Honor Las Vegas shooting victims
The Vashon Presbyterian Church will opens its doors at 6 p.m. this Friday for a time of prayer and reflection for the victims of the Las Vegas shooting, their friends and families. There will also be a ringing of the church bell for the lives lost. All members of the community are invited.
Additionally, Bloodworks Northwest has requested that people give blood locally to help replenish the supply that was sent to Las Vegas. Two blood drives are coming up on Vashon, from 1:15 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Lutheran church and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, at Vashon High School. For more information, see bloodworksnw.org.
Church will bless animals Sunday
The Church of the Holy Spirit will celebrate St. Francis of Assisi this Sunday with its annual blessing of the animals.
Those who attend — with their furry or feathered companions — will gather on the north side of the church in the labyrinth at 10 a.m. There will be a singing of a cow call that originated in Norway followed by Reverend Joseph Hickey-Tiernan blessing all those gathered. The church is located at 15420 Vashon Hwy. SW.
King County offers CSA grants
King County has opened its 2018 grant process for Unincorporated Community Service Areas, including Vashon-Maury Islands.
This grant process, which will award a total of $90,000, is a chance for communities to apply for funds to support projects and initiatives that build bonds in their community. Amounts will be limited to less than $5,000 per project.
Past awards have gone to support concerts, festivals and educational and safety projects. On Vashon, grants this year went to seven agencies or efforts, ranging from violence prevention training through The DOVE Project, to wildlife education with the Vashon Nature Center, to supporting the Vashon Conversation for the Living About Dying offered last fall.
A county press release indicates projects must demonstrate how activities are accessible to all residents regardless of race, income or language spoken. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17. For more information about the grants and how to apply, see kingcounty.gov/initiatives/community-service-areas.aspx.
Island Center Forest will open for deer hunting
Again this year, King County Parks will open Island Center Forest to deer hunting in the latter-half of October, during which time members of the public will have to use other areas for non-hunting recreation.
The forest will be closed for all uses except hunting from Oct. 14 to 31, with no other public access allowed on 280 acres of the forest. During the hunting season, non-hunters are encouraged to use the trails found at Shinglemill Creek, Fisher Pond, Paradise Valley, Dockton Forest and Maury Island Marine Park.
This year’s hunt follows a five-year pilot project of abbreviated deer-hunting seasons that ended in 2016. King County undertook a public engagement effort this summer that sought public review and comment on a proposed five-year extension of the hunt.
More than 125 public comments were received through an online forum, email, phone calls and a public meeting, according to Doug Williams, a spokesman for King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Williams also stated that concerns raised by neighbors about hunters walking onto their forested properties will be addressed through new detailed signs and maps that highlight the nearby residences and will be posted at Island Center Forest access sites.
An updated map of the designated hunting area that hunters can download for their use will be available at kingcounty.gov/parks/deerhunt before the season gets underway.
New signs and handouts about hunting rules, regulations and etiquette will also be posted at access points.
As in past seasons, hunters will be asked to register at trailheads, and Parks employees will continue to monitor use.
King County will continue its partnership with state wildlife biologists and enforcement officers in monitoring the hunt and ensuring a successful and safe hunt, Williams said.
The hunting season coincides with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s designated modern firearm hunting season in which all firearms can be used, except rifles. Bows and arrows, crossbows, muzzleloaders, revolver-type handguns or shotguns are allowed. Hunters are required to purchase a modern firearm hunting license, wear safety orange clothing and hunt during daylight hours only.
