FIELD TO FARM Land trust offers a look at next preservation project. Page 4
NEWS | State proposes ferry fare increases. [3] ARTS | Ian Moore to play at the Red Bike. [10] COMMUNITY | Unofficial mayor [11] runs for reelection.
RACING ROUND VASHON Man wins annual hydro race a second time. Page 13
BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015
Vol. 60, No. 27
www.vashonbeachcomber.com
75¢
Actor finds his voice in a career spent talking Island man’s voiceover work is heard around the country By ELIZABETH SHEPHERD For The Beachcomber
If the name “Voice of Vashon” hadn’t long ago been claimed for the local radio station, it might well have been an apt moniker for islander Jeff Hoyt. Hoyt speaks with a resonant, mellifluous sound that is instantly recognizable to many locals. As the program director of Voice of Vashon, he has recorded many of the station’s public service announcements and he co-hosts the Morning Scramble show once a week. For years, he’s also emceed Vashon Allied Arts’ auction, the Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation’s spelling bee and the Strawberry Festival parade. But many islanders might not
know that Hoyt’s dulcet cadences aren’t only familiar here at home. They’re also heard on a daily basis by thousands, sometimes even millions, of people worldwide. He’s a top-tier voice actor who does it all: radio and television ads, web video, film narration, online learning courses and increasingly, audiobooks. On a recent morning, Hoyt welcomed a visitor to the state-of-theart recording studio in his home on Vashon, and explained, in an awshucks kind of way, the appeal of his particular voice. “I’m the least versatile guy I know,” he said. “I don’t do dialects or extreme characters. I get cast to just be me, being me. Fortunately, there is a huge call for that. If people are looking for an everyday guy with a non‘announcery’ voice, I can do that.” His resume includes such household names as Bon Marche, Anthem Natalie Martin/Staff Photo
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Voice actor Jeff Hoyt records in his home studio on Vashon.
Several incidents, no major fires on Fourth Former VYFS therapist With dry weather, fireworks stand saw fewer sales By SUSAN RIEMER Staff Writer
The fire department fielded nearly twice as many calls as usual over the holiday weekend, with three fires reported and multiple aid calls. “I am very happy we staffed up for it,” said George Brown, interim acting fire chief at Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR). From Friday through Sunday, Brown said, the department responded to 21 calls, eight on Friday, four on Saturday and nine on Sunday. With the dry conditions, many on Vashon were concerned about fire, and Brown added staff and volunteers to weekend shifts and
penalized for misconduct
urged locals to forgo personal fireworks. Not everyone complied, however, and fireworks caused two brush fires, he said, one on Cemetery Road and one on the north end, both growing to about 10,000 square feet. “We got there quick and kept them from getting big,” he added. One of the fires was started by young people who were working to put the fire out when the fire crew arrived, he noted, but officials don’t yet know who started the other. A variety of medical calls, including some that were heatrelated, came in, but there were no fireworks-related injuries. Brown attributed some of the increase in calls to the influx of visitors for the holiday weekend. “When you increase our
By SUSAN RIEMER Staff Writer
State officials have charged Vashon therapist Jeffrey Zheutlin with unprofessional conduct and have suspended his license for six months. Zheutlin violated the law by becoming romantically involved with a patient, who was his client as well as the mother of a juvenile whom Zheutlin also treated, according to documents from Washington’s Department of Health (DOH). A settlement, reached late last month, also requires that he take 12 hours of continuing education regarding boundaries and ethics and pay a fine of $2,000. Additionally, when he applies to have his license reinstated, he may have to abide by conditions the state imposes, such as a probationary period or a restriction on practicing alone. Zheutlin worked at Vashon Youth & Family Services for more than 20 years and was the agency’s clinical director when he resigned last September, two weeks after the Department of Health opened its investigation. He also ran a private counseling practice from his home office; he saw both clients that were part of the investigation there, Ray Pfortner Photo
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Fireworks on Saturday over Quartermaster Harbor.
SEE THERAPIST, 18