Archive for January, 2009
Vashon Island Event: A Winter Feast for the Soul
A Winter Feast for the Soul is a 40-day worldwide event to practice peace for 40 minutes a day from January 15 to February 23, 2009. 
There is an active group on Vashon whose organizers are supporting this event with a series of seven events, each on Monday evening from 7 to 9 pm at the Land Trust Building, where five different spiritual practices will be featured. The opening celebration will be on January 12th from 7 to 9 pm. Further information can be found at www.winterfeastforthesoul.com
December 2008 Real Estate Statistics for King County, WA
December 2008 South King Real Estate Statistics
December 2008 King County Real Estate Statistics
Our friends at Commonwealth Title have compiled a statistical comparison of closed sales on single family homes and condominiums in the Seattle area. Simply open the PDFs for details.
NOTE: there are TWO reports here, one for King and one for South King County
Think Green: Starting anew with COMPASSION
When you look back at the preceding year, it’s easy to allow your mind to begin assessing what you accomplished or failed to accomplish; what you did right and what you vow to never, ever repeat. The following question is one that I know will be relevant to each and every one of you. The question is “What lives between right and wrong?” The short answer to that is one you may not have considered. The answer is REALITY.
Reality represents those infinite shades of gray that will ALWAYS exist between right and wrong. Actually, there’s an even more provocative question to consider. And that is: What would it take for you to be happy with the REALITY of your present life? How is it that you could embrace your current experience with both arms; the life that is flawed but true and firmly nestled between where you’ve been and where you’re going?
If you’re waiting for the pressing realities of life to evaporate, then I invite you to simply accept that they won’t. If you’re straining to cross everything off your list, then just know that lists never end. This means that happiness is INSIDE of you, free from the uncontrollable life OUTSIDE of you. In other words, being happy with your life right now is about being at choice in life instead of having command over it. With such heavy influences affecting us globally and individually, I’m suggesting that you allow the desire to EVALUATE, FIX, or CHANGE to give way to the power of compassion.
As you consider that, I want to highlight an underlying paradigm that likely affects your thinking without you even being aware of it. By that I mean that we live in an “Either/Or” consciousness. And the more aware of either/or thinking you become, the more you’ll notice how that pattern shows up again and again. It’s right or wrong, good or bad, rich or poor, ally or enemy. The pervasiveness of that pattern didn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s everywhere you look and with very good reason.
The purpose of that paradigm in our society is plain; its effect is to polarize individuals, communities, and even countries. But either/or thinking isn’t necessarily the result of harmful intent. It continues on in each of us that have fallen under the spell of scarcity. Either/or thinking is the spawn of scarcity consciousness because it maintains the myth that resources are finite and that your very survival depends on getting your piece of the pie.
That way of thinking is to imply that the world is a place of HAVE or HAVE NOT and that competition is the best, or even the only, solution. Think about it… how does the either/or paradigm influence foreign policy? How does it affect your personal policy? You see, there is a third way. It’s the path of compassion. Compassion exists beyond competition for it’s rooted in your heart.
Choosing from and acting upon compassion means to engage the most evolved part of your mind. That part of your brain is called the neocortex which is most highly developed in humankind. It’s beyond the limbic or primitive part of your brain which is concerned with life and death. Life and death is the quintessential indicator that someone is operating from scarcity and from either/or consciousness.
And here’s the really beautiful part: because you’re capable of conscious thought, you ultimately decide which part of your brain you’d like to live from. YOU get to choose the road you take in life. At each new intersection there are three possibilities. To the left of you is prejudice and judgment. To the right of you is tolerance and forgiveness. And then there’s a third way of compassion, community and communication.
It’s a lovely experience to remain centered in your heart where there’s no need for blame. Compassion is the essence of creation. Without it, you will not heal yourself or your relationships. Without compassion, you will not transform your reverie into reality.
It’s the words of Dan Millman:
“The universe does not judge us; it only provides consequences and lessons and opportunities to balance and learn through the law of cause and effect. Compassion is the recognition that we are each doing the best we can within the limits of our current beliefs and capacities.”
