“Suicide Prevention” curriculum in the schools sounds like a good idea, but it faces a huge hurdle.
I’d like to commend the school district’s recent recognition of the state of our young people (“Schools begin wide suicide prevention effort,” Dec. 17). One thing still worries me, however: the use of the term “at-risk students.”
As Friends of Vashon Pool, we thank the Vashon Park District for agreeing last Tuesday to consider budgeting for a four-week extension of the summer swimming season. We believe the most important impact is that the extra weeks overlap the school year. School district officials tell us they are eager to develop academic, physical education and after-school sports programs around the pool.
My sincere thanks to the Vashon community for showing support for me after a nasty fall from my horse in September along 220th Street (“Woman seriously injured when car spooks horse,” Sept. 17).
I often walked home from The Beachcomber when I worked there, and on one night, I headed home in a downpour, walking in the road to avoid the ponds forming on the sidewalks. It was after midnight, a Monday night. I was the only soul around.
Although I applaud the work of the Vashon Maury Health Collaborative (“Group seeks innovative solution to local health care challenges,” Nov. 19), the real concern facing delivery of medical care on Vashon is low and inadequate reimbursement from insurance and Medicare
Recently, government programs are being expected to pay for themselves. Ferries should be supported by users, buses by riders, parks by visitors. “Self-supporting” programs don’t cost taxpayers money, and that’s good, right?
Julie Speidel’s erratics are haunting 3-D images of massive stones once supported and transported here by ice (“Local sculptor draws on geology as her works dot the country,” Nov. 12). Those objects and her metallic visions of them are now resting on warm ground that is becoming warmer.
As I heard the news of the school shooting at Marysville, I found myself thinking, once again, how we can keep our community safe from this type of disaster. Clearly this is a multi-faceted problem of our generation, and I applaud any and all efforts to address the problem at its roots.
I never thought I would vote against a school issue, but I will vote no on Initiative I-1351.
As an island native, I am very encouraged by Wendy Wharton’s efforts to make sure kids and teens on Vashon are safe during the dark winter months (“Islander seeks funds to light up kids and teens on the island’s dark roads,” Oct. 15). It is unique to find such a community where individuals truly care about one other, especially between generations. With winter rolling in quickly, this issue is important for everyone on Vashon.
Thank you so much for the excellent reporting on the pool and the support of your editorial. (“Friends group forms around vision for the pool” and “Pool group is young, but its motivation is right,” Oct. 8)
I spent most of the last year working as the lead advocate at The DoVE Project. As I leave my position, I wanted to come forward and share a bit about my experience working as a domestic violence advocate