Editorial: Keeping on the sunny side in tough times

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 9, 2025

My mother-in-law, a defiantly positive person from the hard-luck town Flint, Michigan, used to tell us her favorite newspaper was something that might have actually been called “The Good News Paper,” which was not only free but also only published upbeat stories highlighting all the great people and things going on in her town.

“It’s really pretty neat,” she said.

How I wish I could talk to her again about that newspaper now, because I finally think I understand why she liked it so much.

National news has become brutal, with headlines that are increasingly grim as time goes by. You know, stuff like “Supreme Court Hands Trump Even More Power,” “Heathcare Cuts to Affect Millions of Americans,” “Hope Fades for Rescues in Texas,” “Trump tours ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center” — terrible, meticulously written stories by stellar journalists.

Our job here at The Beachcomber is so much easier, though we know that with a text or a phone call or a change in the wind everything could change for us, too, and for our beloved island.

This week, though, ours remains a mostly “good news paper,” with articles that tell the story of our singular community — a place where people show their patriotism by not only watching a fancy Fourth of July fireworks display, but also marching through town, demanding accountability and change from our national leaders.

A place where people search for running and scared pets throughout the Independence Day weekend, and a well-staffed and expertly-led fire district also stands ready to race to serve the community.

A place surrounded by water, with a watchdog group focused on insisting that Washington State Ferries provides islanders with adequate service, boaters who ask us to keep our eyes on King County’s plans for the Dockton Marina, and a group called VashonBePrepared that reminds us each summer of ways to keep ourselves and our children safe in the water.

And yes — we also have a wild and daring bunch of hydroplane racers, forever keeping Vashon weird in their own daredevil and extremely loud way.

As is the case almost every week in The Beachcomber, this week’s stories prove we also live in a town that brims with the arts, and supports young people to discover their potential and power through artistic expression.

Upbeat stories, indeed.

But it’s up to all of us to keep it that way — to hold our beloved community close and be the change we’d like to see in the world right now. To look for and create beauty, take care of each other, to champion causes that protect and uplift all our friends and neighbors, and keep each other safe in a world that has become increasingly unkind and dangerous.

We’ll keep reporting what happens here — and like my dear mother-in-law, craving good news.

— Elizabeth Shepherd is The Beachcomber’s former editor and current reporter.