My challenge to you is to begin noticing where either/or thinking is showing up in your life. See if you can find its source. And most importantly, use your creativity to explore the third path so that the road of compassion is the one you travel most.
Vashon Island Art & Music Event: Cafe Luna presents The Side Project
Cover charge: FREE
Event Details: Saturday, January 10th, 7:30 PM
This group combines the lyrical, provocative singing and piano of Suzie Bradford, and, the bass and synthesizer of Ben Bradford. The results are, what’s been called, “disarmingly beautiful” music. Suzie Bradford’s provocative style paired with sensitive yet intricate 
lyricism, has established her as something genuinely unique and refreshing. Inspired by singers like Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan & Aimee Mann, this Washington born singer/songwriter developed her own style with the help of years of vocal/choir training.
Delving deep into the artful side of music, Suzie, Ben, & band will often include mixed-media into their shows, featuring live paintings, photography, sculpture, video & silent films. Any one performance may feature a gamut of collaborative artists & musicians.
Vashon Island’s Red Bicycle Bistro: Hobson Person Trio, Kore Ionz,
Friday January 9 at 9 pm – 21 +
The Jim Hobson/Richard Person Trio have performed jazz together for decades. Joining them will be singer Lauri Hennessey.
Saturday, January 10 at 9:30 PM – 21+
Kore Ionz will bring a mix of roots, reggae and rock to the Bike. The group is known for it high energy grooves as well as a commitment to social justice.
Letter from Vashon Island: Glacier Mining Protest and Civil Disobedience
In “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience (1849)” Henry David Thoreau argued that the individual, who grants the State its power in the first place, must follow the dictates of conscience in opposing unjust laws.
On Sunday, January 4, approximately five hundred residents of Vashon and Maury Islands rallied in opposition to the operation of the Glacier gravel mining project. The community turnout was extraordinary on several levels. These protesters, young and old, interrupted their lives and spent their precious time to come out into the cold to demonstrate their dismay with Glacier’s exploitation of the Island’s environment.
The turnout was a response to a last minute call via a network of email and telephone lists by the Backbone Campaign and Preserve Our Islands, among others. With the total population of Vashon-Maury Islands at approximately 11,000 residents, a turnout of 500 intrepid souls, roughly 5% of the Islands’ population is a dramatic showing of public opposition to the Glacier operation.
It is a rule of thumb that legislators gauge public support for or opposition to an issue by multiplying the number of actual letters received on a topic. In this case, the representative interest of rally participants who came out in person on a January afternoon is worthy of a much greater multiplier. On Monday 14 legislators sent a letter to Governor Gregoire asking her to suspend and possibly overturn the state lease issued by the Department of Natural Resources.
It was heartening to see King 5 news cover the rally with a significant and sympathetic item in the evening news. Further, King 5 noted pointedly that Glacier officials refused to comment on the ongoing opposition to the project. This writer has found that a “refusal to comment” frequently means that there is no reasonable response available.
“If you are a young person looking at the future of this planet and look at what is being done right now, and not done, I believe we have reached the stage where it is time for civil disobedience. . . . ” – Nobel Peace Prize Winner Al Gore
On Friday, January 2, a number of Vashon and Maury Islanders, young adults, mothers with babies, seniors, performed an act of thoughtful and peaceful civil disobedience by chaining themselves across the main entrance to the Glacier site, obliging Glacier employees to park their cars and walk down to their work place. These young protesters were warmly applauded during the Sunday rally . It is clear that these demonstrators, who risked incarceration and other adverse consequences by directly confronting Glacier employees, were strongly supported by their 500 community members.
