HEALTH CARE STRUGGLES Nurse practitioner closes her doors. Page 3
BUSINESS | New restaurant to open next week. [5] COMMENTARY | One farmer’s take on his life’s work. [6] ARTS | Local artist sees censored work get a new life. [11]
RACING ON WATER Top Vashon rowers compete at Nationals. Page 16
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2015
Vol. 60, No. 24
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
75¢
As CERT changes hands, volunteers continue to prepare for the worst Couple led the program for more than a decade By SUSAN RIEMER Staff Writer
Under Sunday’s bright afternoon sun, a group of people, flanked by horses and their riders, made their way across an island field, eyes cast down, searching the waist-high grass for a missing person, a role played by a 3-foot stuffed mouse. The scene was an exercise for CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) volunteers, one of many sessions that active CERT volunteers attend throughout the year. Some 45 people attended, though
notably absent were the two people who headed CERT for more than a decade: Catherine and Michael Cochrane. Indeed, there has been a changing of the guard at CERT, and Jan Milligan, the new CERT manager, was one of those in charge on Sunday. She stepped into the volunteer manager role completely on May 1, after a long transition period with the Cochranes, who asked if she would take over the program. “I was pretty intrigued,” Milligan said in a recent interview. “I knew it was a good fit for my skills, but I had to think hard about all the pieces and time involved. I knew it would take a team of people to replace what SEE CERT, 20
Susan Riemer/Staff Photo
Horseback riders and other CERT volunteers participate in a practice search on Sunday.
Quilt shop to reopen in former doctor’s office Owner hopes hosting retreats will help the business succeed By SUSAN RIEMER Staff Writer
Natalie Martin/Staff Photo
MOVING UP: A BIG MOMENT FOR THE CLASS OF 2015 Vashon High School’s class of 2015 graduated under sunny skies on Saturday at the high school stadium. The ceremony, in turns spirited, funny and solemn, featured several speeches. In an opening address, Principal Danny Rock said he has been impressed at how this year’s graduating class — 127 students in all — has handled both academic challenges as well as personal ones. “School is both preparation for life, and it is life itself,” he said. History teacher Jason Butler, chosen by students as the faculty speaker, gave a speech filled with quips and jokes. “I will miss most of you, but all of you make me a better person,” he said. He encouraged graduates to be true to themselves and to be open to finding their vocations — not their jobs, but their callings. “Without the development of character and the inner you, you likely won’t recognize your vocation when it comes to present itself,” he said. Valedictorian Aaron Kitchener said it felt like just a short time ago that he and his classmates were running around the playground together. “Remember your roots and all the people who helped you along the way,” he said. Pictured above, Ellen Chappelka’s smile captures the spirit of the day. For more on graduation, see page 15.
Island Quilter, which closed its doors in April with plans to move off-island, will reopen on Vashon later this month. The store will open as soon as this weekend in the former Vashon Family Practice building on the southern edge of town. In the midst of renovations last week, owner Anja Moritz spoke about possibilities there. As the space is considerably smaller than the store’s former home, she is unsure if she will be able to hang shows, and she will carry only about three-quarters of the considerable amount of fabric she previously offered. However, the space will allow her to hold quilting retreats, complete with accommodations for people to stay over-
night, a plan she hopes will help cover the higher rent, and enable the business to remain on the island. “I think it is going to be really gorgeous,” she said. “I think it is coming together quite nicely.” Moritz and her partner Paul Robinson, who works in the store, are trying to open in time for the Western Washington Quilt Shop Hop, a five-day event that typically brings hundreds of people to the island and last year provided nearly 10 percent of their annual income, Moritz said. The dates are June 24 to 28, and Moritz expressed reservations about being able to complete the renovations in time, making it impossible for her to advertise that they will be open, but she said islanders will know when they are ready for customers. “Whenever our ‘open’ flag hangs out, that is when we are there,” she said. A grand opening is set for July 11. Earlier this year, as news SEE QUILT SHOP, 19