By SUSAN RIEMER Staff Writer Hopes that a missing island woman would return safely ended abruptly last week with news of her death, and islanders are now preparing to honor her life and fill the many holes her absence has left in the fabric of this community. The body of Kirsten Proffit, who would have turned 45 later this month, was found by a park ranger at Twin Harbors State Park last Thursday evening. She is believed to have ended her life that same day, three days after being reported missing by her husband, Spencer Proffit. The cou- ple, who were in the process of divorcing, were married for 20 years and have two children, Henry, age 12, and Oliver, 9. Her boys were the light of her life, friends and family say. Spencer reported Kirsten missing Tuesday morning last week, after she had not returned to pick up the boys the previous evening. Authorities believed that Kirsten left voluntarily and said that legally they could not conduct a search because of her right to privacy. Friends and family stepped in, however, and searched for her on Vashon, made a Facebook page about her disappearance, distributed a “missing” poster and placed several calls to state parks and campgrounds when they learned she might have been camping. After the news of her death began circulating last Friday, people were encouraged to light candles in her honor, and a Facebook page was made for people to post photos of burning candles. Daniel Luechtefeld, who led a Cub Scout troop with Kirsten, was among those who posted a tribute to her, noting that she had helped him through a dark time. “Kirsten was the candle,” he wrote. Indeed, in talking to family and friends and reading the many words of remembrance in a Facebook page Spencer made for their children, Kirsten appears to have been a candle for countless people and to have served as Vashon’s own goodwill ambassador. B EACHCOMBER V ASHON -MAURY I SLAND NEWS | Country Store expands its services. [4] COMMENTARY | Eating locally makes sense. [7] COMMUNITY | Forum on dementia meets next week. [5] 75¢ WEDNESDAY, September 3, 2014 Vol. 59, No. 36 www.vashonbeachcomber.com A NIGHT FOR ART Spend Friday evening at the island’s galleries. Page 10 ‘DON GIOVANNI’ Vashon Opera performs the Mozart classic. Page 12 Saying goodbye to a beloved islander By SARAH LOW Staff Writer The Sound Food building once again sits empty, as both businesses that had been running there have closed because of a vandalism incident that occurred in early August. “It’s devastating,” Rachael Gordon, owner and chef of Rachael’s at Sound Food said. “Things were going so well, I would love nothing more than to be able to continue there.” What Gordon at first thought was a break in occurred sometime after she closed on Aug. 6. When she arrived to open for the morning on Aug. 7, she discovered that her sign had been damaged, found broken dishes in the sink, missing dry goods and the refrigerator she was using for her side of the restaurant was blowing hot air so that everything in it was no longer useable. In all, she sustained $6,000 in losses. She reported the incident to the sheriffs as well as the owner of the Sound Food building, Jeff Cunningham. Gordon said that the sheriffs who came to take her report told her that they could not find any evidence of a break in, suggesting that the damage could have been done by someone who had access to the building. King County Sheriff Department spokeswoman DB Gates told The Beachcomber that there would not be an investigation into the incident. “If there had been any evidence pointing us in someone’s direction, we’d investigate. But there wasn’t anything we could go on that suggested a suspect.” Without any answers, being fearful about remaining in the space and having a significant financial loss to contend with, Gordon decided she could not continue to operate her breakfast and lunch restaurant at Sound Food, and she reached an agreement with Cunningham to terminate her lease. Unsure of what she will do now, Gordon is still cater- ing and trying to decide where to go from here. She was approached by Chris Lueck of Express Cuisine, but is hesitant to move into a space on her own. “The shared space in the Sound Food building kept costs down and its location south of town is what made that work so well,” Gordon said. “I don’t think being in town would result in the same kind of success.” The other tenant of the Sound Food building, Brandon D’Imperio, has also shut-down his weekend dinner ser- vices until further notice, though he remains under a lease contract with Cunningham. D’Imperio says he is considering starting pop-up dinners at his farm. Longstanding restaurant, Sound Food, closes its doors once again By SUSAN MCCABE For The Beachcomber Known best for her greeting card photos of Vashon dogs in cars, Rondi Lightmark is a consummate artist who has applied creativity to every aspect of her life. “I’ve never been trained to do anything before I did it,” Lightmark said. “I just do it, then try to figure out how. Inspiration always provides me the juice to do some- thing new.” Her journey started 20 years ago when she lost her husband to cancer and used the experience to launch herself on a cre- ative journey that ultimately led her to Vashon Island. Despite her whimsical name, Lightmark appears to take nothing lightly, using her life as a resource for learning. Inspiration has been her driver. “Not only was life, like Jim (her hus- band) whimsical, deep and miraculous,” she said, “it was giving me a huge tutorial.” After caring for her terminally ill hus- band, then her mother and two friends over a 10-year period, Lightmark earned a master’s degree in psychology so she could counsel others through the grieving pro- cess she herself was living. In that process, Lightmark said, she developed a different Em Parker Photography Kirsten Proffit in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. SEE KIRSTEN, 19 Vashon dogs help artist forge a path SEE LIGHTMARK, 13
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Transcript
By SUSAN RIEMERStaff Writer
Hopes that a missing island woman would return safely ended abruptly last week with news of her death, and islanders are now preparing to honor her life and fill the many holes her absence has left in the fabric of this community.
The body of Kirsten Proffit, who would have turned 45 later this month, was found by a park ranger at Twin Harbors State Park last Thursday evening. She is believed to have ended her life that same day, three days after being reported missing by her husband, Spencer Proffit. The cou-ple, who were in the process of divorcing, were married for 20 years and have two children, Henry, age 12, and Oliver, 9. Her boys were the light of her life, friends and family say.
Spencer reported Kirsten missing Tuesday morning last week, after she had not returned to pick up the boys the previous evening. Authorities believed that Kirsten left voluntarily and said that legally they could not conduct a search because of her right to privacy. Friends and family stepped in, however, and searched for her on Vashon, made a Facebook page about her disappearance, distributed a “missing” poster and placed several calls to state parks and campgrounds when they learned she might have been camping.
After the news of her death began circulating last Friday, people were encouraged to light candles in her honor, and a Facebook page was made for people to post photos of burning candles. Daniel Luechtefeld, who led a Cub Scout troop with Kirsten, was among those who posted a tribute to her, noting that she had helped him through a dark time.
“Kirsten was the candle,” he wrote. Indeed, in talking to family and friends and reading the
many words of remembrance in a Facebook page Spencer made for their children, Kirsten appears to have been a candle for countless people and to have served as Vashon’s own goodwill ambassador.
BEACHCOMBERVASHON-MAURY ISLAND
NEWS | Country Store expands its services. [4]COMMENTARY | Eating locally makes sense. [7]COMMUNITY | Forum on dementia meets next week. [5]
75¢WEDNESDAY, September 3, 2014 Vol. 59, No. 36 www.vashonbeachcomber.com
A NIGHT FOR ARTSpend Friday evening at
the island’s galleries.Page 10
‘DON GIOVANNI’Vashon Opera performs
the Mozart classic. Page 12
Saying goodbye to a beloved islander
By SARAH LOWStaff Writer
The Sound Food building once again sits empty, as both businesses that had been running there have closed because of a vandalism incident that occurred in early August.
“It’s devastating,” Rachael Gordon, owner and chef of Rachael’s at Sound Food said. “Things were going so well, I would love nothing more than to be able to continue there.”
What Gordon at first thought was a break in occurred sometime after she closed on Aug. 6. When she arrived to open for the morning on Aug. 7, she discovered that her sign had been damaged, found broken dishes in the sink, missing dry goods and the refrigerator she was using for her side of the restaurant was blowing hot air so that everything in it was no longer useable. In all, she sustained $6,000 in losses.
She reported the incident to the sheriffs as well as the owner of the Sound Food building, Jeff Cunningham.
Gordon said that the sheriffs who came to take her report told her that they could not find any evidence of a break in, suggesting that the damage could have been done by someone who had access to the building.
King County Sheriff Department spokeswoman DB Gates told The Beachcomber that there would not be an investigation into the incident.
“If there had been any evidence pointing us in someone’s direction, we’d investigate. But there wasn’t anything we could go on that suggested a suspect.”
Without any answers, being fearful about remaining in the space and having a significant financial loss to contend with, Gordon decided she could not continue to operate her breakfast and lunch restaurant at Sound Food, and she
reached an agreement with Cunningham to terminate her lease.
Unsure of what she will do now, Gordon is still cater-ing and trying to decide where to go from here. She was approached by Chris Lueck of Express Cuisine, but is hesitant to move into a space on her own.
“The shared space in the Sound Food building kept costs down and its location south of town is what made that work so well,” Gordon said. “I don’t think being in town would result in the same kind of success.”
The other tenant of the Sound Food building, Brandon D’Imperio, has also shut-down his weekend dinner ser-vices until further notice, though he remains under a lease contract with Cunningham. D’Imperio says he is considering starting pop-up dinners at his farm.
Longstanding restaurant, Sound Food, closes its doors once again
By SUSAN MCCABEFor The Beachcomber
Known best for her greeting card photos of Vashon dogs in cars, Rondi Lightmark is a consummate artist who has applied creativity to every aspect of her life.
“I’ve never been trained to do anything before I did it,” Lightmark said. “I just do it, then try to figure out how. Inspiration always provides me the juice to do some-thing new.”
Her journey started 20 years ago when she lost her husband to cancer and used the experience to launch herself on a cre-ative journey that ultimately led her to Vashon Island.
Despite her whimsical name, Lightmark appears to take nothing lightly, using her life as a resource for learning. Inspiration has been her driver.
“Not only was life, like Jim (her hus-band) whimsical, deep and miraculous,” she said, “it was giving me a huge tutorial.”