Which brings me to this. On the heels of the revelations of outgoing Commissioner Doug Sutherland’s acceptance of a $50,000 contribution to his re-election campaign by Glacier interests, the December 31 issue of the Beachcomber ran an “analysis” of Governor Gregoire’s continuing connections to players in the Glacier lobbying team. As pointed out in the Beachcomber, Gregoire’s voice has been noticeably absent on the issues at hand other than communicating through intermediaries that she wants the permit to be procedurally valid. Between Sutherland and Gregoire, Washington’s laws against State officials engaging in acts that have the “appearance of impropriety” appear to have bearing.
The question that comes to mind is whether and when the non-responsiveness of elected officials to the will and welfare of the people justifies an escalation of civil disobedience to prevent a further insult to the people and natural resources of Puget Sound.
There is certainly evidence that Glacier’s permit to operate was a sweetheart deal, if based on nothing less than the fact that their barged equipment was in place a scant few hours after Sutherland issued the permit. The logistics of placing that barge require much more time. Reasonable minds cannot disagree that Glacier was tipped off in order to facilitate their obligation to finish construction prior to the mid-January construction deadline. Further, the permit to operate costs Glacier a mere $1500 per annum.
Further, the absence of Gregoire’s official presence in this controversy, along with the evidence of adverse political interests, has created a vacuum in the policy debate. For a Governor who created the Puget Sound Partnership with the mission to protect and restore the natural resources of Puget Sound, her absence from this debate is unconscionable.
This writer believes that thoughtful and peaceful civil disobedience is justified when the decisional processes of the government stops making rational sense or is completely absent in a public policy debate pertaining to the welfare of the people. Further, where the application of government power is contrary to the best interests of the electorate and flies in the face of independent science, civil disobedience is the last available recourse.
“The Maury Island Blockaders” have invited others who care about this issue to join them.
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”- Mohandus Ghandi.
Chip Lamason
“Civil disobedience is the inherent right of a citizen to be civil, implies discipline, thought, care, attention and sacrifice”. – Mohandus Ghandi.
Vashon Island Blue Heron Art Center: Hans Araki-Celtic Flute
On Saturday, January 10, Hans Araki will play Celtic flute and vocals with a group at Vashon’s Blue Heron Art Center at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $13 for VAA members , seniors and students and $15 general admission. For more information call 463-5151.
Araki is a sixth generation Japanese shakahachi flute player. His love for Irish music comes from his mother’s side. Araki is a former member of the Canadian Celtic rock group The Paperboys and has also played with the Seattle Symphony.
The concert will feature all new material.
Coming Events on Vashon Island…
The Vashon Computer Club will meet tat the Senior Center at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, January 14th. The focus for the session will be on image sizing and how to handle various images for emailing, printing and so forth. Admission: FREE
Grief Support group forming… if you’re coping with a death and need support in your journey, a grief specialist from the Providence Hospice of Seatle will offer a six week session from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday evenings starting on January 7th. The meetings are located at the JG Commons complex. For more information or to register call Jane Fleming at 206.749.7704
Want to write or illustrate children’s books? Books By The Way invites authors and artists to meet on Thursday, January 8th at 7 p.m. For details call 463.5255
“The Sound of Human Longing: Field Notes for an Environmental Ethic of Care” will be the topic of a public speach given by naturalist and writer Kathleen Moore on Tuesday Jan. 13th at 7 pm at the United Methodist Church.
Vashon Island Movie Event: Lunavision presents ‘Thirst! Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water?’
Thursday, January 8th, 7 PM
Cost: FREE
Produced and directed by Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman,“Thirst” 
had its US premiere at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina, has been shown at numerous film festivals and has won numerous prizes. In addition, it was screened in Congress in the fall of 2004 and its national broadcast premiered that same year. In January 2005, it was aired at the World Social Forum.
Letter from Vashon: The Vashon Maury Community Food Bank
I have always preferred to live in a small community where, if I did not know a neighbor’s name, I knew their face, and always felt comfortable starting a conversation. Perhaps this is due to growing up in a small town where neighbors were treated as part of an extended family. Perhaps it is also due to my parents’ efforts to bring our community together several times a year to share stories and keep in touch.
