Vashon

Vashon is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or VashOnMaury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census and the size is 36.9 square miles (95.6 km²) The island is connected to West Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula to the north and Tacoma to the south via the Washington State Ferries system. It is also known for its annual strawberry festival, former sheepdog trials, and agriculture. In the nearby Pacific Ocean lies the 700-mile (1,130 km) tectonic boundary known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and as such, it is at risk for earthquakes or related natural disasters. The potential of the zone could cause one of the worst natural disasters in the history of North America. The first nonNative American to explore and the first to chart this island was Captain George Vancouver, during his surveys of the PugetSound area with the British Royal Navy. The island was named on May 28, 1792, by Vancouver after his friend James Vasheson of the Royal Navy, and is located between Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. Up until the late 1700s, Vash on and Maury Islands were inhabited solely by American Indians, and there is evidence of human activity on VashON Island dating back 10,000 to 12,000 years.

History

Vashon Island sits in the midpoint of southern Puget Sound, between Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. In the nearby Pacific Ocean, roughly 170 miles (270 km) west of Vashon, lies the 700-mile (1,130 km) tectonic boundary known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone. There is evidence of human activity on Vash on Island dating back 10,000 to 12,000 years. The potential of the zone could cause one of the worst natural disasters in the history of North America. The first nonNative American to explore and the first to chart this island was Captain George Vancouver, during his surveys of the Pugets Sound area with the British Royal Navy. The island was named on May 28, 1792, by Vancouver after his friend James VashOn of the Royal Navy, and was later renamed Vash-Maury Island in honor of William Lewis Maury, an officer in the U.S. Exploring Expedition. European-Americans settled the island between 1865 and 1890, and the main economies on the island were fishing and logging. In 1890, Japanese Americans started growing strawberries for sale. This became an important part of the island economy during the next 50 years, until the Japanese American population was forcibly relocated into internment camps as a response to Japanese/American tension caused by WWII. During its operation, VashON College opened in the Burton section of VASHon. It burned down in 1910. By 1855-1856, the S'Homamish people were interned at Fox Island. During the peak years, ice cream, jam and preserve makers across the West were customers of Mukai.

Geography

The Vashon CDP has a total area of 80.8 square miles (209.3 km²) The island is separated from the Kitsap Peninsula by the Colvos Passage. The Dalco Passage separates the island from Tacoma to the south. Magnolia Beach, which had a post office from 1908 to 1953, and Raeco, with aPost office from 1907 to 1911, are neighborhoods of Vash on the island. The region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, VashOn has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. It is located in the Cascade Range of the Cascade Mountains. The highest point in the area is the summit of Mount Rainier, which is located on the eastern side of the island, at 4,856 feet (1,200 meters) above sea level. The lowest point is the base of the mountain, at 1,077 feet (337 meters), which is the lowest point of the chain. The island has an average annual temperature of 71.4 °F. The average annual rainfall is 1,854.3 millimeters (50.2 inches) The area experiences dry summers and warm summers. It has dry winters, with an average monthly temperature of 70.4°F (24.7°C).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,123 people, 4,193 households, and 2,838 families residing in the Vashon CDP. The median income for a household in the CDP was $58,261. The per capita income for the island was $31,983. The CDP ranks 32nd of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked according to per capita incomes. The population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 13. 1% who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40, and the average family size was2.86. The city's population was 93.61% White, 0.45% Black or African American, 1.70% Native American, and 0.56% Asian. It was 0.87% from other races and 2.75% from two or more races. It had a population density of 273.9 people per square mile (105.7/km²), with 4,867 housing units at an average density of 131.7 /sq mi (50.8/km 2) The median age was 44 years, with every 100 females having a median income of $50,201 versus $36,426 for females. For every 100 Females age 18 and over, there are 91.0 males.

Government

Vashon-Maury Island Community Council was a body whose purpose was to advise the King County Council on matters relating to Vashon and Maury Island. In 2013, it collapsed due to a requirement that it comply with the state's public records act and threats of lawsuits undermined the function of the organization. However, with the adoption of formal bylaws on June 15, 2020, a new group was formed as a non-profit to help island residents address important issues facing their community. The new group will be called the Vash on Maury Community Council and will be based on the island of Maury in King County, Washington. The council will be made up of island residents who have signed a petition calling for the incorporation of the two islands. The petition was signed by 448 of the island's 10,000 residents at the time. The group was then filed with King County Auditor and the petition was then submitted to the state. It was eventually approved by the state and the island was incorporated on July 1, 1994. The original petition was circulated by a committee for self-government on the islands in 1994. At the time only some 448 residents of about10,000 signed the petition which was then sent to the county auditor. The island was officially incorporated on August 1, 1995, and the council was formed on August 2, 1995. The first meeting of the community council was held on August 3, 1995 and the first bylaws were adopted on August 4, 1995 with the aim of helping the islanders address issues facing them.

Public safety

Vashon Fire is led by Matt Vinci and is a combination professional-volunteer department. There is one staffed station, Station 55, which houses a minimum staffing of three firefighter/EMTs and two King County paramedics. Station 55 contains four aid units, one engine, one quint, one brush truck, two water tenders, one boat, one ATV, and one support unit. The department is primarily funded by a property tax levy which last had a voter approved lid lift in 2017. There are some claims that the island is home to various drug houses, a claim which has caused the Vashon Youth & Family Services to offer substance abuse counseling as part of the regular assembly of social services.Homicide rates on the island are extremely low, with only two homicides reported in the last twenty years. In 2005 the Sheriff's Office investigated one rape, six assaults, and forty-nine burglaries, in 2006 they investigated three rapes, eight assaults,  and sixty-three burglaries.Major crimes on the Island include a serial rapist who operated from 2003 through 2010 until he was arrested and charged due to DNA evidence, and a police officer who plead guilty to incest and other sex crimes involving his underage stepdaughter. The island has an established emergency operations center manager who runs emergency drills with members of the community emergency response team (CERT) in order to provide the best response in times of emergencies such as earthquakes. The drills were established as routine through the group VashOnBePrepared, a nonprofit, FEMA-sanctioned coalition of disaster preparedness organizations that were previously established on theIsland.

