One year ago, the name of our little blog, The Vashon Observer, quietly took root. There was no ribbon cutting or grand announcement, just a steady intention to pay attention. To notice what happens here, to write it down with care, and to give the island a place where moments big and small could live side by side. A year later, that intention feels tested, strengthened, and very much alive.
In the last year, the Observer settled into its role as a civic witness. Some of the most poignant stories were not easy ones, but they mattered because they reflected the real conversations happening at kitchen tables, on ferry decks, and in community meetings. The piece on Thunderbird Treatment Center and a divided island asked readers to sit with discomfort and complexity, capturing how deeply people care even when they disagree. Similarly, the coverage of an oil spill raising questions reflected a shared anxiety about stewardship and responsibility in a place defined by water.
Other stories reminded us how interconnected we are beyond the shoreline. Reporting on the expanded Fauntleroy ferry terminal put long term infrastructure changes into local context, helping islanders understand what is coming and why it matters to daily life. When the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a man in local waters, the Observer slowed the news cycle just enough to honor both urgency and gratitude, grounding a dramatic moment in human scale.
Not all of the year was heavy. One of the most joyful and widely shared pieces explored a James Beard Award winning chef’s deep connection to Vashon, a reminder that creativity and food often tell the most intimate stories about place. Another early feature, now often revisited, captured the quiet character of the island itself, setting the tone for what the Observer would become.
After a year, the Vashon Observer is less about headlines and more about continuity. It is about showing up, listening closely, and writing with respect for nuance. The past year proved that there is room for thoughtful, steady storytelling here. The next year will simply keep doing the work, one carefully observed moment at a time.
Author: Vashon Island
Vashon is an Island located between Tacoma and West Seattle. This account manages the vashon-maury.com website full on useful information for residents and visitors of the Island.
