Happenings | April 24 edition
Published 10:30 am Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Senior Center
The Vashon Senior Center, at 10004 SW Bank Rd., offers a hot lunch at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and activities throughout the week. Visit vashoncenter.org for a full monthly event calendar.
The Senior Center’s annual meeting, for members only, takes place 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 24, at the Senior Center.
From 1-2 p.m. on Friday, April 25, join Krystal Willingham RN, Providence Hospice and Susan Pitiger, RN, Death Doula to talk about end of life and after death care, including seeking hospice care and processing grief. There will be ample time for questions.
Library events
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26, browse a selection of gently used books for all ages and help support local library programming at the Vashon Friends of the Library’s spring book sale at the library. Donations of gently-used books in good condition can be made to the library during business hours starting 10 a.m. Friday, April 25 — two bag limit of books, please.
Indivisible Vashon
Interested in taking action for democracy? Join Indivisible Vashon members to hear Sharon Nelson give an overview of the challenges facing the U.S. and what can be done about them at an Indivisible meeting from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 24 at the United Methodist Church. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Nelson is a founder of Preserve Our Island and former chief of staff to King County Councilman Dow Constantine, member of Washington’s House of Representatives and Senate Majority Leader. Doors open 6:30 p.m.
Garden Club plant sale
Vashon Maury Island Garden Club Annual Plant Sale is from 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, April 26 at Island Lumber, 17633 97th Pl SW. The club will have native plants, perennials, trees, bushes, ground covers, greenhouse grown vegetables, tomatoes and annual flower starts for sale.
Come take an early look at the Friday night sneak peak, from 5-6:30 pm. April 25, also at Island Lumber.
Child Care fair
Vashon Youth & Family Services, in partnership with the Vashon Child Care Coalition is hosting the first ever Vashon Island Child Care Fair 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, April 26, at The Station, 17816 Vashon Hwy SW, next to Vashon Boards.
Families are invited to meet local child care providers and preschools, explore current child care openings, and connect with babysitters, nannies, other local families and the Vashon Child Care Coalition. The event will feature kid-friendly activities, free prizes and giveaways, and complimentary snacks.
Heritage Museum gala
On Saturday, April 26, the Vashon Heritage Museum will present its third annual gala at Open Space for Arts & Community. This year’s theme — remembering Vashon in the 1960s — is tailor made for great outfits, art, music and memorabilia. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a cocktail hour, followed by a 6:30 p.m. dinner. To find out more and purchase tickets, visit vashonheritagemuseum.org.
Flea market
Vashon Eagles will host the Finders Keepers Flea Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26, inside the club, located at 18134 Vashon Hwy SW. Items for sale will include vintage finds and distinctive crafts. Enjoy live music from Kat Eggleston, Ron Hook and John Browne. There will also be kids’ activities with the group Seriously Silly Science. Food from the Eagle’s kitchen will be served from 12 to 2 p.m. Email pitiger@comcast.net with questions.
Brown Brieflys
Join the Brown Brieflys 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 29 on Voice of Vashon, 101.9FM, to hear Eric Walker, Church Council Chair VUMC and former VP Operations / CFO of PATH, and Pat Longstroth, Vashon United Methodist Church Pastor, talk about actions the Vashon Methodist church is taking to support Vashon-Maury resilience.
Old Friends Club
The Vashon Senior Center and Vashon Care Network, working with the Vashon Presbyterian Church, plan to launch the Vashon Island Old Friends Club, a community-based daytime program for adults living with dementia or cognitive decline. It will be a place for social engagement and friendship with well-managed, supervised care.
To join or learn more, attend an information session from 7-8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30 at the Presbyterian Church, 17708 Vashon Highway SW, or attend online at zoom.us/j/442169680.
Ask a master gardener
The Vashon “Ask a Master Gardener” clinic table returns in front of Ace Hardware on Friday, May 2. Bring plant questions, photos and samples and get free, science-based advice for the home gardener. Clinics will run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and monthly first Fridays, May through August. For more information, contact mgvashon@gmail.com.
Death café
At a Death Café, people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death, with an objective to increase awareness of death and help people make the most of their finite lives. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session. The Vashon Death Café meets from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on every first and third Friday, at the Tree of Life Wellness Center, at 17331 Vashon Highway SW. Upcoming dates include May 2 and 16.
Farmers market returns
Vashon Island Growers Association’s farmers market is about to return for the season to the Village Green at 17519 Vashon Highway SW. The first farmers market is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 3. The market runs at that time every Saturday this summer, ending on September 27.
For more information or to sign up to be a vendor, visit vigavashon.org/market.
