Your guide to life on
Mercer Island, WA
Brought to you by The Sirianni Group
Here’s our weekly round-up of events from May 15 – 21 on Mercer Island:
Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, May 17 & Friday, May 19, 9 – 10 am
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street
Join Mercer Island Parks & Recreation for Community Coffee Hour every Wednesday and Friday! This is a free program for kids, teens, adults, seniors, and families. Enjoy a hot cup of coffee in a fun and engaging atmosphere with people from the community.
For more information, call MICEC at 206-275-7909 or email at [email protected].
Storybook Corner
Wednesday, May 17, 10:30 – 11 am
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Bring your little ones in to enjoy popular picture books read by our staff or special guests.
Kaleidoscope Play & Learn
Wednesday, May 17, 10:30 am – Noon
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Have fun singing songs, telling stories, reading books, creating art, and playing. Kaleidoscope Play & Learn is in English. Ages 5 years and younger with caregiver. Sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library.
Congressman Adam Smith: Constituent Services Outreach
Wednesday, May 17, 11 am – 1 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Congressman Adam Smith’s office will be hosting mobile office hours to make their services more convenient and accessible to you. His staff members are able to assist constituents with Federal Agency issues such as Social Security, Internal Revenue Service, and State Department. They can also provide housing and financial support resources and help with federal grants.
Cookbook Book Club Meeting: Sharon Kramis & Julie Kramis Hearne Edition
Wednesday, May 17, 7 – 9 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
One family, two expert chefs. When Julie Kramis Hearne was young, she would pretend to be sick so she could stay home from school to watch her mother Sharon Kramis teach cooking classes. Both women are now among our favorite cookbook writers. In case you’re new to this popular recurring Island Books event, the Cookbook Book Club meets every other month to explore different cuisines and cookbooks and taste the dishes we’ve made. A festive potluck meal, in other words, and we’ll supply the drinks. Follow the link below for more details!
Soothe the Non-Stop Mind That Keeps You Awake
Wednesday, May 17, 7 – 8:30 pm
Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way
Sondra Kornblatt, author of Restful Insomnia, will be holding a workshop for adults and seniors at SJCC on soothing your non-stop mind at night. Does your mind take over with tasks or useless chatter, keeping you from rest and sleep? This class looks at ways to change your relationship with your mind and tips to keep it from taking charge at night.
Tabletop Thursdays
Thursday, May 18, 4 – 7 pm
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street
Drop by for an afternoon of board games, video games, playing pool or ping-pong, and hanging out. The Community & Events Center has a huge selection of games, and the staff is always up to taking on a new competitor. Games include: Codenames, Mission Red Planet, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Connect 4, Monopoly, and more. Free for ages 7 – 14.
For more information, call MICEC at 206-275-7909 or email at [email protected].
Keiko Kay Hirai, Author of Sheer Determination
Thursday, May 18, 5 – 7 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Join us as we welcome Keiko Kay Hirai to Island Books to celebrate the release of her new book Sheer Determination. She is the founder of Studio 904 Hair Design, an award-winning salon that utilizes innovative business concepts. Sheer Determination details her 40-year journey of self-discovery and perseverance to create a business that is widely admired for its cutting-edge philosophies. Kay’s core values are based on the Kaizen principles of life-long learning in small incremental steps.
Let’s Start a Conversation…
Thursday, May 18, 6 – 8 pm
Mercer Island Library (Conference Room), 4400 88th Ave SE
Join Sheldon Sweeney, Financial Adviser, and Mendi Carroll, attorney, for a free, informal roundtable conversation about financial and estate issues that concern families with special needs children and what they should consider in planning and protecting their loved ones. Chat with other parents and/or family members who are dealing with some of the same challenges.
3rd Thursday Films: Gold Balls
Thursday, May 18, 7:30 pm
Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way
Kate Dandel’s documentary about the lives of elite tennis players inspires the average athlete in all of us. The twist? These athletes all over 80, each a character in their own right. There’s a former most-eligible-bachelor from Madison, Wisconsin; a retired litigator teaching tween athletes a lesson in respecting their elders; a 75-year-old woman who thought her physical therapist was being too soft in treating her rotator cuff surgery; and the publisher of “Black Tennis Magazine.” This quirky story reminds us that getting up and on to the court is half the battle. Filmmaker Kate Dandel will be in attendance. Rated PG.
Youth Theatre Northwest presents The Hundred Dresses
LAST WEEKEND OF SHOWS!
May 5 – 21
Fridays & Saturdays, 7 pm; Saturdays & Sundays, 2 pm
Parish Hall Theatre – Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4400 86th Ave SE
Based on the book by Eleanor Estes and adapted by Mary Hall Surface, The Hundred Dresses is about why it’s so important to stand up to bullies, even when they’re your friends. Maddie doesn’t agree with how her friend Peggy and their classmates bully Wanda, but Maddie doesn’t speak up, out of fear of getting teased herself. After Wanda’s family moves away, Maddie realizes her silence can be just as hurtful as bullying, and she takes a different stand when her classmates find a new target.
Mother & Son Game Night
Friday, May 19, 7 – 9 pm
Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club, 4120 86th Ave SE
Dads and daughters don’t get to have all the fun! This will be a fun evening for mothers and sons to play! Dodgeball, Jenga, Pictionary, and Yahtzee are among all the fun game options in store. Lots of laughs are guaranteed! Also in the works are dessert and other fun surprises, so grab your mom friends and plan a date night for you and your little man/men. Tickets: $25 for each mother/son.