After caring for her terminally ill hus-band, then her mother and two friends over a 10-year period, Lightmark earned a master’s degree in psychology so she could counsel others through the grieving pro-cess she herself was living. In that process, Lightmark said, she developed a different Em Parker Photography
Kirsten Proffit in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. SEE KIRSTEN, 19
Vashon dogs help artist forge a path
SEE LIGHTMARK, 13
Page 2 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island BeachcomberW
Two people arrested on VashonKing County Sheriff ’s deputies arrested
a man and a woman on Vashon Monday, Aug. 25.
Deputies located them in a vehicle in the 12300 block of SW 266th Street after a citi-zen called about some trespassers.
The vehicle had suspected stolen prop-erty inside and was impounded.
The woman, who had a warrant for her arrest, gave a Kent address. The man was arrested on drug charges and provided a Renton address.
DB Gates, spokeswoman with the King County Sheriff ’s Office, said the case is with the detective unit for follow-up and potential filing of charges. There is no
timeline for when or if that may occur.In other crime-related news, the King
County Sheriff ’s Office will hold a public viewing of recovered jewelry from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, and from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at the King Count Sheriff ’s Office storefront at 10011 SW Bank Rd.
Anyone who has reported a theft of jew-elry to the sheriff ’s office in the last two years is welcome to attend. Those seeking items should take a picture ID and a case number with them. Detectives will be there to assist.
— Susan Riemer
Late Breaking News • www.vashonbeachcomber.com
Page 4 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
Friday, Sept. 5th6-9 pm
Heron’s NestVarious Artists
Mixed Media
Café LunaAnna Witte
Collage
Vashon Intuitive Arts (VIA)Ashlee Lotz
Acrylic On Canvas
Geno KuhnsDigital Art
Starving Artists Works(SAW)
Curt MinierWood Bowls
Silver & Wood Jewelry
Senior CenterMargaret Bickel
(Curator)Quilt Show
Seattle DistillingJon KuzmaOil Paintings
Mike McGrathBronze Sculpture
VALISE GalleryPortland
Blackfish GalleryArt Collective
The Hardware Store Restaurant
Hita von MendeMixed Media
Hastings-Cone Gallery
Kate EndleCollage
Chris BallewAbstracts
Vashon Allied ArtsArt Auction Preview
Various Artists
OCCUJane Norton
Super Moon Series
Island Funeral Service
Crystal CulpOut of Grief comes Art
Did you know?How you brush is more important than the toothpaste you use.
This may be surprising considering the many types of toothpaste we see at the grocery store or pharmacy. The only active ingredient in most toothpastes is flouride, which helps prevent cavities. Whitening toothpastes typically are more abrasive to help remove stains, but can also abrade tooth structure if used for long periods of time. If you think you may be allergic to toothpaste, it is likely the sodium lauryl sulfate found in many toothpastes to create a foaming effect. There are many good flouride tooth pastes without sodium lauryl sulfate. Overall, it is best to spend more time brushing and less time shopping for toothpaste!
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BY NATALIE MARTINStaff Writer
Chautauqua Elementary School’s new assistant principal, Kathy Robinson, says she decided to come to Vashon because she enjoys working in small school districts.
With about a dozen years of teaching experience to her credit, Robinson was the assistant principal of two primary schools in University Place last year. The position was temporary, however, and when the year was over, she says she was interested in con-tinuing to be an administrator rather than returning to teaching.
The job at Chautauqua seemed like a good fit, she said.
“I really enjoy the small, close-knit feel of these smaller districts,” she said.
She will now commute to Chautauqua from University Place, where she lives about 10 minutes from the Point Defiance ferry.
The Vashon Island School District added the assistant principal position at Chautauqua last school year after eliminat-ing it in 2009 as a cost-cutting measure. Theressa Prather, who was the assistant
principal last year, left at the end of the year to take a position in another school district.
Robinson has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a mas-ter’s degree in education at the University of Puget Sound, and she completed her educational administrator certification at UW Tacoma. She has spent most of her teaching career in the University Place School District, where she taught grades five through seven.
Robinson said she believes she has valu-able experience to bring to Chautauqua, having also taught special education classes and highly capable elementary students.
She noted that University Place has more diverse schools than Vashon, and the dis-trict is considered a successful one. She also has experience with the state’s new, more vigorous teacher assessment program.
“I’m kind of excited to bring some things that have been successful that I know work and see what I can do here with some of the ideas I have,” she said.
our website, www.vashonbeachcomber.com and click “Contact Us.”
FYIVashon-Maury
Country Store adds U-Hauls, meeting room for community use
The Country Store & Farm has two new services avail-able now to islanders after recently contracting as a U-Haul moving equipment and supply dealer. It has also established a meeting room for community use on its upper floor.
Owner Mike Biel said that a representative from U-Haul had approached him several months ago, but he wasn’t sure if it would be a good fit for the store. Ultimately, he decided it would be a good move, complimenting the store’s estab-lished UPS shipping service.
The store will not have every truck available on site, but it will be able to get whatever anyone wants or needs, espe-cially with some advance notice, Biel said of the truck and trailer rentals.
“We’ll probably have about six to eight vehicles here to start, small trailers — enclosed and open, as well as a car-hauler trailer — a pick-up and a van … a tasteful amount. It won’t look like a truck lot from the street; everything will be in the back.”
The store will carry moving and shipping boxes and sup-plies as well.
Biel has also recently created a community meeting room in a space on the upper floor of the store, which is available during the store’s regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sundays). The space can accommodate roughly 40 people and will have tables and chairs if needed. Users will have access to a bathroom, and coffee service can be added for a fee. Anyone interested in booking the space should contact Keri Ohrt at 463-3655 for rates and possible discounts. The room is available free of charge for nonprofit organizations.
Brinkley joins Vashon Natural MedicineLast month, Caroline Brinkley, MD, became part of the
team at Vashon Natural Medicine, owned by naturopathic physician Kelly Wright.
Dr. Brinkley has more than 30 years of experience in primary care, is a Vashon resident and a passionate Vashon Garden Club member. For the last several years she worked at Swedish as well as Fulton Family Medicine.
The clinic now has three physicians on staff with cov-erage for office visits between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as emergency pager coverage 24/7.
NEWS BRIEFS
One in nine people over 65 has Alzheimer’sBy SUSAN RIEMERStaff Writer
The Vashon Social Service Network (VSSN) and the county’s Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services will host a forum on Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia on Friday, Sept. 12.
The event at the Presbyterian church will include the screen-ing of an award-winning film on Alzheimer’s dis-ease, resource tables with information, and a talk by George Dicks, a men-tal health practitioner at Harborview Medical Center, who is considered an expert in geriatric issues.
Ava Apple, the direc-tor of the Vashon Senior Center, which is part of VSSN, said she expects the event will draw a crowd.
The island has a large pop-ulation of older people, she noted, with more residents per capita over 50 than any other place in King County. Many people don’t know a lot about Alzheimer’s dis-ease and dementia, Apple noted, and the informa-tion presented will be valu-able, even for those not yet touched by either disease.
“The chances are it’s going to affect someone in your life, whether it’s your parents, one of your friends or someone in your family,” she said.
The Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation indicates that one in nine people over age 65 has Alzheimer’s disease.
The f ilm, “The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer’s,” is a 2005 documentary that weaves together the history and biology of Alzheimer’s dis-ease with the real-world experiences of patients and caregivers and cur-rent efforts to find a cure.
The documentary features David Hyde Pierce, an actor who has advocated for Alzheimer’s awareness and research.
Dave Rogers, an islander and member of the Seattle King County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services, said he hopes the event will also raise awareness about the council and its work. The group, with about 25 vol-unteer members, advocates on behalf of older people and adults with disabilities in King County by advis-ing agencies on services offered, helping decide how grant funds are spent, advocating in Olympia for needed programs, host-ing educational events and more.
Rogers, who has been a member of the group for five years, said the council would like to have more of a presence in unincorporated King County and is hosting its first event on Vashon.
He noted that Dicks, of Harborview, is very knowl-edgeable and will answer islanders’ questions at the end of his presentation. Representatives from The Alzheimer’s Association, the state’s Senior Information and Assistance department and Seattle King County Aging and Disability Services will also be on hand at resource tables.
“People can participate how they feel comfortable,” he said.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 5
Save the Date
FREE EVENT!
Don’t be a victim! Take advantage of safe and secure on-site shredding for free!
Saturday, Sept. 13 | 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
OCCU Vashon Branch: 9710 SW Bank Road
There is no cost for this service, so tell your friends! Support your Local Food Bank! Bring a donation of canned,
non-perishable food with you to the event and we will deliver to our local food bank.
Community Shred Event
800-426-5657 ourcu.com
Fragrant Bulk Herbsand Spices
Organic Local ProduceTHE MINGLEMENT IS YOUR 7 DAYS
The forum will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at the Vashon Presbyterian Church. Attendees are asked to RSVP for the free event, which includes a light lunch, by calling the senior center at 463-5173.
Remembering,honoring Kirsten Proffit
Wake. How is it that one word can have so many meanings? A celebration of one’s life now departed that involves festive remembrance. The stream of water that follows a boat or ship. To arise.
Many people may not realize how collaborative an art writing becomes. Oh sure, us wordsmiths flint the spark putting ink to paper, or #2 pencil perhaps. After the initial draft there are a host of editors, layout artists, proofread-ers and to the bane of some and the boon of others, people with lined pockets who pay the printers to bring it to life.
Such was the process for my piece that was to appear here this week. A carefully crafted, reviewed, rewritten, revised and finalized piece containing 800 words about supporting families, prompted by Robin Williams’ death, was ready for the public.
The only non-cooperative member of the collaborative team is daily life. And at 4:48 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, 2014, my heart ripped open and tears flowed, and the distant, well contained, refined piece seemed glaringly inappropriate. Even as the shock flowed through my body and spontaneous tears flowed down like some river over spilling the banks of my heart, I agreed it had to be pulled.
