Happenings features community, cultural and nonprofit events; notices are free and printed as space permits. Due to the volume of entries received, we edit submissions and cannot always confirm if a submission will run. Send submissions to editor@vashonbeachcomber.com; include the who, what, where and when. The deadline is noon Thursday for subsequent Thursday publication.

• EVENTS •

Vashon High School: Mark your calendars for the first home football game of the season on Friday, Sept. 26, and the Homecoming football game on Friday, Oct. 3. The Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Vaccination Clinics: Tuesday, September 30: High-volume, volunteer-assisted vaccination clinics start at Vashon Pharmacy. Pharmacy staff and Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers will administer COVID, flu, and RSV vaccinations with the assistance of VashonBePrepared and Vashon Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers. Make appointments online now at vashonpharmacy.com. VashonBePrepared can assist those who don’t have insurance coverage and can’t afford the shots. Islanders can help by donating at VashonBePrepared.org/helpout and selecting “Vaccines for Uninsured.” Vashon Pharmacy will generously match the first $2,500 donated. School vaccination clinics for COVID and flu will be held at Vashon Island School District on Tuesday, Oct. 14 and Thursday, Oct. 16. Announcements with details are forthcoming. All school-age children on Vashon are welcome.

DSHS Mobile Office: Washington’s Department of Social and Human Services mobile office van will be on Vashon from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Vashon United Methodist Church, 17928 Vashon Hwy SW. Apply inside the van for assistance with food, cash and medical matters. Islanders can also drop off paperwork, complete a review or make changes to an existing case or request an EBT card. Find out more at washingtonconnection.org.

Public Sector Heroes Lectures: Dr. Larry Hubbell, in conjunction with Vashon Indivisible, will offer the first of four lectures about public sector heroes at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Vashon High School Theatre. Subsequent lectures will occur on Oct. 14 and 28, and Nov. 11. Find out more about the series, “Finding Courage in Dark Times: Public Sector Heroes Rediscovered,” on page 6. The first lecture will feature John Lewis, the civil rights icon and his nemesis Sheriff Justice Jim Clark, the Selma sheriff. All lectures will take place in the VHS theater. There is no admission charge, but donations to Vashon Indivisible are encouraged.

Library: Vashon Library will begin a new series on “How to Library” from 1-2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. The talk will cover how to use the free app, Libby, to access King County Library Systems digital collection of eBooks, audiobooks and magazines. Future programs in the series will take place on Nov. 6 and Dec. 4. For more information about the series, held in partnership with Vashon-Maury Senior Center, visit tinyurl.com/ykee5w9p. Additionally, a Friends of the Library book sale will offer a selection of gently used books for all ages from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.

Rotary Fundraiser: Rotary District 5030 (rotarydistrict5030.org), and member Club Vashon Rotary, invite islanders to join them in a fundraiser to be held from Oct. 1 to Nov. 3. The fundraising competition will fight hunger by raising funds for Vashon Food Bank, Harvest Against Hunger and No Kid Hungry. To be part of the Vashon Team, contact amyhugs@icloud.com.

Land Trust Talk: The Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust will host a free talk in its speaker series, “From Source to Sound: The Future of Vashon’s Creeks,” featuring Jacques White, CEO of Long Live the Kings, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at the Land Trust Building at 10014 Bank Rd. Long Live the Kings is a non-profit dedicated to the restoration of wild salmon and steelhead runs in the Pacific Northwest. Come learn about restoration strategies and how Vashon’s creeks could be key to thriving fisheries throughout the greater Salish Sea.

Fire Station Open House: On Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Vashon Island Fire and Rescue will host their popular open house at the Bank Road station. Bring the kids for the bouncy house and face-painting, enjoy hot dogs and snacks, check out the new Mobile Integrated Health exam room, watch a Tesla extrication demo, see the Airlift Northwest helicopter land and more.

Food bank tours: Tour the current and future sites of the Vashon-Maury Community Food Bank with the food bank’s executive director and board members. The next tours takes place from 2-3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10; and 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21. Each tour can accommodate 10 people. RSVPs are required — contact minta@vashonfoodbank.org, and meet at the current food bank location at 10030 SW 210th St.

Wellness and Screening Event: On Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vashon Health Care District will offer a free screening and wellness event at JG Commons, at 17300 96th Place SW. All are welcome. A variety of health services will be available, including traditional screenings provided by Vashon’s Medical Reserve Corp, including blood pressure checks, glucose testing and vaccinations. Free hearing screenings will also be offered. Additional services include foot care, as well as a mobility corner featuring short balance training sessions throughout the day. Attendees will also have access to a resource table with information on local programs and community services. This event aims to promote wellness, prevention, and access to important health resources, particularly for older adults. For more information, contact Sarah Howard at info@vashonhealthcare.org.

Farmers Market: The Vashon Island Growers Association’s Farmers Market runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday at the Village Green through Sept. 27.

Free community dinners: Held Mondays through Fridays from 5-5:30 p.m. at the Vashon Presbyterian Church (17708 Vashon Highway SW) by the Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness.

• SENIOR CENTER •

Enjoy a hot lunch at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the following activities throughout the week at the Vashon Senior Center, 10004 SW Bank Road, unless noted otherwise:

Talk: Find out more about Vashon’s community radio station, Voice of Vashon, in a talk at 1 p.m. Friday, 26, with Susan McCabe, who is VOV’s interim executive director.

World Play: Join Vashon Poet Laureate Margaret Roncone for World Play — a chance to have fun with words and share life experiences in writing — at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Death Café: Meets 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Senior Center. It is a discussion group about death and making the most of life, rather than a grief support or counselling session. For questions, call Susan Pitiger at 206-818-4232 or Brad Davis at 206-799-7235.

Grief ritual: Islanders are invited to share and witness each other’s grief on the first Sunday of each month from 1-2 p.m. at the Senior Center. Questions? Call Susan Pitiger at 206-818-4232, or Brad Davis at 206-799-7235.

Grief support: Kenny Alton, counselor at Vashon Youth and Family Services, will facilitate the “Grief is Grief” support group, a six week group from 5-6:30 p.m. on Thursdays, September 18-Oct. 23, at the Senior Center. The group is limited to 12 people. There is no cost for the meetings; please register by calling Susan Pitiger at 206-818-4232.

• PUBLIC MEETINGS •

Vashon-Maury Community Council: The council holds regular meetings on the third Thursday of the month. Visit v-mcc.org for more information.

Water District 19: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, in the district’s board room at 17630 100th Ave SW.

Vashon Health Care District: Holds regular meetings the fourth Thursday of the month (Sept. 25 this month) at Vashon Presbyterian Church, 17708 Vashon Hwy SW, and on Zoom. Visit vashonhealthcare.org.

Vashon Island School District: The board typically meets the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, at Chautauqua Elementary School, Room 302, 9309 SW Cemetery Road. All meetings are recorded and posted online at youtube.com/@visdpublicmeetings6034/videos. Visit vashonsd.org.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue: VIFR’s board typically meets on the fourth Wednesday evening of each month Visit vifr.org.

King County Cemetery District #1: Meetings are typically held at 1 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month, at the cemetery office at 19631 Singer Rd SW. Visit vashoncemetery.org.