Services Van

Washington’s DSHS Mobile Office visits the United Methodist Church’s parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at 17928 Vashon Highway SW. Apply inside for food, cash, and medical service. Islanders can also drop off paperwork, complete a case, make changes to an existing case, or request an EBT card. Visit washingtonconnection.org for more information.

Senior Center

The Vashon Senior Center, at 10004 SW Bank Rd., offers a hot lunch at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and activities throughout the week. Visit vashoncenter.org for a full monthly event calendar.

Upcoming highlights include a free STG Dance for Parkinson’s Disease class from 1:15-2:30 p.m. Friday, April 18, at the Ober Park exercise room. Registration is required.

Join an Earth Day project presented in partnership with King County Library and led by librarian Sam Harris, at 12:45 p.m. Monday, April 21, at the Senior Center. Additionally, the Vashon Oneness Center a free group meditation every Monday from 5-6 p.m. at the Senior Center.

The Senior Center’s annual meeting, for members only, will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 24, at the Senior Center. Arrive early to join or renew membership prior to the meeting.

Public safety roundtable

A public safety roundtable discussion at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at the Vashon High School cafeteria, will be convened by the Vashon-Maury Community Council.

The event, “How Can Islanders Work with the Sheriffs to Make Vashon Safer,” will begin with a one-hour panel discussion with Sergeant Theresa Schrimpsher and Major Coby Hamill from the King County Sheriff’s Office; Tom Walsten from Vashon Youth and Family Services; Tanner Yelken from Vashon Thriftway; Sarah Sullivan, a mother and social worker; and Jim Hunziker, a nurse practitioner who works with islanders who are homeless, according to event organizers.

Incoming Vashon HouseHold Executive Director Amy Drayer will moderate the panel discussion. Afterward, the conversation will open up to the audience. If the trial roundtable format is successful, there will be more of them in the future, according to the Community Council.

Bird Walk

Join skilled birder Steve Caldwell for a bird walk 9 a.m. Saturday, April 19, sponsored by the Vashon Bird Alliance. Meet at Ober Park, then carpool to various sites on the island. It’s an exciting time in the woods — many neotropical migratory birds are just returning to the island from their wintering grounds in Central America.

Egg Hunt

Vashon Park District’s annual Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt returns 11 a.m., Saturday, April 19, at Ober Park. Kids ages 1-10 are invited to look for colorful eggs filled with treats and prizes throughout the park.

An hour before, there will be a sensory-friendly egg hunt at 10 a.m. for children with autism or other sensory needs. The earlier egg hunt is a collaboration with SEPAC Vashon (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) to ensure an inclusive and enjoyable experience for all children.

Museum Family Day

Visit the Vashon Heritage Museum 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 19 for Family Day. Stop by before or after the Easter egg hunt at Ober Park to enjoy story time, circle games, and a spring basket craft.

Autonomy workshop

“Anchoring in a Storm,” a Not on Our Island workshop, will be held 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 19. The event is aimed at helping participants learn to set boundaries, build autonomy and choice, and find an internal anchor even in a time of challenge.

Deborah King, a yoga therapist who partners with Vashon’s Dove Project to provide yoga therapy for survivors of gender-based violence, will present the workshop. Register by emailing hello@notonourisland.org.

Library events

The following events will soon take place at Vashon Library:

From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 19, learn about herbal remedies from Rachel Caplan Erickson.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26, browse a selection of gently used books for all ages and help support local library programming at the Vashon Friends of the Library’s spring book sale. Donations of gently-used books in good condition can be made to the library during business hours starting 10 a.m. Friday, April 25 — two bag limit of books, please.

Brown Briefly

Join the Brown Briefly hosts and their guest Sharon Nelson, former Washington State Senate Majority Leader, at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 22, on 101.9 FM and streaming live at voiceofvashon.org and on the VoV mobile app. Nelson will share her observations of the Trump administration and the risks to our island community. Hosts Craig Beles, Amy Drayer, Truman O’Brien, Kevin Jones, and Bruce Haulman will explore how islanders can prepare for the potential fallout.

Garden Club plant sale

Vashon Maury Island Garden Club Annual Plant Sale is from 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, April 26 at Island Lumber, 17633 97th Pl SW.

The club will have native plants, perennials, trees, bushes, ground covers, greenhouse grown vegetables, tomatoes and annual flower starts for sale.

Come take an early look at the Friday night sneak peak, from 5-6:30 pm. April 25, also at Island Lumber. Visitors can set aside 3 plants to buy the next day at the sale. The preview party includes live music and beverages. The door price of $20 comes with a $5 off coupon to use during the Saturday sale.

Death Café

At a Death Café people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death, with an objective to increase awareness of death and help people make the most of their finite lives. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session. The Vashon Death Café meets from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on every first and third Friday, at the Tree of Life Wellness Center, at 17331 Vashon Highway SW. The third Friday of April is April 18. Donations are welcome.

Heritage Museum gala

On Saturday, April 26, the Vashon Heritage Museum will present its third annual gala at Open Space for Arts & Community. This year’s theme — remembering Vashon in the 1960s — is tailor made for great outfits, art, music and memorabilia.

