I married into a pretty amazing family. And I'm not just saying that because my mother-in-law Jean, Jean, the Beauty Queen reads my blog more faithfully than anyone else and actually causes a stir if I don't post in a while. No, the Carey women are remarkable across the board. To wit, last month I posted a link to an interview my sister-in-law Julie Carey (Chris' older sister, for those keeping track) did with Obama preceding the Virginia primaries. Well, while one SIL is busy reporting the news in and around our nation's capital, another is busy making news in the Pacific Northwest. Chris' younger sister Amy Carey lives and works on Vashon Island, a beautiful little oasis just off Seattle where she is, among other things, a passionate environmental activist. She's been featured in her local and regional news quite a bit lately for her work in opposing the expansion of Glacier Northwest's gravel mining operations on teeny Maury Island, Vashon's neighbor. Recently, Amy was interviewed by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer last month and is featured in this clip from Channel Five although in the latter she is, oddly enough, not identified. It doesn't stop her from looking both smart and cappy and being, as is her style, dazzlingly well-informed and articulate. She could have used a little more air time, but I might be biased.
The issue at stake, for those who's curious, is the environmental impact the mine expansion will have on the ecosystems of both Maury and Vashon Islands, which Glacier Northwest and its proponents seem to be brushing off as both minor and temporary. Many residents of the islands feel quite differently, as you can imagine. You can learn more or get involved by visiting the website of Preserve Our Islands, of which Amy is president.