K2 rezone

Asher’s thinking was spot-on

I couldn’t agree more with Dan Asher’s impeccable logic in his letter in the Dec. 3 issue regarding his “no” vote on the urgent status of Tom Bangasser’s motion to the Vashon Maury Island Community Council (VMICC).

When one presents a motion to VMICC and declares it to be urgent, thus requesting an immediate vote, one must focus one’s efforts on successfully arguing for the urgency of the motion, not just on the motion itself. Perhaps Tom Bangasser did so focus his efforts; unfortunately for him, he was unsuccessful. In any case, no one can fault any of the VMICC board members for voting responsibly on the matter of urgency. Any board member who felt the case for urgency had not been made, but then voted pro-urgency simply based on a large turnout, would have been disingenuous, at best.

For Vashon residents who attend a VMICC meeting specifically to vote on a single motion, if that motion has been presented as urgent, you must be prepared to have the matter of urgency fail and then return the following month to vote on the motion. If you are put out because you went to all the trouble to participate in local democracy and then didn’t get a chance to vote on your pet issue, your complaint should be with the motion maker: Either he should have been more persuasive in his argument, or he shouldn’t have presented the motion as urgent in the first place.

To blame board members for voting their consciences is misplaced, in my opinion.

— Roger Fulton

Gratitude

VIFR got baby to Children’s in time

We are so thankful to the amazing emergency medical response team on Vashon Island.

Minutes after the birth of our daughter in our home on Vashon, our midwives called 911 since our daughter appeared to have problems breathing. Shortly after, our daughter was airlifted to Children’s Hospital.

We were told by the team of doctors at Children’s Hospital (a fantastic team) that our daughter arrived at Children’s probably faster than if she had been born at a hospital or birth center in Seattle due to the immediate and quick response of Airlift Northwest and the expedient emergency services and team at Vashon Island Fire & Rescue (VIFR).

VIFR’s emergency response team drove our daughter to the airport on Vashon where Airlift Northwest took her via helicopter to Children’s. The emergency team notified the ferry system to hold the next boat and that our family would be catching the boat and driving to the hospital (no family members were allowed to be in the helicopter). The emergency team then came back to our house and reassured us as much as they could that our daughter was on her way to the hospital and was getting the care she needed.

Our daughter is now home and has recovered from this brief setback. We are forever grateful and feel blessed to live in a community with such amazing emergency medical services.

— Rebecca Alli Lanphear

Mike Kirk

Grateful for all he’s done

There are not enough words to express my gratitude for all that Mike Kirk has done as the McMurray Middle School principal, as a volunteer firefighter and as the assistant fire chief. His steady hand at these helms has always been hugely beneficial to us all. I wish him health and happiness in his well-earned retirement.

— Kate Hunter

The weather

It’s a matter of perspective

Since we can probably all use some lighter fare this season, I am forwarding the following “comparative weather reports” we received from our friends Rick Skillman and Sherene Zolno who have been entertaining their envious friends back home with regular dispatches about their travels in New Zealand:

“Here’s a typical November-December weather forecast for Seattle:

Monday: Some showers.

Tuesday: Light rain.

Wednesday: More rain.

Thursday: Steady rain.

Friday: Rain.

Saturday: Drizzle, with some sun breaks.

Here’s a typical November-December weather forecast for Wellington:

Monday: Fine, apart from one or two early morning showers.

Tuesday: Fine, apart from isolated morning showers.

Wednesday: Fine at first. Clouds increasing later in the morning with brief afternoon rain.

Thursday: Fine at first. Some drizzle possible in afternoon.

Friday: Brief early rain, then mainly fine.

Saturday: Few early showers, then fine.

So, everything is fine, fine, mainly fine or becoming fine. I think that’s the Kiwi version of looking at the bright side (even as you are being blown off the sidewalks in Wellington by the winds).”

— Edna Dam