ADU workshop
Own property and interested in building or converting a space for family or visiting guests, or for bringing in renters? The Affordable Housing Committee of the Vashon-Maury Community Council will hold an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) workshop Saturday, May 3 at the Vashon High School cafeteria.
It starts from 1-2 p.m. with a presentation on ADUs, following by two hours of time to consult with planners and permit specialists from King County, financial institution representatives, ADU contractors, and information on septic regulations and water districts / wells.
The presentation will be recorded and made available on the Vashon-Maury Community Council website.
Movement workshop
Elizabeth Mendana Shaw will host a movement workshop from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, May 3 at the Hanna Barn. The workshop, offered by the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, is free to the public, but attendees are asked to reserve and receive directions to the Hanna Barn by emailing Kit Bean at kitbean@gmail.com. All bodies are welcome, and no dance experience is necessary. Attendees should wear clothes comfortable for moving. Snacks will be offered.
Havurah talk
The Vashon Havurah hosts UW professor Liora Halperin at 7 p.m. May 3 for a talk titled “Israel, Palestine, Gaza: Histories of the Present,” part of the Phil Cushman Memorial Speaker Series.
Halperin, a professor of international studies and history, and Distinguished Endowed Chair of Jewish Studies at the University of Washington, is a historian of Israel/Palestine with particular interests in nationalism and collective memory, Jewish cultural and social history, language ideology and policy, and the politics of colonization and settlement.
Inclusion Island spring party
Join Inclusion Island, a group of adults with developmental disabilities and their friends and family, for a spring party from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, at Vashon Lutheran Church, at 18623 Vashon Highway SW. The afternoon will include tea, treats and craft-making for Mother’s Day. Questions? Email hersheyhousing@gmail.com.
Free dental day
Dr. Marc Langland and staff will volunteer free dental care and cleanings for low-income people who do not have private dental insurance on Friday, May 30. To apply for an available spot, call Hilary Emmer at 206-463-7277 by Monday, May 5.
Blood drive
Bloodworks Northwest will be on-island to help islanders donate blood from 10:15 a.m. through 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at Vashon Lutheran Church. Visitors must be 16 or older, and should eat a hearty meal and drink plenty of fluids prior to donation. Donors can register for an appointment at donate.bloodworksnw.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/88440.
Tire cleanup
Join the Vashon Rotary Club and other local environmental organizations on Saturday, May 17 for the “Epic Day of Service.” Volunteers will remove rogue beach tires and cleaning up plastic and other environmentally harmful trash on Vashon beaches.
Before then, organizers hope that residents can locate and unearth as many tires as possible to make the cleanup more effective. Contact Steve at scbergmanvashon@gmail.com with photos and locations to help volunteers, who will begin picking up tires Saturday, April 26 and continue doing so through May 17.
Sign up and learn more at tinyurl.com/VashonRotaryTires.
Grief Retreat
A Grief Retreat will be held Friday, May 16-17 at the Vashon Island Unitarian Universalist Church.
On Friday, the hours for the retreat will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. On Saturday, the retreat will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The retreat is being organized as a rare space to express the many dimensions of grief, both personal and planetary. Based on the work of Francis Weller and Joanna Macy, the retreat will include journaling, poetry, song, movement and ritual to honor our grief. It will be facilitated by experienced grief tenders, Jean Berolzheimer, Interfaith Buddhist Chaplain, and Kari Hilwig, a licensed independent clinical social worker. The suggested donation is $20. To reserve a spot, email Jean at jeanberolz@gmail.com or text 206 307-6674. Preregistration is required .
FurBall auction
The Vashon Island Pet Protectors FurBall Auction takes place Saturday, May 17, at the Open Space for Arts & Community. Tickets for the auction, which has a Las Vegas theme this year, are on sale now for $80 and available at VIPP.ejoinme.org/2025furball.
Mammogram screenings
Assured Imaging will offer mammogram screenings from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, May 23, at the J.G. Commons Community Room, located at 17300 96th Place SW. Call 888-204-9214 to schedule an appointment.
Major insurers are accepted and no referral is needed, though patients should bring a picture ID and an insurance card. Patients must be 40 years old or older, with no current breast problems or complaints, and have not had a mammogram in the past year.
Boater tech talk
The Quartermaster Yacht Club will offer a tech talk for Vashon boaters from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 3, at Meyer’s Hut at the yacht club, 23428 Vashon Hwy SW.
At this free event, open to the public, yacht club member Rick Oppegaard will show boaters how to use OpenCPN, a free maritime chart plotter and navigation software. Bring your PC or Mac, but be aware that Rick is a PC guy. To register, email mariebrowne2000@comcast.net
