A WEEKEND FOR ART First Friday and the art studio tour coincide. Pages 15, 16
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BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2013
Vol. 58, No. 49 www.vashonbeachcomber.com
Company applies to grow pot at K2 By NATALIE MARTIN Staff Writer
If an off-island company’s plans pan out, the K2 building could one day hold a large marijuana growing operation. According to information released last week by the state Liquor Control Board, Def Clown West, a company registered to a Redmond man, has applied for a license to produce marijuana at the vacant, 180,000-squarefoot building on Vashon Highway. Another company has applied to grow marijuana on Wax Orchard Road. The application period closes Dec. 19. Def Clown West, a limited liability company (LLC) registered to Dirk
Christian, applied for a Marijuana Producer Tier 3 license at the K2 building, meaning the operation would be 10,000 to 30,000 square feet. Christian, reached by The Beachcomber, confirmed that he applied for the license, but declined to say anything about his plans or whether a sale or lease of the K2 property was pending. “It’s early in the process. We’re still in the try and see phase of this,” he said. “I don’t have anything I can share with you other than yes, we’re interested in locating our business there at that location.” According to his LinkedIn account, Christian graduated from the
75¢
No feather unturned
University of Washington in 1992 with a degree in international business and is currently an internet marketing and e-commerce manager for a company that sells products for log homes. Christian is also the listed agent for two other Def Clown LLCs that have applied for marijuana licenses in other locations. Def Clown applied for a license to process marijuana at an address on Camano Island, and Def Clown South applied to grow pot at an address in Roy, a small town in southwest Pierce County. Both addresses appear to be the locations of residential properties. SEE MARIJUANA, 23
When fire strikes, many turn out to help islander Courtesy Photo
By NATALIE MARTIN
Ed Swan will release a new edition of his popular guide, “The Birds of Vashon Island.”
Staff Writer
After a local farmer’s barn burned to the ground in a large fire that also destroyed thousands of dollars of tools and equipment, islanders turned out in droves to help the longtime Vashon man handle the scene left behind. Last week, George Singer stood in the charred remains of what was a large, twostory barn at his farm in picturesque Paradise Valley. On the evening of Nov. 22, a fast-burning fire tore through the barn, fueled by 20 tons of hay stored inside. By the time crews from Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR) arrived, the structure was completely engulfed in flames and part of the roof had already caved in. “If they would have been at the head of the hill when the call came in, they couldn’t have saved it,” Singer said. Since then, however, Singer, well-known as the head of Singer Farm and well-loved in the horse community and beyond, has been touched by what he called the generous island
Birder’s latest guide is a compendium of local avian life By LESLIE BROWN For The Beachcomber
Natalie Martin/Staff Photo
George Singer looks out at what was once a large, two-story barn at Singer Farm. community. Those who know the longtime islander, as well as some who don’t, have shown up by the dozens to help him clean up and sort through the mess — coming to designated work parties and just stopping by to lend a hand.
“It was really shocking, and it’s hard to see that kind of loss,” said Sarah George, a friend of Singer who has helped organize the cleanup effort. “I would crumble for all of the things he lost.” In all, Singer, who grew up on the farm and now
lives there with his wife Marilyn, lost nearly the entire 40-by-60-foot barn, the hay that was to feed his cows and horses over the winter, as well as a car, a tractor and about $150,000 SEE FIRE, 18
Over the years, Vashon Island Audubon President Randy Smith has gotten phone calls from birders wondering how they could snag a copy of Ed Swan’s book, “The Birds of Vashon Island.” Printed in 2005, all 750 books sold quickly, and it was a rare day that a used copy appeared on a bookstore shelf. Lately, though, Smith has been able to offer words of encouragement to those hungering for the second edition. “I tell them, ‘He’s working on it.’” Indeed, eight years after that first edition, Swan is about to issue the second edition of “The Birds of Vashon Island,” and birders throughout the region are already eagerly anticipating it. His is a singular contribution, Smith said, a compendium that provides information not just on the different species of birds on Vashon Island, but also their nesting habits, migration patterns, habitat needs and historic ranges – a snapshot in time as well as a look at the way Vashon’s ecosystems have changed over the years. SEE BIRDER, 24