Senior Center
The Vashon Senior Center, at 10004 SW Bank Rd., serves a hot lunch at 12 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and offers multiple activities throughout each week.
Upcoming program highlights include the first session of “The beginning of the end,” a talk that is part of series of ongoing conversations about the end of life, at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24.
The series, to take place on the fourth Fridays of every month until June, is coordinated by Jane Neubauer, and will cover topics including health care directives and other planning documents, hospice and medical programs, legacy and burial options.
A birthday lunch celebrating Senior Center members who have birthdays in January will take place at 11:45 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 27. Birthday members eat free that day and should reserve a seat by calling 206-463-5173.
After lunch, a book group will meet, to discuss “A Tale of Two Cities,” by Charles Dickens.
The Senior Center’s board will meet from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27. To contact the board, email board@vashoncenter.org.
A full calendar of events is posted at vashoncenter.org.
Library programs
Vashon Library, located in Ober Park, is offering two new free programs. The first, English Language Learners (ELL) classes, began from 4:45-5:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, and continues at that time on Thursdays through April 10, except for March 20. Flyers about the classes, in Spanish and English, are available at the library and also online at kcls.org/adultlearner.
Saturday “Crafternoons” will begin from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, and continue at the same time on Feb. 8 and 22, with a three-session class in crochet amigurumi. All supplies are provided thanks to the Vashon Friends of the Library. Space is limited, so registration is requested. Register by coming into the library, calling, or visiting kcls.org.
Mobile Integrated Health
Vashon Island Fire and Rescue will present a program at 12 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, about their expanding Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) program, at the Vashon Library. The home-care program, supported by tax revenue, is otherwise free of any additional charge to islanders. Lilie Coroon, the program manager, will be there to explain the program along with other VIFR staff.
Get services
Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) mobile van will be on Vashon from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Vashon Food Bank, at 10030 SW 210th St. Apply inside for food, cash and medical benefits. Islanders can also drop off paperwork, complete a review, make changes to an existing case, or request an EBT card.
Sweet Potatoes
Vashon farmers and gardeners can learn about varieties and techniques for growing sweet potatoes in a special workshop from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at Vashon Cohousing, at 10421 SW Bank Rd. Park along Bank Road, rather than in Cohousing’s parking lots.
At the event, horticulturalists from the Washington State University (WSU) Northwest Washington Research & Extension Center will report on their six years of trials for growing high-quality sweet potatoes in the Puget Sound region.
Presenters will be Carol Miles, Director of WSU’s Northwest Washington Research Center, who specializes in new crop varieties, and Laura Schulz, a doctoral student in horticulture at the Mount Vernon Research Center, who is currently developing production guidelines for growing sweet potatoes in western Washington.
The speakers will also share experiences of other farmers in the region and respond to questions from island growers.
A donation of $10 per person is requested to help cover expenses and support WSU’s sweet potato research. Questions? Call Mark Musick at 206-941-3393. Preregister for the workshop by emailing mark-musick@comcast.net
Free tax preparation
Volunteers from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) will offer free tax preparation on Thursdays at the Vashon Lutheran Church again this year, beginning on Feb. 6.
The free tax preparation services are available to anyone, regardless of age. However, AARP-prepared returns are limited to non-complex returns. Acceptable returns can include wages (W-2), Social Security and pensions (1099R), unemployment (1099G), dividends/interest (1099INT/DIV), capital gains (1099B), and self-employment (1099NEC) income — no inventory or depreciation. Sorry, no rental income.
To make an appointment, email VashonAARP@gmail.com, noting your phone number and the best time to call.
Stay afloat
Join Quartermaster Yacht Club (QYC) member and boater Kevin Jones to vastly improve your chances of staying afloat on the water. Jones will talk about the limitations and related safety aspects of navigation charts and electronic chart plotters. from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at Meyer’s Hut at the yacht club, located at 23428 Vashon Hwy SW.
The talk will also detail why the Vestas Wind vessel grounded in the middle of the Indian Ocean in the middle of a big race. Closer to home, attendees can learn about uncharted rocks in Joe’s Cove, British Columbia.
The talk is free and open to the public as well as to QYC members. To register, email mariebrowne2000@comcast.net by Jan. 31.
Granny’s After Dark
Island thrift store Granny’s Attic hosts its saucy “After Dark” sale from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, open only to adults age 18 and older. The sale historically features “grown-up” merchandise and other curios.
Vashon Oneness Center
On January 6, Vashon Oneness Center, which offers meditations, yoga, blessings, and wisdom lessons, relocated from the Vashon United Methodist Church to the Vashon Senior Center, where it is still meeting from 5-6 p.m. on Mondays. All ages are welcome free of charge. For more information, email Amy Huggins, amyhugs@icloud.com.