GOING SOLAR Island farm runs on energy from the sun. Page 4
ARTS | Fiery flamenco will entertain this weekend. [10] COMMENTARY | Driving while [6] tired can be deadly. SPORTS | Fall sports end while [14] as ski season begins
HEALTH CARE HELP Islanders sign up for health insurance. Page 3
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013 Vol. 58, No. 46
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
75¢
Metro threatens big cuts to bus service Vashon’s two routes could see 20-percent reductions By NATALIE JOHNSON Staff Writer
Drastic cuts to Metro bus service, should the fail to secure new funding, would include significant reductions to Vashon’s two bus routes, according to a proposal put forward by the county last week. On Thursday King County Metro released detailed plans for the 17-percent countywide service
cuts officials say the agency could be forced to implement due to falling sales tax revenue and the expiration of temporary funding. On Vashon, both route 118, which runs between the north end ferry terminal and Tahlequah, and route 119, which runs between the north end and Dockton, face 20-percent service reductions. Metro Transit Planner Doug Johnson said island buses would become less frequent during the day, and on route 118, service would begin later in the morning and end earlier in the evening. Metro hasn’t specifically identified which trips would be discontinued
on Vashon, he said, as it is possible that the entire schedule for both routes will be revised. The 118 and 119 express routes — which drive on the ferry and continue to downtown Seattle — also face reductions, as does the RapidRide C line, which many ferry commuters ride from West Seattle to downtown. Those routes are at risk in part because of the loss of state funding to mitigate congestion caused by the Alaskan Way Viaduct construction. Overall, Metro is poised to completely eliminate 74 of its 214 bus SEE METRO, 18
File Photo
Vashon bus routes, popular among commuters, face service cuts.
Kids get their hands on real-world science Election puts two new faces on park board Students across several grades participate in actual research projects
Some races still too close to call By NATALIE JOHNSON
By KATHRYN TRUE
Staff Writer
For The Beachcomber
Two newcomers have been elected to the Vashon Park District board of commissioners, while incumbent Lu-Ann Branch is holding on to a slight lead in last week’s closely watched park district elections. Results released Friday by King County Elections showed that economics professor Doug Ostrom has apparently won his bid for position 4 on the park board — a spot vacated by David Hackett. Ostrom garnered 58.4 percent of the vote with 2,119 votes. His opponent, Robin Magonegil, received 41.5 percent with 1,504 votes. Scott Harvey, a small business advisor and lender has ousted incumbent John Hopkins in the race for position 5. Harvey received 61.8 percent of the vote with 2,112 votes. Hopkins garnered 38.2 percent with 1,311 votes.
“I got another one!” “Look at this!” “It’s a mayfly — see the tails!” “I don’t understand why kids don’t like science. … This is the best lab ever.” These comments echoed through a McMurray Middle School science classroom last month as sixth-graders eagerly sifted through leafy debris from Shinglemill and Needle Creeks’ water samples. They were working to find and identify stream-dwelling invertebrates — in this case mostly tiny insect larva, some barely visible to the naked eye — which scientists use to gauge water health. Vashon Nature Center, as part of a Vashon-Maury Island Groundwater Protection Committee study, brought the invertebrates from local streams into six science classrooms where, with the help of local biologists, hand magnifiers, keys and microscopes, 100 students learned to tell the difference between a caddis fly and a true fly, and what their existence has to do
Gay Roselle Photo
Sam Conrad examines tiny stream invertebrates under a microscope at McMurray Middle School. with healthy salmon populations. By the time they were through, the students had counted 700 total invertebrates, identified four species never before recorded in Shinglemill and found native freshwater snail eggs, which prompted local scientists to further probe island creeks to research snail dispersal methods — another important stream health indicator. “I didn’t know a whole bunch
of these little guys lived in the streams,” said sixth-grader Nelson Giorgini. “It was cool to learn about them and what they do, and see the difference between one stream and another.” Sixth-grade student Sean Robertson said he enjoys science class and appreciated being asked to participate in an actual study: “It’s cool that they let kids our age do SEE SCIENCE, 19
In the race for position 2 on the board, incumbent Branch, who joined the board in 2010, held a 200-vote lead on Friday over challenger Stephen Evans. Branch, who has maintained her lead since the first results were announced on Nov. 5, had garnered 52.6 percent of the vote on Friday with 1,866 votes. Evans, a patent lawyer whose campaign has included the promotion of a website and a flashing sign on Vashon Highway, had 47.3 percent with 1,676 votes. According to King County Elections, there are at least 700 Vashon ballots left to be counted in the Nov. 5 election. On Friday Branch said she was feeling good about the results, but she wouldn’t celebrate a victory until the final votes come in. “I don’t think I’m ready to claim victory until we get a better spread or more ballots counted,” she said. Branch said she thought the close race “showed the SEE ELECTION, 20