Happenings | July 20 edition
Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 20, 2023
Community Council
The next meeting of the Vashon-Maury Community Council will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20, in person at the Vashon Land Trust Building, and on Zoom. The Seattle Indian Health Board will share info on its new treatment center, with time for questions from the community. Please submit questions to info@v-mcc.org, or bring them to the meeting. See the events page at v-mcc.org for the agenda and Zoom link. All are welcome.
Meet the candidates
Four candidates vying for Position 3 on the Vashon School Board will participate in a public forum on Voice of Vashon (VoV) at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 20. The forum will stream live on VoV, at voiceofvashon.org, and on VoV’s YouTube channel here.
Vashon-Maury Chamber of Commerce’s executive director, Amy Drayer, will moderate.
River Branch, Gator Lanphear, Angela Marshall, and Martha Woodard are candidates in the race. Washington is a “Top 2” primary state.
In races with more than two candidates appearing on the Aug. 1 primary ballot, the top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 7 general election. The other school director seats, for Positions 1, 2 and 5, have one or two candidates and will only appear on the November ballot.
The grassroots effort was organized by community members including representatives from the Vashon-Maury Community Council, with technical support from Voice of Vashon.
Community members are encouraged to anonymously submit questions for the primary candidates via a form online.
Candidates appearing on the November ballot will also participate in a forum at a later date.
VIGA/Tilth Picnic
The Vashon Island Growers Association and Tilth Alliance will host a special Farm & Garden Picnic from 12-3 p.m. Sunday, July 23, at Vashon Cohousing. The picnic is a fundraiser to provide scholarships for Vashon farmers to attend this year’s Tilth Conference in Port Townsend.
The event will start at 12 p.m. with a tour of Vashon Cohousing’s composting operation followed by a potluck lunch at 1 p.m. Bring a dish, beverages, or flowers to share with friends and neighbors. The suggested donation is $25 per person. Register here.
The tour will include an introduction to the 18-home community’s neighborhood-scale food waste composting system.
In the spring of 2020, Vashon Cohousing members constructed a series of aerated static pile compost bins. Over the past three years, the community has recycled an estimated 12 tons of food waste into nutrient-rich compost for their gardens and landscape areas.
Following the potluck lunch, a guest speaker, Nate Stacey, Tilth Alliance Farm’s program director, will talk about state-wide agriculture programs. Stacey earned a Ph.D. in Soil Science at Washington State University (WSU) and is an adjunct faculty member at WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. Stacey’s on-farm research projects have included cover cropping and utilizing biochar-enhanced compost for carbon sequestration.
The summer picnic will be a fun and informative way to visit with neighbors and learn about Tilth’s agricultural programs. Contributions will help fund scholarships to enable more Vashon farmers to attend the annual Tilth Conference, set for October 26-28 in Port Townsend.
For additional information about the event contact Mark Musick at 206-941-3393.
Sign up for insurance and other services
Islanders can sign up for health insurance, food stamps, and ORCA Lift public transportation from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, July 26 and Aug. 23, inside the Vashon Library’s public meeting room. Miquel Urquiza, from King County, will be on hand to answer questions in Spanish and English, as well as to help fix any problems islanders have in receiving services.
This is for health insurance that will begin the month following sign-up.
Are Wednesdays not convenient? Urquiza can also help by phone at 206-477-6965 or 206-491-3761, or by email at miguel.urquiza@kindcountry.gov.
Senior Center Rummage Sale
The Vashon Senior Center will hold a rummage sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 5 and 6, and is now welcoming donations.
Islanders can clean out their storage closets, cupboards, drawers, and garages, and donate no-longer-needed goods and items to the Center, at 1004 SW Bank Rd, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday-Wednesdays and Fridays.
Treasures are already being prepared for the sale — donations collected so far include snowboard and equipment, collectibles and china, books, and more. Plus — there will be yummy treats. All proceeds will benefit the Vashon Senior Center. For more information, call the Vashon Senior Center at 206-463-5173.
Weigh in on ferry fares
The Washington State Transportation Commission is looking for public input on its proposed ferry fare changes over the next two years. You can submit your comments via their online feedback form or email through Sunday, July 30, or during the commission’s final hearing on its fare proposal at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, when it is expected to make a decision on new ferry fares.