Today, December 31, the Beachcomber, our weekly paper, reports that the Vashon Maury Community Food Bank’s shelves are fully stocked again, after a precipitous drop in their supplies several weeks ago, apparently directly related to the economic turmoil the region and country is facing. The paper reports that support has been “creative and community-wide.”
The recovery of the Food Bank is one of the reasons I am so proud of this community. There is a shared culture here of taking care of our neighbors in need, and despite the economic pinch we are all feeling, the willingness to give is uplifting.
I write business articles on the state of the economy and particularly the housing market. A continuing theme has been the pandemic of fear that permeates the country, resulting in consumers hoarding assets even when they have the means to participate in our consumer-based economy. The health of the Food Bank belies that emotional fear and gives me hope that these troubled economic times will be met with determination and compassion.
Chip Lamason
Vashon Island Music Event: A New Year’s Concert – Chamber Music 1800
On Tuesday, January 6 at 7:30 pm, Salish Sea Concerts presents Martin Bonham on cello, violinist and violist Stephen Creswell, and flautist Jeffrey Cohan, in a concert of “Chamber Music from 1800.” The musicians play period instruments to perform music by colleagues of Mozart and Haydn. The performance will be held at the Vashon United Methodist Church.
The trio’s repertoire includes unpublished compositions from the Library of Congress and the Danish National Library.
A free-will donation of $15 is suggested. Youth 18 and under are admitted free. For more information call 463-9804.
Vashon Island Housing Market News: The State of the Economy
On December 24, 2008, the National Association of Realtors released its report on the surge in mortgage applications and home refinancing applications for the preceding week.
Mortgage Applications
· The Mortgage Loan Application Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, rose 48 percent from a week earlier to the level of 1245. Refinance applications surged 62.6 percent in one week. Purchase applications increased 10.6 percent.
Comment: While the application volume surged in the wake of federal government industry bailout activity, the actual numbers of loans issued has NOT been reported. The actual loans issued are expected to be constrained significantly by more rigorous lending standards adopted by lenders. NARs believes that a surge in applications represents a step toward home price stabilization. However, the nexus between applications and prices is attenuated. A better indicator of market stabilization will be an actual correlation between applications and loans made.
Personal Income and Consumption
· Personal income fell more than expected, a decline of 0.2% in November, after increasing 1% in October.
· Consumption fell 0.6% after falling 1% the prior month. Consumer spending is the driver of economic growth. It accounts for more than two-thirds of the nation’s gross domestic product. Deteriorating economic conditions, including the recent credit crunch, have squeezed consumer credit, leaving them with less to spend on retail goods.
· The savings rate rose to 2.8% in November, the largest level since May when the tax rebate lifted income.
Comment: As indicated by the NARs data, personal income fell less than spending, meaning that consumers are saving money, a significant factor in consumer capacity to finance home purchases. The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the 2.8% savings rate represents an increase of 0.4% over October’s data. Savings data represents a solid note of improvement in consumer economic fundamentals.
A difficulty, as noted by the December 30 Seattle Times, is that banks are also saving to build up their capital as a protection against losses, meaning that federal bailout money is not being passed along to consumers and is not effectively stabilizing the housing market.
More to come . . .
Statistical data, unless other wise noted, is subject to the copyright of the National Association of REALTORS®, and reprinted with permission. Comments and analysis are provided by Go! Real Estate.
Vashon Island Housing Market News: Fresh Economic Analysis
The National Association of Realtors released its analysis of Standard&Poor’s Case-Shiller Index of home prices on December 30, which is an index of 20 major U.S. cities and shows an 18% drop nationally from October 2007 to October 2008. As we have noted in previous articles here, the national figures do not accurately reflect the micro-home markets which are critical to an analysis of local home sales. The strengths of Seattle’s housing market relative to the national market have been discussed in other articles here. However, the S&P figures are useful; as general indices of trends.
