TREASURES IN YOUR ATTIC Find fortune or a flop at antique appraisal event. Page 15
NEWS | Sheriff’s office returns stolen items. [4] COMMENTARY | One farmer’s take on competition. [6] COMMUNITY | Chautauqua brings on new vice principal. [5]
ART IN THE AIR Start autumn with a gallery walk. Page 10
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2013 Vol. 58, No. 36
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
75¢
Park district owes thousands in back taxes after state audit By SUSAN RIEMER Staff Writer
Flash opera takes over the market Vashon company hopes to appeal to a wide audience with its latest show
Story and photos by Natalie Johnson
Island agriculture and arts culture collided last Saturday, when a bustling morning scene at the Farmers Market was suddenly interrupted by the strains of a German operetta. The opera flash mob was orchestrated by Vashon Opera, which is gearing up to kick off its fifth season with a production of Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” on Sept. 20 and 22 at the Vashon High School theater. The cast of “Die Fledermaus” will include a slate of professional singers from Seattle as well as Portland, with islanders in supporting and non-singing roles and filling a 45-member chorus. Jennifer Krikawa, who heads the Vashon Opera with her husband Andy, said the show should appeal to opera fans and skeptics alike. Though written in German, “Die Fledermaus” will be sung in English, and as a comic operetta, it includes spoken acting along with singing and is full of humor. “An operetta sort of crosses a little bit into the musical theater side,” Krikawa said. “I think it’s really accessible to a person who’s not quite sure about the seriousness of opera.” The show climaxes with a rollicking party in Vienna, where more islanders will play a role. Singer Kevin Joyce, magician Tom Pruiksma, a troupe of ballerinas and local aerial artists will all act as entertainers at the lavish Viennese ball. “Every opera company gets to put in its own little thing,” Krikawa said. In all, about 130 islanders have a hand in the show, either on stage or behind the scenes, and most are volunteers. On Saturday, Krikawa, Portland singer Wesley Morgan, who will play Eisenstein, and Andy Krikawa (top photo) belted out “The Champaign Song” and were joined by about 25 chorus members who startled many when they began to sing from the middle of the market crowd (bottom photo). For more on the Vashon Opera production of “Die Fledermaus” and how to purchase tickets, see www.vashonopera.org.
The Vashon Park District, faced with financial difficulties and accusations of mismanagement in recent years, must now pay nearly $25,000 to the state in unpaid sales tax and interest. Park district General Manager Elaine Ott delivered the news at a park board meeting last week after she received the final audit report from the state Department of Revenue. The audit, which spanned 2009 to 2012, found that for more than a year, the district failed to pay sales tax for its vacation rentals at Fern Cove and Point Robinson, according to district accountant Marie Browne. State auditors also found that the district did not pay the required tax on rental equipment and merchandise
the district sold during that time. Ninety-four percent of the unpaid taxes were from the district’s lodging facilities, Ott said at the meeting, and the two additional categories make up the remainder. In all, state auditors found that the district should have paid $1,190 in business and operations tax and $21,724 in sales tax on $252,606 of taxable income. With an additional $1,403 in interest, the final bill the district must pay is $24,317, Ott said. Through a payment plan with the state, the district will pay monthly installments of $3,500 for seven months. While the situation far from ideal, Ott said, the district can manage the bill. “We can pay it. We’re doing OK,” Ott said. Staff who worked at the district during SEE TAXES, 12
The Bicycle in the Tree House
New spot pays tribute to a Vashon family and an island oddity By NATALIE JOHNSON Staff Writer
When a couple from Indiana recently saw Vashon’s bike in the tree featured on a television program, the pair — travelers and history buffs with a special affinity for the 1950s — decided they’d see it next time they were in Seattle. Last month the couple not only visited the bike in the tree, but also stayed a few nights at the childhood home of the boy behind the legendary bike. One of them left a five-star review of the rental house online, saying it felt like “a family’s home” and “not just another vacation rental.” Indeed, The Bicycle in the Tree House, a new seasonal rental, seems to have come straight out of 1954, the year 8-year-old Don Puz left his now-famed bicycle in the woods off of
Natalie Johnson/Staff Photo
Madeline Bost recently turned her family home into The Bike in the Tree House. Above, she stands by a wall dedicated to her family’s story. Vashon Highway. “It’s pretty much the same way as it was, though my sister has made some cosmetic improvements,” said Don, who is now in his 60s and whose sister
Madeline Bost recently fixed up the house to be a rental. The spacious 1920’s home is full of antique SEE BIKE, 16