NEW YEAR’S TUNES Catch a local concert on New Year’s Eve. Page 10
LET IT SNOW Vashon enjoys a short-lived snow day. Page 15
NEWS | Bob’s Bakery sold to island newcomers. [3] COMMENTARY | Handling stress during the holidays. [6] SPORTS | Age versus experience on the field. [14]
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2013 Vol. 58, No. 52
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
CAROLING FROM A THEATER SEAT
75¢
Island airlifts can save lives in a crisis but may be costly Not all insurance plans cover the bill By SUSAN RIEMER Staff Writer
When islander Ken Garrison fell in his garden a few months ago, island medics took him by ambulance to Virginia Mason, where doctors examined and released him. But back at home the next day, he began to have trouble speaking. When the medics arrived this time, they thought he might be having a stroke and determined that heading to Seattle in a helicopter gave him the best chance for a full recovery. His wife Phyllis recalls that day clearly. “I said, ‘Yes, you must take him,’” she recalled. “It’s just that simple.” Garrison faced additional health difficulties after that, but the cost of the helicopter ride was not among them, as his health insurance paid for
the ride in full. Not everyone is so lucky. Islander Andrine Olson was airlifted to Seattle with severe chest pain days after being hospitalized for a major heart attack in 2005. While the airlift was a relief, she said, her bill for it was not. Her insurance did not cover the $8,000 to $9,000 expense, she said, and she paid between $6,000 and $7,000 out of her own pocket nearly a decade ago. Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR) receives more than 100 aid calls a month, according to Mark Brownell, the battalion chief for emergency medical services, and most often when hospital care is needed, the island’s emergency responders take people by ambulance. When faster help is needed, however, they call in Airlift Northwest, a medical transport provider that serves Washington and Southeast Alaska. SEE AIRLIFTS, 20
Another company has its eyes on K2 as pot applications roll in By NATALIE MARTIN Staff Writer
Even the biggest Grinch would have had a smile on his face last week at the Vashon Theatre, when around 200 people gathered to celebrate the season in song at the annual holiday singalong. Seated in the darkened theater as though catching the latest flick, islanders young and old instead belted out carol after carol as lyrics flashed across the movie screen. Local pianist Randy Bruce provided the melodies as singers — some skilled, others just confident — sang carols that ran the gamut, from the deeply religious “O Holy Night” to the more merry “Frosty the Snowman” to the classic “White Christmas.” The perennial favorite came when “The Twelve Dogs of Christmas” went up on the screen and audience members, per tradition, stood when their favorite dog breeds were called out. “It’s one more example of classic Vashon community” said Craig Beles, who led the evening dressed as Santa Claus. “It’s a great group, and it’s truly cross-denominational,” he said. “There are individuals who are not traditional fans of Christmas, but they love going and singing with the community.” The Vashon Ukulele Society kicked off the event, strumming tunes that conjured up a warmer place, and the saxophone trio of Linnea Cookson, Van Crozier and Karen Eliasen (pictured above) played while the audience rested their own pipes. The annual singalong had its beginnings nearly 20 years ago, when Gay Jungemann, then the owner of Owen’s Antiques, gathered a group to sing carols at the park-and-ride near Center. The event grew in popularity and moved after just a couple of years to the theater, where owner Eileen Wolcott still offers up the space for free. “It’s one of those things I love to keep going,” Wolcott said. Story and photos by Natalie Martin
A second company has applied to grow marijuana at the K2 building, and several islanders have tossed their hats in the ring to start smaller marijuana businesses on Vashon. According to information released last week by the state Liquor Control Board (LCB), three off-island companies have now submitted applications to start marijuana growing operations on Vashon — two of them at the K2 building — and three island groups or islanders have applied to grow legal pot on the island as well. As of Dec. 17, no one had applied to open a marijuana retail store on Vashon. The application window closed on Dec. 19, and final information has yet to be released by the LCB. Bakkhos Holding, a new company with several investors, has applied with the state for licenses to both grow and process marijuana at the
K2 building. Last month another company, Def Clown West, also applied to have a grow operation at K2. Def Clown West’s agent, a Redmond man, declined to comment on the company or its plans. Michael Rosen, a Mercer Island attorney who is an official with Bakkhos Holding, referred questions to the company’s spokesman, Scott Bales, a San Francisco real estate broker, investor and developer. Bales said Bakkhos Holding — a group of Washington investors with diverse backgrounds — is currently looking at several properties, including the K2 building, to locate its marijuana operation. They have been in contact with the building’s realtor, he said, but have no agreement in place. “The property itself would be ideal for our use,” he said. “I couldn’t comment on the status of the deal.” SEE MARIJUANA, 18