Senior Center
The Vashon Senior Center, at 10004 SW Bank Road, 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 following events take place at the center.
At 1 p.m. Friday, May 2, kick off Vashon Island’s Japanese American and Agrarian Heritage Month with a discussion about the Mukai Family and the historical significance of the Mukai Farm and Garden.
From 2-4 p.m. Sunday, May 4, come to a Spring Tea complete with a selection of teas and finger foods. There is a $5 suggested donation and attendees should RSVP at 206-463-5173. Wear a fancy hat.
At 12:45 p.m., Monday, May 5, go off the beaten paths of Vashon with Barb Gustafson on a photographic scavenger hunt. Most know about the bike in the tree and Oscar the Troll, but what about the Pioneer Memorial, the license plate pole, the tiny St. Elmo Church, or the Geoduck Elixir sign?
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
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. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session, with an objective to increase awareness of death and help people make the most of their finite lives.
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.
Vashon Cohousing open house
Curious about cohousing? Learn all about the island’s only cohousing community on Saturday, May 3, when Vashon Cohousing will host an open house. Tour the site, including its organic gardens and the beautiful forest that surrounds the 18-household community, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Join the community for coffee and tea at 2 p.m., and participate in a kids art project at 4 p.m. Share a potluck dinner at 5:30 p.m. Come for part or all of the day.
Please RSVP at 206-532-6412 or at vashoncoho@gmail.com. Learn more at vashoncohousing.com.
ADU workshop
Own property and interested in building or converting a space for family, visiting guests, or renters? Attend a free Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) workshop Saturday, May 3 at the Vashon High School cafeteria.
It starts 1-2 p.m. with a presentation on the options, processes and financial hurdles of building 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.
Participants may also sign up for additional classes led by Fred Jordan, who will guide property owners through the site development process. This event has been developed jointly by the Affordable Housing Committee of the Vashon-Maury Community Council and Vashon Household for the purpose of encouraging home owners to help increase the supply of housing on Vashon.
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 University of Washington 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. (See article on page 10.)
Grief ritual
A community grief ritual is held from 1-2 p.m. on the first Sunday of every month (May 4) at the Tree of Life Wellness Center. Share and witness grief with others. Call Susan Pitiger at 206-818-4232 or Brad Davis at 206-799-7235 with questions. Donations are welcome.
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, including birdhouse building. 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 May 16-17 at the Vashon Island Unitarian Universalist Church.
The retreat is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. It is a 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 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.
Sportsmen’s Club Trout Derby
The Vashon Sportsmen’s Club will host its annual Kids’ Trout Derby starting at noon on Sunday, May 18.
Free and open to all island children 12 and under, the Derby offers fun for the whole family and a chance to picnic and enjoy an afternoon at the club pond. In addition to the fishing contest and the opportunity to win new fishing gear, club members will serve up hot dogs, chili, pop and water. Island singer/songwriter John van Amerongen (“Radio Cowboy”) will emcee the event and provide live music along with his usual fishing tips, stories, and wit.
All children must be accompanied by an adult. Sign-up begins at 11:30 am. Participants should bring their own trout gear and bait. No dogs, please. (From Vashon Hwy, drive west on Cemetery Rd., turn left at Singer Rd. and enter the VSC gate on the left.)
For more information, contact Cindy at VSCinfo47@gmail.com.
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
Services Van
Washington’s DSHS Mobile Office will bring its services to the Vashon Food Bank’s parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, June. 4, at 10030 SW 210th St. Apply inside the van for food, cash, and medical services. Islanders can also drop off paperwork, complete a case, make changes to an existing case, or request an EBT card. Visit washingtonconnection.org for more information.
