Unitarians come home

On Sept. 21, Rev. Barbara Stevens will speak to the Unitarian Fellowship on “Coming Home to Ourselves.”

On Vashon, a new fellowship year begins in September. We start school, return to church and sometimes get back to work. As we gather together in community after a busy summer, we are, in a way, coming home. We are rejoining community, renewing commitments and coming home to ourselves. What does it mean to be home? If we are at home in our own skins, can we feel at home anywhere? And what about those who are new among us? Can we create a home for them as well?

This service includes our traditional Water Communion Ceremony, when we gather together water from near and distant parts in a ritual of homecoming.

Vashon Unitarians meet at 9:30 a.m. Sundays at the Burton Community Church at 23905 Vashon Hwy. S.W. Religious education is available, and child care is provided for children under 3. Refreshments and fellowship are in Lewis Hall following the service.

For further information, contact me at 799-9433.

— Wendy Wharton

Seniors write poetry

Mel Michaels will conduct a makeup session of his lively poetry writing class for adults 55 and older at the Senior Center on Bank Road from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19. If you haven’t been in the class before, you are still welcome to join us.

Michaels is a talented poetry writer and a graduate student at Goddard College, studying for his master’s degree in fine arts.

Another poetry workshop, creating new prose from fragments of art, life and poetry and reaching into different forms of poetry, will meet from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 7 and 21, Nov. 4 and 25 and Dec. 16 and 23 at the Senior Center. The class is free. Call the senior center at 463-5173 to register.

— Deirdre Petree

Italian dinner set for Oct. 4

Most Islanders are familiar with St. John Vianney’s annual Salmon Bake, but the Salmon Bake is only one date on the parish’s culinary calendar. An equally delicious annual event is coming up — St. John’s Italian Dinner, set for 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.

The dinner, featuring a gourmet meal, entertainment and a live auction helmed by Islander Kevin Joyce, will be held in a heated tent in the church’s parking lot, 16100 115th Ave. S.W.

“The Italian Dinner is a beloved event within our parish,” said event co-chair Mary van Egmond. “It sells out every year. This year, we wanted to get the word out to the entire community about the dinner in time for people to purchase tickets and take part in what is such a fun and delicious night on Vashon.”

The dinner will feature a Northern Italian meal and a live auction featuring high-end items, such as trips, services, dinners, art and entertainment, including a culinary evening featuring the operatic talents of parishioners Andrew and Jennifer Krikawa. Another auction will feature desserts, and there will be a raffle with a cash prize. To complete the ambiance, strolling musicians will play classic Italian hits. All proceeds from the dinner will benefit the programs of St. John Vianney Catholic Church.

According to Kathi Ferrari, Italian Dinner chef, featured menu items will include antipasto, fresh pasta, chicken in red sauce, Caesar salad and surprise delicacies from Italy.

“Everything is cooked from scratch using Ferrari family original recipes,” promised Ferrari.

Music for the event will be provided by the delightful duo of accordion and guitar known as The Rigatones.

Raffle tickets for the cash raffle will cost $10 and will be sold throughout the evening. The winner will receive half of the cash collected in the auction, with the other half going to St. John Vianney.

Tickets are $50 for “Club 5” tickets, $40 for adults and $20 for children 12 and younger. A reserved table seating eight costs $350. Tickets are on sale at the church after weekend masses and at Windermere Real Estate.

— Liz Shepherd

Fruit club takes field trip

On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Vashon Island Fruit Club will offer a field trip to the Olympia Farmers Market and then on to Evergreen State College for a tour of its organic garden and orchard. Snack lunch will be served. You may choose to return via the Tacoma ferry at 2 p.m; however, you may opt to continue on to a roadside farm and market, located between Tacoma and Puyallup, and possibly a grape vineyard which is exploring new varieties, if time permits.

We will assemble at Tahlequah at 8:30 a.m. and after organizing carpools, depart on the 8:50 a.m. boat. All those interested in attending, should contact Mary Ornstead at 463-0565 to register and to receive further details.

— Tracy Barrett

Schools are topic for Dems

This month’s Vashon Democratic Club meeting will focus on the current topic of renovating the infrastructure of Vashon Island School District. All are welcome.

Dave Wilke, facilities director for the district, recently spoke on this topic at the Senior Center, where he was enthusiastically received. Club member Deirdre Petree saw him there and gave him a rave review. Another perspective on this issue will be presented by Islander Richard Krug, who is an energy auditor for the city of Seattle’s Office of Housing. He wrote a compelling commentary titled “Energy efficiency can save Vashon schools a bundle” in the Aug. 27 edition of The Beachcomber.

We will also hear reports from Islanders who attended the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Nick Bordner, the second youngest delegate to the convention, will share his experiences with us. Anne Herfindahl, who marched in Denver with the Backbone Campaign, will relate her impressions. Come and be inspired by these activists.

If you or your group would like to make a presentation at one of our meetings, or for general information, please contact me at 463-0079.

Our meeting is this Saturday, Sept. 20, in the Land Trust building: potluck social at 6 p.m., meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Please help us accomplish our goal of a no-trash potluck by bringing your own, non-disposable dinnerware.

— Roger Fulton

Comcast 21 programming

Voice of Vashon’s television programming on Comcast Channel 21 next week will feature a rebroadcast of the Sept. 15 community council meeting. The meeting will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22, and again on the following two Monday evenings at the same time.

For the full broadcast schedule including both audio and video schedules, see www. voiceofvashon.org. If you have been creating your own video, especially video from this year’s Strawberry Festival, that you would like to share with your Vashon/Maury neighbors, please e-mail dans@islandimage.net.

— Dan Schueler

Sight rifles with sportsmen

The Members of the Vashon Sportsmen’s Club are opening the club to all residents of the Islands of Vashon and Maury for the purpose of sighting in their firearms for the current hunting season.

The club range will be open at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, for all members of the public. If interested in sighting in your firearm, please call Fred Hansen at 463-4079 for further information.

The club members are aware that they have the only shooting range on the Island and feel that it is very important that the facilities be made available for this purpose to the members of the community at large.

Shoot accurately and enjoy your hunt.

— Lee Miller