Then, I volunteered to write a replacement. You see, since I was 23, I have walked alongside and now work in the homes of families both typical and with special needs, helping them find their way in parenting and lov-ing and building memories. In the course of that walk, when I landed here on Vashon almost 25 years ago, I continued the work, which had become a labor of love. In that journey I met a group of women who adore their lot in life. Vivacious, caring women and their partners who are devoted to serving life the best they can.
Delight filled my heart as I
watched them desire pregnancy, give birth or adopt, struggle like zombies with sleepless-ness and an endearing
over correction to every situation that only new parents can bring. Childhood fol-lowed and then adolescence and my fondness con-tinued to grow.
Hearing, after a very long week of waiting and concern, that one of them was lost, terminally lost, engendered a knee-jerk desire to speak comfort into unspeakable sorrow. In the midst of my own sorrow, from the position of a lifetime of unexpected tragedy, I just wanted to say, “This is so sad, so unspeakably sad.” For she was, is, always will be, the brightest of shiny pennies in the change purse of the human race.
Wake. A celebration of life that is
no more. Friday night the text went out to those of us close to the situation. “My house. 9:30 Gathering” I got in my car and drove. We told tales of the sig-nificance of this life. Unfiltered sorrow released memories that will live forever with joyful radi-ance making the future bearable to face.
Already the acknowledgment os another wake had begun. The pattern in the water of the com-munity left by the passing of one person. How to travel in that wake? Water skis pulled by the boat’s momentum? Confronting it sidewise hoping we don’t tip over? On the shore waiting for it to dis-appear into the new waters that will inevitably flow into its path?
That is the choice, we the living, those left behind, must make.
How will this hole be attended to? Is it a stitch dropped and never repaired leaving a gaping open-ness, or do we, the community, take the thread of this life and reweave a beautiful lace pattern that is new and fresh and displays the legacy left for us to live?
Wake. To arise. It is too soon to think
on this, although frequently this is where we find our anchor. Railing
against the disquieted peace, we try to impose sense and reason on that which has none. It is not the time for us to distance ourselves in either thought or deed from
the fact that comfort is elusive at best right now.
No. Today is for living out of our too broken hearts. Today is for distilling the best in a person that is their contribution to our lives and letting that influence change us for the better.
Where then is the solace? In each other. We can only find sol-ace in moving through any loss together. We are the answer for each other.
I can’t write anymore. This is my third draft. My fourth attempt. We are a good island. We care. We are there for each other. We are invested everyday in liv-ing life better than the day before. Let that be our resource for this week. And when it is time, we will figure out the next step, together. Because life, too, is a collabora-tive art.
— Deborah Anderson is a family care specialist and
community activist.
Write to us: The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber welcomes community comment. Please submit letters — e-mail is preferred — by noon Friday for consideration in the following week’s paper. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Only one letter from a writer per month, please.
All letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and libel considerations. We try to print all letters but make no promises. Letters attacking individuals, as well as anonymous letters, will not be published.
In recent years, the community of Vashon has had to endure more tragedy than any community of its size should have to bear. And last week’s trials, for many, were unspeakable in their difficulty: the anguish of a loved one missing, followed by the crushing news that came Friday.
Once again, we are grappling with suicide and left reel-ing. Each untimely death the island has endured has affected many, and ripples of pain stretched far into the community and still linger.
Reached over the weekend, Jeffrey Zheutlin, the clinical director at Vashon Youth & Family Services, noted that this time the person who ended her life is a mother, and that raises questions and creates a pain all its own.
Mothers close to Kirsten — those who shared the celebrations and challenges of day-in and day-out caregiving
— say she was a fabulous, fun mother, who loved her boys fiercely. If that is the case, many wonder, how could she take her life?
The answer lies with what the family members have shared in their grief: Kirsten struggled with mental ill-ness for years, and in the end, it was the illness that took Kirsten away from the family, friends and community she so loved.
Zheutlin cautioned people not to judge Kirsten or place blame for her death. Suicide is often a decade or more in the making, he said, and when people choose it, they do not want to hurt anyone, but they want to escape pain they cannot find a way to free themselves from.
Suicide claims tens of thousands of lives each year, and Washington’s figures are higher than in many other regions of the country. It is time for renewed efforts on Vashon to stem this tide, which leaves so much pain in its wake.
At The Beachcomber, we are grateful for Kirsten’s fam-ily, who made the decision to share private information that helps illuminate the life and death of this much-loved woman, who did so much for Vashon.
Long before Kirsten was reported missing, we planned to run a story about Rondi Lightmark, which is featured this week on the front page. Unbeknownst to us, she also suffered considerable loss in her life. She told author Susan McCabe, “We think we have to pick up the pieces all alone, but the universe is going to bring you joy no matter what.”
That is what we hope for those Kirsten loved, that island-ers will hold them in their hearts and will provide comfort and assistance, now and in the weeks ahead, and that with time, joy will find all her loved ones again.
Once again, the island grieves for a life gone too soon
Washington has a higher suicide rate than many other parts of the country. It is time for renewed efforts on Vashon to stem this tide, which leaves so much pain in its wake.
OPINIONVashon-Maury
COMMUNITYBy DEBORAH ANDERSON
Facing sorrow in the wake of tragedy
Today is for living out of our too-broken hearts. Today is for distilling the best in a person that is their contribution to our lives and letting that influence change us for the better.
Information on Vashon’s Service of Remembrance for Kirsten, scheduled for this evening, is on page 20.
EDITORIALPage 6 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
IDENTIFICATION STATEMENT & SUBSCRIPTION RATESVashon-Maury Island Beachcomber, 17141 Vashon Hwy SW, Suite B, Vashon, WA 98070; (USPS N0. 657-060) is published every Wednesday by Sound Publishing Inc.; Corporate Headquarters: 19351 8th Avenue NE, Suite 106, Poulsbo, WA 98370-8710. (Please do not send press releases to this address.)
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $30 on Island motor route delivery, one year; $57 two years; Off Island, continental U.S., $57 a year and $30 for 6 months. Periodical postage paid at Vashon, Washington. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to Beachcomber P.O. Box 447, Vashon Island, WA 98070.
Back Row: Kevin Hansen and Tom Trigg. Front Row: Stacie Trigg, Karen Wilcox and Barbara Rice.
Trigg Insurance AgencyCelebrating 35 Years
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In the Northwest and here on Vashon, we are increasingly embracing a locavore life-style, eating local foods to support the local economy and benefit the environment. But eating locally grown food is no modern notion. In fact, Napoleon Bonaparte and Clarence Birdseye forever changed the course of our culture and lifestyle.
Two events separated by 100 years con-tributed to the change from the farm-to-table culture of their time to the farm-to-factory-to-freeway distribution of food that we see today.
Bonaparte could only advance his armies as far as food rations would allow. So in 1795 he sponsored a contest for food pres-ervation, which spurred an idea that even-tually led to the Mason canning jar.
Clarence Birdseye, an inventor from New York, was later inspired to develop flash-freezing techniques after observing Inuit ice fishing. Today that technology allows us to enjoy “fresh, previously frozen” tuna from Samoa.
Fresh, previously frozen tuna from
Samoa in the grocery store was the catalyst that forever changed the course of my food buying habits. I live on Vashon, where “live locally” is not only our community’s daily mantra, it is a state of mind. One in every
three cars in line for the ferry is a Prius, and if you are at the four-way stop in town, the default right of way goes to the car that runs on recycled cooking oil. As I picked up the piece of tuna from Samoa that was wrapped in plastic and on a Styrofoam tray, I started to think about what it took to get that $6 piece of fish to the island market. The mindset of a culture that supports purchasing tuna that is airfreighted from Samoa is sheer insanity. I put the fish back
and bought locally farmed — that’s right, farmed — salmon.
Here in the Northwest, the locavore lifestyle has been around since the late 1970s and early 80s. It never was a trend; it was a consciousness embraced by people who asked what was available from local farms. Local restaurateurs have embraced this philosophy as well and have a devot-ed following of customers. The grand daddy of locavorism is The Herbfarm in Woodinville. The Herbfarm’s annual 100-Mile Dinner features nine courses of food, including wine, with all ingredients origi-nating within a 100-mile radius.
I try to eat locally when I can, but I will confess that around February, when the Northwest winters take their toll on my attitude, I will buy oranges from California. I resist the strawberries as I will wait for the ones that are grown locally in the sum-mer. Avocados, however, are my karmic downfall. I just cannot resist fresh guaca-mole on my fish tacos.
A friend in the community raises tur-
keys. Starting in late September, he starts feeding them apples from his trees. By the time November rolls around and they are scheduled for the dinner table, their meat is flavored with the taste and smell of Washington apples. The one drawback is that he started naming them after famous baseball players. Ichiro is still around, but Ken Griffey Jr. is gone from the team.
While we live in a unique community and embrace the lifestyle and culture of being a locavore, not everyone has that luxury. I consciously rethink my food pur-chases and have enjoyed the challenges of cooking seasonal offerings from my garden or the local farmers market. In the truest sense, I am a foodie and a locavore, so that makes me a “foodavore.” With that said, can anyone give me some suggestions on a menu that includes Walla Walla sweet onions, Yakima cherries, coho salmon and wild fennel?
— Judith Neary is a certified master kitchen and bath designer who owns a design
studio in downtown Vashon.
Eating locally: The movement has its roots in the Napoleon eraFINE DININGBy JUDITH NEARY
Vote for your favorite Cute PetVote at: www.vashonbeachcomber.com • Voting ends September 8th
Page 8 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
ONGOING
Study Zone: Kids from grades K through 12 are welcome to drop in for free homework help from trained, volunteer tutors. 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting Sept. 9, at the Vashon Library.
Lunches at the Senior Center: The senior center offers homemade lunches four days a week, prepared using fresh and healthy ingredients and many recipes from the Senior Center cookbook. Call 463-5173 to find out the day’s special and to save a place. Cost is by a suggested donation of $4.50. Noon every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
WEDNESDAY •3
DSHS Van: The mobile customer service office will be on Vashon to help people with cash assistance, basic food assistance and child care services. 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank and 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Vashon IGA Market.
