Happenings | Nov. 2 edition
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, November 1, 2023
NAMI meeting at Presbyterian Church
The local National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) friends and family support group will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2 in the library at Vashon Presbyterian Church, 17708 Vashon Highway SW. The meeting will also be held remotely, by using the Zoom link found on vashonpreschurch.org. Questions? Contact Pastor Leigh Weber at 425-221-1142.
Taxing District budget hearings
The Vashon Park District will hold its budget meetings at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Nov. 14 and 28. The public is welcome to attend in person at the Ober Park Administration Building, 17130 Vashon Hwy. SW, or via Zoom. For more information, visit vashonparks.org.
Vashon Health Care District will hold a public hearing on its budget and levy at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, with approval of the budget and levy scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15. Both meetings will take place at Vashon Presbyterian Church and on Zoom. For more information, visit vashonhealthcare.org.
Vashon Fire District will hold a public hearing of its 2024 budget at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15. The board plans another discussion and vote for the budget at a special board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27. Both meetings can be attended in person at VIFR’s Training Center, 10019 SW Bank Rd, or via Zoom. To find out more, visit vifr.org.
Mount St. Helens talk
At 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, Vashon Park District, Vashon Library, and Humanities Washington, will present “After the Blast: Mount St. Helens: 40 Years Later.” Speaker Eric Wagner will explore surprising ways that plants and animals adapted and the complex role humans have played in the decades following the blast. The free talk takes place at Vashon Library.
Talk about Lushootseed language
The Vashon Heritage Museum will present its final history talk of 2023, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, on Zoom.
Christopher Briden, language teacher for the Puyallup Tribe, will be the speaker. He will speak about his duties and discoveries as a language teacher, including some personal thoughts about the way he hopes his teaching contributes to the Puyallup community. Islanders interested in the Lushootseed language family should register for the talk in advance here. Past museum talks can also be accessed on this website.
Health Insurance and PSE discount sign-up
King County representative Miguel Urquiza will help islanders sign up for health insurance, food stamps and ORCA Lift transportation from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Vashon Library. Urquiza can also help islanders at other times via phone or email, at 206-477-6965, 206-491-3761, or miguel.urquiza@kingcouonty.gov.
Islanders can also sign up for Puget Sound Energy’s new discount program from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, at the library. This new program will help income-qualified islanders save 5 percent to 45 percent on utility bills. To find out more or sign up online, visit online. Maria Dozeman, PSE’s outreach manager, will also help islanders sign up for the discount from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, Dec. 6 and 13, at Vashon Food Bank.
VHS exchange student program seeks host families
The Spanish Club at VHS is organizing a school-to-school exchange with Liceo Bilingual de Pococí, hoping to replicate the type of partnership enjoyed by VHS and their partner school in Japan, Himeji.
In 2024, VHS will receive students from Costa Rica from Jan. 2 through 20, and the school is looking for host families. Contact Sarah Powell (spowell@vashonsd.org) or Lenka Becvar (lbecvar@vashonsd.org) for more information, or to volunteer to host. To donate to the program, visit online, selecting “Vashon High School” and then “Spanish Club.”
Council seeks board members
Vashon-Maury Community Council is seeking applicants for its all-volunteer board of directors. The role brings a minimum weekly time commitment of three to five hours. The board has six openings, and positions run for two years. For more information, visit v-mcc.org or contact the council’s president, Diane Emerson at dianeemerson@yahoo.com, or any other current or past board members.
Tax helpers needed
The three Vashon tax counselors who have been preparing returns at the Vashon Lutheran Church are getting on in years and could use some fresh talent to prepare returns starting in Feb. 2024. AARP Tax-Aide can provide all the training and tools needed to fill the current volunteers’ shoes and help others get their taxes done right. The group is also looking for volunteers to set up appointments. To volunteer, visit online.
Be aware of deer hunting season
Deer mating and hunting season are still upon us, which means it’s more important than ever to practice caution and awareness. There are three late seasons coming up for black-tailed deer hunting. The modern firearm hunting late season will run Nov. 16 through 19. The muzzleloading deer late season runs from Nov. 22 through Dec. 15. The archery hunting late season is scheduled from Nov. 22 through Dec. 31.
Hikers and their dogs should wear bright clothing. Muzzleloading and archery hunters must wear hunter orange or pink, and all hunters should be well acquainted with hunting regulations and laws. For more details, visit online.