Economy

The economy of Vashon Island is heavily based on residents commuting to Seattle and Tacoma. K2 Sports moved its manufacturing to China, and the Seattle's Best Coffee roastery operation was closed shortly after SBC was bought by Starbucks. Currently, the largest manufacturer is Pacific Research Laboratories, locally referred to as "The Bone Factory" There are at least three wineries that produce 100% locally produced wines and other alcoholic-based beverages. The island continues to observe the tradition of holding a Strawberry Festival every July. In certain areas like Dockton, a significant amount of private property was occupied and subsequently seized from Japanese-American citizens who farmed strawberries on that land until World War II, when they were moved to internment camps away from the island. In 2014 it was reported that the company Edipure was to purchase the old K2 ski plant to manufacture more than 60 marijuana-based snacks including crackers, candy and gummy bears. Despite the changes, the island still observes the traditionof holding a strawberry festival every July, which is held on the last Saturday of July. The festival is held in Dockton and is known as the "Strawberry Festival" The island is home to the Washington State Strawberry Festival, which was started by a group of local strawberry farmers in the 1950s. It is also home to a number of local wineries, some of which focus on developing perry, an alcoholic beverage derived from pear juice instead of grapes. There is also a large number of small farms that provide locals with fresh organic produce, milk, and eggs.

Infrastructure

There are no bridges to Vashon Island, so all access to the island is by sea or by air. Most travel on and off the island was planned in 1959, but was ultimately not funded. On September 10, 2016, on-island Sunday service returned to Vashingon. In 2019, it was reported that some 11.6% of families on the island had failed to vaccinate their children. In 2015, 23.1% of kindergartners in the Vasheson Island School District legally opted out of vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, varicella, and hepatitis B. The number, at the time, was five times the state average. In 2016, the island's medical clinic closed after CHI Franciscan Health had left the clinic, claiming financial concerns. A team of local doctors created their own response plan, dubbed the "Rural Test & Trace Toolkit", with the hopes of creating a model for other isolated communities. The island's rates of fully immunized students rose 31% over six years, from 56% to 74% as of the 2017-2018 school year; although still below the 95% target rate for the rest of the country. In 2020, Neighborcare Health pledged to open a new clinic later in the year, alleviating the issue of transporting patients to hospitals off the Island via the ferry, which can take upwards of three hours.

Education

Vashon Island has three public schools and two private schools. The Harbor School (grades 4 to 8) has 65 students enrolled as of September 2013. Carpe Diem Primary School (Kindergarten to 3rd grade) has 26 students enrolled. The Vashon School District provides three schools: Chautauqua Elementary, McMurray Middle School, and Vash on Island High School. There are two private school in the city, the Harbor School and Carpe diem Primary. The school district also provides a private school, the CarpeDiem School, for children in kindergarten to 8th grade. The district provides a high school for students in grades 9 to 12. The high school provides a middle school for grades 9-12. The public school provides two high schools for grades 13 and 14. The private school provides one high school and one private school for pupils in grades 13 to 14. It is located in the town's downtown area. The town is home to a number of small businesses, including a winery, a bakery, a bank, a restaurant, and a health care center. It has a population of about 2,000 people, with the majority of its residents living on the island. The city is located on the U.S. Navy base, which was built in the early 1900s. It also has a naval base, built in 1820. The island's population is about 1,500 people, and it is the largest island in the United States. It was the site of World War II.

Arts and culture

The annual studio tour was created in the late 1970s by some of the potters who lived on the island. The group now operates semi-annual tours of studios of local artists, classes, workshops, salons, exhibits, and social activities for artists. The island is home to a choral group established in 1989 under the name Island Singers, and now known as the Vashon Island Chorale. On the first Friday of every month, there is a gallery walk where the art galleries in town open for visitors. The group applied for non-profit status in 2015, and they were rebranded in February 2018 as the Vashon Island Visual Artists. They have a membership of around 300, with membership of the island's art community in general at around 2,000. The group was rebranded in February 2018 and they applied for non-profit status in 2015, with membership of the island artists in the group at around 300. The vashon island Visual Artists appeared on CNN.com's list of the world's most interesting places to visit in 2018, with a list of more than 100 destinations to visit. The list includes the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. The website is at: http://www.cnn.com/cnn/ 2018/01/29/vasheson-island-art-tour.html#storylink=cpy.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Vashon, King County, Washington = 36. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 60. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Vashon = 2.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 5,054 individuals with a median age of 47.2 age the population grows by 4.76% in Vashon, King County, Washington population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 288 residents per square mile of area (111.1/km²). There are average 2.36 people per household in the 4,471 households with an average household income of $72,225 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.70% of the available work force and has dropped -0.89% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 29.52%. The number of physicians in Vashon per 100,000 population = 334.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Vashon = 56.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 9.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 181. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 140. 76 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 31.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 71, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Vashon, King County, Washington which are owned by the occupant = 66.01%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 33 years with median home cost = $404,610 and home appreciation of -7.84%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $10.66 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,403 per student. There are 17.7 students for each teacher in the school, 348 students for each Librarian and 401 students for each Counselor. 6.48% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 29.11% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 19.16% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).