THURSDAY • 4
Seahawks Season Opener at the Theater: The Vashon Rotary Foundation will host the Seahawks’ season opener against the Green Bay Packers at the Vashon Theatre. To reserve a free admission ticket, go to www.bit.ly/SeahawksOpen-ingNight. Food, beverages and raffle tickets will be available for purchase, with proceeds going to the Rotary Foundation. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the game starts at 5:30 p.m.
Vashon Legal Clinic: This clinic offers free legal advice the first
Thursday of each month. People who wish to schedule an ap-pointment to meet with a lawyer should call the King County Bar Association at 267-7070. The clinic is always looking for lawyer and non-lawyer volunteers; if interest-ed, email [email protected]. 6 p.m. at the Vashon Senior Center.
Computer Help: Anyone who needs help using computers is welcome to drop in for free, one-on-one assistance from a King County Library System volunteer instructor. 6 p.m. at the Vashon Library.
Family Caregiver Support Group: This group, open to family caregivers on the island, meets on the first Thursday of each month. The group will be led by Cheryl Dart and is aimed at providing support and community resources for family caregivers. The person being cared for can be an elderly or disabled parent, child, sibling or partner. For more information, call Dart at 228-0704. 7 to 9 p.m. at Vashon Community Care.
FRIDAY • 5
Master Gardener Clinic: Thinking of getting a jump on next year’s garden? Gardening experts can offer advice on plant selection. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside True Value.
Senior Center Movies and Popcorn: This week’s feature will be the 1951 classic “The African Queen,” starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. 1 p.m. at the Vashon Senior Center.
VHS Class of 2015 Bake Sale: Stock up on treats for the gallery cruise and support the class of ‘15’s Safe Grad Night. 6 to 9 p.m. in front of The Hardware Store Restaurant.
SATURDAY • 6
Residential Recycling Event: A variety of items will be accepted, including bulky wood waste, card-board, computer monitors, toilets, mattresses, refrigerators, scrap metal, televisions and tires. Fees must be paid by cash only. For more information, call the King County Solid Waste Division at 477-4466 or see www.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Tjomsland Gravel Pit, 17001 107th Ave. SW.
Master Gardener Clinic: Garden-ing experts can help with questions
about Spring-blooming bulbs. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside True Value.
Farmers Market: The market is back to its regular hours this week, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Village Green.
Competitive Trail Ride: The Vashon Maury Island Horse As-sociation will sponsor the Vashon Island Competitive Trail Ride at Paradise Ridge Park. The event will include a 15-mile long course and a 5-mile short course that wind through island trails with chal-lenging obstacles. There will be awards for all categories and op-tions for both new and advanced riders. A pancake breakfast will kick off the day, and a barbecue will wrap things up. Registration prior to the event is $25 for junior riders and $45 for adults. Go to vashontrail.org for more informa-tion and to register.
SUNDAY • 7
Sci-Fi Sunday: This month’s film in support of the Chicken Soup Bri-gade and the Lifelong AIDS Alliance is 2002’s “Minority Report,” star-ring Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell. Admission is by suggested dona-tion of $5 to $10 or non-perishable food items. 1:30 p.m. at the Vashon Theatre.
Walking Spain’s Camino de Santiago: Part of the King County Library System’s Start to Fitness program, this presentation will be offered by Marcia Shaver of Imprint Tours. The medieval pilgrimage route that spans over 500 miles of Spanish countryside attracts people from all over the globe to walk its ancient path. 2 p.m. at the Vashon Library.
TUESDAY • 9
Life Story Exchange Circle: Bette Kimmel will guide the story-telling, and all are welcome to come and listen. 1 p.m. at the Vashon Senior Center.
Green Party Meeting: The Vashon-Maury Island Green Party will hold its monthly meeting. Ma-jor topics will include Vashon Tool Library progress and “The Health-care Movie.” For more information
call Melvin Mackey at 463-3468. 7 to 9 p.m. at 10329 SW Bank Rd.
UPCOMING
Vashon Computer Club: The club will resume for its new season, with the focus of the first meeting being reporting summer activities and updating digital news. The public is welcome and membership is available. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the Vashon Senior Center.
Alzheimer’s Documentary and Forum: The Seattle-King County Advisory Council on aging and disability services along with the Vashon Social Service Network will host a viewing of the award-win-ning documentary “The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer’s Disease.” Following the film, there will be a question and answer session with George Dicks, lead mental health practitioner at Harborview Mental Health and Addiction Services. A light lunch is included in the pro-gram. To reserve a place, call the Vashon Senior Center at 463-5173. 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at the Presbyterian church.
Vashon Opera’s Don Giovanni: The Vashon Opera will give their performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Vashon High School theater. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the Vashon Bookshop and at vashonopera.org. 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14.
Free Community Paper Shred Event: OCCU will sponsor this free paper shredding event, where documents containing sensitive and personal information can be safely destroyed. A professional document destruction service with a mobile shredding unit will be
available for anyone wishing to take advantage of the opportunity. The cost is free, but canned, non-perishable food items are request-ed to support the food bank. 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at the OCCU on Bank Road.
Total Experience Gospel Choir: Billed as one of the Pacific North-west’s finest soulful ensembles, the group will perform at Vashon Island Community Church as a fundraiser for the Bailey-Boushay House at Virginia Mason — a nationally recognized facility that offers inpatient and outpatient programs for people living with HIV and AIDS. For more information, contact Larry Flynn at 495-1410. 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13.
Zen Center Day-Sit: All are wel-come to attend “The Heart of Zen,” a day-sit with the Puget Sound Zen Center and guest teacher Eshin John Godfrey of the Zen Center of Vancouver. The program will include periods of seated medita-tion, walking meditation, lunch and a dharma talk and discussion. Cost is $45 for non-members and $40 for PSZC members. For more information and to register by Sept. 15, go to pszc.org. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, at Havurat Ee Shalom.
King County Sheriff Recovered Jewelry Event: Anyone who has reported a theft of jewelry to the sheriff’s office in the last two years is invited to attend a viewing of recovered items. Attendees must bring picture ID and their case number; there will be detectives available for assistance. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, and 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at the King County Sheriff’s Office Vashon storefront on Bank Road.
CLASSES
TQI Diet Class: Kathy Abascal ‘s anti-inflammatory diet class will teach participants how to use food to quiet inflammation of the diges-tive tract. Everyone from vegans to omnivores can follow the diet’s prin-ciples. Cost is $180 for five classes for new students; $125 for returning students. For more information and to register, go to tqidiet.com. 2:30 to 4 p.m. Saturdays beginning Sept. 6, at the Sheffield Building.
Drop-In Drawing Studio: Magrath Sculpture Studio will resume its weekly drop-in drawing studio times. Cost is $16 per session or $140 for a 10-session pass. (Please note that these sessions are not instructed.) Go to magrathsculpture.com or email [email protected] for more information. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays, starting Sept. 8, at Magrath Sculpture Studio, 8805 SW 159th St.
UMO School of Physical Arts: Registration is now open for the fall session. Acrobatics, aerial, clown, capoeira karate classes and more are available at $220 for the 12-week session (capoeira class is $120 for individuals and $220 for a family pass). For detailed class and sched-ule information, go to umo.org. For questions or to register, call Kajsa Ingemansson at 714-269-4827 or email [email protected]. Classes begin Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the Open Space for Arts & Community.
ESL Classes: Learn how to speak, read and write in English. Free weekly lessons, from beginning to advanced levels, will be taught by an ESL instructor. Call the library at 463-2069 for more information. Registration is not required. 6 p.m. Thursdays, starting Sept. 11, at the Vashon Library.
Courtesy Photo
Kenpo Karate and self-defense classes for kids and adults will resume on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the Open Space for Arts & Community. The weekly classes follow the curriculum of the American Kenpo Karate system to teach partici-pants prevention, street awareness and self-defense techniques. All abilities and experience levels are welcome. The classes will be led by Alex Echevarria (pictured above with a spring kids’ class), a fourth-degree Kenpo black-belt with over 26 years of experience. Cost is $98 for 14 classes, though participants may join at any time during the fall season, and fees will be adjusted accordingly. The classes are available through FamilyLink for physical educa-tion credits. For more information, go to openspacevashon.com/classes/karate or look for Vashon Kenpo on Facebook. Registration begins 30 minutes before the first class. 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. (kids’ class for ages 6 to 12) and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. (adult class for ages 13 and older).
CALENDARVashon-Maury
SUBMISSIONS
Send items to [email protected] is noon Thursday for Wednesday publication. The calendar is intended for commu-nity activities, cultural events and nonprofit groups; notices are free and printed as space permits.
The Beachcomber also has a user-generated online calendar. To post an event there, see www.VashonBeachcomber.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and follow the prompts.
KICK SUMMER TO THE CURB WITH KARATE
VASHON THEATRE
Walking With The Enemy: Plays Sept. 5 to 11.
Boyhood: Plays Sept. 5 to 11.
(Sci-Fi Sunday) Minority Report: Sept. 7.
Lucy: Opens Sept. 12.
See www.vashontheatre.com for show times or call
463-3232.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Water District 19: 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, in the district boardroom.
Vashon Island Fire & Rescue: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at station 55.
Vashon Park District: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Ober Park.
King County Cemetery District: 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the cemetery district office at Vashon Cemetery.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 9
Mon-Fri 9:30-6 • Sat 9:30-5 • Sun 12-417321 Vashon Hwy SW
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SCENE & HEARD: REMEMBERING ROBIN WILLIAMS
Ross Mulhausen Photo
Islander Lisa Chambers (pictured above, center) recalled a time in the mid-1980s when Robin Williams (pictured above, left) performed at the University of Puget Sound Fieldhouse.“We had time to meet and talk with him, and he was extremely kind to us,” Chambers said of the late comedian. “He wanted to know about poverty in Tacoma and other issues relevant to our community. We put a box full of toys that we’d found in thrift stores up on stage, and when he got up there, he ad-libbed with them like he’d been thinking about it for days. He amazed me.” Another islander, Rick Sassara (pictured above, to Williams’ left against the curtain) was also in attendance.
