Fruit club looks at history

Interested in learning more about Vashon history and our legacy as a fruit growing community? The Vashon Fruit Club will host a program on “The Fruit and Berry Growing Heritage of Vashon” from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at Courthouse Square. 

Sally Fox and Bob Norton are researching the history of fruit growing on Vashon with the intention of writing a book. They will share how they are approaching the project, what they are finding and invite community members to share their thoughts.  

Members of the community with recollections, history and memorabilia of our fruit growing past are especially invited to attend. Anyone interested in finding out more about the project or helping with it can call Sally Fox at 567-5027 or Bob Norton at 463-6113.

— Tracy Barrett

Senior dinner set for Dec. 14

Preparation for the holiday dinner for seniors began last week when Vashon Senior Center volunteers agreed to send invitations to Island citizens who might welcome dinner with friends they haven’t seen for a while. The Dec. 14 dinner has been arranged annually for more than 70 years by Vashon Kiwanis for senior citizens to reinforce and honor their connection to the community. Dinner is at Camp Burton.

Vashon High School Key Club and McMurray School Builders Club members are traditional servers. Kiwanis members and spouses do the food preparation.

New director of the Senior Center, Willow Eaton, created all the camera-ready copy for invitations to the dinner and the return RSVP cards so proper food can be prepared, and center volunteers are addressing and stamping Kiwanis envelopes.

The traditional turkey dinner with mashed potatoes and green beans is free. Food and decorations are paid for by proceeds from the Kiwanis’ Strawberry Festival Pancake Breakfast and Community Calendar sales.

Gaye Detzer’s Suzuki Strings youth ensemble and Mary Tuel are to provide musical entertainment. As many as a dozen violin players may perform.

“This is a community event involving all ages,” dinner chairman Mike Quenneville explained. “Senior citizens can refresh their connection to the community, catch up with one another and enjoy each others’ company.”

The punch bowl is to be ready about noon, and dinner is to be served after 1 p.m.

Travel to and from the dinner is to be provided for those housebound but able to walk or be pushed in their wheelchair into the dining hall, Quenneville added.

The dinner has been offered since 1935, and Camp Burton donates the hall. More details as they are available will be at www.vashonkiwanis.org.

— Jay Becker

Dems: Yes, we did

Come join the Vashon Democratic Club to celebrate the historic election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. All are welcome.

We normally have just one party per year, but we have so much to celebrate, we’re having two parties in a row.

We’ll watch Obama’s election night speech and see video clips of spontaneous street celebrations around the world.

In addition to celebrating, we’ll focus on “Where do we go from here?” This election is just the beginning; there is a lot of hard work ahead to repair the damage done in the last eight years and to move beyond that to build a more fair and just society.

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, Nov. 15, 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

VIPP sells calendars

Vashon Island Pet Protectors’ 2009 Pet Calendar is now available for $15 at the following locations: Pandora’s Box, Books by the Way, Fair Isle Animal Clinic and The Vashon Bookshop.

— Victoria Rolfs

Green Party looks ahead

The next Green Party meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the home of Joy Goldstein, 10329 S.W. Bank Rd., phone 463-9552. This will be the first in a series of meetings designed to reorient the work of the Vashon Greens following up on the results of the elections.

With the enormous social and community changes coming down now, we are seeking to re-focus the efforts of the local chapter to advance our Green values. All are welcome. Call me at 463-9579 for more information.

— Steve Graham

Unitarians study gratitude

The Vashon Island Unitarian Fellowship program for Sunday, Nov. 16, will focus on gratitude. Poetry and personal reflections from different generations will offer a deep and personal opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the Thanksgiving season. This annual service has been well received over the years, appealing to the young and old, no matter one’s faith or spiritual practice. Visitors are welcome to attend the service at the Burton Community Church at 9:30 a.m.

The offering will be given to the food bank.

The church is located at 23905 Vashon Hwy. S.W.

There is Religious Exploration for kids in grades K through 12 and child care for the very young.

For further information call Beth White at 463-5861.

— Wendy Wharton

Understand digital TV

Are you ready for your television’s switch to digital broadcasting, which starts after February? After 50 years, most of the old analog signal will be gone, and most of the stations you watch will use only the new digital signals.

Join Michael O’Donnell at the Senior Center on S.W. Bank Road at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, as he answers your questions about the upcoming changes. The program is free and open to everyone.