PROTECTING A BOG Whispering Firs Preserve is now twice as large. Page 3
COMMUNITY | Silverwood Gallery ends an era. Page 3 ENVIRONMENT | Discussion planned over future of Glacier site. Page 5 COMMENTARY | When it comes to ferries, citizen activism is key. Page 6
CHAMBER SERIES FINALE VAA’s music series ends on a high note. Page 10
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012
Vol. 57, No. 13
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
75¢
New voucher A SPOTLIGHT ON BIRDS: KIDS GATHER AT KVI Island farms gear program helps up to sell fresh Islanders get care produce to schools By SUSAN RIEMER
But farmers expect sales will be modest at first
Staff Writer
A program of Granny’s Attic intended to lessen the financial obstacles to receiving health care on Vashon has undergone a makeover and now provides funds for vouchers for use at the Vashon Health Center. As part of this new effort, Granny’s Attic, through its Granny’s Gift program, will provide $20,000 a year to Vashon Youth & Family Services earmarked for its VIVA program. In turn, Debbie Rieschl, who manages VIVA, will meet with Granny’s Attic, potential recipients under the direcand distribute medition of a new cal vouchers when manager, gets needed, primarily to a facelift. See lower income people story, page 4. who do not have health insurance. Each person who receives a voucher will be eligible for up to $250 worth of medical care at the health center each year. Rieschl plans to limit the vouchers to 20 per quarter to ensure that a supply is available throughout the year, she said. The vouchers are intended to help Islanders pay for preventative care, such as physicals, as well as medical care for chronic, ongoing health issues. They can only be applied to care at the clinic and cannot be used for off-site tests and procedures. This revitalized program, roughly six weeks in, has proven popular so far, SEE VOUCHERS, 20
By LESLIE BROWN Staff Writer
Lawrence Huggins Photo
Fourth-graders Nick Kraabel (left) and Isabelle Spence, with adults Kathryn True (left) and Karen Fevold, look for birds at KVI Beach last week as part of the much-celebrated birding program at Chautauqua Elementary School. The 85 students viewed birds with binoculars and through spotting scopes and also discovered plants and tiny animals living in the estuary. All told, bird watchers spotted 42 species of birds and countless marine creatures.
Farmers at four Island farms are planting a few more rows of radishes, leeks, carrots and greens than usual this spring, now that a farm-to-school program is poised to come to fruition. After a couple years of discussion and a few bumps along the way, the Vashon Island School District has a purchase order in place to buy fresh produce from four Vashon farms — GreenMan, Island Meadow, Sun Island and Naughty Dog. The effort will be modest, in part because the farmers’ prime growing season doesn’t correspond with the school district’s academic schedule. Even so, those involved in the effort say, it’s a milestone for both the school district and Vashon’s small-scale farm community, as well as a sign of the farm community’s blossoming market sophistication and capability. “The fact that these farms are in the position to make this commitment is a powerful indicator of the growing maturity of the small farms on the Island,” said Mark Musick, a longtime champion of small-scale farming who has helped to bring the farmers and school district together. “It’s a long, slow process. But when you look back and see the progress we’ve made, we’ve come a long way, and we’ve reached a major milestone. Who knows where we’ll be in five SEE FARMS, 12
Modern mail trucks roll onto Vashon A union decision means carriers will no longer use personal cars By NATALIE JOHNSON Staff Writer
Natalie Johnson/Staff Photo
Carrier Marilyn Ripley sits behind the wheel of one of the new trucks.
In the next couple of weeks, Islanders will notice a piece of the big city rolling along Vashon roads. The arrival of seven large, white government-issued mail trucks — replacing the driver-owned civilian cars that currently serve Island mail routes — marks a new era in mail delivery on Vashon. It also marks a new era for
nationwide postal service. Several years ago, the National Rural Carriers’ Association — the union that represents Vashon’s mail carriers — ratified a labor contract requiring the government to provide rural drivers with governmentissued mail trucks, said Susan Griffin, Vashon’s postmaster. The transition from driver-owned delivery cars to the government-issued trucks began in rural towns on the East Coast and has gradually moved west, Griffin said. All across the nation, post offices in small towns SEE MAIL TRUCKS, 19