Page 10 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
ARTS&LEISUREVashon-Maury GIVE US YOUR ARTS NEWS: Call us at 463-9195, or email at [email protected],
to submit news releases, arts/calendar listings and/or photographs for consideration. Photos should have subjects clearly identified, with a description of the event and a contact phone number.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
PORTAGE FILL PERFORMS
Concerts in the Park end season with island band
Vashon’s Portage Fill is slated to wrap up the Concerts in the Park series with their big band sound from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday on the Ober Park stage.
MUSIC THURSDAYSALT- ALT-ROCK AT RED BIKE
Seattle music scene veterans will perform
Carrie Akre and Danny Newcomb & The Sugar Makers will bring their sig-nature sounds to the Red Bike at 8 p.m. Friday.
This is a free cover show and all-ages are welcome until 11 p.m., then 21 and older.
MUSIC AT SNAPDRAGON
Food, beverages and music in the courtyard
Island guitarist Daryl Redeker will play a concert in the open-air, intimate setting of Snapdragon’s courtyard from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
Redeker, who has opened for such well-known acts as Jose Feliciano, Phoebe Snow, Kenny Rankin and John Denver, has been song-writing and recording since the early 1970s. In recent years, Redeker has focused on teaching guitar, sharing his love of music and ability to interpret a wide variety of musical styles with his stu-dents.
OUTSIDE AT THE CLUB
Island singer will perform Join island country-rock
musician Allison Shirk on the patio at the Vashon Island Golf & Swim Club for live original music and heart-felt cover songs at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
LIVE MUSIC THURDAYS
Singer/songwriter to make a stop on Vashon
Nashville musician Annalise Emerick will play live at The Hardware Store Restaurant from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11. There is no cover for the show, which is sponsored by Vashon Events and The Hardware Store Restaurant.
A nna Witte, an artist and chil-dren’s book author raised in Spain but now living on
Vashon, will display her work at Café Luna in a show called “New Collages: Odalisques and Still Lives.” In her collages she draws inspiration from many sources: from the controlled classic compositions of the paint-ings of Velázquez and Delacroix to the color-ful palette of Matisse and Valadon, and from countless fairy tales and myths. She usually chooses whimsy over seriousness and color over dread.
Island artist Hita von Mende will show mixed media work at The Hardware Store Restaurant.
At the Hastings-Cone Gallery next to Snapdragon, collage work by Kate Endle and abstracts by Chris Ballew will be on display.
Jayne Norton will display her “Super Moon” series at Our Community Credit Union. A portion of the proceeds will ben-efit the Vashon High School boys basketball Hoopsters.
Curt Minier is the featured artist at SAW this month. He arrived in Seattle from Los Angeles to become an abstract Impressionist painter and part-time wood worker. Wood working took over, and he started making handmade furniture in 1977. He was the featured craftsman at the Bellevue Arts &
Crafts fair in 1979 and a founding member of Northwest Woodworkers Gallery in 1980, now located in Belltown.
Curt started turning wood bowls and making wood and silver jewelry in 2005 and shows at local galleries and the Saturday Market. His furniture appears in books, magazines and many private collections.
The Seattle Distilling Company will pres-ent oil paintings by Jon Kuzma and a bronze sculpture by Mike Magrath.
VALISE Gallery, which is celebrating its fifth year as a collective, will host approxi-mately 30 artists from the legendary 35 year old Portland art collective, Blackfish Gallery. The artists at Valise say they are proud to have organized an art exchange with this venerable institution.
Artful chickens will parade at the Vashon Senior Center for a second month in a quilt show curated by Margaret Bickel. The potato bar, with fixings, will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. for $4.
Vashon Allied Arts’ Gallery will feature items made by the six commissioned artists who created art for the upcoming art auc-tion, including a pendant in ivory, diamonds and gold by Gordon Barnett; imaginative baskets by Barbara Gustafson; a wooden vessel by Tom Northington; a modified pho-tograph by Francesca Fuller; a painting by
Britt Freda and a small sculpture by Michael Magrath. After the Friday opening, the works will be on display until Sept. 16. They will then be moved to the O Space in preparation for the auction.
Vashon Intuitive Arts will show acrylic work on canvas by Ashlee Lotz and digital art by Gene Kuhns.
Start fall off with First Friday art eventsMost galleries are open from 6 to 9 p.m.
First Friday events will bring down-town Vashon to life this week. Clockwise from upper left, Mike Magrath works on a sculpture. Other work includes Barbara Gustafson’s basketry, an owl by Britt Frida and a carved boat by Tom Northington. At left, Anna Witte will display her work at Café Luna.
Courtesy Photos
Courtesy Photo
Francesca Fuller at work.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 11
This special stand-alone guide in the The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber will provide up-to-date information
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Guide 2014Vacation season is over, and summer crowds are gone. Now is the perfect time to visit the
Nest and linger over all our Island artists’ gorgeous artwork. Whether you’re look-ing for something functional, whimsical or elegant, you’ll fi nd just the right piece to brighten your home and celebrate the arrival of fall.
And to celebrate our Island family and friends, bring in this coupon for 5% off your total purchases during the fi rst week-end in September (First Friday through Sunday). VAA members receive the 5% in addition to their 10% member discount.
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HOURS: MON - SAT 11 - 5, SUN 12 - 3 • 17600 VASHON HWY SW
A new documentary by Vashon artists Bo Bartlett and Betsy Eby, “SEE: An Art Road Trip,” will be presented by the Vashon Film Society as its First Friday Art Film, fol-lowing the gallery cruise. It will show at 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Vashon Theatre.
Bartlett, an internationally recognized realist oil paint-er, collaborated with his wife Eby, an encaustic painter, to make the film. The documentary covers the couple’s search to capture images of iconic American land art sites, art world luminaries and historic art studios. For over seven years the duo traveled to and filmed places from the spiral etty in the Great Salt Lake to Mount Rushmore and visited historic art studios as well as art world luminaries such as Andrew Wyeth and his famous model Helga.
Bartlett and Eby were intent on conveying their philos-ophy that “art is everywhere, you just have to open your eyes to see it.” But when Bartlett unexpectedly began to experience real-life vision problems during the road trip, the film’s story evolved from its focus on beauty and art to an existential meditation on seeing art in the everyday.
Bartlett and Eby live part-time on Vashon and are cur-rently spending most of the year in Georgia because of the establishment of the Bo Bartlett Center at the College of the Arts at Columbus State University.
“SEE: An Art Road Trip” runs 75 minutes. Tickets are $7, for all ages, at the door.
Renowned artists bring documentary to Vashon
Courtesy Photo
Artists Bo Bartlett and Betsy Eby recently filmed the documen-tary, “SEE: An Art Road Trip,” which will play on Vashon.
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WA-MLO-55142 NMLS #3274Call me on my cell phone
206-271-3219www.MikeOEngland.com I won’t drop the ball!
VASHON OPERA PRESENTS ‘DON GIOVANNI’Vashon Opera will soon present Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” consid-ered to be one of the greatest operas of all time. “The singers are extraordinary; the chorus is bright and fun; the orches-tra is excellent, and all of the amaz-ing Vashon Opera volunteers have really outdone themselves this time for sure,” said Jennifer Krikawa, who helped found the opera. ‘“Don Giovanni” will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14. A dress rehearsal will be open to the public for a reduced price, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10. All perfor-mances will be in the Vashon High School theater. Purchase season tickets for $32 online at vashonopera.org or indi-vidual tickets for $35 at the Vashon Bookshop and at vashonopera.org.At left, Megan Chenovick is Zerlina in the production. Courtesy Photo
First Friday Art Walk5pm to 9pm
“Out of Grief comes Art”the first in a series by
Crystal CulpStart your evening with us,
lots of parking.
18005 Vashon Hwy SW • 463-9300
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 13
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philosophy about death, grief and the course of life. When life is blown wide open, she says, there’s a shattering. “We think we have to pick up the pieces all alone,” she adds, “but the Universe is going to bring you joy no matter what. Trust and a sense of wonder are essential for becom-ing the new self that is trying to emerge.”
After her husband’s death, Lightmark decided to give herself three years to launch a professional writing career. And she succeeded. An open letter in her local Vermont pager that she wrote to her husband led to a freelance position writing arts and education pieces and eventually to magazine work. By 1998, Lightmark had co-written a book about the spiritual aspects of dog training with expert April Frost.
Dogs. Lightmark calls them “guardian spirits” and claims to have loved them — and creating greeting cards — since childhood.
She arrived on Vashon 10 years ago to be close to her children. Here, she took a black and white photo of her daughter’s dogs, in a rustic structure on KVI Beach and the result was the start of what became a nine-year celebration of Vashon dogs … mostly in cars.
That photo also inspired Lightmark’s thriving business in greeting cards. With encouragement from people like Priscilla Schleigh of Giraffe on Vashon, Lightmark found herself possessed by the whimsical and sometimes pro-found images of Vashon dogs.
“I found myself celebrating the marvelous spirits in these animals who go with us everywhere,” she said.
Her company is the only one in the world with this particular focus. The dogs Lightmark photographs are not identifiable pedigrees; they are personalities. Those personalities inspire the captions she adds to the cards. Lightmark applies her creative sensibilities to capture images that touch human hearts, and the captions, she says, come later to amplify the message in the photo.
“Creating these images,” she says, “is healing for me.” She adds that she hopes they’re healing for others as well. Most of Lightmark’s cards are not aimed at a particular occasion.
“I’ve learned that the responses people have to my imag-es are very personal, so I don’t want to constrain their use.”
