TOXIC WATERS Recent algae bloom kills hundreds of fish. Page 4
COMMUNITY | Islander to climb Mount Rainier for charity. [5] OPINION | Park district is on [6] shaky ground. ARTS | Drama Dock show [10] makes magic happen.
BURBY FUN RUN This year’s race pays tribute to island teen. Page 14
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 2013
Vol. 58, No. 28
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
75¢
ISLAND COMES ALIVE AT ITS ANNUAL FEST Head of VARSA steps
down as group rethinks relationship with VYFS Groups settle dispute, say they’ll work together in a new way By NATALIE JOHNSON Staff Writer
and Towing, an iconic, retro spot that has been in business for 53 years on Dockton Road.
After a dispute with Vashon Youth & Family Services, the volunteer group working to reduce youth substance abuse on Vashon has announced it has a new organizational structure that will allow it better serve the island and that the group’s former head has stepped down. “It was an emotional period, and there were some difficulties ironing things out, but we did,” said Kathleen Johnson, executive director of VYFS. “I think everyone is very happy we can focus on the work again.” Under its new structure, the Vashon Alliance to Reduce Substance Abuse “It was an emotional (VARSA) will not work as period, and there closely with VYFS, may be were some difficulties eligible for more government funding and will more ironing things out, easily partner with other but we did. I think community organizations, everyone is very members say. Luke McQuillin, who happy we can focus on many say had become the the work again.” face of VARSA as its projKathleen Johnson, executive director, ect coordinator, resigned Vashon Youth & Family Services in the process. McQuillin, who was a VYFS employee, declined to comment on his resignation. “It was sad that he left. … Luke contributed a lot of things to VARSA,” said Diane Kjellberg, VARSA’s co-chair. “I think that with that change comes opportunity,” she added. VARSA is now finalizing a new memorandum of understanding with VYFS, making plans to rent an office space in town and preparing to advertise either one full-time or two part-time paid positions with the organization. Representatives of both VARSA and VYFS say they’re hoping to put the dispute behind them and focus once again on prevention programming and their work to change community attitudes around youth drinking and drug use. “I would really like to get VARSA stable, to get past issues and get to the point where people say, ‘I like what they’re doing, and I want to get involved,’” Kjellberg said. An ongoing dispute between some members of VARSA and VYFS began earlier this year and came to a head in May, when Johnson asked several VARSA coalition members to resign from their positions, with an invitation to reapply if they wished. In Johnson’s letter to VARSA member Larry Kjellberg, which was attached to a reply email Kjellberg sent to
SEE FILM, 20
SEE VARSA, 19
Sarah Schwarz Photo
Strawberry Festival grand marshals Bettie Edwards and Susan Hanson happily greet the crowd gathered for Saturday’s Grand Parade. For more photos from Strawberry Festival weekend, see page 12.
Roaring feature film was shot on Vashon By ELIZABETH SHEPHERD Staff Writer
After a long and obsessive journey, a West Seattle filmmaker has crossed the finish line in his quest to make the perfect car movie, and the results will light up the big screen soon at the Vashon Theatre. On Saturday, the theater will be the scene of a classic car show and special screening of “Clutch,” a new independent feature film billed in its tag line as “the most driven car movie ever made.” The film — made in homage to 1960s and 70s films such as “Bullitt,” “Vanishing Point” and “Two Lane Blacktop” — is also one of the most Vashon-centric films ever made, with more than half of the footage in the muscle car-filled movie shot on Vashon’s roads and other backwoods spots. The film is also chock-full of cars owned by islanders — a 1969 yellow Dart owned by Mike Stroble, a 1972 Challenger owned by his son
Courtesy Photo
Jay Rowlands, as a racecar driver, and Alan Luxmore, as a mechanic, act out a scene from “Clutch” inside Engels Repair & Towing. Mike Stroble, Jr., and a 1970 maroon Monte Carlo owned by Mike Bredice, to name just a few. And to top it all off, one of the film’s main locations is Engels Repair