NO HORSING AROUND Equestrians consider improvement to horse park. Page 4
2015
See Pages 13-20 for our Wedding Section
Weddings on Vashon
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015
Vol. 60, No. 6
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
75¢
Officials warn low vaccine rates put Vashon at risk of measles outbreak School district concerned about its vulnerability By SUSAN RIEMER Staff Writer
As the number of measles cases rises around the country, public health experts say that Vashon’s low vaccination rate puts the island at risk of an outbreak of the disease, which is highly infectious. Measles cases around the country have topped 120 so far this year, and four cases have been reported in Washington, including one last week in Port Angeles. Experts agree that the reason for the resurgence of measles, which had been declared eradicated in the United States in 2000, is the high number of people who have chosen not to vaccinate their children against the disease. Vashon has long had a reputation for its low immunization rate, and in recent weeks has been mentioned in several Seattle news stories, in a short online video by the Tacoma News Tribune and an article in
The New York Times. At Seattle-King County Public Health, Interim Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin recently said his agency has long had concerns about Vashon’s low vaccination rates. “It’s a tinderbox,” he said. “If there is no fire in the community, the risk of Vashon igniting is relatively low. But as fires smolder locally and nationally, the risk of Vashon igniting increases.” The possibility of Vashon igniting is a concern at the Vashon Island School District, which has one of the lowest rates of vaccination in the state. The vaccination rate at Vashon’s public schools is well below the level needed to ensure herd immunity, or the level of immunity needed to prevent the spread of illness within a community. “Of course we are deeply concerned about it,” Superintendent Michael Soltman said last week. “We have created a substantial vulnerability here.” District nurse Sarah Day, who keeps close track of students’ vaccines and reports Vashon’s SEE MEASLES, 27
Natalie Martin/Staff Photo
At the VYFS Playspace last Friday, Rachel Stendahl (left) enjoys time with baby Charlotte Sordenstone and her niece Frances Stendahl. Jodi Augustine plays with her two children in the background.
Weathering crisis, center holds fast to a mission to help families By NATALIE MARTIN Staff Writer
One drizzly morning last week, a group of young women sat in a circle in a warmly lit room at the Playspace. As they took turns discussing parenting young children, toddlers sometimes wandered in from a playroom next door for a few moments of attention from their mothers before running off again. Lori
Means, a parent educator for Vashon Youth & Family Services (VYFS) and the director of the Playspace, occasionally chimed in with a few words about handling the challenges that come with raising young kids. “These are the most critical years of (children’s) lives, and it’s a time when parents are the most SEE CENTER, 28
GRANNY’S GETS NEW DIGS Crowds are nothing new to Granny’s Attic, but last weekend the masses of deal-seekers gathered at a new location, as the popular thrift shop opened for the first time at the IGA plaza. A long line formed before Granny’s opened Saturday morning with a short ribbon untying ceremony. The first customers in the door saw a slate of new Granny’s goods occupying a much larger and brighter space. Granny’s staff tried to capture the spirit of the thrift shop’s former space at Sunrise Ridge by sectioning off the new store into areas with books, clothing or kitchen supplies, said Granny’s Business Manager Tim Johnson. A separate room in the back has furniture and small appliances. “We’ve widened the main aisles, and there are no little doorways that people get jammed in like the old building,” he said. While some opposed the move, so far comments on the new spot have all been good, Johnson said. Granny’s staff and volunteers hope the new space will prove to be a more convenient location for islanders. It’s also more accessible for those with disabilities, Johnson said, and the bigger space will make restocking easier. Johnson added they hope to move even more goods at the new store. “We’re very pleased,” he said. Natalie Martin/Staff Photo