NEWS | Park district to vote on 2016 budget. [5] COMMENTARY | Senior Center faces large budget cuts. [6] ARTS | Holiday studio tour [14] begins Saturday.
HOLIDAY TRADITION VAA students perform classic ballet this weekend. Page 15
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BEACHCOMBER VASHON-MAURY ISLAND
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Vol. 60, No. 48
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Vashon town’s 45-year-old Christmas tree is courtesy of island Johnny Appleseed
Vashon High School modestly admitted last week after being Earlier this month, an email pressed by The Beachcomber that came through to The Beachcomber he is indeed the man responsible with the subject line reading “A for the soaring fir that has been lit short piece.” The accompanying up near Santa’s Cottage for many attachment told the story of a boy holiday celebrations. “I kept it secret for years,” Peretti referred to as “Vashon’s Johnny said. “My wife knew; some of Appleseed” who my family knew; planted a fir tree went by, “I kept it secret for years. decades behind the U.S. (and I didn’t say Bank building in It’s kind of like my child. anything). town 45 years ago. The tree lightI know it sounds weird, “That beautiing was moved but here’s this tree I ful Douglas fir back to town in tree is decorated planted, and Santa is 2010 after a few at Christmas time years at Ober Park. under it, and there was and has become had moved this beautiful chorus, and Peretti the centerpiece of back to the island the festive season,” I got tears in my eyes.” in 2006, and the the email from 2010 lighting was Paul Peretti Gene Peretti read. the first time he “His tree plantsaw his tree lit up. ing didn’t stop He admitted it was an emotional with the Christmas tree. His trees moment. can be seen next to the Thriftway “They decided to move the tree parking lot, up from the Hardware Store, and other in-town secret lighting ... to my tree. It’s kind of like my child,” Peretti said. “I places.” The email then reports that know it sounds weird, but here’s “Johnny” is back on the island and this tree I planted, and Santa is “would never take credit for the under it, and there was a beautiful chorus, and I got tears in my eyes.” beautiful trees in Vashon Town.” The tree is one of six of Peretti’s “I thought as I approach my 89th trees that remain in town and birthday I would reveal to you all: his real name is Paul Peretti. I were planted throughout the should know, because I am his mid-to-late 1970s. He initially planted a total of 11, but they were Dad. Merry Christmas, Vashon.” By ANNELI FOGT Editor
Anneli Fogt / Staff Photo
Paul Peretti transplanted fir and cedar trees from county ditches into places around downtown in the late 1970s. One of his six remaining trees is the current town Christmas tree north of the U.S. Bank building.
Paul Peretti, a counselor at
SEE TOWN TREES, 23
75¢
Public forum set to address local hunger, solutions
By ANNELI FOGT Editor
More than 16 percent of Vashon’s population use the island’s food bank, a statistic that is prompting multiple island nonprofits to join together on Tuesday to address the issue and discuss possible solutions to hunger on Vashon. The community forum, “Who’s Hungry on Vashon,” will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Penny Farcy building on Bank Road and is a new approach to Vashon Community Care’s (VCC) Telling Stories series. The event is a partnership among multiple nonprofits and is sponsored by VCC, Voice of Vashon (VoV) and the VashonMaury Island Community Food Bank, and will be moderated by food bank director Robbie Rohr. Included in the forum will be stories of hunger among Vashon residents, as well as an open forum with panelists Kathleen Johnson, Vashon Youth & Family Services (VYFS) executive director; Emily Scott, the food bank’s volunteer coordinator, and Merrilee Runyan of the Vashon Island Growers Association (VIGA). VIGA has its Food Access Partnership program, which aims to increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables to individuals and families on food stamps, but VIGA Co-Chair Scott said that she believes the community needs to work together to respond to the hunger problem. The nonprofit is working on creating a food hub, a centralized aggregating and packaging facility so local farmers can sell their food wholesale. SEE HUNGER, 19
Islanders urged to shop in town, support Vashon businesses By SUSAN RIEMER Staff Writer
At Vashon Bookshop last week, islander Robin Branstator paused while purchasing two books to talk about why she makes an effort to shop locally. “I just find that people who have stores on the island have time to chat with me, and they’re knowledgeable about what they have in their store,” she said. Over the course of the holiday weekend that included Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, Branstator had plenty of company in downtown Vashon as shoppers milled about on the sidewalks and filled island businesses, supporting local merchants — and the wider community — with each purchase. The benefits of shopping locally have been proven repeated-
ly and range from building relationships and creating jobs, to supporting the environment and bolstering the local economy. For Vashon, the local economy includes nonprofit services and other community organizations which local businesses frequently support more than large companies typically do. Indeed, for every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $68 stays in the community, according to the private research firm Civic Economics. At a local branch of a chain store, that amount decreases to $43, and with online purchases, the number drops to zero. On Vashon, the Chamber of Commerce recently hosted Shop Vashon, which encouraged people to shop locally by offering prizes to those who shopped at 12 SEE BUSINESS, 24
Susan Riemer / Staff Photo
Jennifer Sutherland shops at Kronos on Saturday.