Guests will be welcomed by an immersive 1960s-era mural by local artist Sue Hardy, and can peruse curated displays from the Museum’s collection — including archival prints of Vashon in the 1960s, vintage cars, and other memorabilia. A sumptuous meal, inspired by 1960s recipes, will be served by Chef Chantel Jackson of Thyme Well Spent Catering, complete with complimentary wines and beers.

Voice of Vashon radio host Jeff Hoyt will offer up comedy, and deejay Prince Voltaire will get folks out on the dance floor.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a cocktail hour, followed by a 6:30 p.m. dinner. To find out more and purchase tickets, visit vashonheritagemuseum.org.

Flea Market

Vashon Eagles will host the Finders Keepers Flea Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26, inside the club, located at 18134 Vashon Hwy SW. Items for sale will include vintage finds and distinctive crafts. Enjoy live music from Kat Eggleston, Ron Hook and John Browne. There will also be kids’ activities with the group Seriously Silly Science. Food from the Eagle’s kitchen will be served from 12 to 2 p.m. Email pitiger@comcast.net with questions.

Old Friends Club

The Vashon Senior Center and Vashon Care Network, working with the Vashon Presbyterian Church, plan to launch the Vashon Island Old Friends Club, a community-based daytime program for adults living with dementia or cognitive decline. It will be a place for social engagement and friendship with well-managed, supervised care. While members enjoy time with friends, their caregivers get reliable, much-needed time to recharge and focus on self-care.

The program will initially operate five hours a day, one day a week. Activities will include games, art, music, gentle exercise and a healthy lunch, all geared to individual needs. Participants will pay a fee to cover expenses.

To join or learn more, attend an information session from 7-8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30 at the Presbyterian Church, 17708 Vashon Highway SW, or attend online at zoom.us/j/442169680.

For more information, contact Carol Spangler, 206-708.3153, carolspangler80@gmail.com or Lauretta Hyde, 206-794-7769, laurettahyde721@gmail.com.

Ask a Master Gardener

The Vashon “Ask a Master Gardener” clinic table returns in front of Ace Hardware on Friday, May 2. Bring plant questions, photos, and samples and get free, science-based advice for the home gardener. Clinics will run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and monthly first Fridays, May through August. For more information, contact mgvashon@gmail.com.

Movement Workshop

Elizabeth Mendana Shaw, a teacher, dancer and choreographer with more than 40 years of experience, will host a movement workshop from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, May 3 at the Hanna Barn.

Titled “Movement as the Language of the Soul,” the workshop’s purpose is to use movement to connect body and soul.

The workshop, offered by the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, is free to the public, but attendees are asked to reserve and receive directions to the Hanna Barn by emailing Kit Bean at kitbean@gmail.com.

All bodies are welcome, and no dance experience is necessary. Attendees should wear clothes comfortable for moving. Snacks will be offered.

Havurah Talk

The Vashon Havurah hosts UW professor Liora Halperin at 7 p.m. May 3 for a talk titled “Israel, Palestine, Gaza: Histories of the Present,” part of the Phil Cushman Memorial Speaker Series.

Halperin, a professor of international studies and history, and Distinguished Endowed Chair of Jewish Studies at the University of Washington, is a historian of Israel/Palestine with particular interests in nationalism and collective memory, Jewish cultural and social history, language ideology and policy, and the politics of colonization and settlement.

She is currently working on a book about the diverse urban Jewish communities of late 19th/early 20th century Ottoman Palestine and the way a wide range of later groups and political movements, both Zionist and anti-Zionist, have commemorated and promoted narratives about this history. She is also the author of The Oldest Guard: Forging the Zionist Settler Past and Babel in Zion: Jews, Nationalism, and Language Diversity in Palestine.

Inclusion Island Spring Party

Join Inclusion Island, a group of adults with developmental disabilities and their friends and family, for a spring party from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, at Vashon Lutheran Church, at 18623 Vashon Highway SW. The afternoon will include tea, treats and craft-making for Mother’s Day.

Questions? Email hersheyhousing@gmail.com.

Free Dental Day

Dr. Marc Langland and staff will volunteer free dental care and cleanings for low-income people who do not have private dental insurance on Friday, May 30. To apply for an available spot, call Hilary Emmer at 206-463-7277 by Monday, May 5.

Blood Drive

Bloodworks Northwest will be on-island to help islanders donate blood from 10:15 a.m. through 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at Vashon Lutheran Church. Visitors must be 16 or older, and should eat a hearty meal and drink plenty of fluids prior to donation. Donors can register for an appointment at donate.bloodworksnw.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/88440.

FurBall Auction

The Vashon Island Pet Protectors FurBall Auction takes place Saturday, May 17, at the Open Space for Arts & Community. Tickets for the auction, which has a Las Vegas theme this year, are on sale now for $80 and available at VIPP.ejoinme.org/2025furball.

Mammogram screenings

Assured Imaging will offer mammogram screening from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, May 23, at the J.G. Commons Community Room, located at 17300 96th Place SW.

Call 888-204-9214 to schedule an appointment.

Major insurers are accepted and no referral is needed, though patients should bring a picture ID and an insurance card. Patients must be 40 years old or older, with no current breast problems or complaints, and have not had a mammogram in the past year.