Nine years ago Lightmark created 24 images of Vashon dogs with captions, printing and folding greeting cards herself on demand as island stores requested them. Today, her 2014 catalogue sports 96 images — her best sellers — and, through a printing and fulfillment house in San Francisco, Lightmark now sells her cards nationwide, in Canada and as far away as Australia with a current print run of 96,000. All Vashon dogs and now some cats.
Once again, taking inspiration as opportunity, Lightmark has learned photographic imaging, marketing, promotion, accounting, distribution and website design along her jour-ney with Vashon pets.
“I do it all “from initial photograph through final sale,” she said. That was all true until this year when demand for her cards grew to the point that she had to hand over print-
ing and distribution to the San Francisco company.Despite her growing business, Lightmark says she knows
each animal in her images and the humans they’re attached to. In fact, her current collection of cards includes stories of each on the back. Captions on the front speak to the moment she’s captured like Bearwatcher, a Golden retriev-er/Great Pyrenees mix, beloved companion of Eva De Loach, leaning out the window of his human’s 1994 Nissan SUV to quote composer Richard Wagner with “Joy is not in things. It is in us.” On the back of the card Lightmark tells the year, make and model of the car in the shot along with the story of how she got the photo. She always asks permis-sion from the dogs’ humans to use their images and, when they result in a card, she gives the humans 12 freebies.
“It’s a love exchange,” says Lightmark. As her business has grown, so has Lightmark’s wish to
make her creations serve purposes beyond the business. “Ultimately I’d like to see these images in senior centers,
as well as inner city schools and health care facilities where they can inspire a smile or two,” she says.
She’s already sharing the joy and a percentage of the pro-ceeds from her sales with animal rescue organizations she believes in. People can go to Lightmark’s website at www.lightmarkarts.com and find not only the 2014 catalogue of cards, but opportunities to donate to Vashon Island Pet Protectors and two other animal rescue organizations. People can also share photos of their favorite pets and find out how to use Lightmark Press products in their organiza-tion’s fundraising efforts.
People can also purchase their favorite Lightmark cards and read the blog that has begun chronicling Lightmark’s experiences with Vashon dogs, stories of humor and poignancy that speak to all.
Lightmark’s message to Vashon animal lovers is that she would love to celebrate every dog and cat on Vashon.
“I want people to know that if their dog’s photo doesn’t turn into a card it’s only due to my own creative or time limitations,” she said.
Lightmark says she is forever grateful to Vashon-Maury Island for nurturing her love of dogs and the business from which she still draws daily delight.
LIGHTMARKCONTINUED FROM 1
Susan McCabe Photo
Rondi Lightmark stands next to the first Vashon dog image she created.
Page 14 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
The Brown Agency
Good Luck Pirates!
g y
Home of the Pirates!You make us proud.
Denise Katz
Go Pirates!
Have aGreat
Season!
Stand up tothe opposition!
Vashon Floor Store
We’ll see youon the Sports page!
Rock the House, Pirates!
Diane Stoffer
We hope your year is full of plunder!
From the Crew at
Best of Luck Pirates and Mustangs!
Dr. RASMUSSEN & Staff
Roast ‘Em Pirates!
Jim Cunnington, dds
Have A Great Season
Pirates!
Have A Great SeasonPIRATES!
Keep the heat on the competition!
Tune up the competition!
Go Pirates!
Northwest SportsNorthwest Sports
DATE TIME OPPOSITION LOCATION
9/16/2014 4:00 PM All League Meet Vashon HS9/23/2014 4:00 PM Combo Meet W/Ecl Lincoln Park10/07/2014 4:00 PM All League Meet Fort Steilacoom10/17/2014 4:00 PM Combo Meet W/Ecl Kelsey Creek10/24/2014 3:30 PM Nisqually League Meet Fort Steilacoom11/01/2014 TBA The Westside Classic American Lake Golf Course11/08/2014 TBA State Championship State Meet Pasco5/07/14 5:00 PM Juanita HS Juanita HS5/14/14 3:30 PM League Championship Eatonville HS5/16/14 3:30 PM League Championship Eatonville HS5/22/14 3:30 PM Tri-District Kings HS5/24/14 10:00 AM Tri-District Kings HS5/30/14 10:00 AM State EWU, Cheney5/31/14 10:00 AM State EWU, Cheney
9/16/2014 4:30 PM All League Meet Vashon HS9/23/2014 4:30 PM Combo Meet W/Ecl Lincoln Park10/07/2014 4:30 PM All League Meet Fort Steilacoom10/17/2014 4:30 PM Combo Meet W/Ecl Kelsey Creek10/24/2014 4:30 PM Nisqually League Championship Fort Steilacoom11/01/2014 TBA The Westside Classic American Lake Golf Course11/08/2014 TBA State Championship State Championship
9/12/2014 7:00 PM Football V. Port Angeles Vashon HS9/16/2014 4:00 PM Cross-Country All League Meet McMurray Field9/19/2014 7:00 PM Football Vs. Charles Wright Charles Wright Academy9/26/2014 5:45 PM Volleyball V. Bellevue Christian Vashon HS10/03/2014 7:00 PM Football V. Earl Marriott Vashon HS10/10/2014 7:00 PM Football V. Charles Wright Vashon HS10/16/2014 6:00 PM Soccer V. Charles Wright Vashon HS10/18/2014 7:00 PM Football Vs. Bellevue Christian Lake Washington HS10/22/2014 5:45 PM Volleyball V. Cascade Christian Vashon HS10/24/2014 7:00 PM Football V. Cascade Christian Vashon HS10/31/2014 6:00 PM Football V. Chimacum Vashon HS
9/05/2014 7:00 PM Rainier Beach HS Rainier Beach HS9/12/2014 7:00 PM Port Angeles HS Vashon HS Stadium9/19/2014 7:00 PM Charles Wright Academy Charles Wright Academy10/03/2014 6:00 PM Earl Marriott Secondary School Vashon HS10/10/2014 7:00 PM Charles Wright Academy Vashon HS10/18/2014 7:00 PM Bellevue Christian HS Lake Washington HS10/24/2014 7:00 PM Cascade Christian HS Vashon HS10/31/2014 6:00 PM Chimacum HS Vashon HS11/07/2014 4:00 PM Cross Over With Olympic League TBA
Vashon’sFALL 2014
Sports Schedule
Girls Cross Country
Fall Cheer
Varsity Football
Boys Cross Country
Check out the latest scores on the vashon school district’s website
http://vashonislandathletics.org/Find the latest sports news at www.vashonbeachcomber.com
DATE TIME OPPOSITION LOCATION
9/09/2014 5:45 PM Shorewood Christian Shorewood Christian9/16/2014 5:45 PM Darington HS Darington HS9/18/2014 6:00 PM Klahowya HS Klahowya High School9/20/2014 2:15 PM Port Townsend Port Townsend High School9/24/2014 5:45 PM Charles Wright Academy Charles Wright Academy9/26/2014 5:45 PM Bellevue Christian HS Vashon HS9/29/2014 5:45 PM Seattle Christian HS Vashon HS10/02/2014 5:45 PM Port Townsend HS Vashon HS10/06/2014 5:45 PM Casccade Christian HS Cascade Christian HS10/08/2014 5:45 PM Seattle Christian HS Seattle Christian HS10/15/2014 5:45 PM Charles Wright Academy Vashon HS10/21/2014 5:45 PM Seattle Academy Vashon HS10/22/2014 5:45 PM Cascade Christian HS Vashon HS10/25/2014 10:00 AM Mt Baker Tournament Mt. Baker HS10/28/2014 5:45 PM Crosspoint Academy Crosspoint Academy11/03/2014 5:45 PM Bellevue Christian HS Bellevue Christian HS11/06/2014 5:45 PM District Tournament TBA11/08/2014 5:45 PM District Tournament TBA
9/16/2014 4:30 PM Darrington Sr HS Darington HS9/18/2014 5:00 PM Klahowya Secondary School Klahowya HS9/20/2014 1:00 PM Port Townsend HS Port Townsend HS9/24/2014 4:30 PM Charles Wright Academy Charles Wright Academy9/26/2014 4:30 PM Bellevue Christian School Vashon HS9/29/2014 4:30 PM Seattle Christian Schools Vashon HS10/02/2014 4:30 PM Port Townsend HS Vashon HS10/06/2014 4:30 PM Cascade Christian Schools - Jr/Sr HS Cascade Christian HS10/08/2014 4:30 PM Seattle Christian Schools Seattle Christian HS10/15/2014 4:30 PM Charles Wright Academy Vashon HS10/21/2014 4:30 PM Seattle Academy Vashon HS10/22/2014 4:30 PM Cascade Christian Schools - Jr/Sr HS Vashon HS10/28/2014 4:30 PM Crosspoint Academy Crosspoint Academy11/03/2014 4:30 PM Bellevue Christian School Bellevue Christian HS
9/11/2014 3:30 PM Cascade Christian Schools - Jr/Sr HS TBA9/16/2014 3:30 PM Charles Wright Academy Vashon HS9/25/2014 3:30 PM Charles Wright Academy Charles Wright Academy9/30/2014 3:30 PM Cascade Christian Schools - Jr/Sr HS Vashon HS10/09/2014 3:30 PM Cascade Christian Schools - Jr/Sr HS TBA10/14/2014 3:30 PM Charles Wright Academy Vashon HS
Varsity Volleyball
JV Volleyball
Boys Tennis
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 15
Closethe dooron the
Opposition!
ISLANDESCROWSERVICE
Go Pirates!Have a great
Season.Susan Lofland
Nail ‘emPirates!
Go Pirates!From the team at
RENT1ONERENTAL CENTEREarl Van Buskirk, Inc.
Williams HeatingEric, Dennis, Nancy, Jason
Janet & Bill
Go Pirates!
Vashon PharmacyGood luck from the staff!
Dr. LanglandClean ’em up and – keep
smiling! From all the staff!
Best of luck to youfrom our team!
Beauty NookGood Luck Pirates!
– Beth
Meetthe
Challenge!
Windermere Real Estate/Wall Street, Inc.
