Sign up for healthcare, services
Miguel Urquiza, from King County, will be on the island from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at Vashon Library, to help islanders sign up for health insurance, food stamps and ORCA Lift (reduced fare on Metro buses). Is Wednesday not convenient? Call Urquiza, who speaks both Spanish and English, at 260-477-6965 or 206-491-3761 or email miguel.urquiza@kingcounty.gov.
Audubon Work Party
Join Vashon Audubon for a work party to remove holly, blackberries and other invasives, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, at the Paradise Valley Preserve. Meet at the Judd Creek Loop trailhead on 111th Ave SW. Park along the road. Bring work gloves and wear sturdy shoes. Tools are provided, though if you have a favorite shovel, bring it. For more information, contact Jim Evans at 206-678-8914 or frangula54@gmailcom, or Jody Pritchard at 206-920-7833 or jpritchard789@gmail.com.
Health Care District
The Vashon Health Care District (VHCD) will hold a hybrid community “listening session” to hear islanders’ stories about health care on Vashon and ideas for how it could be improved.
The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, March 13, at the Land Trust Building, 10014 Bank Rd. SW, and on Zoom. A Zoom link will be posted on vashonhealthcare.org.
VHCD is seeking input on Vashon’s unmet healthcare needs now because it is no longer subsidizing Sea Mar’s clinic at Sunrise Ridge. Since that subsidy consumed most of the district’s tax dollars, the district now has resources available to potentially address other healthcare gaps.
Garden Club
The Vashon-Maury Island Garden Club will hold its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Monday, March 13, in Bethel Church’s gym. The guest speaker will be Kim Cantrell, of Little Bird Gardens, speaking about landscape design.
Brown Briefly
Through our lived experience with cougars, bears and coyotes on our islands, we know wildlife management can be challenging. Join Truman O’Brien, Bruce Haulman, Craig Beles and Kevin Jones at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 14, on Voice of Vashon, 101.9FM, to hear Claire Davis, Washington Wildlife First President, talk about putting Washington’s Wildlife First.
Virtual Town Hall
Join Sen. Joe Nguyen, Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon and Rep. Emily Alvarado for a 34th Legislative District virtual town hall at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14.
The event, to be streamed on each lawmaker’s Facebook page, will include updates about the current legislative session and answers to questions from constituents. Questions can be asked during the event or submitted here. Join the town hall at facebook.com/SenJoeNguyen, facebook.com/RepJoeFitzgibbon, or facebook.com/RepEmilyAlvarado.
Community Council
Vashon’s Community Council’s next meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 16, at the Zoom link here and in person at the Land Trust Building. It will include updates from King County Local Services, the Sheriff’s Office, Fire Chief Matthew Vinci, and Vashon Household’s Osha Christianson. For information, visit v-mcc.org.
Plans for Wax Orchard
King County Parks will hold an online open house, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, about its recent acquisition of a 110-acre portion of the former Misty Isle Farms property off Old Mill Rd SW. Register to attend here.
The open house will include updates on the current public use of the property and proposals the county has received for future use, including an off-leash dog park and the return of the annual Sheepdog Classic.
Temporarily called “Wax Orchard,” this property is home to four miles of trails, a large open pasture, fields, 63 acres of forest with wetlands and ponds, and roughly 47 acres of farmland pasture.
Vashon Wilderness Fundraiser
All are invited to attend “Emergence – An Evening to Benefit the Vashon Wilderness Program,” from 5-9 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at Camp Sealth — the non-profit’s home base for the past 16 years. Nearly 1,000 children ages 4-17 experienced VWP’s programming in the past year. A nine-day online silent auction will precede the gala from March 15-24; items include outdoor gear, art, food, and experiences of family fun or self-care. To see auction items and purchase gala tickets, visit vashonwilderness.org.
Evening meals
Free community evening meals are served from 5 to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, at Vashon Presbyterian Church. All meals are take-out, except for Wednesday, which has indoor seating. Donations to Vashon’s Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness, to support all its programs for islanders with housing insecurity, can be sent to PO Box 330, Vashon, 98070.