Restoration Event
Saturday, May 20, 10 am – 2 pm
Wildwood Park, 87th Avenue SE
Meet: West entrance on 86th Ave SE
Each year, Mercer Island citizens donate hundreds of hours of their time to maintain the community’s parks and open spaces: picking up litter, planting trees, cutting down ivy, painting over graffiti, or repairing trails.
Gluten-Free on a Budget with a NSM Nutritionist
Saturday, May 20, 10 – 11 am
New Seasons Market, 2755 77th Ave SE
Specialty gluten-free products have a reputation for being hard on the wallet. But thankfully, NSM carries a huge selection of foods that are naturally gluten-free and oh-so tasty. Come to this Nutrition Tour and you’ll leave with a great shopping list and many valuable resources to help you navigate the gluten-free world in a budget-friendly way. Free. Online registration required.
Crest Greenhouse Annual Plant Sale
Saturday, May 20, 9 am – 3 pm
Crest Learning Center, 4150 86th Ave SE
Come support the Crest Urban Horticulture class at MIHS, a college and career readiness science course. This year’s theme is “Garden Gnomes Attack!” Located in the Crest Learning Center Greenhouse, MIHS students will be selling plants at their annual plant and horticulture sale, including heirloom tomatoes and flowers. All organic at low prices!
Free Recycling Event
Saturday, May 20, 10 am – 3 pm
Windermere Mercer Island, 2737 77th Avenue SE
It’s time once again for Windermere Real Estate / Mercer Island’s popular FREE recycle event to take place this Saturday. We host this community event every year in our office parking lot, offering free appliance, electronics, and computer part recycling. In addition, there will be a paper shredding truck on site to shred sensitive documents on the spot!
Faces Behind the Ban: Perspectives from Six Nations
Saturday, May 20, 2 – 4 pm
Congregational Church on Mercer Island, 4545 Island Crest Way
Sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library and part of the “Everyone’s Talking About It” program, join guests from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, and Yemen for a panel discussion about their cultures and the effects of executive orders on immigration. Learn some historical background and hear about the impact of travel restrictions on people in our community. The event includes a Q&A session with the panelists. Organized and moderated by Arwa Mokdad, Mercer Island High School student. Snacks will be provided.
Stanley Ann Dunham Scholarship Fund 8th Annual Awards Ceremony
Saturday, May 20, 2:30 – 4:30 pm (Doors open at 2 pm)
Northwest African American Museum, 2300 Massachusetts Street, Seattle, WA
The 8th Annual Stanley Ann Dunham Scholarship Award Ceremony will take place this Saturday at the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle. This year, for the first time, the ceremony includes the award of a $5,000 college scholarship to a graduating senior woman at Rainier Beach High School in addition to our Mercer Island High School scholarship. Speakers include Mercer Island resident Tahmina Watson, author, radio show host, and passionate advocate for family and employment-based immigration reform; Lisa Stone, Executive Director of Legal Voice, a nonprofit legal and legislative organization that advocates for marginalized communities in our region; and Nikkita Oliver, a teaching artist, poetry slam champion, lawyer and candidate for Seattle, Mayor. This event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 2pm, and attendees are encouraged to come early and tour the Museum.
Parents’ Night Out!
Saturday, May 20, 5 – 10 pm
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street
Leave the kids with us – go get dinner, grab a movie, go shopping or enjoy some alone time … you deserve it! Your little minions will have a blast with our staff; eating pizza, watching a movie, doing arts and crafts, and of course, playing a TON of games. Must register seven days prior to course date. Registration is required, code #16969.
Native Plant Sale
Sunday, May 21, 10 am – 2 pm
Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way
Stop by the J to purchase a variety of native flowers and plants from Oxbow Farms. Get ready for the holiday of Shavuot, where people celebrate the Israelites’ reception of the Torah at Mt. Sinai by decorating their homes with plants and fresh cut flowers. Plus, we’re celebrating the 6th anniversary of growing produce in the Kesher Community Garden. This event is free, and cash is encouraged for purchases.
Bake for the Cure: Fundraiser Bake Sale
Sunday, May 21, 11 am – 1:30 pm
South Mercer Ball Fields, SE 78th & 84th SE
Lid East Ball Fields, I-90 & West Mercer Way
Please join Ella and Marta for their bake sale to support their fourth year participating in Race for the Cure. What started as a second grade service project turned into a tradition of holding several benefit bake sales and participating in the Race for the Cure event. By taking action, they want to show that they are “More Than Pink.”
The bake sale at South Mercer Ball Fields will be from 11 am – 1 pm, and the sale at Lid East Ball Fields will be from 11 am – 1:30 pm. If you can’t make it to their bake sales, you can participate in their “virtual” bake sale by making a donation of $50 or more to their race team before June 2nd, and they’ll deliver a box of treats to you! Visit their website for more details.
Revital Shiri-Horowitz, Author of Daughters of Iraq
Sunday, May 21, 2 pm
Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way
SJCC will be hosting a talk by author Revital Shiri-Horowitz about Iraq’s Jewish community and the forgotten women of Iraq, based on her novel Daughters of Iraq, a novel about her family’s immigration from Iraq to Israel in the early ’50s. The book’s characters are predominantly women – strong, intelligent, creative and life-savers. Shiri-Horowitz was born and raised in Israel and currently lives in Seattle. Her book will be for sale and she will be signing books at the event.
Brought to you by The Sirianni Group