Pirate Pride!Have a great year!
Connie Sorensen
Stake yourclaim Pirates!Good Luck, Linda Bianchi
Go Pirates!Stay Vashon Strong!Go Pirates! You are the
stars in the spotlight!
Courtesy photo
VHS VolleyballCourtesy photo
VHS Boys Tennis
Courtesy photo
VHS Cheer
Check out the latest scores on the vashon school district’s websitehttp://vashonislandathletics.org
AT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICE
To place an ad in the Service Directory, contact Deborah at 463-9195. Deadline for ad placement is Friday at 1pm.
Page 16 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
Little Investment
BIG RETURNSThis size ad in the Service Directory for only $32.25 wk. Call 463-9195
HOME WIZARDS, LLCWe Specialize In Helping You Prepare Your Home For $ale!
• Interior/Exterior Remodel
• Floor Covering & Tile installation
• Excellent References
• No project too small• Kitchen & Bath Face Lifts• Drywall & Painting• Landscaping-All Facets• Electrical
Charlie Helsby & Everett WittmanLicensed, Bonded & Insured General Contractors
Lic# HOMEWWL875C5
Not Too Late to Paint! Call the Wiz!
...an energy management team
Hot? We repair
Air Conditioning
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OPEN 8 AM – 9 PM EVERYDAY
Save Time! Wash it ALL at once in our Big 4 load washers
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LighthouseLaundry
Only 5 mins from the Point Defi ance Ferry.Westgate South • Tacoma (corner of Pearl & N 26th)
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LATE BREAKING NEWS 24/7
WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 17
AT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICEAT YOUR SERVICE To place an ad in the Service Directory, contact Deborahat 463-9195. Deadline for ad placement is Friday at 1pm.
Vashon Kids is now enrolling kids for the upcoming school year. Vashon Kids is a school age childcare program located at Chautauqua Elementary. Our goal is to help Vashon families grow great kids through creative programming that fosters a community of learning and play. Homework support and healthy snacks are provided. We open at 6am before school until 6:30 pm after school.Everyone is welcome. Financial assistance is available.
Vashon Kids helps families.
35th Anniversa
ry
• Trigg Insurance
Agency
•
Trigg Insurance AgencyQuote Drive Fundraiser!
You can choose to donate toVashon Island Food Bank or NW Harvest.
Trigg Insurance Agency will donate $10 for each quote!
Mention this ad and we will provide a quote and makethe donation – Now through September 30th, 2014.
It’s easy – Call, email or stop by the offi ce with your policyinformation and we’ll provide a no-obligation quote
Personal, Business, Health and Life policies.Call us at 206-463-7411
We Will Be Open on First Friday 9/5/2014Join us for refreshments!
17425 Vashon Hwy SW • www.trigginsurance.com
Page 18 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
Making the move to a senior living community starts with a conversation that is often difficult.
It’s so Good to be Home!
2615 SW Barton St., Seattle, WA 98126 206.937.6122 www.DaystarSeattle.com
Mom, can we talk?
Even the most close-knit family can have trouble starting the conversation regarding the right time for aging parents to explore senior living options. We can help you get the conversation started.
To reserve your spot, or for more information, please call 206.937.6122.
Join us for a special 3 part series:Transition Planning for Seniors and Their FamiliesSession One: Choosing the Right Words
You may be thinking it’s time for your parents to consider the transition to a senior living lifestyle, but are unsure how to talk to them about it. Join us as
Karin Miller, MSW, LICSW, presents a three-part series designed to guide you through the steps of helping your parents transition to a senior living lifestyle. Session One: Choosing the Right Words will teach you how to start this important conversation with your loved ones.
FREE Teeth WhiteningFor Life!*
JIM CUNNINGTON, DDS 19001 Vashon Highway SW, Suite 100 (Courthouse Square)
463.9115www.dentalcareofvashon.com
We are preferred providersfor most insurances.
• Crowns, fi llings, bridges, dentures & dental implants• Sedation dentistry• Root canals• Oral surgery with IV sedation• Snoring & sleep disorders
GENERAL & SPECIALIZED CARE:
*With initial exam, x-rays and cleaning. Must comply with minimal required dental treatment. For safe teeth whitening, some restrictions may apply. Age 16 or older.
(Liquor service is available to members and their guests) WAC 314-52-115(1)
Vashon EaglesAERIE #3144
RIB COOK OFF
This Saturday, September 6th
LUAUTo Benefit Camp Good Times
Saturday, September 13th
DINING IS ALWAYS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
COME &JOIN US!
SAVE THE DATEFor These
Upcoming Events:
PETSCutest
PHOTO CONTEST
VOTE NOWPandora’s Box and
The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber are hosting a Cutest Pets Photo Contest. Go to www.vashonbeachcomber.com
and VOTE for your favorite entry.Voting ends September 8th, 2014
206-463-2200 206-463-9195wwwvashonbeachcomber.com
Winner Receives a $100 Gift Certificate!CoCo Pippa Duff y Hank Jethro & Percy Kit & Mazie
Here are just a few of the entries…
Tina Parrish, a close friend who met Kirsten in “the trenches of motherhood” several years ago, said Kirsten was good at “gathering lives.” Last Friday night several women came together to grieve, and for many, Parrish said, Kirsten was the first person who had befriended them on the island.
“She was so good at reaching out to other people,” Parrish said. “She was so good. I just wish she was better at reaching out for herself.”
Conversations with her loved ones reveal a woman who dazzled with her vibrancy and warmth, who was at home, whether creating a website through her own business, serv-ing as a scout leader, sewing quilts in the local quilt guild or enjoying an evening out with friends, belting out a song on karaoke night.
Most people on the island knew her as this vibrant woman — the first to volunteer for a task or an adventure, an all-around lover of life, who would not let anyone near her play the part of a wallflower. Yet her closest family and friends say there was another side of Kirsten that many people did not know: Kirsten struggled with mental illness for many years and sought treatment for it.
It is well documented that some mental illnesses, such as depression and bipolar disorder, raise the risk of suicide. Mental health officials say the topic of suicide should be discussed in terms of mental health, as the decision to end one’s life has deep roots and does not arise on its own.
Now, while honoring Kirsten, family members say it is important that this information be shared so that people might make sense of her death, that mental illness might lose a bit more of its stigma and that someone else might be helped because of it.
Jessica Proffit, one of Kirsten’s sisters-in-law, is a clinical social worker, who noted their large extended family loved Kirsten, including the young family members with whom Kirsten had a particular knack of connecting. Through the years, Kirsten shared some of her struggles with Jessica, who said Kirsten did a lot to counter her mental health problems.
“She fought really hard for a really long time,” Jessica said. “She was functioning with something enormous.”
Kirsten truly was someone who loved life and loved to help others, Jessica stressed, but she and others say that Kirsten also used staying busy and involved as a coping mechanism.
“It worked for many years,” Jessica said. “In the end she was not able to fight it any longer.”
Now, Spencer said, it is up to those left behind to take the pain and lessons from Kirsten’s life and death and carry them forward in a meaningful way.
“Can we help somebody else?” he asked. Kirsten was born Sept. 29, 1969, in Berkeley, California,
to parents Tom and Anne Anderson. Family members say she liked to claim she was in Berkeley in the late 1960s. In 1970, her family, which grew to include five sisters and a
brother, moved to Utah, and in 1973 to Michigan, where they lived until 1980. In Kirsten’s teenage years, they moved to Atlanta, and in 1993, she moved to Provo, Utah, where she met and married Spencer.
As a couple they moved around as well, living in Atlanta, North Carolina and finally settling in Washington State.
Spencer recalled that they came to the Northwest on vacation and loved the green, the ferries and outdoor lifestyle.
“People were nice. More relaxed than in the East. The lifestyle seemed to fit with us,” he said.
They first settled in Bellevue, but it was a year that rained constantly. They moved away to Utah, he said, and instantly missed the Northwest. They returned a few years later and again lived in Bellevue, eventually settling on Vashon about eight years ago.
“We just felt it was a good place for the kids to roam,” he said.
At first they lived in a rural area of the island, and Kirsten felt lonely and isolated, he recalled. When they got a chance to manage the Vashon Place Apartments, they intended to stay for two years, but they stayed for almost seven. Kirsten thrived in the environment, as she was very much a people person, he said.
As the children got older, she became involved in orga-
nizations that the boys were part of, which Spencer said helped her find her groove on the island.
“I would say that she loved the island because it was such a great place for the kids, and she loved other kids and making it a great place for everybody,” he said. “That is who she was and what she wanted to do.”
And, in fact, that is what she did, by all accounts. The list of organizations she was part of most recently includes the board of the PTSA, where president Jackie Merrill credits her with bringing back Science Nights, helping with the group’s annual auction and an abundance of other tasks, down to designing the new Chautauqua T-shirts.
“Every time you see a T-shirt, know she had a hand in helping creating those,” Merrill said.
Kirsten had recently become active in VARSA, which works to prevent teenage drinking and drug use on Vashon, and she was long involved with scouting.
Ellen Denny, whose son was part of her troop, said she will be missed tremendously there for the creative projects she brought and the stories she told whenever there was a boring moment.
“She even had a Scout shirt. I was in awe of her. She
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Page 19
All-Merciful SaviourOrthodox Monastery
9933 SW 268th St. (south of Dockton)SUNDAYS: DIVINE LITURGY 9:00 am
Followed by PotluckCelebrating 2000 years of Orthodox Christianity Call for a schedule weekday and Holy Day services.
