What’s Happening April 16 – 23

Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 16, 2020

Pandemic lecture Friday

Join the Vashon Heritage Museum a 1 p.m. on Friday, April 17, on Zoom for a Vashon Senior Center/Vashon Heritage Museum talk called “The 1918 Influenza Pandemic: Stories of Vashon, Puget Sound, and the United States.”

The password to join the meeting is 976834.

Islander Nancy Bristow, professor of history at the University of Puget Sound, and author of “American Pandemic: The Lost Worlds of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic,” and Bruce Haulman, a retired professor of history at Green River College, and author of “A Brief History of Vashon,” will talk about the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918, its impact on the United States, on Puget Sound, and on Vashon Island.

Be a Vashon historian

Help the Vashon Library preserve the stories of islanders for future generations. Islanders of all ages are invited to submit writing, poetry, art, or other mediums of self-expression as Vashon weathers the COVID-19 pandemic.

How are you feeling? How has your life changed because of the novel coronavirus? Vashon Library staff will compile the submissions received into a document to be added to the library’s special collections.

Digital creations (typed writing or photos of originals) may be emailed to Amelia Lincoln Ecevedo at aalincoln@kcls.org. If desired, physical copies of art may be withheld until the library reopens to be included in the collection in their original form. Those interested in contributing are asked to keep their submissions within the confines of an 8.5×11 page, although smaller sizes are acceptable. Please include the name of writers and artists who created the piece and any other information necessary to attach to the submission.

WIC program services remain open

The WIC program, serving low income pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children to age five, is open by phone to new and existing clients. Please call the White Center Public Health phone number at 206-477-0002 to connect with services. Please see kingcounty.gov/clinics for qualifying information.

Makerspace receives grant

The Vashon Makerspace, an umbrella organization of Vashon Tool Library and Vashon Fix-It Cafe, was recently awarded a $3,000 grant by the King County CSA program to design and build a set of four 3-bin recycling stations constructed of local wood for key public spaces within the business areas of Vashon.

This year, the county had a $90,000 CSA grant budget and received 62 proposals totaling $204,000. Partner organizations to bring the recycling stations to fruition are being identified, and a committee is being formed. Those who are interested in contributing their skills and volunteering their time to help are asked to contact info@vashonmakerspace.org.

Alzheimer’s support group meeting remotely

The Vashon Alzheimer’s Association caregiver support group will gather by conference call from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22. The Washington State chapter of the organization is also offering free, interactive webinars to help families facing dementia. Call Regina Lyons at (206) 355-3123 for details.

Free pet food

Pandora’s Box will offer a limited amount of dog and cat food to those in need during regular business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday, April 18. The pet food is available for curbside pickup. To preserve social distancing, the store is restricting the number of customers allowed in the store at one time to three. For more information, email pandorasboxvashon@gmail.com.

Donate blood in June

Those who had signed up to donate blood during the Bloodworks Northwest blood drive in March, and who still wish to give blood, may sign up for the next blood drive scheduled on the island from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June 4 at the Vashon Lutheran Church, 18623 Vashon Hwy SW. Sign up online at tinyurl.com/qtuocqb. For questions, call 800-398-7888.

PSE offering bill assistance

Puget Sound Energy will make funds available to help customers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through its Crisis-Affected Customer Assistance Program (CACAP).

This includes customers who recently became unemployed, partially unemployed, or cannot work, according to a Monday PSE news release. The $11 million are carry-over funds under PSE’s Low Income Program. With approval from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, PSE made revisions to its program to make these funds available to a broader group of customers.

Funds are also available in PSE’s other assistance programs, including the Warm Home Fund, PSE Home Energy Lifeline Program and Weatherization Assistance Program for income-eligible customers.

“We know this pandemic is deeply affecting many of our customers, and we have been working since its start to ensure no one is without electricity, heat or hot water during this time,” said PSE President and CEO Mary Kipp in the news release. “We are in unprecedented times, and it will take continued partnership and creativity to help as many people as possible.”

This program will be available to PSE’s residential customers in Island, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Lewis, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom counties who meet the household size and income criteria.

Depending on average monthly usage, a qualified PSE customer:

• Must have a monthly household income limit up to 250% of Federal Poverty Level

• Can receive up to $1,000 in PSE utility-bill credits per household

PSE continues to offer payment plans and allow customers to change the due date for bills for those who may need additional assistance.

For more information on this program and other program offerings, visit pse.com/covidhelp.