Rosh Hashanah

Vashon Havurah’s lay-led Rosh Hashanah services began at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2nd. Morning services will held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Havurah, located at 15401 Westside Hway SW. Chag Sameach and Happy New Year.

NAMI support group

NAMI Friends and family support group meets at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 3 in person at the Vashon Presbyterian Church, located 17708 Vashon Highway SW and on Zoom.

Senior Center

The following events are coming up at the Vashon Senior Center, located at 10004 Bank Rd.

Attend a square dance, with music by the bluegrass band, Frog Holler, at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4. Join Vashon Pharmacy owner Tyler Young, who will give a talk at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at the Center, detailing the latest information on vaccinations and other pharmacy programs. A watercolor class, from 2-4 p.m. on Thursdays, Oct. 10 and 24, at the Center, will focus on the gorgeous colors of autumn.

Join speakers Bruce Haulman, Marie Bradley, and Keith Prior for a slideshow and talk about the history of Vashon’s Inspiration Point, and then a talk about Vashon Park District’s efforts to reopen the view, at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. At 2 p.m. the same day, Vashon’s Threshold Choir will perform for anyone requesting a “song bath.” At 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, there will be a presentation on identifying and avoiding scams. Duncan Taylor, of Washington Bankers Association, will present this talk aimed specifically at older people, who are targeted by scammers.

Fall into Granny’s

Vashon’s nonprofit thrift store, Granny’s Attic, will host a fall kick-off from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, featuring fall clothes, Halloween costumes, and other special items and door prizes. The store will close from 3:30 to 5 p.m. for staff to get ready.

VIFR Open House

The staff and volunteers of Vashon Island Fire & Rescue will host a family-friendly, fun-filled open house from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Station 55, 10020 SW Bank Rd. The event will include pancakes and coffee, Sparky the Fire Dog, a fire station bounce house, fire prevention exhibits, and fire truck tours.

Cider Fest

Vashon’s annual Cider Fest, presented by the Vashon Island Chamber of Commerce, will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Vashon Village, located at 17205 Vashon Hwy SW.

In addition to offering tastings from award-winning regional producers, the Chamber will partner with the Vashon Fruit Club to present the 2nd Annual Vashon Island Amateur Cider Cup. The family-friendly event will also include a fruit pressing with the Vashon Island Growers Association, non-alcoholic beverages, food vendors, music, and educational activities all afternoon.

Cider makers in attendance will include Cockrell Cider Farm; Dragon’s Head Cider; Shawnee Hill Farm; Empyrical Orchard & Cidery; Nashi Orchards; Alpenfire Cider; Whitewood Cider Co.; and Liberty Ciderworks.

Find out more at thisisvashon.com/ciderfest.

PIE’s Phoneathon

Vashon Partners in Education (PIE) will hold its annual phoneathon during the week of October 7.

For 37 years, PIE has raised money to enhance education in Vashon’s schools, supporting enrichment initiatives created by educators and students. All money raised during the phoneathon will fund grants for the upcoming school year. Donations can also be made online at vashonpie.org or by mailing a check to PIE at PO Box 1645, Vashon. If islanders make donations in advance of the phonation, volunteers will attempt to take them off the phone list.

PIE is also looking for more volunteers to staff the phones — contact info@vashonpie.org.

Brown Briefly

Listen in as the hosts of Voice of Vashon’s (VoV) Brown Briefly show, Craig Beles, Truman O’Brien, Amy Drayer, Bruce Haulman, and Kevin Jones, talk with the outgoing president of the Vashon-Maury Community Council (V-MCC), Diane Emerson, at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, on KVSH 101.9 and streaming live on voiceofvashon.org and the VoV app. Topics will include the history and role of the V-MCC, the call for new board members, and current and future issues before the Council.

Comp Plan meeting

King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda and members of the county’s Comprehensive Plan staff will hold a virtual meeting from 12-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, to discuss community feedback, ideas and additional suggestions to be considered before the completion of the King County Comprehensive Plan. Register for the meeting at tinyurl.com/2dujps6h.

Museum talk

Join the Vashon Heritage Museum for a panel discussion inspired by its special exhibit, “We The People: the Gib Dammann Collection,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, on Zoom. The panelists will discuss the role of memorabilia in politics, Vashon’s voting history, and why political ephemera speaks to voters. Speakers on the panel include political scientist Allison Jansen, local historian Bruce Haulman and collector Gib Dammann. Attendance is free with a suggested donation. If islanders want to watch this Zoom session with friends, it will play in real-time in the Museum’s permanent gallery.

Sign up for the talk at vashonheritagemuseum.org/events.

King County Cemetery District

King County Cemetery District’s next regular board meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m.Wednesday, Oct. 9, in the District’s office. 19631 Singer Rd. SW.

ADU webinar

Developer and new island resident Fred Jordan will host a free webinar on financing, feasibility studies and construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and other related projects at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 — learn more or sign up at tinyurl.com/VashonADUwebinar.

Harvest Party

Celebrate 25 years of supporting local growers with the fun of Vashon Island Growers Association’s (VIGA) Harvest Party from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Flat Branch Farm, at 7118 SW 240th St. Enjoy music, hay rides, yard games, farm animals, apple pressing, and dinner with locally sourced ingredients, all included with the admission price of $25 for adults, $15 for kids under 12, and free for kids younger than 3). Find out more and get tickets at vigavashon.org/events/harvest-party.

Animal blessing

The Blessing of the Animals, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, 15420 Vashon Hwy SW.

The Rev. Meredith Harmon will officiate the ceremony, which has roots in early Christian practices when farmers would seek blessings for their livestock. In Judaism, some synagogues hold animal blessing ceremonies, often linked to the story of Noah’s Ark and the emancipation of Hebrews and their animals from Egypt.

All are welcome to attend with their animals. The ceremony will take place in the labyrinth to the north of the church.

Garden club

The Vashon-Maury Island Garden Club will hold its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 14, at the Bethel Church gym. A business meeting will be followed by guest speaker, John Coghlan, speaking on the topic of evergreen oaks.

Oaks are magnets for wildlife and drought tolerant. Many of the evergreen specimens are smaller in size and fit well near structures and in smaller gardens. Coghlan will share specifics about a few standout trees and companion plants, and also answer questions from attendees.

Meetings are open to the public.

Water District 19

Water District 19’s next regular board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, in the district’s board room, at 17630 100th Ave SW.

Women Hold the Key

Vashon’s nonprofit organization, Women Hold the Key, will host “Communication Alchemy,” a one-day intensive training focusing on providing attendees with adaptive communication strategies for building relationships in their personal and professional communities.

The event, facilitated by Nicole Mercolino and Paulette Sun-Davis, will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at Women Hold the Key, at 9822 SW Gorsuch Rd.

This event is for all genders. Throughout the program, participants will embark on a journey leading to mastering the art of speaking with intention and confidence; building trust through skillful listening and speaking; solving problems and creating space for what’s possible; discovering practices for finding the words and tone that lead to wise leadership; opening a conversation with people who are challenging to speak with; deepening both personal and professional relationships; and discovering more about community patterns and their impact on relationships.

To find out more about Women Hold the Key and register for the event, visit tinyurl.com/23rp4jxt.

Mental health first aid

VARSA will host an in-person, instructor-led training on youth mental health first aid from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22 at their office in Thriftway Plaza, across the parking lot from Ace Hardware.

Learn how to talk to adolescents about their challenges, reach out when they’re struggling, and connect them to support services. The hours-long training will include common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in this group, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Attendees will also learn about how to interact with an adolescent and common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges. Find out more and register by emailing info@varsanetwork.org or calling 206-567-2647.