463-5918www.vashonmonks.com
Burton Community ChurchALL ARE WELCOME
INSPIRATION not Indoctrination!Worship 11 amMaggie Laird
Pianist/Choir Director463-9977
www.burtonchurch.org
Bethel Church14736 Bethel Lane SW(Corner of SW 148th St.
and 119th Ave. SW)9am Sunday Bible School
10am WorshipFollowed by coffee fellowship
AWANA Thurs 6:00pm Sept-May
Offi ce phone 567-4255
Vashon Island Community Church
Worship Service 10:00 am (Children’s Church for preschool–5th graders)
Offi ce Phone 463-3940Pastors:
Mike Ivaska and Frank Davis9318 SW Cemetery Road
www.VICC4Life.com
Starting Soon!Pan-Denominational
Men’s Bible StudyFellowship (BSF)
Tuesdays begins on Sept. 9th6:45 pm to 8:30 pm
Vashon Island Community Church(VICC) Across from McMurray
Any Questions? (206) 335-2009
Catholic ChurchSt. John Vianney
Mass–Saturdays at 5:00 pmSundays 8:00am and 10:30am
Worship 10:30 am & 7:00 pmThursday Bible Study 7:00 pm
Call for locationSaturday Prayer 7:30 pm
Pastor Stephen R. Sears463-2567
Our VashonIsland Community
warmly invitesyou and your family to
worship with them.
Pla ces of Wors hipon our Island
KIRSTENCONTINUED FROM 1
STORY CONTINUES, NEXT PAGE
Page 20 WWW.VASHONBEACHCOMBER.COM Wednesday, September 3, 2014 • Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber
Karen Kathleen (Sandy) Smith
Karen Smith, M.D., who devoted her life to the care of children as a rural pediatrician, pediatric consultant, medical teacher, and medical director over three decades, has died at the age of 62. Th e cause was cancer. Cheer-ful, smart, and loyal, Dr. Smith is missed by her adoring spouse, Judith A. Schwedes, M.D, and by the mul-titude of friends and colleagues who knew her not only as Dr. Smith and Karen, but also by the aff ectionate nicknames, Sandy, Stormy, and Bhasa.
Th ose of us who saw Dr. Smith in action admired the cool logic she applied to problems and the fearlessness with which she tackled these problems. While a high school student in Reno, NV, she co-founded a suicide prevention hotline for teenagers, staff ed by teenagers. After graduating from the Tufts Univer-sity School of Medicine and completing a residency in pediatrics at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Dr. Smith began her medical career by founding the fi rst pediatric primary care practice in a remote area of rural California. Th at was the beginning.
After moving to San Francisco, Dr. Smith served as a clinical instructor and faculty pediatrician at Oakland Children’s Hospital and San Francisco General Hospital and then instructor of pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. She worked as Medical Director of a UCSF community clinic for women and children and as Medical Director of an HMO health plan in San Francisco. Th e position she held most recently was Medical Director for Interactive Training Resources at the University of Washington.
Dr. Smith’s varied medical career also included extensive research, consulting, and speaking on pediatric asthma management, immunization, obesity, child abuse, lead poisoning, healthcare for foster children, insurance reform and a wide range of other topics. Her reach was broad and deep.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Smith pursued a wide variety of interests, including photography, gardening, and traveling (on foot when younger) in places like India and South East Asia. She maintained a life-long passion for Buddhist thought and practice. Above all, she was devoted to her life partner and to her many friends.
Her spouse Judith A. Schwedes, M.D. of Vashon WA, survives Dr. Smith. She is survived also by her brothers Bernard Jeff rey Smith of Colfax CA and Sean Patrick O’Leary Smith of Sparks, NV, and by cousin, Linda Smith Yarbrough of Kingman, AR. Her parents, now deceased, were Katherine O’Leary Smith and Bernard James Smith of Reno, NV. Also deceased is her cousin Scott Smith.
In lieu of fl owers, please send donations to Puget Sound Zen Center.Please visit our online guest book at www.islandfuneral.com.
Ch arlotte Anne Williamsjune 10, 1934 - august 11, 2014
Charlotte passed peacefully at Virginia Mason hospital on August 11, 2014 after long struggle with a number of illnesses. She considered her long marriage to Ed one of her great accomplish-ments and left us the morning of their 56th wedding anniversary.
Charlotte Epley was born in Douglas Arizona, attended Tucson High School, Northern Arizona University, El Camino College and Cal State Hayward. Seeking a more adventurous life, she signed on with Continental Airlines (the only airline in the 1950’s that would hire tall stewardesses). While based in Denver, she found her dream pilot, Ed Williams who
worked for the competitor, United Airlines. Th ey married a short time later, had two children, and resided in southern California then the Bay Area. She embarked on a career as a registered nurse, later obtaining her teaching and Masters degrees. She worked as a middle school science teacher and school counselor in northern California.
Charlotte and Ed moved to Vashon Island in 1977 where they settled into island life in their unique historical home, San Souci on Quartermaster Harbor. Charlotte enjoyed her yearly tasks decorating for the Kiwanis Holiday dinner and helping with the annual Pancake breakfast. Th ey enjoyed a life of travel with cruises to ports around the world and yearly visits to Maui and Palm Springs. Th eir travels took them to places as far fl ung as China, Peru and Egypt. In later years they explored famous sites throughout the USA.
Charlotte reveled in her eccentricities, love of animals, numerous collections, big old house, over-the-top holiday decorating, 4th of July on the harbor and conservative ideals. She and her grand-daughter Brette had a special affi nity for each other as fellow redheads and she loved her family in her own way. She converted to Catholicism during her last years and appreciated the friendly folks at St. John Vianney church.
Th e family thanks the medical professionals at Virginia Mason Hospital, Th e Kenney Home, Providence Mt. St. Vincent, Vashon Community Care Center and Vashon Fire and Rescue.
She is survived by her husband, Edgar Williams, daughter Shannon Williams- Flora, son-in-law, Jon Flora, granddaughter Brette Flora, and son, Bret Howard. She had a special place in her heart for nephew Doug Epley, his wife (Norma), son (David) and brother (Bobby), grand-niece Lynann Miller, cousin Roi Armstrong and the rest of their families. She was pre-deceased by her mother Margaret Th omas, half-brother Robert Epley and father Joseph Howard Epley.
Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, October 11, 2014 at St. John Vianney Church on Vashon Island. Memorial donations can be made to Vashon Fire & Rescue (P.O. Box 1150), or St. John Vianney Church, (16100 115th Ave. SW), Vashon, WA 98070.
Kirsten Proffi tSeptember 29, 1969 – August 28, 2014
A Remembrance Service will be heldSeptember 3, 2014 • 7:00 pm
at theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
A full obituary will follow in a future issue of Th e Beachcomber.
always had it going on,” Denny said.
In another online tribute, Luechtefeld noted Kirsten’s love of tie-dye and his own dislike of it.
“I am going to try to make tie-dye neckerchiefs for our scouts before her memorial service,” he wrote. “As a tribute to her generosity and service, we will wear them for a period of mourning and remem-brance.”
Kirsten also belonged to the Vashon group Family of Women, which encourages its members to take respon-sibility for successful rela-tionships and contribute to society by being leaders.
One member called Kirsten “the ruby in the room.” Another said, in part, “She did not follow the
crowd and would speak her own thoughts. ... She made many of us brave. She made many of us stretch to do more, and she made many of us learn to care more.”
Kirsten had a tribe of women friends, on island and off — and she went out of her way to help them, even in quiet ways: insisting on an outing with a friend struggling with post-par-tum depression, nudging another into starting her own business and creating a welcoming environment
for a friend’s special needs child.
Some friends and family say now they will look to her example — with mod-eration — and step up their own efforts with friends, family and community.
“I think her loss has left such a huge void, but we can bridge it if we all work together,” Spencer said. “We can take the different aspects of her life, and if we share those, we can bridge that void.”
Service of RemembranceA Service of Remembrance will meet at 7 p.m. this eve-
ning, Sept. 3, at the Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 9330 SW 204th St. on Vashon.
Outdoor music and youth activities organized by local Boy and Cub Scouts will begin at 6:15 p.m. Please arrive early and park across the street in the school parking lot to reserve closer parking for those who need it.
Guests are encouraged to bring handpicked flowers and to dress in bright colors to celebrate Kirsten’s vibrant spirit.
A funeral and interment will take place in Richmond, Utah, on Saturday.
KIRSTENCONTINUED FROM 19
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Part 2: The Kit BoogalooA month after Lone-some Jack’s sister, Gigi, passed, the folks at VIPP forwarded a photo of a kitten found by a dumpster in Renton. All his litter-mates had perished in the heat, but he had been
saved and passed hand-to-hand until arriving within the caring embrace of a Vashon foster family. One look and the masked Chocolate-tipped Siamese Snowshoe kitten named Bandit found a new home with Lonesome Jack and his family. After an introductory period, the spitfi re-boogieing-force of nature called Boogaloo not only transformed Lonesome Jack’s life, but revitalized and energized the entire household. The Kit taught Jack how to play with toys, brought Jack out of his shell, and the two came to love one another just as Jack had loved Gigi and Gigi had loved Jack. Love is never wasted. Long live the memory of Gigi and the enduring VIPP legacy!
Harmon
Born 2007, BP was found by the Harbor school on July 3rd but never claimed. He is a big sweetheart, extremely loving with humans - dropping over on his side at the least sign of attention.
Born 2010, Oliver and his best friend Charlie were adopted as shelter kittens. When the owners moved they could not take them along. Oliver is “Mr. Curious” and likes to explore and check out what is going on. Oliver has great house man-ners and he would like to fi nd a loving home with Charlie. To see Charlie go to VIPP.org.
Bandit
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SEE NEW LISTINGS FIRST!www.JLSVashon.com
an art odyssey2O14:
Vashon Allied Arts 2014 Auction
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and community water share included. Offered at $140,000
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SPECTACULAR, UNOBSTRUCTABLE MT. RAINIER VIEW
home with big windows and big decks to enjoy the views. Bask in morning light, then watch the setting sun turn Mt. Rainier aglow! MLS #679229 $479,000
SaturdaySeptember 6th
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maps & information
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Wolff(206) 300-7594
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MLS #682071 $419,000
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Friday, September 19
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We are proud to sponsor this event.
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(206) 999-6470 (206) 930-5650
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