A NEW PLAN AT BOB’S The bakery hopes to draw more customers. Page 4
NEWS | Former Islander earns Medal of Freedom. Page 5 SPORTS | Pirate soccer is at the top of the league. Page 16 CRIME | Plant theft continues on Vashon. Page 23
EXPERIENCE ART Artists open their doors for the spring studio tour. Page 13
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012
Vol. 57, No. 18
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
75¢
What could Vashon be?
UW students imagine the possibilities By LESLIE BROWN Staff Writer
A group of University of Washington students has proposed several projects — from facade improvements in Vashon town to a rebirth of the Portage Store — in an effort to strengthen the Island’s economic vitality and protect its historic integrity. The 13 students, enrolled in the UW’s College of Built Environments, have visited Vashon several times since they held a kickoff open house on the Island March 30. They talked to Island merchants and civic leaders, traversed Vashon
and immersed themselves in Island history before putting forward their 14 proposals. They’re now ready for their second open house — to be held Friday evening and Saturday morning — where Islanders can take a look at what they’ve proposed, discuss their ideas and help them refine the projects. All of the proposals, many of them replete with photographs and schematic drawings, are posted at Movie Magic for preview. “I think in the end we’ll come up with some things that we’ll be able to implement,” said Julie Koler, preservation officer at King County. STUDIO STOREFRONT, PAGE 22
Leslie Brown/Staff Photo
Large posters depicting the students’ 14 proposals for Vashon are hanging at the former Movie Magic site, now an espresso stand.
The end of an era: Barnworks to shutter its doors Teachers
voice alarm over potential program cuts
The cooperative has been a staple of the Island art scene By ELIZABETH SHEPHERD Staff Writer
Down a gravel driveway off Cove Road sits a bucolic property that has long been the site of one of Vashon’s loveliest art spots — an exhibition space housed in a simple, yet elegant barn, nestled amid towering firs. Large outdoor sculptures grace the manicured grounds in front of the barn, and next to it sits a converted chicken coop, filled with smaller craft objects, including pottery, soap, cards and jewelry. Inside the rustic but well-lit barn, bright pastels, watercolors and other vibrant paintings line the walls. The name of the complex, appropriately enough, is Barnworks — a collaborative gallery that has been a fixture on the Vashon art scene for decades. The barn has also been the site of monthly critique sessions for its members, as well as a host of other events including weddings, workshops and artists’ retreats. Each year, quilters have gathered in the space to stitch together Vashon Allied Arts’ community quilt.
Administrators say worry was an overreaction By NATALIE JOHNSON Staff Writer
that, the barn will revert to her own private use, she said. “It was my decision,” said Munger, as she took time out from preparing for the spring tour. “You
Concerns about the fate of Vashon High School’s celebrated social studies program reached a head last week when a handful of teachers attended a school board meeting to challenge what they saw as a misguided direction by the administration. The administration quickly quelled the concerns, saying the teachers’ upset was driven by miscommunication between the district and the teachers, not a decision to slash the program. But it underscored the delicate situation the district finds itself in as it tries to address an uncertain budget without laying off any of its current teachers. “This shows you what happens
SEE BARNWORKS, PAGE 19
SEE SCHOOLS, PAGE 23
Michele AnneLouise Cohen Photo
Sharon Munger started Barnworks 30 years ago. She says it’s time to end the long-running art collective. But nothing lasts forever, it seems, because Barnworks is about to open its next-to-last exhibition this weekend, claiming its time-honored slot on the spring Vashon Island Art Studio Tour, a twice-yearly event that Barnworks
helped to birth 30 years ago. Local artist Sharon Munger, who owns and lives on the property where Barnworks sits, has decided to shutter the space at the end of 2012, after the winter edition of the art studio tour. After