The corresponding NAR Existing Home Sales (EHS) report issued last month showed a yearly decline of 11.3 percent over the same October time period. It is important to note that the Case-Shiller Index coverage of 20 major U.S. cities is somewhat biased toward markets that have suffered the most in this economic crisis, while the NAR index is a true national survey. Further, Case-Shiller weights higher-priced homes which tends to skew their results. The NAR index covers all sectors of the market. Readers should be aware of the biases of the indices before basing investment decisions on the reports. The two indices are useful to the extent that they specifically identify the price sector in which an interested buyer or seller may be interested.
By way of a caveat emptor, Case-Shiller reports a monthly drop in prices between September and October of -2.2 percent; the corresponding NAR number was -4.2 percent. However, both numbers are relatively meaningless—changes in market mix, yearly purchasing patterns, and index timing render monthly comparisons of very limited accuracy in terms of reporting actual experience or predicting future trends.
Finally, as food for thought, the NAR report forecasts that Gross Domestic Product in the fourth quarter of 2008 will be down -5.8%, and that 2009 will begin the first quarter with a GDP decline of -2.0%. The NAR forecasts that the unemployment rate by mid-2009 will be 8.2%. The NAR predicts that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate by mid-2009 will be 5.2%.
Statistical information is subject to the copyright of the National Association of REALTORS®, and reprinted with permission. Analysis is provided by Go Real Estate.
The National Association of Realtors released its analysis of Standard&Poor’s Case-Shiller Index of home prices on December 30, which is an index of 20 major U.S. cities and shows an 18% drop nationally from October 2007 to October 2008. As we have noted in previous articles here, the national figures do not accurately reflect the micro-home markets which are critical to an analysis of local home sales. The strengths of Seattle’s housing market relative to the national market have been discussed in other articles here. However, the S&P figures are useful; as general indices of trends.Vashon Island Great Books Discussion Group: The Road to Serfdom
The Vashon Island Great Books Discussion Group will discuss Planning and Democracy from “The Road to Serfdom” by Friedrich Hayek. The discussion will be held on January 5 at the Vashon Library at 7 pm. All are welcome. For more information call 463-2069.
Vashon Island Events: Miscellaneous – Folk Dance, Dance& Drum, Zen Meditation
Afro-Brazilian Drum and Dance Classes
RhythmJoy commences a new session of Afro-Brazilian drum instruction and dancing onMonday, January 5 at 6:30 pm. Drum students are given an opportunity to apply what they have learned to the dance portion of the program. Students may bring a friend for free for the first class. Dance classes start at 7:30. The cost is $64 for the four week session or $18 to drop in. No experience is needed and instruments are provided. The drum class is taught by Geoff Johns and the dance class by Carol Lutra Johns.
Folk Dance
Martin Koenig, sponsored by the Vashon Folkdancers, will offer a series of 8 folk dance classes, held on consecutive Monday evenings between 7 and 9 pm at Havurat Ee Shalom. The classes start January 5 and end February 23. The Balkan line and circle dance classes range from simple to moderately complex. Fees are $80 for individuals and $40 for students for the series. For more info call 463-1238.
Zen Meditation
The Vashon Buddhist Insight Group meets every Monday from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Zen Center at 20406 Chatauqua Beach Road. All who are interested are welcome.
Vashon Island Library: Opera Preview
Opera Preview: George Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers” will be presented at 2 pm on Sunday January 4 at the Vashon Island Library. Lecturer Norm Hollinghead will discuss the ”hothouse” opera and its history predating Bizet’s “Carmen.” The story speaks of a love triangle set in exotic Ceylon, and the duet is a favorite of opera buffs. For more information, call 463-2069.
Think Green: Despair or Dream for the New Year?
As we enter a new year in the shadows of global economic upheaval and wide-spread political violence, it may seem a rather difficult time in which to consider your own, deeply-held dreams and how you might go about realizing those aspirations amidst so much discord and doubt. What will it take to have you allow yourself to entertain your dreams?
