SCHOOL DISTRICT

Beachcomber coverage benefits community

Over the past few years, The Beachcomber has shown a willingness to investigate possible abuses of power and betrayals of public trust in our local institutions. While this might make some people uncomfortable, the result is often an increase in transparency and accountability. The community can only benefit from this.

Kudos to The Beachcomber for the coverage of the school district’s financial issues. I look forward to more outstanding journalism from them.

– Allison Clemons

EDITORIAL PAGE

With all due respect

While reading the Beachcomber (May 19), I was saddened and frankly shocked to see the actual images that were published in the Vashon Island News-Record in 1942, again published in the Beachcomber.

I admire The Beachcomber’s efforts to educate our community on the abhorrent legacy of the past local news outlet. The intent was indeed a noble one. However, in my opinion, publishing the same images and headlines that were so demeaning and dehumanizing to Japanese Americans on this island and beyond diminished that good intent. This chapter of WWII history could have been discussed in the article itself, without the racist images and headlines. Images themselves have a way of bringing up historical trauma that many Japanese Americans, as well as many marginalized groups have experienced. And I know that this was not what you had intended.

A more balanced approach could have been for The Beachcomber to redirect readers to their website where the images could have been viewed separately by those who wanted to see them and not printed in the body of the paper itself.

It is my hope that we can all learn from this experience.

– Barbara Thal Schroeder

CHERRY TREES

All surviving trees should be acknowledged

Articles in The Beachcomber, and other once-in-a-while references over the years to the gift by Mr. Nishiyori, then president of the Vashon Japanese Society, in March of 1932 of 100 Japanese cherry trees, often suggest that there are three or most recently, four survivors existing on the Vashon High School campus.

I am convinced there are five (at least) surviving 90-plus-year-old cherry trees, but the effort to keep them healthy and alive for at least ten more years might require more than a casual interest.

Everyone recognizes the two prominent and beautiful old cherry trees on the VHS grassy knoll. There is a third one against the west parking lot sidewalk just below those two. There is a fourth one in the parking lot for the pool, and the fifth one is behind the Family Link building. (I believe that not all that long ago there was another one in front of the Youth & Family Services building.)

I strongly suggest that all five of these trees be recognized, valued, and protected for the coming ten years and beyond so that they can be celebrated at the 100-year commemoration of the original gift, along with the spirit of international cooperation and pride in citizenship that inspired the original gift. If anyone knows of any other survivors, I would like to know that also. (There might still be one or two survivors on the Chautauqua Elementary School grounds.)

I am happy to learn of the exciting newly initiated and collaborative effort to grow another hundred cherry trees with grafts from some of the original trees.

– Laura Bienen

VASHON POOL

Come swim in the sunshine

Summer is coming! The bubble is down for a whole summer of swim programs for the family. Many folks don’t realize that the island has a year-round community pool with six lanes, 25 yards, ADA accessibility and pristine water quality.

Programs include lap swims, aerobic classes, open family swims, swim lessons, community camps, pool rentals and a new slide for the summer. Our pool has also been home for the Seals Swim team for more than two decades. In 2016, in coordination with the Vashon Parks District, the Seals erected a seasonal bubble over the community pool to allow for all season swimming.

This six-month temporary structure needs to be erected and taken down each year. Countless hours of volunteering, designing and fundraising has resulted in a community of swimmers from ages 5 to 85. Now the bubble is nearing the end of its useful life.

The VPD has secured a grant to cover some of the costs of the new bubble. Plans are underway for the Seals Swim Team to raise funds with a Swim-a-thon, on July 10, for a new bubble. Stay tuned for more information.

The pool needs more adult lifeguards in order to offer more hours of operation. The high school lifeguards are limited to working times after school and on weekends. If you’re interested in becoming a lifeguard, contact the pool manager, Randy Turner, for more details. Find out more at vashonparks.org/vashon-pool or at 206-463-3787.

– Laura Weston — Lifeguard, retired educator, mom, grandma, lover of island life for almost 50 years