Inspired Island

In this episode, Grace sits down with Captain Marsha Morse, one of the most experienced ferry captains in Washington State. Captain Morse was one of the very first women to be hired by Washington State Ferries, working her way up from an entry-level position in the 70s. Join us to hear how it was Captain Morse’s horse that led her both to Vashon Island and into this unique career, and how working on the ferries gives her a front row view of Puget Sound nature and wildlife. Marsha shares interesting tales from the water, what a typical day as a ferry captain looks like, and what’s on the horizon for her as she approaches retirement (hint: she’ll stay busy!).

Inspired Island is back after a long hiatus!!  In this episode, we sit down with Kate Dowling. As Executive Director of Voice of Vashon, Kate manages the day-to-day operations of our beloved community radio station. Kate’s story takes us across the world, from her childhood in Canada, to adventures in Europe as an au pair, to San Antonio, to traveling around Asia for her job at Starbucks. Join us to hear the serendipitous way she met her American husband on a German street, the history behind her Vashon house, and why Kate loves the VoV community!

After a winter hiatus, we're back with an exciting new interview! Captain Joe Wubbold is well-known on Vashon for being a guardian, historian, and educator for our historic Point Robinson lighthouse. Captain Joe had a long and distinguished career with the U.S. Coast Guard, where he commanded six different ships and served as Chief of Operations for the 13th Coast Guard District (including the Pacific Northwest). But Captain Joe hasn't slowed down in retirement! Join us to hear why Captain Joe spent years at Cambridge University after he retired from the Coast Guard, how a single cat was central to his decision to buy a home on Vashon, and why he recently started his own VoV show, "From the Captain's Chair"!

In this episode, we meet Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma! Tom is married to last week's guest, David Mielke, and together they are preparing to premiere their show, "Gaybaret: An Offering of Story and Song" on November 22 at Vashon Center for the Arts. Tom is an author, poet, translator, teacher, magician, and musician. His first book of poems, The Safety of Edges, was published earlier this year. Tom tells us how spending time in India inspired him to study the Tamil language, and sparked a deep passion for words and poetry. Join us to hear how Tom spent years studying poetry before writing his own, why he loves living in a yurt, and what people can expect from "Gaybaret"!

Tom's website: https://thomaspruiksma.com

In this episode, we meet David Mielke! David and his husband Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma are performing their original show "Gaybaret" at Vashon Center for the Arts from November 22 to 24, 2019. David is a professional actor, having appeared in both film and television and creating and performing one-person shows. Join us to hear how one amazing teacher changed David's life and helped him overcome a traumatic childhood, and what it was like for David being a gay actor in Los Angeles during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. David tells us about his journey to become his authentic self, how he met Tom, and what it's like to create and perform together.

Gaybaret website: https://vashoncenterforthearts.org/event/gaybaret/2019-11-22/

Cozy Grammar website: https://www.cozygrammar.com

In this episode, we meet Israel and Sue Shotridge! You may know Sue and Israel as owners of the Raven's Nest gallery here on Vashon Island. Israel is a celebrated Tlingit artist and master carver, and Sue manages their businesses. Join us to hear how Sue and Israel fell in love, and how Israel's mother's passion for preserving the Tlingit language is a source of inspiration for them both. Sue and Israel share the stories behind Israel's famous totem poles, why they love sharing cultural knowledge through art, and even perform some special songs for VoV listeners!

Shotridge Studios: https://shotridgenativeamericanart.com

In this episode, we meet Bruce Haulman! As a historian and educator, Bruce has spent years digging into Vashon's history - from prehistoric time to today. Bruce has authored many publications, including the popular book "A Brief History of Vashon Island." But Bruce doesn't only study Vashon's past; he's very involved in our community here and now. Join us to hear how growing up in D.C. helped foster Bruce's appreciation of history, and learn about his unique academic pursuits (spoiler: movies are involved!). Bruce shares some of the highlights of Vashon's history and his personal passions for connecting people and being on the water!

Bruce's Vashon history website: http://www.vashonhistory.com

Vashon Heritage Museum: https://vashonheritagemuseum.org

In this episode, we meet Joseph Bogaard! As the Executive Director of the Save Our Wild Salmon coalition, Joseph advocates to restore a healthy wild salmon population in the Pacific Northwest. Doing so is not only important for economic and cultural reasons, but we also need more salmon to feed the critically endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. Joseph tells us how his love for the natural world earned him a special childhood nickname, and why advocacy drew him to the Pacific Northwest as a young adult. Join us to learn all about wild salmon and what we can do to save them!

Save our Wild Salmon's website: https://www.wildsalmon.org

In this episode, we meet Maridee Bonadea! Maridee is a mover and shaker behind the scenes at the Vashon Heritage Museum’s exhibit “IN AND OUT: Being LGBTQ on Vashon Island” (through March 2020) and the "Queer Film Festival" she's been putting together. Maridee grew up in a military family, but found herself drawn to the world of social activism at an early age. Join us to hear about some of Maridee's many adventures, including her time as a young activist in NYC, a cross-country bike trip to Seattle, and spending time in Mali with the Peace Corps! Maridee shares why she decided to attend college later in life, how she got involved with the Vashon Heritage Museum, and chats about her latest project: a memoir!

Maridee's blog: https://marginsofthe.blogspot.com

In this episode, we meet Gib Dammann of Zero Waste Vashon! Gib is a professional architect with a passion for reducing waste on Vashon. Gib is a co-founder and current president of Zero Waste Vashon, a group working to make the island a model green community. Gib shares stories from his childhood growing up behind a UVA fraternity house and how he took an interest in both architecture and clean energy at an early age. Join us to hear what Zero Waste Vashon is up to, and why Gib thinks Vashon is a good "petri dish" for experimentation!

Gib's architectural design company: https://dammanndesign.com

Zero Waste Vashon: http://zerowastevashon.org