-old twins sell hand-made bracelets at the market, has helped to bring a new energy and professionalism to the enterprise while retaining its funky, home-grown flavor, some say. Under Bockus, every vendor now has a sign — many of them artful and colorful — that touts his or her farm. Tables are heaping, in part because she some-
times squeezes vendors together to make sure there’s a look of abundance. A new co-op booth has been added — a place where Island gardeners who have extra produce but not enough to justify a whole table can sell their goods. She’s also pushed the envelope on occasion. Determined to make the bazaar what she calls a “buyers’ market,” she brought in an off-Island honey producer SEE MARKET, 16
The county hopes to close Island Center Forest to everyone but deer hunters for 17 days in October. In an effort to continue to allow deer hunting at the forest while ensuring public safety, King County has proposed a shortened hunting season at the forest, during which time the area would be closed to all other uses. The abbreviated hunting season would take place from Oct. 15 to 31. David Kimmet, a King County natural resources manager, said the county developed the proposal based on extensive feedback it gathered from Islanders last year. The issue of hunting in the forest came to a head last fall, when neighbors and frequent users of the forest raised concerns about whether hunting was compatible with the growing number of people who come to the forest to walk dogs, run and ride horses. The county even temporarily banned hunting at the forest, canceling a portion of the 2010 hunting season because of safety concerns. At both a public meeting in October and through individual comments submitted to the county, SEE HUNTING, 23
Family rebuilds after a devastating fire By LESLIE BROWN Staff Writer
The Vashon family who lost their home to a dramatic and fast-moving fire Wednesday say they’ve been touched and amazed by the community’s outpouring of support. Wesley and Lisbeth Peterson and their four sons began renting the 3,000-square-foot home on the 16900 block of Westside Highway 10 Leslie Brown/Staff Photo months ago, after Wesley got a job as one of Puget The Peterson family, from left, Elan, Wesley, Lisbeth, Soren, Brennan and Josiah, with Sound Energy’s two service linemen on Vashon. Now, as the family begins the arduous task their cat Jasper, say they’re grateful to be together and in a nice home.
of rebuilding their lives after a devastating fire that destroyed nearly all of their belongings, they realize how grateful they are to live on the Island, Wesley said, a place they were drawn to because of its strong community spirit. “We’ve been sincerely, emotionally moved by the outpouring of the community’s support. It just confirmed that we made the right decision to move here,” he said. “I don’t recommend that everyone experience a house fire to realize how good this community is. SEE FIRE, 14