Nothing says “Summer!” on Vashon than the manic rush of events that accompanies these first few truly glorious weeks of sun.

This week’s hefty paper, for instance, contains a whopping five pages of arts coverage, including a smorgasbord of things to do this Friday, June 6. So too do we detail upcoming events like the Vashon Ultra, and of course, Strawberry Festival is nearly here, too.

You’ll also notice a change to our Happenings section. We’re moving it deeper into the paper to make our front page fresher and to make more room for all the things going on around the island. Stay tuned as we may continue to tinker with it a bit over the next few weeks.

The warm sun won’t last forever, so now’s a great time to start shopping locally at our island stores, farm stands and farmers market. It’s a time to patronize the arts and athletics. And it’s a time to be outside, either by volunteering with groups like the Land Trust, Nature Center or Park District, or simply by exploring all the natural areas out here that they help keep beautiful.

If you’re looking for ideas, start with Destination Vashon, which arrived in last week’s paper. Copies also circulate through island grocery stores and gas stations. Please feel free to stop by and grab a box outside The Beachcomber’s front door.

And once again, we are indebted to all the contributors who help our tiny team wrap our arms across the island. Thank you to the sportswriters, freelance journalists, columnists, photographers and our cartoonist, Michelle Lassaline, for filling the pages of the paper. We couldn’t do it without you, of course, but we never feel that way more than these summer months, when the rush of news and events feels never-ending.