Are you waiting for world peace or the end of the financial crisis? The reality is that NOW is the perfect time to carefully imagine the life you’ve truly been waiting to live and the person you’ve longed to become. Indeed, this is not the time for despairing but for dreaming… and dreaming BIG! Without first conceiving what you want mentally, how will it ever become reality? I believe that it is, in fact, our collective duty to dream ourselves into something better, something more authentic and lasting. It’s a matter of recognizing that as a civilization, we can no longer afford to go about living our lives while our dreams may be dying in the process. So, what can you do to give your dreams the life-giving energy they require if they are ever to become a reality?
Well, if you’re like most people, you may already be running full speed ahead and the thought of doing more in hopes of reaching your goal only lends itself to your sense of overwhelm. That scenario is typical of the cycle of negative thinking that’s common in our mutli-tasking society.
Such cycles begin with a feeling of OVERWHELM which is a symptom of scarcity consciousness that expresses itself as “I cannot do enough, be enough, or accomplish enough”. The busyness of life perpetuates the belief that, when you have satisfied others and when you have completed your endless incompletions, that your energy and focus will be redirected toward your dreams. It begins with recognizing that that is not so, and never will be.
If what I’m describing to you rings a bell, it suggests that you have a significant chance to prevent discouragement from turning into the hopelessness related to our growing epidemic of depression. This is an opportunity you definitely do NOT want to miss. Feeling hopeless is just that, a feeling based on your interpretation of circumstances. It’s not to say that HOPE doesn’t exist for you, but only that your awareness is out of alignment with what’s actually possible for your life.
In fact, optimism is a perspective which is critical to keep in mind once you understand that your dreams will either live or die by your own choosing. So, why choose hopelessness when it has such grave consequences?
A study by the American Heart Association shows the direct effects of psychological well-being on our bodies. It identifies hopelessness as “a strong, independent predictor of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality in American populations”. Heart disease, as you know, is a leading cause of death in the U.S. Having said that, you can see that keeping your dreams alive may indeed keep YOU alive!
So, you ask, what medicine will cure the dying dream? Imagination of course! It’s time to return to envisioning your future. Dreams have been described as Sleeping Visions. But dreaming is best accomplished not in a passive way, as while sleeping, but in an active and proactive fashion. It’s what I call Dynamic Dreaming.
So, let’s do some dynamic dreaming right here and now by taking the following quiz:
1. “Where have your dreams gone?”
Begin by considering the distinction between vacancy and dormancy. That dreams die altogether is an illusion. In other words, you may have allowed them to fade into the invisible realm yet there remain countless opportunities to re-vive your dreams by breathing them back to life. Breathing life into anything is the definition of inspiration. It’s a matter of identifying and incorporating those inspirational sources, such a people, books, poetry and art, that literally energize you and your dreams.
2. “How have you been willing to compromise your dreams?”
What priorities have you been living by? And how have those priorities served you? When answering these questions, it may be helpful to hold your wish list against a list of what you deeply value and notice if there are any apparent contradictions.
3. “What dream do you now choose to resurrect?”
Start with a single dream. If you’re unclear, think first about what you presently desire as old dreams may no longer be valid in your current life. Make certain these dreams originate from you, and not from others whom you wish to please.
4. “Where does your desire come from?”
Understanding the origin of your aspirations will provide you a stronger grasp of how to bring them to fruition. In truth, it’s about getting really intimate with what you desire in a way that forms a never-ending relationship between you and the future experiences you long for. The origins of the word desire (to “long for or wish for”) are inspiring all by themselves. They point to an 11th century Latin phrase meaning “to await what the stars will bring”. What a beautiful image to hold as you look skyward and reconnect with what longs to be alive in you.
5. “Will you let yourself DESIRE again?”
Desire is the quiet song of hope that never completely fades. It’s an underlying yet powerful force that motivates you day after day, even when your actions don’t answer that desire directly. It’s that sound you hear at night, lying in the dark; the voice that, when ignored, begins to hassle and haunt you to take action towards conceiving and eventually birthing what will never be if you don’t first choose to it to be.
In the words of former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt:
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered with failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat.”
Until next time, I wish a very Happy 2009!
